Albert Wilson – July 30, 2018
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Monday, July 30, 2018
WR Albert Wilson
(On who called him before he signed with the Dolphins.) – “I believe it was (Head) Coach (Adam) Gase. He just expressed how much he can use me, how valuable I will be to the team. Yes, it was Coach.”
(Your yards per catch on balls thrown at or behind the line of scrimmage was insane last year. You would attribute that to what? What skills allow you to make something out of plays at or behind the line of scrimmage?) – “Just pretty much playing running back all of my life. Just being able to get the ball out there and get a couple of blockers in front of me and let me work in space.”
(You knew coming here you might not necessarily start, obviously with WR Kenny Stills, WR DeVante Parker and then WR Danny Amendola signed like a day after you. Did that enter your thinking at all or did that make no difference whatsoever to you?) – “Not at all. I’ve been working very hard on my craft. Coach (Gase) knows well what I can do. I have faith in him, as he has faith in me and I believe everybody is going to do well in this offense.”
(The way you look at it, do you expect all of you guys to play a lot?) – “Oh, definitely. I think we’re all going to get our part. I think it’s going to be an exciting offense to watch. I think everybody is going to have their week and that’s the great thing about Coach Gase. He did a great job getting players that he can use every weekend and we’ve just been working hard to do that.”
(Are you getting a wide range of different opportunities and different ways to be used? Is that stimulating to you?) – “Oh, yes; and it’s fun. You kind of sit there and think that you can do all these things and for them to give you an opportunity to do it, it’s a blessing.”
(Head Coach Adam Gase was lined up against the receivers yesterday and again today. It looked like you even got a pop on his face in there. What’s it like having a head coach out there being that active?) – “It’s awesome. A big thing he brings to the table is energy. He wants to show … not only just tell us to bring energy, but he’s bringing energy for us. So when he gets out there and in those drills and give us a chance to work and tell us exactly what he wants, it’s a great learning lesson.”
(Was it pretty much a given that the intensity would pick up today with it being the first day in full pads?) – “Definitely. Just playing football all your life, you never go out there Day 1 with pads on. You do everything you can to lead up to that day and once you get the pads on, it’s everything.”
(What’s been the breakdown for you so far as far as snaps in the slot compared to the outside?) – “I think it’s pretty even. I’ve been lining up pretty much everywhere. It’s been a balance thing. They’re not pushing me to do everything at once. They’re kind of easing me into things and it’s a great lesson.”
(You’re more effective where? I know you can do both but do you think you’re more effective in the slot or on the outside?) – “It depends on matchups. I can get them in the slot and work in a lot of space or I can get out there on those bigger corners and use my quickness and get open out there. (Coach Gase is) doing a great job of using me everywhere.”
Isaiah Ford – July 30, 2018
Monday, July 30, 2018
WR Isaiah Ford
(What about the pass where you fell on the football?) – “It felt okay. It’s football, so you’re going to be a little sore, especially since … I was just talking with the guys and tell them that it’s my first time being in pads in over a year and a half. Just looking at that and seeing how far I’ve come, it’s a blessing. I’m a little sore, but I’m okay.”
(What was it like to get back into these pads?) – “It was a long time coming. I worked extremely hard trying to get myself healthy, doing the things I need to do to be available and to be out there and just showcase what I can do. I give a lot of props to the training staff and the strength and conditioning staff for helping me get there.”
(As far as coming in as a draft pick and sitting out last year, how tough was it overall for you?) – “It was extremely tough. You always want to be out there. That’s why you play this sport: to compete and to help your team win. So when I wasn’t able to do that, it was a little tough; but I got to learn a lot through it. I got to sit in on meetings and watch film and things like that. It was kind of a redshirt year, so to speak, just to learn the system and to understand what the coaches are expecting.”
(So far, you’ve made a pretty good impact. We’ve seen you in the end zone a couple of times. How nice is it to step out here and have that success right away?) – “It’s good. It’s what you expect to do at this point. I work really hard on my craft and I pride myself on working hard and knowing what to do and making the plays when they present themselves. That’s all I’m trying to do.”
