Eric Studesville – February 15, 2019
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Friday, February 15, 2019
Running Backs Coach Eric Studesville
(I want to ask you about RB Kenyan Drake, first of all. I know there was some frustration that maybe he didn’t carry the ball as much as you wanted although he got a lot of the touches in the past. Did he ever express frustration to you?) – “No. Kenyan has been a part of this. I think he did a great job and was trying to do everything he could to help us win games and he knows that happens a lot of different ways.”
(Would your hope be, and I know obviously Offensive Coordinator Chad O’Shea, you, Head Coach Brian Flores collectively will decide this, but would you hope to be able to incorporate him a little bit more in the running game next year? I know a lot is dependent on how many offensive snaps you have. That was a big factor in why everybody’s numbers were lower, but do you think he’s capable of carrying the ball more than the seven times per game that he averaged?) – “I don’t know what that’s going to be going forward. We haven’t done all of that yet. The hard part is how you build this and who we get here and how all of the pieces go together. It’s the same thing as we’ve always done, we’re going to try to put guys in a positon to help us win football games. How many that is? Enough to win the game. That’s the end goal.”
(Do you think RB Kenyan Drake played well last year?) – “I do. But like all of us, we could all get better. There’s areas for everybody to improve on and work on; but we’ll get to all that. Right now, the biggest thing that we’re trying to do is we’re trying to figure out who everybody is right now and get the pieces in and we’ll figure out what to do with them.”
(One other thing on RB Kenyan Drake, I know Adam Gase had some concerns about negative carries and there were a good number of them, well into double-digits last year as far as losses of 3 yards or more. When I asked Kenyan about it he said he doesn’t want to change his running style to reduce those, he is who he is. Are you okay with that?) – “I think backs have natural instincts. How much can you change it, how much do you adjust that, you take away what their God-given ability is. The thing we want to do is we want to do is with all of the backs, not just Kenyan, the things we talk about are we want to keep the offense on track and we want to do positive things. They all buy into that.”
(Do you just accept with RB Kenyan Drake that there are going to be some losses on some runs just because he has the explosiveness to break? Is that something you accept or do you try to tinker with his style at all to eliminate or to reduce some of the negative yardage runs?) – “In everything we’re going to do, we’re going to coach all those guys to do what’s best within the scheme of the play and what we’re trying to do and then hopefully those plays are part of utilizing their skillset.”
(With RB Kalen Ballage, what did he show you? Could he one day be a three-down back?) – “I hope all of them can be three-down backs, because you never know. You hope that the biggest thing that they can do is find their role in the offense, whatever that is. If we need them to play three downs, they’re able to do that. If we’re fortunate enough to have one back and they have roles and things, we want them all to be able to contribute and be able to play. I think that’s good for everybody too. I don’t know that there’s one answer to that. Three-down backs are hard to find.”
(With RB Kalen Ballage’s skillset, what impressed you specifically and about how he played late in the season?) – “I think the big thing you notice about Kalen is he’s a big, physical body. He can run. He’s athletic. I think he’s maturing and growing. He still has a lot of growth to do as far as seeing and recognizing things, but his work ethic is tremendous. He has got a great personality and he comes in every day ready to work. That’s the best starting point there is for a young player.”
(From a skillset standpoint, what stood out to you about RB Kalen Ballage? His burst?) – “I think his size. His size and he can run. He can catch the ball. He’s got speed for a big man. All of those things make him impressive as a player.”
(Do you hope RB Frank Gore is back?) – “The biggest thing with Frank is let’s get Frank healthy and we’ll figure out what’s next for him. Him ending the season banged up was … I want to get him healthy first and then we’ll cross all of those other bridges.”
(RB Frank Gore will be a free agent in a month. I know you probably wouldn’t reveal it even if you did know, but do you know if he will return, if he’ll be asked to return?) – “I don’t know that.”
(How much of a presence was RB Frank Gore with the young guys?) – “I think Frank was an outstanding presence. The biggest thing that Frank gives to you is leadership and a demonstration of what a veteran, professional in your room looks like. That example is incredibly valuable.”
(Another guy on the roster, RB Senorise Perry. How did he perform last year? I know he was on special teams a lot, but what did you see out of him?) – “Senorise did everything we asked of him. It’s an unusual situation when you have five backs that are active for all 16 games. The great thing about Senorise, he was ready to go every week. He approached his job in a professional way. Had we called on him to do something, he would’ve been ready to jump in there no question.”
(You’re back here this year. What did you think of the running back production last year?) – “I think like in every area, I’m going to say this every year: there’s room for improvement.”
(Specifically as far as pass protection?) – “I think in every aspect of it. I’d like to see us improve in a lot of different areas. The hard part is what those areas are exactly, we don’t know yet, because we start building where we’re going now in this direction and it is making all of those things fit. We can do a lot of little things better. We can do things better in our room and that’s where we’re going to work at, at least as a starting point.”
(The running game’s role in this offense, I know Offensive Coordinator Chad O’Shea just got here and Head Coach Brian Flores just got here, do you know? Is it going to be a half and half?) – “No, I don’t know. We haven’t even gotten to all that. We’re working through the playbook now and evaluating people and things. We haven’t even got to how the pieces work on the table yet. We’re still trying to figure out what the pieces are and what we’re going to ask them to do.”
(Your guys can carry a pretty big share of the load, right?) – “I would think so. I would hope so, yes. I hope there’s the confidence that we can do that if that’s what’s needed to help us win a game.”
(What are you expecting from RB Kenyan Drake as far as things that he needs to work on, things that he did well that you want to accentuate?) – “I think we’re probably being a little premature on that, because we don’t know what we’re going to ask him to do yet. Until we start putting everything together and finding out what those things are, we don’t know what we’re going to ask him to do. So then that affects what we need him to work on and improve on and all those kind of things and specifically what to work on.”
(RB Kenyan Drake has a knack for big plays. Has that worked for him or has that worked against him? In other words does he try to house it too much? We see it, but how does that manifest itself?) – “I hope that mentality is in all of my guys that they want to be out there, they want to make the big play and they have the capability to make a big play. That’s how I want them to approach it. I don’t ever want them to … Unless it’s third-and-1 and we’ll take that 2-yard gain every time. But I want them to think about big plays. I want them to have that potential in them. Obviously, as an offense and a team, if that’s what helps us win, that’s going to put is in a better chance to win. I like that mentality that he has that he feels like he can score whenever he touches the ball.”
(RB Kalen Ballage, did you see enough of him? Obviously, you saw him in practice all year. In games, did you see enough to have a good feel or you just got a little taste of him?) – “I think we all got a little bit and scratched what the potential is. Now the next step is going to be up to him and him establishing a role and whatever that is going forward, and how he can contribute in some kind of what to what we’re doing. But I think he has potential. How much? We have to wait and see. That’s what the future is going to give us.”
(I’m doing a story on black coaches and the ability to climb the ranks. The idea is this that this last round of coaching hires, we saw a lot of offensive-minded coaches and yes they were white, but offensive-minded coaches get jobs. Guys we saw lose jobs were defensive-minded coaches and yes they were black. As an offensive coach, as a black coach, how do you get play-caller, quarterback coach, offensive coordinator roles so that you can be next in line?) – “I don’t know if there’s an easy answer to that question. How I’ve always approached it is I come into work, prepare myself, get ready to go the best I can and whatever opportunity comes up, I’m going to try to prepare myself for that. You can’t control those things. Some of those things aren’t in my hands. Someone has got to say they want you to do this. The only time you’re going to obviously get that opportunity is if you’re ready for that opportunity. I know that’s not a good answer for you, but that’s really what it is, is that when those interviews come up or when somebody wants to talk to you, that you’re ready for those opportunities and that’s the only way you’re really going to get seriously considered for it.”
(I know of a few in colleges – Pep Hamilton, who’s not in college, but Scottie Montgomery, Mike Locksley up at Maryland, Brian Johnson at Florida. There are guys around. I was talking to Troy Vincent yesterday. He was saying there’s guys around, they just need to get those opportunities.) – “Those are the opportunities we’re talking about. Somebody has got to say, ‘I want to talk to Mike Locksley about this offensive coordinator position.’”
(It was something that just really, to me, it really became apparent this last round that … And Troy Vincent was saying that black coaches previously, you felt more comfortable coming up on the defensive side of the ball and that’s what we had with Todd Bowles, Vance Joseph and Steve Wilks, but now it has changed. What owners and GMs are looking for are the passing-game guys.) – “It has always been that way. I think it’s always been that way. Whatever seems to be kind of ‘in.’ For a while, it was … For years it was Bill Walsh’s guys. Then it was Mike Shanahan’s guys. There are trends it seems and now it’s the Sean McVays or whatever that is. It goes in spurts. I don’t know what the answer to it is.”
(I’m just wondering if there are offensive black coaches and Troy Vincent says there are. Troy Vincent says there are.) – “There are.”
(I don’t know how many are in the NFL. The other part is I talked to Kris Richard and Anthony Lynn at the Pro Bowl about this and they were saying I wish you would just say you’re looking for the best leader not the best offensive coach or the best defensive coach and it shouldn’t matter if you’re black or white.) – “I would concur strongly with that sentiment.”
(I thought that was interesting too because while I want to look at it one way, they’re looking at it like don’t consider one side of the ball.) – “But the reality is that that positon is not just offensive anymore. I’m talking about when you become a head coach. You’re over all three phases, so it’s not as easy as just saying, ‘I’m only in charge of one side of the ball.’ I think that’s where the leadership component that maybe they’re referencing comes up. You’re a leader over men no matter what side of the ball they’re on.”
(Give me your thoughts on coming back to the Dolphins. I believe it’s three guys who are back from last year’s staff.) – “I’m excited. I’m glad to be here and find some more time here in South Florida and be a part of this organization and help be a part of what’s going forward here with Coach Flores.”
(Did you have a good relationship with Head Coach Brian Flores?) – “I knew him. I knew him before here; but like all the things that happen in the job world, you know a lot of different people, but it’s different when you’re trying to actually get a job.”
