Ndamukong Suh – June 14, 2017
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Wednesday, June 14, 2017
DT Ndamukong Suh
(Do you see improvement in the run defense out here and if so, how do you determine it when you don’t have pads on?) – “I think it’s tough to determine that when you don’t have pads on. I think the most important thing is guys are definitely in the right place where they need to be, but I think it’ll be very key for us to get a gauge of that when we get pads on and obviously when we get into preseason games.”
(What have you seen out of the rookie DE Charles Harris so far?) – “Charles, in my opinion, is a very focused kid. He’s very excited about his approach to the game. He’s very detail oriented. (He) obviously takes coaching very, very well (and) implements it very quickly as you coach him up in-game and (he) listens. Obviously he has been running with the ones and getting a lot of play time in our package we like to run in regards to pass rush. He has had a lot of good things from my opinion, but everybody has got a lot of work to do, so we’ve got a long way ahead of ourselves.”
(The last time you were here, you mentioned playing many more years. We asked Head Coach Adam Gase a little bit about longevity. Can you elaborate on that a little bit and have you really put much thought into how much longer you’re going to play?) – “I think at all times you look at it, and when you get to this age. I remember guys – Kyle Vanden Bosch, Corey Williams – being (in) their seventh and eighth year when I was a rookie going to Detroit. Seeing those guys and how they approached it, they really took it day by day and focused on what they needed to take care of in that particular moment and then worried about everything on (the) later back end. For me, personally, that’s kind of how my approach has been. Obviously, I want to continue to play at a very high level, so I’m in-tune with what I need to get done right now, and then let the years to come worry about themselves.”
(How much of an example does DE Cameron Wake set at 35?) – “It’s exciting to see a guy like that, 1) have the year he had last year, but see how he’s coming out and being just as good, if not better, in a lot of ways. I think this will be a very fun and exciting year for him. Obviously, he’s not having to worry about injury or anything of that sort, having a good offseason from the looks of it. Obviously, being with him the last four weeks, he’s in great shape.”
(What’s one thing you’ve taken or learned from DE Cameron Wake since you’ve been together?) – “Just pass rush. I think one of the things of being able to work with a guy like that, the way he rushes … I love the way he rushes. It’s actually funny, (we) were talking about that today with (Defensive Line) Coach ‘T’ (Terrell Williams). A lot of people think he’s a speed rusher, but a lot of times he uses his speed, but it turns into power. (He’s) really a straight line guy. I can learn certain techniques – hands and different stuff like that – from him. And he’s obviously seen a lot. I play outside a little bit. So, there are things for me to learn from him, without question.”
(When you think about this phase of your career that you’re in now and possibly how much longer you want to play, how much do you think about or factor in the physical beating that you take at your positon?) – “I think I’m built for it, first and foremost; but I think at the end of the day, it’s about coaches and how they take care of us. ‘T’ (Defensive Line Coach Terrell Williams) does a great job – (Head Coach Adam) Gase does a great job – allowing us to get good, quality reps where we’re 1) getting the work that we need to get in, but we’re not beating ourselves up, especially in these particular instances. Obviously, in camp is a great gauge of that as well. For me, I’m not really worried about it. I’ve always prided myself on playing as many plays as I can possible. I just love being on the football field.”
(What do you want your legacy to be when they write the book on Ndamukong Suh?) – “I’m not sure. In what regards are you speaking of?”
(Where you stand among the greats of all-time, things like that.) – “I think I’ve always prided myself on wanting to be a guy that has been very similar to, obviously, the greats – Reggie White, Warren Sapp – guys of that caliber (that) change the game from their particular position. I’m only eight years into the league. They played many, many more years than me. I still have a lot of work ahead of myself. I think in this particular instance, probably one of the best things I would want people to recognize for me is you have to know where I am at on the football field at all times. If you don’t, then I should be causing havoc. And even if you do, I still want to cause havoc.”
(Do you ever think about the Hall of Fame?) – “I’d be lying to you if I said I didn’t. Of course. Everybody thinks about the Hall of Fame. One of the first trips I took, I remember going to the Hall of Fame in Canton. I’ve been there a couple times. Obviously (you) see teammates there for breaking particular records – Calvin (Johnson), Matt Stafford – other guys like that. I’d love to be a part of it. Charlie (Sanders) – one of the best receivers in Detroit Lions history – to be there with him and see his bust, and obviously he unfortunately passed recently, it was special to me. I was really close to him. But of course you think about the Hall of Fame; but like I said, I’m very young. I think at this stage, I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me.”
(When it comes to players and taking care of their bodies in the offseason – we know you’re meticulous about that – has the level of knowledge and participation increased since you’ve been in the league or is it about the same as far as workout regimen and knowing what to put in your body?) – “Without question it has increased. There are many people that I’ve come across in the last five or six years that I’ve been fortunate to listen to, learn from, understand my body. Something is always changing, so it’s an evolution to find different ways to adapt the body. That’s the great thing about the body – it adapts as you challenge it. You have to find new ways to stay healthy and new modalities to keep you sharp.”
(When did you start paying attention to that? In the pros? In college?) – “I think it first started in college, especially after my freshman year; but it was very, very low level. I think it got to a heightened sense, especially after I had surgery my rookie season on my shoulder (and) finding new ways to 1) lift weights and be very, very strong. Everybody has a concept of tearing your body down and building it back up. You don’t have to necessarily do that in my opinion to stay strong and be very, very strong throughout the season. I think there are a lot of things that I’ve learned from after that surgery and the people that I work with now to where I look to be in the future and being able to play for a long time.”
(What does your offseason entail now that you leave here after minicamp? What do you do to get prepared for training camp?) – “Five strenuous weeks. I go back to Portland with my trainer, usually check in with my docs on certain things. If I have any bumps or bruises or whatever from minicamp – or mishaps – I deal with those particular issues. There are some other things that go in there but I’m not going to disclose those.”
(I think you were in the room when Head Coach Adam Gase said in so many words, ‘I made a mistake. I screwed up,’ relative to not playing DE Cameron Wake more. I was wondering hearing that from a coach, what goes through your mind?) – “I vaguely heard it. But if those were his words … I think at the end of the day, what they wanted to do was ease Cam back into his progression and playing at a high level. At the end of the day, I think they did a great job with handling that. I think it’s proven in the pudding of what Cam produced. Obviously, they could’ve done it earlier and it could’ve been probably better, but that’s in the past. I think the future is where we’re at right now.”
