Davon Godchaux – May 30, 2018
Download PDF version
Wednesday, May 30, 2018
DT Davon Godchaux
(Do you feel like a vet coming into this OTAs?) – “No, sir. I’ve got to start all over and earn my way again. Back to square one.”
(How do you feel about the challenge of not only doing that but also with DT Ndamukong Suh leaving? That leaves a role that they expect you to take on.) – “Just an opportunity for each and everybody – me, Gabe (Wright), (Akeem) Spence, Jordan Phillips, Vincent Taylor. It’s an opportunity for everybody to get better. We have to accept that role and get better with it.”
(What’s your take on your new defensive line coach, Kris Kocurek? Quiet guy?) – “(laughter) No, not a quiet guy. I love him though. I love him. He’s going to push us to get better. He’s going to take us to reach our limits. As players, we want to stop at a certain peak and Coach Kris, he’s going to take us beyond that by pushing us each and every day.”
(How would you explain the difference between your first OTA last year and this one?) – “This one is intense. We have (Defensive Line) Coach Kris (Kocurek). He’s getting after us each and every day, whether that’s in the film room, on the field, running to the ball, drills, individuals. It’s very intense but we all love it, because we all know it’s going to get us better as a defensive line.”
(Give me an example of Defensive Line Coach Kris Kocurek’s intensity. We kind of see him out there getting excited, but is there anything you can tell us that he says or does?) – “Just effort. He’s big on effort and he’s big on attacking. Last year we weren’t attacking as much. He’s big on attacking. You want to get off the ball and attack scheme. We want to get out there and run after the ball. He wants us to make plays down the field too.”
(What is it going to take to take your game up to the next level?) – “Consistency, focus and film study each and every day. Going in there and learning from guys like, Robert Quinn, Cam Wake – older guys – Jordan Phillips, Akeem Spence and guys like that. Each and every day … Will Hayes. Going in there each and every day and learning from those guys, taking positive criticism.”
(Have you heard from DT Ndamukong Suh sense he left?) – “I talked to him actually when (that happened). I reached out to him and told him best of luck and things like that. He sent me a message, ‘If you keep working hard, the sky is the limit for you.’ I’ll try to stay in touch with him.”
(Was DT Ndamukong Suh surprised by the move?) – “I have no idea. That’s up to the coaches. I’m just here to do my part and do my job and play football for the Miami Dolphins.”
(What was the experience like, playing with DT Ndamukong Suh for a year?) – “It was fun. You see that guy each and every year at The Opening, teaching guys, high school guys. And you finally get to be on the same side with him and play with him and see how nasty he really is in a game and how physical he really is. It’s a major part for me. I’m glad I got to play with him.”
(Was DT Ndamukong Suh good to you?) – “Great guy.”
(Why do you come away with such a great impression of DT Ndamukong Suh as a teammate and being somewhat his understudy?) – “(He’s a) great mentor. I think after practice everybody saw me and Suh getting together and working on pass-rush moves, run fits, things he learned from (Defensive Line) Coach Kris (Kocurek) in Detroit and things he learned from ‘Coach T’ (former Defensive Line Coach Terrell Williams) last year here. (There’s) just a lot of things he taught me off the field, whether that’s eating right – I’m trying to eat right, but things like that – eating healthy meals and things like that.”
(DE Andre Branch said that there is more of a sense of urgency, he feels, in these OTAs. Why is that?) – “High energy. We rotate like eight to 10 guys. It’s like how Philly does it, how Jacksonville does it. We rotate eight to 10 guys and all of us can play at a high level. That’s why we feel so confident coming into the season.”
(It’s always a competition, but especially if you’re rotating guys, you don’t want to come out, do you?) – “I feel like when you look at teams like Philly and Jacksonville, it really didn’t matter who was in the game. All of those guys made plays, made major plays. It’s about the guys that (Defensive Line) Coach Kris (Kocurek) trusts in the game at that moment.”
(You had the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Hs kids here and we had a chance to speak to them. They said it was very therapeutic to come out here on the field after such a difficult year. What’s your take on that?) – “We were actually doing individual (drills) and (Defensive Line) Coach Kris (Kocurek) told us to go over there and give those guys a high five and wish them well and things like that after the tragedy happened at their school. We just wanted to go give those guys our prayers and condolences and tell those guys that we are with them.”
(What’s different about you this year? More serious, more informed, any of those things?) – “We expect to make a major leap – me, as myself, and as a player. You always want to set high standards for yourself, whether that’s personal goals for me. I’m not going to tell them, but there’s personal goals for me. I want to reach those goals. If I don’t reach them this year, then I’ll come back next year next year and try to reach those goals too. I think I set goals for myself and I want to reach those goals.”
(Were you tired at any point last year when you first started being a rookie? Now can you play more than you could last year?) – “Whoever is out there, we’re going to get after it. I trust, I truly believe in and trust (Defensive Line) Coach Kris (Kocurek), his scheme and what we’re going to do – attack the line of scrimmage. We’re really going to get after it. I trust that. I feel like as long as you trust that and as long as you have consistency, the sky is the limit in our defense, because we’re an attack defense.”
(What does it feel like to be one of the young players that they are pushing forward to be a future star, future leader of this team?) – “You have to take that into consideration. You have to take that and run with it. Each and every day, you have to come out and get better. Like I said, I want to restart my mindset each and every year. I don’t want to come in like last year and I’ve got the first six games and now I’m big time now. No, you don’t want to take that approach. That’s when you get complacent and guys pass you up each and every day. You want to have a new mindset each and every practice. It’s hard. It’s hard coming out there each and every day and try to reset your mindset and try to refocus and try to do the same thing over and over; but you have to do it in order to stay in this league.”
Tony Oden – May 30, 2018
Download PDF version
Wednesday, May 30, 2018
Defensive Backs Coach Tony Oden
(Do you like it here so far? Everything working out well?) – “I love it here so far.”
(How has the transition been for you?) – “It’s been good. The family is down here now, so that part is good. The guys are doing a good job getting me used to everything going on around here, so it has been good.”
(Your first impressions of S Minkah Fitzpatrick – the first eight days around him on the field?) – “He’s a rookie. That’s what it is. He’s a rookie. He’s doing a good job. He’s smart. He’s all of the things that we thought he would be. We’ve just got to bring him along, just like he’s a rookie, and give him what he can handle. We’re not going to slow his progress up one way or the other. We’re just going to take it day by day.”
(We were told a lot when you drafted S Minkah Fitzpatrick about him being very mature for his age. Even though you just said he’s a rookie, are there some things you see that make him look ready for this? That he looks pro ready?) – “Oh, yes.”
(As far as what?) – “I always start off with saying he’s a rookie. He’s definitely that; but you can tell he’s played in a lot of football games. He’s a very good communicator. He works hard. He wants extra study. So those things are kind of mature, or mature-r than most. He’s fallen in line with exactly what we thought he would be.”
(With the talent that you have back here in this group, you return a lot of starters and some guys who have started, such as CB Tony Lippett. What are your expectations for this group?) – “Compete and get better. Every day, all of these guys, we talk about every day is an interview. We can get better tomorrow or today, and keep the arrow pointing up. That’s on each person to keep working hard and let the chips fall where they may.”
(Can you expect this group to be a game-changing unit or a game-influencing unit? Could you describe it along those lines?) – “You want that to be the case. The things we talk about are if you line up behind people doesn’t mean we have to be behind them. We can lead them by our actions and it all starts in the meeting room, being accountable, knowing what we need to do on defense, communicating how we need to communicate, anticipating how we need to anticipate and if we do those things, everything else will fall in line.”
