Brian Flores – August 2, 2019
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Friday, August 2, 2019
Head Coach Brian Flores
(How would you describe the difference in running back styles between RB Kalen Ballage and RB Kenyan Drake? How different are they?) – “I think they’re both really good backs. I think they both can run with power. They both have speed. They both have good vision. I think they’re both explosive backs. I think they both do a good job in the pass game. I think we’ve got a couple of good backs, but we’ve also got some good young guys who are coming along as well. Kenneth Farrow, Myles Gaskin, (Patrick) Laird, I mean all of these guys are doing a really good job. We’ve got a group of backs – Mark Walton, I don’t want to forget about him. He’s done a good job as well. I like that position. I like that group. It’s a good competition, and I think they’re all improving every day and getting better.”
(With RB Kenyan Drake and RB Kalen Ballage, how much progress have you made in figuring out how to use their skillsets, and how much will you learn tomorrow do you think?) – “I think that’s ongoing. I think we learn something a little bit more every day – what guys can do, what they can’t do, what plays work better for some guys and don’t work as well for some other guys, what positions offensively, defensively, in the kicking game are the best fit. It also ties into the best groupings or pairs in some instances. I think it’s ongoing. I just think of something defensively. These two guys, they really do a good job of working games together, or this pair of offensive linemen do a good job of passing off games. That’s an ongoing thing, and part of that is – we see it as coaches, but we need to see it on the field from a communication standpoint, from a fundamental standpoint. Both of those guys are good backs. We expect to see improvement and production from both guys.”
(Do you think by naming QB Ryan Fitzpatrick the leader in the competition publicly, that it motivated QB Josh Rosen this week?) – “My hope is that he’s motivated every day regardless of what anyone says – me, the media, anyone. It doesn’t matter. I hope that’s the case for everyone on this team. I’m very passionate about this game, so motivation is something that energy and effort and consistency – the three of those, those should be a given. My dealings with Josh and really everybody on this team is they’re motivated internally. He’s a self-starter. He’s a guy who works hard, and he’s competitive. He’s a motivated individual, as well as are a lot of guys on this team.”
(What do you think of your defensive tackle rotation/depth right now with DT Christian Wilkins and DT Davon Godchaux and then DT Vincent Taylor and DT Akeem Spence – I don’t know if DT Adolphus Washington would be No. 5, but what do you think of that right now?) – “I think it’s a good group. I think you definitely need to rotate at that position. I shouldn’t say ‘you need to rotate,’ but when you have some depth, you’d like to rotate. I think they’re all getting in good shape. I think they have a little bit of a different skillset. I think they all work hard. I think they all are strong at the point of attack and do a good job in the run game. Each one of them has a little bit different pass rush attributes. I think it’s a good group. Again, it’s another one where there’s a good amount of competition. It rolls on first down to second down to third down to the red zone and then the kicking game – field goal block to field goal protection. There’s multiple roles for big guys, big athletic guys. I think they’re doing a good job. Again, it’s about consistency. They’ve done a good job up to this point, and we just need to be more consistent. I shouldn’t say, ‘more consistent’ – continue the consistency.”
(You’ve got one practice left before the scrimmage. What will be your focus tomorrow at the scrimmage?) – “My focus in the scrimmage tomorrow will be about, let’s take the fundamentals, the technique, the things that we’ve harped on, that we’ve preached really since the spring and put them in action in what will simulate a little bit more of game-action. That’s the hope for tomorrow. Again, (it’s) just another element of the evaluation for each player. It’s an opportunity for the coaches to work in that setting as well. We try to simulate it as much as we can out here on the field. Hopefully tomorrow, getting in the booth and getting on the headsets and having everybody kind of work from that standpoint from a coaching aspect – that’ll be good.”
(Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham and Offensive Coordinator Chad O’Shea said to ask you where they’re going to be, so tomorrow – and maybe during the season if you can tell us that part, too – are they downstairs on the field or upstairs in the booth?) – “During the game?”
(Yeah. In the booth or on the field? Where would you like them?) – “They’re going to be on the field. I think their voices need to be heard on the field by the players. I would say most coordinators are on the field. I know there’s a handful that like to be in the booth, and I think it’s a personal preference thing, but I think they’ll both be on the field.”
(So if your offensive coordinator is on the field – I might be asking too much – but is there a person who will be solid – I know it’s a team effort – but a person who’s really going to be good eyes for Offensive Coordinator Chad O’Shea in the box that you know is going to be in the box?) – “We’re going to have coaches in the box, for sure – offensively, defensively and in the kicking game. All of those coaches will have a responsibility in-game. Those roles are clearly defined, and yes, there will be people and persons or persons and people (laughter) – however you want to word it – up in the box who are going to be eyes for Chad (O’Shea), eyes for Patrick (Graham), eyes for (Special Teams Coordinator) Danny (Crossman). Again, we’re all just trying to help each other put the players in the best position; so yes, we’ll have eyes for both coordinators in the box.”
