Rey Maualuga – August 21, 2017
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Monday, August 21, 2017
LB Rey Maualuga
(What did you like about the idea of playing for the Miami Dolphins?) – “I’ve obviously been away for a couple of months, away from football. I was very familiar with the scheme of Coach Burke (Defensive Coordinator Matt Burke) and what he does. Just to come in and step in right away would be a lot easier to go off of his playbook instead of learning something from scratch.”
(What are they going to see from you when you get on that field?) – “Have you seen Maui from Moana? How crazy he is? (laughter) My strengths are coming downhill and taking on blocks and stopping the run and leading by example. If I come in and do all of that and show what I can do on the field in that aspect, I think everyone will follow and I think we can be that much better on defense.”
(I saw you doing a little work on the side. How anxious were you to get out there?) – “I’m very anxious. This is my first time to actually see the team practice and seeing the tempo and seeing the guys moving around here and there. Whenever coach is ready for me to get on the field, I’ll be ready. In the meantime, I’m just on the side working out with the strength guys and doing drills.”
(What have you been doing to get in shape?) – “I’ve just been back home in Cincinnati working out, staying ready and hanging out with my daughter. I’m doing things that people would do on their down time – swimming, eating, relaxing – things like that. But obviously she doesn’t start school until next week, so I really didn’t get to do all of that. With that, you can never prepare for the Miami heat. Cincinnati is somewhat humid; but the moment I stepped off the plane I was like ‘Oh my gosh, what did I get myself into?’ I’ve talked to some guys here and there and it takes some time. It takes a while to get adjusted to this humidity and heat; but hopefully it won’t take too long for me.”
(What is you’re ideal playing weight and where are you at now?) – “My ideal playing weight is somewhere in the 250s. I’m about in the 260s right now; but I don’t think that’s stopping me from practicing. I’m just going off of what coach is saying and whenever he’s ready for me to practice, I’ll practice.”
(What do you feel like you’re going to be asked to do? How was it explained?) – “I’m just trying to fill in wherever I can. They haven’t really said anything. They just said there’s a … Whatever they need me to do to help this team win.”
(You’re not nursing anything?) – “No, no, no. I’m not hurt. I feel good. I feel great. It’s just in due time, I’ll be out there practicing with my teammates.”
Nate Allen – August 21, 2017
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Monday, August 21, 2017
S Nate Allen
(What’s the key to your longevity and just doing it year after year?) – “Probably taking care of my body. I’ve got to give the good Lord thanks for keeping me healthy. I’ve been blessed to play for … this is going on eight (years) so yes, it’s been a blessing. Taking care of the body, that’s about it.”
(How difficult has this injury been for you to work your way back?) – “I’ve had some injuries before. The hamstrings and stuff like this, it wasn’t really anything that kind of set me back mentally. I just did what I had to do and it wasn’t too long of a process.”
(What were you emotions coming back here today?) – “Yes, like I was telling them, it was nostalgia. It brought back a lot of memories even when I pulled into downtown, just remembering, going, staying down there near some places you used to eat. It was good. I told them when I looked back, it was just was a great experience for me.”
(Is there any memory or two that sticks out on this field, coming out here today?) – “Not necessarily one. Five years, there was a lot of stuff happened out here. A lot of ups and downs. Yes, it was good though.”
(What are you better at now than when we saw you as an Eagle? What makes you a better player now?) – “I’m just wiser (and) more mentally in-tune to the game. I’ve just seen a lot now and I feel like I’ve been through different situations and just about every situation you probably can be in. So wisdom, probably.”
(How close have you followed the Eagles since you left?) – “Not closely, but I mean they’re on ESPN. You look and see, and I still talk to a few of the guys here every now and then; but not too many.”
(How is it going in Miami since you got there? Do you feel like you’re fitting in?) – “Yes, yes. Everything’s been good. (We’re) just building the chemistry and hopefully when the regular season rolls around, we’ll just hit the ground rolling.”
