Brian Flores – July 31, 2019
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Wednesday, July 31, 2019
Head Coach Brian Flores
(I know it’s still early obviously, but after three days in pads, how many of the edge guys stand out to you and outside linebackers?) – “I think they’re all doing a good job. I’ll start with Charles Harris – I think he’s really working hard, really working at the techniques on the edge, in the run game and in the pass game, so he’s doing a good job. Tank (Carradine) – he’s doing a good job on the edge as well. We’ve got a group of guys – that edge player – that goes back and forth between guys who are outside linebackers to ends to big ends to smaller ends. It’s a fluid group, so we’ve got a group of guys working there – (Nate) Orchard, Harris, (Tyrone) Holmes, (Andrew) Van Ginkel’s been out there, (Terrill) Hanks has been out there, (Jerome) Baker’s been out there, Kiko Alonso’s been out there. We’ve got a group of guys out there, so that’s going to be a fluid spot, just depending on situation, the best grouping, what they have out there offensively, and I think that spot will change. We work a lot of different guys there. We see some safeties in that spot as well. From T.J. (McDonald) to Reshad (Jones) – Minkah’s (Fitzpatrick) been out there. The edge – there’s a lot of guys playing that position. We work a lot of those same techniques with those guys, so we’re just going to try to move those pieces as we see fit.”
(Staying on those edge rushers, is it important to see sacks right now, or do you just want to see technique and them doing things the right way?) – “It’s always important to see a good pass rush. Whether that ends up in a sack, per se, we’re really looking for good rushers, pressure on the quarterback, pressure on the offensive line, which ultimately creates some discomfort for the offense, for the quarterback, for everyone. Sacks (is a) big stat – that’s the one everyone’s watching, but I think pressure on the quarterback, making the quarterback uncomfortable, making the offensive line uncomfortable, making really the offense as a whole – coordinator, everybody, coaches, all the way across the board – that’s pressure to me. Sacks are a great stat – I love them – but at the same time, going through the process of winning a one-on-one matchup, working in concert with another player if we work in a game or stunt or something in that realm. If it results in pressure and making the offense uncomfortable, then to me, that’s positive and that’s a productive-specific snap.”
(QB Ryan Fitzpatrick seemed pretty adamant about not having his workload kind of managed here – having a pitch count. Is that something you guys had a conversation with him, or is that something you guys are kind of working towards here in training camp to manage his workload?) – “I think we’ve got – everybody’s going to work. So from that standpoint, it’s getting managed. He’s not taking every snap. So from that standpoint, he’s getting managed, and that’s really the case at all positions. We’re working ones, twos, threes, and in some cases, we’ve got four or five guys working at a position, so the volume of players we have kind of manages the entire situation, so I’m pretty sure that was probably where Ryan was going with that. That’s the case with everybody. We’re going to try to get work for the guys in the groups we want together, so they can build that chemistry. At the same time, we’ve got to get everyone evaluated, so the pitch count is not really something we’re concerned with right now. More specifically at that position, I think there’s enough – if anything, there’s really not enough snaps to go around. I’d say it’d go the other way.”
(I know it’s early in camp, but what have you seen out of LB Jerome Baker so far at linebacker that’s impressed you, and what do you feel his role will be?) – “Bake’s done a good job. He’s done a really good job. He’s learned the concepts and the defenses to a solid level, and he’s learned multiple positions. Obviously, he’s fast, he can tackle, he’s smart, he’s tough. He’s got some leadership qualities, which I talked about a little bit in the spring, and that’s starting to develop a little bit.”
(With LB Jerome Baker’s pass rushing, is that something that’s schemed up, or is that just a knack because he’s been the guy who’s pretty much created the most pressure so far?) – “I wouldn’t say it’s schemed up. This is a talented guy. He can win a one-on-one pass rush. At the linebacker position, we’re going to ask him to do a few things. We’re going to ask him to rush, we’re going to ask him to cover, we’re going to ask him to tackle, play in the run game, so depending on what we have called, he may have to win a one-on-one, he may be involved in a scheme or he may have the freedom to do either-or. That’s kind of some of the things – if a player’s capable of doing that – really offensively, defensively or in the kicking game, we want to give him that freedom. That’s the style of ball I like to play. Players know that, but they have to earn that right. Otherwise, we’ll just (say), ‘you’re rushing against that guy.’”
(What is it with guys you’re trying to carve out roles for everybody – what does a guy have to do to get more than just the role that you’ve carved out for him? What does he have to show you and this coaching staff, and also, how difficult is it to manage these egos of guys who’ve been, like T.J. McDonald, who’s been a starter every single game he’s ever played in the NFL?) – “The last question – from an ego standpoint, I’m thankful that this isn’t a team with – in the time I’ve spent with them – with a lot of egos. These guys are, for the most part, putting the team first and trying to work hard and understand competition, really embrace the competition, understanding that that’ll make them better players. From that standpoint, we haven’t had very many issues. I’m very straightforward with the guys. The best guys are going to play. I think I’m going to try to proceed in that manner and be fair and give everyone an opportunity, so from an ego standpoint, I tell the guys, you’re going to have as much of a role on this team as you show on the field, in the classroom, in the walkthroughs, and at the end of the day, this is a production business. From that standpoint, egos – I don’t even like to use that term in football because it’s a team sport, but I know that it’s a part of the game. As far as the first part of your question, which was ‘how do guys carve out a role?’ I would say first and foremost, it’s in the kicking game for really anyone on the team. If you make plays in the kicking game, you make a name for yourself in the kicking game here in this organization, that means a lot to me. If guys want to impress me, do it in the kicking game. That’s where I started in college. That’s how I got on the field at Boston College. That’s how I broke into coaching in the National Football League from working with guys like (Houston Texans Special Teams Coordinator) Brad Seeley and then (New England Patriots Scout) Scott O’Brien. It’s a very important phase of the game to me, so if a guy wants to impress on this team, do it there, carve out a role there, and then if you’re at the game for the kicking game, we’ll find something for you to do offensively or defensively. The players know that. I think everyone in the league should know that. That’s a spot where you can definitely carve out a role, and then, that’s how your reps increase. If you do a good job in the kicking game, you get more offensive or defensive snaps. If you do a good job with those snaps, we’ll give you more, and that’s how guys evolve and grow in this profession.”
(What’s the biggest thing TE Dwayne Allen can bring to the offense?) – “Dwayne – he brings leadership, he brings energy, he brings effort. When we get him out there, in the past, he’s been a good blocker; but again, the past doesn’t matter. He’s going to have to go out there and block and be productive when he gets out there. As far as – from a receiving standpoint – I think he’s a good receiving tight end. That’s something that we’ll try to take advantage of if we can, but that’s up to Dwayne. It’s no different than any other player. If he makes the most of his opportunities, then he’ll see more opportunities.”
(Obviously by not putting WR Albert Wilson on PUP at the start of the season, the expectation is that he’ll be ready early in the year. Is that timeline still intact? Is there going to be a point in the near future we’ll see him do some team?) – “Yeah. Albert is really working on a daily (basis). You see him in some individual (drills), you see him out there a little bit in practice. He goes in and he’s working; we’re working him. We’re working him, that’s for sure. He’s doing a good job. From that standpoint, from a conditioning standpoint, he’s got to get back up to speed and hopefully we’ll see him sooner than later. He’s definitely working towards that and that’s something that we’ve talked about as a staff and (with) our medical team. We have a plan in place for him. We’re not going to stray from that plan. He’s working hard to get back on the field.”