(Where had you and Brian Flores met?) – “I knew him professionally, obviously. We played New England so many times in Denver and then here last year, but obviously Denver and when I was in Buffalo, too. (I) knew of him, respected him and who he was and how he carried himself. We got a chance to know each other a little bit more and spend some time last year at the coaches’ symposium.”
(What are your thoughts about Head Coach Brain Flores from a coaching standpoint?) – “I think the first thing is presence and leadership. Those are the first two things that really jump out at me. Obviously, he’s highly intelligent. I think he’s got a plan to go forward. I think when you sit in front of him, you see somebody that looks like a leader and somebody that can be a leader of men and create a direction that we want to go.”
(What do you feel about the potential of the running backs, especially when you have two young guys RB Kenyan Drake and RB Kalen Ballage?) – “I think there’s potential there. That’s exactly the right word. We have to develop it and figure out how to utilize it in the scheme and where we’re going.”
(The Miami Miracle, did that come up when you were talking to Head Coach Brian Flores?) – “No, I don’t bring that up. It was a great play. That’s one of those plays you enjoy later in life.”
Karl Dorrell – February 15, 2019
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Friday, February 15, 2019
Wide Receivers Coach Karl Dorrell
(How does it feel to be back?) – “It’s awesome. We really enjoyed it here, my family when they were younger, living in this area and working with the Dolphins. We had some really good people we were working with at the time. We had a really good experience, unfortunately we didn’t win as many games as we should’ve won at times, so they made a staff change and I wasn’t able to stay. I had to do the coaching thing, which is continue to work and improve. I really enjoyed it here, so I’m really excited to be back and work with this staff. I think this group of receivers I’m really excited about too. It’s a pleasant opportunity for me to come back to a place that I’ve already been to. (There are) so many familiar faces in the building that are still here and the welcome reception from them. I’m excited.”
(Talk about the time that you’ve been gone and how that experience was.) – “It was good. At the time, my last year here in Miami, I was working with the quarterbacks. Matt Moore was our guy. Chad Henne got hurt and that was a good year for Matt to really get himself supplanted into the league because he ended up playing another four or five years after I was gone from here. I coached receivers the previous three years and had a really good group, a young group. It was kind of an untested, unknown group in Davone Bess and Greg Camarillo and Ted Ginn and those kind of guys. They were real productive for us. It was a great experience. When I left Miami, I went to Houston to be the quarterbacks coach there for a couple of years with Gary Kubiak and his staff there. Since then, that was my last opportunity coaching quarterbacks. I went back to coaching receivers with the Jets for the last four years.”
(Obviously you knew Todd Bowles from here right?) – “Yes, Todd was on the staff here. Kacy Rodgers was on the staff here. So those guys were all together here in Miami that were on the Jets staff too.”
(What are your ties to Head Coach Brian Flores?) – “We’ve just known each other in passing. That’s how the profession is. You meet everybody and it’s kind of a network of coaches. I haven’t really had much contact with him in terms of being in other places other than saying hello and just those type of things. I’ve always felt that people that knew him more intimately than I did, that he was a great coach, great person, a great communicator. Players love playing for him. He definitely has all of those things and those qualities that everybody has said.”
(Stop me if I’m wrong but General Manager Chris Grier was probably a good reference for you as well?) – “Yes, because Chris and I were here my first time here. Chris was, I believe, the director of college scouting at the time. It’s just good to come back to familiar people, people that know your coaching ability, that you’ve had relationships with. Obviously he’s been here for a while and it was fortunate for me to have the opportunity to come back here. To help the organization again was a blessing.”
(You mentioned how excited you are to work with this group. What do you see? I know you haven’t seen a bunch but from the film you’ve watched, what do you see?) – “I see some dynamic players. I’ve got different ranges. I have guys that are 6-foot-2, 6-foot-3, down to guys that are under six feet tall. They all have unique qualities. I’ve studied all of their tape, just getting to know the group over the last season, just watching their reps and things that they’ve done. It’s a dynamic group, so I’m excited to get a chance to help them.”
(Why do you think this place hasn’t been able to figure it our winning-wise? You mentioned that you didn’t win enough in the late 2000s. What’s it going to take to get this thing turned around?) – “We won our first year we got back here with Bill Parcells. Tony Sparono was our head coach and we went 11-5 in our first year (2008), which I think surprised everybody in football that we would have that type of success given what happened the year prior. Then the next few years, we hovered right around the .500 or just under .500 (mark) in terms of win percentage. Sometimes … I think there were some other issues. That’s just how football goes with injuries at positions. We had quarterback injuries. We had Chad Pennington that first year and then he had some injuries over the next year and a half. I think it was … That’s just a matter of what happens in this league. Sometimes you have to be fortunate to keep a good core on your team that stays healthy and always has some longevity and some tenure. I think at that time, we were just getting established with the core, then some of the things started to work in a different way for us in terms of keeping the same guys that are playing. Sometimes guys are in free agency and they get an opportunity to go other places. It’s just a numbers game of not being able to be productive given how you continue to build your team with that core group and keeping it moving forward.”
(It seems to me that the turnover is tough. The consistency … I know people are going to lose their jobs and all of that, but it seems like the turnover makes it hard to make that identity you’re talking about.) – “It helps to keep a good group or core on your team – in terms of players I’m talking about – because that’s your foundation that you build on. Then you try to acquire certain pieces that make the core be elevated. I think that sometimes like that, it’s hard to keep that together. I think that’s the nature of our business, whether it’s the free agency world or whether it’s an injury factor. Those are the things that happen from season to season.”
(What about Brian Flores has impressed you in the time you guys have worked together?) – “I think he’s on top of it. The one thing I like is that he’s on top of all the scenarios we’re doing right now. (with) all of us coming in late after the Super Bowl and trying to get things established in a timely manner. I think he had a nice plan to get that done, both effectively and we were able to hit the ground running. I think he has done a tremendous job so far since he’s been here.”
(Do you have a prototype size wise for receiver?) – “Actually, no. I like the different skill sets. You don’t want them all looking the same and doing the same things. I don’t think that challenges the defense well enough. I think you need different types because they have different attributes. Usually the smaller guys are faster, shiftier and have a lot of lateral quickness and burst and things like that. The bigger guys have range and length and came make these enormous catches and things like that, so it’s good to have a balance of both.”
(When WR Albert Wilson got hurt last year, it changed the entire complexion of the offense.) – “He was pretty dynamic wasn’t he? He’s a very unique player. I’m really excited about him. Unfortunately for him with the injury he’s recovering from … I hear he’s doing a really good job with the recovery process but like you said, you could tell when he was on the field, he had a number of ways to affect the defense and to make the defense really pay attention to where he is and things like that.”
(Have you had a chance to visit with WR Albert Wilson?) – “I had a chance to see him and introduce myself to him, but we don’t have face-to-face time in terms of football and stuff like that.”
(I didn’t know if in your draft process or anything like that have you ever crossed paths with WR Albert Wilson.) – “No. He’s in rehab and doing treatment and things like that. I did introduce myself and we chatted and just did an introductory (chat) for just a few minutes or so, but we can’t do any football or anything like that.”
(WR Albert Wilson is the most confident human being you will ever meet?) – “Really? I hear he is a very quiet but hardworking guy. That’s kind of what his M.O. has been, which I like. I like that. I like guys that in crunch time moments of a game, in a situation where a big play has to be made, guys come up and do those things. That Chicago game was obviously one of those games.”
(I can’t believe there wasn’t a spot for WR Albert Wilson in free agency.) – “That’s probably a factor of free agency, though. They maybe didn’t want to lose him but he saw that this was maybe a better opportunity than there. Who knows? But that’s a good point of he was in a really good program prior to coming here but Kansas City probably feels it’s hard to keep everybody.”
(It worked out pretty well for WR Albert Wilson.) – “I’m happy to have him.”
(Did you ever think you were going to be back here?) – “You never know in this profession. I know that my goal as a coach is to do a great job wherever I go. Hopefully people remember the things that you’ve done and in your past so when things like this happen, it’s a positive process and they think ‘Let’s bring him back.’ I’m excited to be here.”
(I guess that’s why you never burn bridges because you never know.) – “Yeah. And our profession is pretty tight too. All of us coaches know each other in one way, shape or form, so I think that helps. I’m just trying to be productive and be efficient and help people win and things like that. That’s all we can ask to do. I’m excited to be back.”
(Did you know Brian Flores before this process?) – “Just in passing. He was a casual acquaintance. I’m an offensive guy and he hangs with defensive guys. (laughter) But casual acquaintances, yes. I’m excited. I’m excited for him. I’m excited to work for him. From what I’ve seen of him so far these last couple weeks, he’s going to do an excellent job.”
(This is your second stint with the Dolphins. How is that handled by a coach like yourself? Is it different than going to a different team? How is that?) – “It is different than going to a different team. First and foremost, like in this particular case, I walk into the building there are so many familiar faces that you’ve worked with the first time and you’ve had fond memories and associations with. I think that’s helped in terms of a transition aspect of just getting back on your feet again. The other part is that I enjoyed here. This is my first time coming back to a team that I worked with before. I had such a positive experience here the first time that it made that seamless transition to be effortless, really. I love the organization. The people that are here in all of the support areas have been great. They were great to me when I was here the first time. They have obviously welcomed me here with open arms the second time. It’s a great feeling.”
(You’re staying in the AFC East. Is that a competitive advantage? Does that help? Does that not really mean anything at all?) – “There has to be an advantage because you know certain teams in your division. I’d say the advantage is that I’ve worked with the Jets, I’ve worked here and I’ve played against all three of our division opponents many times, so that experience helps from a knowledge standpoint. But it still comes down to playing the game, executing and doing your job effectively and efficiently and putting yourselves in position to win, which our players have to do a great job of doing that. I do think that we have familiarity on this staff about this division, which is going to be helpful. Hopefully that transcends to winning some games.”