Cordrea Tankersley – July 29, 2018
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Sunday, July 29, 2018
CB Cordrea Tankersley
(What are your thoughts on training camp so far?) – “I think everything’s starting real good. (We’re) being very consistent and getting better each and every day.”
(How would you describe the battle at cornerback? We saw CB Torry McTyer getting reps with the first team yesterday and then you’ve got you and CB Tony Lippett.) – “They’re all well-deserved reps. Everybody is just going in there and competing, trying to get better. As far as Torry getting first-team reps, it’s well-deserved.”
(How much do you think that brings up everybody’s level, that kind of battle?) – “I mean, you shouldn’t need more competition for you to come out here and do your job; but it’s just extra motivation to know that they want competition and they want everybody to come out here and compete. So it just is what it is.”
(What have you or the coaches identified as the main area you need to get better at this offseason?) – “Just be consistent. Just to become an elite cornerback that they wanted me to be.”
(Have you had any hope or expectation of just getting the job back automatically this year since you did start, or this doesn’t surprise you at all that they’ve opened it wide open?) – “It doesn’t surprise me at all. I’ve been battling all my life. This is just another day in the office. It is what it is. Like I said, we’re just going to compete. We’re just going to duke it out.”
(Have they told you that you’ll basically alternate first-team snaps among the three of you essentially? Have they given you any direction as to what days you’ll be with the first group mostly?) – “We have a rep chart. We don’t call it a depth chart. We call it a rep chart. However he puts it up there, we just go as we see.”
(So it was you primarily today with the ones?) – “Yes. I mainly most of the time go with the ones.”
(And tomorrow it will be Tony Lippett? Has it been laid out?) – “I have no idea. We just play it by ear.”
(How good do you think the secondary can be?) – “I think we can be very special. I think we can be one of the top ones in the league. We just have to keep competing, like I said, and just go out there and battle each other and go up against these good receivers that we have out here.”
Bo Hardegree – July 29, 2018
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Sunday, July 29, 2018
Quarterbacks Coach Bo Hardegree
(How does the position look? Is QB Ryan Tannehill looking back the way you wanted at the start of camp?) – “Absolutely. Yes, he’s strong. The communication, he’s in and out of the huddle, he’s getting guys on the same page, he’s operating fast, he’s seeing things quicker. It’s been fun to watch and fun to coach.”
(Do you like QB Ryan Tannehill’s movement, what he’s been able to do within the pocket and getting outside as well?) – “I do. I don’t see any limitations at all. I feel perfectly fine with where he’s at.”
(It seems like the competition is heating up daily between QB David Fales and QB Brock Osweiler. What have you seen out of those guys, as well as QB Bryce Petty?) – “Yes, Bryce too. I think they did a really good job of taking this summer and hitting the books. They came in early as we reported (to camp). They came in and we were able to detail a lot of things. That way we could come out and really just play fast and begin where we took off right there at the end of spring. As far as those three, I think we’re getting them different reps with different groups, and they’ve had some really good stuff these first couple of days.”
(I noticed that a lot. Is that a big part of your practice plan, trying to get guys working with everybody so you can evaluate evenly?) – “Absolutely. That’s what we’ve been doing because there was a lot of different groups and they’ll play with a lot of different guys in games when we come out, when the ones come out. They’re going to get opportunities with all of these receivers, all of the tight ends and different running backs. Everybody can hear how they call a play in the huddle, how they sound at the line of scrimmage, how they throw the ball. That way they can get a little bit of timing before we get to that first preseason game.”
(Have you liked the tempo that you guys have been trying to install?) – “Absolutely. It gives the quarterback, when he gets to the line of scrimmage, to really survey the defense, do what he’s got to do with his checks, his protection calls, know where to go with the ball and the coverage. It gives him a lot of command at the line of scrimmage.”
Jerome Baker – July 29, 2018
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Sunday, July 29, 2018
LB Jerome Baker
(How are the first few days of camp going for you?) – “It’s going great. The weather is beautiful. It’s very hot; but we’re working hard, getting better and it’s definitely been a fun time.”
(What’s been the biggest adjustment out here?) – “The heat. That’s pretty much it. Football is football. It’s going to handle itself, but the heat is something you’ve really got to get used to.”