(I’ve seen you run a lot of gassers after practice. I haven’t seen too many bubble practices. What are your thoughts on managing guys and giving them days off even if they’re not hurt? And what are your thoughts on the cumulative effects of this heat later in the season?) – “I think that’s something I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about. (I’ve spent) a lot of time talking to different coaches, trainers, medical staff about what’s the best way for us. We have a plan in place; but part of that plan is practicing in this weather. I think it’s something that we’ve got to get acclimated to. I think it’s an advantage for us. I think it’s a disadvantage for teams that come here. At the end of games, if we can go in this weather and they can’t, I think everybody will be happy. I think that’s part of training camp. It’s hard. Training camp is hard. It’s been that way since football began. I think the players need to understand that. Everyone needs to understand that. It’s not going to be easy. You go through the hard times so you can see the fruits of that labor hopefully. I think most successful teams and most successful seasons start with a good training camp. They start with hard training camps where you find out what your limits are. I think that’s something that we have to do. I think every team has to do it. These guys are working, I’ll tell you that much. You guys see it. It’s hot, it’s humid, we’re in pads, we’re hitting, we’re running. But you’re right, there’s nothing more important than the health of this team. I know that; but I also know that we need to push the limits and see how far we can go. That’s the game and that’s how you get better. To me, that’s teaching, that’s coaching. How do you know how much you can do if you don’t try to go beyond it? I guess that’s a core principle of mine. We’ll see how it goes.”
(So you aren’t going to give guys days off?) – “Days off? They just had a day off the other day. (laughter) That doesn’t count? I’ll give you guys days off. (laughter)”
(LB Kiko Alonso missed practice yesterday with an injury. Is his injury something that – most of these guys have just been one day or two days and then back.) – “I expect to see Kiko back pretty soon. Like you said, most of these guys are – it’s one or two (days). I think we’re in that realm. I’m not putting that number on him but this is a guy who works hard. He wants to be out on the field. He’s a leader on this team. The guy has made a lot of plays in this league. I don’t see this as a long-term thing. I think he’ll be back sooner than later.”
(When it comes to linebackers and defensive backs, we’ve seen a lot of shuffling. Are you at a point where you know what everyone does well and you’re trying to figure out who plays best in what package or are you still trying to figure out with a lot of them, ‘What does he do best?’) – “Great question. I think I know what guys do well but I also know this, when the lights go on and we start to play games, some guys just are gamers. Some guys can make plays in games and have a knack for it. The evaluation up to this point, I know what I see. Our coaching staff, our personnel staff, it’s something that we’re evaluating every day. When it all boils down to it, it’s production in games, in that setting. So that’s the big test. What they do in practice is very important. It’s the only way to simulate the games. The best way to simulate the games is practice, and that goes a long way as far as the evaluation. But if a guy goes out there and does nothing in practice and goes out there and catches four touchdowns, we’ve got to take a harder look at that guy. I think you guys will too. I think the rest of the league will. Up to this point, that’s the evaluation. I think I know what guys can do. It’s still fairly early. We’re getting into some situational – third down, two minute – we’re starting to get into those situations practice-wise. There’s still evaluation left; but I would say the majority of it, I feel comfortable with what guys can do well and what they can’t do well. But the games will tell us a lot as well.”
(Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach Bruce Arians said yesterday that with rookies, he needs to see 500 reps of what they can do so far. I think the quote was, ‘if you can’t show me in 500 plays, you can’t show me – essentially, you have a pretty good body of work.’ Does that sound about right with this building, too, that being going back to April, May, now you’ve had hundreds and hundreds of reps with these guys?) – “Well, I’m not in that building, so I can’t really speak to what Bruce (said) and his 500 reps. Our evaluations are here, and I think until you play a game and you see them in that setting, you think you know or you have a good idea; but you just – the evaluation’s ongoing. I would say that. Am I 95 percent sure? Yeah. Have I been proven wrong before? Yeah. I think every coach has. So we’ll see how it goes. I think that’s part of going through what I think should be a fair process, which is meetings, walkthrough, practice, practice some more, practice in pads, practice the situations, then go out in the game and see who does what. Some guys, the lights come on, all of the stuff you saw in practice, they go into survival mode, and then they can’t play. We’re looking for that on both sides – guys who are gamers and guys who show up in practice and then don’t show up in the games. We need to make sure we’re right there.”
(What have you seen from CB Eric Rowe, and how important is it to you to shore up that second cornerback spot in your secondary?) – “I think Eric’s done a good job. I think he’s a guy that we have some history with. I think consistency is the big thing for him, and consistency is the big thing for everyone on this team. We’re going to continue to work on his line-of-scrimmage technique, his tackling, his deep – finding the ball in the air, defeating blocks, his roles in the kicking game. I think Eric’s done a good job. He’s a hard-working kid. He loves the game, puts the team first. He’s a team guy all the way. He’s tough, he’s smart and I like Eric a lot. I’m looking forward to him continuing to grow and grow as a football player.”
Daniel Kilgore – July 30, 2019
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Tuesday, July 30, 2019
C Daniel Kilgore
(How surprised were you with the news when they made the announcement?) – “Yeah, I mean you’re definitely surprised. Four days into camp – any change – not just coaches, but players – with the new rules, you’re allowed to keep a whole team – but any time it’s a coach, yeah, you’re surprised. But after meeting with ‘Coach Flo,’ (Brian Flores) that’s what he had a gut feeling and what he thought was best, and I back him. I back the head coach, (General Manager) Mr. (Chris) Grier and the OC (Offensive Coordinator Chad O’Shea). So whatever they think’s best for the team, that’s what we want to do.”
(Did he go into any detail and explain to you guys what was behind the move?) – “No, I mean he doesn’t have to. That’s his call. That’s the luxury of being the head coach, and our job as players is to go out and do whatever we’re told, so whoever’s the offensive line coach, we’re going to do it.”
(What’s the biggest difference between Pat Flaherty’s and Dave DeGuglielmo?) – “’Guge,’ (Dave DeGuglielmo) he’s going to have to get his terminology in. It is tough because we did have a spring with ‘Flats,’ (Pat Flaherty) so it’s going to take some time for him to get his terminology and what he’s expecting for us. That’s the biggest transition for us and that’s really what – as an offensive line unit – we’re going to have to dial in and make sure that we’re all on the same page with the offensive line coach.”
(What is it like knowing you’re being coached now by the guy who coached the best offensive line in the NFL last year?) – “It’s awesome. They (Indianapolis Colts) were a playoff team. You look across their line, and they had an outstanding year, just from stats. I didn’t watch them – I didn’t dissect them or anything like that, but he’s (Dave DeGuglielmo) been around the league. He’s been with this coaching staff before. So it’s an opportunity for this team to really grow together with the staff, and we’re looking forward to working with him every day.”
(What do you want this offensive line’s identity to be?) – “Tough. Both mentally and physically. We are a young team. ‘L.T.’ (Laremy Tunsil) and I are the older ones. Chris (Reed), he’s got some experience. Jesse’s (Davis) got experience now, but we’ve got some young guys. Mentally and physically, we’re going to have to be tough. Just knowing the scheme, that’s the biggest thing because this is a scheme that you need to be on top of your game. And within these elements – training camp – it’s tough. It’s hot out here, so when you’re the mock play of the game or whatever towards the end of practice, you’ve really got to think. So you’ve got to dial in on what your job is, so being physically and mentally tough.”
(Did Pat Flaherty reach out to you at all today or to any of you guys?) – “Not today. I spoke to him last night, and I’ve been with Coach Flats (Flaherty) before in San Fran, and this is my sixth head coach in nine years. I’ve had many offensive line coaches, both full-time, helping or whatever, and it’s a tough transition when you’re blindsided like that; but he’s a good sport. He’s been in this business for longer than I’ve been alive, and he understands. It was tough for him, but he left – I told him, I said he’s an awesome coach, but he’s an even better man. Fortunately, we have his son on staff, and Shawn’s done a great job, and he can carry on what his father did but really establish himself as a coach in his own career. I spoke to him a little bit, and he thanked the guys for all their effort for him, and he knows that we’re in good hands, so there’s no bad blood. We understand this is the business side of it, but we’re also – we’ve got to look forward. We’ve got to adapt now.”
