Chris Grier – April 25, 2019 (Round 1)
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Thursday, April 25, 2019
General Manager Chris Grier (Round 1)
(Opening Statement) – “So we selected Christian Wilkins from Clemson – a d-lineman. For us, Christian was one of our players we kind of targeted throughout the draft. We worked with (Head Coach) Brian (Flores) and the coaching staff and our scouting department (and) he was someone we felt very strongly about. He’s got a history of production, (is a) leader, a two-time captain there (at Clemson). (He’s a) very smart, versatile football player. (He was) highly productive. (We) love the size, the athletic ability (and the) things he’ll add to the locker room, not just the field. For us, we were very excited and for us, it was an easy decision. We’re very happy to welcome Christian.”
(At what point did you think that DT Christian Wilkins would be an option for you?) – “There were a couple of teams in front of us that we kind of thought maybe, because there were a lot of rumors about him going a few spots in front of us. At that point, where we were at No. 13, we weren’t really sure if he would get there. And when he got there, we were very happy.”
(Did you consider a trade down? Was trading down an option?) – “Yes. It was (an option). We had talked to a bunch of teams and at the end, the way the draft fell, a bunch of teams said they were going to stay where they were.”
(How seriously did you consider one of the quarterbacks on the board – QB Dwayne Haskins or QB Drew Lock?) – “We considered them, but Christian (Wilkins) was higher on the board for us in our rankings.”
(How does DT Christian Wilkins fit schematically into the defense?) – “The thing that we loved, and Brian (Flores), what we talked about … You’ve heard Brian at New England talk about guys that have position flexibility and being versatile and you saw that at Clemson. He plays nose, three (technique and) defensive end and he’s been productive playing a lot of different spots. For a guy that big to be able to do that many jobs on a d-line is rare. So we were very excited to have him.”
(Was defensive tackle the position you guys thought you needed to address first?) – “Like we said, we wanted to address everything. Where we are, we have to build the roster up and create depth and competition everywhere. Yeah, the lines were ones we had talked about (addressing). We had talked about (addressing) really at every position still and we’ve just got to get better everywhere.”
(What stood out in your interviews with DT Christian Wilkins?) – “Again, he’s a very charismatic personality. You guys have seen some of the stuff. (He’s) highly intelligent, as you know. He won, I guess, the academic Heisman for guys – (the William V. Campbell Trophy). Marion Hobby, our defensive line coach, recruited him to Clemson. He knew him very well and knew his family and the tragic story that people have talked about (with his grandfather). For us, we really liked the kid. Again, it’s everything. He’s tough, he’s smart, (a) leader, a two-time team captain, productive on the field (and a) prototype player, so we’re very excited.”
(Can DT Christian Wilkins be an impact player and if so, how?) – “Yeah, I think so. That’s, again, what we liked about him and I think as everyone kept talking about with him was kind of the dynamic traits he’s got – all of the tackles for losses he’s had, the pass rush from the inside. When you can find those (traits) in those types of players – inside players that can generate pass rush – especially the way the league is now, that’s critical. So that’s why we’re excited.”
(Where do things stand possibly with the Cardinals about acquiring QB Josh Rosen?) – “We’re investigating all avenues. I’m not going to talk about anything going on. The draft is still going on; but we’re looking at all options at every position.”
(Did you see the hit that DT Christian Wilkins put on Commissioner Roger Goodell and are you concerned about any potential discipline?) – “(laughter) Yeah, he told us it was the best decision we’ve ever made when we picked him. He was very excited but very composed. He was matter-of-factly like, ‘This is the best decision you’ve ever made.’”
(You mentioned that there were five elite defensive linemen in this draft. Was DT Christian Wilkins one of those for you?) – “For us, (yes). Again, when I said that, it’s all in the context of schemes. Guys fit different schemes and what they’re doing. He was a player that we thought had a unique skillset for the position.”
(How do you feel about the group of players who were available when your pick came up?) – “We felt good. Again, as everyone talks about from all of the teams, at this point in the first round, you’re following your board. And he was the highest rated player on our board at the time that we took him.”
Jake Rudock – April 18, 2019
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Thursday, April 18, 2019
QB Jake Rudock
(Did they bring you in for a workout first before signing you?) – “We just came in, kind of had a little mutual interest there and I was just happy everything worked out.”
(Was the interest only because of South Florida roots for you or did it go beyond that?) – “I’m from down here, so I think that obviously helps it. I grew up watching the team. My family is still here, so I definitely come back a lot. I think that might have maybe helped; but at the end of the day, I just wanted to be somewhere playing football. I couldn’t be happier to be here.”
(Do you still have a bedroom in your parents’ house?) – “Yes. They want me to live forever, so we’ll see what happens. (laughter)”
(Have you been staying there during the three-day camp?) – “Right now, yeah. The first two weeks, it’s like ‘Yeah, this is normal.’ I’d maybe come home for a week or two in college or in the offseason, come home for a week or two and then the third week you’re like ‘Goodnight Mom. This is weird.’ (laughter)”
(Are you living there now?) – “Yeah. They’re really nice to let me stay there.”
(In Fort Lauderdale or Palm Beach?) – “We’re in Weston.”
(Obviously Assistant Head Coach/Quarterbacks Jim Caldwell knows you well. Without giving away state secrets, can you share, as he assessed you and as you guys have talked, what areas he sort of eyeballed as areas where he thinks there’s still significant room for growth with you?) – “I think it’s all facets of the game. I think the good thing about Coach Caldwell, one of his strengths definitely is he pays attention to little things. We talk about little things becoming big things and even just the snap from the center, how important that is. Little things, maybe you’re doing something not perfect. That’s the thing. He always harps on trying to be perfect and doing everything absolutely to the tee.”
(Does the success you’ve had in preseason – obviously you’ve thrown a handful of regular season balls – has it left you with the belief of ‘I know I’m an NFL quarterback?’) – “Every year is different. Yeah, I think I can play at this level; but at the same time I need to keep working. That’s 100 percent guaranteed. I’m very fortunate to have ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) in the room, a ton of years of experience to help me grow. I could definitely learn things from Luke (Falk) too. I think we have a very good quarterback room and that helps me try to become a better player and do whatever our team really needs.”