(What’s been a point of emphasis, a specific point of emphasis for you in the preseason practices as we get into the preseason?) – “Every day I just get one thing to work on. Today it was my eyes. Yesterday it was just getting to the ball no matter where it’s at on the field. The day before was my feet, keeping my feet clean. Every day I kind of focus on one thing to get better at and kind of improve every day.”
(Tell me a little bit about the eyes. Take me into the game a little bit. What does a linebacker that plays the position you do need to keep in mind?) – “Just focus on you keys. Sometimes it’s the tackle, sometimes it’s the end. You really just have to focus on the keys. If you focus on your keys, you play faster and I’m a little faster than most linebackers so my speed kind of catches up on it even faster. Just focusing on my keys allows me to play faster.”
(How do you work on your eyes while you’re out there?) – “You kind of just study. First, you’ve got to know what you’re looking at. After camp, you have to put in that work to work on things you really have to look at. Really, it’s a lot of little things and different formations, different coverages you look at. You’ve got to know what you’re looking at to actually do it.”
(Have you been able to pick up anything form the veteran guys before you hit he field that helps you with identification?) – “Yes. So Kiko (Alonso), I sit right next to him. In the middle of the meetings, I’m asking him questions and getting in his brain. ‘T.G.’ (Terence Garvin), he kind of helps me with the every day focus on one thing. Today it was my eyes. He kind of said it to work on my eyes today. They definitely give me different advice and different things to work on and I’m just taking it all in.”
(Do you think you’ve built up a little bit form OTAs for the first four days of training camp that’s helped you move along a little bit faster?) – “Yes, definitely. It’s a credit to all of the older guys. They’re definitely teaching me a lot. Even when I feel like I’m right, they tell me what I could’ve worked on. They definitely help me in a lot of ways.”
(We saw you make a couple of really nice plays on Thursday. What sort of feedback overall have you gotten from coaches?) – “Just keep going, just keep going. It’s Day 2, Day 3. That’s nothing. You’ve really got to focus when it’s Day 5, Day 6 and Day 7. The heat gets to you and you kind of get bored of the camp feel. That’s what you’ve really got to focus on. The first two days, it’s all fun and everybody has energy; but this is the time to grind and get better.”
Eric Studesville – July 29, 2018
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Sunday, July 29, 2018
Running Backs Coach Eric Studesville
(Your group … I’m a guy who believes that the running game can take a lot of pressure off the passing game. From that standpoint what would you like to see from the running backs this year, from RB Kenyan Drake and RB Frank Gore primarily?) – “From all of the running backs, we want to be efficient. Just what you said is right. We have to take pressure off … As a running back, if we have efficient runs, we’re staying in down and distances that’s manageable and it makes it easier on everybody – quarterbacks, wide outs and everything, including the play calling. We just want to stay ahead on the downs. That’s what we talk about – efficiency, no tackles for loss and getting up with the ball at the end of plays. That’s the big emphasis for us.”
(What has RB Kenyan Drake showed you so far that maybe you didn’t see late last season?) –“I saw the cut ups obviously and I saw him play when we came (to play) here from Denver. I was really impressed with his abilities to run the ball inside the tackles. He’s obviously got speed to finish. Being here with him now, you see the other dimension, which his ability in the pass game to do some things in the pass game. Really, (he can) run different routes – a variety of routes – stretch the field and do some things. I’m excited about everything we can do to get some more touches for him.”
(How have you been impressed with RB Kalen Ballage so far?) – “Kalen has done a nice job. For a rookie, it’s a lot. What really helped him is that he did a good job in the spring during OTAs of really grinding and learning and trying to get caught up on everything. What that allows him to do now is to come and really compete. The learning curve is not quite as steep, and he can get in there and just compete because he knows what to do. He’s done a great job so far.”
(When you have depth like that at the running back position, how do you work everybody in?) – “We just have to do it. I don’t know if there is a set path or a set way that you do it. We have to do it to get everybody ready. The numbers play out that you’re going to need guys over the course of a season. Having that depth is a great thing. The biggest thing probably at the end of the day is that it becomes on them to be able to take mental reps and repetitions when they’re not in there. They’ve got to learn from somebody else – the mistakes somebody else makes or when somebody does something right.”