(Obviously this was mainly jest earlier, but the T.N.T. wall – we’ve seen coaches run to the wall as well in addition to players. What has to happen for a coach to run to the wall?) – “We’re all in this together. I think that’s what a team is. We don’t separate the players and the coaches, the coaches and the scouts, the scouts and the executives – we’re all in this together. The coaches run. I ran yesterday. I think it’s something that if you embrace the team atmosphere, team culture, put-the-team-first type of environment, I think one run, we all run. That’s the kind of environment that we’re trying to create. The coaches, they understand that. This is not a ‘you have to do it.’ It’s a team-first attitude that we’re looking for.”
(What made you run yesterday?) – “It starts with me.”
(What happened?) – “We had an issue defensively, which falls into the ‘Takes No Talent’ category, and we ran. Mistakes happen. The idea right now is we’re trying to eliminate the ones that are pre-snap or that take no talent. We’re trying to eliminate those. Again, that starts with me. As a leader of this team, I’m going to lead by example. I told those guys that. It’s not a punishment. I know it could be perceived that way, but to me, it’s just standard operating procedure for us. If we want to execute and take care of those little things, those little details that are really focus-based and things that we can handle – that really truly, honestly just beat ourselves. So again, it’s just a reminder to the team that those are the things that stop you from winning games. That’s important detail, and we need to be on top of those.”
(Offensively, when you want to have specific lineups for down-and-distance, different packages, how do you combat that when a team is going no-huddle?) – “Keep the same group in there. Again, if they substitute then by rule, we’re allowed to substitute; but if they’re going no-huddle, then we’ve got to leave the group that’s in there. You’ve got to be multiple enough in that group with calls and fronts and coverages and pressures and exotics. If you’ve got a group that’s multiple enough to do that, then you do it. If you don’t, then they’ve got you where they want you. If you can only sit in a couple coverages, they know what you’re doing and they take advantage of it. It’s our job as coaches to create a situation defensively where we can be multiple and conversely, offensively, if we catch a team who’s stuck in a particular defense and they’ve only got a few things that they do, we have to take advantage of that. It’s a little bit of a chess match, but going no-huddle in this heat is a little – it can be tough.”
(What will the structure of your scrimmage be?) – “We’ve talked about that a lot as a staff what that’ll look like. It’ll look a like a game in a lot of ways. We may kind of skip a few – we’ll try to create some situations. So we may create a 2-minute situation at the half, one end of the game. We may create some kicking game situations. There are some specifics I have in mind that I’d like to see in this type of environment; but for the most part, it’ll just run like a game.”
(We’ve seen changes at the starting guard position the last couple of practices. Are you happy with what you’ve seen from G Michael Deiter and G Shaq Calhoun?) – “I think they’ve done a good job. (They’re) two young guys who are working hard and taking to coaching and trying to apply the coaching as much as they can. I think they’re two good young players, and they need to continue to develop, but everyone on this team needs to continue to develop and develop the consistency on a day-to-day basis from a technique and fundamental standpoint. Those guys are doing well. We’ll be moving guys around and trying to get the best group out there throughout training camp, into the preseason games and beyond that.”
(As you know, former Miami Dolphins LB Nick Buoniconti died a couple days ago. He attributed some of the problems he was having later in life to football. My question for you is how often do issues such as proper tackling technique, player safety – how often does that come up with the coaching staff and players here?) – “Well, my condolences to the Buoniconti family. He was obviously a great player for this team for a long time. (He was a) Hall of Famer. Again, we talk about tackling technique and keeping your head up for health reasons. It’s something that’s important to us as an organization. It’s something we stress. I’ve pulled people out of practices or games for bad technique and form. It’s something that’s important to this organization and to me personally. It’s a great game, but it’s a physical, tough game. There are collisions, and I think it’s part of the coaches’ and the coaching staff’s – really, at all levels – to teach the proper form and technique so that we can avoid the head and neck injuries if we can.”
Danny Crossman – August 1, 2019
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Thursday, August 1, 2019
Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman
(How’s it coming? How’s it going? How are your teams looking?) – “(It’s) early. (There is a) long way to go. (There’s a) lot of fluid things going on at a lot of positions, but they’re working their butts off.
(You made a decision yesterday at punter – is that a decision, or are you going to start looking around for someone else to compete?) – “No. Stone (Wilson) did a nice job. Matt’s (Haack) doing an outstanding job. It’s just an opportunity of getting Matt more of the work.”
(Can I ask you – not a roster question, but I was sitting up there with Kim Bokamper. You guys are doing the punt thing, and P Matt Haack is not kicking. You’ve got the JUGS machine – why?) – “You can’t do it every day. It’s as simple as that. So he punted a lot of footballs yesterday and we’ve got a lot of them coming forward, so we’re still working our body into being able to handle the workload that it’s going to take.”