(What do you see of CB Cordrea Tankersley in his rookie year? And the mission for him as far as his specific area to improve, would be what?) – “Well, we all have areas to improve. I told those guys that about myself. I try to improve every day and be a better coach. We want to improve one percent every day and add that up. So specific things, I don’t want to get into specifics on what he needs to improve on; but there’s always a little bit of meat on the bones for improvement, whether it be eye discipline or anything. He’s improving. He knows it. He works hard. Anything I’ve ever asked him to do or any of the other guys to do so far, they’ve been right on it. I’ve got zero complaints about the group, about the effort or energy level they bring every day.”
(And how does CB Tony Lippett look coming back from injury, but a serious one for a cornerback?) – “Sure, it’s serious; but he’s been working hard. Our training staff has done a phenomenal job with him and just as equally, he’s done a phenomenal job. He’s in here every day. Even when I first got here, he was here every day. He’s done his part and the training staff is doing it’s part. I just have to do my part as a coach to get him in there and get him used to being in there. He’s on track to do good things.”
(How do you see that battle opposite CB Xavien Howard shaking out, because you have a bunch of guys amongst that crew that have a shot at it?) – “All of those guys, including ‘X’ (Xavien Howard), are trying to earn the right to come out here the next day and compete. I have no idea how it’s going to turn out; but I know it’s going to turn out with good competition and it’s going to turn out well. I’m excited about it.”
(What are some of the things that you can do because you have three safeties – such as S T.J. McDonald, S Reshad Jones and S Minkah Fitzpatrick – coverage-wise, looks or scheme? What are some of the things you can do?) – “You know just as well as I do that it could be a whole bunch of things or it could be not a lot at all. It just depends on how these guys gel together and how these guys react and respond when the bullets start flying. Right now, it’s all easy. Right now we’re just running around here in shorts and t-shirts and it’s all good. The sky could be the limit or we could be limited to that much [points to a small amount], but we’ll see. I think we’ve got the right group of guys, so I don’t anticipate being limited in a lot of things; but who knows. That’s why we practice and that’s why we play.”
(Why was taking this job appealing to you?) – “Palm trees and sunshine. (laughter) Besides that? That was number one. (laughter) No, I’m just joking. That’s not number one. (Defensive Line) Coach (Kris) Kocurek came down here, who I was with and coached with for four years up in Detroit. I know his style of coaching and I think we complement each other very well. I know (Head) Coach (Adam) Gase and his history coming up through the game. I like his offensive perspective and how he attacked us when we went against him in past years, so that part was exciting. I knew of (Defensive Coordinator) Coach (Matt) Burke. I know what kind of man and person he was based off of other people. When I look at the roster, this roster is close, and it was close. We don’t need to change a lot. We just want to enhance what’s already here, because those guys have won some games and have done some good things in the past. We just want to fine-tune a little bit, based on what we’ve done, and go from there.”
(Over several games, we saw elite play from CB Xavien Howard – the Denver game, the Monday Night Patriots game. Does that make you think its imminent to be like that all of the time? Not obviously two picks a game, but …) – “I like that – two picks a game. (laughter)”
(Is that too much to expect to be in an elite corner? Obviously you’re challenging him to be that. Is it in him to be that over a season?) – “We’ll see. He has the athletic ability to do it. We have to put him in a position to make those plays. Once he’s in position to make those plays, he has to do it. I don’t want to pigeonhole him one way or the other and say he has to be this or that. He just has to be the best ‘X’ he can be. Hopefully that’s good. I think he’s going to be a good one. We’ll see. I’m excited to see him play.”
(When you preface with S Minkah Fitzpatrick that he’s a rookie, what are the typical hurdles of the rookie learning curve at that position?) – “Just learning the speed of the game, learning how fast things are, how many moving parts that go on. (He can) learn that he doesn’t have to do everyone else’s job. He just has to do his job to the best of his ability. Those are the biggest things.”
(Your first impression of CB Jalen Davis?) – “I like him. He’s spirited. He has good transition. I don’t think it’s too big for him at all. I’m excited to see him go out there and compete.”
(We’ve seen obviously CB Bobby McCain mostly in the slot here, but we’ve seen him some in the boundary. Do you like what you see of him as a boundary corner?) – “Well we haven’t restricted him to boundary or field. All of these guys are going to have to play corner at some point. I look at all of these guys as corners, not necessarily pigeonholed as a nickel at all. I need him outside and I’m going to need him inside. If he’s in the game, it’s going to happen. If we don’t practice that, I can’t expect him to compete and excel at an elite level if we haven’t practiced it. So all of these guys will rotate through – right, left. There’s no boundary or field. Just go get it.”
(I know there’s no depth chart but any logical person would say S Reshad Jones is going to be a starter in your defensive backfield. Is there anyone else you would include in that group where you can say with confidence this guy should be starting for me in the opener?) – “No. I definitely can’t say that. We don’t have a depth chart; we have a rep chart. A rep chart is how are we getting reps for that day. We rotate through that thing and we have way more snaps to be taken before any of that stuff is decided, and that’s a good thing. We’ve got good guys out here that are working hard and doing everything we ask them to do. I couldn’t ask for a better group right now, to be honest.”
(Has anything stood out to you about S Minkah Fitzpatrick?) – “Just that he’s got good ball skills. He’s smart. He’s a competitor. He’s all of the things that we thought he would be. He’s still learning but he’s eager to learn. The game isn’t too big for him and I think he is what was reported and what we thought he would be. He’s just learning the info game.”
(With CB Tony Lippett, has he yet shown the skills needed to be an NFL cornerback after an Achilles injury or is it too early to know if he’s regained all of his skills needed after that injury?) – “I think he has a lot of skills; but everyone looks good. If I go out here right now, I might have skills until we get to a preseason game. (laughter) That’s when you find it out. But he’s doing exactly what he needs to do. I have zero complaints about where he’s come, where he’s going and how hard he’s working and all of those kinds of things. He’s an NFL corner. That’s what he is. He’s played NFL games.”
(CB Cornell Armstrong, just your initial thoughts on him?) – “Tough. He’s smart, learning and improving. I’m excited to work with him.”
Kris Kocurek – May 30, 2018
Download PDF version
Wednesday, May 30, 2018
Defensive Line Coach Kris Kocurek
(What are you general impressions of the group that you’ve got this year? What do you think of the talent you’ve been given?) – “So far, I like the talent; but the talent has got to work and that’s the thing these guys have been doing. Since Day 1, they’ve bought into the work ethic that we’re looking for as a coaching staff. They show up every day prepared. I’m just making sure that we get better one day at a time; but the talent is there. So we’ve just got to work hard to make sure we maximize our abilities and help the team win as much as we can.”
(Where did the emotion you coach with come from?) – “I’ve just always kind of been like that, starting at a young age. (When I) laced them up for middle school football, right when I hit the field, my heart started jumping out of my chest, I started sweating, got nervous and hit the field with my hair on fire. That’s kind of my approach and we’re going to go as hard as we can for as long as we can.”
(We’ve seen some different plans for DE Cameron Wake from, “He’s a starter and he’s the starter,” to “He’s a pass rusher and we bring him in on passing downs.” At 36 years old, what’s your plan for him this year?) – “Right now, we don’t really have any depth chart set, but all I know is that we’re looking for eight, nine or 10 guys, and in my history, we’re going to roll guys through games. We want to keep our guys fresh throughout four quarters and then we want to keep our guys fresh through 16 games. We’re going to wave them in and we’re going to hopefully develop eight to 10 guys to roll through games and try to keep snap counts down as much as we can and go as fast as we can for as hard as we can.”