(What do you think went wrong the first four days, and what was feeling a little different today?) – “That’s something that’s out of my – I couldn’t tell you. What went wrong? It’s training camp. We’re fighting through it (and) we’re trying to get better just like every other training camp I’ve been with in nine years. Nothing’s perfect. So I think that it’s something that’s out of our hands, and like I said earlier, as ‘Coach Flo’s’ calling, we’re going to back him.”
(What do you take from – you don’t have to see a coach fired four days in. What do you take from that moving forward?) – “Well, I said this in the spring: we rent those lockers – coaches and players. You really, coming into this business, you’ve got to know that each and every day, you’re under a microscope, and they’re going to put who they think is going to help them win games on the field. Four days in or if it’s four years in, there’s no gray area. You’re either getting your job done or you’re not and we’re going to move onto the next guy.”
(I’m doing something on Adolphus Washington, No. 53 – what have you noticed about him and his style of play?) – “He’s tough. He flies around. To be honest with you, I don’t know really – because the whole unit, they’re doing a really good job, and they’ve got the depth and everything, and everybody’s really just – for me personally, I’m just trying to get used to my guys and working up to him, so he’s doing a good job. He’s fitting in where he’s supposed to be.”
(First day with the new position coach. Was there any kind of difference either in intensity or…) – “No, not in intensity. I mean, yeah, he wants us to get after it, but it’s just – again – working out the kinks, wanting to do his drills and getting used to his drills. It’s his first da. It’s not even been – well, it’s been 24 hours now, but he’s playing catch-up. Now we’re playing catch-up with him, with what he wants and terminology and drill work, so that’s going to be a difference. It’ll take the next couple of days to get what he wants as far as individual work; but after this week, we should be good.”
(Offensive Line Coach Dave DeGuglielmo has been around the team, but has he been in meeting rooms with you guys?) – “On-and-off, on-and-off. I believe he’s been doing personnel stuff, but he has sat in with some offensive line meetings, especially offense meetings. He has spoken a little bit; but as far as being there full-time, no. He’s kind of just, he’s scattering, he’s kind of doing his own scouting of all positions; but now being able to really dial in on offensive line, it’s going to be interesting to see what he has in store for us and where we go from here.”
(Did you have conversations with the guys who played under Offensive Line Coach Dave DeGuglielmo in terms of what to expect?) – “I have not had conversations with any guys that have played with him. No, I have not.”
(Do you think it’ll be a drastic shift in maybe techniques of what he’s asking you to do versus what Pat Flaherty was asking?) – “I wouldn’t say drastic. I would say there would be minor technique differences, as there is with every coach. It’s what they think will put you in the best position to take on a block or a single or a double. It’s just – yeah, there will be some differences, but not drastic. Again, I told the guys after practice – the only ability for us right now is being able to adapt. Adaptability, that’s really going to be the biggest task: put our head down and go to work.”
(Obviously there are a couple of roles that you guys are trying to figure out as far as who’s a starter at a particular position. How is it for you guys as far as continuity? I know that’s important.) – “It is important, but honestly it’s important to be able to play different positions. The old saying – the more tools in the shed, the better you are – and I think that has to do with a lot of our guys playing guard or tackle or at center and guard. You know, I think it’s important for a lot of these young guys to experience different positions and state their case to really make the team. We’ll plug in different guys at different positions and see who works well with each other and who doesn’t, so it’s important.”
(What do you like so far about G Michael Deiter?) – “Deiter, he’s a big body. He’s intelligent. He knows the game very well, compared to – man, when I was a rookie, I had no clue. He’s so far advanced from when I was a rookie out of Appalachian State, him coming from Wisconsin. He’s doing good. He’s big; he plays physical. It’s just more or less now just transitioning that technique – what Coach is wanting and really fine-tuning some of his things.”
Will Holden – July 30, 2019
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Tuesday, July 30, 2019
T Will Holden
(Do you think you had left any imprint with Offensive Line Coach Dave DeGuglielmo in the 11 or 12 days you spent on the Colts’ practice squad last year?) – “Yeah, that was a short time; but ‘Guge’ (Dave DeGuglielmo) is a good guy and he’s a hard-nosed coach. That’s something that I like to take to as a player. That’s just kind of the coaching I’ve always had, so I’m excited to see what he can do with us. Obviously, at the end of the day – like I said – we’re trying to win games, and we’re going to put the best guys out there. The best five are going to play, whoever that may be. I just know that I‘m here to keep getting better and to push guys and hopefully play on game day; but at the end of the day, that’s up to the coaches.”
(When you looked on the board today and saw first-team guard, your reaction was what?) – “It’s still early camp, so I’m not going to make assumptions. I’m just trying to play the best I can and develop at right guard, develop at left guard, develop at tackle, so at the end of the day, they can rely on me. Like I said, it’s still really, really early, so I’m just going to keep on working and hopefully that time comes.”
(What do you think are the strengths that you bring to the table?) – “I’m a smart player. This Miami heat gets to you, but you’ve got to sink down to your training, and if I can be out there and just communicate with the guys and really just be sound in my technique, at the end of the day I hope it pays off.”
(What’s the identity that you guys want to have as an offensive line?) – “Obviously, we want to be a smart, physical offensive line. I think every offensive line wants to be that. We want to run the ball and we want to protect the quarterback. Every team in this league wants to do that. So I mean, whether people think we have the most talent, we have the least talent, at the end of the day, we’re going to work hard, so we can do those things – so we can protect the quarterback and so we can run the ball efficiently.”
Jesse Davis – July 30, 2019
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Tuesday, July 30, 2019
G/T Jesse Davis
(A little bit of a shakeup in the coaching staff yesterday and today. How did you hear about it and what was your reaction?) – “I heard about it just like everybody else. It came across the clicker and stuff happens. You just take it with stride. You don’t worry about it; you just move on. Pat Flaherty is a hell of a guy. I wish him nothing but the best.”
(Were you surprised about the move, just four practices into camp?) – “I think everybody was. It’s just a part of the business. If they don’t get along or if stuff doesn’t happen right, there are changes and that’s about it.”
(What’s the biggest change in voice and personality between Pat Flaherty and Offensive Line Coach Dave DeGuglielmo?) – “I don’t know. They’re all about the same. Like I’ve said previously, everybody is kind of cut from the same cloth. There is not much different in that. It’s just ‘Guge’ (Dave DeGuglielmo) is ‘Guge’ and ‘Flats’ (Pat Flaherty) is ‘Flats.’”
(Today, did Offensive Line Coach Dave DeGuglielmo put any different imprint on how he’s going to run the line?) – “It’s too early to tell. We met for probably about two or three hours. There wasn’t much to it. It’s just ‘Here is what we’re installing, now let’s get out there and get it done.’”
(How much does it help that you guys have some familiarity with Offensive Line Coach Dave DeGuglielmo?) – “I think only a couple of us do. I think only me, (Laremy) Tunsil and (Zach) Sterup. I can’t think of anyone else that does; but it does help. We’ve known him from the short time he was here in 2017. Going forward, everybody is kind of new to us anyways as a group.”
(How surprising was the news today?) – “It was probably the same reaction as everybody else had. It was like ‘Oh wow, that’s interesting. I guess we’re moving forward with ‘Guge.’ There are no hard feelings anywhere, but we’ve got a job to do. Let’s get it done.”