(Being here growing up, you probably dreamed of something like this. I know it’s the NFL and it’s a business, but what’s it like to play here?) – “The first three days out on the field, it’s pretty cool. I don’t know if you guys know this – the stands, they’ve been there for a while. (laughter) We didn’t have the cover when I was a kid, but I’ve been to those fall camps sitting in those stands with my Dad. It’s just really cool. I’m sure it will get a little more surreal later, but I think you’re just so focused, you don’t always have time to think about it until you guys obviously like to remind me and have me reminisce and all that.”
(You mean there’s no moment like when there’s going to be fans here and you come out as a Miami Dolphin, and I know half the fans in the area will probably be here to see you?) – “We’ll see. When that comes, we’ll cross that bridge when it gets here. I’m definitely excited for the opportunity to be here and work with these guys and try to improve.”
(What do you hope to accomplish?) – “In general? Right now, I’m just trying to get in the playbook, understand things and mesh well with our guys. I think that’s a big thing too, understanding strengths of our guys and what they can do. I just have to learn. Right now, that’s the biggest thing – learning and continuous improvement and get a little bit better every single day.”
(I know you saw Dan Marino probably when you were in high school. He was on the sidelines a few times. To walk out there and Dan Marino is out there…) – “It’s cool. I’ve kind of got to know him a little bit over the years, growing up down here. I got to kind of know him a little bit. Now seeing him every day, it’s a little different. It’s super cool, especially a guy like that. Retired number, everything he’s done – it’s just really cool to have a guy in there giving us input, helping to try to improve each one of our games.”
(Has he given you feedback on your game? Has he watched you and given you views on areas?) – “A while ago. Way before I got in the league, I came for a local day and we talked a little bit. It’s very cool just to have a legend like that in the room with you.”
(Having only three quarterbacks here right now and there’s not a lot of guys at running back, you’re getting a lot of reps I would assume. Is it very important to get as much as you can in early here?) – “I think we’re very fortunate that the new staff allows us to get that extra week. These last three days of work have been huge, especially for me trying to develop and learn a whole new system. Every guy is in this boat trying to learn and improve, and I think that’s the best thing about it is we can actually get on the field and kind of put it into practice as opposed to sit in the room – ‘What would you do?’ ‘I would do this, I’d go left, I’d go right.’ Actually doing it on the field, it’s a whole other animal, so it’s pretty great we can come out here.”
(Having a guy like QB Ryan Fitzpatrick who’s been around for a while and he has a personality, I’m sure he’s been blunt with you guys?) – “Ryan has no personality. (laughter) No, it’s awesome. What does he have, a decade and a half of experience? That’s unbelievable. I’ve been very fortunate. I’ve had great quarterback rooms back in Detroit and here. Fitz has done a great job of just helping me and he’s so open to questions and giving input even if I don’t ask. That’s awesome for a guy like me.”
(This team is almost unique in that the quarterback position is so wide open, not just this year but into the future and obviously you as a young player. How does that affect your view of what you can accomplish and your opportunity that you’re going to get?) – “Honestly, right now it’s trying to have a good day today. I think that’s as far forward as I can look, honestly. It’s kind of how I’ve always been. You have to focus on having a good day today, and then right now it’s how good can I be in the meeting room. Can I get better? And improve from there. Obviously, we can always speculate in the future, but it’s kind of good to have that small, short mindset for me personally.”
(How have you done the last three days?) – “I think I’ve done alright. I’ve (done) one some good stuff, done some bad stuff. (I’m) still learning. It’s a game and you have to learn the new offense and schemes and all that stuff. Definitely one thing I want to do is continue to improve. I think that’s what everybody wants to do, for sure.”
Dwayne Allen – April 18, 2019
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Thursday, April 18, 2019
TE Dwayne Allen
(Have you noticed Head coach Brian Flores doing it his way, because I asked him today. A lot of people may say that he’s doing it the ‘Patriots way.’) – “That’s the only thing I have to go off of. In New England, Coach Flores ran the defense. I didn’t get to see much of him other than when he was on the other side of the ball and we talked a little crap to him. Here, it’s his show and he’s running things his way.”
(What’s his way been so far?) – “He wants a smart, tough football team that can perform well under pressure. It starts with practice and being well-conditioned. Getting out here in the heat and what I’ve learned from everyone is that this isn’t the heat quite yet, so I’m pacing myself. (laughter) (We’re) getting out here and working hard, and that’s what we’ve been able to do so far.”
(We noticed the conversation that you and TE Mike Gesicki had. Are you kind of taking him under your wing a little bit?) – “The entire tight ends room. That’s my job here. I’m the veteran guy in the tight ends room. I want to make sure that we as a corps, are able to go out there and execute our job.”
(What’s the most important thing that you want to get across to them?) – “Execute. Execute. Knowing exactly what they have to do, when they are supposed to do it and giving them tools to be able to go out there and execute it.”
(What have you seen from a guy like TE Mike Gesicki? He came in really hyped about his talent overall. I know he probably has to work on blocking and he hasn’t gotten that size yet.) – “We’re all learning. We’re all learning. Me going into Year 8, Gesicki and Durham (Smythe) going into Year 2, Clive (Walford) and Nick (O’Leary) going into Years 3 (and) 4, we’re all just trying to get out there, learn and continue to grow and continue to get better at the tight end position. In this league, once you think you know it all, that’s when you’re on your way out.”
(When you say the word execute, to fans what does that mean? How can you put that into terms that they can understand?) – “When the ball is moving forward, everyone on the offensive side of the ball is executing pretty well. (laughter)”
(When I asked Head Coach Brian Flores is it going to be the ‘Patriots way,’ he said you can call it whatever you want but it’s going to be my way. He talked about how he’s a stickler for time – to be on time, and what time means to him.) – “Yeah, early is on time, on time is late and late is forgotten, as Coach Flores likes to say. That’s his thing. That’s one of the things he said the first day that we got here. He wanted to maximize our time in this building and make sure that we’re utilizing it, so we can go out and execute the game of football the way that we want to. Guys have been very receptive and have been early.”
(You’ve been used to that time?) – “Yeah, if you say so. That’s one of Coach Flo’s (Brian Flores) things and that’s the first time I hard that.”
