Adam Gase – August 15, 2017
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Tuesday, August 15, 2017
Head Coach Adam Gase
(Why the decision to go walkthrough today as opposed to a practice?) – “We’ve been going pretty hard. The guys have really been working in some pretty extreme temperatures at practice and nobody said anything and just kept working. We had some guys banged up and fairly tired being towards the end of really, the last day of training camp, and I just thought it was a good chance for us to get work in; but at the same time, kind of rest them up a little bit and get them out of the heat just so we can freshen up a little bit for the game on Thursday.”
(Question about the two Jays. One, confirmation that QB Jay Cutler will be a go on Thursday and second just the status of RB Jay Ajayi returning?) – “I think right now everything looks like Jay’s going to go – Cutler – that’s going to mess me up. (laughter) And then Ajayi, I’m still kind of thinking about it. We’ll see.”
(How good was it to have RB Jay Ajayi back out of the protocol?) – “It’s been good. I think he was excited to get back out there. The things that he likes to work on, especially at this time of year, the passing game, he’s always wanting to do more. Losing … He lost of reps with the amount of time he missed. I know that’s one of his things. He wants to get out there and keep working on that.”
(What’s your reservation about playing RB Jay Ajayi?) – “Well I think we’ve got him slated down for 500 carries right now. (laughter) So we want to limit those. When you play that position and you’re used how we use him, we just needed him to be ready for the regular season and everybody kind of understands the drill with him.”
(Does the way you use RB Jay Ajayi in training camp change because of the injury now?) – “No. I don’t see it like that. I think it’s just more of I want to see where we’re at health-wise and what’s best for him. We’ve kind of discussed what our plan was going into it. Now I’m just trying to figure out are we good enough, like does he feel good enough for us to do that.”
(How’s RB Jay Ajayi looking?) – “He looks good to me. He’s been … He’s executing really well and we just want to keep giving him reps just so he can really have the whole offense down.”
(Can you let us know on C Mike Pouncey, C/G Kraig Urbik and T Ja’Wuan James? Which guys are likely or unlikely…?) – “I didn’t even … Tonight’s the night that I do that. So I’ll have more of an idea. I haven’t talked to Pouncey yet. I’m avoiding him. (laughter)”
(What do feel like you’ve accomplished during training camp?) – “Well it hasn’t been easy. We’ve had a lot of guys banged up and young guys have had to step up, which is … That’s kind of what we have to do. We’ve had some things happen that were unforeseen, but that’s the NFL. Guys have kept plugging along and kept finding ways to get better. I really liked how our guys have been locked in. They haven’t been distracted by anything that’s happened outside the building. They’ve done a good job of having that bunker mentality and focusing on the things they can control. That’s what we just have to keep doing. Moving forward, just worry about what you can control.”
(Correct me if I’m wrong. In training camp, you’re going over a lot of this stuff that you’ve already taught them in OTAs and in minicamps and so forth. So is one of the measures of success of training camp is whether you can stay healthy or not?) – “It’s just an unpredictable factor of the game. A lot of the injuries we’re having are things that you can’t control. We haven’t had a ton of soft tissue injuries, which really that’s the biggest thing you’re preparing for. A lot of our injuries have been ACLs, biceps, you know things that … It’s a part of football. It’s the worst part of it, but there’s nothing that you really can do to prevent it. You do everything you can physically in the weight room and try to prepare yourself and try to schedule practice right and not fatigue your guys to the point where their bodies are breaking down; but at the end of the day, training camp is meant to be hard. It’s meant to harden you up. It’s meant to get you in condition. So you’re not going to prevent everything.”
(What has CB Alterraun Verner shown you and what kind of camp has CB Bobby McCain had?) – “I thought Bobby’s had a really good camp. He’s done a good job. You can tell he’s getting … He’s so much more comfortable then he was last year. He really has a great feel for exactly his – the detail – his job. I mean he’s been very tight on coverage. It’s been really tough to complete any balls in the slot. And then as far as Verner goes, I mean for him to just jump in here and start competing the way he’s competed has been very impressive. He has fit in really well with us and I guess I didn’t really know how good outside he was until I had really seen him out here. He really has impressed me, being able to play corner as well as he has. He’s really tight in coverage and he’s got his hands on balls and being able to slide inside, I mean the value is high. It’s just tough to find guys like this.”
(I’ve seen some NFL coaches saying that they think that they actually get more out of joint practices than even some preseason games. What do you see as the great potential benefits of the Philadelphia trip?) – “Yes, because you’re in practice; but there’s a game feel to it, and it is very competitive. Really the hardest thing is to just keep everybody focused on what they need to do in practice to get better because they do know there’s no flags, you’re not going to get ejected from the game or fined, and that’s where it can get kind of messy and guys get in fights. If you can keep your guys focused on what you’re trying to do, it’s great competition. It’s fun for guys to go against somebody different instead of hitting their teammates. They’re going against a different team and a different style of ball. Like for us, we’re going to be doing Philly’s practice schedule and just for our guys to kind of have a different sense of what we do compared to what they do. It’s nothing but good experience when you get to do these joint practices.”
