Davon Godchaux – August 27, 2019
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Tuesday, August 27, 2019
DT Davon Godchaux
(For a guy like yourself that knows you’re penciled in as a starter and whatnot, how difficult is it for the guys that are not sure going into this fourth preseason game and kind of know but don’t know if they’ve made the team and they’ve still got to go hard in paint?) – “I tell my guys in the d-line room all the time, ‘put some good stuff on tape because 31 other teams are watching you.’ If the Miami Dolphins don’t keep you, then you’ll get picked up by somebody else. So always, the biggest thing – my thing – is effort to the ball. Put something on tape, stand out on tape and I mean if you don’t stay here, you’ll get picked up somewhere else.”
(Obviously you know a guy that always had a smile on his face – probably not a smile today – was DT Akeem Spence. Just to see him let go, I mean, that’s got to be tough for you guys.) – “It’s very tough. We came in and we got the news, (Spence) texted us in the group message; but at the end of the day, it’s a business. That’s my friend. We built a bond here last year. He came in with (former Defensive Line Coach) Kris Kocurek and we built the bond – me, him, Vince (Taylor) and each and everybody. We built the bond. At the end of the day, it’s a business. At the end of the day, you know somebody’s going to get released. Every day somebody’s going to get released, and there’s going to be a time for me to get released whether I’m getting too old or whether they don’t need me no more. It’s just the business of it. I always tell people, ‘you can’t put your feelings into business.’ At the end the end of the day, it was very emotional for me because I built a bond with him last year coming in; but at the end of the day, it’s a business.”
(How closely as a teammate do you pay attention to those last kind of roster battle spots that go on this week with so many people fighting just for that one last spot?) – “It’s very important because I feel like, if they release a d-tackle, you’ve got to find who they’re bringing in with us and see if they bond with us, see if they gel with us because like ‘B-Flo’ (Head Coach Brian Flores) says, the biggest thing to do is trust someone. Like the other day, a hot day out there where we’re grinding, you’ve got to build trust with that. I’ve got to be able to trust with Christian (Wilkins), knowing that when Coach calls a certain call, he’s going to be there. Christian’s got to be able to trust in me when Coach calls a certain call, that I’m going to be there for him, playing alongside him. At the end of the day, it’s all about building that trust, so each guy they bring in, you want to be able to trust him.”
Nate Orchard – August 27, 2019
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Tuesday, August 27, 2019
DE Nate Orchard
(How do you like the scheme that they’re running here? Being able to put your hand in the dirty or coming from the linebacker spot?) – “Yeah, I love the system. (Defensive Coordinator) Patrick Graham knows what he’s doing. He’s able to put guys in positions to be successful and he’s doing that with me and a bunch of guys. He sees my skillset and what I can bring to the table, allowing me to stand up and have my hand in the dirt, as well.”
(Where are you more comfortable? Hand in the dirt or does it matter?) – “Honestly, it doesn’t matter. I’ve been doing both. I’ve been in systems where I’m in a 3-4, 4-3, so I’ve done a little bit of everything.”
(Pass coverage? CB Eric Rowe said you had a little bit of a knack for that in college too.) – “Yeah, I did that with (Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach) Kalani Sitake when I was at Utah. So yeah, I’ve had experience. I’ve been in the league for five years now, so you get your hands in a little bit of everything.”
(Do you feel like this defensive system fits you the best since you’ve been in the league?) – “So far, yeah. I feel really comfortable with what we’re doing. They’ve moved me from a 5-, 9- or a 6-(technique), stand up, have my hand in the dirt. I’m comfortable being able to move around and play to my strengths.”
(When you move around that much, does that make the game more enjoyable? How does that – We’ve talked with you guys about how much more is on your plate, but in the game you seem to do a lot more than what you normally do.) – “Right. Like I said, being in the league for five years and bouncing around from the left to the right side, stand up, hand in the dirt, the game starts to slow down for you a little bit. With the work you put into the film room and the amount of time we have on that practice field, things start to slow down and you start to see things coming.”