(I guess I meant from a bigger picture perspective. It seems like Head Coach Adam Gase is one of those guys that has accountability for himself and his colleagues.) – “No question. I think Coach (Gase) is very accountability oriented 1) For his players (and) 2) For himself, and everybody in this particular organization. And that’s something that’s great, because he doesn’t put himself on a pedestal to say, ‘Everything I say is perfect.’ We’ve had some great conversations, especially this offseason even when I wasn’t here, about things of that nature and how we can get better as a particular team. He’s a great head coach and I think he’s only going to continue to get better because he has that mentality.”
(You were joking a couple weeks about turning 30. Do you feel kind of old when you’re around these rookies that are 22 in your corner in the locker room?) – “Without question. Some of the music that they listen to is not necessarily (to) my liking, but I like being around the young guys. At the end of the day, they’re coming in here to help and play at a high level. I’ve spent some time while I’ve been here with them outside of the building. It’s good to be around young guys that have a different perspective. It allows me to think about things a little bit differently. I think even in practice, it allows me to get back to my basics. I don’t know if you guys have noticed, (but) we go off the field as defensive linemen and offensive linemen a little bit earlier, but we have that time to 1) Interact with the younger guys as they get work in and we can do extra work. So, those times are good for us to 1) Get back to the basics that we may not be thinking about when we’re in the heat of the battle and doing situational football and things of that nature.”
(Are you motivated at all by that on the practice field? The challenge of trying to match someone that’s eight years younger than you. I know that you can, but…) – “A match as in intensity or what exactly?”
(Enthusiasm, the effort. Someone that’s eight years younger than you…) – “I think I’ve always been an even-keeled guy, so I don’t necessarily look at it like that. But from the standpoint of energy and things of that nature, I think it’s good to have them around. At the same time, I think it goes back to the younger ways of getting back to the basics and then obviously being able to have the advanced knowledge of looking for certain keys and stuff like that, and just re-learning stuff yourself that you may not have been thinking about and that you know already, but it gets your brain thinking about it again, because the younger guy may not.”
(You mentioned what you’ll do after minicamp for five strenuous weeks. Do you allow yourself anytime to get away from football a little bit?) – “There’s time. I think you can have some time during the weekends. I think probably the most time would be once we finish up on Thursday, tomorrow. We’ve got Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Monday is a big day. (I’ll) start those five weeks and kind of go from there.”
(Frightened or fascinated by that swarm of bees out there?) – “I’m not a fan of bees. I’ve been around yellow jackets in Jamaica and all that stuff. I’m not too scared of them, but I’d rather not be stung if I didn’t have to be.”
Anthony Steen – June 14, 2017
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Wednesday, June 14, 2017
C/G Anthony Steen
(On the bee situation at practice) – “I’ve only seen bees like that once and it’s always been around a hive. For them to just come out and over like that, it’s kind of weird.”
(Take us through driving down offensively towards that end zone where the bees were.) – “To the bees? I didn’t care.”
(Because you’re not a receiver.) – “Yes, that’s right. DeVante (Parker) might have (cared), especially when he was in the end zone with them. They were probably trying to celebrate with him.”
(What’s been the breakdown for you as far as the work at center as compared to guard over the last several weeks?) – “I’m just trying to switch everything in my head, especially when you go from right guard and then three plays later he wants you to go to left guard. Some people might not think much of it, but when you’re pass blocking, your hands have to go totally opposite when you’re switching positions. It’s been a little bit of a challenge, but I’m getting the hang of it.”
(Have you spent more time at guard than center over the last month?) – “Right now it’s probably 50-50. The past two days, I guess today and yesterday, I’ve done more center than guard. I’ve done center for three or four team periods then I do right guard for one or two.”
(Is it your hope to be considered for a starting guard spot? With G/T Jermon Bushrod and G Isaac Asiata as a rookie, do you feel like you are in that mix?) – “Yes, I think right now everybody is, honestly. It’s hard for anybody to say yes to that question until camp gets here. That’s when everything is going to come in effect; but whatever coach wants me to do – if he wants me to play guard or if he wants me to play center, whatever is going to be best for the team.”
(What’s the biggest takeaway you took from last season?) – “Experience. I hadn’t played in a game since college so three years. At the beginning of the season, I was definitely nervous, I’m not going to lie. It was nerve-wracking, plus playing center last year for the first time. I was scared to death, honestly; but it is part of football. It’s excitement. When you get in a game, score a touchdown or even a simple field goal, it gets your adrenaline going. You might hurt during the game, but as long as you get that win, you feel fine after. I think the experience part I’m comfortable with now.”
(What did you take from the demotion?) – “I think it was more of me playing hurt last year. I know when we played Cleveland, ‘Bush’ Jermon Bushrod fell up on me and rolled my ankle, it kind of went downhill from there. I wasn’t supposed to come back for three or four weeks and I came back after Cincinnati just because ‘LT’ (Laremy Tunsil) fell and he got hurt. I really had no choice. I had to do it or don’t, but we didn’t have anyone else to do it because everybody else was hurt. I kind of rushed back to getting in there for the team and it kind of went downhill because then I hurt my shoulder the next game – just a sprain and rotator cuff; but the physical part, it kind of slowed me down there. I lost my strength for two or three games there. Like I said, whatever it takes to win, I’m going to do it. I’m not going to be one of those guys to make an excuse and say ‘I’m 50 percent, I don’t need to go.’ If I can go, I can go. It’s as simple as that.”
(You told us at the golf tournament when we talked to you that you had surgery, correct?) – “No. I said I had a cyst in my wrist. I could’ve had surgery but I didn’t want to miss a whole month and a half of training, so I just put up with it.”
(Was there any part of your body that felt good last year?) – “Not really. Not really, but that’s part of football. After a while, you get used to it.”
(With the offseason, well this isn’t the offseason for you guys because you’ve been here for a couple of months. What do you do in that five-week period from when mini-camp ends to when training camp begins? Can you paint the picture for us?) – “For me? As soon as practice ends tomorrow I’m going to meet my parents on a vacation. We haven’t had a family vacation in probably six years. I know my mom is probably looking forward to me getting there.”
(Where are you going?) – “Orange Beach. I think they’re going tomorrow morning. I’ll probably get there Friday mid-day. It is 10 hours (on the road) I think. I’ll probably take a couple of days off and spend time with them. I think my sister and two nieces are going to be there. After that, I’ll probably head back and start training.”
(The training entails what?) – “More of just running and trying to stay in shape, slim up and get lean. I’ll probably workout three times for weights and then cardio four times a week. It’s hard to stay in football shape running 60 plays getting ready for a game. You can’t just go run four or five times a week and then expect to play a full game. It’s totally different.”