(The secondary’s undergone a lot changes obviously.) – “That’s kind of … There’s always change that happens around the league. We’ve got a good group of guys. We’ve got a lot of … a good combination of older guys and younger guys. So it’s a good combination.”
Ndamukong Suh – August 21, 2017
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Monday, August 21, 2017
DT Ndamukong Suh
(How would you describe practicing compared to practicing against your own teammates?) – “I think we did a good job. A lot of competition out there. Obviously being able to go against an elite offensive line is great for our defensive line, especially our young guys and myself. We can get a good gauge for where we are at right now. It’s still very early in the season and we’ve still got a lot of work to get done. It was an overall good practice.”
(Was the intensity somewhere between a regular practice and a preseason game? Where was the intensity today?) – “I think it is a combination of the two. I think you can go back and compare it to what we had in Carolina (in 2015). I think there’s a lot more maturity out here versus people wanting to get into fights and things of that nature. It’s all about getting hard, good work, and that’s what we were able to accomplish this first day and look forward to following that tomorrow.”
(Were there rules for d-linemen as far as how hard you could go?) – “At practice, I only know one way, and that’s going as hard and as fast as you can. For me, that’s my focus and that’s the way I learn and really treat my craft. So, that’s the way I’m going to practice.”
(How beneficial could this trip be from a team-building perspective?) – “I think it’s huge. I think we can definitely compare it to something similar to what we had when we went to San Diego and when we were in L.A. (Los Angeles) last year. Obviously that was in season. This is preseason, so there are a lot more guys and things of that nature; but at the end of the day, it’s a good bonding opportunity. We are going to be here for four or five days, play a game and travel, and get back home.”
(When you get to do something like this, do you think there is more opportunity to learn as opposed to going against your own offense?) – “Yes, I think you get true life experiences to be able to see what you will be able to see in the game; but then be able to re-look at it and see in practice film and go back. These are obviously great offensive linemen and these young guys, as well as myself, can see we are going to play against similar guys. The way they like to set, the way they like to approach the offense, the way they game-schemed us and things of that nature. I think it’s definitely a great thing for us.”
Jay Cutler – August 21, 2017
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Monday, August 21, 2017
QB Jay Cutler
(What can you tell us about Eagles WR Alshon Jeffery? I think the assistant coaches here said that he might be a little bit behind in the scheme. Do you guys, in preseason and training camp, try to … What you get in the regular season is what matters the most with him?) – “He’ll be fine. I obviously don’t know what’s going on here. I don’t know where he is in the system, what his production’s been like; but as long as he’s healthy, he’s going to produce. He’s going to go out there. He’s a pro. He knows football. He’s got a great feel, great instincts. If he’s healthy, that wouldn’t be a guy I’d worry about.”
(How beneficial is this kind of practice for you?) – “I think it’s good. It’s good for everybody on the team. It’s just a change of pace. You see different faces, a little bit different defenses, different tendencies. I think it’s good for me just to get more game simulations out there and just play more football.”
(What were the last three days like for you. Obviously you guys didn’t have a practice. The last three days, getting up to speed with … catching up on lost time?) – “Yes. We had an off day Saturday, so I was able to see my family, and then we took off (for Philadelphia) yesterday. I think for me, the whole last two weeks have been kind of a whirlwind. It’s been a lot of football but it’s been fun.”
(Did you have a chance to catch with Eagles WR Alshon Jeffery at all?) – “I just talked to him a second ago.”
(You guys, WR Alshon Jeffrey, obviously had a connection. You played together for a long time in Chicago. Do you remember back when you first got together how long it took to…?) – You guys are worried about Alshon. (laughter) He’s going to be fine. What’s going on? Is something going on that I don’t know about? (laughter).”
(WR Alshon Jeffrey has missed a little bit of practice.) – “For what?”
(WR Alshon Jeffrey had a shoulder injury.) – “Well, he had a shoulder injury. What do you want him to do?
