Tony Oden – September 3, 2019
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Tuesday, September 3, 2019
Safeties Coach Tony Oden
(Obviously since we’ve talked last time, you have had a few changes in your room. How does it impact you as a coach when you lose some of those veteran resources whether it be S T.J. McDonald or some of the other guys you guys parted with?) – “One thing you do when you’re coaching and you’re teaching in general, you try to coach and teach everyone like they’re the starter, whether they’re playing 60 plays a game, 70 plays a game or they’re playing two plays a game, so when you lose people for one reason or another, the next guy’s ready to play. It doesn’t change the approach in regards to that, if you start with that philosophy. That’s kind of how we want to do it and how I’ve always adopted that way. Teach them all like they’re starters, so if somebody gets a hangnail or something like that, the next guy’s ready to play.”
(Obviously you gets lost a few veterans across the whole team when you made those moves, but it seems like your group – the DBs as a whole – still have more of the experience. Has that kind of increased the communication on the back end when you know those guys have been around a little longer than some of the others?) – “It always helps when you have a group that’s been around each other for a while. They know how to communicate. They know the strengths and weaknesses of each other, but if you start from Day 1 emphasizing communication, then you don’t lose a ton. Guys still have to learn to talk to each other in the way that someone else can receive it. When you talk to your friends at home, you may talk differently than you talk to someone at work. When you talk to someone new, you may talk to them differently until they have a chance to have a great rapport with you, then you may shorten the communication a little bit just because you know what he knows and you guys are on the same page. Sometimes it’s just a look, but guys know when they work together. Since Coach ‘Flo’ (Brian Flores) has been here, the one thing he’s preached is technique, fundamentals and communication. All that’s been on the plate or on-track since Day 1, so that part has been good. Guys have been working hard on that stuff in the offseason already. We have everybody in the room talking and communicating with each other, so we haven’t lost much in regards to that part.”
(We’ve probably asked you a bunch about S Minkah Fitzpatrick’s role throughout this whole offseason. I don’t know if you saw a few weeks ago, he kind of had his opinion a little bit on the strong safety part of his role. How do you kind of see his best void, and how do you fit that with what’s best for the team?) – “First thing I would say is it starts with the team and everything we do. We’re going to put people in position on particular calls, in certain situations, and what best fits the team. We try to teach all these guys all different positions, so this week they could be playing one position. Next week, they could be playing a totally different position; but until you get to that point, you have to see who can do everything, so you move people around a lot and put them in different positions to see what guys and teams can do what and where. We’re always going to do that. That’s going to be our philosophy to move around for matchup purposes, if we need that, or situational purposes, so that’s always going to be in a constant state of flux for our defense.”
(You look at a guy like CB Xavien Howard and obviously he got taken care of this offseason. You guys like him a lot. What do you think is his next step? Where do you see him as he can get here?) – “Just like with anyone, you have good attributes you feel about him. He works hard and those kinds of things, but there’s always growth of just learning the game and learning the little nuances of the game. Those are the things that people are always looking to improve on whether they’re a first-year player or an All-Pro guy, there are always areas of improvement in situational football. Down-and-distance, alignment, just little things like that. That’s just in general. With him specifically, I would say it would be the same things. He’s no different from anyone. He’s continually learning to grow. It’s one thing just go to cover a guy. It’s another thing to cover a guy because of the situation. Knowing the situation dictates as far as how far you may align off, whether you’re up, whether you’re off, how much time is on the clock, whether you’re keeping it in-bounds, whether you knock them out-of-bounds, when you’re going to strip the ball – all those kinds of situational things. that’s just across the board, just kind of in general. Guys are always trying to improve and stuff, and he’s no different from that.”
(Where do you think CB Xavien Howard’s situational knowledge is right now?) – “He’s strong. He definitely understands. He’s getting better every day. That’s something that players do throughout their entire careers until the last day they hang up the cleats – always try to improve situational awareness – but he’s strong. He understands his matchup from the guy he’s lined up against. He’s excellent.”
(Where do you think S Bobby McCain’s comfort making that position switch at this point in the offseason at free safety?) – “Well, that’d be a question for Bobby. I do see daily improvement and weekly improvement. He’s smart. He’s doing all the things that we thought he could do from a movement perspective and from a knowledge perspective. As far as his comfort, obviously he would have to answer that; but he looks he’s comfortable in the position.”
(You like S Bobby McCain there?) – “He’s doing well. He’s doing well. Like I said, we don’t know where he’s going to line up.”
(Keep the mystery a little bit?) – “(laughter) No, but that’s just what it is. We just don’t want to pigeon-hole our guys into traditional positions because that’s not what we are. We want to put the best 11 on the field for the situation, and they could be anywhere within that situation based off of matchups and those kinds of things, and I think that’s the best way. That’s a smart way to do it when you have guys that are versatile.”
(Have you guys contemplated the possible negative of that – of guys not knowing on a given Sunday where they might line up and maybe being uncomfortable with that part of the nature?) – “That’s part of practice. That’s part of knowing you have the right guys that are smart and can adjust. That’s why we have a group of guys that can adjust. You always take those kinds of things into consideration. When guys are comfortable with doing something, you can see it in his eyes. You’ll see it in his play. You can see it in his communication in the meeting room. We definitely wouldn’t just move a player just to move a player if he can’t get a job we need to get done in that situation. You’re going to move a guy if that’s best for our team and has the ability to get it done. That’s a testament to the guys that we have. They’re able to do that.”
(If we do end up seeing a combo of S Bobby McCain and S Reshad Jones, how do they complement each other well, do you think?) – “They’re both good football players. That helps. They’re both smart. They’re both physical, and they both have different skillsets. Because when you’ve got height, size and speed, they’re both a little bit different. I’m excited those guys be a part of our defense. When we move guys around, that helps us.”