(Head Coach Adam Gase talked about how he wants to run the football a little bit more. Do you believe him and how do the young guys get prepared for that?) – “We want to run the football and obviously in the running back room, we’d like to run 80 times a game if we could, but that’s not how it plays out. (laughter) We want to run it as much as we need to win football games. That’s what it is. If we can stay ahead on downs and distance, like we talked about, that helps all of that process. We’re going to do whatever it takes to help us win. The biggest thing is we want to contribute to the offense being successful and being efficient and going out giving our team a chance to win every week.”
(How has RB Buddy Howell been out here?) – “Buddy has done a nice job so far. Buddy has done a nice job coming into the spring. He, much like Kalen (Ballage), did a great job of really grinding and learning and now he’s giving himself a chance to compete. All of them right now, when we came in, we all said they are trying to establish their role and function on this team – whatever that is. Everyone is going to have different roles and functions and that’s what they’re working on.”
(With RB Kenyan Drake, how would you describe his demeanor? To me, he looks like a guy that this stuff isn’t too big for him. I don’t know if that’s his personality or playing at Alabama but it looks like he can handle that. What do you think?) – “Yes. I don’t think there’s anything that he can’t handle. He’s not a real up and down personality-wise person. He’s kind of even-keeled. There’s a good part of that too, where that lets you overcome some things that happen and lets you go ahead and adjust to things that are going on in the game where you don’t get too high when you make great plays and if there is something that’s messed up, you don’t get real low and down about it. I like his even-keeled temperament.”
(As far as pass protection, where is he RB Kenyan Drake in that aspect of the game?) – “He’s done a really good job. If you put on tape from last year, this guy will step up and pass protect. That’s one thing that you love about him … We were talking about it. Yes, he can run the ball. He’s got speed, but now you flank him out and you run routes. Then all of a sudden you bring him back in and you’re confident with his pass protection ability. It just gives our offense another dimension.”
(RB Frank Gore, have you seen his influence in that room in any way, and if so, how?) – “I think so. I think you just watch Frank. Frank carries himself like a professional in everything that he does. He’s in the room, he’s working, taking notes trying to learn the offense because this is new for him. Out here, he’s working. Just look at him, he’s drenched head to toe every day when he comes out here. That’s the kind of effort that he puts in. I think those young guys do see that. They say ‘Here’s a guy who’s really achieved some great things in his career, yet he’s out here grinding every day.’ That makes those guys accountable to do that too. That’s one of the things Frank brings to the room.”
(RB Senorise Perry is a guy … We look at the rookies, we look at the starters. Where does Senorise fit in?) – “He had a great spring in my opinion. He really showed himself as being dependable, going in and knowing what’s going on. Obviously his role has been on special teams primarily. When you’ve got a jersey, even as a special teams player, you’ve got to have an offensive role. That’s one of those roles and functions that we talked about. What he’s done is establish himself as a dependable person to be able to go in if we need him. Right now I don’t have a hesitation of dropping him in a game or playing him in a game.”
(Back to RB Frank Gore, what has he shown you? Obviously we have 15 years of tape we can watch to see what he does well. What, at 35, does he still do at a very high level?) – “Compete. He just competes at everything. He wants to be the best at everything. He wants to be the No. 1 guy. In the one-on-one drill yesterday, he was trying to go against the best linebackers. He wanted those guys, those match ups. He’s constantly competing and that’s what you love about him.”
(Are you going to have to … Obviously RB Frank Gore is 35. Do you have to monitor how much work he gets throughout the week in the season or is it full go?) – “I’m not there yet. I’m still trying to figure out what we’ve got at camp. We’re going to keep massaging this thing as we go forward and we’ll figure out what the best plan is for us going forward; but I haven’t made any decisions on reps or any of that stuff. We’re going to do whatever we need to, to get our best guys to the game and give us a chance to win.”