(Do you ask their coach ahead of time, if it’s happened already or in the near future here, ‘Hey I’d really like to run these drills a few times?’) – “You can ask that. When I had my discussions with (Philadelphia Eagles Head Coach) Doug (Pederson) I was like, ‘You tell us what you want to do and that’s what we’re going to do,’ because we’re going to them. I always kind of looked at it as we’re there, we’re going to do what they do, and it’s easy for us to adjust. If somebody was coming here, it would probably be more than likely we’d be using our practice schedule.”
(Do you tell them, specifically, these are the things we would like to work on or get achieved?) – “We all kind of do the same. It’s very close to the same stuff. Everybody’s working on the same things, especially (in the) third week of preseason you’re working on almost game plan-ish type stuff, so you’re getting those situations in and so there was nothing missing. If there was something missing, I would’ve just asked, ‘Hey, have you guys done this before or is there any interest in working on this?’ Usually you can make some kind of compromise there or change something around, but for what (Philadelphia does), it kind of matches up with everything we do.”
(Do you have a connection with Philadelphia Eagles Head Coach Doug Pederson beyond being fellow coaches?) – “I’ve known him for a good amount of time. We were in the same division there for a while. I’m trying to remember when I met him, but I’ve known him for a while.”
(How live do you think you guys might go?) – “No, we’ll just be doing like normal practice.”
(Going into the second preseason game, what are some of the things you’ll be looking for from your team?) – “Well, it’ll just be good to get that first group out there for a little longer this time and see if we can get something going. That’s why it’s kind of nice that we’re playing Baltimore. It’s another tough opponent with a lot of good players. They’re going to be ready to go. (Baltimore Ravens Head) Coach (John) Harbaugh always has his crew ready to go very early and they’re going to be looking to work on certain things, and for us to be able to play them, that’s good for our guys.”
(With the offensive line, G/T Jermon Bushrod was the only starter that played last week. How much more of the first team do you think you’re going to get out there on Thursday and what do you hope to see from them?) – “Once again, I’m still trying to figure out who’s going to be available, but we should have more than what we had last week with that starting group. It’s just kind of getting those guys out there and getting rolling and see if we can create some holes, get in some kind of rhythm in the passing game, and get some drives under our belt. This is kind of still the starting point for us, so we’ve got a lot of time here between three preseason games. We’ve just got to keep getting everybody healthy and get them back out there and hopefully, by the time we reach the regular season, we’ve played together a little bit.”
(How has TE Julius Thomas been in camp and how prepared is he to offer something to the offense once games begin?) – “I feel like his camp has been about what it’s always been. It’s kind of about matchups for him. If he can get the right one, if it’s on a safety or a linebacker. I’ve really been impressed that he’s improved a lot in his running game. He’s a way better blocker than when I was with him last time. I think he’s provided a different perspective from a guy that was outside that had been with me before. He understands the offense really well and can kind of explain things to guys that maybe there is a misunderstanding or they don’t understand what I’m trying to accomplish in certain things, and he already knows. He’s been through it. It’ll be … I think for him, that’s probably a good thing. He just needs to be a part of it. He doesn’t have to do anything off the charts. He just needs to be one of those guys that when his number is called, he makes the play. When he gets the right matchup and he gets a one-on-one and we have a chance in the red zone, make the play, get the touchdown. I think that’s what he’s been working on and the good thing is it’s just another weapon for our offense and you just keep spreading the ball out and make it tough on defense.”
(I didn’t notice CB Tony Lippett out there. Can you update us on him?) – “So Tony tore his Achilles yesterday so he’ll be having surgery. That was obviously a little surprise yesterday halfway through practice.”
(So CB Tony Lippett is pretty much shut down for the season?) – “Yes.”
(CB Tony Lippett is headed to injured reserve?) – “Well, the way the rules are, it won’t be right away.”
(How does the loss of CB Tony Lippett affect the cornerback situation?) – “Well anytime you lose a guy who started every game for you last year, that’s not ideal. But that’s why we’ve collected the depth we have. That’s why we’re trying to get young players to go because this is what happens. We have to just keep developing these young players and that’s why every year we’re drafting a guy or when we get to college free agency, we feel like we found a couple of guys this year. We just want them to keep proving it to us. We feel like we’re pretty deep there and we just have to keep getting these guys better.”
(Is it fair to say that CB Cordrea Tankersley kind of moves up into CB Tony Lippett’s second team?) – “I don’t know if we’re looking at it like that. We’ve got a lot of guys that are competing right now. We’re just going to keep looking for the best fit for us. I like how our young guys play. Those guys just keep getting better and we’ll be in good shape.”
(Was CB Tony Lippett hit or did he step wrong?) – “He jumped up and then came down. No one touched him. That was it.”
Jay Ajayi – August 15, 2017
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Tuesday, August 15, 2017
Running Back Jay Ajayi
(Head Coach Adam Gase said he thought it was your first concussion ever. Is that correct?) – “Yes, my first concussion.”
(How did you react to it?) – “It’s new for me. I was just all about getting the information and then just making sure that I was healthy enough to get back on the field.”
