Julius Thomas – August 27, 2017
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Sunday, August 27, 2017
TE Julius Thomas
(How aware are you guys that QB Jay Cutler likes to spread the ball and you can get the ball at any time?) – “That’s just how our offense is, and Jay is doing a good job of executing his responsibilities at quarterback. Going into every game, we know the differences in coverages we’re going to have and every guy has got to be ready to make a play each and every time we snap the ball. It’s something we want to do. The more people out there touching the ball, the more ways we’re attacking the defense, the tougher it is going to be on them. Every offense’s job is just trying to be explosive, gain yards and score touchdowns.”
(It seems like QB Jay Cutler likes to throw the ball downfield. Can you compare him to other quarterbacks you’ve played for? Is he about average in that respect? Does he like to do it a little bit more than some of the others?) – “I can’t really say. It hasn’t been long enough for me to say exactly what’s his favorite places to throw and how. Ask me again midseason and I’ll have a better answer for you.”
(How quick did that ball get on you in the end zone for that touchdown on Thursday?) – “It seems like it’s quick when you’re watching it, but when you’re in that moment and you get your head around, it takes a little bit longer for me than for everybody else. It was definitely perfect timing. He put it in a great spot. I was able to get my head around and bring it in.”
(You said that it has slowed down for you, so you’re ready for the season to start?) – “Yes, absolutely. I think when the ball is in the air, that’s when things are going the slowest probably in my whole life. It’s that moment when you’re so focused on something. It just seems that things go by so much slower than anything else.”
(As an offense, how do you improve on third downs?) – “As an offense, we have to improve in general. There’s no part of our game that’s where we need it to be right now. Now we start game planning, we start executing and understanding that in training camp, you have hundreds of plays that could come up at any moment. Now we’re going into the season and we’re going to go into a week (with) 150 plays or so. You get to work those. You get to go over those. We’re going to really go through and define it. Mainly, to improve on third down, we have to be third-and-manageable. It’s no secret. Everybody in the NFL, you want third-and-short or no third down at all. We’ve got to try to get those third-and-1s, third-and-2s, and we’ll do a much better job of executing.”
Rey Maualuga – August 27, 2017
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Sunday, August 27, 2017
LB Rey Maualuga
(Let’s address the first, most controversial thing. How come you don’t have a number yet?) – “00 (laughter). It’s still in the works. I’m just trying to wait out my options. There’s only one number available (right now) – 72. I wouldn’t mind wearing 72 but I’m waiting on someone to lower their price a little bit (laughter).”
(Oh, so it’s a financial decision?) – “Yes. We’ll see if that turns out in my favor or not.”
(How do you feel first practice from a conditioning standpoint?) – “I feel good. Obviously it’s been a couple of months since I’ve put the helmet and shoulder pads on – January 2nd. But for the most part, individual felt good. They’re slowly putting me in there and trying to progress, get my feet under me and seeing how things go from there. Hopefully tomorrow I can get some reps in practice and go further than just individuals.”
(Is the goal to play in that fourth preseason game?) – “Yes. I just don’t want to show up to the first game and just get thrown in there or whatnot. The goal is to get some reps in Minnesota and see how things go from there but at the end of the day, it’s not my decision. I’m going to leave it up to (Head) Coach (Adam Gase) and see what he decides. By then, I think physically (and) mentally, I’ll be ready. It’s been the same scheme that I ran in Cincinnati. There are some different words here and there but for the most part, I don’t think there’s going to be a drop off for me.”
(When is the last time you played inside in that scheme?) – “The last time? January. It’s the same defense. (Defensive Coordinator Matt Burke) carried over some of the defense from Cincinnati and he’s got his own little plays here and there but like I said, for the most part, it’s about the same defense. Some of the words are different but it’s still the same thing.”
(Do you have every confidence that you’ll be ready for Week 1?) – “I have all of the confidence in the world. (Head Strength & Conditioning Coach) Dave Puloka has done a great job at getting me there. Like I said when I first got here, you can never get yourself physically prepared in the Miami heat unless you live in Miami. Cincinnati, it’s hot and humid, but the Miami heat is something different for me. I’m getting there, slowly but surely. Things will work out.”
(When are we going to see a number on you?) – “I’m waiting on someone to hand it over but it’s not going to be cheap. (laughter) I’m still trying to negotiate that in the locker room and we’ll see if he pulls through with the number he wants – the amount he wants.”