(How much does that add to a team? Those are little things but those little things are what establishes what type of group you’re going to have.) – “It’s all about the little things. That’s another thing that Coach Flo stresses to us. Make sure that we are sticklers of details and one of the details is time. Making sure that we’re early to things so that we can maximize our time inside this building.”
(This team hasn’t run a lot of two tight end sets in the last few years. You can tell me if I’m wrong, but with you coming down here, do you have a feeling you might run more of that here?) – “The allure of me coming here was to have the opportunity to be around a great coaching staff. It’s headed up by a couple of guys that I was familiar with coming from New England, but also a lot of guys that were added that I wanted to work with. The offensive scheme, that all depends on who is calling the plays, not necessarily where they learned the offense from. So, the way that (Patriots Offensive Coordinator) Josh McDaniels calls it could be and will be I’m sure totally different from the way that (Offensive Coordinator) Chad O’Shea calls it.”
(So we shouldn’t read too much into what we saw in New England last year translating here?) – “Not at all. The way that Coach (Chad) O’Shea calls things will unfold throughout training camp, throughout the spring, throughout the summer, throughout the preseason. You’ll be able to see.”
(You’ve known Offensive Coordinator Chad O’Shea for a minute. How do you think his play calling will be, what do you think his style will be?) – “Your guess is as good as mine. I’m just looking forward to getting to work and executing whatever plays are called.”
(What do you know in Year 8 that you didn’t know in Year 2?) – “Wow. You don’t have enough paper for that. I promise you that you don’t have enough. (laughter) The most important thing that I realize is what it means to come together as a team. That starts with appreciation – appreciation for everyone’s job. Once you have appreciation, that’s when accountability can come into play. That appreciation for everyone’s job and that accountability to hold everyone up and everyone accountable, that’s when you come together as a team and have the opportunities of doing something special.”
Mike Gesicki – April 18, 2019
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Thursday, April 18, 2019
TE Mike Gesicki
(How does the number 88 look and feel?) – “It looks great as you guys can tell and it feels good, too. (laughter) I’m pretty happy about it.”
(Why the switch? That was your number in college, right?) – “Yeah, that was me in college. Last year, obviously (Leonte) Carroo had it. It opened up, so I figured why not?”
(What feels different this offseason?) – “The weather. It’s not as hot yet. (laughter) Everything’s going good. I feel like everyone is coming in with a really good mindset. Everybody is excited for the opportunity and everybody is out here to prove themselves.”
(A Super Bowl-winning head coach, I know he was on defense, but what does that do for you guys?) – “Bringing in (Head) Coach (Brian) Flores, obviously, the experience that he brings in here, but also all of the coaches coming in here, they all know how to win, they all know how to coach and get the best out of all of their players. It has been really exciting and fun and a lot of learning throughout these first three weeks.”
(How have you spent the last three months to make this your best season?) – “I’ve been training each and every day with the mindset that I have to come out here and be the best version of myself. I think I’ve put myself in a positon to not only be effective in the passing game, but also in the running game. I feel like I’m in much better shape than I was at this time last year. I think that’s when I’ll be at my best, when I play fast. I think last year, especially when I got here, the heat took me by surprise and I wasn’t in great conditioning shape. My thing is I need to go run fast and run by people and make plays in the passing game. So, it took a while to get into that shape to get there. I feel pretty good.”
(Have you put on weight?) – “Yeah. I played last year at probably 240. Now I’m like 253. I feel good.”
(What has TE Dwayne Allen’s presence done for the tight end room?) – “He’s awesome. He’s an unbelievable guy. (He’s a) really natural leader. He does a great job vocally. He’s kind of like a second coach, honestly. If (Tight Ends) Coach (George) Godsey is busy, I feel like I can go up to Dwayne and I can be like, ‘Did you see that route? What did you think? Did you see that front? Was that the right guy?’ All of that kind of stuff. He just grabbed me when we were walking off the field and still gave my coaching points. It’s cool to have that presence.”
(That improves you, right?) – “Yeah absolutely. I’m open to all coaching. If it’s him, if it’s Coach Godsey, Coach Flores … If somebody has something positive to say to me and something that’s going to help me, I’ll take it.”
(You mentioned Tight Ends Coach George Godsey. What is his personality and coaching style?) – “He is incredible. I’m thrilled to have him as our tight ends coach. I’ve learned a ton even these past three days out here on the field with him. To have him and have … He has some great coaching experience and to bring that in here and help not only myself but the rest of the tight end group has been very productive.”
(Did you go back and self-scout 2018? Did you watch all of the film and what did you see?) – “I saw a lot of good and a lot of bad, a lot of stuff to improve on and a lot of stuff that I can take in and bring into my game this year as well. But that was expected. I was 22-years-old, playing my first year in the NFL, learning on the fly and doing some things I’ve never been asked to do before and all of that kind of stuff. I’m somebody that can be my biggest critic. I was able to go back to the film and learn what I need to.”
(What’s a specific you’re working on or you’re proud of that you did last year?) – “You don’t have to cover the Dolphins to know who Mike Gesicki is. He’s still working on blocking, he’s going to focus on the technique, all of that stuff. You guys know the answer to that. And obviously continue to refine my route-running and all of that kind of stuff. Honestly, I’ll give you the same answer for the next 25 years if you ask me. That’s what it is.”
(We saw a lot of two tight ends in New England. Do you expect some of that here? It was basically like an 11 team last year and now you have all these tight ends. Do you feel like you might want to use them?) – “Whatever (Offensive Coordinator) Coach (Chad) O’Shea comes out here and decides. If he puts one tight end, two tight ends, no tight ends, if he puts 11 tight ends out there and Dwayne (Allen) is playing quarterback, whatever it is, we’re going to do whatever it is we’re asked to do. Whatever the personnel is, whatever the situation is, we have to go out there and play to the best of our ability.”
(The theory is if you can get TE Dwayne Allen to play with his hand in the dirt you might be able to move around a little bit more?) – “Obviously, it’s April right now, so we’re still trying to figure out everybody’s strengths, weaknesses, what they can do, what they can’t do and all of that kind of stuff. I think you’ll see a lot more of it come September.”