(Does RB Kenyan Drake’s body type or skill set reminds you of anyone you’ve covered in the league over the years?) – “That’s always hard for me. Comparisons are always hard. I think he has a unique skill set to himself and we’re trying to maximize that skill set because it is special. He can run, he’s tough, he can pass protect, he can run routes like a receiver in some cases. I just think that we’ve got to keep developing that. I don’t have a good comparison point for you right now.”
(To me, RB Kenyan Drake reminds me of some guys that people question if he can be an every down back because he’s a speed guy, he’s a third-down guy, he’s a specialty guy. What do you think has to happen for any athlete at the running back positon to change the perception from specialty back, third down back, change of pace back to every down back?) – “Performance. He’s just got to perform and do it and show that he can do it. We’ve got to put him in situations where he’s able to perform and either he does it or he doesn’t do it.”
(Why is RB Frank Gore so good at making something out of nothing? Because it seems like some of his biggest plays last year … We thought he was dead in the backfield and it’s a 40- or 50-yard gain?) – “You’d have to ask him how he does that. I don’t know how he does it, I’m just glad he does it. (laughter)”
(RB Frank Gore does it a lot.) – “He does it a lot and we’re going to need him to do it.”
Shane Day – July 29, 2018
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Sunday, July 29, 2018
Tight Ends Coach Shane Day
(Tell me how the rookies are doing.) – “They’re doing good. They’re right on progress. They’re working hard. I think all of the work they’ve done in the spring I see coming into fruition right now in practice, so it’s good. They’re still putting in a lot of work. There’s still more plays coming, there’s still more practices; but they’re handling it very well.”
(How much of the playbook have you guys thrown at them so far?) – “We’re pretty much into it. I’d say probably 80 percent of the playbook. So most of it’s in. We kind of try to get most of the installs in about this time in practice and training camp.”
(And of that, how often are they right?) – “A very high percentage. I’ve been really impressed with their knowledge of the offense. There’s been very few mistakes across the board by all of the tight ends, including the rookies.”
(That’s awesome.) – “Yes, it’s exciting.”
(TE Mike Gesicki kind of showed up a little bit today more. Would you agree with that?) – “Yes. We were in the red zone today, so he had a couple of opportunities and he really showed up. He did a nice job. I think the whole training camp, he’s been doing the right things, getting in the right places, kind of learning how to run routes and all of the details with the quarterbacks. I think today it kind of all came together for him, so it was good. We’ll keep trying to stack those days on top of each other.”
(The state of TE Mike Gesicki’s blocking to this point, you would assess him how? How effective has he been? How much room for growth?) – “Yes, he’s right on track. He’s really improved from the spring. We just put on pads, and he’s right where I’d expect him to be as a rookie; but I’m very pleased with where he’s at right now. He’s in a really good position.”
(Even though you’ve only been, obviously, in tops for a couple of days, is there enough physicality there with TE Mike Gesicki?) – “Oh yes, absolutely. That’s not a concern at all. That was the thing; you come into training camp without the pads on and you don’t know, but he’s been great in that area. He’s very physical, he likes contact and I’m very pleased with where he’s at blocking.”
(Have you and Defensive Coordinator Matt Burke ever talked at all, and obviously Offensive Coordinator Dowell Loggains will be involved, in terms of giving TE Mike Gesicki a lot of blitzing looks, both he and TE Durham Smythe, to see how they respond to blitz pickup?) – “Yes, so (Head) Coach (Adam) Gase does a good job of organizing walkthroughs and practices, so those guys get all the looks they need, whether they’re blitz or other looks throughout the entire course of training camp. With our defense – there’s enough with Coach Burke like you mentioned – that we’re going to kind of see everything we need to see. So yes, absolutely.”
(Did TE Mike Gesicki have to do much blitz pickup at Penn State? Obviously, he was primarily running routes there.) – “Right. Yes, that’s been kind of new to him. But like I said, he’s kind of taking in the blocking, both in pass protection and in the run game, and I’m really pleased with where he’s at.”
(Is TE Mike Gesicki exactly as advertised as a receiver? Any aspect of that part of his game that surprised you?) – “No, I think he’s exactly as advertised. He made a lot of plays at Penn State and I think we saw the plays that he’s making today, and I think he’s just getting used to the speed of the NFL. We’re asking him to do different techniques that are a little different here than what he did in college and I think he’s adjusting to it well.”