(What’s been C Mike Pouncey’s involvement in terms of meetings with your group? Obviously we haven’t seen him on the field yet. Is he as talkative as he would be if he were playing?) – “Oh yes. Yes, he’s still a comedian still. He still comes to meetings and jokes around with everybody. He’s always here, trying to pay attention and watch film. Even though he’s not playing or practicing, he’s still in there watching film with us trying to stay on top of things.”
(Has C Mike Pouncey made any comments that he’s going to be able to play?) – “No, I don’t know if he has. I think right now his mindset is yes, he’s going to play. I think for a player, you’ve got to think that way. If you think you’re not going to make it, then it’s not going to happen. You’ve got to be able to say to yourself ‘I’m going to be the starting center or guard’ or whatever. You have to tell yourself you’re going to be ready. You can’t just want to be in the training room just to be in there. You’ve got to want to be out of the training room to be able to play.”
(Does the way C Mike Pouncey walks seem normal to you in terms of the Pouncey you saw pre-injury?? Obviously last year he was injured a lot during your first year here.) – “Yes, I think he’s walking fine. When he was on crutches, you could definitely tell he was struggling a little bit. I think he was 75-80 percent for a while on the crutches. The past two weeks, he’s seemed fine to me – three weeks.”
Jermon Bushrod – June 14, 2017
Wednesday, June 14, 2017
G/T Jermon Bushrod
(Is there any sort of last day of school feeling in these last three days? I know minicamp is still serious but the break is right there.) – “It’s close and I’m going to enjoy it until training camp comes. We’ve got a little bit over a month and it’s just some time for guys to refocus and get their bodies right physically and get their minds right mentally so we can come back and put ourselves through the grind of training camp.”
(A few minutes ago, DT Ndamukong Suh was saying that he feels that Head Coach Adam Gase is a guy who doesn’t put himself on a pedestal and holds himself accountable. Since you’ve been around him, can you think of kind of like a good example like illustration of that?) – “You said that he does hold himself accountable?”
(Head Coach Adam Gase holds himself accountable and doesn’t put himself on some pedestal.) – “Right, right, right. I can’t pinpoint one incident, but he’s always going to shoot you straight. He’s always going to tell you how he feels about every situation that we’ve been in – good or bad – or how he could have been better and how we could have been better. That just makes us evaluate ourselves that much tougher, that much harder. So when your head coach can take accountability like that, then it’s just a trickle-down effect. We’re professionals and that’s just how it needs to be so you can fight to win.”
(If you could put a number on how many times you think he acknowledged he made a mistake last year, what would that number be?) – “I don’t know. Last year we lived and learned through a lot of different things. We dug ourselves out of a hole. We took the first few games and we fought to learn from them. We fought to figure out what we were good at, how we could put ourselves in better situations. There’s no regrets about it, it’s just in life, you have to find a way to correct those mistakes, correct the instances that you could have been in a better position and then when that opportunity comes later on in the season, we ironed out some things and were able to have some success.”
(When you guys stopped going to the up-tempo offense, how did that impact the offense and in particular the offensive line?) – “Maybe it just slowed us down a little bit. With the more practice we’ll get, the better we’ll be with the up-tempo stuff. I like it. I think it’s a good change of pace. As we started to get rolling, we could mix it in here and there and we were able to be on the same page. To be honest, I just think it had to come with a lack of reps together – not just the offense, but our offensive line. So the fact that we can be on the same page more this year because we’ve taken the reps, we’re in the system for another year, our communication as an offensive line is at a higher level.”
(T Branden Albert spoke to the Jacksonville media yesterday and he was saying how the last three years really put a toll on his body mentally, physically, spiritually and I’m sure the knee injury was part of that. Did you see any of that from him last year, that the body was a little bit down?) – “Well, I think the older you get – like I think the last time we were up here – I think the older you get, your body isn’t always going to agree with you. Sometimes you have to do some extra things and you would see ‘BA’ (Branden Albert) in here – well not you, but I would see ‘BA’ in here early – working on his conditioning, stretching, working with our weight room staff, trying to work the kinks out. When you get older in this game, you can’t just show up and play. You have to do more. You have to wake up a little earlier, stay a little bit later, and then in the offseason, there’s just different things you’ve got to work on. You’re not as young as you used to (be). You’ve got to get your body back, balanced, feeling right and feeling ready to go every single day.”
(What’s the biggest difference, if any, you’ve seen out of QB Ryan Tannehill, either in the huddle or just out there on the field since coming back from the injury?) – “I know he was excited to get back. I mean you could see it in his face last year when he didn’t have the opportunity to be in there when we were rolling. That’s tough on a player. That’s tough on any competitor, but the way … He’s doing a great job of taking over the huddle, taking over the offense and being the leader that he knows he can be. We all have a better feeling of where we are in this offense and the better feeling he has with the receivers, the better feeling we have up front, all 11 of us kind of feed off each other.”
(Did you see the bees?) – “Yes, I did.”
(Where do the bees rank in terms of just weird things that have interrupted or affected practice in your career?) – “That’s up there in my top, but it was towards the end of practice and it got to the point where I was like, I’m not going to run. If they get me, they get me. That was pretty weird and it was funny because we moved all the way down to the other end and you could still kind of see the swarm of them down at the other end. I don’t know. It was just kind of weird where they came from.”
(Nothing in Louisiana that rivals that?) – “I’ve never seen bees like that. I’ve never seen …”
(Other wildlife?) – “No. I can’t recall right now.”
(You’re not allergic are you?) – “No.”
(Were you worried for WR DeVante Parker running down that sideline?) – “I mean we were literally just like … We were talking about it. I’m just glad he caught the ball and I don’t think he got stung. I hope he didn’t get stung, but I know it was pretty thick down there with the bees; but he scored. We scored a touchdown and that’s what it’s about.”
(Who are a couple of guys that have opened your eyes in a positive standpoint? Offense, defense, young or old, kind of throughout the whole camp.) – “I like the way these rookies are coming in here and competing. I like the way this team competes. I like the way the vets get out here and they work. We’re going out here in OTAs and minicamp and we’re fighting to get some good work in. We’re getting after it the way that we’re supposed to, but the rookies are coming here and they’re fighting. Come training camp, it’s going to be a battle. There are going to be a lot of tough decisions that our coaching staff is going to have to make because we’ve got some good veterans on this team. We’ve got some good young guys that look like they want to come in, make the team and make some plays. So come training camp, it’s going to be a battle.”
(Have either of the two rookie defensive tackle draft picks taken any reps against you? DT Davon Godchaux or DT Vincent Taylor?) – “I’ve had a few. I’ve had Vincent (Taylor) over me five to seven times within the last couple of days.”