(You’ve got a lot of young guys that got a lot of reps on that defensive line last year. Do you see it in the second-year guys?) – “Oh yes. As d-lineman, the jump from your first year to your second year as a defensive lineman in the NFL should be drastic, and then second to third year should be even bigger. Then they say by the time your third year hits around, you should be hitting your stride.”
(What have you emphasized with DE Robert Quinn as far as trying to get him back to some of those big years that he had a few years back?) – “Get on his aiming point, key the ball and go as fast as he can go as hard as he can go.”
(DT Davon Godchaux, he looks like a veteran. Even from the start he looked like a veteran. I know you didn’t see him last year, but…) – “I did see him last year. I saw him on film a lot last year and I like what I saw from him last year. We just need to take that next step with him. He’s doing a good job. (He’s) very serious about football, very serious about getting better and those things should lead to success on the field.”
(What’s your early assessment of DE Charles Harris based on obviously watching his film from last year and now being out here with him a little bit?) – “Very serious about his craft. (He) works extremely, extremely hard. It’s hard to outwork Charles. (He) wants to get better (and) strives to get better every single day.”
(What did you think of DE Charles Harris’ year last year?) – “Just from afar, good. As a rookie, it’s always hard. As a defensive end coming in as a rookie, I thought he played well. Now we need to take that next step.”
(How does the d-tackle group get better without DT Ndamukong Suh there?) – “Rotation. We plan on having four to five guys in there rolling. I know Ndamukong played a lot of snaps last year. We plan on waving guys through this year. Having depth at the position always helps. We’re going to rotate them through there and try to keep their snaps down as much as we possibly can and keep them playing as fast and as hard as we can go.”
(How many can you keep on the active game day roster? Four, five? Or have you thought that far?) – “We’ve kept anywhere between three to five in the past. Hopefully four at least. That way we can keep them fresh.”
(How significant was the acquisition of DT Akeem Spence and that being a guy you’re very familiar with?) – “Spence is a hard-working guy. Obviously, I put my name on him to bring him here (and) we got him here. He fits our style of play. He fits the culture we’re trying to build in our locker room. He fits in with the guys. He’s a team guy. He works really hard and he’s really quick-twitched to play the type of aggressive defense that we want to play.”
(The way it was relayed to us, the DE Robert Quinn thing kind of came out of nowhere, and I know you had been around for a couple months already before that happened. What was your reaction when you found out all of a sudden you guys were getting him?) – “Kind of the same reaction as (Defensive Coordinator) Coach (Matt) Burke. We kind of found out … He found out probably about two minutes before I found out. He came into my office and kind of the way he described it is he thought it was a joke to begin with. I kind of said the same thing when Coach Burke came in and said he wanted to watch Robert on film. I was like, ‘Come on now.’ And then (I) figured out we were possibly going to get him. Obviously, I got excited about it. He’s been a guy that going all the way back to North Carolina that I’ve had my eye on. I liked him coming out of the draft. Obviously, I’ve watched him throughout his NFL career. He fits our scheme, and we’re very fortunate to get him. As good a player as he is on the field, he’s as good a guy off the field.”
(Do you have a handle on what held DE Robert Quinn back the last couple years? The last couple years weren’t his better seasons.) – “I have no idea. I wasn’t in the building.”
(When you were watching his film though, was there anything you saw where you were like, “This is the thing we can correct?”) – “It’s just scheme. He was asked to do something differently than he had done in the past going from strictly a 4-3 type guy to being more of a stand-up outside linebacker type. It’s not an easy transition sometimes. It’s not like he played bad.”
(What are the areas that DE Charles Harris needs to apply that hard work to so he can make that jump from the first to the second year?) – “Just like all young players, just consistency down in and down out. In our scheme, we play an aggressive, attacking, fast style of defense, so just playing as fast as he can every single down. We can live with the mistakes when he’s playing fast. We want to take the guesswork out of things and get him going fast as he can go, and that should lead to production.”
(Do you ever lose your voice on the practice field? Do you ever get too excited?) – “Especially early on, your voice you’ve got to train it a little bit. Right when we first started, I get a little hoarse; but then as the season and OTAs progress, it gets game ready.”
(DT Jordan Phillips said to us the other day that you’re going to help change the culture in the defensive line room. What does he mean? How do you react to that?) – “I really don’t even know what the definition of culture is. All I know is we’re going to show up every day, we’re going to put our hand on the door and we’re going to walk in and we’re going to try to get better that day. We’re going to work as hard as we possibly can to make sure that we improve, to get our defensive line playing the way our coaching staff envisions our front playing – fast, physical, aggressive and with extreme effort.”
(Have you talked to DT Jordan Phillips about maybe needing more from him with DT Ndamukong Suh no longer here?) – “I talked to all of them about needing more, not just Jordan. We want to maximize our production from every single positon on the front, so not just Jordan. We’re asking all of our guys to give us everything they’ve got every single day they’re here. We’re all working collectively, not just Jordan.”
(DT Jordan Phillips at his best is obviously very good. Do you see still enough youth there where you think, “Maybe we can see a more consist player?”) – “I think we’re going to get more consistency from top to bottom. That’s what we’re striving for each day we come out here. Jordan, I’ll just say this: Jordan has showed up this offseason with a very good attitude. He’s striving to get better every single day. He’s working extremely hard and it’s important to him. I would anticipate him getting better along with the whole group. We show up every day to get a little bit better. That’s what we’re trying to do as a collective group, to help our team win and to help make sure we positively influence the game and help us win games.”
(There were a lot of big names on this defensive line last year, and at the end of the year, all of them said, “We don’t know why it didn’t translate to something better.” Having watched it on tape, can you pinpoint things that you need to change so it does translate to something better?) – “Show up and get this much better as a group every single day [signals a small amount]. I don’t care really about big names, small names, big-school guys, small-school guys. We’re here to work and to get better. Hard work is going to equal success. I’ve always believed in that. We’re trying to be the hardest-working group on the field and go at it as hard as we can every day, and try to get a little better every single day.”
(So far so good?) – “So far so good.”
Andre Branch – May 30, 2018
Download PDF version
Wednesday, May 30, 2018
DE Andre Branch
(How does the defensive line look without DT Ndamukong Suh in there?) – “It’s good. Our leaders are stepping up and we’ve got a lot of depth. For us, it’s just keep getting better each and every day and just keep pushing each other.”
(How important was it for these young guys, like DT Vincent Taylor and DT Davon Godchaux, to get a lot of playing time coming into this year?) – “I mean it’s important. You see we’re going to count on those guys a lot this year and they’ve been working their tails off to get better. They’ve been striving for greatness.”
(You can tell us the truth now. How injured were you last year?) – “(laughter) I’m not talking about last year. I’m just here to get better.”
(Are you fully healthy now? Are you completely cleared and all of that?) – “I’m getting there. At the end of the day, you just keep getting better and keep on it and just follow the guidelines that the Dolphins want, and just go from there.”
(What are your expectations of yourself this year?) – “Be at one-hundred percent.”
(What are your thoughts about the new defensive line coach, Kris Kocurek?) – “(He’s) great. He pushes us every day. He has great energy and we feed off of it. He’s our leader in our room and he wants us to be great and we want to be great, and he’s not going to settle for anything less than that.”