(What did you know coming in? Obviously you’re on the other side other side of the ball, so you didn’t scout the Dolphins offense much, but what did you know about the receiver crew that you’re inheriting right now?) – “I tend to … You’re right, I don’t necessarily study the offenses in this league; but whenever we play a game against anybody in the division, when we’re off the field and I’m standing on the sideline, I look at the opposing offenses and what they are doing and how effective some of the players are. I usually kept a pretty good close track of how the game was going and who was being productive and things like that. I think the familiarity of this group I’ve seen when we’ve been off the field, I thought it was a dynamic group. (There are) some guys that can make plays with the ball in their hands and I think they were scary in a lot of respects, and they had a chance to make those types of plays throughout the season. I know we had a couple of guys that got hurt last year a little over the midway point that I think were really good, productive players that they missed toward the end of the season. But now that I’m here and I have a chance to watch their film from the season individually and study them, it’s a pretty exciting group. So I’m excited to get a chance to help them.”
(Anything stick out about that group?) – “The things that stick out to me is that they can make plays once they make the catch. I think that’s a very strong quality in this league. It’s hard to gain yards in the NFL. You have to beat them on scheme, but as you beat them on scheme, how to you extend that scheme to be a big play? I think there are some dynamic players that can do that. I’m excited. I’m excited to get a chance to work with them once we get them here in April.”
(How does it feel to be back in South Florida?) – “It feels like coming home, to be honest with you. My family, they were younger at the time, in middle school and going into high school. They’re now gone and in their 20s, so we’re kind of empty-nesters coming back. But even though they won’t be with us – it’ll just be my wife and I – they’re excited about their experience and us coming back. They had such fond memories of being here. Maybe I’ll get them to visit us more. (laughter) They weren’t too keen on visiting up in New Jersey as much as they are visiting here in South Florida. To make a long story short, they’re excited. I’m excited. It’s good to have some familiar people that I’ve been around still here. It’s been like homecoming to me.”
(How many of those people are still around?) – “It’s in every area, whether it’s our facility engineers to our scouting to our football operations to the head-coaching and executive assistants. Everybody that was here from 2008-11 is still here. It’s good that they were excited for me to be back. I’m excited because I get a chance to work with them again.”
(Can you talk about how you’ve changed from the first time you were here until now? Are you a more season coache? Is there any advice or anything notable that you bring back that is different.) – “Hopefully those years I’ve had since being here, I’ve gained some knowledge and experience about things that pertain to developing players. I’m a big teacher, that’s first and foremost. My style is being a great teacher of fundamentals and technique. I think that’s big with Brian Flores too. You’re going to teach a tough, hard-nosed team that is fundamentally sound and do all of the things required to be successful. I think those are the things that I’ll continue to bridge and bring forth more information than I had the last time I was here. The second thing was I was young enough back then to demonstrate a few things here and there. (laughter) I don’t demonstrate so much anymore. I have film to back that up. (laughter) But I think it really hasn’t changed. Hopefully those years you’ve gained more experience, you’ve gained more knowledge, to help guys develop faster. That’s the key in the NFL nowadays. Sometimes you’re developing guys that are young players. There are a lot of juniors that are entering into the draft for example, and they’ve only played two or three years of college, but they’re talented and you’ve got to bring that talent forward. How fast can you bring that talent forward to an NFL system? Those transitions I think are really important, and you have to have a plan to doing that so they can be productive early. Those are the tricks of the trade you have to learn a little bit better and a little bit faster.”
(Did you have a prior connection to Brian Flores before?) – “Just a casual acquaintance. We would meet at the Combine and things like that. I’ve always heard great things about him and I’m excited to work with him.”
Jerry Schuplinski – February 15, 2019
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Friday, February 15, 2019
Assistant Quarterbacks Coach Jerry Schuplinski
(Tell us about your experience last year coming from New England to the Dolphins, about the Super Bowl, and those high expectations you had last year with your team and now coming to a new experience here in Miami.) – “It’s exciting. I would say first of all, I’m very thankful for the opportunity with the organization. I’m really honored to work with (General Manager) Chris (Grier) and with ‘Flo’ (Head Coach Brian Flores), so that’s awesome. My family and I are really excited. (I) had a great experience in New England all six years. I learned from some great people, worked with some great people, learned from some of the best, I think. I’m very appreciative of that and it was just a great opportunity here and a good time to move on and be a part of this.”
(What excites you about this opportunity?) – “I’d say the first thing that excites me is the people that I’m working with to be honest with you. I’m excited to work with them. I’m excited to move down here to the weather. That’s pretty cool. I’d say just the organization itself. It has a lot of good history in it. I’m partial. Don Shula is a John Carroll (University) guy, like myself. I haven’t met him yet, obviously. (This organization’s) got great history. It will be an opportunity to hopefully try to build something.”
(What can you draw from your experiences in New England that might help you with the youthfulness at the position of quarterback coming to Miami?) – “I’d say a big part of what my responsibilities were there was to work with a young quarterback. We were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to draft some guys and work with some guys and groom them and teach them our system. I feel that’s an area that I feel pretty confident in. However we do it, I think we’re still working out a lot of kinks with our offense and what we’re going to do and how we’re going to do it. We’re still evaluating a lot of things,; but whoever it is, whether it’s a guy who’s been here or somebody else, we’ve got a lot of quarterbacks that we’ll all work with them and try to get them better.”
(How do you narrow down what you like to do as an offense in terms of different philosophies, different schemes? Do you really have to wait and evaluate your talent on a roster to match your schemes? How do you go about that process?) – “I think that’s a big part of it. I think you have to have at least a base plan to start and then you modify it accordingly based on the talent that you have and that’s available to you. I think you start with your own roster evaluation here, (and then) obviously you have draft guys. There are some pieces that are going to be moving and fluctuating, as they will during the season, too. It’s kind of hard but you have a base plan, a base idea, of how you call things, a terminology, how you identify things and then you grow from there once your team starts to piece together.”
(How have the last couple of weeks been for you?) – “It’s been awesome. It’s been really cool. I’m very thankful for the opportunity I had there (in New England) and very glad to be a part of what we did there recently. But like anything, it’s time to move on and that happened pretty quick after that. It’s been a bit of a whirlwind, but really fun.”
(What was appealing to you about this job here?) – “I was just saying before, the people I’m working with I think is the most appealing. I don’t know (General Manager) Chris (Grier). I didn’t know him until I really got down here. I’ve heard some really good things about him. Obviously, working with (Head Coach) Brian (Flores) before, he’s a guy I really respect. And then the guys on our staff too, the offense and even the defense, I know some of these guys. There is some familiarity there. I’d say just in terms of the organization, it’s got good history. There is some great stuff they’ve done here in the past and I’m looking forward to whatever our part is going forward here.”
(I asked Offensive Coordinator Chad O’Shea this a little bit at the Super Bowl and want to get your opinion on it. The qualities in a quarterback that are important to you, what are the top two or three things a quarterback has got to do?) – “I’d say sometimes you’ve got to be careful, because it’s hard to pigeonhole yourself into one thing. I’d say in general as a team and at this position too, we’re looking for tough, smart, can handle a lot of things, dependable. You want a guy who can play under pressure, perform under pressure when we need him the most. That goes for all positions but that’s quarterback, too.”
(QB Tom Brady is a lot of things but mobile isn’t one of them. Is mobility something in the NFL that’s more ‘en vogue’ or do you think that a pocket passer is still the way?) – “I don’t know. I don’t have a feeling one way or the other in terms of you need this, you need mobility or you need a pocket guy. I just think you need a guy who can function well in your system. Guys who are pocket passers, or have the term pocket passers, that can step up and elude rushes and navigate the pocket, they don’t have to be guys that take off down the field, those are fine. If you have a guy that’s mobile and can break the pocket, that’s always a good thing, too. It just kind of varies.”
(I’d imagine you haven’t had a chance to visit too much with the players, because of the non-contact period, but have you had a chance to see much of them on tape yet?) – “We’re kind of working through that right now. I’d be lying if I said I’ve watched every single guy and gone through everything. We’re kind of in the mix of getting our terminology down and getting familiar with each other as a coaching staff. We’re kind of going through that process right now.”
(Do you think Offensive Coordinator Chad O’Shea is going to want to run things, I don’t want to say similar, but the same philosophy as New England or do you think he’s going to be completely his own guy?) – “I’d say that’s where most of his experience is, so I’m sure that’s probably where he’s going to draw from the most. But I’m sure there are some unique things he’ll want to bring too. A little bit of both I would say.”
Marion Hobby – February 15, 2019
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Friday, February 15, 2019
Defensive Line Coach Marion Hobby
(How has the transition been so far?) – “I’m trying to get settled in. I’m excited about it.”
(Have you been in this part of the nation before, coaching or just living or anything?) – “I’ve been down here a few times just vacationing and recruiting in this area, but not really ever lived in this part.”
(I wanted to ask you about rebuilding this defensive line, if it needs to be rebuilt. I’m making an assumption that some guys might not be back but how do you view the defensive line right now? Do you know generally who might be back?) – “Not this early with who’s going to be back. Of course, being a defensive line coach, you kind of pay attention to where some of the guys are, so you’re familiar with them and how they played at times. It’s a little too early in the process of evaluating what role they’re going to play.”
(What are you going to be looking for as far as 3-4, 4-3, versatility, guys who are multiple?) – “Guys who are multiple. We always talk about we want guys who give you great effort in the classroom and on the field. Those guys have to be open-minded to doing different things and probably being multiple than anything.”
(As far as your defensive ends, what do you look for?) – “I like good ones. (laughter) You always want those guys that are going to show some natural toughness. That position just requires toughness. Everybody thinks it’s just about agility and speed but those guys have to have some toughness. They have to be willing to play stout at the line of scrimmage and play the run as well as the pass, and being very versatility in their approach too, being just as important stopping the run as they are in the pass world as well.”
(Do you have any idea about rotating players in? Do you have an idea of what you might need in general?) – “No. You always want to be in a situation where you have your best players on the field in certain situations. Hopefully you can get one and two deep where you can get guys where you can stay fresh the whole game. A good defensive lineman, we want to wear down the opposing team over time. Sometimes that guy who plays behind me is just as important as the guy who runs out there first, so building some depth there is big-time important.”