(How long did it take you before you started to feel somewhat normal after that?) – “They said that, usually, concussions (take) 7 to 10 days (to recover from), so (after) about a week I was starting to feel like myself again.”
(How frustrating was it not to be able to go 100 percent, especially during camp?) – “It’s frustrating. You want to be out there with your teammates, practicing and grinding. It’s the time we’re all working on our craft to be better; but at the same time, it is better that it happened now during the preseason. We’re not at the regular season yet, so I had time to just make sure I was healthy enough to be back out on the field again.”
(Do you have any indication about playing in the preseason game on Thursday?) – “No indication right now; but I’m healthy, I’m good to go. I’ve been practicing, so I wouldn’t be surprised if I played on Thursday.”
(Do you feel like you’re behind a little bit?) – “No, I don’t feel like I’m behind at all.”
(Did you talk to S T.J. McDonald about the hit?) – “Oh yes, I mean that’s my boy. I’ve known him for a good amount of time. It was just practice. He’s a great, great tackler and he got me on a good tackle.”
(Do you worry about this moving forward? Has this ever happened to you?) – “No, I’m not worried about it.”
(What was the worst part about it all? Touch on maybe the worst symptoms you felt during this time off.) – “Just kind of the fog that you get, not being able to concentrate, those kinds of things that happen with concussions, so that was the most frustrating thing is that some days I would feel good and then maybe the symptoms would come back. So it was about just taking your time, being patient, going through the protocol, listening to the trainers, and now I’m back on the field. I’m happy.”
(Did you tell RB Kenyan Drake what to expect, because obviously he’s going through it now?) – “Yes, he just got put into the protocol I think. But I talked to him. He’s in good spirits. I guess he kind of saw what I went through so he should be encouraged by it. It won’t be too bad.”
(Are you playing Thursday and if not, are you upset that you’re not going to be able to play?) – “That’s (Head) Coach (Adam) Gase’s decision. I don’t know yet as of right now. I would be excited to play, get out there with my team, and get to go against someone else this preseason.”
(Do you guys get excited about playing in preseason games? I know it’s just preseason but it’s a chance to go against somebody else.) – “It’s great to not have to go against your own teammates every day. Obviously it’s in preparation for the regular season, so we need to get that nice little warm up, tune up for that regular season. I think getting a good series here, a good quarter here, and being able to stay healthy in the process is good for us.”
(How do you like having a quarterback with the same first name?) – “It’s been interesting. A lot of ‘Jays’ being called around (here) and we’re both looking trying to decide who’s talking to who; but it’s exciting to have him on our team.”
(What are your early impressions of QB Jay Cutler?) – “It’s been good. I’ve just gone out to practice the past two days. Being able to be in the huddle with him, it’s been really good. We’re just all working on executing and building that chemistry, just because we have so much time left until the regular season.”
(Can you talk about QB Jay Cutler’s familiarity with pass-catching backs? Does that excite you a bit?) – “Just his familiarity with (Head) Coach (Adam) Gase, in general, knowing that it’s not going to be too big for him because he’s already been in this offense multiple times. So for me, it’s just knowing that he’s comfortable in this offense and knows how to make it work and then everything is on us, the skill players, to create big plays for him.”
(Is there anything about QB Jay Cutler’s skillset or his personality, either way, that you didn’t expect that you have met him now and you found about him?) – “It’s my first time actually meeting him. I wasn’t familiar with him before. He’s a great guy, (he’s got) a really cool demeanor about him. You can tell he’s a natural quarterback and it’s been really good to build our relationship, build that chemistry on the practice field.”
Julius Thomas – August 15, 2017
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Tuesday, August 15, 2017
TE Julius Thomas
(How would you rate your performance in training camp?) – “I think probably about a B+. I think that getting back in the offense, starting to gel and connect with the QBs, learning the run game and all of that stuff, I feel like I’ve been able to pick it up as good as I probably could in a short amount of time. Just being able to get after it and work hard with the guys.”
(How is the chemistry working out with QB Jay Cutler? I know it’s been a short time but how is it working?) – “That’s going to be something that we’re going to have to try and get a lot of reps at, so we can make up for that lack of time working with Jay. But Jay is a really good quarterback. We’ve got some really good skill position guys, so we’ll find a way to make it work.”
(What do you feel best about what you can offer the offense this season?) – “I think just a lot of flexibility. I think that with my skillset and the things that I’ve had to do different since playing in this league, I give our coordinator a lot of things he can do to make defenses stick their hand, put them in a lot of positions where they have to declare what they’re doing early. I think just the added versatility probably.”
(What is the biggest thing you guys take out of going into the second preseason game?) – “You really have to focus on the process. That’s what the preseason is most for me. It’s understanding your game preparation. What are you going to do that day? What are you going to do when you get to the stadium? How do you get your mind right for the game? And then when you get on the field, try to make sure you take advantage of those reps. You’re out there saying I’m playing four games before the season, but how do we get the most out of what we’re doing? We’re going to just get that whole procedure down.”
