Reshad Jones – June 13, 2017
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Tuesday, June 13, 2017
S Reshad Jones
(From the little you’ve seen of QB Ryan Tannehill and RB Jay Ajayi – and we know there’s no pads – are they going to be better as a duo, as a passing/running duo? And if so, why?) – “It’s a little early to tell. I think the main objective and the main goal is for everyone to just get better. They’re looking good right now. Like you said, we don’t have pads on and stuff like that. I think they will be better because this is their second year of gelling together. Jay is the starting running back coming into the beginning of the season and finished off strong, so I’m looking for those two guys to do very well.”
(What is different about this offense going against them in practice? Where are they better? Again, obviously, without pads.) – “I think the chemistry. Everybody knows their role. Everybody knows the position they’re going to be playing. Jay (Ajayi) came in last year, didn’t come with us the first game, he knows he’s the starting running back now. This is Ryan (Tannehill)’s fifth or sixth year. He’s a veteran guy now in this league. I see him taking charge a little bit more. DeVante (Parker) is healthy. ‘Juice’ (Jarvis Landry) has still been Jarvis. The offense is looking good. Like I said, I think the chemistry is there now. Those guys know where they’re going to be and everybody knows their role.”
(QB Ryan Tannehill was asked that same question and he thought maybe the speed of play has improved. Do you notice that?) – “Yes, it’s the second year in the offense. It was hard for those guys to pick up the offense last year; but now, I think they feel comfortable and more reliable. They know where each other is going to be. Ryan is feeling a little bit better throwing the ball. He’s got weapons now with all of those guys on the offensive side of the ball. It should be fun and interesting.”
(When an offense runs a no-huddle offense, what are the challenges that it presents to the defense?) – “Getting the play in. The defensive coordinator has to make a perfect play (call) within a split second. We’re tired. The defense is rushing back to the huddle (and) we’re tired. It’s challenging.”
(So that is probably the most challenging aspect that you face when you’re facing the offense?) – “Yes, just getting the call in fast and you’re gassed. New England does it well.”
(Would it also be matchups as well?) – “Of course. Subbing, you can’t get guys in. You can’t get your d-line … You can’t get those guys subbed out.”
(Where are you in terms of building chemistry with S Nate Allen and S T.J. McDonald or is that something that’s just going to come in training camp?) – “I think it will come. I think we’ve been building chemistry out here within spring ball and OTAs, different things like that. Nate is a veteran safety. He’s played a lot of ball. He’s been around for a while and he knows football. I think it’ll come as long as we keep working out here on the practice field. I think the chemistry will be there.”
(When you were in here before you said stopping the run is definitely one of the priorities for the defense. At this time of year, how can you tell whether you’ve made improvement in that area?) – “Just running to the ball. You really can’t right now. Like you said, we don’t have pads on or anything like that, so just everybody getting to the ball. That’s the model. There’s one ball on the field so everybody getting to the ball and taking the right angles when we’re pursuing the ball, I think that’s how you work on it right now this early in the season.”
(What are your plans for after this week and before the start of training camp?) – “Just relax and get my body back well. I’ll start working out with my trainer and get ready for camp.”
(It looked like WR Isaiah Ford had a couple of nice catches out there today. Are there any other younger guys standing out to you so far?) – “Not really because I’m not really going against the younger guys, so I haven’t really been noticing too much.”
(I know this is something you guys probably never talk about. You might not even think about it. But do you think making the playoffs last year fully regained national respect? Because with oddsmakers, you still see Dolphins win/loss totals predicted in seven, in that range. Do you feel like as an organization, because there have been a number of years out of the playoffs, that you need to show everyone a second playoff caliber team?) – “I don’t think we’re worried about anything outside of this building. Everybody in this building knows what we’re working for and I think it’s bigger than the playoffs. As long as we continue to improve and work amongst ourselves, it doesn’t matter what anybody says outside of this building.”
Ryan Tannehill – June 13, 2017
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Tuesday, June 13, 2017
QB Ryan Tannehill
(How would you describe your accuracy and ball placement in today’s practice and then also since the start of OTAs overall?) – “I’d have to go back and look at it. There were some throws I was really happy with and some that I’d like to have back. I think that’s probably pretty standard for every practice throughout the whole year. There’s always something where you want the ball a little higher or a little lower, a little more outside, whatever it may be. So it’s something we’re constantly looking at. We’re looking at on tape. We’re giving ourselves grades on ball location and then trying to improve it.”
(Head Coach Adam Gase said that you are hard on yourself. How is the ‘hard on myself’ angle sort of developed throughout your career?) – “I think I’ve always been, tried to be, hard on myself. I think as soon as you think you’ve got it, that’s when you run into trouble. You’ve seen a lot of good players over their careers get to the point where they think they have it and that’s when they start to fall off. I’m constantly trying to improve. I’m constantly trying to take little steps. It’s not one big step you’re going to take. It’s not like in a two-week period you’re going to make some giant leap. It’s a series of consequential small steps that happen over the course of an offseason, over the course of training camp and throughout the season. So you’re just constantly pushing at yourself, seeing the things you need to improve upon, seeing them on tape, taking the notes, taking the time to realize what you’re doing, seeing what you need to do to improve those things and then going out and doing it.”
(Head Coach Adam Gase said just now that RB Jay Ajayi has really improved his route running. He didn’t know if he worked off campus with you or somebody else, but did you work with him and if not, what’s the difference you see thus far?) – “Yes, Jay put in time, starting back in March with us. We had the receivers out there. Jay came back in town. He was in California training for a while. He came back and was out there working with us. So I’ve seen him, I think take particular care in his routes and have an effort into each route. I see him run around and he’ll come back and talk to me ‘Hey, what did you think about here?’ If he doesn’t like the way he ran it, he’ll run another one. With running backs a lot of times, those things can get overlooked as far as the details of route running and being that weapon; but I think he wants to expand his role in this offense. We use our backs out of the backfield a lot. I think it’s a big weapon for us and he’s a guy that can do it. He catches the ball well. He understands concepts well and so it’s something that we look to get him the ball a lot this year out of the backfield.”