(S Walt Aikens has been a core special teams guy for a while. What do you think of him? What do you like? What does he need to improve on?) – “He needs to improve on everything, just like very player; but Walt’s a dynamic player. (He’s) had a lot of success in this league. We have very high expectations for Walt on the football field.”
(Is S Walt Aikens going to continue to do just about everything?) – “He’ll do as much as he can handle. That’s one thing you’ll hear ‘Coach Flo’ (Head Coach Brian Flores) say: show you can make plays, and your menu’s going to open up for more things; but you’ve got to show you can make plays. He’s done it in the past. He’s got to continue to do it.”
(Do you have an idea of how many core guys you’re going to be able to have?) – “You never do, and the minute you start to think that way – we’ve got four preseason games to play and a lot of practices – and you start thinking you have things earmarked, things are going to change. You just try and get everybody opportunities. Obviously you have some things in mind that you’re trying to think of how it’s going to play out, but you’re never sure.”
(What does P Matt Haack need to improve on?) – “Just being consistent throughout the field. We need to be good backed up. We need to be good in the middle of the field. We need to be good at pinning people. (He was) off to a good start last year. (He’s) off to a good offseason in the spring (and has been) better here in fall camp, so hopefully his arrow just continues to keep going up and improving in all of those areas.”
(A lot of guys, they talk about players making a jump year over year and especially early in their careers – one to two – do you see that as a possibility for P Matt Haack?) – “As a hope and a desire and the idea of to help our team? Yeah, that’d be ideal, and we think he’s a guy that can do that. Time will tell. It’s early.”
Patrick Graham – August 1, 2019
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Thursday, August 1, 2019
Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham
(Seven days in on the job, how has your defense done?) – “I think the guys are out here working pretty hard. Guys are being pretty diligent with their work on and off the field. I think the goal is to get better every day. I can say that honestly I think, we’ll see the tape from today, but I think the guys are getting better every day. That’s all we’re asking, that’s all (Head) Coach (Brian Flores) is asking from them and if we keep on that path, we’ll be okay.”
(We obviously have guys we think have popped. Do you have a handful of guys that have really surprised you, impressed you, have played really well out there?) – “In the spring meeting the guys, I had a feeling these guys were going to come out and work pretty hard. I’m pleasantly surprised by the whole group in terms of how they’ve all come together. Guys are starting to see some leadership from some of the guys. That’s a positive we’re seeing. Guys are really getting up in front of the group, getting in their groups, doing the drills, being the first guy in the drills and stuff like that. That stuff has been positive. In terms of singling out anybody, they’re all working pretty hard right now. We go day to day, so I’ll have to watch the tape before I make any judgement today.”
(How much of a priority of yours to get – there was a logjam at safety last year. You see out here everybody is getting on the field, S T.J. McDonald, S Minkah Fitzpatrick, S Reshad Jones. How much when you’re thinking how to scheme things up do you get them all on the field?) – “It really comes back to trying to put the right personnel groupings out there to match up with what the offense is doing and try to maximize the skillset of our players. If it’s five or 10 safeties, then that’s what it is. Again, whether it’s the safety positon, linebacker or d-line, what we’re going to try to do is for that situation and particular down-and-distance, situation on the field, we’re going to try to take advantage of our guys strengths and try to capitalize on their weaknesses on offense and we’ll see how we deploy our defensive players and see who’s the best fit.”
(You didn’t get to obviously spend a lot of time with him in the spring, but S Reshad Jones has been here all camp. He’s a player that’s been not only a starter, but a Pro Bowler. A little bit of a different role that we’ve seen for him this year. How has he handled that? How have you communicated your desires to him?) – “Reshad has been a professional. He’s been in here, he’s been working hard. Different role – I can’t define it as a different role. He’s going to be around the ball. He’s still playing defense. We’re still going to ask him to do the things I’ve seen him do over his career. He’s been great in terms of working hard every day and trying to get better and working diligently in the classroom. No complaints from me.”
(I guess a different role I saw is S Reshad Jones has been running the twos and we didn’t see that before.) – “There’s no depth chart right now. Everybody is out there competing right now. Who starts the first period, the second period, it doesn’t matter. Again, we’re evaluating guys and guys are working hard.”
(How would you describe your coaching style? I see you’re pretty vocal out there. If guys do something wrong, you’re on them quick. How do you describe it?) – “I’m just transparent and honest with the guys. I’m loud because I’m fat and big, so that’s part of the reason why I’m loud. (laughter) And I had two brothers growing up, so you had to be loud. And I was a middle child, so take all the middle-child syndrome, I’m fat, I’m big, yeah I’m loud. (laughter) I’m loud but I’m just transparent with the guys. The strength through transparency in terms of letting them know about myself, so I can build a trust with them. I tell them ‘I’m going to try to get you right and try to put you in the best spot and if you’re doing it wrong, I’m going to correct you.’ That’s what I’ve learned. (Head) Coach (Brian) Flores, that’s what he asks of us, so that’s what I do.”