(How difficult is this week for you when you start to see guys when you see guys disappear in the locker room. Guys that you’ve built bonds with and stuff like that.) – “It gets to that time of year. As you guys know, last year being on Hard Knocks, the whole storyline there. Things start to wind down and guys start to leave. It’s the hardest part of this game. But at the end of the day, you’ve got to know that it goes back to being a business and you’ve got to be able to put that aside and not let it break you down. Keep progressing and keep putting your best foot forward.”
(What’s the approach for guys that are on the cusp of making the team, or not making the team going into that fourth preseason game?) – “You’ve got to be able to block out the noise. Knowing what’s at stake, it’s tough. But at the same time, don’t let it take away from your game. Be who you are and approach each game, each snap, as if it was your last and just enjoy it as much as possible.”
(You are tied for the NFL lead for sacks this preseason. What does that mean for you?) – “It’s preseason. At the same time, it’s great to be able to get out there and stack them back up. It’s been a while. I get to get back into my groove. I’m in a great scheme where I get the opportunity to go out and do what I love.”
Jake Rudock – August 27, 2019
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Tuesday, August 27, 2019
QB Jake Rudock
(What have you learned about this offense since you’ve cracked the playbook and what do you like about it?) – “I like the fact that the coaches and the offense allows us to kind of us every guy in a different way. With that said, it’s obviously a tried and proven system, so it’s just nice that it’s – get everybody on the same page. Everybody’s going towards that same goal.”
(You’ve been in the league now several years now. How do you approach this week? We all know what happens at the end of the week. So many players get cut. How’s your mindset?) – “My mindset is just to go out there and play football. Honestly, it’s not – you can’t be worrying about what’s going to happen in a couple days. It’s just, ‘how can I do a good job today?’ and then tomorrow and then when the game comes, do the best that you possibly can.”
(As you go into that fourth preseason game, how do you approach that knowing you will be getting a lot of repetitions and you still have to put a lot of skillset on tape?) – “I think it’s just preparing for the game. Watching the film like you need to watch, get the reps at practice, working with our coaching staff to have a good plan for what we want to do and just going out there and executing.”
(Are you expecting to start Thursday?) – “I don’t know yet. We’ll see. I’m sure Coach (Flores) knows all that. (laughter)”
Jerome Baker – August 27, 2019
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Tuesday, August 27, 2019
LB Jerome Baker
(How does it feel that some guys you were friends were are now gone like DT Akeem Spence, a guy that always had a smile on his face, now not in this locker room anymore?) – “It’s still a business. Guys like that, you still keep in touch with on a personal level; but it’s a business and you’ve got to take it like that. It’s still a business.”
(For a guy like you who’s obviously solidified himself on the team, what about guys that have not solidified themselves on the team heading into that fourth preseason game and still trying to make the roster. How do they approach that?) – “Give it all you’ve got. When you get comfortable, that’s when you slip up. You always want to give it all you’ve got no matter what it is. If it’s practice, if it’s walkthroughs, give it all you’ve got. You never know when it’s going to be your last opportunity.”
(When we came in here, guys were pumping the joy and pain, the joys of training camp, but also the pain of training camp. How fitting was that as training camp comes to a close now?) – “It’s been a long, tough one; but it’s finally time to get ready for the regular season. We’re excited. It was a tough one, but it’s time to do the real deal.”
(What have you seen from FB Chandler Cox? I know you probably haven’t gone full speed a lot against him, but you’ve probably seen him a couple times.) – “Full speed? I have. I’ve been watching him since he was at Auburn. He’s a guy that can bring the hammer every time. Every day he brings it. He’s definitely going to have a good year.”
Kalen Ballage – August 27, 2019
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Tuesday, August 27, 2019
RB Kalen Ballage
(On how difficult the business aspect of the game is with some guys already being cut.) – “It’s rough, especially when you’re getting ready to go out and practice and some guys are clearing out their lockers. People have family that they support and people that look up to them and want to see them make it. We want to see them make it. Unfortunately, that’s the way the business is and not everybody can do that. It is tough.”