(When you look at yourself and RB Jay Ajayi as a one-two punch running and passing – I know you’re not the only ones involved in those aspects – what would you like to see you guys do better this season than you did last year, whether it’s sustaining drives, third down, red zone? That kind of stuff.) – “I think as an offense we’ve got to stay on the field longer. I think we didn’t have enough plays as an offense and we’re trying to combat that in a number of different ways but ultimately it comes down to getting first downs. We’ve got to be able to get first downs, convert on third down and keep drives alive. Find a way. It’s not always going to be scheduled plays. You’re going to have to make plays on scramble drills. Receivers are going to have to catch and run. There are a lot of things that go into it but ultimately it comes down to putting yourself in third-and-manageable situations and then converting on those third-and-manageable when you get them. When you get third-and-6 or less – which we feel really confident if we get third-and-6 or less then we should be able to convert a high percentage of those – we have to make it happen. We have to do what it takes to make those plays and keep drives alive.”
(Why are you and RB Jay Ajayi better equipped this year than last year to make that happen, to extend the drives and convert the third-and-6’s?) – “I think Jay’s second year, my second year in the offense, where we’re all more familiar in what we’re doing and how we’re attacking. I think he – like you just talked about – he is taking a step, as far as a receiver out of the backfield, where we were splitting him out wide. We saw him catch a pass today split out wide, down in the red zone, or he’s coming out of the backfield. Or even my check counts. Check downs can be huge plays where second-and-10, you call a pass, it gets covered up, you dump it down and now you’re in third-and-3 because he gets 7 yards. I think that’s one area where we look to improve upon. If we don’t like what we see down field, then get the ball to the back and let him make a play.”
(It’s the second year in this same offense. Where are the noticeable improvements that you’re seeing from your unit?) – “I think speed of play, first and foremost. I think last year, we were trying to do the no-huddle, but we struggled with speed as far as getting up, communicating quickly and running the play. This year we’ve put a lot of emphasis on that, being able to communicate quickly, not over-communicate things, but communicate clearly and get up and go. I think from OTA 1 to now we’ve seen a big increase of that, and we look to continue that throughout training camp. Last year we kind of got away from the no huddle, like Week 4 or 5 right there. So hopefully we can keep that going throughout this year and put pressure on defenses in that way.”
(Why didn’t the no huddle work last year? What was it that wasn’t working?) – “I just don’t think that we knew as an offense all the details of what we needed to do to make it happen quickly. We were able to do it, but we weren’t doing it quickly, and when you don’t do it quickly, you might as well just huddle and everyone get some time to think about exactly what they have to do. The whole point of no huddle is to keep the pressure on the defense and if you’re allowing defensive linemen to sub in and sub out and not keeping that heat on them, then you might as well just huddle. So I think that’s kind of the crossroads we hit last year.”
(What about Head Coach Adam Gase has made you feel more comfortable making the off-schedule play?) – “I think he just encourages me and what I see. He’s always supportive of … obviously he coaches me and corrects me obviously when things aren’t done right, but he’s a big supporter of whatever we feel – what you see – then you can’t think about it. You’ve got to just let it rip and make it happen. So that’s something I’ve been trying to work on this offseason is ‘Hey, don’t think about it. Just play what you see and let it rip.’”
Adam Gase – June 13, 2017
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Tuesday, June 13, 2017
Head Coach Adam Gase
(What are you looking for specifically from QB Ryan Tannehill in this three-day minicamp?) – “Really, nothing has changed for us. This is just a continuation of what we’re doing from OTAs. We just have a different format with us being able to do the walkthrough in the afternoon. I’m just always looking for consistency and mastery of the offense and communication with him and the skill guys and the offensive line.”
(When did you lose your voice?) – “The last couple of days.”
(Are you sick?) – “Yes, a little bit.”
(How would you describe QB Ryan Tannehill’s consistency throughout the OTAs and into today?) – “He’s gotten better throughout the entire offseason process. You can see he’s more comfortable with what we’re doing. He has a really good grasp of every little detail that we’re trying to fine tune. When you start being able to put your spin on how you see things and you have the ability to change plays at the line of scrimmage, when you feel really great with where you are in the offense, you have a lot of confidence to make those adjustments before the ball is actually snapped.”
(I know you guys probably track every single throw he makes. How has the accuracy and ball placement been throughout?) – “It’s been really good. We’ve had some days where he’s probably a little picky on when he misses a throw. He’s pretty hard on himself. It’s a good thing because he wants to be held as accountable as anybody else. He wants those guys to have extreme confidence that when they really run a great route and they create major separation, he’s putting them in a position to not only catch the ball but he wants to give them a ball where they can catch and continue their momentum and give them a chance to run after the catch. I think that’s a high priority for him always, is making sure that he’s throwing the best ball possible to give those guys a chance to run after catch.”
(Will DT Ndamukong Suh be out the rest of minicamp or was it just today?) – “No. He’ll be back tomorrow.”
(WR Isaiah Ford kind of showed up today. How would you describe his spring so far?) – “He’s improved as it’s gone on. Any time you’re a younger player and coming into this league and you play wide receiver, it’s a little more difficult than what you realize. It’s a lot of adjustments. There are a lot of things that you haven’t seen coming to this level. The defenses really do a good job of changing things up and making things difficult and you have to read a lot of things on the run. He’s able to visualize what we’re talking about in the meeting rooms and then transfer it onto the field. It’s not an easy thing for a young player to do because a lot of times these guys need to see it before they do it where he actually can see it when we’re talking about it, showing it to him on tape, and he’ll get it a lot of times on the first attempt. It’s just the volume can kind of overwhelm you every once in a while. You’ll see it occasionally catch up to him. We’ve got a few OTAs in and you can see it kind of bogging down and slowing him down a little bit; but then he bounced back and started really having some practices where he improved and made some strides. That’s all you’re looking for. You want these guys to keep improving and then once you get into training camp, you want them to be able to play as fast as possible.”
(Last year your offense obviously went through a transformation. Earlier in the year you wanted to be more up-tempo at the line and then in the huddle, you went RB Jay Ajayi-heavy. Is this kind of the time to figure out what that’s going to be again? Do you want to be that no-huddle, fast-paced type of offense?) – “I think every year it’s, once again, we’re starting over from every facet – offense, defense and special teams. We’re always going to kind of start fast. It’s easier to hit the brakes than it is to try to speed up. You always try to stay somewhat up-tempo. I think it helps the defense as well because it forces guys to make the calls and it keeps a great tempo for practice and guys moving around. There’s not a lot of standing around and that’s what you want. Today was a good deal for me just kind of standing back and watching and just seeing how fast some of the calls were coming in and how fast those guys were getting lined up and ready to play, and the calls were coming out and they were ready to go. I think when you can do that in this part of the season to where every week is kind of a little bit of a different theme as far as what we’re doing situationally, it’s a good start to our process. When you hit training camp, once again, you somewhat start over to see where you’re at, at that point. Then as you go through training camp, you try to figure out who you’re going to become during the season. Last year, we obviously found out that it can change midway through the season or at the beginning of the season. It’s just an evolving process. You’re just trying to set yourself up to where when you get into those November and December games, you have some kind of identity of what you really want to become or what you have become, and now it’s about mastering that through those two months and see if you make that push to get into the tournament.”