(In the offseason, you were thinking about going into television.) – “Yes.”
(How much did it take for you to re-generate your enthusiasm to play the game?) – “I don’t think I really ever lost it. I just kind of channeled it in a different direction. I still wanted to be in football and still wanted to be around it, and I was going to have that opportunity through FOX. Then once this new opportunity arose, it seemed like a natural fit for me.”
(Where’s your comfort level now? You’ve played one game, you’ve done two weeks of practice. Where are you right now?) – “I feel really comfortable with these guys. Like I was saying earlier, I think the situations like this are really good for me. The receivers, the o-line, just knowing how we’re going to kind of react in game-type situations.”
(From your perspective, how is Head Coach Adam Gase different now versus when he was just a coordinator?) – “Not much. He’s just got more responsibilities. I don’t think he’s changed in any regard. He’s kind of refined some things that he likes and doesn’t like, which I think every play-caller does. He’s leading the team and I think he’s doing a heck of a job doing it.”
(Now that you’re playing, have you found what you missed the game when you decided you were …?) – “I always missed it. I think I’ve always said there were going to be days I missed it and days that I was content with my decision. There’s never a week that went by that I didn’t think about playing football. Did I make the right decision? Did I not make the right decision? I think that’s kind of in life. There’s always situations that come up that you’re not for sure which direction to go. You’ve just got to pick one and roll with it. I was just lucky enough that something like this happened for me.”
(Were there other opportunities for you, before the Dolphins, in the offseason at all?) – “I mean that’s neither here nor there.”
(How much of a difference is practice when you’re going against another team?) – “Yes, the intensity is a little bit higher. I think guys get a little comfortable at home, comfortable going into the same defense. When you go against a different guys, different defenses, that level raises a little bit and I think competitive juices start flowing, which is good.”
(What can a trip like this do for team building? Especially for you, who started late?) – “Yes, I mean I think it’s great because you get to go to dinner with these guys, you get to eat with guys, you’re around them 24/7. There’s no going home. There’s no leaving the building. You’re kind of stuck in a foreign city. You kind of have to figure it out together, so it’s good.”
(With WR Jarvis Landry, one of the big knocks on him is production in the red zone. What does it take to get a slot receiver more involved when you’re talking in the short area?) – “Just coverage. It’s all coverage based. Typically, you’re going to get more doubles on the Y and the F in red zones. That’s kind of where it’s at, and they’re going to make you force the ball on the outside. It’s a little bit tougher throw; percentages are lower. So scheme-wise, just kind of moving him around, he’s going to get some big plays. We’ll score from a little bit farther out. I haven’t been with him enough to answer that properly.”
(You played five years with WR Alshon Jeffery. How would you describe him as a receiver?) – “(He’s) super smart. He knows football. (He has a) great feel. I think he’s one of those natural guys that knows where the ball should be thrown. (He has) body control, hands. He’s not afraid to block. He’ll go in there and dig out a safety. Obviously he’s had a shoulder injury. He had some injuries with us that kind of a … Some speed bumps for him; but when he’s healthy and he’s rolling, he’s one of the best out there.”
(We’ve heard a lot about WR Alshon Jeffery’s catch radius. As a quarterback, how nice is that?) – “Yes, you just throw it. Just throw it out there and he’ll make it right. If you get a guy like that one-on-one and you can back-shoulder him, you can put him over the top. It’s hard to cover a guy like that and I’m sure Carson (Wentz) and some of these quarterbacks have witnessed his ability to catch some back-shoulder balls and be able to get on top of guys as well.”
(Do you know much about QB Carson Wentz?) – “No. Do you want to tell me? (laughter).”
(When you were studying to become a broadcaster, maybe you studied him a bit?) – “No. I did not.”
(When you go into Thursday, trying to figure out how much you need to play or want to play, how collaborative is that between you and Head Coach Adam Gase?) – “He’s the head guy, so he’ll make the final call; but I mean we’ll talk about it. Whether we go all the way to halftime, or come out in the third quarter. I believe a lot – I’m trying – a lot of that will depend on kind of how we play offensively.”