(Is that a good compliment for Head Coach Brian Flores, because he says how people can lean on him, but he can yell if he has to? Do you complement each other?) – “(Head) Coach (Brian) Flores, he’s always honest. I don’t know what to tell you. As a friend of his, as a coach working under him, he’s always honest with you. I follow the leader. Be honest with the players, don’t beat around the bush. The guys appreciate that. That’s stuff we’ve learned throughout our career, learned from watching him every day as we work together, so that’s what I do.”
(We’ve seen DE Jonathan Ledbetter getting a lot of work with the ones. What has be shown you since he’s gotten here?) – “I don’t know about ones or twos, it’s just whatever we put out there for the period. Ledbetter has been out there working hard like all of the guys. He’s been getting better with his hand placement. His base has improved, his ability get some knockback and shed. It looks solid right now but we still have a ways to go. (He) can do a better job of escaping some blocks. He’s doing a good job. He’s working hard, but we still have a long way to go.”
(Has DT Christian Wilkins slimmed down a little bit?) – “I wish I could tell you. I’m still bigger than him. That’s a good thing. (laughter) As long as he doesn’t get this heavy, he’ll be fine.”
(And the pads have come on with DT Christian Wilkins now, what have you seen from him?) – “I see a guy, a rookie out there working pretty hard. He definitely flashes out there, but there’s still a lot of stuff to improve upon. I’m really happy with where he is right now, but knowing that we have a long road ahead of us. I’m looking forward to his growth. I’m really looking forward to that.”
(Has the versatility that we’ve heard about with DT Christian Wilkins shown up?) – “I hope all of the guys are versatile because the more you can do, the more value you bring to the team. That’s how you get to stick around. He’s been doing a good job. He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do. He’s worked hard at it and we’ll see about the production as we get going forward.”
(What will you be focusing on during the scrimmage on Saturday?) – “I’ll start with this: substitutions. Making sure my mind in terms of the situation as a first-time play caller, making sure I’m seeing the situation, deploying the right guys out there for our defense, looking for the guys to play with good pad level, good hand placement, heavy hands, active hands, playing with separation. I want to be able to see from the sideline us playing as a defense with good separation and pad level. Then after that, pursuit, hustle, finish and all of that good stuff there. Then when you watch the tape, you’re hoping to see very limited mental errors. It’s all fine and dandy in the classroom, on a piece of paper; but I’m looking for when the pressure is on them, when they’re out there competing, can we eliminate the mental errors. That’s what we’re looking forward to – guys competing. (If we do) all of that, then that leads to the fun.”
(Have you been encouraged by the pass rush?) – “I’m encouraged by a lot of things out there. Again, we’re not where we want to be right now; but as long as we keep improving every day, I’m going to feel good. I think we’re there with that right now.”
(What have you seen from your defensive tackle rotation and how close is that to being a strength on the defense?) – “The guys upfront right now, their ability to play with their hands and get some knockback has been pretty good so far. We still have a ways to go, but it’s been pretty good so far. Again, in terms of the rotation, I’ve seen guys (like Jamiyus) Pittman knocking people back, to ‘D’ (Davon Godchaux), Christian (Wilkins), everybody, (Akeem) Spence. Everybody has been knocking somebody back. Now the thing is can we get consistent? Can we get it consistent?”
(Are you planning to spend game days on the sideline or in the box?) – “We’ll see. You can ask (Head) Coach (Brian) Flores that later. (I have) no comment on that. (laughter)”
(The linebackers and defensive backs, you have a whole lot of options out there mixing and matching and we’ve seen a lot of them. How close are you to making decisions on who can play in what package and who can do what?) – “We’re trying to figure out who the best guys are for each situation, however we try to configure the defense. Right now, guys are still competing. We’re going to continue to compete all the way through, but how close? I don’t know. We’re competing. What is this Practice 7 right now? We’ve got a ways to go before we know exactly who we’re going to be. We know this though: we’re going to be a smart, tough, physical football team that’s going to be disciplined. I know that. Those are the guys that are going to be out there on the field. However that plays out, it plays out.”
(For you, discipline might be more important than talent?) – “I don’t know. That might require an essay right now. Discipline is very high up there. In order to defend – You see all this grass right here? We’ve got 11 guys to defend all that grass. You have to be pretty disciplined to defend all that grass.”
(I guess the point is they had some busts in the back end last year.) – “Last year, I wasn’t here, (so I) don’t care. I know this: when we put defense out there, there’s a whole lot of grass behind us and based on the situation, we have to figure out how those 11 guys defend it. Those 11 guys, that requires discipline, because those guys with the ball, they’re pretty skilled.”
(With the multiple looks you want to have, how do you go about substituting guys in and out now for the plays that you want to do?) – “Get the substitutions out there. You can see what the situation is presenting in terms of first down, third down, third-and-long, third-and-short and then we go from there. We put the group out there that we think is best for the situation, the matchup with what they’re doing, and we go from there.”