(Obviously the ‘Zero In’ thing is kind of the slogan this year. Having the players know what they’re doing, would that make it a lot easier to go fast this year?) – “It would, but it’s an entire group effort because it doesn’t do any good if we go three-and-out, three-and-out, three-and-out and we keep putting the defense out there and we’re not moving the ball on offense and they’re constantly on the field. Now all of a sudden we’re lopsided play-wise to where there’s 40 defensive plays and 15 offensive plays. Then you get into the fourth quarter and you get back into the game but now all of a sudden your defense is dead tired and it’s hard for them to stop anybody. That’s where we put ourselves in some bad situations last year to where the defense played so well for so long and then when you need them to help finish that game off – because we finally got back into the game – they’ve burned it all trying to keep us in the game. That’s where we just need to do a better job of keeping those two sides of the ball more balanced, as far as the play number goes. If we can do that, then you have the opportunity to kind of keep that higher tempo of speed on offense; but if you’re not moving the ball consistently, if you’re not getting those first downs and staying on the field, then there’s really no point to doing it.”
(When you look at RB Jay Ajayi now versus a year ago, are you seeing a lot of really fine-tuned improvements, particularly mentally, from him?) – “Yes, that would probably be beyond an understatement. It’s slowed down for him a lot from where we were last year at this time compared to where we are right now. The questions that he brings up to us are very detailed. They’re really beyond next-level questions. They’re almost kind of quarterback-ish questions for a running back. I love the way … His intrigue into every little detail of what’s going on at his position has been outstanding. He wants to be a guy that can be counted on first, second and third down. You can tell he does not want to come off the field. I know everybody gets concerned with the amount of carries and his physical style of running, and we’ll handle that as we go; but I love the mentality that he has right now of he wants to be a guy that is relied on as he’s our bell cow. At the same time, he’s our top third-down guy and red area and 2-minute guy. He wants to be the guy that no matter what the situation is, that we will have him in the game.”
(With the way you’re working now, non-contact, are you going to be able to see any kind of manifestation of some of those mental improvements from RB Jay Ajayi?) – “Absolutely. Just because it’s no pads doesn’t mean you can’t see where … A lot of times it’s going to the right guy in the right situation, especially in protection. You start getting into some of these exotic fronts that teams run and we’ll set some periods up to where we’re doing some fronts that are tough pick-ups, and he’s got to be on it with the quarterback and go to the right guy. You can see on film, you can watch how their heads are kind of looking around or if he’s looking at the right guy and then going to the right guy. As far as everything I’ve seen right now, he’s really, really taking it to the next level.”
(In your eyes, has RB Jay Ajayi become a better pass catcher or route runner at this point?) – “Yes, he’s really spent a lot of time on that. A lot of it is to his credit because he’s done it when he wasn’t around here. I’m going to say he must have spent a ton of time with his routes on his own and catching the ball. Whoever he was either … The guys he was working with, whether it was Ryan (Tannehill) or the other quarterbacks or if he was working with somebody else or working out somewhere else, he really must have spent a lot of time because he is on every little detail and way more comfortable catching the ball. He’s very hard on himself. Even if he slightly bobbles a ball, it’ll almost … You have to de-compress him a little bit because you don’t want him to be as angry as he gets because he’s striving for perfection so hard. We’ve been talking about, ‘Hey, when something like that happens, we’ve got to move on to the next play and we’ve got to clear the conscience and move on and learn from that experience.’ As we’ve gone through this, he’s done a better job of even that, of trying to make sure if he has a slight hiccup somewhere, ‘I’m moving on to the next thing.’
(I think there a point where you were sort of half kidding when you said that you would be open to giving RB Jay Ajayi the ball 22-25 times a game, because that would mean that you’re going to be doing a lot of winning. And that got blown into ‘You’re going to give him the ball 350 times this year,’ or 400 times. Is that serious?) – “I guess every game is so different. It’s hard to make end of year predictions, because every game is such a story on its own. You wish you could say it’s going to be 22-25 times every game, but I’ve been involved in games where we’re had 47 plays on offense and scored 42 points. It’s so crazy. Then we had 12 rushes. You just never know what’s going to happen within a game. You stay aware of what’s going on. You understand how many carries there have been. Nobody probably even counts – how many carries did Jay have last year where we had a holding penalty or something like that and it doesn’t get counted on the stat sheet officially. We look at the amount of attempts he had last year, well how many of those were considered no-plays? I know he didn’t consider them no-plays because he got stroked by somebody. You have to be conscious as a coaching staff of ‘we’re getting up there in numbers. Let’s be aware of it.’ Each week, that’s our job is to come in and take a look at that. Sometimes there are certain running backs that find ways not to really take that square shot. The way that he runs, he’s taken … He’s taken some big hits last year but there were a lot of times where they’re glancing blows or he sees a guy coming or he delivers the blow. Every run has its own little narrative behind it. As coaches, you just have to stay on it. The communication is really a huge thing as well with him. Constantly, every week, I’m always going to him and am like, ‘How are you feeling?’ I’ll check on Monday, Tuesday, even Wednesday to see how is he recovering, how does he feel compared to where he was last week, because if he says he’s still hurting on Thursday, then I knew we worked him pretty good last week and it’s affected him a little more than what I initially realized. You have to stay on it throughout the week and then throughout the year.”
Andrew Franks – June 8, 2017
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Thursday, June 8, 2017
K Andrew Franks
(You’re looking a bit more rugged.) – “A little bit. A little more rugged.”
(What’s this transformation?) – “I don’t know. I just don’t like getting haircuts, I guess.” (laughter)
(Or shave?) – “Just letting it ride right now. We’ll see if I can make it to training camp with it.”
(Is it a superstition?) – “Not really. I just sort of felt like, ‘Try out some long hair. See what happens.’”
(You watch the guys in the NHL playoffs?) – “Not really. I’ve been trying to follow them.”
(Because they grow beards and…) – “I’m not there yet. Maybe (if) we get to playoffs.”