(What about that slippery slope of knowing that you know you’ve made the team but you still have to make sure you don’t go out there and get hurt every day playing the game of football?) – “I think that’s a part of football. That’s something that you can’t necessarily always thinking about. You run the risk of getting hurt when you play this game. It’s very tough. It’s physical. You can’t control those variables. When you go out there, you’re just focused on playing and whatever happens, happens.”
(Just talk about the opportunity that you’ve been able to get here as far as RB Kenyan Drake getting hurt. Obviously you solidified yourself on this team and how grateful you are for the opportunity.) – “I’m very blessed (with) the position that I’ve been put in and the gifts that I’ve been given to just kind of go out there and show what I can do. Hopefully moving forward it’ll be more of the same and that’s really all I’m worried about right now.”
(I noticed in the last game, you had a run where the fullback kind of took out like three guys. What did you think of that play there?) – “It wasn’t by design. Some plays in football, you can run the same play 20 times and it’ll never play out the same way the same time. You just have to take what you’re given and play football.”
(Specifically about FB Chandler Cox, what do you think are his strengths?) – “Chandler is real physical. He’s come here and he’s showcased his ability to be a great fullback. We’re excited about him and what he can do.”
(That adds kind of a smash-mouth feeling. Do you like that as a running back and what do you like about that style of play?) – “Yeah, absolutely. I think that when Chandler goes out there and he’s physical with the linebackers or safeties or whoever he’s playing against, I think that loosens up the defense in general for everybody. It kind of gets them on their heels. I think it’s important to have Chandler. He’s a vital part of this offense.”
(What have you learned about this offense from when you first cracked open that playbook to where you are right now?) – “It’s more of the same from what I’ve known kind of all along. It’s just putting the ball in your best players’ hands and giving them the ability to make something shake with it. I think that’s been the important thing about this offense and it’ll continue to be that way.”
(Has Head Coach Brian Flores or Offensive Coordinator Chad O’Shea or Running Backs Coach Eric Studesville said anything about – you’re a physical guy, so it fits into what I think they want – physical, tough, power, aggressive. Can you tell me about some of the things that they are constantly talking about that fit into those themes?) – “I think it’s just a mindset that we have. I think that being imposing to the other team is obviously something that every team wants to do to another team. I think it’s important for us to be physical in every aspect – running the football, in the passing game, pass protection. From the defense’s standpoint, I think it goes a long way for us if we’re physical.”
Brian Flores – August 27, 2019
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Tuesday, August 27, 2019
Head Coach Brian Flores
(What does DT Akeem Spence, TE Clive Walford and T Jordan Mills – what was it about those players that ultimately didn’t make the cut?) – “I would say all of those guys, they worked hard the entire time they’ve been here. Again, every team is going to have to make some decisions here over the next – let’s call it five days – and we’re not exempt from that. In the case of those three players, I think we did what we felt was best for the team, and we’re going to continue to do that moving forward.”
(From a personal standpoint, I imagine Saturday will be an excruciating day given how much you care about your players, especially when you are dealing with players who have given everything that they have and there just isn’t a spot for them on the roster. Can you talk about that experience and are you dreading it? It has to be excruciating.) – “Dreading it isn’t the word I would use. I would say – and I think I talked to you guys about this in the spring – in football, you learn a lot about life. You learn a lot about – it teaches you a lot of life lessons, I should say. One is that you can do everything right – you can work hard, you can put the team first, you can do everything right, you can work as hard as you possibly can, you can come to meetings early, you can stay late, you can do all of these things – and sometimes things don’t work out. That’s life. That’s not just football. When I have those conversations – when we have those conversations – yes, they’re hard conversations. That’s another thing about life is sometimes you have to have hard conversations. To me, as long as you’re dealing in truth and you’re being honest, then you can have those conversations. Excruciating, these aren’t words I would use. I would say these are hard conversations. I think that as long as we’re honest about our process – I tell each guy, ‘Look, when one door closes, another one is going to open up.’ A lot of times when you fail, you’re better for it. I think that’s something that when I’ve failed, I’ve been better for it. That’s the approach I take in those conversations.”