(But you’re excited about what you’ve heard so far?) – “Yeah. I love the coaching staff, love the attitude they’re bringing in. Everything that’s been going on these last three weeks I’m excited about.”
(How did you put on weight? Eat a lot? Workout?) – “Eat. Workout. The natural ways to do it.”
(You haven’t lost any speed you feel?) – “I feel good.”
(Do you feel like that first time you go pads and contact you’re going to feel that extra pop?) – “Yeah. That’s the goal.”
Kenny Stills – April 18, 2019
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Thursday, April 18, 2019
WR Kenny Stills
(Can you talk a little bit about the relationship in these three days with Head Coach Brian Flores? How has it been for you?) – “Honestly, we’re just building. That’s the position that we’re in and that’s the space that we’re in, just building a relationship.”
(Do you feel any different from last year or anything that you noticed?) – “Honestly, we’re just focusing on this year. We put last year behind us. It’s 2019 – Year 7 for me. It’s an opportunity for us to go out and play ball and an opportunity to go out there and win football games.”
(What have you noticed, if you have, that is different with Head Coach Brian Flores compared to previous coaches? Is there a different style, a different approach?) – “Honestly, I feel like it’s too early to even say or get into the comparison game. We’re out here just trying to improve, get better and stay injury-free and work our way into the regular season.”
(Head Coach Brian Flores today emphasized he’s a stickler for time. Have you noticed that too, that time is so valuable?) – “Yeah. It’s one of those basic principles. I think everyone’s kind of a stickler on those things – making sure you’re on time and being on time is being early.”
(QB Ryan Fitzpatrick – he’s a veteran presence obviously, but I see him going to every group out in practice and just little words being said to each group.) – “One of our things that we’re really harping on this year is communication. That’s all of us, from the quarterback, o-line, defense, coaches – everyone. We’re all just communicating, trying to make sure we’re on the same page, speaking the same vocabulary. That’s big for us just to make sure we’re communicating.”
(Obviously with Head Coach Brian Flores coming from the Patriots, he’s a stickler for little things. How much do little things end up being very major throughout a season, just to get that pattern going early on?) – “I’d just say that it’s something that we’ve always focused on here as players and the different staffs that have come through here, just the little things and how they make the big picture. It’s something for us to make sure we continue to fine tune and detail, and so we hope that will show up on the field.”
(With QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, he has a reputation for being an aggressive quarterback, throwing downfield. Do you feel like that will play into your game a little bit more?) – “I hope so. I guess we’ll see. We’re just focusing on building our relationship, learning the offense, all of the little details and fundamentals of the game. If that stuff comes, then it comes.”
(How long does it take to develop a relationship with a quarterback?) – “I think it’s different with every quarterback. Ryan (Fitzpatrick)’s a pretty veteran guy and in these three days, it seems like we’ve all been on the same page with him for the most part and we talk about the communication off the field as well, so we’ll continue to work on that in these next couple of weeks and through the offseason.”
(You’re known as a leader, so when you have a new regime come in here, how important is that role? How much do you take that to heart?) – “I just continue to try to lead by example. I love being here. I love the guys. I love this team and the opportunity for us to go out and have a chance to win, that’s big for us. Like I said, I just try to lead by example and then everything else comes.”
(From all the groups that have changed, at receiver you have guys coming back that have a lot of experience. How big is that going to be to take a big part of the offense?) – “We try to think of ourselves as leaders on this team. I think every group tries to think of themselves as leaders on this team. The receiver group knows that we have a lot of talent and that comes with a lot of responsibility. We’re trying to do our best to get on the same page with the quarterback, to learn the offense and get prepared for this season. We’re excited for our guys to get back and get healthy, and it’s going to be a fun year for us.”
(Have you been in touch with those two guys, WR Jakeem Grant and WR Albert Wilson?) – “Yeah. They’re here and they’re learning the offense. Like I said, we’re excited for them to be back and see what this offense looks like going on full cylinders.”
(I know it’s early. Do you see Head Coach Brian Flores trying to establish his own identity because everyone keeps saying it could be the ‘Patriot way’ here?) – “Yeah. He’s himself and we’re building that relationship with him and the team. We’re continuing to learn who he is and figure that out, but we’re on the right track to start.”
Kalen Ballage – April 18, 2019
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Thursday, April 18, 2019
RB Kalen Ballage
(I know you learned a ton from RB Frank Gore and you will miss him – you and RB Kenyan Drake both. But is there kind of an opportunity now to where it’s just young guys basically at running back? Do you see it as an opportunity?) – “Yes, it’s definitely an opportunity. Having a chance to have Frank here and teach me a lot of things obviously was great for me. But now, hopefully I’ll get more playing time and be able to show what I can do.”
(Are you looking at this – even though RB Kenyan Drake is obviously a terrific player – as you want to at least be able to challenge for a starting job?) – “Yeah, absolutely. I’m a competitor. That’s what I do; that’s who I am. It doesn’t really matter who has the most playing time in the past or anything like that. I’m going forward and ready to do my thing.”
(Not to look back too much on last year but were you pleased with what you put on tape?) – “Yeah. Obviously I’m not a guy that’s ever satisfied, really. I always want more out of everything so there were some things that I could have done better. I’ll have a chance to make it right this season.”
(You have a year under your belt but with a new coach and a new way of doing things around here, does it feel like the first year again?) – “Yeah, it kind of sort of feels like that. Like I said, (there are) more opportunities, new opportunities and different chances to make stuff happen, so I’m excited about it.”
(I guess you’re in a unique spot in that you’re one of only three position groups that kept the same assistant coach. What has Running Backs Coach Eric Studesville said that he wants to see from you as far as areas of growth where he’s said he wants you to be better at this?) – “Just for me to completely grow into the player that I’m going to be moving forward. The details of that, we kind of keep everything in our running back room; but just be able to grow as a player (and) as a person in everything that I do.”
(Are you doing anything with your body? Have they asked you to put on weight, lose weight?) – “Nope. (I am) right where I want to be.”
(That running backs room is a little small right now so you’re getting a lot of reps. What has that been like?) – “It’s no problem for me. That’s what you want. You want to get reps. You want to get the opportunity to master your craft. So that’s where I’m at with that.”