(Any observations of DT Davon Godchaux or DT Vincent Taylor? Obviously with no pads it hard to judge but…) – “(Vincent Taylor has) low leverage. (He’s a) strong kid. He’s the only one I really went up against but both of them are getting reps. Some are getting reps with the ones – rotating with the ones here and there. Once we get the pads on, you’ll get a better feeling or understanding about where they are. Initially, you can tell that they’re taking the coaching well. They’re using the tools that the coaches on that side of the ball are teaching them, because you see it out there. Like I was saying, we’ve got a lot of rookies that are coming in and competing. Not just the inside (guys), even the outside ones, they’re playing tough.”
(Have you been competing against DT Lawrence Okoye?) – “I haven’t went up against him yet, but I’ve seen him in there. I’ve watched all of his reps but I haven’t lined up against him yet.”
(Any impressions of DT Lawrence Okoye so far?) – “Good hands. As tall as he is, he plays with good leverage. He can play with some good strength when he gets his hands on you. I’m pretty sure I’ll get my opportunity come July.”
(Have you ever thought about the challenge that a guy like DT Lawrence Okoye faces coming into football, being completely new to it?) – “I haven’t. I don’t know. I guess I can kind of relate to it. I mean he’s not really been a football player, so it’s something that you have to learn. It’s something you have to take a lot of reps to. I can kind of remember when I started in the college level playing left tackle and then kind of going back to last year, switching positions, it’s just about your repetition – doing it over, doing it over again, over and over and over until you get tired of doing it and you keep doing it again. So I can relate to it; but when you’re not used to it, you’re going to continue to keep working. I think he has a lot of good upside to him.”
Adam Gase – June 14, 2017
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Wednesday, June 14, 2017
Head Coach Adam Gase
(We saw obviously another good day from WR DeVante Parker today. He talked to us yesterday about all of the improvements he’s made with sleeping, nutrition – all the things you’ve talked about. I was curious who has pushed him to get him to this point? Has it been some of you and Wide Receivers Coach Shawn Jefferson? Has WR Kenny Stills sort of taken him under his wing at all?) – “I think it’s a combination of Shawn (Jefferson), during the season, putting a really good plan together for him with the strength staff – (Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Dave) Puloka, all of that crew, (Director of Sports Performance) Wayne (Diesel), (Team Nutritionist) Mary Ellen (Kelly). There were a lot of people trying to help point him in the right direction; but at the end of the day, he has to do it day in and day out when he’s outside the building. I think he just gravitated to it and stuck with his plan that was made for him during the season. Then once the season ended, he really just carried it on, on his own. To me, it’s evident that he started working on things a lot earlier than probably what he’s ever done, or he’s been able to do. It’s really paid off for him. You see a different guy out there every day. I should say he’s not a different guy every day, but the consistency compared to what we saw last spring. He is constantly moving as fast as you see him on game day. He really treats every day like it’s a game.”
(What did you learn about WR DeVante Parker now that maybe you didn’t know when you first got here?) – “That’s hard to say. I guess I felt like I had a really good insight. Being in Chicago, he was a guy that we were looking at hard and trying to figure out what was the best move for us to make when we were picking seventh. We had the luxury of having two guys on our staff that had been with him – one was Mike Groh, who was our wide receivers coach and then (former Bears Outside Linebackers Coach) Clint Hurtt, who was at Louisville with him, as well. I feel like I was getting a lot of information before ever being here and then once I came down here, I was able to talk to both of those guys and Clint had a lot of really helpful things to tell me to know what to look for to help DeVante and to understand how he saw things, how he operated in college and when he did well and if he ever struggled, how he got over the hump. I think that was really helpful because we were able to relay a lot of that information with (Wide Receivers Coach) Shawn (Jefferson) and (Assistant Wide Receivers Coach) Ben (Johnson) and (Offensive Coordinator) Clyde (Christensen), so we could really try to get ahead of things and try to help him get to where he wants to get.”
(How have you seen WR DeVante Parker’s relationship with QB Ryan Tannehill evolve and grow since he ended last season and into this offseason?) – “It seems like the longer we get to do this and we’re all together every day in meetings and practice, it’s just the communication. When you come in here to watch film, guys talking to each other, giving reasons why they did certain things, what they’d be thinking and if a different coverage would come up on certain concepts. It’s just that constant talking that goes on. That’s really all you want to have happen is you give them an outline of what you’re looking for and you let those guys really take it to the next level and kind of make it their own. You don’t want to just say ‘This is what it is and live with it.’ We really just try to give them that framework and let those guys take it from there.”
(Have you been around similar wide receivers – young wide receivers – to WR DeVante Parker in the past and what this year gives you the confidence that he’s going to get closer to that potential that you see?) – “It’s strange just being with Demaryius (Thomas) and (Eric) Decker when they were rookies. I was coaching wide receivers. I saw a lot of the same … The way that his path has gone is very similar to those guys. There were injuries early in their career, they fought through some ups and downs and once they kind of figured it out, they just found ways to get better every day. I see him doing the same thing. He goes out there with a purpose and every day we watch the film and we see a guy getting better.”
(At this time of the year with no pads, how do you determine run defense progress or success?) – “We won’t really know until we get pads on and we actually start playing some preseason games and the regular season. You try to look at it the best you can as far as run fits and running to the football and just that consistency that you’re looking for in the defense. Everything looks good when we’re in non-pads right now. We just need to carry our techniques and our fits to training camp, and then when we get in a game, we just need to take the next step and do it in games.”
(What was your reaction when it came over the headset to you that bees had taken over the entire red zone?) – “I was standing right in the middle of it. I was starting to see all of those somethings flying around and I didn’t know what was going on, then a couple of guys were freaking out. I was like I guess they’re bees.”
(You called a play, you had WR DeVante Parker running straight into the bees and he made a catch. It was impressive.) – “We were just trying to score touchdowns so he had to run through a couple of bees. He’s going to be alright. (laughter)”
(Serious question, any treatment needed?) – “I don’t think so. It has not been reported to me.”
(Do you feel like you guys are adequately prepared now if a bee attack happens in a game?) – “We’ll be ready for that.”
(Where do you think WR Jakeem Grant stands as a receiver now that we’re near the end of the offseason. We saw some nice catches today and some drops as well) – “I think he’s made some huge strides throughout the spring. I know we were trying to figure out what was the best spot for him. We’re just trying to get him to play as fast as he can. He’s done a really good job of diving into the playbook, spending … You can tell when a guy spends extra time because some of the little mistakes that you would see as a rookie, you don’t see as much anymore. He makes some really good plays. It just comes down to consistency and just consistently making those catches – not only the hard ones but it’s those easy ones that can get you sometimes as a wide receiver where you think you’ve got it but the next thing you know, you have an easy drop and that kind of creeps into your head. When he has those days where he doesn’t have anything on the ground and he’s in the right spots and he knows he did everything right, those are the days you just want to try to keep building off of and see if you can get two, three, four in a row to where you can really start making some leaps.”