(How do you adjust when a team is playing hurry up?) – “We’ll see. We’ve been in practice so far, but we’ll see. We’ll adjust. We’ll do what Coach (Flores) wants us to do and we’ll try to get the job done.”
(When you guys say you want to be multiple on defense, from what we’ve seen that goes way beyond 3-4, 4-3.) – “I don’t even know what that is. People ask us, (and we) say, ‘I don’t know.’ You look out there, we can be 1-10 if you want us to be. We’ll figure out something. If it works, we’ll do it.”
(As long as there’s 11 guys on the field.) – “11 guys on the field, yes. That’s what we have to do – get 11 guys on the field, 11 guys playing smart, tough, physical football, being disciplined and we’ll figure it out.”
(How much are Head Coach Brian Flores’ fingerprints on this defense?) – “We worked together for seven years. He knows defense. There’s definitely a fingerprint there. We were all raised the same in terms of how we think about the game. Again, everything aligns with our head coach – being smart, being tough, being disciplined. Right there, that’s what he talks to you guys about. That’s what we’re trying to make our defense. Before the scheme, that’s what we’re going to do.”
(It’s your defense too, right?) – “It’s our defense.”
(Is it fair to say with very few exceptions, practically everybody on defense could wind up playing multiple positions?) – “That’s for you all to figure out. I see them as Xs. Sometimes I make the little check marks when I’m drawing. I don’t know the last time I put T or LB. I put little marks. You all can figure that one out. (laughter)”
(It is like when LeBron James was here, they talked about positionless basketball with the Heat.) – “I was a Bulls fans. (laughter) I hear what you’re saying though. If we just would have won Game 2. (laughter) I’m going back to D-Rose (Derrick Rose) days, sorry. (laughter)”
(You like the idea of not having positions?) – “I like the idea of 11 guys understanding the situation, understanding that we have to defend the grass behind us and we’ll deploy them how we think is right and we’ll go from there.”
Marion Hobby – August 1, 2019
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Thursday, August 1, 2019
Defensive Line Coach Marion Hobby
(We’ve seen DT Christian Wilkins working with the first group since camp started. Is that because he impressed you guys right away in May and June and you felt like he’s ready for that role?) – “Yeah, I think he came in as a rookie in great shape in early minicamp and OTAs. He’s definitely pushed himself to get in that role. The work habits that he put in – yes, I think he’s doing a great job.”
(With some of the edge guys that you’re working with, who stood out to you?) – “I can’t say that nobody has really been down. There are some guys that really just jump out at you; but in this heat, one guy may have a great day, then the next guy may have a great day. I don’t think there is a disappointment out there. I think that they are realizing that they’re competing at a high level.”
(DE Tank Carradine has talked about trying to get his career to another level. What kind of things have you seen from him?) – “I’ll tell you what, Tank is a natural leader. If you look at the age of that group he’s one of the older guys in there. That pressure of him being a leader, not just a great player, but being a leader in that room has taken over as well. He’s vocal in there, he’s very conscientious about what he’s doing. You can tell that he’s a veteran football player. I’m pleased to have him.”
(The skills you see from DE Charles Harris make you think maybe he can become something, what skills can you point to?) – “The first initial is his natural quickness. He’s got good length on him; he’s got good quickness. He’s got a good knack for finding the ball and getting after the quarterback. You’ll naturally see his quickness. It sticks out for you. You’ll see it out the corner of your eye. He does a great job.”
(What have you seen from DT Vincent Taylor?) – “Vincent is doing good. He’s learning a different technique. I think he’s trying to buy in. We’re asking him to change things he’s done in the past. (He’s) a guy who had been hurt last year. The biggest thing with Vince is just continue to work, continue to work. He’s done some really good stuff. I like his natural strength. He’s better when you say live than he is just in a drill. When you say ‘live,’ Vincent Taylor shows up.”
(What are some things you’ve asked him to change?) – “It’s just more or less his stance, just get him on his stance. Sometimes on this level, when you’re asked to change that stance, that’s when it gets a little tough because something got him here. It’s just a little bit different because we fitted the line of scrimmage a little more where Vince has been – his whole life has been a penetrator, hitting gaps. Now we’re asking him to play through offensive linemen and knock people back.”
(Your other two backup defensive tackles, I guess DT Akeem Spence and Adolphus Washington, what have you seen from them and what about the depth at that position?) – “I tell you what, you say ‘who’s the backup,’ but they are all fighting. We’ve been changing them up every day. (Head) Coach (Brian) Flores made it clear, just keep rolling them. We put them in different situations, stress them and put them in situations so it’s day to day on who’s that starter.”