(I don’t know how candid you can be with this answer, S T.J. McDonald was obviously a very good football player; but do you think the pairing of S Bobby McCain and S Reshad Jones is better in a pass-heavy league than T.J. and Reshad, who are both very good players but both natural strong safeties?) – “I don’t know necessarily about that, but I do know that the pairing of the guys that we have are all pretty good out there. They’re all complementary. We’re going to put them in positions to be successful for our team.”
(Do you have a feeling of whether S Bobby McCain is going to be a good NFL safety or too early to tell?) – “Bobby’s a good player. He plays hard. He’s smart. He plays fast, so you can add all those numbers up, and then you can make the conclusion at the end of the day.”
(Is S Minkah Fitzpatrick in your meeting room a lot, some?) – “They’re all in the room a lot. We move around a lot. A lot of moving parts.”
(We’ve seen the nickel and dimes, but I feel like this week you might have to put seen or eight in the back just to catch QB Lamar Jackson across the field?) – “(laughter) We may need a 12th or a 13th out there. He’s dynamic. He does a lot of great things. I think he’s managed the game well. You can see his progression in learning the game, learning his formations and kind of running that offense. He’s definitely a dynamic, exciting player.”
(Who are some players on this defense you feel like the other players gravitate towards and want to play for? Is it CB Xavien Howard, is it LB Jerome Baker, is it maybe DT Christian Wilkins is it another player? Who are some players on this defense you feel like the other players know or feel like they can gravitate around and they want to play for?) – “I think as a group, they’re all doing a pretty good job in the meeting rooms. I think they’re all still learning each other in regards to that, but I think they all kind of gravitate to each other. We encourage the communication in the meeting room, so they’re all talking. They’re all encouraged to communicate down-and-distance, personnel in the game, the situations. There’s not one voice. There are multiple voices there because we want them all to be able to understand the game at the same intellectual level.”
George Godsey – September 3, 2019
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Tuesday, September 3, 2019
Tight Ends Coach George Godsey
(I was going to ask you where TE Mike Gesicki has made the most progress?) – “He’s had a good preseason – both the run game and pass game. His conditioning is improving throughout the course of not only spring, but the fall. He’s got an upward trend right now. He’s caught some passes in the preseason, made some big plays. Of course, now is when it counts.”
(Do you feel optimistic that TE Mike Gesicki can become – obviously you’re not going to say no – but your thoughts on what he can ultimately become? How high is his ceiling still?) – “He’s a young player, so there’s a lot of room to improve. Obviously, there are some things we’re doing to with him now that he’s unfamiliar with from college. For everybody, there’s a certain growth period especially as you get into the league, not only learning your role, but the personnel and how to study the opponent and how you fit into the game plan and then performing when your number is called.”
(With the extra weight – obviously, you didn’t work with TE Mike Gesicki before he was at this weight – but do you think it’s made him a stronger blocker, able maybe to fight off press coverage? Have you seen any difference?) – “All that goes together – technique, physical stature and then getting open at the top of the route. All of that stuff really is important when you’re running routes. At this level, one of them can’t just be your strength. You have to excel in all those different phases of running routes. Mike is learning that. And then you have to catch the ball. All of that stuff really factors into it. You can run a great route, you can get open, and then if you don’t finish the play, then it’s all for naught. It’s the same thing – if you can’t get open, then you’re not even an option. He understands that and I think all of those things are going to help him become a better player.”
(A quick thing on TE Durham Smythe, just your thoughts on his progress and where he stands?) – “He’s a different player from last year. He’s put on 20 pounds from where he was last year to this year. He’s really worked on his blocking. He’s worked on all four downs. He’s working on normal downs, he’s working some on third downs, special teams he is helping (on). I’m pleased with his knowledge of the game. There’s room for improvement, because he’s a young player, too. He’s upward trending, too, so we’re looking forward to the season.”
(TE Chris Myarick to me is as big a surprise as anyone here. A guy who caught 22 passes at Temple in four years. Was he even a pleasant surprise to your staff? Obviously your scouting department liked him or they wouldn’t have brought him in; but what surprised you, what impressed you?) – “We work hand-in-hand with the scouting department. This is the NFL, so when somebody is at this level – whether they were drafted in the first round or taken (as) a free agent – they’re all given the same opportunity. He took advantage of his reps, did well in the run phase, did well in the passing phase as you saw in the last game. I like the way his attitude is. He comes into work, doesn’t say much as pretty much most of the rookies shouldn’t say a lot, he learns from the veterans and then he goes out there and gives it the best he can. He’s a great effort player, too. When you combine all of that together, that’s really where he made the most of his opportunity.”
(I should ask you about TE Nick O’Leary, obviously. Does he impress you as a guy who’s steady in all areas?) – “That’s his role. He’s versatile. He’s flexible. He’s able to help in the run game, help in the passing game. He has good knowledge – a big realm of experience, different teams – he knows the personnel and then he’s a tough football player. We like those guys. He’s good. He comes out to work. He’s the first guy out there on the practice field, first guy in the building. He sets the mode for the room, honestly.”
Rob Leonard – September 3, 2019
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Tuesday, September 3, 2019
Linebackers Coach Rob Leonard
(LB Sam Eguavoen when he arrived in May, has he exceeded all the expectations you all could’ve possibly seen him evolving into at this point?) – “Honestly, when I came here, I didn’t know any of the guys on the roster. So when I came here, it was really a clean slate for me in terms of knowing anybody. In all honestly, when Sam got here, he has done everything we’ve asked him to do and beyond. He’s just stacked each day and gotten better each day and where he is now is just a result of that. What he’s done all spring – really it started in the spring. He really impressed me. The detail that this guy takes into account every play, every meeting. Then the physicality, putting it all together once we put the pads on, was really impressive to me. He’s continued to get better and that’s been the key.”