(It’s not a typical start of the season for you obviously; but do you have kind of rhythm that you prefer at this point in the preseason?) – “How much to play?”
(Yes.) – “Yes, I’ve always kind of played the same. I’ve played one, two, three, sat on four. Sometimes I come out in the third quarter, sometimes not. So I think we’re kind of … Right now we’re kind of sticking to that game plan unless something drastic happens.”
(What have you seen from WR DeVante Parker and WR Jarvis Landry that reminds you of WR Alshon Jeffery and WR Brandon Marshall?) – “I think if you look at Jarvis, just his physicality. The way he attacks the ball, getting in and out of things. They both have really high IQs like ‘Al’ (Alshon Jeffery) and ‘B’ (Brandon Marshall) do. They know where the ball is supposed to go. They know coverages. They know weaknesses in defenses. DeVante has a lot of ‘Al’s’ catch radius – back-shoulder balls, over the top. So they’re kind of younger versions of those two guys.”
(Because you didn’t have a normal offseason, you didn’t throw probably as much in the spring as you would. Do you feel as though you’re still building your arm up or has two weeks kind of got you back where your arm was?) – “It’s still fresh. I think whenever you go through a whole spring, you’re throwing, throwing, throwing and your body gets a little torqued. So right now I feel really balanced and fresh, which it’s probably a good thing.”
(Would you have entertained the idea of coming back if it was anyone other than Head Coach Adam Gase?) – “I don’t know. Like where? That’s a hypothetical, so it’s a tough one.”
(How instrumental was Head Coach Adam Gase in your decision?) – “Oh, it’s huge. I mean to come back with Adam, the roster is really talented, I know the system. It’s kind of just plug and play. So that was kind of everything for me.”
(Was the game not fun for you when you decided to retire? It looks like you’re enjoying what you’re doing now.) – “I think you can talk about anybody in the league, no one likes losing. No one likes going through those situations, so that was tough. They wear you down. But that wasn’t the sole reason. They released me. So it was kind of the end of the road at that point. (laughter)”
Jarvis Landry – August 21, 2017
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Monday, August 21, 2017
WR Jarvis Landry
(On joint practices with the Eagles.) – “It’s good. It’s always good to finally get some different competition. Different competition and all the things you kind of work on against your defense. Speaking from an offensive perspective, all the things you work on, they kind of figure it out after about the fourth or fifth day; so it is good to run some of the things that we’re going to try to work on this season out here against these guys.”
(You were productive again in the red zone. How much is that an emphasis for you, scoring more touchdowns?) – “It’s a big emphasis; but not only for me, I think it’s a big emphasis for this team. I think we struggled a little bit in the red zone last year, so for us to have the opportunities to put the ball in the paint as many times as we can get down there is huge for us. So it’s good.”
(A lot goes into being a slot receiver. You’ve got a new quarterback here. How are things going with you and WR Jay Cutler as far as the timing and just that relationship?) – “Well everything’s good now, just for the simple fact that he’s played in the system before, so he knows all the checks. He knows where guys are supposed to be. So now it’s just getting him used to our body language, when we come in and out of breaks, and he’s done a good job of that so far and we’ve just got more work to do.”
(What do you make of going up against CB Ronald Darby today?) — “Good. That’s a guy we saw twice a year, him being in Buffalo. He’s definitely a scrappy corner that make plays. I think he had an interception there at the end. So he’s a great corner.”
Byron Maxwell – August 21, 2017
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Monday, August 21, 2017
CB Byron Maxwell
(On what happened in Philadelphia and how that translated to Miami) – “I think the things that happened in Philly made me a better leader for Miami. It made me a better football player and a better person. I was able to handle getting benched in Miami and bounced back. It was tough in Philly – just losing, losing your coach; so it helped going through all that.”