(Does Defensive Line Coach Kris Kocurek have you working on any new techniques or anything like that? Just sharpening things up?) – “To just keep pushing each other. That’s our main thing is just keep pushing each other and great things will happen.”
(The defense looked pretty hungry in those 11-on-11s. Are you guys looking at showing this new look is going to be better than ever?) – “It’s good. We’re competing. We know what we have on the offensive side. We’ve got a lot of great talent over there, so for us to compete against those guys on a day-to-day basis is great.”
(This group of defensive ends – pass rushers – you guys have added DE Robert Quinn now. What are the expectations of you DE Cameron Wake, Quinn and DE Charles Harris?) – “We’ll be fresh. (laughter) We know that. We’ll definitely be fresh, especially when it gets down to the nitty gritty and when guys are banged up and you’ve got to fight through it because you’re the only guy; but now, we’re rolling. That’s our expectation.”
(You guys have added some youth to the defense. What’s the key to getting those guys up to speed?) – “Just step in. They know what they have to do. There are a lot of things going through their heads because they’re young; but at the same time, as a veteran leader, you just help bring those guys along and not even act like they’re a rookie.”
(As a defensive line overall, you guys lost DT Ndamukong Suh like we talked about before; but how can you guys expect to be better after you lose a player of that caliber? Is it strength in numbers?) – “For sure, because if you just count on one guy over – what do we have, like eight players – everybody is just focused on that one person. For us now, it’s all about roles and understanding that we want to be fresh and if you get tired then come out, and not having to force reps when you’re dog tired. For us, it’s just always being fresh and playing fast.”
(Is the middle linebacker still a rookie?) – “In the locker room, he’s a rookie. On the field he’s definitely stepped in and he’s ready. We’ll see; but as of right now, he’s been doing great. We know exactly what type of talent he is. He’s a great kid and he’s controlling the huddle.”
(We don’t know much about DE Robert Quinn. We haven’t really had a chance to visit with him yet. Your thoughts on him and tell us about who he is.) – “(He’s a) great teammate. Great energy. I love to have him in the locker room and we push one another each and every day; so it’s great.”
(Did you know DE Robert Quinn at all before?) – “A little bit, but not too much.”
(You and DE Robert Quinn have become friendly, I’m sure.) – “For sure. Everybody in our room is great. For us, it’s just how good do we really want to be?”
(How different does it feel, this time around in OTAs?) – “There’s a sense of urgency now. Last year was kind of complacent but for us, we know what we have. We can’t make excuses now. It’s time to really live up to that and put on.”
(How much of it is having QB Ryan Tannehill back and the way that he looks?) – “He looks amazing. It’s good to have him back in the huddle and controlling things, controlling the team and leading us. We’re going to go as far as he takes us, no matter what. We all have to do our part but he’s a main part in that.”
(The kids over there from Stoneman Douglas HS, what does it mean to have interaction with them?) – “It’s great. Those kids look up to us so we all go over there and talk to them, and you see how excited they are when they talk to us.”
Frank Bush – May 30, 2018
Download PDF version
Wednesday, May 30, 2018
Assistant Head Coach/Linebackers Frank Bush
(Why will your group be better this year than you think they were last year?) – “Just another year in the system. They’re kind of getting used to me and me getting used to them. Plus we add some good players. We add Raekwon (McMillan) back into the mix. Kiko (Alonso) is going to be a little bit better. We’ve got more competition so everybody should get a little bit better.”
(LB Jerome Baker, what have you seen out of him so far?) – “You see speed. You see quickness, athleticism. All of those things. He’s got a good brain. We just have to get him going in the right direction all of the time. He’s a really good athlete.”
(On LB Raekwon McMillan, does he look like the same player he was prior to the injury?) – “He does. I mean you see all of the earmarks and all of the traits that we saw before. You’re starting to see them again. Now it’s just about getting his confidence. He’s done a good job for us. I’m looking forward to him just keep going forward and getting better.”
(Do you think last year was just a function of you guys had so many injuries and so many things that went on with you guys?) – “Yes. We had a lot of things going on last year; but (there are) no excuses. We didn’t get the job done so we’ve got to be better than we were last year.”
(What’s your message to your team?) – “Just that. We’ve just got to get on the grind and get a little bit better every day. Last year is last year. That’s gone. We’ve got to try to be the best group we can be this year.”
(With the injuries that you had, do you feel like it was a blessing you got a lot of guys get a lot more snaps?) – “Yes. It always helps. Reps are what you need in this business. You’ve got to get out there in that fire, so that really helped us and we feel a little bit better for guys like Chase Allen and Mike Hull, who got to play for us last year. We feel like we have quality depth.”
(How do you evaluate the year that LB Kiko Alonso had last year?) – “With me being in my first year with him, I’d kind of say it was up and down. I was expecting a lot more from him. I’m sure he expected more from me. He did what we thought he should do and he can play better. He can play better in coverage. Some of his tackling was suspect; but we’re working on all of those things and I think he’ll be better. He came off a hand injury last year. No excuses, but coming off the hand, he didn’t do as well as we thought he would early. He’ll come around.”
(How do you unlock the best from LB Kiko Alonso?) – “We just have to let him go. One thing he will do is run and hit, and we have to put him in position to do that.”
Bobby McCain – May 29, 2018
Download PDF version
Tuesday, May 29, 2018
CB Bobby McCain
(How are you going to get all of these defensive backs on the field at the same time?) – “I’m sure coach is going to have a plan. We have a lot of good players on the back end and the front end as well. We’re going to bring it all together and keep working and find a way.”
(Is it a hope of yours … We’ve seen how good you are playing in the slot; but we’ve seen you on the boundary too and you’ve had success there. Would it be a hope of yours to be able to start potentially on the boundary and then move inside on third downs because we saw you last week playing there?) – “I’m a corner. I want to be in the game as everyone does. Whatever we feel is best for the team to win ball games, that’s what I’m going to do – whether it’s outside, inside. Whatever’s best for me and whatever is best for the team, honestly, is to win ball games.”
(Have you seen any changes in QB Ryan Tannehill’s mobility coming back from the surgery? Or is it the same mobile Ryan? I know there’s only been four on-field practices; but is it the same mobile Ryan that you saw before?) – “He’s still mobile. He can still move his feet. He still can run well. He’s always been a good athlete. He’s always been able to move in the pocket and outside of the pocket with boots (bootlegs) and even running the football. He looks stronger than ever.”
(Head Coach Adam Gase talked about your leadership. Do you take pride in being a leader on the team?) – “Yes, it’s a prideful move and it’s a great compliment coming from coach – the head coach. At the end of the day, we’re just here to do a job and that’s to win football games. If your role is to lead the young guys, then that’s what you have to do. If your role is to sit back and wait, which mine in the first year and second year has been, you just have to wait. Now that we have young guys coming up behind you, they know the right way to do things. That’s what we try to depend on here, just the right way of doing things.”
(Has some of the young guys come up to you recently once they got here?) – “Yes. A lot of them, and that’s a good sight to see. Me being in my fourth year, I was that guy three years ago, asking questions and wanting to know things. We’ve got guys like ‘Fitzy’ (Minkah Fitzpatrick), Cornell (Armstrong), ‘J.D.’ (Jalen Davis) and those young guys are all coming up and they want to know. They want to learn. That’s good to know and that’s good to have.”