(With LB Raekwon McMillan having missed a month, is it realistic for him to have a significant role early in the season?) – “I hope so. He’s put in the time. He’s come into the meetings prepared. Raekwon has been excellent off the field – excellent. You can’t control the off-field injuries. I’m excited for Raekwon this season. Week to week, we’ll see where he is. We will see where he is.”
(I remember LB Sam Eguavoen telling me that he didn’t run a very fast 40 once and that that hurt him. But, on the field it seems like her reacts fast and plays fast. What do you see on that?) – “He plays fast with zero hesitation. He plays like a confident football player that’s played a lot of football in the CFL in three years. In my mind, you can’t replace that experience. See ball, get ball. He was a highly productive player in the CFL. I remember when I watched his tape back when I first got here, that’s the first thing that flashed. No hesitation, explosive and can tackle. You can coach it, but that’s pretty instinctive right there. I was excited to start with him at that point.”
(It’s a shame that LB Andrew Van Ginkel got hurt, but what had he shown you before the injury?) – “Toughness, again versatility. He’s football savvy. He knows how to not be blocked. He knows how to play on the edge and play to his skillset. That was impressive early on and I’m pretty excited to get him back.”
(LB Jerome Baker is the guy who has the headset. What goes into that and how does that mesh with skillset?) – “To be honest with you, we kind of – in terms of the headset, we kind of cross-train a lot of people in all honesty. He just happens to be the guy right now. I’m sorry can you repeat the question in terms of?”
(I’m just asking about LB Jerome Baker in terms of his intelligence and his knowledge of the game, and being able to help his teammates when he’s in charge of taking the play calls in.) – “In all honestly, the way I see it in our defense, I coach spots. ‘Bake’ just happens to be the center of that spot right now. When he’s out there, that can be different. In a different game plan, if ‘Bake’s’ not out there and Sam (Eguavoen) is in that spot, he might be running the show. Whoever is in the center of the defense, kind of runs the show – like your traditional Mike as you would know back in the day. That happens to be where ‘Bake’ is excelling for us right now, so he’s kind of running the show from that standpoint.”
(Do multiple guys have a helmet that can be tuned into a coach at a certain point?) – “Just one on offense and one on defense.”
(For the whole game?) – “You can exchange within a game.”
(So LB Jerome Baker may have a wired helmet and a non-wired helmet and he has to know which one to wear?) – “Yeah. Shoot, if we wanted to put the mic on Christian Wilkins, we could do that. You have one mic on offense and one mic on defense.”
(So you physically move the mic into a helmet? Every helmet is equipped to handle the listening device?) – “Yes.”
(You got the new guy from the Saints – LB Vince Biegel. I don’t know how much film you’ve watched, but what does he seem to do well?) – “Right out of the jump just having first met with him yesterday, he’s extremely smart. He’s physical. He’s got some good size to him. Again, another versatile player it looks like. Again, I go back to what we say our identity is: tough, smart, disciplined. He kind of checks all of those boxes. I’m excited to work with him. What you know after a day and what you’ve seen on field, I’m excited for where he is right now.”
(A little bit about LB Jerome Baker and what you’ve seen from him from a pass-rushing perspective and how much can we expect to see him in that sort of role as opposed to coverage?) – “This may seem cliché, but we’re going to go week to week on what’s the best thing for him to do this week. Is the best thing for him to cover? Is the best thing for him to rush? Who is he rushing? Can he beat this guy? Is this guy big? Is this guy small? How does that matchup versus ‘Bake’s’ skillset? How does that help us? Does having him cover and not rush, does that hurt us or help us more? That’s kind of how we do it, and we have the tools in place to help him do those things to really match his skillset. That’s kind of how the conversation goes, in all honesty.”
(Do you like what you’re seeing out of him as far as his pass-rushing ability?) – “Absolutely. I want him to play fearless. When he’s rushing the passer, to me he’s using his raw natural athleticism first to win. I always like to see that. When people are just playing and not thinking, you normally get the best version of themselves. That’s what I see when I see him rush. We’ll work on getting the quarterback to the ground. But, that’s a whole different story. (laughter)”
(What about with LB Sam Eguavoen I think that’s a guy that has impressed a lot of people here. How has he been able to come so far so fast and did you even have any suspicion he was going to be what he is when you first started with him?) – “I was telling these guys, when I clicked on his CFL tape when I first got here, the thing that jumped off to me was, this guy is all over the field making tackles – like explosive tackles, running down people, and violent on contact. This being the first time that I’ve gotten a player from Canada, I can’t help but think that experience, that three years there of just playing football, had to help him. I don’t know the player he was coming out but it’s hard to teach that – just being instinctive, and finding the football, and being violent on contact. You can work tackling all you want, but that’s kind of a mentality more than anything. Sam is that way just naturally.”
(It must be difficult from a scouting perspective, because there are a lot of guys in college, the CFL or whatever, who look good. But, you’ve got to weigh in the level of competition and it doesn’t translate over to the NFL.) – “Sure. There is lot of different – In my opinion, there’s a lot of different factors to how that translates to the league. When you watch the tape and the guy is making tackles all over the field, is it within the scheme of the defense, or is this guy just running around? When you’re watching the college tape, you’re trying to figure out generally what’s going on, what are they asking him to do, or is this guy doing his own thing and making plays? To me you can tell the difference. One doesn’t translate to the league: just doing your own thing and being a better athlete than other people. That doesn’t translate to the league because you get here and everybody is pretty good. But, if you’re making plays within the defense, that’s a whole different thing. With Sam (Eguavoen), he has that discipline and he has the tenacity.”