(The defensive line’s role, has it changed over the years? We know the offense – the rules, as far as you can’t hit the quarterback or unprotected receiver – has that upped the importance of the defensive line or pass rushers?) – “I think it’s a combination. It’s kind of like in the early downs, we want to be able to rush the passer two snaps in a row, and that comes with playing physical on first down and second down to get them in those passing situations as well as dictating the game, as far as the score and all those things pay a dividend in that. I don’t think the role has changed much. I think it’s just more of a fact of it’s just different philosophies that each team has. Some teams play pass to run and some people play run to pass. In order to rush the passer – and every d-lineman wants to rush the passer – you have to work hard on those early downs to force them to throw the football.”
(How did you end up here with Brian Flores?) – “You were kind of hearing the rumors of who might be getting jobs and this, that and the other, but you just kind of start getting your feelers and who knows who. Can you talk to him and put my name in his ear? I knew he was very busy with the Super Bowl, but it really just came down to being very fortunate.”
(Being very fortunate because you and Brian Flores knew mutual people?) – “More or less, we knew mutual people. I knew a lot of mutual people, guys who probably worked with him before and current guys who had worked with him. (It was) more or less from that.”
(What is that first contact with Brian Flores like? Do you exchange philosophies? What do you do when you first talk to each other?) – “You listen. (laughter) You do a good job of listening because before you can sell yourself, you’d better find out what they’re looking for. So, you do a good job of listening. It was a positive conversation. You do a good job of listening because I think when you get a chance to be around Brian, he’s direct with what he wants and what his vision is, and you just hope that they match.”
(Brian Flores seems like a very direct guy. He seems like he has a presence and he doesn’t seem like he’s one for mincing words. Is that kind of square with what you see in him?) – “I think he makes it clear of what he’s looking forward. He wants to build that winning culture, the cultural belief. Everybody in the building is very important to him and how you treat people. He was interested in hiring great people and that was a compliment to get a call knowing that’s what he’s looking for. He makes it clear of what he wants.”
(I guess that’s what you would want, right?) – “Exactly. It’s exactly what you’re looking for. Especially coming into this situation, you definitely want to know where you stand and being on the same page.”
(What excited you most when you got the call about this opportunity with the Dolphins?) – “I guess it’s the new opportunity that faces itself, a new head coach (Brian Flores) coming in and knowing the success that he’s had being in New England and being a coordinator. It’s somebody you can grow from and learn from. Then, Miami, it speaks for itself. This has always been a tough place to play. (It has) definitely been a tough place to win. All of those situations kind of add in and the history of this franchise and where it’s been and being a part of something like that is always important.”
(Have you been able to take a peek at some of the guys that are on the roster, especially the young guys on the defensive line and your assessment of what they can provide?) – “One thing I think you think of is those guys are aggressive. I think they have some right body types that you like. Guys play at the line of scrimmage. They play tough football. You kind of know as a d-line coach, you kind of know where the d-linemen are. We say this all the time in the NFL, you take your summers and you take a little time and say ‘I want to go look at this guy and see how he progressed from college,’ or ‘This guy has been playing in football for a long time, I’ll study him a little bit and what he’s doing.’ Because you look at his success in the past and you want to grow as a coach too, so you kind of take looks at different people.”
(Is it good for you coming from such a program that’s been so successful in Clemson not so long ago and having that in your mind to be able to take a look at young guys that are coming out, guys that you’ve either played against, prepared for or coached at that level?) – “Yes. A lot of times there are a lot of guys you tried to recruit. Some you got, some you didn’t, but to know these guys are progressing … That brings you back to that “We’ll see how he’s playing. How is he progressing? Was I right on this guy coming out of school?’ (laughter) It’s funny. You come into a meeting room and you see a guy that you really tried to recruit and you go ‘Hey, I finally got you.’ They might have chosen somewhere else, but to see how they progressed and stuff like that is always good.”
(I think it’s pretty obvious that you know how to spot a good player. What are some things that go into your philosophy of looking for guys like this, especially at a team like this where there’s going to be a lot of defensive linemen that are coming in, in the next draft or so?) – “One thing, and it’s always hard to do, is judge what kind of character they are. What kind of character do they have? What kind of self-discipline do they have? Mental toughness is probably one of the things and what people around them say about them. Then, you break into the person, because you probably already have seen tape. You’ve identified this guy has big-time talent, but has he reached that talent level and does he still have room to grow? Then, it’s whether he’s ready to grow. Everybody has their own different trait, as you would say. Mike Williams comes from a really small school and getting to know Mike and seeing him play basketball was probably the one thing that reassured you to say, ‘This kid right here, I think he has a chance to be special,’ because you didn’t really see a lot of it just on the football field. Then spending time, getting the guys to camp, being around them and that kind of thing, all of that stuff is important.”
(How did you get in touch with Coach Flores and General Manager Chris Grier to end up working here? How did you know those guys and how long had you guys been in touch with each other?) – “Just kind of this business, it’s who’s working with them. The rumor starts to get out that he has a chance at the Dolphins job. Did you start reaching out to your people to say ‘Who knows him? Can anybody put my name in with him?’ But under the rules and stuff, you can’t have conversations. I’ve known Chris for a while, but his hands were tied. You really just kind of try to maneuver in a position that hopefully he’ll pick up the phone and draw interest in you.”
(So you knew Chris Grier for some time before this?) – “I knew his dad. His dad coached me when I was at the Patriots back in the day – Bobby Grier. I was a defensive lineman and he was the running backs coach back then. So, I knew Chris from then. He was a little younger, but I just kind of knew him from there. Like I said, his hands were a little tied too.”
(How do you think Chris Grier is going to try to go about his job?) – “If you know anything about him, he’s a coach’s son, born and raised in this business. I think his eye for talent, as you can see since he’s been here, has grown. In his days (as a scout), he did come through Clemson and what he was looking for in players always stood out. When he got you in the office, he wanted to know the same thing – what about his character? Is this guy a flat-line guy? Does this guy have intensity? Will he grow? All those things there.”
Chad O’Shea – February 15, 2019
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Friday, February 15, 2019
Offensive Coordinator Chad O’Shea
(Conceptually, what is your vision for an NFL offense in terms of strategy? I know you come from the Patriots system where you guys were pretty multiple in terms of what you were doing, but how do you create that? How do you create that as an offense conceptually?) – “I think that you have a foundation and some core beliefs that you have offensively, but I think the key is to do what your players do well. It’s our job as a coaching staff to identify what are the skillsets of the players and how can we utilize that skillsets to be a productive offense. That’s why we don’t talk about specific scheme. We talk about being multiple. We talk about being able to adjust. That’s a word that definitely is an important part of our offense is the ability for the coaches to adjust in the way we think as far as our scheme, and our players to be able to adjust and might be able to adjust weekly depending on what we need to do to win the game.”
(You guys – meaning the Patriots – had the benefit of having QB Tom Brady who had been there, I think, 18 years in the same offense. Obviously, that allows you to build off that offense and build off the quarterback. How do you do that with a younger quarterback or a new quarterback or a rookie quarterback?) – “I think that there are challenges that are built in any time you start a new offense, regardless of what position might’ve been a strength in previous offenses. I think that there are challenges, but I also see those challenges as being very rewarding. I think that the quarterback position is obviously only one position on the offense and there’s a lot of positions that really go into the planning, go into the philosophy of the offense and ultimately what you want to be. It’s definitely a process. Obviously we have a new staff here that is going to familiarize ourselves with our current personnel, and we’re currently in the process of trying to still learn our personnel as well as learn the personnel that’s available in the draft process and free agency. At the same time, we’re putting together our core playbook and some of our ideas that we’ve had from different places as we merge them to build what we’re going to call our own offense.”
(You talked about looking at your personnel of this team. Obviously, when you were coaching with the Patriots, you were watching the defense; but now that you’ve been able to look at the offense, what do you see in terms of what’s here that you feel like you can build on?) – “The first thing I’ll say is that although being in New England, we were concentrating – because I was an offensive coach obviously on the defensive personnel for Miami – it’s hard to not recognize being a competitor and being in the division those players offensively that we have looked at just by being in the division. So, I definitely had some familiarity with those guys. I have a lot of respect for them for what they’ve accomplished. We’re still in the process of that right now. Obviously, we haven’t been here very long together as a staff. We’re still in the process of our evaluation of those players. I’m very excited. It’s an exciting part of the process to identify who are your guys you’re going to be working with, because ultimately what’s most important is how we utilize the players that are here. The most important players are the ones in our building right now.”
(What are your thoughts on QB Ryan Tannehill – you’ve obviously played him for seven years – in terms of what he can do, strengths and things he needs to improve on if he’s going to be here?) – “I have a tremendous amount of respect for Ryan. Obviously, because we’ve been in the division, we’ve had the opportunity to have exposure to him and I’ve always had a lot of respect for his competitiveness. As it is with our entire roster right now, we’re just trying to do a lot of catch up to try to look at the personnel at all positions and really identify … Again, there’s a lot of strengths on this offense. But I definitely have had a tremendous amount of respect for Ryan and what he’s done competitively within the division.”
(Outside of the competitiveness, what traits does QB Ryan Tannehill do or have that you say, ‘This is something I can build on?’) – “I don’t want to get into specific traits, weaknesses or strengths. I think, again, this is an ongoing process. Ryan has been somebody that has been a problem for us defensively at New England because of his athleticism and being able to be somebody that can not only throw the ball but be able to extend plays. And I’m speaking for somebody that’s been on the other side of this that’s had to compete against him, there’s definitely some traits that he has that are unique that maybe the next guy doesn’t have. I would say that he’s one that we always had a lot of respect for when we played him defensively at New England.”