(Has Offensive Line Coach Dave DeGuglielmo told you that he likes you at tackle? Obviously we saw you back there today.) – “No. There was no conversation. It was just on the script on the board and I think that’s how we shake it up a little bit.”
(What message do you think this sends to players, team, coaches, that a coach gets fired one week after training camp?) – “Everything is kind of par for course as it goes right now. I’ve been here for three years and we’ve had like five different guys. I don’t know what message it sends. People have their own idea of who we are, but we know who we are. It’s nothing that everyone else is saying.”
(Who are you guys?) – “We’re tough guys and we’re going to get stuff done. We’re going to protect ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) and (Josh) Rosen. We’re not going to take any crap. We have a job to do, let’s get it done and keep guys clean and put points up.”
(You’ve bounced everywhere on the offensive line and you hear guys getting cut all the time. When it happens to a coach, is it more or less the same feeling?) – “It’s different. It’s kind of a different neighborhood. It sucks. It’s always not fun when someone gets canned but it’s the way she goes and you just move forward with it.”
(What was your reaction when you saw the script today with you at right tackle?) – “I was just like, ‘Okay.’ I knew it was going to happen at some point. I wasn’t scared of it or anything. I was just like ‘Okay, let’s get it done. Let’s see what we’ve got.”
(You were anticipating returning to right tackle at some point during camp?) – “I figured I’d get a couple of reps there at least. Everybody is shaking the line up a little bit.”
(Did Pat Flaherty reach out to you guys since the move was made?) – “That’s between us.”
(I wouldn’t expect you to divulge what was said, but did Head Coach Brian Flores give an explanation to why the move was made?) – “That’s just between them two. Whatever they have going on, whatever was said, it was between them. It doesn’t concern anybody else outside of the building.”
(What’s the biggest difference today, in terms of teaching, loudness? Was there any tangible difference?) – “Yeah, I mean he’s (DeGuglielmo) a little bit more fired up. Obviously he’s got to leave his mark on us moving forward. This camp is not supposed to be easy or not hurt people’s feelings. If you can’t take the coaching, you’re not going to really make it in the NFL. I mean, yeah, a couple of drills were a little different. It’s a little different coaching style but it’s the same offense.”
(Do you feel like you’re coming into your own right now with whereever they stick you? Is that pretty much the feeling with you?) – “Yeah, I mean whatever is best for the team. I’m not going to sit there and argue with them and be like, ‘I don’t want to play this.’ Wherever there’s a spot for me, no ifs, ands or buts, I’ll do it.”
(How would you describe QB Ryan Fitzpatrick’s leadership in the huddle, outside, in the meeting rooms and everything?) – “He’s definitely more of a laid back guy – not in the sense of ‘Alright, let’s go,’ but more like ‘let’s get it done.’ There are times to joke around and when there are times to put the throttle down, we are going to do it. Ryan shows great leadership skills. He’s been in the league for 20 years or whatever. He’s a great guy.”
(Is that veteran presence pretty evident as soon as he steps on the field? Just the way he carries himself?) – “Yeah, I think so. When guys look at him, I don’t think guys see just some guy that is trying to compete. They see a guy out here making everybody else better and that’s awesome.”
(DT Adolphus Washington, have you noticed anything about him as far as hands, feet, athleticism, physical or anything?) – “Yeah. He’s got good hips, he’s got good hands, especially good feet, and a good get off. I think he’s going to be a really good player for us in terms of making this roster. I really haven’t gone against him too much. I played against him in Buffalo but I think he’s a good player.”
(Have you gone against DT Christian Wilkins much? What’s your observation on him?) – “He’s leaning his role, learning how to play the speed of football here. I think he’s been good. He’s giving me a tough time. (He’s a) strong guy, big guy, hard to move. (He’s) a good competitor too.”
(In your words, it’s not often that a coach gets fired after four days. But in your words, what do you think went wrong over those first four days?) – “I don’t know. There wasn’t any signs to us. Whatever happened, like I said, that is between them. Between us in the room, that stays in the room. Moving forward, we can’t sit there and dwell on what happened. We just move forward in stride. That’s kind of how this business works. If it happens, it happens.”
Ryan Fitzpatrick – July 30, 2019
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Tuesday, July 30, 2019
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
(Head Coach Brian Flores came out today and pretty much said you’ve asserted yourself so far in the quarterback competition as the lead guy. What are your thoughts on that?) – “I’ve just got to continue to put the work in, work even harder in terms of gaining the respect of the guys, gaining the confidence and the trust of the guys on the field and the coaching staff. I have been through a lot in my career to know that it all depends on what you do every single day. You can’t harp on what happened in the past or what you did the last game. Nothing is given in this game. For me, I never take any of these opportunities for granted.”
(With that experience, Head Coach Brian Flores said you’ve built quite a rapport with this team. How strong would you say the rapport is considering the stops you made along the way? Would you say it’s on a normal pace you’ve seen over the years?) – “I love playing this game. I love playing football and a lot of it is the relationships you build – sitting in the lunch room, goofing around with the guys in the locker room, out here going after that common goal and putting in the sweat and working together. That’s a lot of why I love this game. I have so many great memories. Forget the ups and downs in my career and all of the different stops, I absolutely have enjoyed stopping everywhere, meeting all the people I’ve met and playing with all the people I’ve met. I hope when I’m done playing that they all have good things to say about me in terms of how prepared I am, in terms of my competitiveness, in terms of wanting to go to battle with me. Those are things I really put a lot of weight into.”
(This is your 15th training camp now, is that right?) – “Yeah.”
(How would you compare how you’re throwing the ball now than years past?) – “The last five or six years, I’ve gotten better every year. I think right now, I’m seeing it better. I’m throwing it better. I’m understanding stuff a lot better than I ever have. That’s what makes it an exciting opportunity.”
(Are you peaking in your mid-30s?) – “There are so many things with me that I don’t think anyone is ever going to put on tape and say, ‘We want your form to look like this guy.’ That’s not really who I am. But I really have honed in things that make me more accurate and really worked on some stuff with myself in terms of I know myself well enough to know when it’s going to be a good throw or a bad throw and releases and when I let it go out of my hands. I feel more comfortable with myself and my game right now than I ever have.”
(Have you had any conversations with the coaches about managing your workload or having a pitch count of sorts in practice?) – “No. I hope that doesn’t come up. I feel really fresh. I love being out here every single day. I try not to say that too loud in front of the linemen at the lunch table, because I know I’m not the one banging heads and hitting every day and all that; but I love being out here. I love throwing the ball. My arm feels fresh and I can – if there is a problem that arises, we’ll talk about it; but I don’t foresee it happening, because I haven’t really had any arm issues my whole career.”
(Where do you view yourself in this competition as it stands right now? Head Coach Brian Flores said you’re clearly ahead at this point only five practices into camp.) – “From Day 1 when I got here, my goal was to help get this thing established, get the guys going, making sure I’m running the offense the way that it’s supposed to be run. There’s a lot that they put on the quarterback in terms of things that happen before the snap, during a play or even after. I’m just trying to execute to the best of my ability, be open and communicate with all of the guys. We’ve got a good group that’s willing to work.”
(What did you see from the offensive line today?) – “It’s always hard for me during practice, (because) there’s so much that goes on. Those guys are working extremely hard. Those are things (like) pushing at the end of practice there, doing an up-tempo when we’re a couple hours into practice and those guys sweat, get into their stance and firing off the ball. Those are things that are going to help us as the season gets going here.”