Danny Crossman – September 3, 2019
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Tuesday, September 3, 2019
Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman
(The change in long snapper – what was the thinking there?) – “(It was) just an organization decision of trying to find something. (It was) a good year to do it (because) there are some good young players out there. We have a good nucleus of guys we thought, so it was just an organizational decision. It was time to move on.”
(Was it a reflection on LS John Denney at all?) – “It has no reflection on anybody. It was a pleasure getting to spend time with John over the last six months as opposed to just before the games. It was just a decision (where) we wanted to go in a different direction, and now all of our focus is on Baltimore.”
(What did you like about LS Taybor Pepper? You spent time with him, right?) – “I did not spend time with him. He’s been around in the league a little bit. He’s been with some people and snaps a nice ball. He’s the guy we’re going with and we’re getting ready for these Ravens.”
(How did all that come together because when I talked to LS Taybor Pepper yesterday, he mentioned he was out at like 6 a.m. and then he had the tryout and it seemed like it all came together really, really quickly.) – “That’s the National Football League. That’s how things work. Until the day before, he was on another team. That’s just how it works.”
(Was the decision to release LS John Denney made before or after the tryout with LS Taybor Pepper?) – “The decision – I’m going to keep that amongst us. You’re always looking – I don’t care what position you have – you’re always looking to add other people because you never know what’s going to happen whether it’s play or whether it’s injury. It was just time for us to move on.”
(We haven’t seen WR Jakeem Grant I think at all in the preseason. Is that…?) – “Correct.”
(So we don’t really know what the season holds for WR Jakeem Grant from a return perspective. Do you anticipate him being your kick and punt returner?) – “We do. We think he’s a dynamic player, and we look forward to big things from him going forward.”
(You mentioned the dynamic aspect of WR Jakeem Grant’s game. What kind of difference could he make to this team?) – “We talk about guys with elite quickness, elite speed and a history of scoring touchdowns. That’s what you’re looking for, and that’s what he brings.”
(What about with K Jason Sanders? What have you seen out of him and the fact that I think it speaks volumes to some degree that you didn’t bring in another kicker.) – “I think when you have young players, you’d like to give them as much work as you can, which goes into it. With both he and Matt (Haack), as young players, there’s not a whole lot on them. You’ve got a couple seasons or one season, in particular, so when you have guys like that, you want to spend as much time and give them as much work as you possibly can. We’re really happy with Jason (Sanders). We had a good camp, and we’re expecting big things from him going forward.”
(All things being equal, I know you could wind up with some horrendous weather day along the way; but all things being equal, what sort of range do you feel good about with K Jason Sanders?) – “That is a weekly thing, and it goes into more than just what we think his range is. It goes into a lot more of who and how we’re playing. There’s a lot of things. We feel he has a strong leg, and he has the ability to hit long field goals. What (distance) that is can change week-to-week.”
(Speaking to a coach, I’ve learned it’s kind of a sacred thing – the relationship between a long snapper, a holder and a kicker. How do you guys kind of create another relationship like that?) – “I’ve been around this game a long time, and those things are constantly changing. They change for different reasons. (They’re) professionals. As long as you have professionals and guys that take care of their business, there are going to be no issues with those transitions.”
(Would you agree with that statement, though? That when you have a group of guys together for a couple years, that it does create some kind of continuity in things?) – “Maybe for several years, but I think this group hasn’t been together that long. You talk about a group that’s together maybe seven or eight years, then maybe it’s a little bit different; but I don’t see that with us.”
(How does LS John Denney’s departure affect things in the special teams game?) – “I think the bigger thing is just John as a person. That’s the biggest thing for me was being able to spend six months with John and (seeing) what a great person he is (instead of) after just spending time with him before games over the last 14 years. In terms of how it’s going to affect us, we’re just going to move on with the guys we have and look to play smart, tough, disciplined football on Sunday.”
(How do P Matt Haack and K Jason Sanders – how do you move forward with those two guys? They seem to have had really good rookie and sophomore years the last couple years.) – “We think they’re both talented players. We think they both – when they perform – give us a chance to win football games, which is what you’re looking for, for every guy on the roster. I think they’re young, they’re talented, and hopefully we can keep growing and keep getting more and more out of them.”
(I think those guys are really good. When they’re good, they’re really good, and I feel like they’re probably two players that you would – K Jason Sanders and P Matt Haack – they’re kind of like safety nets for you or two guys you probably don’t worry about as much because when they’re good, they’re good; but I know they’re young and they still need to perform.) – “Correct. They’re like everything (else). I’ve been happy with working with them for the last six months. We’ve got a long way to go, but we feel they’re both very talented players at the positions they play.”
(DT Vincent Taylor was really good at blocking field goals. That was a knack for him. Who do you guys to kind of just apply pressure up the middle on your field-goal blocking right now?) – “Again, that’s a week-to-week thing of our personnel, their personnel, our schemes, their schemes. There are a lot of different things that go into that. We’ll just build it as we go and move forward.”
(Really, like a week-to-week basis you’re flipping players in and out all the time?) – “It could be.”
(I thought it would be like a goal line unit or something like you’ve got six players that are going to block the line and five behind that…) – “In this league, everything’s constantly changing.”
(How much tape do you watch – not of opponents – but of either innovative special teams plays that you hear of or quality special teams that you know of, whether it’s in the league or whether it’s in college. Do you try to take from everywhere, or is it more just now in this week?) – “I think there’s different times of the year where you’re doing different things. There’s always times of the year where you’re always looking at basically every game that’s played in the league, so you look at every single play that’s been played. You look at a lot of files, and you get stuff drawn from around what’s happening in the college game. So there’s times where you’re always doing it. Right now, our focus is getting our team ready for Baltimore.”