(When you do play and you have the advantage of DT Ndamukong Suh, DE Cameron Wake, DE Andre Branch and guys like that in front of you, what type of opportunities do you think that can help create?) – “That will make any linebacker’s dream, or job, a lot easier, to flow over the top and get to your gap faster and get to your progression faster. With those guys up front, I can’t wait to get in there and start moving around with those fellas and let them know that I’m here to work and try to get the job done and do whatever I can to help these guys get better.”
(What did you see from those guys in the last game, being able to see it?) – “The defense as a whole? Everyone is quick. Everyone is disciplined and everyone is fast to the ball. You don’t see one or two or three people running to the ball. You see the whole secondary and the front seven running to the ball. That just shows heart and determination and everyone just wants to win here.”
(You see DT Ndamukong Suh blows up a lot of stuff in the middle.) – “Yes. (laughter) He’ll make a middle linebacker’s job very easy.”
(So No. 58 is the number? Is that what you’re going after?) – “(laughter) I’m not saying it is No. 58 but I would love to get that number. It’s been eight good years with that number, including college. So we’ll see what he wants. (laughter)”
(You’re going to put a little pressure on him.) – “Well, they say that (Jay) Cutler set the table high – the mark. Well, I’m not Cutler. (laughter) If we got paid the same, things would be easier. (laughter) I think everything will work itself out. If not, whatever number I get, I’ll do my best to represent that number the best I can.”
Adam Gase – August 27, 2017
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Sunday, August 27, 2017
Head Coach Adam Gase
(As far as the cornerback position, are you thinking of any changes there? Are you just taking looks?) – “We are taking looks. We’re moving guys around. We’re trying to see what the best fit for us is going into that first game. We’re going to keep moving pieces around. We’re going to keep trying to figure out who can do what, what side is best for everybody, if we want to make someone exclusive to where they matchup with somebody every week. So we’re really going to dig deep here the next few days. We’re going to really get back in that training camp type mode where we’re competing against offense and defense and trying to find ways to get better.”
(Is there a way CB Alterraun Verner could maybe break through to that starting five, I guess?) – “Yes, I think everything … all options are up. We’re going to play the best guys.”
(Will CB Alterraun Verner or anybody competing for a starting job play Thursday?) – “Yes, we’ll have some guys playing Thursday.”
(How would you describe what you guys saw from CB Byron Maxwell in the last game?) – “There were a couple of things that looking back on, that I wish he would have done different; but that’s the whole preseason process of you’ve got to clean some things up, keep competing and finding ways to get better and taking a look at each play individually. That’s where it really goes back to coaching, players taking coaching and just making sure that we’re always trying to get better. We’re always trying to find ways to correct the mistakes we made. You don’t want to make the same mistake twice. So that’s the best part about the preseason is they don’t count right now. We have another opportunity this Thursday and we have today being one, but we have three practices this week where we have a chance to get better and correct some mistakes. I think when you do make mistakes in a game, you have to learn from them. And that’s all of us. I know I learned a few things this week that I may have thought I’ll do it different next time. So that’s what you’ve got to take out of all these games.”
(We talked obviously about that Philadelphia Eagles WR Torrey Smith touchdown, but S Reshad Jones reaction, were you comfortable with how that went?) – “If I ever have an issue with anybody’s reaction, I’m going to speak to them on my own. I’m not going to make it a public deal.”
(Now that you’ve had a chance to look at film, what are the corrections you feel need to be made for third down? Both offense and defense?) – “We might not want to get there anymore, the offense. (laughter) But we’ve got to stay third-and-manageable. I think a lot of it comes when we’re third-and-7+. We kind of put ourselves in a hole and it’s tough in this league because the pass rush is coming. They know you’re not running the ball. We just have to do a really good job of tightening up protection a little bit, getting the ball out on time, being in the right spots. It takes a full group to really … to do it right. A lot of times, it looks good on paper; but sometimes it’s going to be a lot of ad-libbing that gets you the conversions. On defense, it’s more about getting them to third down. On first and second down, we need to improve on. That was probably the biggest thing (Defensive Coordinator) Matt (Burke) and myself were talking about. Let’s get them to third down because that should be one of our strengths with our pass rush and the coverages we’re playing behind it and the pressures. He has some really good stuff and we’re executing better. We just need to get to third down more.”
(I didn’t notice T Laremy Tunsil or TE Anthony Fasano out there.) – “Both are personal. I know where they are and they were excused from today.”