(Speaking generally about quarterbacks, moving forward what do you envision a ‘Chad O’Shea quarterback’ looking like?) – “I think the most important thing in our quarterback moving forward here, whoever that is, is that we want great traits in that player. The intangibles are most important to us. Obviously, leadership is very important – work ethic. Some of the traits that we’ve identified and we’ve done this as a staff here this week is to try to identify traits in each position that we want to be proud of as a Dolphins player on offense. I think that the quarterback position is a unique position because there’s a lot of pressure that goes on with that positon and he has to be your greatest ambassador on your football team. He carries the message that you want to have offensively. He obviously carries the ball with him as far as on every down. The intangibles to us on offense at that position are important as they are other positons. We try to identity what characteristics are most important to each positon moving forward here and I think it starts with the traits of the players.”
(I know there’s been discussion about completion percentage, which is something which you value. Would you put that high on your list of things you want in a quarterback? Anything else high on your list?) – “I think that there’s a lot of things that you want in a quarterback, one of which is accuracy. Obviously, there’s a lot of things that go into accuracy, and I’d say it’s not just the quarterback. It’s the guys around him. It takes all 11 to be an accurate quarterback. I strongly believe that it takes great protection, it takes the receivers to be dependable and detailed and disciplined in the pass game to allow a quarterback to be accurate. I think sometimes the accuracy gets put just on the quarterback, but I think that it’s something that takes contributions from all positons to allow a quarterback to be accurate.”
(One of the things that Head Coach Brian Flores really believes in is changing what you do week to week based on the opponent. Is that a philosophy you share?) – “It absolutely is. Brian and I share a lot of the same philosophies, one of which is being very team-oriented. But offensively, our vision is to do whatever is required to be successful that week. We absolutely want to have a core set of things that we do well, but we’re also going to have the ability to adjust on a weekly basis. I think it’s important for the coaching staff to have the mindset that we need to be able to adjust and our players also need to adjust. That’s an important part of the offense is the ability to be multiple, to not be a specific scheme. But again, it goes back to we’re going to do what the players do well and what are their strengths? We always identify what they can do, not what they cannot do, and game plan or set up our offense according to that.”
(Do you believe it’s more demanding on the players? It requires more from them from a cerebral standpoint, perhaps?) – “I think when you have a multiple offense, it does require the players to spend extra time in preparation; but in the end, we’re doing what’s best for the players and we’re doing, most importantly, what’s best for the team. I think the players in the past, when we’ve been in a multiple offense, have always embraced that challenge, because in the end, they know that we’re trying as a coaching staff to do what’s best and put them in the best position to not only succeed individually, but most importantly, our vision is to succeed as a team.”
(I know Owner Stephen Ross has spoken about rebuilding, which typically means a younger roster. Have you and Brian Flores discussed WR Danny Amendola and whether you want him here because obviously you value him, but he’s an older player and you’re a team that’s going to go younger. Do you all know yet do you want him on the roster?) – “We’re definitely still in the process of the evaluation of our own team. Obviously now we’re in the evaluation of other free agents and now the college draft. I know that we’ve worked extremely hard where it’s an exciting part of the process here is to identify those players. Danny is one of the players that’s currently on our team that I have familiarity with. Danny has been a tremendous player for us in the past. I know he means a lot to a lot of people on this team and in the organization and one of which we hold in very high regard. But we’re still in the process of evaluating the entire roster and seeing what’s best for the Miami Dolphins.”
(Are there any players on your roster skill position-wise you’ve seen enough to even speak generally of beyond WR Danny Amendola obviously – among WR Albert Wilson or WR Jakeem Grant or TE Mike Gesicki or RB Kenyan Drake?) – “Again, we’ve invested a lot of time. The first thing we did is prior to any planning of scheme and what we’re going to be offensively, it was most important to identify what we’re working with. We spent a tremendous amount of time here this week and really evaluating our roster, especially the coaches that are not familiar with those guys (and) working with them. Obviously, we’ve had a lot of exposure … I’ve had exposure to them in the division and seeing them from afar and really had a lot of respect. I would say as a group, it’s a very exciting group for me looking at it and for our coaching staff, because there’s a lot of things these guys do very well. Not to talk in specifics, but I see the strengths of this group and I see there’s going to be a lot of things that we’ll be able to utilize and take advantage of what they do well and really put it a part of the offense to try to help us win.”
(With WR Albert Wilson, I know one of the things Adam Gase did was he was able to maximize his abilities by using him in the running game, all different ways. Do you hope to do likewise?) – “I think with the players, our philosophy on the players is we’re going to use every strength they have and utilize those. I know a lot of the players we’ve identified, speaking of the skill positions, have done a good job in a lot of areas. I think that that’s our job and that’s our responsibility as a coaching staff is to really identify those strengths and put that into action by what we ask them to do.”
(Talk about how much you’ll be bringing what you’ve learned over the past few years here and implementing that, because obviously what you’ve done in the past has worked very successfully.) – “I think there’s a lot of experience on this offensive coaching staff and there’s a lot of expertise. We have a veteran coaching staff offensively. I think we’ve all had things we’ve done in the past that we think can be successful moving forward. What we’ve done here recently is try to merge those ideas and have everybody’s philosophies come together. Certainly what we did in New England, we were fortunate to have a lot of success and we were fortunate to have really good players within that scheme, and there are certainly some things from New England that will show up here as part of our offense. And there are things that are going to show up from some of our other coaches that have been other places, that are also going to show up as part of this. I think of this as a collaborative effort. I think that you’re going to see an offense that is going to be multiple, an offense that’s built on the things we covet so much, and that’s being able to play team football and to be able to be fundamentally sound and do all those things right before we can do anything else.”
(You are going to have the opportunity to become a first-time offensive coordinator, first-time play caller. What is that challenge like and what do you think you’ve done throughout your career that has prepared you for that?) – “I think that there’s challenges that every job has regardless of the role. Certainly, there’s going to be challenges in our first year as a staff of working together and putting an offense together. I’m really going to rely on a very talented coaching staff around me. We have (Assistant Head Coach/Quarterbacks) Coach (Jim) Caldwell who has done such a good job in a leadership position and I’m so excited to work with him and I’m so excited to work with the staff. I think some of the challenges that are built into being a first-year coordinator or first-year play caller, I’ll really benefit by having such talented people around me on the offensive staff.”
(What was it about Head Coach Brian Flores that made you say, “I want to leave what I have in New England to join him here in Miami?” I know you guys are friends and there are stories about you running stairs together. Where did that bond and kinship come from?) – “I believe in Brian as a leader. I think that what he believes and what I believe are aligned the same. His core beliefs and what he sees in a football team and what he sees in people are very similar to what I believe. It starts off with we’re aligned in that area. I have a great deal of respect for him a leader, as a coach. More importantly, I have a great deal of respect for him as a person. I have full confidence in his ability to lead the Miami Dolphins. I’m so excited to work for Brian and work with the coaching staff that he has assembled.”
(You worked with one of, if not the greatest, quarterback of all time. With the quarterback situation here in Miami up in the air and you as a first-time coordinator, what is your vision for your quarterback for the next year? What is your ideal that you want your quarterback to accomplish under your offense?) – “I think that we speak of the quarterback positon, but we’re really going to emphasize all 11 (players) on this. For the quarterback to be successful, it’s going to require those other guys to do their job. We’re going to talk a lot about individual accountability and that each person can only do their job and they can’t do the next guy’s job. The quarterback is one part of this. He’s a big part of it, because he’s obviously somebody that has a lot to do with your success or failures of the offense. We’re going to do the best job we can to support our quarterback with our players, with our scheme. I think that, again, it takes all 11. It’s not just solely the quarterback. We’ve definitely gone through the process of identifying what we need as far as the strengths, the weaknesses of what we currently have. I know that I see a lot of strengths. There’s a lot to work with on this team and I look forward to the whole process.”
(With what you’ve seen from QB Ryan Tannehill over the past few years playing him multiple times, is he a quarterback that you can work with and maybe mold him into the quarterback that we all…?) – “Again, I’m going to say we’re going through the process and the process is not complete. I think that there’s definitely … We’re still in the process of evaluating a lot of things. I know the quarterback positon is one that is very important to us and I understand why you would ask the question and it’s a great question; but I’m going to say that we’re still in the process of really … We have a lot going on. We have the playbook (and) evaluation of our own team. We’re still in the process of all that.”
(We heard a little bit about your role with the red zone with the Patriots. What exactly were you able to do in that scheme and what were you able to learn from that role?) – “I think that one of the things that as a staff we’re going to ask people to have different responsibilities, different coaches to have different responsibilities on the staff. I have been responsible for things in the past, one of which was red zone. We’re going to break the staff up different ways. We’re still in the process of doing that. We’ve been able to have success in the past in a lot of areas in New England, and a lot of it had to do with the players that were out there doing their job and really embracing the ability to have to adjust every week on specific schemes and those things.”
(We saw you guys were effective using the backs in New England. I guess the whole staff, but you as a whole, is that something that you hope to do?) – “I think the back is an important part of the offense. I think that the receivers … I think that the skill positon, obviously, is something that is an important part, but the backs in particular. I think it’s something that you look at the Dolphins roster right now (and) it’s exciting to look at the backs. Competitively playing against those backs in New England that are in Miami now, it’s been a group that has a lot of strengths and I can’t wait to work with them.”
(Miami Miracle, I guess that crosses your mind?) – “That’s right, for sure. Obviously, it’s hard to … I’ll never forget that one. I know this, I’m glad I’m here now; but that wasn’t a very enjoyable way to lose, for sure.”
Jim Caldwell – February 15, 2019
Friday, February 15, 2019
Assistant Head Coach/Quarterbacks Jim Caldwell
(Can you start with your history with Head Coach Brian Flores and how you met?) – “I think one of the things about the National Football League, it’s an interesting place because of the fact that first you get introduced to a person by the work that he does. I can tell you without question, just watching Coach Flores when he was with New England, they always did a heck of a job in terms of preparation for you. You knew you were going to have your hands full. There were very few teams that could adapt and adjust as well as they would adapt and adjust. Also, they did a great job of always taking away your number one option and sometimes your number one and your second option. So, that was my first introduction to him. Obviously, we always were familiar with the staff – who was on the staff, who were in positions to make decisions. Throughout the league, you do a fairly good job of getting to know them from that standpoint. From a personal level, he and I had phone conversations, particularly when he started to get involved in some of the head-coaching searches and things of that nature, so we’ve had several conversations along the way (and) got to know one another through that as well.”