(With the two new tight ends and TE A.J. Derby arriving in the middle of last season, TE MarQueis Gray is a guy who’s kind of getting overlooked a little bit. How valuable is he, and partly just because there’s so many things he can do?) – “I think you hit on it. That’s the key, his versatility. He can play the inline tight end, he can flex out, he does a lot of stuff on special teams, he can play the fullback, he did that a little bit last year. So his versatility lets us kind of move the other guys around, and it’s very valuable. I mean I can’t tell you how valuable it is. It’s just, it’s crucial.”
(You have – it’s my word, not yours – you have realistically at least four could-be starters for you at some point this year. Does that jumble of not really knowing specifically who’s going to start, or even having it down to two, does that cause you any stress or is this exciting new frontier for you having so many people realistically competing?) – “I think we’re really fortunate. I feel like all six tight ends, if we needed them to play in a game, could play in a game. They’re all kind of working on different things. We’re kind of moving them around with the one’s, the two’s and the three’s and giving them different experiences and exposures; but I’m really pleased with all of those guys. I feel like they’re all … We’d be lucky to have them playing on an NFL roster. I feel like they’re all NFL tight ends. ”
(The one guy who is almost never mentioned is TE Gavin Escobar, who is a former second-round pick. What have you seen from him?) – “He’s doing a great job. We were very lucky to get him. Especially in our situation, he’s able to play kind of all those spots. I think in some other places he’s been, he’s played primarily the F; but we have him kind of playing the Y, so he’s got a lot of versatility. He’s really helping out and doing a great job. We’re really lucky to have him because, the experience as you mentioned, that’s huge for us. He helps with the young guys as well.”
(What does TE MarQueis Gray do best?) – “His versatility. His ability to do everything well. He doesn’t necessarily have the same height and jumping skills that you see with (Mike) Gesicki. You don’t necessarily see him … For us, he’s a point-of-attack blocker, as well. So he’s good at pass protection, he’s good at special teams, he’s good at run blocking and he’s good at the routes, and the ability to do all of those things allows us to put him wherever we want, which is awesome – wherever he can help the team out any given week. He’s a tough matchup.”
(I know it’s awfully early to ask because you’ve only been in pads a couple of days, but has the blocking skill that we saw from TE Durham Smythe at Notre Dame been able to carry over yet here? Have you seen the same quality of blocking?) – “Yes, absolutely. It’s all a work in progress, like you alluded to there; but I’m very pleased with where he’s at right now in the blocking department and in the routes.”
(Is TE Durham Smythe what you thought he was as a receiver, because I know you all valued him more as a receiver than maybe some others did because he didn’t have a lot of chances?) – “Yes, the production element that you pointed to. Yes, he’s doing exactly what we kind of saw on the film. When he had opportunities, he had good hands. He had good catches in traffic and he’s doing the same thing here.”
(Do you think TE AJ Derby’s absence is short term given his medical diagnosis? Is your sense that he’ll be back very soon?) – “Yes, I mean everything is day-to-day, and as you know, Coach Gase can answer questions on injuries, but we’re gathering information on all that stuff.”
(TE A.J. Derby’s been interesting to me. I almost feel like I’ve got to ask you if he’s good, because we haven’t seen much of him and you’ve seen a lot of him. What is he, what does he have?) – “The first thing is he’s very intelligent. He’s a former quarterback, so he knows the entire offense and can play all the different spots. I think his value, you really see it when he’s outside running routes, and he’s just good enough as a blocker that if defenses play him a certain way, we can run the ball, but we can also flex him out and get matchup issues as well. So he’s got that flexibility. But yes, primarily as a receiver is his strong point, and we’re working on blocking. I’m really pleased with where he’s at in his blocking right now.”
(TE A.J. Derby doesn’t have that incredible physical set that TE Mike Gesicki was born with.) – “It’s like a niftiness.”