(But in the offseason you might look at some of the great returners?) – “Oh, without question.”
(In the past, too, or just the present?) – “All of it.”
(Just to kind of gain something or impart something…) – “Every coach in this league has files on all kinds of stuff based on what their discipline is.”
(How about trick plays? Do you have files of trick plays?) – “Oh, yeah. Everybody does.”
(And like if you hear of something – like if someone says, “did you see what Fresno State did the other day?” In the offseason, would you put in the day for Fresno State?) – “Oh, absolutely.”
(So is it hard to think of something that hasn’t been already done?) – “If you think you’re the first one to do it, if you would go back, you’re probably wrong.”
(So when you come up with an idea, do you try to look to see if it’s been done before?) – “Not necessarily, no.”
(Do you brainstorm much with yourself trying to come up with ways of doing things on special teams that either hasn’t been or hasn’t been emphasized maybe?) – “I think the bottom line is you’re looking for edges any way you can.”
(What’s your first pro football memory growing up?) – “My first pro football memory – I’ve never even thought of that.”
(Do you remember when you attended your first game?) – “My first NFL game that I ever attended – yeah, I went to training camp with the Washington Redskins, and that was my first NFL game.”
(How old were you?) – “22?”
(Oh, really? So you watched it on TV before that but not in person?) – “Yeah.”
(What led to the snapper decision yesterday where obviously you brought in a player who you signed yesterday?) – “It was an organization decision of making a move. That was it. That was it.”
Karl Dorrell – September 3, 2019
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Tuesday, September 3, 2019
Wide Receivers Coach Karl Dorrell
(So on WR Preston Williams, obviously we saw incredible things in the first game. Has there been regression since? What have you seen from him at practice and in games? I guess, where does he stand at this point?) – “Well, we are excited about Preston. We think he has been a bright spot in terms of the new guy coming into the program and being undrafted, he has come a long way from where he started here in the spring. He had a really good preseason in terms of our camp, so we are excited about Preston. I don’t think there has been any regression. I think sometimes we don’t give guys as many reps as the progression of the preseason goes because he has shown us enough in practice about what his abilities are and how we think he can help us offensively. Plus, there’s an evaluation of a lot of other players as you try to get a good evaluation of and try to make the comparisons by giving those other players some reps and seeing how that stacks up with the group. But I think overall, Preston has had a really great camp.”
(Who is the best slot receiver on your roster now? Do you think it is Albert (Wilson)?) – “Well, Albert just got out there, so it was good to have him back practicing. He had some reps in the Saints game. He looks really good, so for the time that he has had off from recovering from his injury and now he is back close to full speed and doing some really good things. I think he is going to be really a dynamic – one of those caliber players that can play for us in the slot. Jakeem (Grant) is the same type of player, so we do feel pretty comfortable about where Albert is and Jakeem, so we think both of those guys will be very effective for us.”
(I know a couple years ago, the former staff moved WR Jakeem Grant from the boundary thinking he would be more effective there and he was. Do you agree that outside is where he is best suited for as opposed to slot?) – “I think he has a really good skill set to play both, to be honest with you. The previous staff did use him primarily on the outside I think, and I think for ourselves, we are going to use him both inside and outside. He has done enough in his development from what I have seen to do some of those things outside very effectively. We are going to also utilize his skillset because he is such a dynamic runner with the ball in his hands, that he will play in the slot as well. So, we are going to plan on using him in both scenarios.”
(Do you have a feel yet – I don’t know if you can share this – for four-receiver sets at this point. Do you think it would be WR Allen Hurns ahead of WR Preston Williams?) – “Well, I am not going to share any game-plan situations of what we will do; but we have great versatility, I will tell you that. So, we feel really comfortable with this group in terms of their inside and outside versatility. We are going to devise plans to try to put our players into positions that we think will make us effective on offense. So, that is a good thing offensively as coaches, but it is just a matter of putting guys in the right spots on certain things that we do.”
(I know it was a very tough call amongst WR Allen Hurns, WR Brice Butler and WR Isaiah Ford. What ultimately gave Hurns the edge to be here on the 53?) – “He came in here actually mid-camp with an opportunity to learn our offense and had to do it at such a fast rate, that he came in and did some nice things. It was a tough decision on this whole situation because there was so much competition, particularly in developing who your final five or six players are. But, he came a long way from the process of being here for such a short time. He seems to be recovered from that injury that he had from last year and his experience and knowledge and ability has really helped him get to the place where he is now. So we are excited to have him.”
(And WR DeVante Parker – with WR Kenny Stills gone – DeVante appears to be perhaps your number one guy. Your expectations for him?) – “Right now, I won’t say there is anybody that is slated that way. Our offense is, if you have seen this system and even the Patriots, they have a number of different guys that play a number of different roles and don’t necessarily have kind of that guy. I think we are still built the same way. It is an exciting group that will make challenges for defenses to cover. Again, like I said earlier, we are going to try to make sure we do a great job of putting guys in numerous places to make them effective and whoever is the hot guy that particular game may have eight catches. Whoever is not, may not; but you never know how that is going to shake out depending on the game plan and how teams try to defend us.”
(You excited about WR DeVante Parker, though specifically?) – “Absolutely. He had a great spring and a great camp. He got a little bit nicked up in the middle of camp but he is back full speed now and we are excited to get going and get started this week.”
(You have a really great group.) – “We have a really great group. I am excited about the group. It is a lot of different body types and sizes and athletic skills and it is a nice group to have. Not everybody is one type of guy, and that is what is going to make this a little bit more dynamic than most teams that have our skillset.”