(How did you use the off year for you from Detroit to here now?) – “It was interesting. It was the first year that I had off in 41 years. It’s always been kind of my routine to get up early in the morning, come into the office and work until late. Last year gave me a chance to do some things I haven’t done before. I’ve been married to my wife for 41 years, so I saw her a little bit more often. I don’t know if she was happy about that. (laughter) Nevertheless, we spent some time together, traveled. I have three grandsons and four children, so I saw them a little more often, and fortunately my parents are still alive so I had a chance to go up and see my parents and my in-laws. My parents are both 85. I went to Israel, went to Singapore, did some consulting. I did a little bit of everything. I stayed busy. I did some consulting on the pro level and on the college level as well. It was a fun year, but I’m glad I’m back to work, to be honest with you.”
(In Miami you have a first-time head coach, first-time coordinators on the offense and defense and you’re someone who brings a lot of experience to the coaching staff. Can you describe your role in terms of what you can offer, especially Brian Flores, in terms of your experience and helping him along as he kind of gets his footing?) – “First of all, he doesn’t need much help in that regard. He is excellent. He’s a guy that has great vision and foresight. Really, what I’m here for is I’m just here to help him do whatever he asks me to do. We have some very capable coaches. I know when you’re referring to experience, you’re probably talking about age as well. (laughter) Nevertheless, that’s a kind way of saying it. Pat Flaherty has been around a bit as well. There’s been a number of these guys. Even though they may be somewhat youthful as you look at it in terms of the experience as coordinators, they’ve had coordinating abilities for years. They’re very sharp guys, very bright, and my job is just to serve, just to help wherever I can.”
(You’ve had a lot of success in your career working with quarterbacks. Do you have a philosophy or particular tenets that you place on a quarterback of ‘This is what I would like to see out of you?’) – “I think that number one, the head coach really sets those standards. The quarterback has to be a person that kind of fits his vision of how he wants the offense run. Coach Flores is obviously shaping that for us, and then (Offensive Coordinator) Chad (O’Shea), as the coordinator, is also shaping that for us, so we’re kind of working our way through those little details and things of that nature. Certainly, we have an idea. Certainly, Chad has an idea and certainly, Brian has an idea, so we’re putting all of that together at this point in time.”
(What did you see in your first time as head coach come across your desk that you hadn’t seen before that surprised you about the job?) – “I’d have to go back to college for me because I was a head coach in college first. I was a head coach for eight years at Wake Forest. Most of you guys are probably too young to remember that. (laughter) It’s just the demands on your time in terms of being able to balance free agency with your current players with preparing for so many different segments, and then dealing with all of the public demands that are on you – speaking engagements, meeting with alumni, things of that nature. That more than anything else. Other than that, there weren’t any great surprises. If you’ve been around football as long as the guys that are here on this staff have been around, there are not too many things that are going to shock you.”
(You had a lot at the college level and I guess a little bit in the pros, but what are maybe the difficulties of grooming a young quarterback or a rookie quarterback versus a veteran?) – “I think overall, it’s just like any position, not just that particular position. It’s getting them accustomed to what to expect in this league. Whether he’s been in this league for one or two years, whether he’s brand new or whether he’s been in this league for five or six, depending upon if your system changes, it’s just kind of indoctrinating him on what to expect within the system that he’s involved with at this particular time. For the great majority of it, it’s just how quickly they can catch on, how quickly they can translate. It’s like learning a different language and how quickly they can translate that.”
(Nowadays, we see more of a college scheme kind of integrated in an NFL scheme. How much of that have you tried to adopt and has it changed your thought process of not only that position but offense as a whole?) – “I think overall, just league-wide, the league goes through trends. When Vince Young came in the league, obviously he brought a little different dimension. When Michael Vick came to the league, he brought a little different dimension. But when you think back, Randall Cunningham did the same during his day. Steve Young was a guy that moved around quite a bit. Pro football has always had sort of an interesting exchange with college football and vice versa. When I was in college, I studied the pros to get a good look at what they were doing if there was something different. In the pros, which is unique, when you look at college, because we get a chance to see them through tape and evaluations, every once in a while some particularly interesting plays pop up. As you’ve seen, a couple plays of late some of the teams have used, the college trick plays and things of that nature (have come to the NFL). I think we all sort of use one another as a great resource.”
(Looking at this team, the way it’s constructed now, what are the challenges if you’re looking to kind of change the culture of this team compared to the previous administration that was here?) – “First of all, I don’t like doing comparisons in that regard. Secondly, that’s not my position. Coach Flores will give you that. He sets the tone for us in those areas in terms of culture building and things of that nature and we follow his lead. He has great vision, great foresight and he’ll do a good job getting us headed in the right direction.”
(What’s the biggest change for you personally coming to South Florida? How has it been for you?) – “In coaching, we adapt. I’m not certain exactly how many jobs that I’ve had, but it’s the fifth one in this league. In terms of years, it’s my 42nd year. There’s not a whole lot that we haven’t had an opportunity to experience. It’s still fun, it’s still exciting. I’m looking forward to it. Every year is a great challenge and I’m looking forward to everything that I can do to help this team to get them into a position to win games consistently, whatever that is.”
(When you think back on your history in this league, what stands out in terms of anything you’ve experience in Miami? Was it the Super Bowl?) – “Here, yes, absolutely. As a matter of fact, down in this area, when I was in college at Penn State, we came to the Blockbuster Bowl twice, so we were in Fort Lauderdale. We had a chance to play Florida State one year and Stanford the other year. Also down this way, we came here for the 2006 Super Bowl. We were here at this facility actually with the Colts and then also in 2009. One ended up great, the other one not so great. Nevertheless, they were both great experiences for us and our families here in this region.”
(I can’t help but notice that at the top of this organization, there is a lot of minority coaches with Head Coach Brian Flores and General Manager Chris Grier at the top, and you and Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham. What do you take that as, particularly in this league, where that isn’t always the case?) – “I think what Brian and Chris have done is they’ve taken a look and see who the best possible candidates (are). I don’t think they look at color or anything of that nature, and they made the decisions based upon that. I think throughout the league, except for obviously the last year in terms of the hiring cycle – there were very few minorities – but when you look at the teams, there are always a lot of assistant coaches that are in prominent positions. Perhaps not as many coordinators as there have been in the past, and I think you’ll see that change. There’s a lot of bright, young guys that are coming up through the ranks. I think first and foremost, what they do is they look to see who is the best fit for this particular team, who can do the best job and I think they did that regardless of color, which is great.”
(What’s it been like when Brian Flores gets his staff together in terms of his leadership with the other coaches, his ability to connect with people? What have you observed so far?) – “It’s natural for him. He’s been leading men for a long time. I don’t think there’s any difference in terms of his staff. Whether he’s standing in front of the entire defense when he was in New England or whether he’s standing in front of us in terms of our staff meeting room, it’s really the same dynamic. He has those special qualities in terms of leadership, focus and vision. He’s a great communicator and I think those things go hand-in-hand and they travel.”
(Going back to when Brian Flores first touched based with you, what was your reaction? Was it a surprise in any way or was it sort of like ‘Yeah, this makes sense’?) – “We had previous discussions about the league in general, preparation for interviews and things of that nature. This was long before this opportunity came up. He had asked me at one point in time, he said ‘If I get something and you’re not in football at the time, would you consider it?’ That’s kind of how he stated it. I told him ‘Yeah, I would consider it.’ Fortunately, it worked out. I’m here and I’m in a position to serve, which I’m happy about.”
(Best advice you gave him for the interviews was what?) – “Not really advice, just kind of giving him an idea of what goes on in the process. At that time, I had gone through several (interviews). It was just kind of a process. He had most of the things already in place and had figured all the stuff out that he needed to figure out. I think he was just using me as a basic resource to bounce some things off.”
(You want to be a head coach again, I assume? Most people do.) – “That’s not my goal and aim. My goal and aim is to help this team win and win consistently. That’s all I’m focused on. I’m not looking at anything else. I’ve been around the block a little bit.”
(Did you have anybody in your role when you were head coach? You were asked before what your role is, you said whatever they tell you do to, but you can do a lot of different things.) – “Yeah, I did have a couple guys on my staff at Indy, if we’re talking about the pros. Ron Turner had been a head coach before. He was on my staff. Howard Mudd and Tom Moore had been around a long time. They had seen it all. Tom was on the great teams on Pittsburgh’s staff. Howard played in the league and had been coaching for 41 years by the time I got there. Those guys added a lot in terms of just the knowledge and expertise and background. When I went to Detroit, there were a couple of guys. Ron Prince had been a head coach before. He certainly had an idea of what it takes. We had a number of guys on that staff that had been on winning teams and been on Super Bowl teams and things of that nature. It’s a collaborative effort and we try to utilize every bit of intellectual property that we have on the staff.”
(Obviously, you have QB Jake Rudock in your quarterback room again. What skills do you like about him? What did he show you in your time together previously?) – “I had Jake early. We had Jake really early. Jake is one of those guys that I think improves and improves daily. He works extremely hard. He’s smart. I’m excited about seeing him now. It’s been a year since I’ve seen him. George Godsey had him last year. You might want to talk to George about him because he most recently had him, but I would expect the same kind of determination that he’s always had. He’s been one of those guys that loves the game and is really fun to coach.”
(From a skillset standpoint, what does QB Jake Rudock do well? What did you notice just when you brought him in from the Big Ten?) – “He has the things that you look for. Obviously, the intelligence portion of it. Everything else is kind of like a work in progress just in terms of improvement. This league requires pretty special guys to play that particular positon, and Jake is one of those guys that just works at his craft. He throws the ball well and not only that, he’s mobile. Those two things give you an opportunity to at least be competitive in this league.”
(Have you seen QB Luke Falk at all on college tape or have any sense of what he brings skillset-wise?) – “Most of the guys, like I said, we’re kind of in that early stage of evaluating thoroughly. I’d hate to say anything about him until I get a chance to really look at him closely. Jake I know because I had him before. The rest of the guys, we’re trying to make certain we have a real good feel for those guys.”