(How were you able to stay so patient last season?) – “It’s just my personality. I believe God has a plan and you follow that plan. It’s not always right when you want or when you don’t want it. Just sit back and let things happen as they may.”
(Do you feel that because of how long you waited to get a rep in a game, that’s why you ran as fast as you did on that Vikings touchdown?) – “I’m always going. I’m always going to go crazy. It doesn’t matter if I get 20 touches or one touch, I’m going to try to make the most of it.”
(Was there any meaningful phone call or text exchange that you had with RB Frank Gore after he left for Buffalo?) – “A whole bunch. I’ve been talking to Frank almost every day. He’s like a big brother to me. He took me under his wing since the moment I got here. Just having the opportunity to have somebody like that in your corner is always a win.”
(Who are you going to warm up with pregame now that RB Frank Gore is gone?) – “I don’t know. (laughter) I got the routine down but there will be no Frank out there. It’s all good.”
(Is your personality such that you would rather go back this offseason and watch tapes of the 75-yard run against the Vikings or tapes maybe of carries where you felt you could have done more?) – “I’m tired of that run – honestly – to be 100 percent honest. I just want to move forward. I don’t necessarily want to go back to last season because we have new opportunities moving forward. I don’t want to dwell on that stuff but I’m excited about what’s going to happen moving forward.”
Brian Flores – April 18, 2019
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Thursday, April 18, 2019
Head Coach Brian Flores
(Are you a practice in the rain guy or a like being indoors guy?) – “We play in the rain, right? I think you have to practice in the elements that you may play in. Unless it’s lightning, obviously, or a monsoon or something like that. I think it’s good. You work on your footwork, work on throwing the ball in the rain, work on catching the ball in the rain, work on playing in those elements. I think it’s good to practice in.”
(Is there a sense of excitement as you go through this voluntary minicamp leading up to the draft?) – “Oh yeah. Anything that involves being on the field, coaching, helping guys improve, that’s exciting to me. It’s a passion. I’m passionate about coaching. I’m passionate about the game. I’m passionate about teaching. I’m passionate about helping people improve. This is great. The draft process, that’s exciting as well to add players to the team, add young players coming from college who are young and driven, like all the guys we have here – everyone that’s here is driven. We’re excited about that.”
(What’s one thing that’s impressed you the first couple days, what you’ve seen?) – “I think guys are in decent shape. Guys are giving great effort. Guys are really working hard to learn the information and they’re really focused on improving on their techniques, which is what this is about. It’s a teaching camp, like we talked about the other day. We’ve tried to harp on that as a staff: let’s focus on improving on your individual techniques and learn the basic information of our offense, defense and special teams.”
(The schedule came out last night. I know we’re supposed to take it one game at a time, but I’m going to ask you about Week 2. As you know, you’re playing the New England Patriots that week. What’s that going to be like for you to look across the field, see those guys, see Head Coach Bill Belichick on the other sideline?) – “My first thought is I’m going to try to get through today. (laughter) But yeah, the schedule came out. Obviously, we’ve got the preseason schedule, starting with Atlanta to Tampa. We’ve got New England Week 2. Obviously, I know a lot of people on that team and (in) that organization. I had a great run there, but I’m in Miami now. We’re building a team here and that’s where my focus is. When we get to that, we’ll prepare and get ready to play them when the time comes.”
(Have there been many things over the first couple of months that you were truly surprised is on your head-coaching plate and how important is it for you to delegate in the course of your job?) – “Delegating is very important in this job. There’s a lot on the plate. As far as there being things that I’m surprised about, not really. I’ve had a lot of conversations with a lot of head coaches in this league. What a lot of them said was there’s going to be something across your desk every day. You have to be ready to deal with that. That was my approach coming in. Being adaptable is something that’s a mantra of mine and our team. Adapt or die is what I say a lot of the times. Delegating is definitely a part of that. I think when you’re in a leadership position, part of that is allowing other people to lead as well. I feel like that’s something I try to do well. Obviously, I can get better. Every day, it’s new, it’s all new, it’s all a process. There are some things that (I say), ‘Next time I’ll do that a little bit better.’ I think we all deal with things like that. The process has been good so far.”
(Do you have a go-to assistant, somebody that you’d like to be a right-hand man, so to speak, out of your group of assistant coaches?) – “We have a great staff, so pick any of the 20 guys. They’re all my right-hand men. We work well together. I tried to put a staff together that embodies the things that I want our team to reflect. I want them to be tough, I want them to be smart, I want them to work well together. We have a group that does that. They’re great teachers. We talk about technique and fundamentals. I harp to the players that these guys that are coaching you, they know what they’re talking about. So listen, try to improve and you’ll get better.”
(How has this experience the past two months – you said it’s been a whirlwind. A personal question, how has your mother passing kind of affected that or how have you dealt with that?) – “That was obviously hard. She’s someone I think about on a daily basis. I wish she was here to kind of enjoy this with us, but she’s with me all of the time. I would say she wouldn’t want me to kind of dwell or be upset. She would want me to have peace. I’m sad, I’m unhappy, I miss her; but I have peace in knowing that I did everything I could to make her proud, as well as my brothers. They did the same thing. We all have peace with that.”
(I don’t know if you have heard this from the national media, whether it be national or local, but a lot of the things I keep hearing is that you’re going to do it, in some ways, a different way. How important is it to establish your own identity with this team?) – “Call it what you want. I’m going to try to get our team to work hard, play together, play with good fundamentals and technique, play as a team, try to put the team first. You have to try to get 11 guys to play together and that’s a hard thing to accomplish as a coach. That’s my goal. You can call it whatever you want. You can call it ‘Patriot way,’ but to me, it’s just trying to coach and play good football.”
(We’ve seen QB Ryan Fitzpatrick play football in a regular game even. We haven’t seen QB Jake Rudock or QB Luke Falk do that in the NFL or even in the practice ring. How have they looked the last two days in practice?) – “Jake and Luke, just like everyone else, they’re working hard. They are doing everything possible to try to improve their techniques, their fundamentals – footwork, throwing the football, ball-handling – all of the really fundamental things. They’re working hard. They’re doing a good job. Really, all three quarterbacks. We’re excited to see what they can do moving forward.”