(WR Albert Wilson’s dynamic playmaking ability – we have seen in just the one preseason game – slant route, deep pass, end around – His versatility, how big of an asset is Albert Wilson for the offense?) – “Just by the way you described it shows a lot about our excitement about what Albert can do. He is a great all-around player. He’s a very good football player that runs good routes, he can be in the backfield doing certain things, he can run on reverses, he can run across the field and run certain concepts. He is a very instinctive player that really understands the game and understands seeing certain areas and zones to get open and separate versus man. So, he has a great mindset as a player about understanding what he is dealing with and being effective within those elements. We are happy to have him back. He is back on the field. He feels comfortable now getting a chance to get back on the field and getting his feet wet. It’s kind of in a hurry-up fashion now because he has missed most of the spring and camp, but I am excited that he is back healthy again and playing with us. He is chomping at the bit right now.”
(I feel like the Saints game, WR Albert Wilson caught that long pass and a screen, he was like dying to release all of that.) – “Exactly. A lot of it was it prove that he is ok. That is the point that we wanted him to play a few plays in that game and just let him get tackled and get the elements of the game to shake off the rust and then get yourself comfortable playing again. That was what our purpose was.”
(With this offensive line needing to develop this season, how important is it for you guys to get the ball quickly to WR Albert Wilson to WR Jakeem Grant, to some of the running backs as well too. Just get it out of their hands and get it to a playmakers hands as soon as possible?) – “I think that is very important from just an offensive strategy standpoint is to be able to do some things from getting the ball on the perimeter and getting a chance to attack defenses in certain ways. Good offenses do that. They try to make the defense defend the field. I think we are going to have to make sure we are doing those things offensively for us just because of the skill set of guys that we have. We have some guys that with the ball in their hands quickly can make people miss and have enough speed to make effective plays downfield. So, we are going to be able to do a lot of those things and with the speed that we have at the position too we can also try to stretch the field too. So, it is a good asset of skillsets for us as a receiver group to attack a defense; but I think they have to understand that we are trying to make them defend the field and we are trying to make them pick and choose what we need to do.”
(WR Preston Williams was the guy with the big story at wide receiver among the media. What was it that he showed you that maybe stood out above anything else?) – “When we did our evaluation that we had before the draft, we saw this big athletic kid that had some really good versatility for his size. He is almost 6’5”. He runs well, he was a punt returner. A guy at 6’5”, a punt returner and things like that you saw in college. We were fortunate that after the draft and he wasn’t picked, we said, ‘wow, here is a great opportunity to work with a guy that has tremendous potential.’ Well, he lived up to that. He is a fun kid to coach – a very bubbly personality, very confident kid. I think he has got a long way to go in terms of understanding his complete skillset, but I think he is a guy that will be a really good player in this league in time. He proved that over the course of the spring and got better and better. As he learned our system, had a great preseason camp and you know you saw the first game he played really well. Even though he didn’t have any catches against Jacksonville, he was going against their best people and he was still getting open, so that was exciting to see. So, I think he has tremendous potential to blossom into a really good player for us so we are excited about that.”
(WR Allen Hurns is a guy that had a very quiet, low-key training camp. I think amongst the media folk, may have been a surprise making the 53. What did you guys see in him?) – “He did everything right. That is basically what he has done. Allen doesn’t say much, doesn’t talk much, you don’t see him trying to draw any type of attention to himself, but if you watch his play and his snaps in games, he was in the right spot and he was open and he was doing the right thing in the run game and he was playing like a great veteran should play. He is such a professional. I think he has a quiet confidence about what he brings to our group and he is just one of those guys that had to learn our system quickly because we picked up him late and he had to do that and he was able to do that. He was a good pick up and surprise for us. We are excited to have him.”
Josh Boyer – September 3, 2019
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Tuesday, September 3, 2019
Defensive Pass Game Coordinator/Cornerbacks Coach Josh Boyer
(I just wanted to ask you on CB Jomal Wiltz. Obviously you’ve seen him on the practice squad the last couple of years. What skill had you all felt could be developed and extracted that’s led him to be on this 53-man roster?) – “Well, I’d say the first thing with Jomal – he’s mentally tough and he’s physically tough. He’s demonstrated a level of performance on the field in practice. On the game field, he’s been productive. He’s made the most of his opportunities that he’s gotten, and usually when you make good plays with your opportunities, usually more opportunities are going to come your way.”
(Besides the toughness, is speed a strength? Just from a pure physical standpoint. What does CB Jomal Wiltz do well?) – “I think he’s got good coverage skills. He’s got good quickness. He’s got good speed. He’s not the prototypical guy – height, weight, all that stuff. Again, to me, all corners, all DBs, there’s no prototype that this is what you’re looking for, that this is this guy. You try to find out what players’ strengths are, and you try to utilize those strengths. If they can be productive of doing that, then you’re going to continue to give them opportunities to be productive.”
Jerry Schuplinski – September 3, 2019
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Monday, August 5, 2019
Assistant Quarterbacks Coach Jerry Schuplinski
(I’m kind of a student of the game. Do you look at tape much of quarterbacks from past years to try to pick up little things from them, or has the game changed so much now that you can’t put in a Dan Fouts or a Dan Marino or a Bart Starr before them tape and learn from them?) – “There’s always film to look at, and there’s always the – good quarterback play is good quarterback play. So whether it’s a guy like (Peyton) Manning or (Tom) Brady or (Patrick) Mahomes – I would say maybe a little more relevant in the last 10-15 years in terms of those guys. Some of that stuff, like when Dan (Marino) was playing, his drops were probably a lot different from the ones we’re taking now. It might have been more of a back pedal at times and things we may not be teaching, but in terms of maybe mechanically or shoulders and follow-through and all that stuff, it’s good. We’ll look at as much as we can. I would say that’s more of an offseason or spring kind of deal.”