Josh Boyer – August 1, 2019
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Thursday, August 1, 2019
Defensive Pass Game Coordinator/Cornerbacks Josh Boyer
(I just want to ask you real quick about the change in the pass interference rule this year now that it’s going to be reviewable and challengeable by the coaches. Is that appeasing to you guys now as opposed to what happened last year?) – “I think the thing to do is kind of know and understand what the rule is and how it’s going to affect the game a little bit. I would say ultimately, it comes down to the reason you want to know rules is you need to know how to coach it. We’re going to coach guys to defend guys without using our hands, without grabbing, without hooking, so those are going to be things that I would say it doesn’t really affect us. We’re going to just coach business as we’ve been doing, but we are going to focus on the fundamentals of covering and covering the right way.”
(How would you describe CB Xavien Howard’s skillset? I talked with CB Tyler Patmon last week, and he was comparing him to Jacksonville Jaguars CB Jalen Ramsey. He said they’re sticky, and they’re never out of position.) – “Well, I mean again, whether you’re talking about Xavien or any other corner, I would say the thing that you look for is good fundamentals, good technique. He’s strong, he’s got a good burst. He works extremely hard. I would say the comparisons – that’s for other people. What we’re trying to do out here is the same for all of our players, whether it’s Xavien or somebody that’s new to the team that just came here, we’re going to try to work hard. We’re going to try to prove today that from what we were yesterday, and hopefully when we come out here tomorrow, we’re better than what we were today.”
(He’s kind of a quiet guy, but as far as leadership on the field, what does CB Xavien Howard bring to the secondary at cornerback?) – “Hopefully if we can continue with some production, I think that would make a statement there. I think he’s been around. He has a little bit of experience, so there’s a little bit to help the younger guys there, so I think that’s available to us as well. At the end of the day, as we ask all of our guys to do, it’s really focus on yourself and then try to come together cohesively as a group.”
(What does CB Nik Needham need to do to be better?) – “Well I think – like with all of them – I would talk in generalities and it’s consistency. I think for all of our corners, we’re looking for consistent production and good play.”
Rob Leonard – August 1, 2019
Thursday, August 1, 2019
Linebackers Coach Rob Leonard
(LB Jerome Baker, arguably your best linebacker here – what is it about him? His enthusiasm, how much he plays, his skillset – what is it about him that kind of makes everybody kind of gravitate towards him on defense?) – “Well first, I wouldn’t say he’s the best right now. We’re definitely all competing. In my opinion, he’s definitely emerging as a leader. He has all of the physical tools – cover, blitz, he can run, he’s physical. He’s starting to really believe all the things that we saw when we first got here, so he’s really emerging. His personality is starting to show, which are all great things to see as we’re building a team essentially. He’s in a key spot for us, so that’s really nice to see.”
(LB Sam Eguavoen – what has he done to really emerge on the first team?) – “Sam has done everything and more that we’ve asked him to do. If you control the things you can control, which is what he’s done – and again, it really is competitive. Even though he’s out there with the first team, they’re all spots. We’re not just competing with guys in our room. We’re going to put the 11 best on the field, and right now, Sam is playing at a high level, so he’s getting more reps. That’s just the way I look at it. In all honesty, it’s still not with me. When I do the script in the morning to go out to practice, it’s not first team, second team, third team. ‘Who’s earned the reps from yesterday? This is where I’m going to put them.’ He can play these spots. He’s shown me he has that skillset, so I’m going to put him in the position to do those things. When I say I honestly script practice, I don’t even think, all right, he’s first team or second team.”
(What has LB Sam Eguavoen done to earn first-team reps?) – “He’s been physical, communicated. All the pre-snap stuff, it starts there. He’s getting lined (up), he’s taking control, which is what I want to see first, and then once we put the pads on, he’s actually playing downhill, playing with his hands, using the fundamentals that we’ve talked about from all of spring. Transitioning from the spring to putting pads on, that’s been key and why he’s had more opportunity.”
(What have you liked from LB Raekwon McMillan, and what does he need to do to have more of an opportunity?) – “Raekwon, he’s done everything that’s been asked. In the spring, he missed some time, and with that, there’s going to be a learning curve. Raekwon’s doing just fine. He just needs to keep controlling what he can control, and again, I go back to take advantage of the snaps he gets, and it’ll all fall into place at the end. There are four preseason games left. I couldn’t be more honest about there are no ones, twos and threes.”
(We saw LB Raekwon McMillan walk off today. Was he just banged up?) – “I’m not really sure. You’ll have to talk to ’Flo’ (Head Coach Brian Flores) about that.”
(I wanted to ask you just about the two rookies if you could talk about each of them. LB Terrill Hanks – what’s he shown you? LB Tre’ Watson – what’s he shown you?) – “Tre’ has shown me confidence. He’s shown me he’s smart, he’s physical and he’s a football player. Both of those guys are here because of ‘football-player-first,’ not this height, weight, speed – all the intangible stuff. Terrill, his confidence is coming along really well, which is good for me. The more confidence he has, the better you control a situation, the more spots I can put you in and the more reps you get.”