(When you and your staff watched film on TE Mike Gesicki and what he did as a rookie, what, if anything, gave you guys encouragement, things you can build on, potential strengths from Mike?) – “Mike’s a good young player. (He’s) talented. Like everyone else on this team, there’s places where he can improve, get better (and) develop. As a young player, there’s a lot of room for development I would say, and really as an older player as well. Mike’s working hard. We see what everyone else sees. He has size, he has speed, he can catch the ball. There’s things that everyone can work on. He’s working on those things and he’s done a good job these last couple of days.”
(We spoke with General Manager Chris Grier yesterday about the draft and he has the last word. How much of an influence do you have in the draft, specifically the first round, and how much influence do you want in that process?) – “I know Chris and I, we definitely work well together. He and I both kind of – I don’t want to say speak the same language – but when we say collaborative effort, I think we both really mean that. When I say that, I mean that as a coach with my coaching staff. When he says it, he means that with his personnel staff. When we come together, it’s the same. With the draft coming up, obviously we’re going to make some selections, we’re going to make some decisions. I think the both of us have had and we will have discussions about players, situations, scenarios and we’ll make a decision together that we think is best for the Miami Dolphins.”
(When it comes to evaluating college players, what is the most important thing? Is it production on tape? What is the most important thing to you?) – “I think it’s a combination of things – production, height, weight, speed, intangibles, fit. There’s a myriad of things there so to say there’s just one thing that’s important, they’re all important. Is one more important than the other? I would say no. It’s the total fit of the player and really how we feel like they fit with our team.”
(When you sit with them in interviews either here or at the Combine, what do you try to get out of them? What’s the most important thing for you to know?) – “You try to get to know the person. I think that’s a big part of this. I think a lot of times people see players as just players but you want to know about their mom, their dad, an important person in their life, what kind of adversity they’ve faced before. You’re trying to get to know the person. And does that person fit your style as a coach? Do they fit your locker room? Do they fit the culture you’re trying to build as each individual team and obviously our team? When you sit down with a player or really when you sit down with anyone, you’re just trying to get to know them.”
(When you have a meeting at 10:45, do you expect everybody to be there at 10:40?) – “I was taught at an early age that early is on time, on time is late and late is forgotten. I was taught that in high school (by my coach) Dino Mangiero at Poly Prep Country Day School in Brooklyn, New York. That’s kind of been something that’s been ingrained in me. Is it a rule? No. It’s my personal mantra and I feel like I have a lot of respect for time. I really do. I think it’s precious. I think we shouldn’t take it for granted. I think if you want to stay on schedule, you have to stay on time, so (those are) some of my core beliefs.”
(Do you lay out the day? I mean, most coaches do but do you lay out the day minute by minute or hour by hour?) – “We have a schedule. It’s laid out pretty well. (laughter)”
(Along those lines, I know coaches like to have everything scheduled out. How have you found your time when you’re on the practice field and where to go? Do you schedule that out or do you think sometimes you need more time over here as a head coach?) – “Yeah, we like to schedule things but in this game, you have to be able to adapt. When I’m out on the field, it’s more of a feel thing. I spend time with the quarterbacks, I spend time with the offensive line, I spend time with the defensive line, I spend time with the safeties, I go watch the punter walk his lines. You have to do a little bit of everything. That’s more of a feel thing.”
(There’s so much talk about hybrid defense and multiple schemes and adaptability but now when you’re putting together your draft board and players fit three schemes or four schemes … When you want to play both, do you have to have a player that plays both or do you specifically target players that say this guy fits this scheme and this guy fits that scheme? Or do you need players that can fit both schemes?) – “We need good players. (laughter) I mean, that’s really what it boils down to. I think as a coach, when you get a good player, (you find out) what does he do well and you try to do that. I think that’s the good thing about having a versatile scheme is it fits the player. I think to answer your question, you try to get the best player and I’d like to think that myself and our staff, we can fit whatever we’re going to do around the skills of that player. Or I shouldn’t even say that player because there are 11 players on the field and you have to fit the group. Some guys are going to have a better fit than some others but you have to put the whole thing together. That’s the beauty of the game. That’s what I love to do. I enjoy doing it. But yeah, (we want) good players. That’s what we’re looking for. (laughter)”
(What’s your thinking on the back-to-back games in The Meadowlands? Do you stay up there and come back and go back to New York again? Is that something the Dolphins requested is to have them back to back?) – “That’s so far down the line. I’m going to go ahead and say that we had a brief conversation about it but nothing has been set in stone yet. When it is, I’ll let you know.”
(From watching tape when they were in college and over the last couple of months, if you could speak both on LB Raekwon McMillan and then LB Jerome Baker on the things you liked about each of their skillsets.) – “Raekwon is big, fast and physical. This is not on film but (he has) good leadership (and is) smart. (He) can play a few different positions. (He’s a) good young player. Jerome is another skilled player. (He’s) fast (and) a good tackler. Raekwon is a good tackler as well. (Baker) is smart. He can do a few different things. (He) can cover, which obviously in this league with it going in the passing direction, you want that out of a linebacker. Both (are) good young players. We’re happy to have them both.”
Chris Grier – April 17, 2019
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Wednesday, April 17, 2019
General Manager Chris Grier
(When do you go over the game plan with Chairman of the Board/Managing General Partner Steve Ross or have you all created a game plan?) – “We’ve updated him where it is now. We’ve hit it pretty hard. Our scouts were in town for two weeks where we ran through the draft board and did some follow-ups with the doctors last night and had our security meeting as well. The plan, it’s etched in pencil, but it’s pretty solid right now. We still have a couple days here this week we’ll go through things and get through the rest on the field this week, and then next week we’ll finish it up – probably Monday or Tuesday of next week.”
(When you’re picking at 13, do you have a pool of 15 guys and you only get one of them? How does that work because you’re in the middle of the first round and there are a lot of things are out of your control?) – “Obviously, you have to stack your board for how you like it. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter where you pick. You have to decide as you’re grading for your team and how you view the players for how they fit your system and for what the coaching staff’s looking for. You just end up stacking the board. How many numbers of players in the first round, whatever that number is, that’s where it falls. After that, you start looking at … You talk about scenarios whether it’s trading up, trading down, what will it take to move here, move there or what would we want if someone came up. You start talking about all that stuff and we’ve been doing that with (Vice President of Football Administration) Brandon Shore as well, so it’s been fun.”