(How is the punting competition sizing up in your eyes?) – “It’s competitive. It’s good to see both those guys hitting the ball the way they have been. In practice, we get a lot more looks, and (it is) very competitive. In games, we’ve seen both guys really hit some really good ones. We’re just going to keep letting those guys compete until the end. Really at the end of the day, when we look at it, we’ll get with ‘Rizz’ (Associate Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Darren Rizzi) and ‘Mouf’ (Assistant Special Teams Coach Marwan Maalouf) and figure out what’s best for us.”
(With that punting competition, P Matt Haack was holding the 56 yarder for K Andrew Franks. Was that to give Haack a look or because the competition…) – “We’re always mixing those guys up, because that’s one of the … It’s an important job. For the kicker, it can kind of mess with you a little bit if you’re not comfortable with a guy, so we’re always trying to put both those guys in situations to where Andrew has a good feel for both of them.”
(A couple other special teams things: the opening kickoff, I think was it RB Senorise Perry fielded it and RB Storm Johnson telling him to stay in and it was like 1-yard deep or the other way? Was that a good decision?) – “I was fine with what they did. Whatever is decided by the up guy, that’s what we’re going to roll with. It’s a split-second decision. I’m never going to question those guys, because that’s not an easy job. Whatever we do though, we just need to be on the same page.”
(I didn’t notice many starters on the special teams. I think maybe CB Bobby McCain might’ve been the closest on field goal or extra point block. Are you taking a look at other guys or trying to stay healthy?) – “One hundred percent (trying to look at other guys). We’re trying to make sure that we see as many guys as we can on special teams, because we want to find out … When you get to that back part of the roster of guys that possibly can make it, we want to make sure we have as many guys that can play special teams as possible.”
(With CB Alterraun Verner, what has he shown you throughout camp and the exhibition season so far?) – “Consistency. (He) knows what to do. He has been a pro since the day he has got here. (He’s) competitive. He’s always as tight as you need him to be. He’s always … Hands are on the ball. He just makes it really tough for the quarterback. I really like what I’ve seen from him; I know the defensive staff has as well. For signing him as late as we did, we feel really good (about) where he’s at right now.”
(We talked to LB Rey Maualuga today and he said – obviously, he practiced today – that he’d like to play on Thursday and that he’ll be ready for Week 1. Is that your understanding?) – “Yes.”
(Do you expect him to play?) – “We’ll see. I’ll get through tomorrow. And I’m sure tomorrow, I’ll say the next day. (laughter)”
(How open would you be to a C/G Kraig Urbik return at some point?) – “We’ll see how that plays out. That was a tough one yesterday, to lose him. He did such a great job for us and stepped up at the right time for us last year. I know this training camp was tough for him, because I don’t think he realized how hurt he was. He’s an old-school tough guy. You’ve really got to try and pull it out of him injury-wise. We knew something wasn’t right. When we finally sat him down and kind of really kept asking him and asking him, and when we got it checked out, obviously the result was what it was. We’ll see how it kind of plays out through the next so many weeks.”
Ja’Wuan James – August 27, 2017
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Sunday, August 27, 2017
T Ja’Wuan James
(Considering this game most guys won’t even play, how ready are you guys?) – “We’re staying ready. We need the work. We have a lot of stuff to work on. We have a lot of guys in there rotating in and out, so whatever we need to do to continue to build continuity, especially between our o-line.”
(How important was it for you to be able to get in a game?) – “Very. I missed those first two (preseason games). I’ve been wanting to go out there but it’s good to finally get back in the game. It’s been since January (since I played in a game). It’s fun, just out there competing with our guys. Like I said, we just need to clean some stuff up and do better on the turnovers and do better at doing our assignments.”
(Is the shoulder strong?) – “Yes, it’s getting better.”
(Head Coach Adam Gase mentioned that there’s a pain issue for the shoulder. How much pain? How do you manage the pain?) – “I don’t care now, honestly. I’m happy to be out there playing again. I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do, honestly, to help this team and to help myself.”
(I think there was one play where a guy ran around the edge on you. If you remember what happened on that play, could you help us out what happened?) – “That’s me doing the wrong technique at the wrong time for the assignment. It was the one ‘MA’ (missed assignment) I had in the game so I’ve just got to clean up on that and do better on that. Like I said, all of us together, we’ve got to make sure we’re on our stuff so we can’t have little plays that set us back like that. We were doing great on drives. We’ve just got to be able to finish them.”
(So that was a mental error, not a physical error?) – “Yes.”
(I noticed that you were involved in RB Jay Ajayi’s successful runs. How was the offensive line able to create space for him?) – “Just credit to how we work every day, how we come prepared and also to Jay. Jay is running like its midseason right now and that’s a credit to him and him being able to break tackles and do what he does. It’s our job to get him to that second level and we believe if we can get him to those linebackers, he’ll make anybody miss.”