(We’ve seen LB Jerome Baker kind of do more play-calling for the first time out there. He said he loves that trust and just hopes he can keep it. What has he done to earn that from you, and do you anticipate that being a role he can keep?) – “I watch everything, not just from the standpoint, ‘are you communicating?’ It’s how you’re communicating it. Are the guys listening to you? Are you owning the field? Like I said, he’s kind of coming into his own with that. With the confidence of getting reps, your confidence goes up. So that’s really kind of what I see why more responsibility is being put on him. We wanted to see if he could communicate in the first place when we got here, and he’s done a good job with that. With that, his confidence has come, and that’s where he is right now.”
(How tough a call will that be knowing that LB Jerome Baker really good at coverage, but we’ve seen the upside he has a pass-rusher. How do you use him? It might be a good dilemma, right?) – “Yeah. Hey, the more you can do, I don’t see how that’s a bad thing. Based on matchup, we’re going to try to put him in the best position, I promise you that.”
Tony Oden – August 1, 2019
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Thursday, August 1, 2019
Safeties Coach Tony Oden
(The move of CB Bobby McCain, what led to that in terms of making him a safety and how has he done?) – “We’re trying to move all of our players around a little bit, as you can tell. We want our guys to know all different positions. He’s smart, he’s intelligent, he’s physical, he has some good athleticism and he’s doing well. He’s learning it. Who is to say that he’s going to be there all of the time? You just don’t know. Our guys are all playing different positions. That’s one of the things that we want to do is have guys have position flex(ibility) and those kinds of things, and our guys have embraced that. They’ve learned different roles and they’ve done a good job with that.”
(CB Bobby McCain has done a lot of things well but is there any concern with his size as a safety, if you have like a 6-foot-6 tight end matched up against him?) – “Well, it’s a concern any time you have a tight end that’s 6-foot-6, (laughter) whether it’s him or anyone else. But we have other things that we can do. I’m not concerned about Bobby and his height and size. He plays big, he plays fast, he’s smart, he understands situational football so he knows how to position himself if he finds himself in a matchup like that. I’m not concerned about that.”
(And do you want S Reshad Jones and S T.J. McDonald to be equally skilled at both strong and free safety so you can be versatile and multiple?) – “We want them all to be strong and skilled and play strong, free, inside, outside. We want them to know what the linebackers are doing. We want them to know what the d-linemen are doing. We want them to know all of the positions, all of the techniques and all of the communication so we can be multiple.”
(I know it’s team-first here and you have to leave the ego at the door as Head Coach Brian Flores has said, but did you have to talk to S T.J. McDonald and S Reshad Jones initially at the start of camp and say ‘Hey, look – if you aren’t in with the first team, don’t be bent out of shape by it?’) – “Well, Coach (Flores) has set the tone for our organization when he got here and all of our guys have bought into that. They always know that the team is first. He set the tone from Day 1, so we didn’t have to say much. Those guys knew. Those guys are professionals. They’ve been in the league a long time and they know exactly how it goes. They know how we rotate anyway, so there’s not a lot of conversation with that. They’ve done a good job of handling it. There’s no concern.”
(Where have you seen the biggest growth from S Minkah Fitzpatrick from last year?) – “Well, his hair was growing a little bit and then he cut that. (laughter) Other than that, he’s learning the game. When guys first come out, they kind of just get out there and they’re just concerned with getting lined up. Right now, he’s understanding the game and situational football – what’s the difference between first down and third down? What’s the difference between first down and third down? What’s the difference between third-and-2 and third-and-8? What’s the difference between the end of the half 2-minute (situation) versus the end of a game 2-minute (situation)? So situational awareness, understanding formations, understanding the personnel the offense has in the game – it’s little things like that that all of our guys are growing with but since you asked about him in particular, that’s one of his biggest growths right there.”
(Now the defensive back responsibilities have been split up obviously here. How are the meetings? Do you and Defensive Pass Game Coordinator/Cornerbacks Josh Boyer meet collectively with all of the defensive backs or are safeties in one room and cornerbacks in another?) – “Well, we do it all. Sometimes as an entire defense, we meet together. Sometimes he may take one group of guys and I may take another group of guys. The one thing that ‘Coach Flo’ (Brian Flores) and those guys have been doing a good job of is that we’re not necessarily coaching a position, you’re coaching a technique. So it could be anybody in the room. We want to be able to go down and if something happens to (Defensive Line) Coach (Marion) Hobby or if Coach Hobby is going over to talk to defensive ends, I need to know what the defensive tackles are doing. If we talk the same language and we know the same things, it doesn’t matter who is in the room. So we split it up all of the time and it’s all hands on deck in regards to that.”
(On the occasion where the safeties and cornerbacks might be in different meetings, which one does S Minkah Fitzpatrick attend?) – “It could be either one, depending on the day. What’s today? Thursday? He may have been in the other room. It doesn’t matter. We just kind of keep it fluid in regards to that depending on what we’re doing that day.”