(How certain are you that you will get offensive line help in the first three rounds of this draft?) – “I would say we feel good about it. But again, you go through your process and how it falls and how players get picked, it’s out of our control at 13. It’s an area we’re going to look to upgrade just like every positon on our roster.”
(How much communication do you try to have in advance with clubs to let them know, “In this round, maybe in all rounds, we’re open to trading up or down?”) – “It started way back at the owners’ meetings. Every team does it. Every guy comes up (and says), ‘Hey, if you’re interested in coming down,’ or ‘We might be interested in coming up.’ You stay in touch with a few teams here or there, but over the next week or so, it’ll really start to heat up – I would guess probably especially next Monday, Tuesday.”
(How interested in general do you feel you want to be in being active and not just necessarily staying in your spot in the draft?) – “(We’re) wide open to anything. Again, whatever helps us as an organization to get better and keep upgrading the talent here, we’ll definitely do that. Wide open to anything.”
(Is there a draft where you want more picks or a draft where you want higher picks?) – “Again, it’s always tough because like last year we didn’t expect Minkah (Fitzpatrick) to be there at 11. Again, once that happens, you kind of see how it starts to fall after the first seven or eight picks maybe and then you’ll start, ‘Okay, it looks like there may be four guys that we like that look like are there.’ Alright, as we get closer to our pick, you’re two picks away, ‘okay looks like there will be guys definitely available that we like,’ and then we’ll be aggressive trying to move back. Also, if there’s one or two guys we feel really good about and they fall into eight or nine of the picks, ‘Hey, maybe it’s worth us going to get this guy, because we feel that strongly as an organization.’”
(Before you came in, we were having a debate about the last three years whether you had final say in the draft. Did you have final say in the draft the last three years?) – “Yes, I did. It was a collaboration, as you know. You know me, as we talked about, I’m not going to force a coach to take a player, because that doesn’t work. If the coach doesn’t want a player and I say, ‘No, we’re taking him,’ and then it works out one way or the other, good; but if it doesn’t, it creates that animosity and then the distrust and it’s not worth it, because you’ve been around here long enough and you’ve seen a lot of that happen. I’m not going to force any player on anyone. But yes, I had the final say.”
(So is this year any different?) – “No. You know me, I’m going to be very collaborative and that’s the only way it works. Again, you guys have all heard stories here and stuff from the past. It’s a combination of coaching staff, personnel, all working together, having the same vision, getting on the same page together of picking the players that we feel are good fits for us as an organization.”
(Your thoughts this year about trading down in relation to if you think you have a good player at 13, would you trade down and take the chance at two so-so players in the 20s of the first round?) – “I would say you should always have – and again this is just me – a list of maybe a handful of guys that you definitely take no matter where. They’re there, these are the guys you’re taking and these are the guys we feel are impact players. As you move down and get closer and you get there and there’s a group of players who are good players and we’ve got three at that pick, you may say, ‘Alright, we can move back a few spots and get one of these guys for sure and create some more picks for later in the draft.’
(Given how many needs there are and that you’re just starting this rebuilding program, is it not maybe a little bit more likely that you might try to go for a maximum number of picks this year rather than, for a lack of a better term, quality all the way at the top?) – “Again, like I said, what happens before us is out of our control in terms of how we like and how other teams view players. I would say if there was a player that fell that we thought was an impact, franchise-type player, then we would talk about it. Again, some of the moves we’ve made this offseason has given us the ability to move, even if moving some of our picks next year to move up to help us. I would say, again, everything is wide open for us.”
(There’s been a lot of debate about this year’s quarterbacks class. How would you evaluate this year’s class? Is it as strong as last year or maybe not quite as strong – how would you see it?) – “We didn’t spend a lot of time with a lot of those guys last year. We obviously thought a couple of those quarterbacks last year were really special. I think this class is a good class of quarterbacks. I would say that, again, like all of them, this class probably has some players that haven’t started as many games as you would like to see in terms of helping paint the picture for what they could be, so it’s a little more projection on a lot of them. I would say overall, it’s a good quarterback class.”
(Is it fair to say that even if it’s not in the first or second round that you would like in some round to take at least one quarterback this year?) – “Yeah. I mean we’d like to upgrade all of the positions – like I said, the depth, to create the competition to make everyone better. But again, we’re not going to reach for anyone just to take one and do it, because then you’re passing on a player just for a need at that point because everyone feels we need to get better. At that point, if you get down and are just reaching in the third round but you’re passing on a guy that could be a starting tackle or something, then you’ve hurt your franchise.”
(Do you see any potential franchise quarterbacks in this draft?) – “There could be. That’s every class. Quarterbacks have been so hit and miss. If you study them, fifty percent or less end up becoming even good starting quarterbacks. So it’s hard to say. But every class has one or two quarterbacks that become a good player in the league.”
(Are you in the Bill Parcells clan where they believe that starting quarterbacks, you need more than one year, you need a good substantial sample size of college starts to really understand who he is?) – “You’ve got going with the old Bill quarterback thing. (laughter) I do think it’s important, the starts, because it helps paint the picture because the guy has seen and played more football. But these kids nowadays are playing 7-on-7 football. You see the tournaments that are going on – they had one at, I think, St. Thomas (Aquinas) last week. These guys have been doing this, throwing the football and doing all these camps, working with these quarterback gurus, some of these kids since high school. A lot of them have been exposed to more probably than what they were back in the day in terms of the football knowledge. I think it’s part of the picture in terms of when you’re talking about a player, but I don’t think it should rule you out from ever picking somebody.”
(The defensive line is talent-rich this draft. How many of those guys, inside or outside, would you say are elite defensive linemen?) – “Off the top of my head, there’s probably five. Again, it’s going to be scheme specific. Some will be really good 30-front fits and other guys will be the 40-front. I’d say there’s five really good players that you feel really good about. After that, maybe (not) elite, but then there’s a lot of good players too.”