(QB Jay Cutler seems to like to throw it downfield. We saw it to WR DeVante Parker and WR Kenny Stills, and to WR Jarvis Landry also. Are you guys aware of that as an offense?) – “It was great to me my first time playing with him. Just to see him flying around, stepping up in the pocket, delivering balls and taking chances downfield, it gives you hope. It’s exciting because anything can happen on any play. Like I said, it was a great experience for me going out there and playing for the first time in a while, to have him as our quarterback. Shoot, he knows the offense in and out. It doesn’t seem like he’s missed any time really. He’s an exciting player.”
(When you have a quarterback like QB Jay Cutler, do you have to hang on a second or a second and a half longer?) – “It makes you want to in general. We’re out there blocking, but if you know that you can hold your guy to a second or third move, then we’re going to make a play – DeVante (Parker) or somebody downfield. It’s a good feeling.”
Ndamukong Suh – August 27, 2017
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Sunday, August 27, 2017
DT Ndamukong Suh
(So there is tape of you at fullback? Tight end? Where did they throw you in there?) – “Oh, you’re talking about in college?”
(Yes.) – “Yes, I played a little fullback, coming out of the backfield. I had some good opportunities. It was fun – all fun and games back in college. I’m not saying it wasn’t the real life back then, but it’s a little bit more serious up here at this level.”
(Speaking of serious, you guys probably won’t play much if at all this last game, so how ready do you feel this team is for the regular season?) – “Honestly, I really can’t give a true, honest gauge because we haven’t played a full game. I think we did a lot of good things last week against Philly; but at the end of the day, we still had mistakes. We didn’t win the game. Things of that nature we can learn from. That’s why we’re coming out today, as well as tomorrow and Tuesday, to get good work in.”
(DE Charles Harris, I saw you pointing out a bunch of stuff to him in practice. How important is that young guy to the rotation that you’ve got going up front?) – “I think as any first rounder, we expect him to play. That’s what you get drafted at that high of a level (to do) and I think he has the capability to do it. Obviously he has the athleticism to do it. (There’s) a lot of excitement from what he has and what he brings – his attention to detail. He’s always willing to learn so he’s asking questions and that’s where communication really comes from. (Andre) Branch and Cam (Wake) have really taken him under their wings to learn footwork and all of that stuff at the defensive end position. It’s exciting for him and I think he’s going to have a good opportunity to play at a very high level for us.”
(How much can you throw at a young guy? Can you throw DE Charles Harris inside? Can you move him around? Can you do things with a guy like that?) – “I think Charles definitely has the opportunity to be able to do that. I think the biggest goal is that we want everybody on our defensive line to have that flexibility and that ability to play every position across the board. That’s what we focus on. ‘Coach T’ (Defensive Line Coach Terrell Williams) pushes us, pushes in all different positions, just to see how well we can focus and understand what each and every single guy is doing because at the end of the day, if we understand what everybody else is doing, then we have to understand our own job and it all meshes together and we can go together.”
Kenny Stills – August 27, 2017
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Sunday, August 27, 2017
WR Kenny Stills
(Playing with QB Jay Cutler, he likes to throw the ball downfield. What does that do for you guys as an offense and do for you as a receiver?) – “It’s like I talked about before, we just know at any point in time, he’s going to feed the ball to anybody, so get down the field and get open and we know he can get it to us.”
Ndamukong Suh:
(Are you excited about QB Jay Cutler? Are you going to get out there on offense maybe? Do you see the way he throws it around?) – “I hope so. I hope they give me the opportunity. I want to play a little fullback; a little tight end. Put me in some goal line (packages). I’m ready. (laughter)”
Kenny Stills:
“He didn’t see him get a couple of touchdowns.”
Ndamukong Suh:
“They haven’t seen my college film. My college film speaks volumes. (laughter)”
(The way QB Jay Cutler spreads it around, DT Ndamukong Suh might be able to get a few touchdowns, no?) – “I’m ready.”
Kenny Stills:
“A little Suh in the flat. (laughter)”
(As far as QB Jay Cutler spreading the ball around, are you guys aware that I think TE Julius Thomas had two receptions, Cutler went to you, he went to WR DeVante Parker, he went to WR Jarvis Landry. Are you guys aware of that as receivers that you could get the ball at any time?) – “I mean we know we’ve got a ton of talent on offense. We’re just trying to do our job. If everyone does their job on any given play, we know there’s an opportunity for us to go out there and do something. We’re just having fun and we know that the more that we all do our job, it’s going to be hard to stop us.”