(Have you seen much of QB Dan Marino in his prime?) – “Yeah, I’ve seen some. I’ve watched some here, actually. They have some on the system, so every now and then if I’ve got – not much – but if I’ve got a couple minutes of spare…”
(I’m curious if there’s a release in the NFL as quick as his release? There might be. I’m not sure.) – “He gets it out pretty good. Yeah, he got it out pretty good. I’m not sure. That’s a good one.”
(QB Dan Marino used to tell his receivers, “If you don’t think the ball is coming to you, it probably is.” That’s what he used to tell his receivers.) – “He’s an awesome guy. I’ve really spent some time with him here, getting to know him and talking about some quarterback stuff just in general. He’s been awesome. He’s a good guy.”
(But I’m curious about the historic stuff because there are some great quarterbacks in the 70s and 80s, and I wonder if you can utilize that today.) – “I would say probably more so in the last 10-15 (years) than going that far back, but we’re always looking for any…”
(What’s your earliest memory of the NLF?) – “I’ve been a huge fan, so let’s see, I was born in ’77…”
(1977, so you maybe remember Dan Marino in the middle of his career.) – “Oh, no question. I grew up in Cleveland, so I was a Browns fan. I remember they played down here – I think it was 1985 in the playoffs – and (Bernie) Kosar, I think they lost, but Dan was involved there.”
(I was a big Browns fan, too. Paul Warfield, Jim Ryan. In 1963, they shut out the Colts for the NFL Championship. Jim Brown, they had Leroy Kelly after that. He was a hell of a player, too.) – “My dad went to the NFL Championship game in ’64, I think it was, and then in 2014, this is kind of a great story. In 2014 – 50 years from then, he went to the Super Bowl when I was with New England, and we won the championship. So he was with his dad at the ’64 championship game, and 50 years later he was at the Super Bowl when we beat Seattle. So my first game I went to, I remember – I’ll never forget – I think I was maybe 7 (years old). I went to see them play the Jets at Cleveland Stadium. They got smoked. (Former New York Jets DE Mark) Gastineau sacked a few people, but it was just cool. It was really cool.”
Marion Hobby – September 3, 2019
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Tuesday, September 3, 2019
Defensive Line Coach Marion Hobby
(Going into the season, how do you feel about the pass rush, how do you feel you guys can affect the quarterback?) – “It’s not whether we can. We have to. This is a big-time passing league, so we have to be pass-conscious. The key to the pass is that you have to be able to stop the run, so everything is going to start there. We’ve got to get the offense on their heels. Playing from behind on the sticks, then I think pass rush will come on.”
(You have a big challenge in Week 1.) – “Yeah, we do. (Lamar Jackson) is special. The things he does throwing the ball, the things he does with his feet. You can tell his players play hard for him. His receiver corps, his tight ends, they all play hard for him. You can tell that his leadership in that group is really taking off.”
(Who does this defense play hard for?) – “I think first they play hard for each other. I think we have good leadership in there. I think we have a good bond with these guys. I think they play hard for each other first and it starts there.”
(I feel like it starts with LB Jerome Baker and I feel with time, everybody is going to gravity towards DT Christian Wilkins like they did at Clemson. I think CB Xavien Howard too, he has the back-end guys, and all of those guys enjoy being friends. I feel like once you have relationships like that it just blends together, it’s an us-against-the-world thing.) – “I think ‘Coach Flo’ (Brian Flores) has done a good job bringing ex-players in to speak to these guys. They kind of know, ‘Hey, I’m a Miami Dolphin.’ That is the standard that is set from present and past. We have to keep going to get back on track.”
(Who were some of those guys?) – “Dwight Stephenson is probably one that I – because I knew him from being an Alabama grad and all of that. (He was an) inside guy, played the grunt of it. (O.J) McDuffie – the guys got a chance to visit with those guys, in particular. Seeing Dan Marino every day doesn’t hurt at all either.”
(How important is it for you guys to kind of indoctrinate yourself with former Dolphins players as coaches?) – “Just playing in this division when I played, you kind of know this was the spot. It has changed now a little bit because New England has kind of been dominating the division. But when we played…”
(Are you talking about the 70s this was the spot?) – “No, I’m talking about the 90s. When you had that No. 13 (Dan Marino) back there and (Mark) Duper and (Mark) Clayton, and (Keith) Jackson, we knew those guys pretty well. The center up front, Richmond Webb, the list goes on. Just knowing the history of the Miami Dolphins, if you’ve ever been a football fan, it kind of gets you excited as a coach and it gets you excited as a player. If it doesn’t, then I think something is wrong with you.”
(I just wanted to ask you about DT Christian Wilkins. Is he about where you would’ve hoped or is he beyond where you would’ve hoped going into his first season?) – “He’s got a lot of reps in the (preseason) games. I remember his first game he (had) nervous energy, and I think that’s good. When players stop getting the nervous energy, I think that’s time for them to hang up the cleats. I think he’s on track. I think he’s made the conscious effort to play with lower pads, play with hand placement. Knowing that this league here is a little different than college where you’re that much better than everybody sometimes. You’ve got to strain a little bit more. You’ve got to put a little bit more into it. I’m not saying that he didn’t have to run into some matchups in college that he had to deal with. But on a daily basis in practice and in the games, I’ve been pleased with where he is going.”
(Can you say or is it way too early to tell that he’s going to be a really good NFL player? Is it too early or do you already have a sense for that?) – “I’ll be afraid that he’ll see the article, so I won’t say right now. (Laughter) I’ll take the fifth on that one.”