(Do you guys get excited a little bit playing against somebody else or practicing against somebody else in the preseason?) – “It’s really good to have some different opponents. Going up against the same guys every day, not to mention that but they start to understand the way you do things. So it’s good to get some different faces in, some different defenses and really start building what we do and what we’re going to have to do throughout the season.”
(How much does a day like this mean? A walkthrough.) – “At the end of training camp, a walkthrough day is always appreciated. When you look at how many days out of the last three weeks we’ve actually practiced, it’s kind of crazy that our bodies are able to put up with that kind of beating; but it’s our game. That’s what we do to become prepared. We’re very thankful to have a walkthrough today.”
(What does the end of training camp mean to you?) – “It means another successful training camp. This is seven for me. The longer you play in the league, the more appreciation you have for it. It’s seven different times you were able to prove to yourself that when a lot of stuff is stacked up against you, you had to show that you have the mindset and the wherewithal to go through it, as well as signaling it’s getting time for the season to come. Your friends and family are texting you ‘The season is right around the corner;” but for us, we still have a lot of practices and a lot to learn before that happens. The end of training camp is the first step to that process of opening week.”
(Do you feel you have anything left to prove after … We saw the great success in Denver, and then Jacksonville. Do you feel you have anything left to prove?) – “That’s part of the mindfulness I’ve been working on is not feeling that I have anything to prove to anybody on the outside. I have a standard that I set for myself. I have to match that standard for myself personally every day and that’s to go out there and do everything I can to help my team play the best and be the best. I have to make sure that all of my focus is on doing things that I expect out of myself. I’m just going to play to prove to myself and meet that standard.”
(Do you have any particular goals in mind, numbers-wise or anything?) – “My only goals are to make sure that at the end of every practice, I know that I gave my best and that I did what I needed to do to get better. As far as goals and numbers, all of that stuff is outside of your control. There are so many things that are going to happen. I’m just going to focus on every day and making sure that when I lay in that bed, I did all that I could to be the best teammate and tight end I could be.”
(How much are you looking forward to doing it for real with QB Jay Cutler?) – “I mean we practice, we practice, we practice and it’s all preparation. Just like any coach will tell you, when we have game days, that’s for the players. That’s for us to go ahead and showcase what we’ve been working on and really get to see the result. I’m looking forward to it, for sure.”
(You spent a lot of time with QB Ryan Tannehill in the offseason. Was it a tough switch all of a sudden when he went down and QB Jay Cutler comes in?) – “It’s not something that we’re not accustomed to. As NFL players, we’re always having guys that are going down. We’re always having guys that are getting injured. It’s tough on us as far as the support we have for Ryan. To see him having to go through this and battle through that, that’s definitely the toughest part. But as far as understanding how to play with a different quarterback, I’ve played with several quarterbacks in my life now and we’re going to adjust and do whatever we have to do to help Jay and Jay is going to do that to help us.”
(What do you think makes QB Jay Cutler different from the other quarterbacks or what has impressed you about him since he’s been here?) – “I think Cutler does a really good job of making sure everybody understands the way he wants things to go. I think that’s super important for the quarterback position. We have to have an understanding of how he wants us to run the route, what he’s looking for and when, situationally. He’s done a really good job of coming in and letting us know, ‘Hey, this is what I expect. This is what I’m looking for.’ And that’s definitely going to help us move faster through the getting to know him process.”
(How do you see the opportunities for tight ends on this team, given the three guys you have on the outside?) – “The goal is to be a really balanced offense. When you have a lot of skill position playmakers around you, that makes everybody’s job easier. With our running game, with our receivers, that’s really going to give us tight ends an opportunity to make plays and do different things to go out there and help our offense perform at a high level. I’m looking forward to my opportunity to make plays. I’m looking for my opportunity to help others make plays, and we’re just going to try and get after it as a group and live up to the standards that we set.”
Adam Gase – August 14, 2017
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Monday, August 14, 2017
Head Coach Adam Gase
(Have you talked to your DBs about leaving your running backs alone? It seems like twice now that the running backs have gotten dinged up from a hit.) – “I mean, it’s football. It happens. That’s why they’ve got pads on.”
(Do you have an update on RB Kenyan Drake?) – “No I haven’t even (seen him). I just swung by real quick to see (Tony) Lippett and I haven’t seen Kenyan yet.”
(With TE Julius Thomas do you think missing practice is a one-day deal?) – “Yes, he should be alright. His back tightened up. We had a couple of guys’ backs tighten up, so we’re just a little precautionary (with) some of our veteran guys.”
(With CB Xavien Howard, what have you noticed about him? In what areas has he grown since last season?) – “I think his confidence is really the number one thing I’ve noticed, where he’s recognizing certain formations, route stems, things that when you’re a rookie, you’re just trying to figure out what you actually have to do and now he’s been able to take that next step. It helps him really tighten up the coverage and jump a few routes every once in a while. That’s kind of the progression that you want young DBs to go through to where, let’s say you have a really good feel of what their job responsibility is, being able to play the route concept very tight.”