(Offensively, you’ve been missing a lot of personnel. Defensively, I think we’ve seen a glimpse of what you guys can do and what you want to do. Do you know what you can do offensively and are there one or two things that you could say right now this offense does well as far as run blocking, mid-range pass game or anything along those lines?) – “I think there’s a lot of things we could do better. I think there’s a lot of things we could do better offensively, defensively and in the kicking game. There’s some things I could coach better. We’re all in this together. We have not arrived. We have not made it. It’s still very early. We’ve got a preseason game on Thursday night and we’re going to try to improve and get better from that standpoint. We can improve really in all areas. That starts with me. I’m not going to take myself off the hook on that either.”
(Is there something that you think this offense does pretty well right now, or things and elements?) – “There’s a lot of things I think we do well. A lot. A lot goes into offensive football. For instance, I think when we’ve got the ball in our hands, we’ve got guys who can make people miss from (Kalen) Ballage to (Kenyan) Drake to Jakeem (Grant) to (DeVante) Parker. We do that well. Mark Walton. But again, that’s one thing. We can get into blocking and protection and route-running and audibling and seven-man protection and six-man protection and five-man protection, two-back sets, two-back run game, one-back run game, bunches, stacks. We can get into a lot of things that are little areas and that’s what they are – little pieces and little spots within an offense. Some things we do well, some things we don’t do well; but at the end of the day, you’ve got to put all of it together for the whole thing to work well. Again, in the different pockets from the o-line, receivers, tight ends, back, quarterback – all of it has to work together. We’ve got to improve in all areas. And really, we’ve got to improve as a unit.”
(Which quarterbacks are scheduled to play Thursday?) – “We’ll see a lot of Jake Rudock. ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) is dealing with an illness right now so we may not see him today. He’s going to try to fight through this thing but just so you guys know, you may not see him out there. Josh (Rosen), there’s a good chance you’ll see Josh on Thursday.”
(Will QB Josh Rosen start because of QB Ryan Fitzpatrick’s illness?) – “That’s yet to be determined. We’re still kind of figuring that out.”
(Have you decided on a starting quarterback yet?) – “For the season?”
(Yeah, for the season.) – “No. We haven’t decided on that yet.”
(A couple of talented guys who we haven’t seen – DT Robert Nkemdiche since he’s been signed – have we not seen him merely because of the knee or are there conditioning issues? Also, will we see CB Cordrea Tankersley play at all for this team this year, do you think?) – “Both of those guys are on PUP (Phyiscally Unable to Perform), so they have to come off of it for us to put them on the field. But they’re both working. They’re both making a lot of progress, so I’m looking forward to seeing both of those guys when they get out there.”
(When trading away – or hypothetically when trading away veterans, is a sixth- or seventh-round pick – a later-round pick – adequate compensation for a player that has proven that he can contribute, or are you trying to hang to those players because the value of that pick may not be as valuable?) – “There’s a lot that goes into answering that question. Do you want the CliffsNotes? (laughter) There’s a lot that goes into. My mind’s starting to think about the sixth- and seventh-round picks who have been fairly good players. There’s one that comes to mind, actually. (laughter) I’m just trying to – that’s kind of where I’m at. I guess it’s what everyone’s definition of value is. Again, we’re all a little bit different, so your definition may be different than mine, and everyone in this room’s definition could be a little bit different. But again, it’s case-by-case. It really is. There are some things – and again, conversations that we have internally about the makeup of the team, salary cap as we talked about yesterday, development of younger guys that you may or may not know about – all of that kind of plays in, as well as the compensation, if that happens to be the case in a particular transaction. So there’s a lot that goes into it. I guess that is the CliffsNotes version, but there’s just a lot more – that’s a much longer conversation. We can have it if you’d like. (laughter)”
(I have some questions that are not specific to this game or this week if you’ll indulge me. One is, how would you describe the approach you want players to take into their meetings?) – “I want them to have their pen and notepads ready to go. I want them to be attentive in meetings. I want them to ask questions. I want them to – the questions are the big thing for me. I think in order to really excel, you have to gain understanding. In order to gain understanding, you have to ask questions. I think that’s the one thing for young players a lot times – and it’s the same for young kids. Last week was the first week of school. I’m pretty sure I have one son who’s afraid to ask questions and one son who’s not. That’s just in my home. I remember being a kid and asking questions or not asking questions, and I think in order to gain some understanding of whatever the topic is, you need to ask questions. So I want them to be attentive…”
(One of your players said that sometimes you and the members of your staff will kind of put them on the spot with a question, maybe about the opponent that’s very specific. What goes into that?) – “Well, I think if you knew you were going to get asked questions, you might prepare a little bit harder to make sure you have the answers. I think that’s part of what goes into that. I don’t want to call it – it’s not fear-based, but I think if there’s a chance you could get put on the spot to answer that question, you’re going to prepare a little bit harder. Hopefully we get to a point where that’s not the case and guys are just – they have the answers because they want the answers or because having those answers will help them in a game.”