(When there is a coaching change that happens this early, how does that affect the locker room?) – “The NFL in general, you always – every year and the longer you’re in it – you know that everybody is replaceable. It doesn’t matter who you are. It doesn’t matter where you were in the past, what you’ve done in the past. There’s not really – it’s tough when we’re in it, because there’s not really a human element to it. It’s just next man up and you keep going, because we’ve got so much to do and we’ve got our focus forward, so it’s hard to pay any mind to it right now. We continue to grind and try to move in the right direction.”
(As it relates to validation and empowerment, with Head Coach Brian Flores’ statement today about you being the leader, how does that play into the concepts of validation of you as a player and empowerment lead the whole team?) – “I think as I’ve gotten older and as I’ve played on different teams and been in different systems and try to get with different groups of guys, I think I’ve become better at that. I think I’ve become more comfortable in that role. I try to do my best and be myself and hopefully guys decide they want to follow that. It’s something that’s worked well for me in the past.”
(What do you hope to accomplish this week before the scrimmage on Saturday?) – “We’re still in installation mode and doing different things. Each practice is a little bit different in terms of the focus and what we’re trying to do. We’ve had a bunch of red area days. We had some stuff in the field and play action. I know we’ll have some third-down stuff and some two-minute stuff coming up. It’s a lot of situations and making sure everybody’s on the same page and understanding. But I think every day no matter what we’re doing with all that is communication, making sure that everybody knows what I’m thinking, I’m making sure I know what (Offensive Coordinator) Chad (O’Shea) is thinking and making sure that we’re all communicating and going in the same place.”
Josh Rosen – July 30, 2019
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Tuesday, July 30, 2019
QB Josh Rosen
(Earlier today Head Coach Brian Flores came out and said that right now QB Ryan Fitzpatrick’s kind of leading this quarterback competition. What is your viewpoint on that?) – “I’m just trying to control what I can control. I’ve been taking after him since Day 1. He’s been helping me out a bunch, and I keep saying it each and every day that I’m just trying to be better than I was the day before. I think I’ve been on a pretty good trajectory. I think I’m doing better each day and continuing to.”
(Do you feel like you’ve played well?) – “I don’t know about ‘well,’ but better each day. You guys keep asking kind of similar questions. I keep giving similar answers, so I apologize, but that’s kind of like what Coach Flores preaches every day, and that’s what I’m trying to take to heart.”
(QB Ryan Fitzpatrick had about a month head start here with the Dolphins. Do you feel like you’ve at least caught up with the stuff like in the film room, playbook, those sorts of things?) – “Yeah. It was kind of like drinking water from a firehose through OTAs, but I got to catch up all throughout the summer as well, and I think we came into training camp on relatively equal ground. He obviously sees defenses in a blink of an eye. He’s been playing for 15 or 16 years, so he can recognize defenses a lot quicker, and I’m trying to get to that level eventually. In terms of the offense, I came on a pretty even playing surface in camp.”
(What specifically do you think you need to do better?) – “Everything. I mean…”
(Is there one or two things that come to mind?) – “Just ID’ing defenses. This offense gives a lot of control to the quarterback, and there are a lot of things I’m doing that I’ve never done before; but I think that it’s an empowering thing, and ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) shows that when you can control everything, you can operate quicker and you can really take advantage of certain things as opposed to sort of dispersing responsibilities, so it’s a challenge I’m looking forward to.”
(What’s it going to take to get to where you want to get to with the control of the offense?) – “Making the next day better than the previous.”
(Is it watching film, too? Is it play-calling? Is it a bunch of things? Are there a bunch of factors to that?) – “All of the above, yeah.”
(What did Head Coach Brian Flores or Offensive Coordinator Chad O’Shea say to you today, yesterday, relative to this Flores statement today? Did they kind of give you a heads up? How did they explain things to you about this situation as it stands?) – “I mean I think you guys and us as players are in a little bit different of a memo system with Coach Flores, so it’s kind of fluid throughout camp. For you guys, they’re big announcements; but at least in the locker room and whatnot, it’s always fluid, and everyone’s always battling, and everyone’s working as hard as they can.”
(So are you saying you got the memo before me?) – “Yeah, I would say so. It wasn’t like an official memo. He’s constantly dispersing reps uniquely throughout each practice, and you kind of understand where you are. Today isn’t different than any other day.”
(Do you feel like you could benefit from getting some more work with the ones?) – “I don’t know. It’s not up to me. Whatever rep I get – if it’s one or if it’s 50 – I’m trying to take advantage of every single one.”
(So you think it’s just a matter of how you perform, not who’s around you then?) – “Yeah, absolutely.”
(With everything you’ve kind of dealt with this offseason, have things slowed down for you yet?) – “Yeah, I think – it’s cliché – but literally, every day, it’s just a little bit better, and it’s kind of a daunting task to look at it from a macro perspective, so I try and keep it small and digest each install one by one and try to take each practice one by one and each play. It’s a lot to swallow if you try to take it all in, so I think you’ve got to pick it apart and just can’t get overwhelmed.”
(What do you think you’re doing well?) – “I think – that’s a good question. I think I’ve picked up on this ID’ing the middle linebacker. I’ve never had to make Mike (linebacker) calls before. I think I’m starting to turn that a little bit into second nature, especially in the protection world. So I’m starting to be able to think a little less and play a little more.”
(What about Offensive Coordinator Chad O’Shea’s offense has excited you?) – “I think Coach’s offense is exciting because of how much power it gives in the quarterback’s hands. I haven’t been able to – I would say – to take complete advantage of it because I’m still kind of fighting against myself in certain moments, but to see ‘Fitz’ and his ability to walk up to the line of scrimmage and damn near know exactly where everyone is and have the power in the offense to be able to change things, I’m looking forward to getting to that level and being able to have that control. You see it with (New England Patriots QB Tom) Brady. I mean he can do literally anything he wants at the line of scrimmage, and it’s all kind of – it’s all within the system. It’s not like he’s improvising. It’s all sort of built in.”
(We know you’re a competitor, obviously, but can it be a little bit dejecting the fact that QB Ryan Fitzpatrick has so much experience with the system, knowing it a little bit more that you’re not at his level yet to be able to understand and put up that competition that you want to?) – “No. I would say it’s just a bigger and better challenge to fight, and it’s also better to learn from. I would much rather compete against the best guy that I can because if I beat him, I know I’m that good, and if I don’t, I’ve got someone to learn from and build with, and he’s been awesome with me and helping me out. It’s an ongoing thing, and we’re supporting each other. Whether it’s him, me or Jake (Rudock) that ends up playing, we’re all going to be supporting each other because we’re all on the same team. That’s kind of how sports roll.”
(We pepper you with these questions about starting. What do you get from the outside? Do you get texts from friends or family on how’s it going, and how do you handle that?) – “I mean, I get texts saying, ‘How’s it going?’ and checking in and ‘How’s camp and stuff?’ But I don’t think they’re really asking like, ‘How’s the competition?’ and what not. I think it’s more like, ‘How are my sisters doing?’ and ‘What are they up to back in Manhattan Beach?’”
(It’s been a couple months since this trade. As the dust settles, what have you taken away from your experience last season?) – “I don’t know. It moves really fast. I think you’ve got to get your routine down, and I’m also lucky to be behind ‘Fitz’ as well to kind of see his routine and how he works throughout the season. I would say, probably schematically from last year, I’ve learned – I mean, I understand now – but last year, the defensive schemes were a lot, and I think it – I enjoy this offense as well because as we have to make Mike (linebacker) IDs, we have to understand all 11 on defense. We’re not just trying to see the coverage or trust the center can make all of the calls, so I think that’s a good challenge on my plate that I’m looking forward to.”