(Do you look at that as both starting safety jobs are open? Obviously you have three veterans with CB Bobby McCain, S Reshad Jones and S T.J. McDonald. S Minkah Fitzpatrick obviously can do multiple things. Is that your consideration, that both are open right now?) – “Well, all positions are open right now. There’s not a safety group, there’s not a linebacker group, there’s not a d-line group. It’s all positions. That’s one of the good things about our defense is that they are just spots on the field. You can line (up) anywhere. There’s not the traditional thing when you are talking about the safety position or the linebacker position. We’re all just competing for positions and competing to go out here and earn the right to play the next day?”
(Have you been on a coaching staff like this before where everything seems to be interchangeable?) – “Not to this degree, but it’s been refreshing. It’s humbling in one way because it forces you to learn on the run and learn all different things. It’s refreshing in one aspect because you do learn it all. You develop an ability to be able to coach it all and it is all interchangeable. Not to disagree, but I’m excited about.”
(Does that help you and your development as a coach?) – “Without question. Big time. Just knowing what everyone does. Sometimes you kind of pigeonhole yourself as a position coach and kind of focus on your guys and maybe the guys that may fit close to your guys; but here, you know everything. You know stunts, run gaps, run fits, the communication between the defensive tackle and the defensive end and all of that, so it’s been great.”
(Do players have to be smarter or study more in this system compared to other coordinators you’ve been with in your career?) – “I would say to a degree, yes, because you have to be able to play multiple positions. But that’s one of the things you look for in any organization. You want guys that are problem solvers that can make a poor decision a good decision on the field. We’re not out there playing, so they’ve got to be the problem solvers and we have to make the changes and the adjustments out there. So you’re always looking for that; but any time you add guys that play multiple roles, you want guys that have some kind of intelligence to be able to do that, and most of our guys do. Most of the guys in the NFL can, you just have to teach them right way and those kinds of things.”
(We’ve seen S Montre Hartage flash a little bit out here. What have you seen from him and where does he fit?) – “Well, he’s a rookie. All rookies, they’re learning; but he’s doing a good job. He’s getting better and better every day. He plays fast. He’s just learning how to communicate and those kinds of things. Getting lined up, he’s gotten better. Each day, he’s getting better. The alignment, the assignment, the communication, anticipation and all of those things, each day he just keeps checking the box like the rest of the guys. The other guys are doing well, as well.”
Quotes on the passing of Pro Football Hall of Fame LB Nick Buoniconti
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Wednesday, July 31, 2019
Quotes on the passing of Pro Football Hall of Fame LB Nick Buoniconti
Pro Football Hall of Fame Head Coach Don Shula:
“I am sad to hear of Nick’s passing. Nick was special to me in every way. He was someone I greatly admired. His love for his wife, Lynn, his children, grandchildren, friends, teammates, family and the community was evident. His groundbreaking work with The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis has made a huge difference in the lives of so many people. I am thankful to have had Nick in my life. I will miss him.”
Former Dolphins WR and Sr. Vice President of Special Projects & Alumni Relations Nat Moore:
“It’s a real sad day for the Dolphins and our alumni. We lost one of our greats with the passing of Nick Buoniconti. He was a great football player, a true Hall of Famer, but he was much more than that. He was a lawyer and a successful business leader. Most of all he was a family man. The work he did with the Miami Project following the tragic accident with Marc will never be matched. My thoughts are with his wife, Lynn, and children, Marc, Nick and Gina. He will be missed and always in our hearts.”
Dolphins Honor Roll S Dick Anderson:
“It’s a difficult day. Nick was the leader of our defense and another coach on the field. You combine him with our defense coach, Bill Arnsparger, and you know why he always bragged that we made just 11 mental errors on defense during the entire prefect season of 1972. We just had to go where they told us to go and make the play. As great a player as he was on the field, and he was a Hall of Famer, he was even more impactful off the field with all the work he did with the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis after the injury to his, Marc. He helped raised $200-300 million and made the Project one of the world’s leading neurological research centers.”
Pro Football Hall of Fame G Larry Little:
“The main thing I always remember about Nick is that we were both traded to the Dolphins the same year (1969) and were bonded ever since then. He came from Boston and I was with San Diego. We had a great relationship and always kidded each other. We were both captains of the 1972 team and he would always call the coin toss and got it right every time. One time I asked to do it and I got it wrong. He never let me forget that! He was a great guy and a great person. He was always a fierce competitor. It’s really a sad day for me.”
Pro Football Hall of Fame FB Larry Csonka:
“I’m deeply saddened by the news of Nick’s passing. He was the consummate team captain, the heartbeat of our team. I’ll miss Nick, his wisdom and class. Because of Nick, the world’s a much better place. My sincerest condolences to Lynn and family. RIP brother, #85.”