(As far as progression for CB Xavien Howard, I guess health would be number one; but after that, what do you want to see from Xavien?) – “I think it’s just to keep expanding on what he’s been doing. We see a lot of good things in practice. We see tight coverage, which (makes it) really hard to throw the ball on him. I just want it to transfer over to the game. He’s just got to trust his training and what he’s been doing every day and then when we get in a game and he sees the same thing, I want him to play the same.”
(One week in, where is QB Jay Cutler’s progression at this point and what do you want to see from him at this very early stage?) – “He’s pretty much got the offense down, it’s just more about timing. It’s more mental, just kind of that feel of when to turn the ball loose, getting used to the receivers, the d-line rushing. I guess (our d-line) is a good d-line to get used to getting in your face a little bit. It’s happening fast, so it’s probably going to be good for him at the end of the day when we start playing some other teams. Our d-line is tough to go against. They get back there quick.”
(Do you have a feel for whether QB Jay Cutler will play Thursday?) – “I’m trending in the area of yes; but we’ll see what happens the next few days.”
(Are you feeling good with the routine you’re getting into with C Mike Pouncey?) – “Yes, every time I see him that he’s out there, I can see how excited he’s getting. I just want him to follow what our plan is and I want him to try to sneak in two extra reps, because you guys have been around him long enough to know, he’s not one for just standing on the sidelines and watching. He likes being out there and he wants to keep getting better. I just think (he has to) stay on track with what we’re doing. I think he’s followed that to the exact detail that (medical staff) got planned for him and if he keeps doing that, I think we’ll have good results.”
(Is it unlikely that C Mike Pouncey will participate Thursday in the second preseason game?) – “You know what? I can’t say that. I still haven’t had that conversation with him. I know at some point, we want to get him out there in one of these preseason games, and it’s more (that) he wanted to do it just because that’s that final step for him. I’m not sure if it’s this week or next, so I’ll start having those conversations here in the next day or so.”
(What do you believe or hope will be the identity of your defense this year?) – “I believe we’re going to be a defense that’s going to be tough, relentless. The one thing that I would say that I want to see us do more is get our hands on balls and get balls out, get turnovers, turn into an opportunistic defense. I feel like we’ve done a lot of good things. We’re playing tight coverage in practice. We’re making it really hard on the wide receivers. I do feel like that front can cause a lot of problems, and the linebackers, the way that they run right now and what I’m seeing between Kiko (Alonso) and (Lawrence) Timmons, if we give them some opportunities, they’ve got great ball skills. They’ve got great ball skills for linebackers and if we can get some more picks and fumbles, that’s really what I’d love to see us take off on.”
(With the secondary, we haven’t really seen … there’s usually, especially in games, a breakdown where receivers are running free downfield. We haven’t seen that many breakdowns this training camp. Is it just chemistry developing or is it that you’re not calling for those offensive plays?) – “I think that second year in the system (is beneficial). Just remember, when you first come in a lot of the concepts are the same, it’s just the terminology and the words you’re using for certain calls in the back end. You’re thinking, and that is when you have those kinds of busts. I think year two in the system, these guys have been together longer than (us coaches) have been here, and I think they’ve picked it up and now we’re getting consistent communication. We’re not having those types of breakdowns. We’re not just having free runners. (The offense) has to work, whether the receiver has to or the tight end has to get open on (his) own, or if we pop a guy free, we really had to do something to almost fool them in that linebacker, safety area, to pop a guy free. It doesn’t happen a lot. I think it’s just that continuity of the system staying in tact and guys understanding what their job is.”
(How much growth have you seen from this time last year to this year from TE Thomas Duarte?) – “Once again, it’s a year one, year two (thing). When you see the same thing over and over again, when it’s like the seventh time he’s seen the install, you get it. You start to be able to kind of visualize it. (You) know what it looks like on a piece of paper, but now you’ve got to go do it, and you see more and more looks every day. One day it’s middle of the field open, one day it’s middle of the field closed, one day it’s man, so you just keep banking those types of coverages in your brain and then next time you see it, you know exactly what you should do. That’s experience for you.”
(WR Kenny Stills was third in yards per catch last year in the league. Obviously, if you would up the attempts, that might go down. Is there a fine line between getting him the ball more or just using him as that home run hitter?) – “I just think the ball finds guys that just run hard. In my experience, any time I’ve tried to get a guy a ball or get a guy involved, it usually doesn’t work out right, so we just keep telling our guys, let’s just get five guys running as hard as they can, do your job and the ball will find you.”
(How did Defensive Coordinator Matt Burke’s first try at calling plays go in the first preseason game against Atlanta?) – I thought it was smooth. ‘V.J.’ (Former Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph) kept him very involved last year. I felt like he had kind of done it before. It just didn’t seem like a problem for him and his energy level, positivity, the way he can think and correct, I think it was good for our guys. It was the first time out with those guys. They’re all trying to get used to each other and it’ll happen fast.
(With the offensive line, what’s your number? What’s your magic number in terms of where your comfort level is, how many guys you think you need on the 53-man roster heading into a game?) – “I’m not there yet. We’ll see. It’ll probably be different than last year. I’m assuming we’ll probably have some pieces move around, just because some guys surprised us a little bit in some other areas, so we have to figure out how we keep certain guys. (It may) look a little different. We probably have to be smart because how much is (Mike) Pouncey going to practice and it trickles down. I know (Executive Vice President of Football Operations) Mike (Tannenbaum) and (General Manager) Chris (Grier) are already kind of working that area. They’ve let me kind of stay focused on what my job is right now and that’s practice and corrections and working with the coaching staff, and they handle the personnel side right now. When we get to that point, we can make some decisions.”