(Last time we talked to you at the Fins Weekend golf tournament, you told us what you did during the summer. Can you go back over that?) – “I did two externships. I did one with Under Armour for 10 days at their headquarters in Baltimore and worked, analyzed, learned from the guys that worked there and the whole business aspects of research, design, marketing, the whole flow of the system and how that really translates to the gear we have now and really understanding that. That was really informative. I had a really good time doing that. And then I had another one at Stryker – Stryker Medical – in San Jose in their endoscopy division. Really sort of the same sort of approach that I did with Under Armour really taking the full, whole scale look at it really from design, idea generation, how they do clinical trials, testing and all that back to marketing, troubleshooting – taking a look at all of it – (and) really getting what my degree in college would have translated to if I had went that route.”
(And how good was that? How beneficial was it for you?) – “I think one of the biggest things that I think lacked from my college education – I think most college education – is how it really translates to the real world. You can learn all these equations, learn all these different equations and how to use them but putting them towards an actual project that has real life applications is something that really I think is missed a lot. So really understanding that – what a biomedical engineer, electrical engineer, all those guys how they work together, how those teams work together and how they start from the beginning to the end – I think is really important.”
(Are you smarter than Defensive Coordinator Matt Burke?) – “I don’t know. I have no idea. Maybe in a few things.” (laughter)
(What do you hope to do with this now? Is it something what’s sort of setting you up for post football way down the road or what?) – “I think for me, it’s something I always want to keep in my back pocket whenever this career ends. It could be tomorrow, could be in 15, 20 years. You never know. I’d rather have that information and never use it than need that information and not have it.”
(Why don’t I take you back to Christmas Eve (versus Buffalo)? Obviously that was a turning point going with this team and you personally. A.) how many times have you watched the kick since?) – “I had a ton of friends send me the video, and I’ve watched it probably 10 times throughout the time. I watched a lot of it just to analyze the film itself to see how my form was, how the ball flew, everything – snap, hold, kick – from just an analyzing format. Beyond that, it’s a cool kick to watch. People will show it to me when I visit. I’ve seen it quite a few times.”
(In the moment did you know how big that was or you kind of have to be removed from it then?) – “I think, especially in an event like that, you really have to take yourself out of the game a little bit. I think I kick the best when you take the pressure of the game away from it. When you’re calm, relaxed, that’s really when you kick the best. I think at that moment it’s a rushed field goal. We got a couple of seconds left. It’s a long one in Buffalo of all places and at that point, you got to remember just to kick the ball. That was really my mindset towards it.”
(One more follow up. Associate Head Coach/Special Team Coordinator Darren Rizzi obviously knows the percentages of you at what point of the field and all that. What percentage of a kick do you think that was with all of the factors involved?) – “I can’t really put a percentage on it. It’s Buffalo, so you never know how the wind is going to fly there. You can look going left, but it can really be going right, especially in December. It’s a low percentage kick for the most part – I think for most guys – and I think it’s pushing the distance. I think it was what, 55? Around there? But it’s a low percentage figure I think for most guys in that sort of weather.”
(You got two field goals in a playoff game, how much does that help you considering circumstances going into next year?) – “I think it was big. That’s where you want to be. You want to be in the playoffs. You want to be competing trying to get to the Super Bowl. Being in that position, understanding the ramifications of every play during those games is really big. I think playing the games in … I forgot the temperature. It was like subzero temperatures in Pittsburgh, freezing cold with a ton of wind, getting those tough kicks out of the way, understanding that whatever the conditions are you can get the ball through, I think was really important for me.”
(How big of a confidence boost is it that the Dolphins have not brought in a kicker?) – “For me, I always like competition. I always like comparing myself. Just because there’s not a guy on the team roster that I’m competing with, I really look to everyone else in the league. I don’t want to be in the middle or the bottom of the league. I really want to aim for that top spot. It’s really looking at myself from last year, looking at everyone else from last year who kicked and really comparing and trying to keep pushing myself to be the best that I can be.”
(Doubling down on the confidence question, the way the season ended for you last year in the playoffs and the Buffalo game, do you think your confidence was at an all-time high?) – “I think I’m a pretty level headed guy. I don’t try to be too low; I try not to be too high. For me, it’s (about) trying to build one day after another. I think my confidence has always been pretty consistent. I’m confident in what I can do. I’m confident that I can help this team. I think that’s something I brought with me from the first day I came here.”
(The canopy at Hard Rock Stadium, did it have any effect on kickoffs or field goals or extra points as far as wind or anything?) – “I think it cut down a little bit of the wind. I think it created a few more different air channels in there that made the wind act a little funny when we first went there. It was pretty easy I think to figure it out. It’s definitely nice at least for the fans – as far as I can see – and friends and family that have come (and) cutting down on the rain dropping on their heads. They liked that a lot, and they love the shade.”
(It’s National Best Friends Day. Did you get P Matt Darr anything?) – “Is it? I did not know that. Where is he? Someone grab him.” (laughter)
(Going back to those two externship experiences you had, what the reception was like? They probably don’t get too many NFL players going through there all the time.” – “Not that I know of, I know for the Under Armour one that was through the NFLPA. There was 14 NFL guys in our group. I think there are a lot of athletes – college athletes especially – that work at Under Armour. For them, I felt like it was almost an everyday experience for them seeing professional athletes. But for Stryker that was just me. I think that was cool for them to see a guy who’s playing in the NFL, someone they see on TV. That’s 45 minutes from my hometown too. So, they’ve heard of Carmel, (California). They know my story for the most part. It’s cool for them to see a hometown kid trying do this on the side.”
(Athletes in general feel invincible, and they don’t look that far ahead. Do you find any other guys in the locker room entertaining down the road what they might do post career? Is that ever a discussion?) – “I think it’s a really common thing actually. I think a lot of guys are really looking at the fact that this career could end any day and (are) trying to gain knowledge in terms of what they want to do afterwards – whether they’re 30, 40, 50 – (and) trying to see where their future lays, where they want to end up, what jobs are appealing to them. I think those are huge things that people are really taking advantage of now. I think the NFLPA has done a really good job of helping us with that.”
(Styker, that’s medical equipment?) – “Yes.”
(20 to 25 years from now – I know that’s a hard question to answer – what might you see yourself doing?) – “Hopefully at that point I’m retired. That would be awesome. (laughter) Hopefully in 20 to 25 years I’m still kicking. K Adam Venatieri is still doing it. He’s still looking strong. That’s the plan for now and once that deviates, we’ll see what happens. I would like to use my degree at some point, but I’m not trying to push that for right now.”