(Did you ever wonder why this team decided to trade you? Players always think about something. Did you ever think about that?) – “It was obvious. You need a quarterback.”
(But they didn’t know they could get all the way down to do that.) – “I mean, that’s what it was though.”
(So you felt that was reasoning that they needed to trade you?) – “I just said that.”
(You had some battles with WR Torrey Smith out there today. What was that like?) – “It was good. It was good work. We needed it. I needed it. It was three days off, but we were getting back into the flow. It was needed. It was good work.”
(How about WR Alshon Jeffery too. Going against him, he’s a big, physical guy.) – “Definitely. He’s very physical. Getting off the line, you definitely need that too. Philadelphia, they’ve got different receivers that can do three different things. You’ve got (Torrey Smith) that can take you deep and Jeffery’s a guy that uses a body well.”
(How beneficial is it practicing against somebody else?) – “Like I said, you’re seeing different receivers. You’re going to see different receivers on game day. You get used to the guys that you go against in training camp, just their body language, how they run their routes. So it’s good to see different receivers and how they run routes. It’s different plays too; just keep your mind moving, keep your mind thinking. You pretty much know what they’re running in training camp. So it’s good.”
(What did you think of QB Carson Wentz?) – “He was good. He did well. He threw a couple of passes.”
(Do you keep up with stuff like that? Do you think about, do you see QB Carson Wentz’s name in the paper and think ‘Okay, I got traded, let’s see how this guy is doing?’) – “Well, yes. I would be lying if I told you I don’t want to do better than the Eagles do. I do. I want to win more games than them. I want to prove them wrong, so yes.”
(Does it seem kind of weird that from two years ago when you were here there’s only one receiver that’s left and you’ve gone against in practice?) – “Yes, Nelson (Agholor); but we knew then that Nelson was going to be good. He had all the tools. He was willing to learn. He asked questions. So we knew … I knew he was going to be a solid receiver.”
(But does it seem kind of weird that he’s like the only one left from when you were here only two years ago?) – “That’s the NFL. If you’ve been in this business long enough, you’re going to win. They’re pretty much getting everybody out. So that’s how it works.”
(After the Eagles traded you, does that attitude with Philadelphia apply to Seattle also? I guess you left them voluntarily. Do you still want to do better than Seattle too or is it just Philadelphia?) – “No, only Philly. (laughter) No, no, Seattle. Seattle, too. Also Seattle, yes. (laughter)”
(You mentioned that you got traded so this team could move up and get a quarterback, but it also seems like you’re still using the trade as motivation. How are you still using it as motivation?) – “That’s just what I do. You could call it petty. I don’t know what it is. That’s what I do. That’s how I feel. I mean, that’s just realistic. I know what it is, but I still want to do better than my old team. I don’t think any player wants to … when the team gets rid of you and then they do better, to be honest with you.”
(In the year after they traded you they had cornerback problems here. They had cornerback problems at the beginning of camp this year before making the trade with Buffalo. Do you think they missed you more than they realized?) – “Yes.”
(Did you talk to Eagles Head Coach Doug Pederson at all before he got the job?) – “No, I hadn’t. I think as soon as he got the job, I got traded. I don’t know.”
(Did you talk to Eagles Head Coach Doug Pederson at all today?) – “No. Not at all.”
(You talked about being benched last year. What kind of led up to that and how did you get through it?) – “To be honest with you, I have no idea; but from the bench, I learned what the team needed from me and what I needed to do. From then on, I executed.”
Kiko Alonso – August 21, 2017
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Monday, August 21, 2017
LB Kiko Alonso
(Did you miss these guys at all or no?) – “Yes, I’ve got a lot of good friends on the team.”
(Any in particular?) – “(Eagles TE) Zach (Ertz). There’s a lot of them. Zach, (Eagles TE) Trey (Burton), those are just some.”
(CB Byron Maxwell just told us that he uses that trade to the Dolphins as fuel. Do you at all?) – “No, not really. I just go do what I do.”