Lawrence Timmons – August 14, 2017
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Monday, August 14, 2017
LB Lawrence Timmons
(With LB Raekwon McMillan out, has Head Coach Adam Gase kind of talked to you about what your role is going to be or is it going to continue to be the same?) – “No. Right now, we’re just trying to establish our identity in camp right now, and just take it from there.”
(How do you handle an injury like that to LB Raekwon McMillan, a young guy who’s expected to play a lot?) – “That’s the tough part of this game. Things like that happen. All we can do is pray for him, help his friends and family taking care of him and just pray.”
(You’ve been out here with LB Mike Hull a little bit during your time here. What do you think about him?) – “I feel like he’s a high-energy guy. He knows the defense, makes good calls, hard-nosed football player. He tackles really well, so I’m looking forward to it.”
(How would you feel about moving inside in the base defense?) – “I’m just doing whatever now. I’m all over the place with these guys. I’m just trying to be the best team player ever.”
Charles Harris – August 14, 2017
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Monday, August 14, 2017
DE Charles Harris
(A few days removed from the first preseason action. What did you think when you came back?) – “After watching the film and everything, I think we all did good as a d-line. (There are) a lot of things we’ve got to work on. A lot of things, especially as a young group. The younger guys who just got here, most of us rookies have got a lot of stuff that we’ve got to work on; but it was great seeing the vets in action, seeing the vets going against other guys. They learned off their mistakes and off of the things they did well, so it was great.”
(It’s one thing to see yourself on film in practice but what did you take away from the preseason game when you watched yourself on film?) – “The No. 1 thing is just to go. I think I was really hesitant. I was kind of hesitant and didn’t want to mess up, whatever. But Coach ‘T’ (Defensive Line Coach Terrell Williams) and Coach ‘Dre’ (Assistant Defensive Line Coach Andre Carter) just told me I just need to go. My best attribute is my speed, so get off the ball and then reacting, playing instinctively and not thinking about things too much.”
(Did you have trouble remembering everything when you get out there under the lights?) – “No, not at all. No, it wasn’t (that I wasn’t) remembering the plays or anything like that. It was just really being in formations. We did a lot of game planning and stuff like that. We treated like it was a real game so a lot of us younger guys, we looked at a lot of formations and just trying to dissect them while we were playing and stuff like that. So it’s going to take time. It’s going to take time for us to be able to go into a game like we did in college, studying beforehand, getting to apply it. I think the first game is under our belt and we’re looking to get better each and every game.”
(Speaking of college, is DE William Hayes kind of like a wise, old professor for you while you’re out there?) – “Yes, he’s definitely the monk on our team. (laughter) He knows a lot of things off the field. That’s the biggest thing. He has a lot of information about, just about life off the field so it’s always great to have somebody like that in your locker room.”
(Football wise, what’s DE William Hayes been for you?) – “Football wise he is the same thing. He’s got a lot of experience. He’s a pass rusher. He’s also a run stopper. He’s everything in one when it comes to finding defensive ends, so it’s always great for us to be able to learn from a pass rush and from a run stopper perspective.”
(What’s one good life lesson that DE William Hayes has given you?) – “The first thing that he really taught me about was investing – a couple of things about investing, so that for sure.”
Mike Pouncey – August 14, 2017
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Monday, August 14, 2017
C Mike Pouncey
(How did you feel out there taking a lot of work during team drills?) – “It felt really good. I’m just happy to be back out there with the guys, just getting back, better at football, doing the things I love to do and I’m just glad I’m back out there.”
(What’s the best part?) – “The best part is being able to say I’m a Miami Dolphin, to be honest. I keep telling everybody, that process I went through is a long one. It was humbling. The best thing I can say is that I’m out here being able to do the things that I love to do.”
(How are you feeling physically?) – “Physically I feel great. I feel like we have a great plan, a great schedule that I’m going to stick through throughout this whole camp. We’ll see how it goes whenever the start of the season gets here.”
(I know we jokingly said it but how does it feel to actually hit somebody?) – “It feels real good. (Ndamukong) Suh gave me a stinger on my left side. It shut my whole left arm off for a little bit. I miss those hits. (laughter) It felt good. It hurt, but it felt good to have it again.”
(Do you feel like you need to play in a game just to get that dust off?) – “Honestly, I just want to because I’m a competitor; but I’ve been in this situation where I haven’t played any preseason games and missed the first four games of the season and came back and played well. I’m not too much concerned about it. The competitor in me wants to be out there and go out there and do the plays that the rest of the first-teamers are doing, but we’ll see what (Head) Coach (Adam) Gase wants to do as we get along.”