(You guys have a scrimmage Saturday. What do you want to accomplish, two or three things that you want to accomplish there?) – “Just trying to execute every play, make all my Mike (linebacker) points in the run game and complete as many passes as I can and score as many touchdowns as I can. That’s three. (laughter)”
(I know you’re in a competition with QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, but it sounds like you’re actually kind of appreciative that he’s the guy that you’re learning from right now.) – “Yeah, absolutely. Like I said earlier, if I’m going to beat him out, I’m going to be proud of myself because I know I beat out really, really stiff good competition, and if I don’t, I know I’ve got a really good guy to learn from. I’m excited for the next couple weeks and months to come.”
Brian Flores – July 30, 2019
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Tuesday, July 30, 2019
Head Coach Brian Flores
(I think any reasonable person would say there are a few guys on your team who should play every down – CB Xavien Howard, T Laremy Tunsil, a few. Would you consider S Minkah Fitzpatrick part of that group? Should he play every down this season?) – “That’s up to Minkah. I think if he shows us that he can play on every down, play in different spots, tackle, play the deep part of the field (and) cover, the guy is deserving of playing every snap. That’s up to him and that’s the case for the other guys you mentioned – Laremy, ‘X’ (Xavien Howard) and really anyone on this team. It’s up to them and they have to show that in practice and in games, meetings and walkthroughs. It’s all a part of it.”
(Why the change?) – “We felt like we needed to make that move. I felt that way. I think I’m always going to do what’s in the best interest of the Miami Dolphins and I thought that was the case with this move. As a team, we need to move forward. It was a tough decision – it was. I think the easy decision would have been to do nothing and hopefully it gets better and hope that it got better. But I just felt like it was the move for us to make and build moving forward.”
(What was it that you weren’t seeing in Week 1 of training camp that you hope to see from this point forward?) – “I think there are a lot of factors here – from a communication standpoint, from a fit standpoint. I just felt like for us as a team, we needed to make the move. I thought it was the best decision for this team and this organization. There was no one specific incident. I have a lot of respect for Pat Flaherty. He’s obviously coached in this league a long time. But at the end of the day, I felt like ‘Guge’ (Offensive Line Coach Dave DeGuglielmo) would be a better fit. He’s somebody that I had targeted as an o-line coach if I ever had an opportunity. He wasn’t available when this process started and then he became available, we brought him in and I just felt like for me and this team and our staff and that offensive line group that this was the right move to make.”
(You’ve now lost two of your top assistants in three weeks. Are you concerned about the continuity of this coaching staff and will you be ready for Week 1 with the changes made?) – “I’m not (concerned). I think we’ve got a very good staff. I think the players respond to the coaches on this staff. I think (Offensive Line Coach) Dave (DeGuglielmo) is going to do a great job. I think (Offensive Coordinator) Chad (O’Shea) and the rest of the offensive staff is up for the challenge. Honestly, I don’t think we’re going to miss a beat, to be honest.”
(What did you tell the players about the decision?) – “I told them that every decision I make is going to be in the best interest of this team right now and moving forward. Some of those are tough decisions and that’s the truth. I’m as authentic as I can be. Nothing is more important to me than this team, this organization and part of that is making the hard decisions. And this was a hard one – it was. That wasn’t an easy conversation but I think – I went with my gut on this one. I’m always going to do that. If I don’t do that then I’m not being true to myself and I’m not being authentic with how I feel about this team and this organization and where I want it to go, so I’m always going to go with my gut.”
(What do you need to see better from your offensive line going forward?) – “We need a tough, smart, disciplined offensive line that communicates well and understands where guys need help and understands what we’re trying to do in the run game, the pass game, the play-action game and the screen game. I just think we need a continuity in that room and all five are involved. It’s really a unit. It’s not a one-on-one deal across the board, it’s a unit. That unit is so important and so vital to the success of this team, and we need to get that right.”
(Where do things stand with the quarterback competition?) – “Yesterday was obviously a day off and as a coaching staff, we really evaluated the entire roster. I would say from a quarterback standpoint, it’s pretty clear to me that Ryan Fitzpatrick is leading the way. I think he’s done that in a lot of areas from leadership to production on the field, in the meeting rooms, in the walkthroughs. I think this is an ongoing competition but right now, I’d say he’s leading the way.”
(What is the potential of this offensive line with the pieces that you have?) – “I think we can be a good offensive line. I do. I think we’ve got good players across the offensive line. We’ve got to put the right unit out there and if they work together and they spend time on their fundamentals and technique and communicate the way an o-line needs to communicate, I think we have a lot of potential.”
(DT Durval Queiroz Neto, can you talk about what you’ve seen from him so far in limited reps and also what you expect in preseason games? Will he make an appearance?) – “This is a hardworking young man. I think when he got here in the offseason, all of this was brand new to him. From conditioning, from a technique standpoint, from a fundamental standpoint, from just an overall learning of football, he’s come a long way I would say in these four or five months. I like the kid a lot. He’s strong. He’s as strong as anyone we have on the team. There’s definitely an opportunity for him to develop and he’s taken advantage of that. He’s getting limited reps. He’s still learning the game, I would say. I like what I’ve seen from him and hopefully we get him into preseason games and see what he can do.”
(I know TE Dwayne Allen isn’t here yet but what do you see at the tight end battle right now?) – “Well, Dwayne is working to get back as quickly as possible. The rest of that group, I think it’s a pretty good competition. Durham (Smythe), Nick O’Leary, Mike (Gesicki), Clive (Walford), these guys are really working hard. Even (Chris) Myarick, the rookie, has gone in there and done some good things. I think that group, from a blocking standpoint, I’ve been pleased with that. In the pass game, I’ve been pleased with that group as well. That competition is ongoing and I think it’s a good one. I think we’ve got some good players there. Again, it’s early; but we need to continue to build on the start that we’ve had.”
(So you made this change because you saw Offensive Line Coach Dave DeGuglielmo as a better fit? Is that accurate?) – “I saw him as a better fit within the coaching staff. I also saw him as a better fit with the overall group and team. Again, like I said earlier, Pat Flaherty is a very good coach. That goes without saying. In this instance, I just felt like this was the best move for this team. I went with my gut, to be honest. I think ‘Guge’ (Dave DeGuglielmo) is a very good coach. Obviously he was in Indianapolis last year and did a great job with that group. He’s been in Miami before and done a good job. This is a well-respected guy taking over for the o-line and I think he’ll do a great job.”
(Philosophically and technique-wise, what, if anything, will change going from Pat Flaherty to Offensive Line Coach Dave DeGuglielmo?) – “Look, we want a tough, smart, physical offensive line. Philosophically, that’s what we’re looking for. We can get into techniques if you want, but it boils down to hand placement, footwork, getting your hands inside and protecting inside-out. All of those things are just the basic, basic fundamentals of o-line play. That’s what I’m looking for. Communicating that, along with communication along the offensive line, combination blocks in the run game, passing off twists in the pass game, all of those things go into it. Then the overall communication along the offensive line, that’s what we’re looking for. We’re really looking for that at all positions – offensively, defensively and in the kicking game. There’s a few different things at play there but tough, smart, disciplined and fundamentally sound – that’s what I’m looking for out of the o-line group.”
(When did you make the decision?) – “Yesterday. I think it had been something that had been on my mind for some time before that. Again, it wasn’t an easy decision. It’s not an easy thing to do. But I also feel like – like I said earlier, the easy thing to do was to just hope that it gets better. And more times than not – in my experience – is they don’t get better. Then who loses out is those guys out on the field. It’s my responsibility to make sure that doesn’t happen or to put this team in the best possible situation they can be in. If I don’t do that, then I’m not doing my job and I didn’t come here to do that.”