(A couple things from you edge guys from a defensive standpoint. DE Johnathan Ledbetter, what gave him the edge ultimately in making your 53?) – “Probably his versatility. Showing that he can go out there and play d-end, that he can do some things inside – his motor. He’s smart, he’s tough and he’s an aggressive football player. He’s kind of what you’re looking for. I think his coaches – (former Georgia Defensive Line Coach Tracy) Rocker did a great job with him learning the fundamentals of football. He comes form a good high school background, a tougher high school where they play pretty good football. I think when he came here, I think he just kind of took off, just like that little flower needs a little water. I think his versatility, being able to play the end, being able to play inside – he’s willing to do it – his energy level. He has a good chance to be a good football player.”
(Has DE Charles Harris showed you some things to make you think he’s ready to break out this year?) – “Yeah. I like Charles because Charles is a very conscientious player. He wants to know, he has no problem asking if he doesn’t understand. He’s talking more and that’s great. The guys have natural respect for him because of who he is. I think he’s very consistent on who he is. Yeah, I think he’s done some good stuff. I‘ve been pleased with where he’s progressing.”
(With DT Vincent Taylor, I know that was a surprise with some, because he showed promise. Was he ultimately not a great scheme fit or was he out of condition?) – “I really want to focus on the guys I have in the locker room now. (Davon) Godchaux has been playing pretty well. We’re getting to look at some of these other guys. I really want to focus on the guys we have in the meeting room right now.”
(LB Trent Harris, did you look at him coming out of Miami? What did you know about his skill set?) – “He’s more of an outside linebacker to pass rusher, coming from New England.”
(Does he work with Linebackers Coach Rob Leonard?) – “He works with both. That’s one thing about our versatility in this system. We both get our hands on him. That’s good. We’re kind of vying for time. We’re kind of standing outside of his room, ‘Can I have him now?’ He’s standing outside of my room, ‘Can I have him back?’ That’s one thing about him, the versatility of a player is huge in what we do. That goes back to the question you asked about (Jonathan) Ledbetter. That’s one of his biggest things, his versatility.”
(With DE Nate Orchard, do you look at him as I’m surprised this guy has been cut by four NFL teams this year because the skills are there? Is that surprising to you that he’s moved on so much when you look at what he’s done, the four sacks this preseason?) – “I really didn’t – When he first got here, I kind of talked with him about just kind of tell me who you are, tell me a little bit about your past and stuff like that. Nate is such an unselfish player. If you ask him a question, he’s going to tell you the truth. I’ve been pleased with his progress. I think he’s been doing a good job of taking coaching and sometimes you have to keep him focused. The things he’s done well – I thrive on the well rather than the negative.”
(DE Nate Orchard’s play against the run is where? Do you think it’s decent? Obviously we know he can rush the quarterback.) – “Yeah, if anything – of course I looked at him before we got him. I was like ‘this guy has got a good skill set,’ and then I think he’s buying into the run game. That’s kind of been the most surprising – ‘You will stick it in there. You are a little stronger. You’ve got some natural power to you.’ That was the biggest thing, just watching him on tape. You can see from day one that he can run, that he can do some good stuff.”
(How would you access DE Charles Harris’ development through the summer?) – “I think he’s come a long way. I think the credit goes to him. He’s bought into what we’re asking him to do. Charles has played at Missouri one way and he’s played his first two years (here) one way. We’re getting him to say ‘Hey, we’re doing things a little bit different. We’re not taking anything from you, but this is what we need you to do to help us win.’ I think he’s bought into that. Just to see him, his progress has been really good. Like I was telling him, I like Charles. He’s very conscientious, I think football is important to him. You’ve just got to keep feeding him. I think where he’s at, he’s been told what he can’t do. I’m not trying to convince him of what he can do. Those are some things you can’t coach.”
(DE Johnathan Ledbetter is a guy that may have come as a surprise to some, an undrafted college free agent. What was something about him that you guys really liked?) – “I like his versatility. He showed that he can play some at end. He showed that he can go inside and do some things. He can rush in there. He’s smart, he’s tough, aggressive. He’s a good football player. He can find the football. Everything isn’t perfect sometimes, and sometimes he just finds a way to get his hands on the ball. I think he catches everybody’s eye because he’s taken a lot of reps because he was second team this and third team that. He took a lot of reps. He never even frowned on it. Knock on wood, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him just dead tired. I think he came in in great shape. His work habits kind of caught everybody’s eye and his versatility.”
(I’d be remiss if I didn’t ask you for a progress report on DT Christian Wilkins.) – “I think he’s right on track. It’s hard, I told them I don’t want to say anything good because he might read it. (laughter) He’s right on track. I think he’s made a conscience effort to play with lower pads, and play more physical. He understands that at this level, you’re going to strain a little bit more. The guy in front of you is just a little bit better, his equal. So you’re going to have to put a little bit more strain into it and play with great technique. Knowing the man that he is, he loves football. He’s very conscious about it and I’m starting to see he’s starting to exert himself a little bit more, a little more talking, and that leadership role is coming out of him. I think it’s going to take time, but I think he understands now. Playing in a lot of preseason snaps this year really helped him. I think he’s going to get better as he goes.”
(Do you have one guy that has moved to the forefront as maybe a vocal leader? DT Davon Godchaux maybe?) – “Yeah, I think he’s a natural leader. I think Godchaux, he doesn’t say much/ He’ll ask questions and he gives you great eye contact in meetings. You can tell the guys have a lot of respect for him. He’s been physical at the point of attack. I think he’s a guy that also has bought into what we’ve asked him to do. I look to him a lot of time, and sometimes he looks at me like I’m talking and I look at him and he’s like ‘What coach? I was understand.’ I want to see your eyes and tell me you understand. I’ve been pleased with his work habits, I’ve been pleased with his – I just realized, you’re right. He might be my oldest guy. He’s got tenure. I’ve been pleased with him, I’ve been pleased with him.”