(How does the offense improve on third down?) – “Attention to detail, fixing the penalties. I think we had a turnover early, on the early downs. Just all of us being on the same page. Continue to come out here and practice and like I said, just clean up those little things and really fine-tune our offense and know our assignment and going out there and doing it.”
(Is this a little bit of a weird week for the veterans who likely won’t be playing on Thursday that you’re practicing a couple of days?) – “It’s a regular work week for us. We played well on Thursday, but we know we’ve got a long way to go. We’re out here just trying to get better every day.”
DeVante Parker – August 24, 2017 (Postgame)
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Thursday, August 24, 2017
Postgame – Philadelphia
Miami Dolphins WR DeVante Parker (transcribed by the Philadelphia Eagles)
On what he has learned from QB Jay Cutler:
“He likes to throw it deep whenever he has a chance. He likes tall receivers and likes guys who can go up get the ball.”
On whether this is the perfect scenario working with QB Jay Cutler:
“Yes, I have a good connection with him. I just like how he has trust in us to just make a play and come down with it.”
On whether there was a point in practice or tonight’s game where it clicked with him and QB Jay Cutler:
“I feel like during practice that he just wanted to launch it up one time and see what happens, and he did and I came down with it. Hopefully I can continue this connection with him.”
On QB Jay Cutler comparing Parker to Eagles WR Alshon Jeffrey:
“I feel good about it. He is a good receiver and he makes plays. He is a great receiver and I like that comparison from him.”
On whether scoring less than 10 touchdowns would be a disappointment this season:
“Nobody is going for anything. I just go out there and play. Whatever happens; just happens.”
Jay Cutler – August 24, 2017
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Thursday, August 24, 2017
Postgame – Philadelphia
Miami Dolphins QB Jay Cutler (transcribed by the Philadelphia Eagles)
On his 72-yard completion to WR DeVante Parker in the first quarter to set up a 2-yard score:
“It was just one-on-one [coverage]. [With] a guy like that, one-on-one opportunities you got to try and find those matchups for him and give him a shot at the ball and he can do things like that.”
On whether he intentionally placed the ball on Parker’s left shoulder:
“[I] just kind of threw it out there. You just don’t want to overthrow him, that’s my biggest thing with a lot of these guys, just don’t overthrow him and give him a chance to play the ball because they’re really good with the ball in the air.”
On when he knew Parker had the ability to make big plays down the field:
“Day One. I mean, you watch him run, you watch him move, you watch his ability with the ball in the air and you kind of know what you got pretty quickly with that kind of talent.”
On whether he prefers throwing to big receivers:
“I’ve had them; over the last 12 years I’ve usually just had one. [I’ve] been able to play with them, so I know what they like and they can make life pretty easy on a quarterback.”
On developing connections with the receiving corps over the past week:
“I mean, they’re really good players. They’re going to get open, they’re going to create opportunities for themselves. It’s just kind of my job to get them the ball. The two days we’ve practiced in Philly, and then today, they did exactly what we thought they were going to do. Our guys got open and we felt good about the drives that we had.”
On how beneficial the week of practice was:
“I think [this week of practice] sped up things a little bit, because you got some more game-like situations and practicing against [the Eagles], so I think I was able to speed up my clock. Normally where I would be if – well, there’s no real normal because I’ve never sat out this much football – so it’s kind of a learning curve for me and [Dolphins head coach] Adam [Gase] and everybody else.”
On whether he prefers to run the hurry-up offense:
“That’s kind of how it was introduced to me with Adam in Chicago, and that’s kind of how I learned it. These guys, they seem comfortable with it. We kind of went in-and-out of it today, so it’s just something we like to use. It’s another weapon we can get into, and if we don’t like it, we can slow it down.”
On whether he was surprised by WR Kenny Stills’ speed:
“These guys, they’re different speeds. Whenever they get green grass, they’re gone. We were kind of in a short field and I got moved out of spot a little bit to the left and just touched late to him. Probably when I watch it on film, [I’m] going to want to drive a little more and pull him across the field. We were lucky to get the pass interference there. All three of them — Jarvis [Landry], DeVante [Parker], Kenny – they’re talented weapons and I’m glad they’re on our squad.”
On his comfort level with C Mike Pouncey:
“He’s a player. He does his thing; to have a center like that makes things much easier for me, as well.”