(Did you getting a late start here because of the Super Bowl have any impact on hiring Pat Flaherty and then making this decision?) – “It’s hard to put a staff together. I think we put together a very good staff. That process, there’s a lot going on. There’s a lot going on in that process; but I’m not here to make excuses. It is what it is. I think for me personally, I have to move forward. This team has to move forward. We have to do what we feel is best and I think that’s the case in this situation. I’m not here to make excuses.”
(With the quarterback situation, what have you seen from QB Ryan Fitzpatrick that makes him better than QB Josh Rosen at this point?) – “He’s been more productive. I think at the end of the day, that’s what it comes down to. I think he runs the offense very efficiently. He has a great rapport with the entire team. He has some leadership – not some, a lot of leadership ability. We need that to continue. We need him to grow in that role. We need all of the quarterbacks to grow and improve and get better. Like I said, it’s still a competition. Every day is a competition. I think they all know that. But as we stand today, I think Ryan has done a really good job and hopefully he continues to improve and is consistent. That will help this team, for sure.”
Chad O’Shea – July 28, 2019
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Sunday, July 28, 2019
Offensive Coordinator Chad O’Shea
(How have the duties that Assistant Head Coach/Quarterbacks Jim Caldwell was handling been split up with members of the coaching staff?) – “Certainly, we miss Jim Caldwell. He’s a wonderful coach and even more of a better human being, so we miss him as a person. He was a valuable member of our staff; but one of the great things about our staff is we have a strong staff, a lot of experience on the offensive staff and we certainly are going to use the entire staff in different roles and different ways and use their strengths because we certainly have a strong staff, and I really look forward to working with all of those guys.”
(Is that a reason why another assistant or maybe engaging another assistant hasn’t happened yet?) – “Yeah, I think that when you have the staff that we do in place, they have a lot of experience with different positions, and they’re able to work and cross-work with different positions. Again, we’re very fortunate to have a strong coaching staff – one that I enjoy working with every day. We certainly miss Jim, and we think about him often; but we feel real good about the staff we have in place and the ability to coach the players that we do.”
(You’ve worked with Assistant Quarterbacks Coach Jerry Schuplinski the last couple years. What is it about him that makes him ready for this bigger step?) – “Obviously, I have a lot of familiarity with Jerry Schuplinski. He did a great job for us at New England, and we were very fortunate to have him here with us working. He’s a great communicator. He’s got a great personality to work with a position. He’s got a tremendous knowledge of our system, which is very important. He’s someone that I really trust and I really lean on for his expertise and his ability to communicate with the quarterbacks. We’re very fortunate to have Jerry here on staff.”
(How would you say that quarterback competition is at right now?) – “I think the quarterback competition – it’s been competitive. We’ve asked both of those guys to come in, and the goal is to improve daily. I believe that we have. There are areas that they both need to improve in. There are areas that they’ve both done really well in, so I think that right now it’s competitive. Right now, all positions are competitive on our roster, so I don’t think anything right now is set in stone. There are no starters. There really aren’t. There are a lot of players that are working for roles on the team, and we’ve asked the team to do whatever’s best for the team, and certainly, they’ve done that. They’ve worked hard, so we’ve been happy with all the things that they’ve done that we’ve asked them to do. Like I said, nothing’s set in stone, and that’s true of all positions right now.”
(We’ve seen QB Ryan Fitzpatrick get to work with the ones I think every day – do you need to see QB Josh Rosen get some of that work with the ones at some point?) – “I think right now, what we’ve told all positions is they’re going to work with different groups. They’ll have the opportunity to work with all players, whether they’re starters or backups, so we don’t even look at it right now as, ‘Hey, this guy’s going to take all the first-team reps.’ We just look at it as we’re going to have the opportunity to work with different players, and that way, obviously if we need to play with those certain players at different positions, and the quarterback’s not always in there with the first group, we’ll be better in the end. So they’ll both have opportunities to work with our entire offensive group.”
(Having said that, what can you tell about your offense right now even though there’s a lot of moving around right now?) – “I can tell this about the offense: it’s a group that’s embraced everything that we’ve asked them to do. They’ve worked extremely hard. They’ve been very diligent in the meeting rooms. They’ve come out to the practice field, and they truly have tried to have an edge. It’s a group that wants to prove something. It’s a group that wants to play good, quality football. I’ve been very pleased with their work ethic. I’ve been very pleased with their roles and how they’ve accepted the team approach here.”
(How do you like a 300-something pound fullback back there?) – “As ‘Coach Flo’ (Brian Flores) has told the team, the more you can do, the better. If a defensive player can come help the offense, he’s going to; and if we ever have an offensive player that can help the defense, he’s going to do so. It’s great to have Christian (Wilkins). We worked with him on the offense today, but certainly all players will have an opportunity to create their role based on what they can do, and the more you can do here, the more you’re going to help the team.”
(In some of the live action we’ve seen, the defensive line has gotten some pressure on the offensive line and gotten into the backfield. What do you guys need to do to sharpen up the middle of the offensive line?) – “I think there are a lot of areas that we need to improve on, and there are a lot of areas that we’ve done well. There are times we’ve had not as much consistency in certain areas, and that’s what we talk to the team about – is just having the consistency in all the areas, and that’s what we’re working to. That’s what we’re working to, that’s what we’re striving to be – is to be a consistently good offensive football team who takes care of the football, who plays well under pressure, who plays together as a team and who plays with an aggressive mindset. That’s what we’re trying to do.”
(What would you say you guys have done well?) – “I think that we’ve come out here, and we’ve tried to play with great effort, and we have. Certainly we have a long way to go, but the thing we’ve done as well as anything looking at our team right now is we’ve played with tremendous effort, and there truly is a good attitude on this football team. I’ve been very impressed with a lot of players. There have been a lot of skill players that have really come in and really done well within their roles, and I can’t say enough about our coaching staff – with a new system and a new scheme – how hard they have worked. It’s been tough, and it’s been a grind, but they’ve worked so hard to try to get this group on the field and playing at the level we want, so I can’t say enough about the job that they’ve done.”
(How has QB Josh Rosen responded to coaching, and how’s been working with him?) – “Josh has been excellent. Since Day 1, he’s come in here and he’s done a good job learning the offense. He has accepted our offense, embraced what we do. Obviously he has a familiarity with other systems, but he understands this is the system we’re going to run here. He’s been excellent in the meeting room. He’s tried to do on the field what we want him to do, and like it is with him, it’s a work in progress, and all positions are working to improve, and he’s no different.
(As far as the depth with wide receiver, this week you bring in WR Allen Hurns. Can you speak to the depth at that position?) – “We do have some depth at this position that I’m really excited about. It’s very competitive. With the addition of Allen, we have a really good group, a solid group – one of which that every day I walk out on the field, I’m real excited about. It’s an area that I have some familiarity with in coaching that position for a number of years, so I’m really excited about this group. I think we have a skilled group. I think have guys that have different skillsets, and I know that the quarterbacks are really starting to gain a lot of confidence in these guys, and a lot of that is because of their work ethic. They come, they have good intangibles, they work hard, and again, they try to do what we ask them to do, and that’s all we can do at this point is to keep getting better and improving.”
(What must Josh Rosen do to earn more first-team reps?) – “At this point, we really aren’t looking at this – and this is true of every position – we’re looking at opportunities regardless of where you get them. Regardless if you’re with the first team or second team, we’re looking at opportunities. We’re going to mix in groups all through training camp. There’s such a long way to go right now that what we’re asking our players and what can Josh and what can all of our other players do at this point – it’s just to go out there and try to do their job, do what we’ve asked them to do, execute at a level where we really trust them. Regardless of what group they’re in, that’s the task at hand. There’s a long way to go. We don’t even look at it right now as anything set in stone because it’s not. We’re going to have all players have an opportunity to play with all other different players, so I think it’s a long training camp.”