Lawrence Okoye – June 8, 2017
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Thursday, June 8, 2017
DT Lawrence Okoye
(How did you get introduced to football?) – “It was accessible over in England, because we have the SkySports coverage. Just watching the game, it seemed really appealing to me. It became something that I really wanted to do. Luckily, I was given the opportunity to come over and do it. It kind of was born out of watching the game and seeing amazing plays and saying, ‘I can do that too.’”
(Where do you think you are in your development as a football player as opposed to when you first started playing?) – “Obviously, it’s night and day. It has been a huge learning curve, and I think my skillset has improved drastically. It has been a shame I haven’t been able to display that yet in competitive games, but hopefully that will change.”
(Did you have a chance to go to Oxford law school?) – “Yes, I was accepted. My place was deferred until this year. Obviously, I’m playing football right now.”
(What’s the toughest thing about being at the top of your profession in an Olympic sport and then having to start over? Do you get down, do you get up?) – “I think it’s a process of humbling yourself and starting from the bottom, starting from scratch and having no name recognition, no clout and just building yourself up from the bottom.”
(Going back to the Oxford law thing for a second, you said it was deferred until this year?) –“Yes.”
(How does that work? Do you have to make a decision by the end of this year?) – “Yes, it’s unlikely that I’ll be able to take it up obviously given that I’m playing a professional sport. Hopefully it’s something that I can come back to when I’m done playing.”
(Do you want to do something in the legal profession or do you want to use that as a jumping off point for something else after you’re done?) – “At this point in my life, you kind of discover yourself – kind of discover who you are as a person – in your 20’s. I’m still in that discovery process, still learning what I’m about as a person. I can’t give a definitive answer (about) what I’d like to do at some point in the future, because it’s so day to day right now.”
(You know the prestige of Oxford. How difficult of a decision was that for you or was it difficult at all?) – “I think playing sports every kid has a … Most kids have dreams of playing professional sports. Passing up that wasn’t really an option for me.”
(Being from England, what was your reaction to the recent terrorist attacks that happened in London?) – “It’s obviously heartbreaking. It’s a tough situation all over the world, all over the western world. But, I think we should use that as an opportunity to grow together as a country and learn some of the lessons of our past and hopefully be stronger going forward. It’s obviously terrible for the people that were killed and their families and obviously everyone is upset for them.”
(Has your fellow Englishman RB Jay Ajayi taken you under his wing a little bit or showed you around since you’ve been here?) – “Jay has been cool. He has been a good resource for me. I think I’ve been welcomed by everyone on the team. I feel very grateful for that connection.”
(What’s the hardest thing about football for you?) – “I wouldn’t necessarily say there’s a single thing that’s hard for me. It used to be very hard for me when I first started playing.”
(Why was it hard?) – “Because, learning anything from scratch … My first time ever playing was against Joe Staley in practice. That wasn’t easy. Now I’m very comfortable. I’m not saying I’m Bruce Smith, but I’m very happy with my skillset, and I’m improving every day. I feel very happy in my ability of going out there and dominating guys on the field.”
(Can you talk us through your Olympic experience, highlights and what you take from being a participant?” – “Any professional athlete goes into a competition to win, and I didn’t win. There were highlights and there were lowlights. I took away from that as a young 20 year old, how to be a more professional athlete in the mindset and how to perform at the highest level. That’s what I take away from that – being able to stay on your game at the highest level.”
(Opening ceremony a great thrill, the Olympic village?) – “I’m kind of all about the business side of it. I’m not really worried about that kind of stuff. I was there as an athlete to perform. I didn’t even go to the opening ceremony, because I was preparing for my competition. That’s not really a big deal to me if I’m honest.”
(Did you have the chance to go to the opening ceremony or was your competition an hour after the opening ceremony?) – “I was preparing in Portugal at the time before the games.”
(How do you feel about your chances of making the team?) – “That’s way above my paygrade. You can ask (Executive Vice President of Football Operations) Mike Tannenbaum or (General Manager) Chris Grier, and hopefully they’ll give you a positive answer. I’m just playing football every day and enjoying myself.”
(Whose tougher, rugby players or American football players?) – “I think you’re trying to catch me right there. (laughter) Both games are tough. Obviously, football is extremely violent, but rugby is a violent game, too. They both are fun games.”
(Considering you’ve played both. Do you think football will change if the game was played without helmets?) – “You couldn’t play football without helmets, period.”
(What has been your experience here going against some of the guys that you’ve had to go up against?) – “I think I’ve been making plays. Obviously, we don’t have pads on yet, so there’s kind of a limit on how physical I can be. Hopefully when pads do come on, it will be even better. I think I’ve shown that I’ve got some quickness and some nice hand moves and some nice counter moves. We’ll keep that going as training camp comes forward.”
(Do you feel that this training camp coming up is when you’ll have your best chance to show everything that you’ve done to this point and what kind of football player you can be?) – “I think that I’m as good as I’ve been, obviously. I think everyone will see that. There’s no need to speculate. I think eyes will be opened.”
(Do you ever take the opportunity to test any of your teammates here on any of the skills you’ve had as a Olympic athlete, any of your discus skill to see if they can do what you used to do?) – “No.”
(Would you like to? Would you like to put them on the other side for a change learning something new?) – “Guys here are about playing football, and that’s all I’m about really. I don’t really think about the past if I’m honest with you. I haven’t really reflected on much. I’m very much focused on what I do on a day-to-day bases.”
(I think DT Ndamukong Suh was a shot-putter. Did that ever come up, I think he was really good at it.) – “Maybe. I’m not sure. He’s very likely to be good given who he is.”
Sam Young – June 8, 2017
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Thursday, June 8, 2017
T Sam Young
(How’s your house making it through the rain?) – “Luckily the roof is intact.”
(No alligators coming through the yard?) – “Got a lot toads. A lot of toads.”
(We saw a very colorful exchange when WR DeVante Parker scored a touchdown. How many opportunities does the offense get like that where you can really just gloat a dominant performance?) – “I think it’s just a testament to the competitiveness. I think both sides of the ball are out here taking this seriously, trying to get each other better. I think the more heated, the more competitive you can be, that just serves you better when it’s in a real game. You’re getting the best from both sides I think and it’s just going to make the team better.”
(Do you see the backup left tackle position as being yours?) – “No. Not by any means. I think my goal is just to continue to get better. It might be a cliché, but I think that every day I’m looking to improve, looking to fill wherever the coaches put me, whether it’s right, left, they need me to play quarterback. I don’t think that’s likely, but I’m just trying to help and continue to get better each and every day.”