(Did you have any apprehension yesterday to see how your body would react to the work you did Saturday?) – “Yes, we pretty much just do every other day and we see how we feel after the big work days; but I wasn’t sore at all. It felt great. I really wanted to go yesterday but we were just sticking to the plan of one day on, one day off, and it’s been working so far.”
(What kind of conversations have you had with QB Jay Cutler knowing that you guys probably will be working together in the season opener?) – “We talk a lot. It’s good that we get to work out here in full 11-on-11 reps together, going against our defense. We do a lot of work in the meeting rooms and on our walkthroughs. If he’s our starting quarterback when the season starts, we’ll be on (the same) page.”
(Are you at that point where you have a confidence that ‘I’m good. It’s not going to get reinjured. I’m fine. I’m 100 percent.’) – “I mean I wouldn’t be out here taking reps if I didn’t. You don’t want to be a guy that’s second guessing yourself because any time you do, you’re going to cause injury. I’m a guy that’s full out or full nothing. I’ve been going full out every day and it hasn’t been an issue.”
(I know your teammates understand the process but have you gotten any good natured razzing from them for missing some of these practices?) – “(laughter) Yes, they give me a hard time during meetings. It’s tough whenever I don’t practice, but they understand this has been a long process for me. These guys have been here every step of the way, from when I first had this injury back last preseason. They understand everything I’ve been through. For me to be able to come out here and practice with those guys, they appreciate me being able to come out here. They joke around and give me a hard time when I have days off, but they understand what I went through this whole process.”
(What was the play that gave you the stinger?) – “(laughter) It was an inside zone play. It was like our third play of team. (Ndamukong Suh) rocked me pretty good, but it felt good.”
(How long did it take for the stinger to go away?) – “It went right away but I felt it. My whole arm went number and I was like ‘Golly, I miss that feeling.’ It was good to have it back (laughter).”
(It looks like DT Davon Godchaux is active in practice…) – “He’s going to be a good player for us. He’s a disruptive guy. He’s really fast off the ball. He’s a kid that comes in and works hard every day. I think he’s going to do really well for our defense.”
(Being a star football player comes with a responsibility like signing autographs. Where is the craziest place that somebody has asked you to sign or have an autograph?) – “I’ve been asked everywhere. I can’t think of a crazy place but you can imagine anywhere and everywhere I go, I’m signing autographs. Honestly, I enjoy it, because I know one day I’m going to walk out and walk down the road and nobody is going to know who the hell I am. So I take advantage of the opportunity that I have in front of me and really enjoy it.”
(Some guys told me the weirdest place they’ve signed an autograph and maybe they’re in the bathroom and they’re just using the bathroom.) – “I just don’t like taking pictures in the bathroom but other than that, I’ll sign a few things in there. (laughter)”
Adam Gase – August 13, 2017
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Sunday, August 13, 2017
Head Coach Adam Gase
(It appeared that RB Jay Ajayi was led off the field by a trainer. Is he okay?) – “Yes. He’s alright. Just hydration. I mean his first day back out there, full pads. He’ll be okay.”
(You’ve obviously had rookie defensive linemen who have shown some stuff led by DT Davon Godchaux. DT Vincent Taylor, at times we’ve seen DE Cameron Malveaux, even DE Praise Martin-Oguike. Would you mind talking about them just as a group and anything you want to say about any of those four people as individuals as players as well?) – “I think that those guys know the standard has really been set by the leaders in that room and with those older players, their expectations in the younger guys are, and how they’re supposed to work and how they’re supposed to practice. So I know those guys probably feel a little pressure more from those guys than anybody. So they want to make sure that they do everything right and they’re constantly working on the field, especially after practice and before practice, to make sure that they’re improving every day. That’s a tough group to please. I mean those guys are very, very hard on the young guys and it’s good to see how they work. All the older guys are really taking time to help those guys improve.”
(And finding obviously young defensive linemen is a commodity. Are you encouraged by what you’ve seen? Obviously DT Davon Godchaux at the top and some of the others.) – “It’s tough to go against in practice. I think it’s making the whole team better because on the offensive side of the ball, we’ve got to be on it because they can disrupt practice very easily. When you see the kind of effort you’ve been seeing, it’s been impressive. It starts with those top guys and then it’s working its way down.”
(Regarding QB Jay Cutler, at this early stage, do you measure his progress by the physical, the throws and all that? Or by kind of the mental, the grasp of the offense?) – “We’re so one day at a time right now with him. I mean every play, he comes back and kind of re-assesses things after the series and we kind of talk things out to see where mentally, he can come back and say ‘Hey, I saw that nice and clean,’ or ‘I felt this in the pocket.’ So there’s just a lot dialogue there. I mean it just takes time when you haven’t done it in a while and every day he’s getting a little bit better. Yesterday wasn’t as good as it was today. I thought today he made a couple of throws where he felt good that were challenging plays for him.”
(Where’s that line form right now while he learns the offense between aggression and just executing and keeping it going?) – “I think it’s more just the processing speed. I don’t know if it’s so much learning the offense. (Jay Cutler) has the offense down pretty good. He’s a quick study. It’s just really of knowing what it is and can see it in your head on paper, and then all of a sudden you’ve got four guys rushing at you or they bring some kind of exotic blitz, and just the processing speed of all that. And then still trying to figure out how the receivers’ body language are or run courses, play-action fakes. There’s just a lot of little things that go on just besides saying ‘Hey, I’m going to execute this what was on paper.’”