(Numbers wise, you will probably have an opportunity at one of those five, right, because everybody won’t need them?) – “Yeah, we have a chance. I would think so. Again, it’s like with the quarterbacks. Who knows? If people feel there’s quarterbacks here, you may have everyone trade up to try and get quarterbacks early. It’s always hard to say.”
(The d-line generally is acknowledged as the best position in the draft. Do you see any other positions outside of that stand out to you as being really strong ?) – “The receiver class is probably deeper than people think. It’s a deep class. I think you can get good value picks for the first three rounds there. I would say it’s a good offensive line class as well. A lot of potential of guys to be really good. There are kind of some young players that maybe have to mature a little more but I do think it has a chance to end up – if all those kids do things the right way – has a chance to be a good offensive line class as well.”
(You mentioned potential. How do you weigh potential versus production and which one do you prioritize?) – “It’s always hard because you’ll have some 21-year-old kids that have, lack of a better word, been coddled a little bit. Now, they’re going into a man’s world now where you’re going to have to block men and you’re going to have to do things the right way. You can’t take plays off or time off. I was joking with a guy that we had in on a visit that’s a good player here on a 30-visit … I was telling him, and he self-admitted, I said ‘I watched you against this top 10 team and you dominated, you played great, then I watched you against (a team like) Appalachian State blocking a guy like me and guys were running around you.’ He goes ‘Yeah, I get up for the big games.’ He’s like ‘I have to be better focused.’ I said ‘You realize you’re going to a league where every week you’re playing someone at the top.’ He’s like ‘I know, I’m working at it.’ That’s what you deal with a lot of these kids. You’re trying to determine if they’re going to be mature enough and if they’re going to have that love for the game to do things the right way.”
(When you hear something like that, does it turn you off or is that something where you’re like, can we shape that guy, can we get that out of him? Or are you like at this point you should have it?) – “It’s a little bit of a concern, but also the guy is 21 years old. You kind of weigh it because there have been a lot of good players in this league that have had those issues that may have not gotten drafted like they should have, but then they become great players in this league because whether they matured or got with their coaching staff that pushed them to do things a different way, or some veteran on the team took him under his wing and the guy matured and became a good player. There’s so many factors when you’re dealing with human beings.”
(From you chair, do you expect S Reshad Jones to be on the team this year? Have you been given information that he’s seeking a trade? Where do you stand on Reshad Jones?) – “No. I haven’t given him permission to seek a trade. He doesn’t want a trade, at least he has not informed me. Reshad is going to be here. I’ve known Reshad as long as anybody here. I ended up going up before the draft and ended up spending a full day with him trying to get to know him … I ended up spending a lot of time getting to know him and trying to figure out who he was as a person. I like Reshad a lot. This is a voluntary camp. He chose not to be here. We’d love to have him here. He’s a Miami Dolphin, but he’s earned the right to do it. He’s not the only guy in the league doing it. It’s voluntary and we know how this game is for these guys. No, we have not given him permission and he has not asked.”
(What are some of the factors and things you’re going to consider when you’re wresting between a top two offensive tackle vs. a top five offensive lineman? What are some things you’re going to take into consideration when at 13 that could be a decision you’d have to make?) – “Obviously when you’re making that pick at 13, you want guys that are tough, competitive, the passion for football. I think you talk about smart and will do things the right way. If you’re going to miss, you want to make sure you give yourself as small a margin for error as you can in terms of when you’re taking someone. You look for all of those traits and at the end of the day, it always falls out inevitably when you talk to coaches and stuff. We’ll go through it and go through the roster and talk about it. If they are both equal and they are both there on draft day, then we’ll make a decision depending on what we value more for our team and roster going forward.”
(Do you sometimes say, ‘We can get this position in the next round?’ In your experience, how has that worked out when it’s really close? Do you say ‘we think the position group is stronger in the next round or two’ until you go to the other position?) – “Yes. There’s always deeper positions, like we’ve talked about. We talked about the receivers being a position where there is value. But you never want to bank on saying ‘I’m going to get this guy in the second round.’ Because inevitably it always come back to well ‘we missed’ and he goes three picks before you. You just go through your process with the board and stacking it the way that you feel and how you will take them. We have all of those conversations where it’s this nose tackle versus this wide receiver, where are we in terms of needs for the roster. We go through it but again you have to take the best player for the team at that point in time.”
(How many starters will you hope to get out of this draft?) – “I’m sure like every team, we’d love to have seven starters. (laughter) As we all know it’s not always perfect in terms of picking human beings and projecting them from college to pro. We all know that’s not realistic but if we can get three starters and good contributors as backups, we’d be happy with that. That’s always the goal to at least come out with hopefully three starters and hopefully the rest will be gravy.”
(Every draft is important obviously but when you’re building almost exclusively through the draft, as maybe you might this year, does that not raise the level of this really needs to be a great draft for it to pop for us for it to raise the level of the team?) – “Yes. For me, the pressure is self-imposed. I want every draft to be great. I’m like everyone, I would like every pick to work and everyone saying how great of a job you do. But it’s going to happen. You’re going to miss on guys and get criticized. At the end of the day, when you build through the draft, it’s important. The most important this is making sure the coaches and scouts are all on the same page with what we’re looking for, so we can try and eliminate the mistakes that are inevitably going to happen but you want to try to limit to maybe one a draft or something like that.”
(DE Charles Harris has had a slow start. He is your first draft pick under your name as general manager. A lot of concerns about scheme fit, obviously the scheme is changing now, but how do you ensure that the scheme is right with what they are doing running a hybrid defense considering not everybody fits every scheme?) – “There will be a lot of guys in terms of the roster that may not be ideal fits for what coach is doing. I’ll let him talk about scheme and all of that stuff. In regards to a player like Charles, yeah they are excited to work with Charles because they had said that they liked him previously when they had seen him coming out of college at Missouri. They’re going to work with him. They think that they can do some things to help him. Charles is dealing with the wrist thing trying to get healthy now. They are excited for his future; but yeah, whenever you change schemes and coaches, there always is going to be some misfit pieces. The one good thing we love about Brian (Flores) is in New England, he found a way to getting guys to play better. Hopefully that’s the case here.”