(What has this team taken from the OTA’s so far? What have you noticed as a collective whether it’s playing better, playing more efficiently?) – “I think you kind of hit the nail on the head with the efficiency. I think being in the second year of the system – speaking from an offensive perspective – we’re starting to get into the details and hone in on those and take the lessons learned from the previous season, be able to improve. I think going back to a previous question was with the competitiveness. I think everything’s getting ratcheted up a notch being that, okay, we already kind of know what we’re doing and now we’re able to really pick up the tempo and pick up the pace.”
(Can you explain the logo on the t-shirt and does that apply only to the offensive line or the entire team?) – “It’s just a really comfortable t-shirt. It was one of the road trips last year given out.”
(Zero significance?) – “I just like … It’s comfortable.”
(Besides the position change of G/T Laremy Tunsil what kind of growth have you seen in him in his second year?) – “I think mainly just a comfort factor. I think the game is probably slowing down for him a bit. You’d have to ask him specifically what he’s grown on, but I think his confidence at that position. He has got some reps at left tackle, and I think he might even feel more comfortable there. It might be … You’d have to ask him, but it just looks like he has a home there.”
(What are you seeing out of G Isaac Asiata so far? Just his skills and what stands out.) – “A strong player. Moves his feet well. I think like any rookie, there’s going to be ups and downs. I know for linemen, we’re excited to get into training camp. This is great. It’s great to work your hands. It’s great to work your feet, great to learn the system, but once you put the pads on, it’s a whole new game. I’ll be excited to see how he responds and how the rest of us respond as well.”
(Can you be honest with us? How much of a disadvantage would you say offensive linemen are at during OTA’s with no pads?) – “To be honest with you, I think it’s what you make of it. I really do. I’ll speak for myself: I know it’s a great opportunity for me to work on my hand placement. When you’re getting those pads and you’re getting those bull rushes, sometimes you’re just like, ‘Okay, I need…’ Not survive, but you’re maybe not focused as much on your technique. I think this is a great opportunity to be able to say, ‘Okay, my hand placement needs to be better here. I don’t have to worry about some of the rushes maybe that you would have when pads are on.’ To answer your question, I think it’s just whatever you make of it.”
(One point that T Ja’Wuan James made last season is that it was a real adjustment going from one offensive line to another just because coaches teach technique in different ways. The fact that this is the second year for Run Game Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach Chris Foerster is that a factor or shouldn’t it make it easier for a linemen to have been in the system now for two years like you and C/T Laremy Tunsil, etc.?) – “I think going back to what I said earlier, I think whether it’s having first or being in (Head Coach Adam) Gase’s system, I think it all is just beneficial. I think there’s a comfort there – to your point – whether it’s the techniques being taught or whether it’s the plays or (saying) ‘This is the angles we were taking this year. It wasn’t as good as we thought, and now we’re going to hone those in a little bit.’ Instead of starting from scratch so to speak with a new coach or a new system, we now have that familiarity we’re able build on something.”
With Run Game Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach Chris Foerster’s way of teaching technique, was it much different from what you had in previous offensive lines?) – “I think everyone has got their own techniques. Everyone has got their own way of doing things. But at the end of the day it’s about you being in between your guy and the quarterback.”
(Are you getting reps exclusively at left tackle or both tackles?) – “I’ve had reps at both.”
(And mentally how does that play with bull technique and having your head straight getting everything in the place that you said that you were?) – “Luckily it’s very similar. It’s just your right hand versus your left hand. There’s slight variations in the types of plays you might see down the road, but overall the way I view it is just right hand versus left hand in the ground.”
(I noticed after the last play today Head Coach Adam Gase was on the ground with you guys doing pushups. I guess that happens if the offense loses the last play on Friday. What does it say that your coach is the kind of down there with you guys?) – “It’s pretty cool. We’re all in it together. It also goes back to being competitive. I think that be it calling the offensive plays, he probably is all in with us. It’s pretty neat to see.”
(Have you noticed anything about DT Lawrence Okoye, No. 96, and do you know his Olympic background? Do you know much about him?) – “I was listening a little bit before. The one thing he’s a lot better than most of us (at) is juggling a soccer ball. (laughter) We were messing around one day in the locker room and let’s just say he’s a lot better than most of us in that department except with the exception of Jay (Ajayi). He’s a tremendously talented athlete. As he gets better and better learning American Football, I think it will only help him and help our team.”
(How would you describe his American Football skills? Is he raw or is he second level?) – “I think he’s a very explosive athlete. I think anytime you’re picking up a new sport there’s obviously development. I’ve been playing the game professionally eight years now – or going into my eighth year – and I’m still learning things. I think as he spends more time in the game, like I was saying, I think he’s just going to continue to develop and become a better player.”
(There’s been a topic today about post football life. Amongst your stops, have you noticed that there’s more emphasis on that situation here at the Dolphins than anywhere else? I know you’ve been a part of the internship program, but within the locker room, are there conversations amongst the players?) – “Compared to some of the other teams I’ve been with, I would say there’s a lot more emphasis in just the complete person here, whether that’s charitable endeavors, whether that’s – to your point – doing some of these business combines. I think it’s creating a complete person. We had 17 guys go to New York for that (Dolphins) Business Combine with Mr. Ross and some of his companies. I think that just speaks volume to not only the type of leadership we have upstairs but also the guys we have in the locker room.”
MarQueis Gary – June 8, 2017
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Thursday, June 8, 2017
TE MarQueis Gray
(Were you close to WR DeVante Parker touchdown today? How far were you when that happened?) – “I think I was blocking on the other side, but I got a good view of it. It was a great catch by him. There was a lot of competing going on today. He came down with it and got us the win.”
(What was said afterwards?) – “He just said … I really don’t know what he said. I know he got in his face a little bit. They were having fun. Anytime you go against the defense, it’s going to be competitive. I pretty sure that’s what they were talking about.”
(How quickly is the success you had on offense last year given you the confidence to have that edge and have that swagger, if you will?) – “Just going off on the winning streak, that’s what got us into having that swagger going throughout the whole season. And then with the addition of the new guys also. We’re just having a lot more fun and playing loose, and that swagger is playing a big part of our success so far.”
(We only get to see so many OTA days. Most of the days that we’re here, the offense pretty much gets beat down by the defense. How many days like today have you guys realistically had?) – “It’s pretty hard to say. The best way I can put it is, it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish, and we finished pretty good today. It has been competitive all OTAs. It was really competitive today.”