(The NFL coaching hires the last round, you can look at them and say a lot of the jobs went to offensive-minded guys – passing-game guys, who are also white. A lot of the guys who lost their jobs were defensive guys who happened to be black. Considering where the game is going, is there a pipeline of the offensive-minded, passing-game black coaches around?) – “There are a number of guys who I think are in position to do just that. There aren’t very many African American quarterback coaches. There aren’t that many, at this point in time, offensive coordinators. There are a few, obviously. (Eric) Bieniemy down there in Kansas City. There are a few guys out there that are doing that. There’s a young guy at Indianapolis that’s a quarterback coach there that’s sharp, that’s there with Frank (Reich), so he’ll learn. I think (Marcus) Brady is his name, I believe. Nevertheless, I think the league also is doing some things to try and help cultivate some more guys. They have actually put together – and you’ve probably heard the commissioner talking about it – we’re doing kind of a quarterback summit where we’re actually teaching and bringing in guys. We did it last year. I was with Jimmy Raye and Shack Harris and Troy (Vincent) and Pep Hamilton. We put it on at Morehouse (College), and we’re doing the same thing again this year. The intent of that is to cultivate some guys from the college ranks to get them in position to understand what it requires and what it takes to move to the next level in terms of coaching quarterbacks, particularly in the passing game.”
(I was talking to NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Troy Vincent about this and you’re a guy who came up with Tony Dungy and a quarterback coach on the offensive side of the ball. Troy was saying that he thought that previously, the past couple of decades, black coaches saw defense as the way to come up and now that the requirements have changed in the NFL, can you pivot like that? It kind of takes a few years to train coaches, right? Is the league prepared to pivot or does it take two or three years, and if so, is that okay?) – “I think it goes in cycles. Just like you said, sometimes it depends on where they saw success the previous years and everyone tries to mimic it and see if they can duplicate that. Most people don’t know I actually was a defensive coach before I started coaching offense, simply because of the fact that I wanted to make sure that I was well-balanced. That’s the great thing that I think you’ll find out about Coach Flores is what Coach Belichick does with guys on his staff. He has them coach both sides of the ball, so they’re really well-rounded which is really unique. I had to do something similar to that in order to kind of put myself in position – this was in college – where I could really fulfill both requirements. That’s something that we’re working at to try to make some of these guys pretty versatile. They have to be able to change and adjust.”
(That’s good foresight by you.) – “That was a while ago. (laughter)”
(For as long as you’ve been in the league, is there anything you haven’t seen at this point? Do you feel like you’ve seen just about everything or is every day a new day?) – “Every day is new. We were talking this morning with (Assistant Quarterbacks Coach) Jerry (Schuplinski) and I was also talking to (Wide Receivers Coach) Karl Dorrell, and I learn something different every day. Every day, I’m looking for something a little bit different. I’ve had a great opportunity to kind of listen to Chad (O’Shea), Jerry and watch how Coach Flores and those guys have developed in this particular culture and what they have gone through there (in New England) at maybe the most successful franchise and organization in the history of professional football. These guys are all remnants of that. They bring that insight and foresight into this building, so I’ve been excited about the things I’ve been learning from them, which has been really a lot of fun.”
Danny Crossman – February 15, 2019
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Friday, February 15, 2019
Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman
(You are coming to a team that had someone in this position for a long time. Do you know Darren Rizzi much? Will you talk to Darren about personnel or do you want to form you own evaluations?) – “(We want to) do our own evaluations.”
(Just observations of what you’ve seen from your group on tape over the last couple of weeks? Does anyone stand out to you? Obviously you have a second-year kicker that did well.) – “There are some good players and guys that have done some good things. We’re still in the process of trying to find what their strengths and weaknesses are and then tie that into as we develop what we’re going to be. It’s still very early in the process.”
(You like your units to be known for what?) – “We want to be able to put pressure on people – whether that’s in the rush game or return game – and the ability to kick the ball well regardless of the situation. Sound, selfless, good football.”
(Last year, you had to work through the new rule changes. Did you agree with them, did it make the game better and how did you adjust to them?) – “I think the biggest thing is anything with player safety, you’re always in favor of that. In terms of getting used to and getting acclimated to the new rules, I still don’t think that the league as a whole knows exactly how it’s going to play out. But football is football. Whatever rules they give us we’ll play by and be the best that we can.”
(As a special teams coach, you know the roster as well as anybody. Does that help coming from Buffalo being in the AFC East coming down to Miami?) – “Yes. I think that anytime there is familiarity, it’s going to help you and obviously being in the same division, (it is) even another level. The same conference helps, the same division really helps, seeing the same team twice a year. I was in Buffalo for six years, so I have a pretty good feel of who they were in the scheme they played in. Now it’s just trying to tie that together with how we’re going to build it and what we’re going to do here.”
(Did anyone on the Miami Dolphins special teams last year stand out or that you had to circle, ‘we got to stop this guy?’) – “There are several good players. There are some good, quality players here, and we’ll see if we can develop them and get them even better.”
(What do you look for in a special teams player? I know a lot of times people dismiss those players. ‘Those guys are just on special teams and not really a main focal point.’ But for you, you’re trying to get everybody together. What do you say to those types of players?) – “I think what you’ll find out here is we’re all looking for the same type of player. We’re looking for selfless, smart, tough and available. If you have those things, you have a chance. We’re all, I’m sure if you go up and down this row, and what you’ve just (heard) from the offensive (coaches), we’re all really looking for the same thing. Good football players are good football players, regardless of what you’re going to ask them to do.”
(Culture-wise, did you know Head Coach Brian Flores before all of this? Or did he reach out and you just matched culturally?) – “I think as Brian brought up, when he made the transition into coaching, his first start in coaching was as an assistant special teams coach. In those circles, as a special teams coach at the combine and other functions, you get a little bit of familiarity with one another. Obviously he comes from a similar tree and we have similar beliefs. Those core beliefs aren’t going to change so it’s nice to be aligned with somebody that has those same beliefs.”
(Outside of the weather, what was the reward for you to come to Miami? What was it that made you want to be a part of this?) – “Obviously Coach Flores, like I just said. Those things I just talked about with the culture, his core beliefs and coming up under the same system and values, that’s what stood out to me.”
(Your thoughts on joining the Dolphins organization?) – “I’m obviously super excited to be on the front end of this thing with Coach Flores. He and I have similar beliefs and similar core values, what it takes to win as a team in all three phases, the type of players, the type of people we’re looking for. So I’m very excited.”
(How long have you known Coach Flores?) – “I got to know Brian when he made the transition from scouting into coaching. He started as an assistant special teams coach. I got to know him a little bit, probably about 10 years (ago) or so.”
(What do you see when you look at the core special teams guys. You have a couple of explosive returners – RB Kenyan Drake, WR Jakeem Grant…) – “There are some good players. Like anything, you take those good players and try to find a way to use their strengths and what they can do and make them better.”
(Do you have a core philosophy as a special teams coach?) – “A little bit, but mostly it’s going to tie into who our players are. I think you’ve got to play the game based on the strength of your players. You’ve got to ask them to do what they can do and we’ll work on what they can’t do.”
(What would be your core philosophy, if I may ask?) – “Find a way to win.”
(How do you embrace this challenge? What is your mindset as you begin this chapter in your career?) – “I think it’s like anything. It’s excitement. Any time you start on a fresh deal with a coach that has similar core beliefs and working for a general manager who has the same beliefs as a head coach and for outstanding ownership, it’s exciting.”
(Had you known Brian Flores for a while?) – “I got to know Brian when he made the transition from scouting into coaching. He started in special teams. It’s a tight, small circle and he and I got to know each other through that.”
(When Brian Flores called you, did your heart go through your throat? Did you know it was coming?) – “We had spoken. Obviously when he was fortunate enough to be in the position and made the phone call, it was exciting just because when you look and you take one of these jobs, to be able to be in a situation where you believe it’s somebody that’s aligned with the same core values and ideals that you have, it’s exciting.”
(How much of an advantage is it that you’ve spent so much time in the AFC East scouting these players here?) – “Obviously it helps.”
(You know who S Walt Aikens, for instance.) – “Right. That familiarity is always going to help. I think the difference is, now that you are going to be in that room with those players, is taking those same things that you were worried about defending and then building on how we can use those strengths to our advantage. It is nicer and makes this time of year a little bit easier.”
(You know a lot about WR Jakeem Grant, for instance. You know what a headache he caused you, so it must be nice that he’s on your side?) – “Correct. It’s nice to walk in and have those types of players.”
Patrick Graham – February 15, 2019
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Friday, February 15, 2019
Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham
(How does someone from Yale become the defensive coordinator of the Miami Dolphins?) – “(I’ve been) very fortunate to meet some good people in my coaching career. I got a chance to learn from some of the best. (I had) some good alliances with guys like me and (Head) Coach (Brian) Flores. We worked in the same office for a long time. We got to know each other. We had some common background stuff, both being from the Northeast, the Tri-State Area. Yale, I went to school there, played football there and fell in love with the game even more. After graduating, I got into coaching and found my calling.”
(What did you major in at Yale?) – “Sociology. I started off with chemical engineering. That didn’t go too well, so I had to switch it up. My dad told me, he said, ‘Listen, if you change from engineering to sociology, make sure you’re not living here when you graduate.’ I said, ‘I think I’ll be okay, Dad.’ (laughter)”
(What were you going to do with a chemical engineering degree?) – “If you go back and dig it up, there’s film of it. My senior year in high school, I wanted to get a chemical engineering degree and go into the CIA. That’s what I wanted to do.”