(In terms of doing things the right way, a couple guys mentioned that early on, you made it clear, “do not park in those handicap spots.” Can you tell me what went into that? I know sometimes when I’m running late…) – “You park in the handicap spots?”
(I will not do it.) – “Don’t do that.”
(I have not done it here.) – “Well, I’ve got an aunt that’s handicapped and if she can’t park because you’re parked in there, I’m going to be very upset – very upset – and your car is out of there. I think that’s fair. I do. So I’ll leave it right there.”
(With the quarterback competition, a couple players kind of are – he doesn’t park in handicap spots, just so you know…) – “Yeah – when people bring it up, I think it’s silly. I really do. We have to do the right thing, and it’s just – we have to do the right thing. If we allow people to not do the right thing, then we’re doing a disservice to the world. Period. I don’t even like to joke about it because it’s not a joking matter.”
(How does QB Ryan Fitzpatrick’s illness – not being able to make it to practice today, not being able to play on Thursday, maybe – how does that affect your evaluation of the quarterback competition?) – “It’s an illness. There’s nothing we can do about it. His evaluation will be what it’s been over the last (few months) – the spring and training camp. I think he’s done a lot. We know what it is. This training camp, along with his history in this league – I think we’ve got a good evaluation of ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick), and that won’t affect it much.”
(Some of the players say that they see both sides of starting QB Ryan Fitzpatrick or starting QB Josh Rosen – are you kind of tussling with it the same way where you see both sides and are making a decision…?) – “I think that’s the case for all positions. ‘Player A’ has these strengths and weaknesses. ‘Player B’ has these strengths and weaknesses, and as an organization, we have to do what we think is best for the team. You go with one; here’s the good, here’s the bad. You go with the other; here’s the good, here’s the bad. Well, what’s best for the entire unit? And that’s at every position, not just quarterback.”
Minkah Fitzpatrick – August 26, 2019
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Monday, August 26, 2019
S Minkah Fitzpatrick
(On S T.J. McDonald.) – “Yeah, T.J. (McDonald) was a guy I liked a whole lot. He’s a guy that taught me a lot. Immediately from the jump, he kind of took me under his wing and just – he’s a guy with a lot of experience running a lot of different types of defense. He just is a good dude and a guy I like being around on and off the field. Like you said, this is business. I would love to have him on the field with us, but it is what it is. He’s a great player, and I wish him the best.”
(Obviously, you know everything’s got to be earned, nothing’s given. But with the departure of S T.J. McDonald, does that solidify you now as that position player do you think?) – “We’re still learning. We’re still learning what we’re going to do. It does kind of put more of one type of role on myself and other players, so we know who’s got to pick up with what he was doing and just keep it moving.”
(How ready is this defense for the start of the regular season?) – “I think we’re really ready. Obviously, we’ve got to get more prepared with Baltimore, just understanding their offense; but I think fundamentally-wise, technique-wise, conditioning-wise, we’re at a great point right now. I’m excited for this defense because it is going to be a good defense, and I think we’re pretty ready.”
(Is it fair to suggest that this defense hasn’t shown nearly all of the looks, all of the different twists?) – “I don’t think anybody has. I don’t think any team in the league has shown everything because like you said, it’s still preseason. You’ve got guys who are still learning the system. You don’t want to throw too much at them and obviously you don’t want to show your cards.”
(Did you get a chance to talk to S T.J. McDonald?) – “I did, yeah. Just briefly.”