(So far, what are you seeing out of the rookie WR Isaiah Ford?) – “When you’re a young guy, you’re just trying to fight to get better and get as many reps as you can. That’s why we try to keep the reps fairly balanced because we don’t want to just throw those guys out there for a couple of reps and hope they get better. We’ve got to let them do it. We’ve got to let them prove it. All of those young guys, they’re all fighting for some spot to stay alive and when we get to training camp, it’s going to be the same thing. Then the reps are going to start changing, so you’ve got to make all of these count in the spring, because this is when you’re really learning because when you get into a preseason game, that’s when it’s really going to count for you.”
(DE Andre Branch was talking about his offseason regimen yesterday and he mentioned MMA and things along those lines – physical therapy. Do you have a preference of what you want guys to do as far as if they’re taxing their body too much or if MMA is too dangerous? Any limits?) – “These guys, that’s their livelihood is their body. I don’t know if I’m really the poster boy for health by any means. Those guys do a lot more studying than what people realize of what’s the best thing to do for their bodies physically, what they’re putting into their bodies. They know that’s how you make your money. That’s how longevity occurs. We happen to have the guy that’s probably legitimately the poster boy for doing it right for a long period of time (Cameron Wake) and making everybody else feel like he’s 38 and he looks like he’s 26. He goes harder and longer than most of the players that we have that are actually 25 or 24. Him coming here was probably a great thing for him to see Cam (Wake) every day and see what he does, then taking whatever he was doing to the next level. He saw every day that there is proof that if you do it right, you can play for a very long time in this league.”
(As it relates to DE Cameron Wake, what did you guys learn last year in all of your research about snap totals versus performance?) – “Are you trying to throw the first five games into my face there? (laughter) I made a mistake. I should have been playing him more early. We were trying to think long term. We trying to think let’s get him the most important snaps during games. When we were getting down, it really put us in a bad spot because we didn’t want to stick him out there and all they were doing was pounding the football. We wanted him in there when teams were passing it, we just kept getting behind, and that was putting us at a disadvantage. That’s when we decided we have to make sure he’s out there more. That’s why we made that switch. We thought we were being smart and it backfired on us. We should have just went with … What we should have done was just let him play.”
(With T Avery Young, an incredibly talented guy. What led to bringing him in and how has he been?) – “When we finished the season, we were trying to figure out what direction we really wanted to go with … You start getting into the discussion of body types, physical ability, what fits in outside zone, we want to be firmer in protection. So you’re trying to figure out the best way to go about it. We did a lot of talking through at what point can’t you run outside zone. We had some long discussions with (Run Game Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach Chris) Foerster, (Offensive Coordinator) Clyde (Christensen), we got with the personnel guys and determined that there’s ways to find guys that are athletic enough; but at the same time, we’re not having a group of guys that are 290 pounds. He was a guy that we felt like was worth us taking a chance on as far as working out. He did a good job. We brought him in, got him in the program early. Being with his brother (Willie Young Jr.) in Chicago, that probably didn’t hurt him at all because I got that text and I trust that guy a lot. He’s done a really good job for us. He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do and he just keeps finding ways to get better.”
(If T Avery Young plays guard for you, how do you grade that level of athleticism that he has for that position and at his size?) – “You just want guys that can move well enough to get moving laterally. It’s really about angles for the most part. It is angles and effort. If guys … If you really strain and you really max out on the effort, more times than not you’re going to be able to do what we need you to do.”
Jay Ajayi – June 13, 2017
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Tuesday, June 13, 2017
RB Jay Ajayi
(Head Coach Adam Gase was complimenting you on your route running and how much you must have worked on it in the offseason. How much time did you invest in this and was that your top offseason priority?) – “(I was) definitely working this offseason. Just being able to run better routes and being more detailed, that was a priority for me this offseason.”
(How do you feel your progress is?) – “(I) definitely feel a lot better than last year, and I’m still working. I’m still going out each day trying to get better, but I definitely feel like I’m a lot ways ahead this year than I was last year.”
(Can you explain the detail aspect of it, because sometimes the routes look the same. A curl is a curl, but what gets you to that next level detail-wise?) – “For starters, knowing your landmarks. Certain routes need to be broken off at certain yard lines. There are so many yards in each route. Really just making sure that when I do get into my brakes that I’m getting out of it sharply, not rounding my brakes, and at the end of the route, finishing the catch. That’s something I’ve been working on this year.”
(Is there a specific picture you have in mind of the complete back you want to be or is there a former running back you look up to?) – “I know I can do it, personally. During college, I was a guy who was able to catch the ball out of the backfield and also run. I prided myself in being able to do everything and be on the field for the whole game. Getting into the NFL, I know it’s a lot different, but I still believe I have that skillset. It was really about developing it even more now at this level and trying to push myself to become elite. That’s really what I’ve been working on, knowing that I have the skillset and really putting the hammer to the nail and working tirelessly at it (so) I can go out there Sundays and really become that weapon that I want to be.”
(What was your motivation for this offseason to really work harder on your route running and some aspects of your game compared to your first season?) – “For sure, my rookie year I had a lot on my plate. For sure, I was just trying to figure out what I was doing, learning how to be a pro and everything. But right now, having a couple years under my belt, knowing what I want to be, I want to be the best. I strive for that. I know that to be considered the best at the running back position, you have to be a guy that can do it all. Last year, I was able to do a lot of great things on the ground, but I felt like something was missing in my game. I knew I could do it, so I just wanted to be able to come out and practice and continue to work at it, continue to show that I can do it and be consistent.”
(Head Coach Adam Gase talked about how perceptive you are now about the details and nuances of the offense. He said you think about things almost like a quarterback does now. Do you look back at your beginning with the Dolphins and think, ‘I did not know what I was doing back then.’?) – “From the first year I was here as a rookie, I had some adversity being hurt and all types of stuff. It’s hard to get into the game, grasp it, get the knowledge of your playbook and all that. Then we get a new coach – all these different things. But now being in Year 3, having been able to have a good year like last year, I learned a lot of things. I feel like right now, I’m definitely a lot more comfortable on the field, a lot more composed. I do know little details out there that have been able to help me react faster, be quicker in my reads and also allowing me to be more confident on the field.”