(Was it nice being back out here today?) – “Yes, it was nice. It was nice (to) see the guys I played with. It was fun.”
(How did the knee injury factor into your year in Philly in terms of your productiveness?) – “It was good. I was fine. The knee was good.”
(Did you have confidence in your knee the year you were here? It seemed like you hurt it early in the season again and that you weren’t quite sure…) – “No, I was good. Obviously I hurt it early on, but I was good to go.”
(How do you look back at the year you spent here with the Eagles?) – “How do I look back? Obviously it wasn’t the year we wanted. It is what it is.”
(Were you surprised to leave the Eagles via trade?) – “Not really. It was obviously the second time I had gotten traded. I was definitely more surprised the first time around (when I got traded from Buffalo to Philadelphia), but given the year (the Eagles) had (in 2015), I wasn’t that surprised.”
(How beneficial was it to be going up against another team in practice?) – “(It was) very beneficial. We’ve been going up against our guys every day. It’s good to see a different offense and they run different things, so it was definitely good.”
(At this point, is it almost better off these joint practices because you’re not playing very much in the preseason games early on, so do you get even more out of these practices maybe?) – Yes, definitely, because they run some different things. It’s good to just mix it up a little.”
(You’re out there for a longer period of time than even in the game.) – “Yes, it was a little longer. It was good work. I think it was good work for both teams.”
(When the coaching change was made here in Philadelphia, did you kind of have a feeling that you might not be here for the next season?) – “(The Eagles) traded me and I was like ‘Alright, I’m going to Miami.’”
(Is the Miami scheme a better fit for you?) – “I think we run pretty much the same defense as Philly. I could be wrong, though.”
(No, the scheme you were in when you were in Philadelphia.) – “No, I don’t think so. I’ve played in a 3-4 defense my whole career so it was more of a transition to go into the 4-3 defense (in Miami).”
(Do you like the 4-3 better?) – “I like them both.”
(Do you still have a pretty good relationship with former Oregon and Eagles Head Coach Chip Kelly?) – “Yes, he came to one of my practices in OTAs and I saw him. Yes, we’ve got a good relationship.”
(What did you observe today from Eagles QB Carson Wentz, going up against him?) – “He’s a good player. (Philadelphia’s) got a good offense. They’ve got a lot of weapons. They’ve got a good offense.”
(Do you ever think about Eagles QB Carson Wentz and think, ‘Okay this is what the Eagles did when they traded me? Do you take an interest in how he’s doing?) – “(laughter)”
Cordrea Tankersley – August 17, 2017 (Postgame)
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Thursday, August 17, 2017
Postgame – Baltimore
Miami Dolphins CB Cordrea Tankersley (transcribed by Savanna Bell-Stevens)
(So what happened, you got the game ball today?) – No, I just took my first career NFL ball you know, you don’t get too many of these, they hard so I took this for me, preseason or not.
(Did someone find the ball for you or did you hold on to it?) – No I held on to it for dear life. Um I just took it. Them boys was like let me get the ball so I can get it I was like nah I got it, but somebody took it and said they’ll hold on to it so whoever did it I appreciate it.
(Walk us through that play that was kind of a bang bang play, you kind of stripped it from him on the way down) – “I just saw him run a slant, I just wanted to break on it you know and then I knew, my new. My neuros were to just get the ball out, swipe it. And then once I felt it go to the other side, I just like tugged it, I was like I got the ball, so score. It happened so fast you know.
(You got a lot of playing time today, what did you think of your own performance?) – “I think I did pretty good, still a lot of stuff to clean up technique wise and also assignment wise, but there’s always room for improvement so it’s back to the drawing boards.
(You talk about technique wise, talk about the importance, or how difficult it can be for a cornerback to drive on, or pick off a slant.) – It’s really hard, it’s definitely really hard, because you never know what you’re going to get in this league. I just went with my gut instinct, coaches put us in the right play and I just went and made a play.