(But do you see TE A.J. Derby competing, do you see him being right there with TE Mike Gesicki as far as going forward for that role?) – “Well, they all kind of have different roles. I don’t see them as the same role; but we’ll see how it plays out over training camp because we’re really in the early stages, and I don’t like to put kind of ceilings or limits on guys. We’ll see where they develop. They both have some things that are similar. They both catch the ball well and they both have pretty good speed, and then we’ll see. Like I mentioned, right now A.J. is more nifty. He has a better understanding of space and how to run routes and all that stuff, and Mike is really young. But, they’re both moving in that right direction and we’ll keep moving with them.”
(Does every tight end run reps with the first team during training camp?) – “Yes, we kind of mix all of those guys in.”
(Is that done on merit or is that just a policy, you just want to get a look?) – “So there’s a lot of different things going on there. As a coaching staff, we kind of have guys develop at different rates. Sometimes we want to put them in to see a certain play, a specific play. Other times, we want to get primarily the ones with the ones when we’re working with Ryan (Tannehill); but we mix them in there so they all get kind of what they need and they’re all in different places. Like Gesicki we mentioned needs some more reps with blocking so he’ll get some blocking plays, but we’ll also use him in the receiving game. So kind of just mix it up.”
(With as tough of a position as it is to learn – it’s probably more difficult to be a rookie NFL tight end than a rookie NFL running back – how realistic is it to have even a high draft pick be a starter on day one, or is that awfully difficult? Because some fans will judge TE Mike Gesicki unfairly maybe if he’s not the starter from opening day.) – “I think it just depends on the individual. As a coaching staff, we kind of let the thing play out – the whole process over training camp – and each individual is different. So far, he’s handled everything we’ve given him, so we’re very hopeful, and we’ll just kind of take it step by step.”
Jakeem Grant -July 29, 2018
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Sunday, July 29, 2018
WR Jakeem Grant
(You’ve had some family and friends around?) – “Yes, I had my kids and wife and my brother out yesterday. It was great to have them out here and show people the reason why I play football. It’s not just because I love it, but just for them.”
(They saw that nice diving catch yesterday.) – “(Laughter) Yes, they did.”
(What were you thinking as you started to lay out for that one?) – “I knew for a fact I couldn’t get to it because ‘Lipp’ (Tony Lippett) kind of held me, so I was like, ‘Man, there’s no way that I’m going to get to it.’ So I was like, ‘You know what, the only way you’re going to get to it is dive out for it.’ I didn’t even hesitate, didn’t think about it, I just laid out for it. I was just trying to make a big play and I did. I was just showing them that I’m able to go out there and make big play after big play.”
(Do you feel that’s important for you to do because of all of the depth at wide receiver, that you need to come up with those?) – “Not just because of the depth, but just because I’m showing that I can make those big plays. Yes, I’ve got great guys in front of me; but I’m going to continue to compete every single day and make those big plays every single day.”
(We saw Head Coach Adam Gase trying to get physical with you guys. What was that all about?) – “He just came out. It was one of those days where he’s on edge today. He came out, he was feeling it and he just wanted the DBs to stop putting their hands on us, so he wanted to come out and simulate that. We appreciate that from him. That’s a realistic look. DBs are going to be in our face trying to put their hands on us and we’ve got to work that release. That’s what he was doing.”
(I saw CB Xavien Howard grab WR DeVante Parker today. That was a flag for sure.) – “Definitely. That was definitely a flag.”
(You’ve got to be careful not to slap Head Coach Adam Gase’s hands too hard when he’s putting them on you.) – “Oh, yes. He’s physical. He gets physical with us. But one thing we try to do is we try to tell all of our guys is that coach is going to put his hands up there and (we should) make sure that he doesn’t put his hands up there again. Sometimes we try to break his arm and do all that. (laughter) It’s just out of love, just trying to show him to just stick to coaching. (laughter)”
(Everybody is complaining about the heat. It’s not hot out here.) – “Not today. You’re right. It’s a great gift from Mother Nature; but the rest of the days, yes, it was brutal out here. But that’s the advantage that we have here playing in the heat. When opponents come here, they’re not going to want to play in this and we’ve been practicing in it for 1,000 times already, so now when we get to the game, it’s going to be like second nature.”