(What’s it like to be the veteran now?) – “It’s different because you are the vet in the room, one of the vets in the room. We have a lot of great vets in the room such as Reshad (Jones), T.J. (McDonald) ‘Lip’ (Tony Lippett) even. ‘X’ (Xavien Howard is coming along. Guys that have just been there and have been with the team for years now. It’s different but it’s a role. It’s a role you have to take and you have to embrace yourself, to know that now you have guys looking at you to do the right thing. You have to make sure that you’re doing it.”
(You mentioned your role the first three years was to be a slot corner. Do you think this is the year for you to do more and be that starting guy – not even in nickel but in base you can go out and win a starting job?) – “Like I said. I want to be in the game as much as I can. If that’s what we have to do, that’s what we’ve got to do. If I’ve got to play outside, I play outside. Inside or outside, wherever it is, I want to be in the game.”
(The Dolphins lost a few guys that are kind of like spark-plug guys, energy guys in practice. Help me out here, give me a few teammates that you have already seen that are going to bring that energy and that spunk to the practice field?) – “It’s a collective unit. As a unit, we’re trying to bring that spark, that energy, because we’re having fun. At the end of the day, we’re playing the game we love. With Xavien (Howard) and ‘Branchy’ (Andre Branch), and guys like even Raekwon (McMillan) in the middle, just being a general, there’s guys like that, that I have respect for because I know how hard the game is. I know what it’s like to wake up and have to bring that energy and be that guy. Like I said, it’s a collective unit – like Kenny (Stills). Guys are just doing the right thing. It’s a good sight to see.”
(There’s an evolution as a player, particularly a guy who went in the third day like you did. First, your priority is to make the team and help however you can and stuff so you can get on the field. Now in Year 4, do you think contract? It’s kind of an important year for you.) – “Yes, it’s a contract year. There’s no secret; but me personally, I think just go out and play ball. If you go out and play ball, it will all end up well for you. If you win ball games, everybody gets paid, period. If you go out and take your team to the playoffs, go deep in the playoffs and go to the Super Bowl, everybody wins.”
(Have they talked to you at all about the contract yet?) – “I’m just going out trying to play my best ball.”
(Does it feel weird now when you look around and you’re the old guy amongst the cornerbacks?) – “Yes, it’s crazy. It’s a good feeling though. Just knowing that it’s your fourth year in the league and it’s a big season for you, and the team as well. We’ve got a lot of new faces; but at the end of the day, you have to put the hat on and go to work each and every day. Like I said, if you get the wins, the dollars will pile up.”
(Obviously going against them in games with Kansas City and New England and being around them at practice, what do you think WR Albert Wilson does really well and what do you think WR Danny Amendola does really well?) – “They’re both good players and of course, Danny’s proven, as everyone knows. He’s a proven player. I’m happy to have him on my team after our differences we’ve had with the Patriots the past couple of years. (laughter) He’s a really good player and Albert is a good player too. He’s a really good player and he’s really fast. He can run. They’re both going to help us win ball games and I’m happy to have them.”
(Did you know WR Danny Amendola was as tightly wound as he seems?) – “No, he’s a work horse. Danny’s a work horse. He seems like a perfectionist at the end of the day, because he wants to do everything the right way. When you’ve got ‘28’ (myself) on the other side, it’s a little tough. You’re supposed to laugh at that. (laughter) But he works his tail off. He comes in everyday and you can tell he’s a real vet. He comes in to work and play ball. Like I said, we hope to bring a championship to this city and with him being in New England, he’s got a couple piled up. At the end of the day, he is here and we’re ready to go get it.”
(Do you understand anything a little bit more about WR Danny Amendola now that you’re teammates?) – “He’s not as bad as I thought he was. (laughter) He’s a good guy. He’s a leader and he’s going to be real good for this locker room, for this team and for the organization.”
(You think WR Danny Amendola would say the same thing about you?) – “I hope so.”
(Coming into this season before WR Danny Amendola became your teammate, he was your number one enemy, correct?) – “No, no, no, no. Tom Brady. (laughter)”
(So WR Danny Amendola was number two?) – “Yes, he might have been number two. He might have been on that list somewhere. (laughter)”
(Which of you guys have had picks through the first four days of 11-on-11 work?) – “I dropped mine. Danny (Amendola) broke that up. ‘Fitzy’ (Minkah Fitzpatrick) caught some picks. He’s got some tipped passes. The ball seems to find him. He’s going to be good for us. I know someone … Reshad (Jones) got a pick. He got him a nice pick. We’ve put our hands on some balls. We can get more.”
(What are some of your early impressions of CB Cornell Armstrong?) – “He kind of reminds me of myself when I came in because he wants to learn. He’ll pull me over to the side and ask, ‘Why did you do that?’ Or ‘on this call, why are they playing like this?’ That’s what you need because coming in as a rookie, you don’t know the defense. It took me a year, a couple of years, to learn the defense the way you know it backwards and forwards. He wants to learn. He has ball skills. He has all the … He looks the part. I think he’s going to be a good player for us.”
(Now that you’ve had a lot of months to think about last year and it’s not a week-to-week thing, what was missing in the defense last season?) – “Personally, I feel like we lost a bit of fire. We lost that spark to get us going. I take heed of that. As a collective unit, we’ll take it, from the front end and the back end. We lost that … ‘Your back is against the wall, go get it.’ The year before, if the offense makes a turnover, okay boom. The ball is on our own territory on the 20-yard line, let’s stop them to a field goal. We kind of lost that go out and get it, go out and make a stop (attitude). This year, we’ve got guys in there. We’ve got guys that will make a difference and say ‘No, we’re not having it. We’re going to get the ball back. No field goals, no nothing. We’re going to turn the ball over.’”
(Why do you think that was?) – “To be honest with you, I’m not sure. I couldn’t tell you. It could be anything at the end of the day; but it’s on us. It’s not on … People say it’s on the coaches. No, it’s on us. We’re the ones out there playing and we’re the ones that have to get it done.”
(Is it something that you could sense as the year was going on? Or was it something you came to realize after the season was over?) – “After the season. I sat back after the season and I watched all 16 games. I watched them a couple of times, to be honest with you. When you see as a defense … We call it put a hand on a helmet, which is like celebrating and having a good time. You’ll see a couple of guys putting a hand on a helmet. No, we need all 11. If a guy makes a great play, we need all 11 there. Everybody needs to be there. Next year, we’re going to have it. We’re going to have that energy this year.”
(How would you describe the personality and approach of the two new coaches you have there – Defensive Backs Coach Tony Oden and Assistant Defensive Backs Coach Renaldo Hill?) – “They’re both from Detroit. They’re both really good coaches. ‘Coach O’ (Tony Oden) is a good coach and Coach Hill is a good coach. They’re both proven. I know Coach Oden has a Super Bowl ring. Speaking of personality, don’t take this the wrong way, but we’re all not here to be friends. We’re a family and we’re here to do a job; but as a family. Does that make sense? He’s going to tell you, ‘You’re doing this wrong,’ but you know it’s out of love. And if you’re doing it right, he’s going to tell you you’re doing it right and it’s out of love. When you say personality, that’s how I feel about it. There’s people that can shoot you this and it not be correct or it not be truthful. No. He wants to tell you the truth and we’re going to get it done. If we do something out there that’s wrong, we’ll correct it when we get in the room. Boom. Done. That way the guy behind you doesn’t do the same thing.”
(Are you going to be one of those guys keeping that fire lit this year?) – “Yes, for sure. One-hundred percent.”