(Does that dream still live inside you somewhere?) – “No, no, no. (laughter)”
(This is a different career path.) – “Way different, but I found out early on when I got to school, chemical engineering wasn’t for me and the CIA wasn’t going to happen either. (laughter)”
(As a defensive coach, what are your core philosophies?) – “A lot of stuff that Coach Flores has talked about. We want guys who are selfless (and) guys who are willing to work hard. I think when you get into, not necessarily the schematics, but just looking at the player and what we’re looking for, aside from the character traits, you want guys who play with their hands and are heavy-handed. You want guys to play with good knee-bend and good leverage, and you want guys who have good eye discipline. As Coach Flores talks about, trying to get 11 guys to trust each other on the field, you have to get 11 guys to have their eyes in the right place to build that trust. When you look at it, football position, eyes, hands and feet, that’s how I see it, in terms of defensive players when I’m evaluating. Heavy-handed, active hands, eyes in the right place? When misdirection comes, are your eyes in the right place still? Are we able to go from one spot to the next and have a progression with that? And then the feet, a good base and good leverage all lead to good football plays. (That is true) especially when you watch the championship plays that take place championship weekend, Super Bowl weekend. You can just watch the sideline copy and really get a feel for that.”
(Where does heart factor in?) – “In terms of the toughness, I want to have a way to measure the toughness. To me, you measure the toughness as a defensive player and what we’re going to talk about to those guys is can we stop the run and can we stop the run when we know they’re going to run the ball? Are we contributing to the coverage units on special teams? We can measure those things to determine toughness, as opposed to just talking about them. And then the hard part about it is guys who are selfless and put the team first. That’s a big decision for someone to make, because by nature, a lot us, we want to take care of ourselves; but we’ve got to make sure we put the team first. That’s why this game is so beautiful, the lessons that you learn from it, because I know for me, personally, it’s helped me in my life to become more selfless and to understand to put the team first, put my family first, put the organization I’m with first. That’s so key and been such a good thing as I’ve grown as a person, now that I’m 40 years old. It’s been really huge in my life.”
(Here is the question people down here want to know – a 3-4 or 4-3?) – “Yes. (laughter) Multiple. This is what we’re going to do. We’re going to do whatever Coach Flores wants us to do that week and what we’re going to try to do is try to teach the guys the concepts of the defense, what the coverage is, what the rush is – whether we’re rushing three, four, five or six, it doesn’t matter. How we deploy those guys in different spots and the outside looking in, you guys see it, it’s going to look multiple. It is going to be multiple. Are we talking in terms of 3-4 or 4-3? It’s just going to be multiple. We’re going to do what we’ve got to do that week and that game. We’re going to try to win that situation, whatever we have to do. If it requires all 11 guys to be on their feet, it requires all 11 guys to be on their feet. If it requires all 11 to be down in a three-point stance, it’ll look weird, but we’ll do it if that’s what we think is going to win the game.”
(You talk about running multiple schemes and everybody tries to run multiple schemes but it’s a lot more complicated when you talk about building a roster for it. What is the key to building a roster to run a multiple set like that?) – “I believe it is identifying the traits that you hold valuable in terms of building a defense. It’s kind of like what we talked about earlier, with some of the physical traits. We’re looking for guys to play with their hands, guys with good eye discipline, guys that play with a base and good leverage. You take that and as you start to spread out to the different positions … When you’re talking about someone who’s covering, someone who’s taking on the lead block or someone taking on someone at the point of attack, all three of those things come into play. That’s what we’re looking for. Guys that can do that, and then you get some of the measurables, and things of that nature. But that’s really what you’re looking for. Guys who play with good football position and breaking it down to those sub-categories helps lead to being a multiple front scheme team.”
(If you have a 3-4 scheme and you’re looking for bigger players that can hold the point but then a 4-3 requires smaller and a little bit more athletic guys.) – “I’m not disrespecting what you’re saying, but I don’t necessarily agree with that, per se. A 3-4 or 4-3 to me is how your spacing is on the field. Whether a 3-4 OLB is a defensive end, it’s really the same spot. To me, I don’t necessarily get into that, in terms of how big this guy has to be. It’s multiple in how we deploy them. It can be different on any down and distance, any play, any call, any situation. I would agree to disagree on that, if that makes sense.”
(The other thing that would seem difficult about that beyond just building a roster is having a finite amount of time, not only to figure out what you’re trying to do as a defensive coordinator but what everyone is trying to do. That seems like a pretty seismic task to try and figure out for every situation exactly the right defense and have prepped it in only a span of nine months whereas all of these guys from the Patriots, they’ve built it over 17 years. How easy or difficult will it be to try to figure out all of those things in a space of six months?) – “The beauty of this game and our job is it’s very difficult. And it’s usually in pressure-filled, packed moments, that you have to make the right decisions. But that’s kind of why we got into it. I love being in it. So is it hard? Absolutely. Absolutely, it’s hard. But that’s why you put in all the work. That’s why you started off as a graduate assistant, got bumped up to a position coach, came to the league, became a QC (quality control), grinded doing this and that, putting in the extra hours, the offseason, the study. (It is) to be able to get you prepared to handle these moments and learn from the people you’ve learned from before, whether it’s learning from Coach Flores or learning from other guys I’ve worked with. It’s not easy – this job. I’m not saying it’s as hard as a single mom that has five kids to raise. I’m not saying that. But it’s a hard profession, it’s a hard job and it’s challenging, but I love to be challenged. And if you talk to the guys on the staff, they love to be challenged. I embrace it. I embrace it and I look forward to it. We’ll have it right. We’ll have it the way Coach Flores wants it and hopefully it leads to winning some games.”
(Coach Flores had a lot of success in New England with the sub package, having the fifth defensive back on the field. It was almost a base defense at times. Do you feel like that could be part of the package as well?) – “I think what you’ve got to do is you’ve got to look at what the offenses are giving us, right? Whether it’s creeping in from the college game or what have you – however people want to look at it – there’s a lot more three-receiver sets going on. The NFL is all about personnel and matchups. That’s a huge part of how you defend the field out there. So if they have three receivers out there, a lot of times you’re going to need that extra defensive back out there. We’re going to do whatever we think is best to win the game that week, but I can see how the sub package has grown more into the base because it’s reflective of what the offense is doing. If the offense goes with being 22 personnel or 21 heavy personnel and having an extra lineman out there as a tight end, then I’m sure we would combat that a different way. It’s based on what the trends in the league are and how they’re going.”
(You said you shared an offense once upon a time with Coach Flores?) – “Yes, sir.”
(Can you set the scene a little? Were there a lot of coaches in the office?) – “It was me and ‘Flo’ (Brian Flores). The main thing I remember … It was me and Flo and it was not about another coach being in there. It was about the printer being in there. The printer being in there and everybody coming in there to get the stuff off the printer.”
(So it was just you and Coach Flores in the office?) – “Yes.”
(Where was this?) – “When we worked together prior in New England.”
(And this allowed you to get to know each other very well?) – “Yes. We got to know each other.”
(So when you look back at that time, it most have been valuable to you?) – “Oh, it was valuable. Coach Flores, to me, and I’ve told him this – especially when I left and went other places – to me, our friendship and our professional relationship has been so valuable to me because he’s always been honest with me, whether I was doing it right, whether I was doing it wrong, if I said it right, if I said it wrong. He would interject where he needed to. That’s what I value from him. He’s been an example for me in terms of consistency. If you ask me about Coach (Flores), he is selfless. All of this stuff you talk about with the team, he is selfless. He puts the team first above all else. And the fact that he’s so consistent with it, I admire it, because by nature, I’m very moody. My wife says it’s because I’m an Aquarius. Whatever. (laughter) If there was a picture of an Aquarius, you could put me next to that picture. (laughter) I had to fight that because of the examples I’ve seen. I’ve always admired his consistency and how he’s able to be able to be consistent every day, and that’s something I learned from him.”
(So you knew in that room early on, Coach Flores had a chance to be a head coach?) – “Coach Flores is an impressive person. That’s all I can tell you. He’s an impressive person. I’ve always thought that about him. Even in those days when you spend all that time together, I’ve always thought about Coach Flores, that he is an impressive human being. From the first time you meet him, you realize there’s something different about him.”
(And the Patriots only had one printer?) – “No, no. (laughter) There just happened to be one for our side. There were just a lot of people in there. But it also ended up being fun sometimes too.”
(When you say something is different about Coach Flores? What do you mean? The presence?) –“The presence. The ability to be consistent. He’s a great listener. He holds you accountable. You could tell he was a leader. I mean, I could. Just through his actions and through his words, he’s always been consistent with me professionally and in a friendship role.”
(When you say Coach Flores is consistent, what do you mean? A demeanor, advice, attitude?) – “However you want to look at it. I think I’ll keep that private, but to me he has just been consistent in how we’ve interacted – demeanor, professionally and off the field. It’s been great. He’s someone I call when I make a decision about football, someone that I call when I have a question about family stuff. It’s been a good relationship.”
(Do players embrace that consistency from Coach Flores?) – “You’d have to ask the players, but his players play hard for him and they know what they’re going to get from him.”
(Did Coach Flores call as close to a perfect in the Super Bowl as you can get?) – “I mean, I don’t want to live in the past, but it was beautiful.”
(Not a lot of coaches leave New England to go work somewhere else. What made you say I need to try something different and branch out?) – “It’s something I’ll keep it personal. It wasn’t anything bad. It was just time for a change and it worked out for me. It’s been good and I learned a lot. Nothing groundbreaking, (or earth) shattering. It was time to make a change. But that’s my football home. That’s where I learned the game through Bill (Belichick), Pepper Johnson, through Matt (Patricia), through ‘Flo’ (Flores).”
(When you say you learned the game, what do you take from your time in New England?) – “Put the team first. Mental toughness. Doing the things that you don’t necessarily want to do at first. Put the team first, mental toughness. The main thing, the main thing is to try to get better every day. Any time I come into that building, I make it a point to try to get better at my football job every day. That’s all I worry about.”
(What makes you ready to become a defensive play-caller?) – “I hope all of these hours of work and just trying to have an idea of how the offenses are trying to attack us and having my thoughts in line with Coach Flores and being ready. It’s going to be from the preparation. That’s all I can tell you: I’m going to prepare to be ready and when the time comes, it comes. I’m going to be prepared to be ready. That’s how I know to get ready. Any other situation I’ve gotten ready for has been through preparation.”