(A lot of changes in the tight end room this offseason with TE Julius Thomas and TE Anthony Fasano coming in. You’re pretty much the one veteran who remained. How do you see the changes and how it affect your overall potential?) – “It’s a lot of help, mainly (for) myself. I’m still new to this tight end thing and having those two veteran guys – Fasano and ‘J.T.’ (Julius Thomas) – in that room is helping out a lot. Learning different tricks and trades of playing the tight end position as well as being able to run routes, they’re helping out our young guys a lot.”
(Are you still one of the emergency quarterbacks?) – “I have no idea. I’m just playing wherever they put me. We’ll see when that time comes, but as of now, I’m just doing what I’m supposed to do.”
(Theoretically last year you were. How many snaps do you think you actually took over the course of the year to practice?) – “Really none. Like I said, I didn’t do anything really. If they needed me, I would’ve tried to prepare myself the best that I could and get put in those situations to be successful. But other than that, I was just strictly doing tight end last year.”
(Do you ever throw for work? I know you occasionally pick up a ball and throw it, but would you ever throw on purpose like that at any time?) – “Other than just playing around with the guys trying to hit the goalpost at the end of practice. But other than that I’m just strictly … My thing right now is pass blocking, trying to get stronger in that. Then whatever else needs to be done, I’ll focus on that.”
(Has the room changed – the tight end room – with the addition of a couple of veterans such as TE Julius Thomas and TE Anthony Fasano?) – “Just to reiterate what I said, they are helping out a lot. Those veteran guys … This is my fifth year in the NFL, and they are helping out with a lot of tricks and trades (like) getting on defenders, getting off defenders and also just giving us signals (about) what to look for on defense pre-snap.”
(What are the biggest things you think this offense has accomplished now that OTAs are complete?) – “Just a lot of running around after the ball. Everyone is getting a lot of running around. Getting in shape is one thing you have to be a part of in this offense, because guys lineup in different positions a lot of times, you just have to be able to know your assignments. Everybody is having fun and being able to run is very positive for our offense.”
(I noticed at the very end of practice that Head Coach Adam Gase was doing pushups with you guys. How often does that happen, and what’s the background on that?) – “He’s with us through the end. We even had the special teams coaches with us too. Everybody picks their side, but Gase is our guy. He knows where his heart is at. We know where he’s going to be at the end of it, and he was with us. It’s always good to see your coach participating in things like that.”
(What are the circumstances to which you guys have to do pushups?) – “The defense wins, we have to do pushups. If we win, they have to do pushups.”
(On the final play right?) – “Yes.”
(How many pushups?) – “I think today it was five. Nothing too crazy.”
(You had mentioned blocking a minute ago. If you could breakdown what you think you can offer this offense and what you think you offer on special teams, what would some of those main things be?) – “Overall, just being able to play more than one position, being flexible. That’s why I take a lot of time in the playbook. Just in case somebody were to go down, I have to make sure I know that play, so I can be one of those guys they can have no problem (saying), ‘Q, go play this.’ That’s one of the things I believe has kept me around in the NFL so far.”
Adam Gase – June 8, 2017
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Thursday, June 8, 2017
Head Coach Adam Gase
(We saw Chip Kelly here today. Was that the Joe Vitt connection?) – “I’m trying to remember the first time I met him. I think when he came in the league, there’s a lot of things that I was interested in what they were doing (and) kind of hearing about. Things not just football-wise, but some of the sports science stuff that they did in Oregon and that they brought to Philadelphia. I was really intrigued by it and I was able to go to Oregon for a visit when Scott Frost and myself we kind of hooked up and (I) was able to go up there. When I finally met Chip, (Kelly) we’ve kind of stayed in touch. Good guy to bounce things off of. He has been through a lot of experiences, and he had a chance to come down here and kind of hang out and talk some ball. Just kind of trying to learn a little bit of something.”
(Has he had an influence on you in terms of your scheme or what you’re coaching?) – “In 2013, for sure. I know we studied a lot of his stuff and just being able to have some discussions over the last couple of years and just figuring out ways to change tempos of the game and some of the ways to practice and to do things not only on the field, but off the field. Always trying to ask questions to pick a guy’s mind that has had success in both levels. Any time you get an opportunity to be around coaches that you can learn from, it’s a great opportunity.”
(We heard that you’re going to be doing that joint practice with the Eagles before that preseason game. What was some of the thinking that went into that and what are some of the benefits that you see getting for you team? – “We wanted to do it last year. We just couldn’t really find the right match. In the first year of the program, you’ve got a lot of things going on. You kind of get a late jump. It was something that our front office and their front office talked about. Doug (Pederson) and myself had quite a few discussions starting last year. We felt like it would be beneficial to our players to go get out of the environment, go somewhere else, play against some different guys. My experience has been it has always been very helpful, because you get a lot out of practice. It has that game feel to it. There’s a great speed to practice. You talk about not a wasted day when you do those type of practices. There’s great competition there. When we’re doing it, it’s later. We’re probably going to be done with … Training camp technically will be over, but you’re still kind of in that mode. I think our guys will probably enjoy going up there and being able to compete.”
(Would you like to do something like that each year do you think?) – “I think every year is different. You have to try to find somebody you can partner up with a little bit. Some years, some guys are for it and some years when the preseason schedule comes out, it doesn’t really fit what you want to do and you always just kind of see who’s the best teams for you to partner up with, and if you’re lucky enough to get that preseason schedule to fall the right way, then it’s a great opportunity for the players to get better.”
(Is it the Monday and Tuesday before [the game]?) – “Yes.”
(You have this good culture your building here and then you have guys with great personalities like DE William Hayes. Can you just talk about keeping this team loose and also staying on task with the building of your culture here?) – “I don’t think it’s hard to keep guys loose. We want guys to be who they are. We don’t have a ton of rules. Guys know what the structure of our program is and it’s not hard to follow. If you go out there and treat every day like game day and go out to practice, get better and play fast and be on time, it’s not real hard. Our guys have embraced it, and I love how the veterans (are) holding guys accountable. That’s really the biggest thing, because it’s easy for guys to get loose and you fall off a little bit and get complacent with what you’re doing. You think you’ve accomplished something and when you have veterans that make guys realize, ‘We’re starting over and nobody cares what you did last year,’ when you got that mentality, it gives you a chance.”