Kenyan Drake – May 29, 2018
Download PDF version
Tuesday, May 29, 2018
RB Kenyan Drake
(What’s different this offseason compared to last offseason for you?) – “This year is different. It’s a different team, obviously, a different scenario. I’m kind of more of a person that has people looking up to me in terms of we have a lot more younger guys. As far as tenure on the team as a running back, I’m the longest tenured running back, which is pretty interesting. Last year or two years ago, I was coming in as a fresh face. Now to … It’s funny how time flies. I’m definitely embracing this role and trying to help this team win a lot more games in the coming years.”
(What have you learned about the NFL from a business side the last two years watching how everything has gone down?) – “I’ve learned that you definitely can’t take any week for granted. It’s a one-game season every week. ‘Any given Sunday’ is a cliché we like to use. From a personal standpoint, I feel like you just have to be where your feet are. From waking up one morning and you just realize you traded your starting running back so now you’re going to get a lot more bulk of the carries to the next person in front of you is injured for the rest of the season, so now you definitely have to have a lot more of the bulk. Then my rookie year, it was just a lot of big learning experiences because at the end of the day, I just wasn’t mentally prepared to handle the workload as if I was out there being an everyday starter, which I take personally because I was supposed to put myself in that position to do what I need to do to help this team win games and I came up short my rookie year. As the second year went on, I got a lot more special teams opportunities and I felt like that gave me a lot more confidence to go out there and be a football player. Once I got the ball in my hands, it was just natural again.”
(Since RB Frank Gore was brought into the fold, have you picked his brain?) – “I feel like when you look at the guy, you don’t think he’s 34 or 35 years old. I always remind him when he first came into the league I was in fifth or sixth grade. (laughter) It’s interesting to see how long he has really been the back he is. He works out like he’s (a) first year, second year guy. He comes in with that same attitude. I feel like if I could have just half the success in his career, I feel like that would be a win in my book, because he’s definitely the epitome of longevity in this league. Just having him on this team is going to help not just the running backs, but everybody see if you take the right steps … Obviously, he’s a – I guess you could say – once in a lifetime type of player, especially at this positon with the wear and tear you have on your body. He does it right every day. He just epitomizes that.”
(Over the last five games of the season, you had I believe more rushing yards than any back in the league. I’ve got to double check that, but I think it’s right. How sustainable is that? Do you think you can be one of the league’s leading rushers for 16 games?) – “I feel like with the people that I have around me, with how (Head) Coach (Adam) Gase and everybody calls the games on offense with the receivers, with Ryan (Tannehill) back, with the o-line that we have revitalized, I feel like the sky’s the limit for me and the rest of the guys in my room. We’re going to take it one day at a time. When that comes, that comes. We’re definitely moving in the right direction. There’s a lot of excitement about this team. We’re just ready to take everything full speed. It’s funny. Everybody likes to use that statistic – I had the most rushing yards – but it’s not like Todd (Gurley) didn’t play the last game or anything. I guess I got that by default.”
(We just talked to G/T Jesse Davis about continuity on the offensive line. In terms of your success, how important – if those five can stay healthy and running behind the same line to gel as a group – how important is it to your success?) – “My success is the team’s success. So as long as we’re winning games, I feel like at the end of the day, that’s a win in my book. The yards will come. If the responsibility of all 11 guys on the field, if they take care of their responsibility … I can’t go out there and do anything on my own at the end of the day. I feel like this year we’re going to take the right steps to make sure we do our 1/11th like (Special Teams Coordinator/Associate Head) Coach (Darren) Rizzi likes to say, because nobody can go out there and do it on their own. That’s why I love this game. It’s the ultimate team game. In basketball, you can have a superstar out there to lead a team as we see in the (NBA) Finals this year; but at the end of the day, football is not basketball. You have to have 11 guys collectively as a group go out there (and) do what you got to do.”
(This is your third year now. We know a fair amount about you on the football side, but I don’t know how much people know about you on the personal side. What are your interests? Do you have family, people that are close to you on the team? Just tell us about you as a person.) – “I’m a laid back type of person, kind of reserved in a sense. I feel like nowadays, it’s a blessing and a curse to have a lot of stuff being readily accessible; but I feel like when it comes to my family, my personal life, I don’t like that stuff being really too personal out there. That’s just how I am. I know some people relish in that, especially in this type of lifestyle where I’m a professional athlete. Some people take that and run with it, but that’s not just my M.O. (modus operandi). I’m a fun-loving type of person. I love this game of football. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else in the world, obviously, than down here playing for the Miami Dolphins. And I love to win. That’s why I went to Alabama, because I love to win. I love to be a competitor. (Head Coach Adam) Gase brought me here because he knows I’m a competitor and he knows that at the end of the day, I have that ability to make big plays in big games. Once I leave this field, I love the game, but I’m a human being at the end of the day.”
(What you said about the 11 teammates being interlinked, does QB Ryan Tannehill make you a better player?) – “Of course, of course. Jay Cutler, he definitely helped me out last year with his experience, because he played a lot of big games throughout his career. With his mannerisms and everything, he definitely helped me not be so animated sometimes. Obviously, it got the best of me at the end of the year last year, from a long season standpoint. And Ryan, with him being there every day last year when he was injured, that definitely helped me see the type of leader he is, the type of person he is, the type of quarterback he is. I feel like he’s definitely the guy that’s going to definitely lead us to a lot more wins this year.”
(Talk about Head Coach Adam Gase a little bit. He talked about your maturity, how much have you changed since your rookie year and what specifically has changed.) – “Honestly, it was just about growing up one day. Everybody has to take that step necessary to be the man that they want to be. Obviously, I’m nowhere near where I want to be, obviously, as a man, as a football player, because I feel like the sky’s the limit for me and for this team in general. I feel like that’s the M.O. (modus operandi) of this team and has been for me personally. Obviously, we’ve been a really young team and that was epitomized with the amount of mental errors we had the last couple years. That was just a whole M.O. for this team. But I feel like now with Ryan (Tannehill) itching to get back out there, the young DBs that we have, the last couple years getting the maturation process going, me going into three years now, the (offensive) line having a couple young guys and obviously bringing in veterans to come in and help mold that group a little bit more with ‘L.T.’ (Laremy Tunsil) on the edge and Ja’Wuan (James) on that other side, I feel like now we are just really going to hit our stride, because we don’t have that excuse that we’re young anymore. We’ve got the veterans that we have now coming back from injuries or that sort (and) the young guys with the experience that we have. I feel like it’s all going to mold together.”
(How have you approached this offseason differently knowing you’re the guy now at running back as opposed to last year when you probably weren’t even sure exactly?) – “How? Me personally or somebody else?”
(You personally.) – “I always try to approach it the same way regardless. I feel like now that I have a lot more experience in the offense in general, it gives me the ability to, obviously, know what I need to know from a simplicity standpoint but then also be able to focus on, ‘Alright now that I know what I have to do, now what is the line doing? Now what is the quarterback thinking on this play? How is the rotation of the safeties going to affect my run, how the line is going to run-fit, how the linebackers fit in this A gap or where is the three technique or the soft shade or whatever? Is he going to make a check from a run play to a pass play?’ I feel like my whole entire maturation process being in this offense, being in this league for two years now going on three, my approach to this year has just been, ‘Now, what else? How else can I expand my horizons?’”