(QB Ryan Tannehill often talked about not getting too high and not getting too low, kind of staying on course. How does that compare with QB Jay Cutler both up here and on the field?) – “I think yesterday he was excited to get out there and today I could tell that it kind of calmed down for him. It felt probably more normal for him today. I think that first day that he was actually out there, he took four snaps. It’s easier when you … (They were) four easy plays that he knows really well and he could run it any time, 10 years from now. Yesterday we did some more challenging things and the defense was doing a whole bunch of stuff. So I mean, you get amped up for that because you know it’s not going to be a walk in the park. Then today, I just felt he was more into the groove. I know it’s only been that second day; but you could tell there was a different feel from him. He felt better about it and I thought that helped him kind of stay nice and even and get through practice with making good throws, decisions, getting the right Mike points, run checks, all those things. I thought it was good. He was able to just level out today.”
(Is that what you want out of a quarterback, to where you don’t get four touchdowns one week and five interceptions the next?) – “Yes, consistency is the key. Players want the same guy every day. When you know what you’re going to get day in and day out, it just helps the rest of those guys around him. They know what they’re getting. They know ‘if we’re in the right spots, we’re going to get the ball.’ If we have any kind of broken play, he can still make plays. Just that consistency day in and day out is the key to everything.”
(When you look at the receiver position, we all know who the guys at the top are. We also know that there’s a very finite number of positions available on this roster. Looking at the depth, you have so many guys making plays. Are you kind of wondering how difficult it’s going to be to make those cuts?) – “I’m so far from there. I’m trying to get to tomorrow. (laughter)”
(What do you think about some of the guys?) – “I like the way the guys are improving. You can tell that the offense understands what they are supposed to do. The defense is challenging everything – all our routes. It’s been competitive every day. I think those younger guys are starting to feel more comfortable that in this league, everything is tight. It’s a fine line between being open and being covered and the details in everything that you do is critical. We just want to see as many guys do well and give themselves a chance in preseason games to show us what they have. We want it to be hard. We want it to be a group battle to make the roster. If that decision is hard for us, that’s a good thing for us. That’s what we want.”
(Regarding RB Jay Ajayi. Before the hydration issue, it seemed like he was very involved out there. He’s clearly making progress?) – “Yes, I think we’re back to where he was earlier. It’s just now it’s a conditioning thing for him. I don’t even know how many days he ended up missing, but it triples when you walk out there on a day like today. You think that you can just do your normal deal and it smacks you in the face real fast.”
*RB Jay Ajayi remains in the concussion protocol. He is cleared to fully participate in practice.*
(RB Jay Ajayi is still in the concussion protocol?) – “He’s out, he’s out.”
(RB Jay Ajayi is not in the protocol?) – “No.”
(C Mike Pouncey, how did he do? I know the day after is often important. How did he do?) – “He did good. He did good. He didn’t follow my rule of staying off the ground. The first play I looked up, I see (Andre) Branch helmet to the lower back. I about pulled him out of practice. It was good. He did a good job. He felt good. I always wait until the next day to see his reaction to the day before. He was good today. He didn’t feel any after effects of practice. That’s what I keep looking at is how do you feel the next day and then the day after that. It’s a constant, trying to figure where he’s at. We’ve had nothing but positive signs that we’re going in the right direction.”
(This is the first day that we saw G Isaac Asiata with the first team. Was that experimentation? Did he do well in the exhibition game? What do you hope to see?) – “We’re just moving guys around. We’re all hands on deck right now with players. We’re a little thin at o-line and wide receiver right now. (Offensive Line Coach/Run Game Coordinator) Chris (Foerster) does this all the time. He starts moving guys around, especially young players. Sometimes he’ll throw them in that first group, put a little pressure on them and see how they react. That’s really what we are doing. That’s really our philosophy with that group upfront is really changing it up as much as possible. I wouldn’t look into it deeper than that.”
(Speaking of young offensive linemen, T Eric Smith, he’s a guy that when you see him walking around he looks like he lumbers or labors a little bit. But when the ball is snapped, he seems like a different guy.) – “He did a really good job in the game. The defensive ends that he is going against, I know that they’re our backup defensive linemen; but they’re pretty good. He’s had to go against William Hayes, and Charles (Harris). He’s had a challenge on his hands all spring and training camp and he did well. That was good to see. Any time you can find a guy that can contribute at that position, it’s valuable for us.”
(What are some of the things he has taken on and done well?) – “I think he’s just getting comfortable with what we’re doing, offense, consistently trying to hone your craft. It’s just hard. You have so much information going on in your head. (He’s a) young player trying to figure it all out and at the same time, you’ve got somebody trying to drive you back into the quarterback. It’s that fine line of using your intelligence and then your physical ability.”
(Anything you can tell us on WR Leonte Carroo?) – “Yes, he had a hamstring strain. We’re trying to give him a day off there and see how he recovers.”