(S Reshad Jones said that some guys have an ice headband thing going on. Have you tried that out yet?) – “Yes, I tried out the ice headband. It looks kind of funny when you put it on your head, but it cools you down ultimately. That’s the great thing about it. When you get out for a play and just put that on and just kind of cool down, so when you get ready to get back out there, you feel fresh.”
(T Laremy Tunsil says he likes using the cold tents. He’s in there whenever he gets a chance. But that’s kind of far to run over there to get in the cold.) – “Yes, when they say it’s a break and I see a lot of guys over there in the cold tent, I’m just like, ‘You know what, I’m just going to sit right here,’ because for one, it’s already a far walk and then I’m going to have to go all the way back over here when they call us up. So I’ll just sit out there, get me a cold headband and just cool off for a little bit.”
(How are they going to spread the ball around with so many guys at your position?) – “To tell you the truth, I have no idea. I’ll leave that in Coach Gase’s hands; but either way it goes, we’ve got great guys that can make big plays, and that’s what we’re looking for. We come out here and compete every single day against one another and see who’s going to make the biggest play each and every day. As long as we’re doing that, who knows?”
(What’s the difference between Jakeem 3.0 and the freshman and sophomore version?) – “I’d say more confidence and just being me. I’d just say overall just more confidence. Sometimes my rookie season, I was out there trying to prove a point, trying to show guys that I belong in the league and trying to do that. Ultimately, when you do that, you’re trying to do too much and you end up messing up. Now, I’m just being myself, letting the big plays happen, just continue to play my role and do the things that I do and then the big plays will come, and then letting people see my personality and laughing, joking, playing around. When it all comes down to it, get serious and make big plays. Once you do that and you build that confidence in yourself, who knows, who can stop you?”
(We know WR Kenny Stills has been a leader in your room for a couple of years. Has Danny Amendola tried to become one as well? Has he been vocal with the group? Has he been trying to hold guys accountable for whatever it is to hold guys accountable for?) – “Yes. Danny came in, off the top, being a leader. He’s a vet. He has the most years (of experience) behind him in the room. He came in taking on just being a leader and that’s what we like of him. He knows a lot of things that we don’t know. He’s been in the game for double-digit years. He has definitely come in. Him and Kenny go both ways. Even me, even Albert (Wilson). It just rotates sometimes like that. It’s one day when you feel like someone else didn’t step up and talk and you step up and talk. Somebody has to uphold the receiver group. That’s not just on Kenny and Danny. That’s on all of us. Whenever one of us is lacking or the whole group is lacking, one of us has got to step up and make a big play or step up and just encourage each other.”
(You have two established punt returners with you and WR Danny Amendola on the roster. Do you hope to convince the coaching staff to trust you on returns closer to your end zone?) – “’Rizz,’ (Associate Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Darren Rizzi) he trusts me 100 percent. It’s whatever he wants to do and whatever he feels that’s right and I’m just going with it. He definitely trusts me. You’ve got Danny (Amendola), you’ve got Albert (Wilson), you’ve got all of those guys out there that are doing punt returns along with me. I’m picking Danny’s brain and just asking him a few questions like, ‘What can I do right here if this and such and such happens?’ He’s just giving me great advice. But ‘Rizz,’ he has ultimate trust in me. He’s going to trust me without a doubt to go back there and handle the ball.”
(Can you walk us through that touchdown in the corner of the end zone earlier today?) – “It was a sluggo (route). I saw that Torry (McTyer) was playing off and I had to sell it for a few more steps. After I sold it, I knew I had to dig out of it. I knew David (Fales) was going to throw it up. I had a feeling he was going to throw it up. He’s always throwing me the ball. Thanks, David. (laughter) I knew I had to make a big play and I had to show … I was telling Coach (Gase), we have a jump ball to DeVante (Parker) and I was like, ‘I want a jump ball too. Don’t shy away from me because I’m short.’ He was like, ‘Hey man, I’m not.’ I’m just saying I don’t know if that was just like a fluke or something like that. So I was like, ‘Okay, I’ll show you.’ So the only thing I was thinking in my mind was like, ‘I’ve got to show Coach Gase.’ So immediately after I scored, I ran over there, I celebrated with my teammates and ran over there to Coach Gase and I was like, ‘I told you.’”