(What is your sense on how fast Head Coach Adam Gase would like his offense to be?) – “I feel like every play he doesn’t want to huddle. He just wants to get up there and call the play from the sideline, get it to Ryan (Tannehill) as quick as possible and kind of get it to where when we get to the line, there’s 20 to 25 seconds on the play clock and then he can kind of see from there what the defense (is showing), how they’re lining up and how we can get to the best play possible. I feel like that’s something that obviously when you’re young and you don’t have a lot of experience with knowing the schematics of everything, you don’t really understand this is what he’s trying to do. Now that I’m in this offense to the point where I’m at now, I can sit back and say, ‘Alright, this is why he’s doing this.’ That’s really the approach that I’ve come to now is the why of everything. Obviously doing everything from knowing what I’ve got to do is the first part. Now, why is this happening?”
(How is the dynamic between you and RB Frank Gore working out? Has he helped you with anything? Have you helped him with anything?) – “Yes. We both have the same, almost, type of personality where it’s laid back and not really a too flashy type of deal. I feel like we definitely feed off of each other. I can see how he’s been the way he is for so many years because of how he just kind of puts his head down and works. I think that’s something I want to definitely mold into my game just because obviously his longevity. He’s definitely one of the … Just knowing him for two months now, he’s definitely one of the more genuine people I’ve ever met.”
(In this day and age, how tough is it to be like that? You see guys on social media and they want to show when they become a big deal.) – “I feel like it’s easy, especially living down here in Miami, to kind of get caught up in a lot of different stuff; but you’ve just got to stay true within yourself. I always have people coming up to me and asking me if they can do videos of me working out and all of that type of stuff and I’m like I don’t really have to go out there and show people that I’m working. What’s going to show that I’m working is when I get on the field and I perform. I don’t have to do all the extra shenanigans and things like that. I just want to go out there and play football and just do it how I’m supposed to do it.”
(What have you seen from the youngster, RB Kalen Ballage?) – “He’s a freak. He runs so smooth that it doesn’t look like he’s really running fast. For him to be as tall (as he is) … It’s funny. Me being more of a long, tall back, I always had trouble running behind my pads; but he always seems to have kind of a natural bend and a natural ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. Obviously we don’t have pads on, so blocking is a different story when you get pads on; but he just seems to be definitely a three-tool type of player. I’m just looking to see his development.”
(How did you know that RB Todd Gurley didn’t play? Did you look that up or did you just at some point …) – “Well, it was in … they were like in the playoff hunt so there was no reason to put him out there. I just figured I know him and Kareem Hunt didn’t play. It was nice. I pat myself on the back sometimes but it was by default. (laughter)”
(Are you still going to be playing when you’re 35?) – “Shoot, man. God willing. I don’t know. By 35, I don’t know how my body will feel on this bum ankle and this bad arm.”
(It’s pretty amazing, huh?) – “Yes, it’s amazing. (Frank Gore) told me too that he had what, two ACL surgeries before he even got to the league? So to even battle through that, especially … Obviously he had a pretty good medical staff back then but medicine was different 15 years ago or however long ago he had those surgeries. The fact that he’s been able to battle through that is … It’s really inspiring, almost to a degree, because I don’t feel like he gets the credit he deserves because he should be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. You just never know because he doesn’t get that spotlight all of the time.”
(He doesn’t have the spotlight but RB Frank Gore is less than 100 yards away from being the fourth leading rusher.) – “Right. Exactly. I feel like people are like, ‘Really?’ But when you think about it, of course. He’s been playing for so long and he’s been so consistent, how could he not be up in that top area? I feel blessed to have the ability to share the room and share the backfield with somebody that’s obviously, in my opinion, and everybody in this room’s opinion, is going to be a Hall of Famer. Not a lot of people get to say that.”
(If RB Frank Gore tells you something, is it different hearing it from a player than a coach? He could tell you the same thing but because he’s been in the trenches?) – “For sure. Coaches obviously have their role because they’ve earned it, and he’s earned it too from a player standpoint. Obviously seeing somebody that you’ve grown up watching since you were however old, when you get into the same room as him at the same time, you get caught up in yourself. But then when they come to your team, you’re like ‘This is Frank Gore who’s done this and done that.’ You just see him and he’s like a regular guy; but then he goes out there and he puts the work in. He’s diligent with everything that he does. He obviously looks at me and he wants to compete with me too because we’re on the same team; but he’s like ‘You’re young man. You run around fast. I can’t keep up with you.’ He’s 35 but he goes out there and he’s right behind me, if anything. Obviously he’s not as fast as me. (laughter) But at the end of the day, he does what he does and I’m like at 35, I don’t even know if I’ll have that drive and will to keep up with some young 24-year-old. It’s cool to see it for myself.”
(What stood out to you about S Minkah Fitzpatrick during your one year together at Alabama?) – “Just a professional from the jump. It’s rare that you see a freshman come in and just have that mentality like, ‘I want to work. I want to be the best. I want to come here and definitely show that…’ He never looked at the five-star rating that he had or whatever the case was. He just came in, put his head down and was just a professional from the jump. I feel like he’s going to be in this league a very, very long time.”
T.J. McDonald – May 29, 2018
Download PDF version
Tuesday, May 29, 2018
S T.J. McDonald
(What have you done this offseason to make yourself and the team better?) – “I’ve just been working, working hard, getting myself in shape, being able to be more comfortable being in South Florida, being around, being in the facility. Just doing a little bit of everything. Just making sure my diet is good, me personally, that I can play at a high level and I’m in good shape.”
(How difficult was last year for you? Obviously a great training camp and then a two-month layoff.) – “It was tough. It’s hard to try to integrate yourself back into the flow of a game after you’ve sat out for a while; but I’m glad that’s all behind me. I’m going about my business as usual now.”
(How do you see everything fitting in between you and S Reshad Jones and S Minkah Fitzpatrick?) – “I don’t know yet. I don’t know. It’s only the second week of OTAs right now, so it’s still early. I know we’ve got some good players out there. We’ll get the best players on the field and we’ll go from there.”
(Does it feel like a good mix to you or does it feel like some duplication among the three of you as far as your skillsets?) – “I think that we can all do a lot of things. I think that it’s a good mix; but like I said, it’s still early. We haven’t really done too much. We’re all just learning different positions. One thing we are doing is just making sure we all can know both positons, both safety positions. As we continue to progress through OTAs, more packages, more things will go in and we’ll grow as a group from there.”
(Was there any discussion you had after they drafted S Minkah Fitzpatrick with either Defensive Backs Coach Tony Oden or Defensive Coordinator Matt Burke about how that would affect you, your role, playing time, where specifically you would play?) – “Anything that we talk about usually we keep in house; but it was nothing like that, nothing crazy. Like I said, I control what I can control and everything else takes care of itself from there. I’ve played a lot of ball. Reshad (Jones) has played a lot of ball. Minkah is a great player. I think that we can all make it work. However it works out, it’ll all take care of itself.”
(You’ve probably heard speculation anyway that, “T.J. McDonald might be moving to linebacker.” When you heard that, what was your reaction when you heard that?) – “As long as I’ve got a helmet on, it doesn’t matter. I hear all of that … I’ve been at safety this whole time I’ve been in the league, so that’s all speculation. I didn’t hear any of that from the coaches. From what I know, I’m playing safety and I’m going to continue to do that at a high level the best that I can.”
(Could you do it? Does it feel like something that’s just ludicrous to you or do you feel like, “I could transition to linebacker if I had to?”) – “As a competitor, I don’t think anything is ludicrous. Me as a competitor, I’m a physical player. Like I said, I’m a safety. However we’ve got to put it, however we’ve got to mesh together, wherever we’ve got to go, I’m just going to go out there and make plays and control what I can control.”