(Did it help you at all being secure in your role now too being the guy this year as opposed to the last two offseasons?) – “It feels good to know that I have a role on this team that is going to help affect us winning, and that’s exciting for me and continues to push me each day to continue to improve my game.”
(At the end of last year, did you feel like you had more carries in you if that had been required? I know it’s a week-to-week thing, but do you want the ball more this year or was it about right?) – “Last year, I felt good to be able to carry the ball. At the end of the year, I did get banged up in that Bills game, but at the same time, each week I was ready to go out there and do whatever needed to be done, however many carries that was. Knowing what we want to do this year and knowing myself and how I felt in some of the games where I was able to get into a rhythm and get over 20 carries, I feel like we were able to do well. In those games that I got to a certain amount of carries, I feel like that was when our offense was doing the best. We were getting a lot of plays on offense, we were scoring points and both sides of the ball were also doing well. If that’s the case, then I’ll be completely for it, and I’m ready for that. That’s what I’m preparing myself to do. We’ll see what happens this year as the season comes up. Each game plan each week, like you said, could be different; but I know for myself personally, I’ll be ready to carry the ball however many times I have to.”
(So a little bit more is better?) – “Yes. I feel like I’m a workhorse, and I get better as the game keeps going as I continue to be a part of the game. Yes, I feel like if I can get a certain amount of carries, then that’ll be good for our team as well.”
(Did the Pro Bowl experience change your approach heading into this offseason or how you study the game and the demands for yourself?) – “It was motivating for me personally. Being there, getting to see a lot of elite players, being around them, some guys who’ve been in Pro Bowls since they got in the league, some guys were just being at their first Pro Bowl, and they had been in the league for like eight years – all of those different things were inspiring and motivating for me. It definitely made me want to continue to work harder and push myself, because I want to be on that level every year, being able to be recognized as such type of a player.”
(Was there anybody’s brain you picked when you were there in particular?) – “Yes, I got to talk to Ray Lewis. That was a really cool thing. He was explaining how he had watched how my season had went from the start to the end, and he was proud I was able to push through the adversity and everything. Other guys, such as some of the guys on the Broncos, I got real close with and being able to tell different stories. They knew (Head) Coach (Adam) Gase as well, so they were able to tell me about some of the stories when they were back with him. And just other guys that were on my team in general, like DeMarco Murray and being with my boy Melvin (Gordon). All of those experiences, it was a great time, and I definitely learned a lot.”
(Did they have a good Head Coach Adam Gase story that you can share with us?) – “No, I don’t. (laughter)”
(How familiar, if at all, were you with DT Lawrence Okoye before he joined the Dolphins and were you among the Brits who was cheering him on in the Olympics?) – “I wasn’t too familiar with him on a person-to-person contact level. I do remember though reading an article a long time ago when it said a British Olympian was trying to play in the NFL. I think this was back when he first started. When I saw that article, I do remember being like, ‘Wow, this is a big guy knowing he wants to try American football for the first time.’ For me personally, it was like, ‘I hope he does really well. I hope he can translate, because that’ll be so great for the U.K. having more players that can translate and figure it out to where they can play in the game that we play in.’ Now being his teammate, it has been really great. He has been working really hard, and I get to see it day by day. I’m just rooting for him and trying to be a great resource for him whenever he needs one.”
(You guys talk a lot of soccer with DT Lawrence Okoye?) – “Yes. Me and him, (Director of Sports Performance) Wayne Diesel, (Defensive Coordinator) Coach (Matt) Burke – we always chat (about) soccer. They’ve got their teams; I’m always rooting for mine. It’s always fun.”
(I’m guessing at Boise you guys ran a lot of up tempo, no huddle. You guys tried it last year. QB Ryan Tannehill said it’s a point of emphasis in camp. How do you think that could potentially help you and the offense?) – “For us, we want to be able to dictate the tempo of the game, whether that’s doing it in no huddle and using that to our advantage – using the weather to our advantage out here – and really putting teams on their toes. We want to be able to do that also us huddling up, being able to do all our checks and balances and everything and being able to pick defenses apart that way as well. That’s why right now, we’re really focusing on the details, being able to know the ins and outs of each style of game and being able to execute at a high level doing both.”
(How are you planning on spending the coming weeks after you guys wrap up?) – “We actually finish on my birthday on the 15th, so that’ll be great. I’ll get to celebrate. And then I’m actually going to be going back to London on the 19th, for about three weeks, so that’ll be fun as well. I’ll get to go out there, be with family and train as well.”
(How difficult was it for you in particular to process all that’s happening in England with the terrorist attacks? It must feel differently for you than your American teammates.) – “It’s a tragic thing to watch. I actually watched a little (of the) concert that they did for Manchester Strong and I was really proud to see all of that. It was a really amazing thing for them to bring out all those musicians and everything. I thought that was really cool. It’s even more interesting (with) my mom knowing I’m going back, she was just making sure she told me, ‘Stay safe,’ and everything. It just shows that there are issues going on outside of the U.S. that’s going on in the world and people need to be aware. Also, we hope that things like this cannot continue any longer.”
DeVante Parker – June 13, 2017
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Tuesday, June 13, 2017
WR DeVante Parker
(In the second year of head coach Adam Gase offense, QB Ryan Tannehill was talking about the speed of the plays is much improved?) – “We come out wanting to play a little faster than we did last year. We’re getting a hang of the offense now. We’re just coming out playing faster than we did last year.”
(You probably saw a quote from Offensive Coordinator Clyde Christensen saying that he expects you to have a ‘gigantic year.’ What was your reaction to that?) – “My reaction to that is coach knows what I can do and seeing what I’ve been doing in the offseason and how much I’ve progressed sense last year, and being a lot healthier than last year too.”
(Specifically, where are you a better player, if you can point to a couple of areas?) – “I’d say route-running has improved. I’ve just been a lot more physical and out there playing fast.”
(Is there any conversation you’ve had with a former NFL receiver or anyone that really opened your eyes about wanting to get better. Was there any talk with anyone?) – “No, I’ve just talked to myself really. I just knew that I wanted to play better than I did last year. I was really big on … Because of me not being healthy, I couldn’t do what I wanted to do.”
(How are you planning on spending your down time in the coming weeks?) – “I’ll probably just rest for a few weeks and then I’ll probably go back home and then just come back and start working again.”
(We saw emotion from you last week after a play in the end zone against CB Byron Maxwell. Is that something you do a lot when reporters aren’t around or is that something new – letting your personality out more?) – “It’s something newer now. I just feel 100 percent and I just express myself and let it all out now. I just feel better.”