(How’s S T.J. McDonald doing?) – “I mean, it’s tough. It’s tough. He liked it down here. We loved him down here, just as a team. So like I said, we’re just wishing him the best. We’re praying for him and his family. He’s a great player, so he’s definitely going to get picked up by somebody, and we just wish him the best.”
(What kind of goals do you have for yourself this season?) – “Just get better. I could set all these stat goals and everything else like that, but I’d just say to get better day-by-day. Just learning the game, getting smarter, playing faster, getting in better shape, getting stronger, stuff like that. Then all of that will carry over to the stat board.”
(Do you feel like a better player now than you were at this time last year?) – “Oh yeah. (laughter) Like a way, way better player. I just – I learned the game a whole lot from last year all the way to now. This staff has thrown a lot – last year’s staff threw a lot on me, and this year’s staff’s has thrown a whole lot more on me, so I’m forced to learn, I’m forced to adapt and everything else like that. With that, I grew and I’m continuing to grow every single day.”
(I guess you were well-prepared for getting a lot of stuff thrown at you from playing for Nick Saban at Alabama for their defense.) – “Yeah, his system – it’s almost identical to some of the defenses that I ran here in the league so far. So it definitely, definitely prepared me for sure.”
Reshad Jones – August 26, 2019
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Monday, August 26, 2019
S Reshad Jones
(When things like S T.J. McDonald getting cut happens, how is the locker room? You build rapport and you see younger guys come into the locker room and the team wants to get younger and the veteran has to bite the bullet?) – “We’ve got a new staff in, new coaches, a new system. Like I said, it’s just part of the game. I hate to see it happen to a good dude like that. He isn’t going to be with us but like I said, coaches make the decisions, upstairs makes the decisions. They make the decisions based on what they think is best for this team.”
(Head Coach Brian Flores talked today about how he feels you and S Bobby McCain’s skillsets complement each other. What are your thoughts on that?) – “I would think so. I’m a versatile safety and Bobby’s versatile. I think it’s cool when you have safeties that complement each other. I think that’s what you want.”
(How much does it help that you and S Bobby McCain have been together for four years now?) – “It definitely helps on the back end. As far as communication, knowing where each other is going to be. Playing with him for a while, I think it helps.”
(In all the years you’ve been in the league with the Dolphins, can you think of a few times where there was an eye open veteran cut close to the regular season? Do you remember being like ‘wow, that shows that anyone can get cut?’) – “I think my first year or two in the league, when a lot of those veteran guys come in, you come in as a young guy and you see a lot of faces in here. Then you come back the next day, and the guy that was your locker mate or close to you is gone. I think that’s when you’re like ‘)h, it’s real.’ A guy – Channing Crowder. I thought he was a great linebacker and was going to be here for a while. I came in one day and they said he’s no longer on the team. I’ve come through and a lot of great players have been released or cut, or whatever the circumstances is. Like I said, I think it’s just part of the business.”
(What do you need to do for yourself between now and September 8th to be ready for the Baltimore game? To be totally ready, like where you want to be?) – “I think I’m ready. I just need to continue to dive into the playbook and learn as much as I can, mentally. Physically, I think I’m ready to go. I’m close. I think by the first game, I’ll be where I need to be.”
(Are you ready for that date to come already?) – “Oh, yeah. Most definitely.”
(A lot of people make a lot of stuff about the voluntary workouts. Do you think you would be further along in learning the defense if you were here?) – “I probably would be. Like I said, I was coming off a tough injury. I needed to get myself physically ready to go, which I did. I’m here and I’m excited to play whatever is going to help this team win games. That’s what I’m ready to do.”
(The combination of you and S Bobby McCain seems to be a good complement. How do you all complement each other’s skills as safeties if that’s the starting combo, which would seem likely?) – “I’m not sure. Whatever the coaches – whatever decisions or directions they decide to go in. Bobby has played a lot of football for us. I definitely have gotten a lot of snaps. We’re both versatile, Bobby can cover guys. Now they got him back deep. I can play free safety, I can play strong safety. I guess that’s what you look for at a tandem at safety.”