(They obviously ruled out you playing linebacker, but probably the door is open for you to play dime. Is that something you’ve done in the past?) – “I’ve been in the box. I think that that’s … Whether you’re at dime, whether you’re on the strong side or weak side … Sometimes when you’re playing in the box you rotate strong, you rotate weak. You’ve got to be able to be versatile and do it all. Like I said, I feel like I can do a lot of things – playing deep, playing in the box, whatever the case may be. However it unfolds, I’m going to try to do my best to help this team win.”
(How much has the NFL changed to where you use a big combination of a lot of defensive backs in a defensive set?) – “It has. It has changed a lot. It’s a passing league. Even in the league now where they spread you out however they can, even if they’re running the ball, it’s not the same style that it used to be. To have faster bodies on the field is good thing; but like I said, we’ve got a lot of good players on this defense, a lot of people that are versatile, that can move around at all three levels. That’s a good problem to have, I would say.”
(How about because of the rule change from the time you entered the league until now, the big hitting safety is being legislated …) – “You’ve just got to know what you’re doing. (laughter) I haven’t taken one since I’ve been in the league. Like I said, I’ve been the same style my entire career. I’ve been a physical player. I only know how to play the game one way. I’ve been fortunate enough to not take any flags and just be able to play the game the right way.”
(You played with DE Robert Quinn with the Los Angeles Rams, obviously. Can you tell me your reaction when you heard about the trade and what can he bring to the defense?) – “I was excited. Robert is a game changer. I’ve watched him change games. He’s going to go out there and give it his all every time. He’s a grinder. I was excited about it. It’s crazy seeing me, him and Will (Hayes) all together. We were sitting in the sauna and we’re like, ‘Man, this is kind of different;’ But I’m glad to have those guys and Robert is going to be a great addition.”
(Have you and your teammates gotten a clear explanation yet about exactly what the new rule change is about not being able to lower the head at all?) – “We usually … during camp we usually have the officials come in and they come and talk to us and make it more clear. They’ll put more clips on the board so we can really get a clear vision about what’s going on. There’s always going to be changes every year. (You) try to be as healthy as you can, try to play the game safe and also play at a high level.”
(You’ve played against QB Ryan Tannehill, if I’m not mistaken. What do you see out here now that he’s back as far as mobility, accuracy, arm strength, etc.?) – “He looks good. He looks good. He looks real good right now. His leadership is also great on and off the field. We’re excited to have him back so we can keep growing as a group, growing as a team. Like I said, his leadership is what I think we missed the most and just having him in the locker room and being able to take control of that offense.”
(Do you think this defense will be better?) – “I think so. That’s the goal every year. We want to be the best we can be.”
(What makes you think that will be the case?) – “Just hungry. We’re just hungry. We’ve just got a hungry defense. Right now, we’re trying to … Our camaraderie as a group is better than last year, I feel like. I feel like we’re growing week by week. We’re working a lot harder than we did last year. I’m not saying we didn’t work hard last year, but I think all the guys can feel the upward momentum through practice. The way we’re practicing right now, we’re setting the standard right now and I feel like that can only play off in the future.”
(What’s going to help this defense create more turnovers this season?) – “Running to the ball. Getting to the ball. More hustle. More energy. I think that’s contagious. Once you set that culture up and you set that standard – getting to the ball, playing physical and being a nasty defense – once you set that standard now, I think that energy is contagious and I think that’ll help.”
(With the new secondary coach – Defensive Backs Coach Tony Oden – is he stressing something different?) – “Communication. Communication is a big thing. I think there were some instances last year where we lacked some communication. That’s the biggest emphasis that he brings. That’s what we’re doing right now, making sure that we all communicate, we’re all on the same page, we’re all making sure that we get into a contract with each other on the field through verbal communication, hand signs, whatever it is. He definitely does a good job of stressing that. I think it’ll definitely pay off, especially big plays.”
(When you look at the talent that you guys have in the secondary, do you feel like that should’ve been better last year as a group?) – “Yes, I think we gave up too many big plays last year. That’s the biggest thing that you don’t want to do is let the ball get over your head. I think that going into this season, that’s a big emphasis for us is don’t let the ball get over our head and make plays on the ball when it comes our way.”
(What’s the ceiling for that group now if you guys can get it together this year?) – “I don’t want to put a ceiling on it. I know that right now we’re working. We’re working hard right now. We’re grinding and we want to be the best that we can be. We want to be the best in the league. That’s what we want to be. That’s where we’re putting the time in right now.”
(What are the signs to you that the camaraderie is better?) – “I don’t know necessarily that you can … How to explain it. It’s just a feeling that you get. I just think that we’re all playing for one another. We’re all rooting for one another. It seems like it’s a closer group (and) at the same time, we’re demanding the best out of each other and that started Day 1. We’ve just got to keep that up.”
(The secondary, you guys are being coached by Assistant Defensive Backs Coach Renaldo Hill, who was a former Dolphins player and recently played in the NFL. What’s that like to be coached by somebody who’s recently been in the league?) – “It’s good. You get a player perspective in the room. That’s always good – someone who has done it and somebody who’s been in the same position that you’ve been in and not looking from the outside in. That definitely helps.”
(Why has CB Bobby McCain been effective in the league?) – “He’s a smart player. He’s a smart player. He studies. He studies and he’s a smart player. He’s quick. He’s a competitor and that’s the biggest thing is his grit. Even though with his size, he’s got a great heart. That grit, that energy that he brings, it’s going to help any defense.”
(Is there anything that sets CB Bobby McCain apart as far as hands, feet, tracking the ball, anything, any traits like that?) – “He’s quick. He’s quick. I think he had one of the fastest shuttles coming out in the history of the Combine or something like that. He’s quick and combined with his mental approach to the game, it pays off in the slot.”
(How have the battles been going between you guys in the secondary and QB Ryan Tannehill?) – “I think we’re good. Like I said, it’s still early. We’re three practices … We just finished our fourth practice. The first couple days, I felt like the defense had the upper hand. They did a great job today; but we’re competing together. We’re out competing.”
(Did QB Ryan Tannehill surprise you at all?) – “He’s a good quarterback.”
(Is QB Ryan Tannehill a little different than what you guys were used to going against last year?) – “He went through OTAs last year. It’s about the same thing but … It’s still early. He’s a great quarterback. I’ve played against him from both sides now. Being on this side, I’m definitely glad to have him on this side.”
(You have to go against a couple new receivers this year – WR Danny Amendola and WR Albert Wilson. What stands out for you with those two guys?) – “(Danny) Amendola is a savvy guy. He’s good off the line with his releases. He’s a tough guy, a tough gritty guy. I’m glad to have him on this side. Albert Wilson is another guy that can run. He can run. He’s got great hands. We definitely got some good weapons on the other side of the ball.”
(QB Brock Osweiler, have you played against him and have you noticed anything about him out here aside from size?) – “I played against him in the past. I’ve seen him out there on the field and everything. He’s huge. I played against him in college, too. He was at Arizona State. He’s definitely had a lot of games in this league and he’s played and he’s been a starter in the league before, so he’s a good guy to have on this team.”
(One more quick one on QB Ryan Tannehill. It’s not unusual for offensive players to talk about that he was missed as a leader. I found it noteworthy you talked from your side of the ball that he was missed. Does he talk to defensive players much? Is there much conversation?) – “A little more than I think that people think. He’s a competitor, too. Sometimes if you say something to somebody or you can talk a little trash to the offense, a lot of guys turn around and just walk to the huddle; but he’ll come back at you. That brings that competitive spirit that you need as a team – not just as a defense or offense but as a team. He’s a good guy to have in the locker room, too.”