(What are a few of the things you have added into your routine that you feel will keep those legs and hamstrings feeling good for the long term?) – “Before practice I get stretched by (Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach) Jim (Arthur) and after practice I get stretched by him too, so I’m just keeping my legs in shape, the cold tub, whatever I need to do.”
(Talk about what you’ve learned from watching WR Jarvis Landry and also from watching WR Kenny Stills?) – “The things I learned from them is to just go out there and play and give it their all. That’s something I want to do and I just like being on the field with those guys. I like being out there with them, tired or whatever, just giving it our all.”
(Head Coach Adam Gase used the word hungry. He said ‘I see a hungry WR DeVante Parker.’ Why are you hungry?) – “I know what I can do when the ball is in my hands and when the ball is not in my hands. I’ve just got the ability.”
(Of all the things that Wide Receivers Coach Shawn Jefferson tells you, what stands out from him the most – the message he gives you the most?) – “Run and just come off the ball. Just come off the ball fast and the DBs, they will be scared of you.”
(What is the ceiling for a healthy WR Devante Parker?) – “I don’t know yet. We’ll just have to see.”
(Are you having fun? More fun? Tell me about practice and life. How do you feel about things right now, just in general?) – “I feel good about things right now. I am having a lot of fun on the field, interacting with those guys, talking smack to the defense whenever I can. It’s just fun. We both go back at it – back and forth at it. I just like being out there.”
(When did you start to make some of the changes for the better in terms of hydrating more, diet? Was that during the year last year or was it during the offseason?) – “It was during the season last year, towards the end; but it’s been a lot more this offseason.”
(What types of things?) – “Just hydrating more, eating right and sleeping habits.”
(With work being more enjoyable for you now, is that something that had been kind of missing for you the last couple of years when you got hindered by various things and you couldn’t perform the way you wanted to?) – “Yes. It is kind of hard when you’re injured. You can’t have the fun that you want; but you go out there and you try to do what’s best for the team and you do what you can do.”
(Is there kind of a little bit of a dragging process coming to work some of those days?) – “No dragging or nothing. It’s just you have to go out there and give it your all.”
(But not as enjoyable?) – “You can say that.”
(DE Andre Branch mentioned that he has a chef. Is that something you ever considered?) – “Yes, I had someone cook for me a little bit last year. Somebody came here and made food for us and I’d just take it home. I started to cook at home now and make some healthy food now.”
(Has that made a difference in how you feel?) – “I’d say it has a lot. A big difference.”
(How about sleep-wise, how much do you try to get at night now?) – “I try to get at least eight hours of sleep.”
Andre Branch, June 13, 2017
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Tuesday, June 13, 2017
DE Andre Branch
(How do you spot running game improvements at this time of year?) – “I think everybody just doing their job and being in the right place. We can’t be as physical as we want to be; but at the same time, you can be in the right place and continue working to do your job.”
(Is that definitely better than at the end of last year?) – “No question, no question. We were still learning the defense last year.”
(What have you seen from DE Charles Harris?) – “Very explosive, and he wants to learn. That’s the biggest thing. He always ask questions. He’s not an ‘I know it all’ type of guy. He’s a kid that wants to learn and just keep getting better and wants the respect out of his brothers, and that’s what we are going to give him.”
(Any of the other younger guys standing out to you?) – “The whole group, they’re all willing to work. I don’t think that there is anyone that thinks they’re bigger than the team, so that’s always a great thing.”
(What have you seen from the DT Davon Godchaux’s and the DT Vincent Taylor’s that shows they can help you in terms of the interior players?) – “Get off. The get off and if they do something wrong, they want to get another rep. They don’t just go to the back of the line. If they mess up on their rep, they want to go again and correct it.”
(The last time we talked to you, you were critical of the run defense last year. It’s obvious why when you look at the numbers. Did your teammates say anything about your comments being so blunt about the run defense?) – “No, I think we all have one voice. We speak for each other. There is no one bigger than the defense, bigger than the team. If one person says it, we all agree on it. We know we have to improve on that and that’s an emphasis that we put on this offseason and we’re getting better each and every day.”
(Who are the ‘emotional leaders’ on this team and what does an emotional leader do for this football team?) – “This is a new group, so we’re still developing that. We look amongst each other. It might be me one day, it could be Cam (Wake), it could be Reshad (Jones), it could be (Ndamukong) Suh. You never know who it’s going to be that day, because at the end of the day, everybody’s going to have a down day; but we pick each other up and we make sure that we’re all on top of our stuff.”
(I envision that yourself, C Mike Pouncey and WR Jarvis Landry are the heart of most of it.) – “There are a group of guys that other people rely on to give them juice. I’m not going to say it’s me. You can ask my teammates who that is. If they say it’s me, then I appreciate it. I’m just out here to make my teammates better and make sure that I’m playing up to par.”
(Do football teams need such a…) – “No question, no question. There are players in the NFL that are amazing players, but they don’t voice everything. They can just do what they do and they can be a Pro Bowler without saying a word. But then there are other players who get things rolling and are very emotional and make sure people are doing what they have to do and speak their mind and have that voice for the defense, offense or special teams. You definitely need that, and that type of stuff is in my personality, and Pouncey for sure and Jarvis as well. It comes with it and if that’s what the team wants you to do, then you’ve got to do it.”
(Why do you think this team is so emotional?) – “I think this team just plays with a chip, at the end of the day. We just play with a chip on our shoulders and we compete with each other each and every day. We just want to make sure that we are the best that we can be. I think that’s the main part and no matter what, we know what we have in our locker room and we know we’ve just got to keep on going.”
(Your team competes against each other on a regular basis. Why do you think you guys compete any differently than Jacksonville does?) – “I have no clue. I’m on the Dolphins now. At the end of the day, my mindset is making the Dolphins better. I can’t speak for any other of the 31 teams; but I can speak for the Dolphins and say that we want to be the best team we can be when it comes to the beginning of the season.”
(Is it tougher at all this week because the offseason program, knowing right after this is your one big break before training camp?) – “No. If you do that, than your practice is going to be terrible. We have a coaching staff that will call you out on that. I don’t think it’s that. I think we just try to go into this thing attacking it each and every day, knowing what we have to do to get better each and every day. We’re going to compete until the end, and the same thing tomorrow and the same thing on Thursday. That’s how we are.”
(You mentioned the chip. Where does that come from?) – “I think it just comes from the players that we have in our locker room at the end of the day. There are a bunch of players that really want to be the best that they can be and that chip just comes with the territory.”