(What’s something that QB Josh Rosen has improved in since his arrival from your perspective?) – “I think he’s improved in the knowledge of the system. It’s a system – any system in the NFL, regardless of what it is, if it’s new, it’s challenging to learn. So it doesn’t matter if it’s our system or the next system, you come in and you have to learn the language. It’s a totally different language, and he’s done a great job. I would say over the break, he’s really worked at it – it seems like – on his own. He’s come in here, he spends extra time. Obviously (Ryan) Fitzpatrick has been a great person to have in the room because he does have some familiarity with this system and obviously an experienced veteran who can help him along the way, and Fitz has certainly been very good in that role. It’s a competitive situation. Those two are competing for a job, and at the same time, I think Fitz and Josh understand the power of team and being a great teammate, and that’s what I see on a daily basis. Those guys interact with each other, and they’re really good teammates to each other.”
(Are you going to be a field guy or a box guy? Have you decided?) – “We still have a lot of decisions to make on that, so we have some time before the first game, and we’ll see what works best for us. We don’t have anything set in stone right now.”
(In New England, did you spend a lot of time in the box or down on the field?) – “I was on the field in New England.”
(Do you like that vantage point down there?) – “I think it’s different for the role you’re in, so we’ll see what works best for our staff.”
(How do you prepare for play-calling, and how do you embrace it?) – “I think the thing about play-calling is you’ve got to lean on the coaching staff around you. Certainly, I’ve said that today, is how confident I am in our coaching staff. We have some guys that I’ve worked with previously. We have some guys that I haven’t worked with previously that I’m so impressed with and I just really enjoy working with, and I respect their expertise, so what I’m going to do as a play-caller is really lean on them and lean on the power of our staff. I think there’s a lot that has to do with play-calling that leads up to that – the preparation, the expertise of the scheme, all those things go into (it). I’m simply the messenger on game day.”
(But you have a second to be that messenger. Do you prepare for that?) – “I think it’s something that’s ongoing, and it’s something that we work on daily. Obviously, I’m in a different role as a play-caller, so it’s something that being a different role for me, we work extremely hard on whether it’s in mock setting, in a meeting room or on the field. Coach Flo has done a good job of setting us up in situations that we try to work on that area, so that’s what we’re doing, and that’s true of all areas right now.”
(So preseason games are important for you personally?) – “Yeah, I think the preseason games are important for me, they’re important for this team. I think they’re a valuable part of our process of building an offense.”
(I was going to ask your philosophy towards the running back rotation? Some guys like to go with the workhorse philosophy, and some rotate on who’s hot.) – “It’s a great question. It’s one we’re still evaluating, and it’s one we’re still looking at, and I would say that’s true of all positions. You can say, ‘Hey, what’s the rotation?’ And that’s something we talk about daily as a coaching staff of what we think is going to be best for our football team and what rotation works best. The thing is, whenever you’re talking about a rotation, that means you have some depth at the position, so that’s what excites me. You would’ve not asked the question about rotation if we didn’t have multiple people at that position, so I’m really excited about the running backs. They’re a group led by (Running Backs Coach) Eric (Studesville) that has come out here and really impressed me. They work their butts off out here just like a lot of other positions, and certainly, I’m really excited about that group.”
(What gives you confidence that the offensive line is going to be better than what we’ve seen in out of that group the last few years?) – “Like we tell the team, in all positions you have to come out here and take action and prove it. So obviously the offensive line has come out here, and just like other positions, there have been some times where we’ve had some real positives, and then there are times we want more consistency. That’s true of all positions. I have a lot of confidence in those guys and spent the spring with them and now spent the early part of training camp. It’s really a group that I like. I think they work hard, and again, they’ve come out here and done everything we’ve asked them to do, and right now, that’s all we can ask of them.”
(On the field, what has been encouraging about what you’ve seen?) – “I think that there have been some times we’ve really established the run. There have been some examples of us really protecting the quarterback and staying inside-out and being very firm in protection. The communication level on the offensive line – because it’s a new system – has gotten better and better and it’s continuing to grow there. So the area of communication, the area of being able to run the ball and protect the passer are areas that certainly there have been examples of positive things for our offense in that area.”
(Now getting to the position where you specialize in – wide receiver – in New England, you guys have kind of revolutionized that slot position. Here, you don’t really have a defined slot. Is that something that you groom somebody to be, or is that a unit where everybody’s going to be contributing?) – “I think truly, like I said when I first got here, is that we have to utilize the skillset of our players, and that’s true of that position. I think we have some players that have a skillset to kind of be a multi-position player, and certainly, it might be a different look than what I’m used to as far as lining up somebody in the slot, but there’s certainly a lot of success we can have based off of the strong – I think it’s a strong receiver group, and regardless of where we line them up, we’ll be able to put them in position to have success at that position; but I can’t say enough about it.”
(What makes you feel like this is a strong receiver group?) – “It’s a group that I’m familiar with, a position that I’m very familiar with working all the years at New England, and it’s an area that when I look at those guys, I’m just, I’m really excited about them. I’m never going to make comparisons, and I’m not going to do that at all. I just know that this group right here – there are few days I walk off the field where I don’t look back and say, ‘I’m really excited about that group.’ I’m really excited about a lot of groups. The tight end group doesn’t get a lot of talk around here, but I see, like Nick O’Leary is as dependable of player as we’ve had through the offseason, and he’s done a great job. Mike’s (Gesicki) working in his role to be the player that he needs to be, and Durham Smythe’s trying to be the blocker that we know he can be. There’s really – there are a lot of positives in a lot of different positions, it’s just our job and their job to create their role. They’re basically going to create their role, and that’s true of the slot position, too. Whoever can line up in there and do some things is going to be the guy we’re going to lean on in there.”
(The former coaching staff invested in WR Jakeem Grant as a slot in the first season, and then they scrapped it. They said it wasn’t a good fit for him. Is that something that you guys will try again?) – “What we’ve told the receivers is we’re going to clean-slate this, and we’re going to utilize this where we think you can help the offense. Whether it’s inside or outside, whether that’s true of Jakeem or Albert Wilson or DeVante (Parker) playing inside some, we’re going to use those guys in a multiple-position role, so we definitely haven’t pigeon-holed them into any position. We truly haven’t. You saw today we lined up our outside receivers inside, some of our inside receivers outside, so we’re going to try to have that mindset that really says, ‘You guys need to learn our offense conceptually. You need to understand the big picture and be able to get lined up at all spots.’”
(At what point do you hope to establish that offensive identity of who this team is?) – “I think it’s an ongoing process. I really do. I don’t know – obviously they know what our identity wants to be, and we stress that to them daily, and they come out here and try to be that daily; but I think that it’s a long season, it’s a long training camp, and I don’t ever want to put a timetable on that because I think this is ongoing, and improvement’s ongoing. You never stop improving, so we’ll just see how far we can go, but they definitely know what the standard is. They know what our expectation is, and it’s high. We told them we’re not going to waver on that. We’re going to have high expectations, and we’re just going to work on staying day-to-day, winning that day and improving daily.”
(To our eyes, QB Ryan Fitzpatrick has consistently been better than QB Josh Rosen. Is that a fair evaluation?) – “We evaluate those guys daily, and there certainly have been things that they’ve both done well. There are some areas of improvement. That’s true of all positions right now. We walk off the field, we evaluate these guys, we watch every bit of film, including the individual drills as a staff, so we’re definitely on top of the evaluation, and we’ll stay real close to that, but at this point, it’s a long way to go. It’s a competitive situation and again, they’re both working hard to be great teammates and help our football team.”