(Is it any disrespect from outside or anything?) – “I haven’t listened to anything outside my entire life. I listen to my family, my friends and my teammates. That’s all that matters to me. For me, I can’t say it comes from the outside, for me personally.”
(Is there more juice on this defense now with the investment the Dolphins have made by bringing in free agents and draft picks?) – “I would definitely say that the people they brought in definitely help. There are a bunch of long-term guys that have been in this league for a long time, playing at a high level. Then we have young guys that just bring it and want to be the best that they can be. That’s all you can ask.”
(A lot of people have the perception that football players, once mini-camp wraps, they’re just doing nothing. What does your offseason, three week break, entail?) – “MMA training three times a week, strength training five times a week, boxing four times a week. I have a chef that I eat very, very healthy. I only drink water and coconut water. PT (physical therapy) twice a week. A chiropractor three times a week. Pilates three times a week and yoga twice a week. Steam room every day.”
(You ever have a day when you don’t do anything?) – “Sunday.”
(What do you get out of things like MMA and boxing training?) – “I think you get to know your body. Well, boxing of course, is hand speed. That’s all it is when it comes … I’m going against a guy who’s bigger and stronger than me every play. So hand speed and leverage, that’s where the MMA comes in. Just knowing your body and knowing what position you can put your body in – no matter how big or strong they are – you being able to just leverage them and get them off of you.”
(Is that why you see the growth of MMA mostly in professional athletes?) – “I think so. I’m not about to, after I retire, be an MMA fighter, by any means; but it helps me on the field and that regimen I have – like you guys said, I have to be that emotional guy. For me, I have to play at a high level and also talk the entire game and not come out of the game. That type of regimen, I have to do that in order to do what the team asks of me.”
(That dedication, did that come from you or when you came into the league, a veteran took you under his wing?) – “No, I think … No, I wasn’t doing this my rookie year. I think around Year 2, it was like, ‘we need to do more.’ I just kept building from there. I’ve been doing MMA for three years, boxing for about three also. PT (physical therapy) and chiropractic work and all of that type of stuff, I do that every day. That didn’t come just right when I got in the league. I didn’t start getting in the cold tub until my second year in the league because I didn’t think it worked, because I just thought it was freezing me. But it definitely works.”
(Have you seen this early in the process with the young guys observing what you and the other veterans do and sort of emulating that?) – “There are some young guys out here that ask questions of what they should do, so that’s great. The earlier you get on it, the better. I wish I would’ve done it my rookie year. I might not have hit the wall so early. It’s great if you have a young guy that gets it; but it takes time. I know it definitely takes times because they have a ton of stuff going through their mind right now.”
(Why does it take them so long to get to understand what most of the older pros…) – “Because you’re not doing it … I’m not doing it in the building. I’m getting stretched in the building and I’m getting some body work done in the building; but most of the stuff is outside of the building, so they don’t see you doing it. They just think we’re probably leaving and going home. Plus, they are still in meetings and they’re still doing a ton of stuff. It’s tough, but once you get more free time, that’s when you start going through and experiencing different things.”
Kenny Stills – June 13, 2017
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Tuesday, June 13, 2017
WR Kenny Stills
(QB Ryan Tannehill said that the one thing he notices in the second year of Head Coach Adam Gase’s offense is the speed of play is increasing. Do you see that?) – “Yes. I just feel like guys are more comfortable. Obviously in anything that you do, the second time going around, you’re going to be more comfortable and be able to go out there and just play fast and think less.”
(Does CB Xavien Howard seem to be a better player to you than what he was a year ago and in what ways?) – “I think it’s hard to say, being that he was down a lot last year; but ‘X’ (Xavien Howard) is a great player and he’s been locking guys down on defense. I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do this season.”
(WR Leonte Carroo said you all spent a lot of time together this offseason and did Pilates, things like that. Whose idea was that to get together and how has that worked out?) – “This offseason, I kind of took it under … on my shoulders to kind of take the younger guys and say ‘Hey, this is what you can do. This is what I did. Here’s kind of the recipe for what I think has worked for me.’ And so a couple of guys followed and a couple of guys did their own thing and so it just was up to those guys if they wanted to be a part of the routine that I had kind of put together. But the staff that we have here really helped me with the conditioning stuff I was doing, and then working with Pilates, and so I guess I just told the young guys ‘Hey, this is what you can do if you want to be successful,’ I guess.”
(Have you seen improvement in WR Leonte Carroo this offseason?) – “Oh yes. He talked about him dropping his weight, but he’s faster. Just like we said, he knows the offense better. He’s a little bit more confident out there and so he’s made some major improvements.”
(Can you see yourself leading this team in receiving touchdowns again this year? Can this offense support with the additional weapons?) – “You’ll never hear me talk about stats. That’s not really a question I feel like answering.”
(We saw an emotional WR DeVante Parker after his touchdown last week in one of the OTAs. Of course we only see a small sample of DeVante. You’re around him all the time. Do you see any difference in him on the field, off the field at all this year?) – “He’s healthy and he’s confident in that, and he’s playing hard and he’s just prepared. I feel like he’s talked to you guys. I think I saw a quote about him talking about just him not being injured and ready to go out there and show what he can do, and so just be prepared for that.”
(When you hear the term emotional leader, as in the emotional leader of a team, what does that entail? What comes to mind?) – “What are you referring to? Who’s an emotional leader?”
(That was going to be the second part of it [laughter]. I want to know if that is a necessary role on a team and who are the guys on this team that get you guys going like that?) – “We tend to look at Jarvis (Landry) a lot of the times to see what he’s doing. The way that he plays, he leads by example, and so we’ve got some ‘rah, rah’ guys; but I mean we’ve got a young team and we’re always ready to go. We feel like we’re the underdog and so that’s part of our mindset.”
(But is an emotional leader, is that just a ‘rah, rah’ guy? Does he have to be a good player? Does it have to come natural? Can it be forced?) – “The majority of the time, the leaders on the team are guys that are contributing. It happens that it’s not that way sometimes; but yes, most of our guys that are … All of our guys are out there making plays, so it just depends on who wants to step up and lead for that day, I guess.”
(Can you talk about the overall versatility of this offense? You’ve played in some different places in the past but can you talk about what this year’s offense brings in your opinion?) – “We just feel like if we can continue to master this offense and play fast, that we have the potential to do great things. We’ve got good players at every position and we’re coming together and we work hard, and so it’s an exciting time for us.”
(What are your plans after we get through this minicamp?) – “Back to work. I do Pilates twice a week. We do a lot of conditioning. I try to get on the sand on the beach and do some beach workouts. We hang out a lot, but we live in South Florida. You’re going to work out, you’re going to relax. That’s pretty much it.”