(Based on the practices we’ve been out here, we haven’t seen the kind of offensive sets you’ve had today. Was it just players needing to get comfortable with what they were doing or you just caught them on a good day?) – “I think there has been a couple of day where the offense has had some good production. We’ve done some good things. We try to work a lot of these situations. I feel really good about our defense, because they do a lot of really good things and it makes it very difficult for our offense to consistently move the ball. There’ll be some bad plays in there and today I think we caught them in a couple of things. We had really good execution which was good to see and every day is a … It’s a new battle. It’s a new situation. We might be working on some different things. Sometimes one side of the ball over the other, it can become difficult for you. Which that’s what you want. You want to try to stress somebody a little bit. You want to make it a little uncomfortable for one side of the ball to the other or both sides. Today, offense had a little more success, but defense sure had their fair share of plays.”
(Through these OTA’s – and the defense knows and sees these plays over and over again – how difficult is that to execute against?) – “That’s why you keep changing it up. You come in with maybe a couple of little wrinkles here, especially at the end where you try to stay in the framework of what you started with and then as you move along, you give them a different look out of the same formation or switch up the formation, run the same play. You keep trying to change it up.”
(A couple of personnel questions: We didn’t see DE Cameron Wake or RB Damien Williams out there. Anything you could tell us about that?) – “Not injury related.”
(G/T Laremy Tunsil, WR Kenny Stills and DE Nick Williams were working on the side?) – “Yes. Just holding them out. Just being careful.”
(And TE Julius Thomas he didn’t complete 11 on 11s is that correct or did he…) – “No. I mean we move guys in and out. He’s alright.”
(You’re playing a game London this year and that town has had struggles of terrorist attacks the last few weeks. What is the concern there? What is the team’s plan for staying safe?) – “When you hear about these things, the first thing you think of is just … You can’t really put it together in your mind of why things like that happen. I think with the NFL security, our security team, you can feel good about that where they do everything they possibly can do to make sure that we’re safe. Travel, game day, the time we’re there, leaving – all those things. And that’s really what you rely on. You rely on those guys doing what they do best, and they do a great job. That’s what you have to lean on and you have to … Like for us, we have to focus on our job, and they have to focus on their job. That’s really … That’s all I can do. That’s all our players can do. They’ve got to focus on what they need to do.”
(Are you going to limit the players going out into places like London Bridge?) – “I don’t think I’m there yet. It’s kind of a ways away. When we get to that point then we’ll figure out what we’re going to do.”
(How good of a vantage point did you have on the WR DeVante Parker touchdown catch in the corner of the end zone? How impressive was that play?) – “I didn’t have a great look. I just saw everybody running to the end zone, so I assumed he caught it. I saw the throw and at first I wasn’t sure if he was going to get there, but it was a great play. I’m sure when we watch practice today, I’ll get a better view of it.”
(When you go into practice, you were talking about you caught in the defense on some things. But you and Defensive Coordinator Matt Burke are talking a little bit about … How does all of that work going into a practice knowing what you’re going to do and you knowing what he’s going to do, but you guys seem to be competing against each other a little bit?) – “Some of it’s more a theme of, ‘Here’s what we’re trying to work on situationally,’ or if we’re saying, ‘It’s all third-and-6 and 9. Let’s work these three things,’ and he mixes it up. We’re trying to treat it a little bit like a game. We always look at it as if we just go in blind, it’s just not realistic for us, because we’re going to have a plan usually for whatever the other team does. We just try to make sure that we’re both on the same page as far as what we could be getting. It at least focuses our players, and we can treat that day – when we’re preparing for practice – as though we’re preparing for a game. That’s why we do it that way. Today was … It was really … We didn’t have anything specifically like that. We just went in straight first, second, third down and we had some different areas of the field. It was both of us calling plays. We script them, and it’s just kind of how it falls.”
(I’ve seen both you and Defensive Coordinator Matt Burke come in here kind of gritting your teeth about something that had happened. How real is the rivalry between you and him when you go into each of these practices?) – “I think it’s like how our players are. You want your side of the ball to win. The hardest thing for me is I got three phases I have to help out. Sometimes I feel like I give them too much and tell them too many things that we’re doing, and he takes advantage of me. (laughter) That’s what happens when you get a Darmouth guy. (laughter) He learned our stuff very quickly.”
(You guys ever started yelling at each other or anything?) – “No. It doesn’t get that bad.”
(Not in like a controversial way or anything like that, but like how heated does it get when he beats you or you beat him?) – “It’s more subtle.”
(Regarding DT Lawrence Okoye, what appealed to you about him and what have you seen from him since he has been here?) – “You got a big, athletic guy that has been in high-performance sports. Even though it’s not this, it’s still an elite level. I think any time you get a chance to bring a guy in your program that works hard and tries to do everything you ask him to do, give him a chance to compete, and I think he’s trying to make the most of it.”
(Is there something about DT Lawrence Okoye’s skillset that pops out to you that feels different, because he had a different path to get here?) – “For him to pick up a lot of things he has picked up in a short period of time over the last few years, that’s impressive to me. When you’re changing sports … A lot of these guys have been playing football since they’re seven, eight-years old. They got a lot of experience. I think that has been impressive to me and his quickness, and his change of direction is pretty good for a guy that size.”
(We don’t get a lot out of WR DeVante Parker – he’s not the biggest talker – but he seemed to talk pretty good to CB Byron Maxwell after that catch. Is that something you see regularly?) – “Yes.”
(Care to elaborate?) – “No.”
(Any particular reason?) – “Since I’ve been around him – the longer you’re around him – the more he opens up. I just don’t think he’s somebody that … He doesn’t talk to just talk. If he’s got something to say, he’ll say it. He’s understanding how we run the program and where he fits in. It has really been good to see him, especially this spring, not afraid to ask questions, not afraid to have a little trash talking with the DBs. It’s good. I think it’s a good thing. The more he opens up, the better it is for us.”
(Where does WR DeVante Parker sit?) – “I don’t know. I think he has to just keep getting better. I think there’s a lot of room for him to grow. He has really made a lot of strides this spring. You’re seeing a guy go full speed every day. It has been impressive. He has really done a good job of learning the offense better than what he knew it last year, coming out to practice every day … He has not taken anything for granted. Every day he has been out there, he has really grinded. From the time he steps on the field, to the time we have to get off the field, he’s always doing something. I’ve really enjoyed watching him improve over the spring.”
(They’re introducing that new safety helmet designed to protect the brain a little bit more. Have you had a chance to get one in your hands? Do you have any thoughts on its effectiveness, comfort level?) – “I haven’t. Usually (Equipment Manager) Joe (Cimino) will bring me certain things that are that being talked about. He tries to pick a good time to where he knows that he’ll have my full attention, and he can explain what’s going on, and we haven’t been able to have that. It has been pretty fast and furious. When those type of things come up, Cimino does a good job informing me of what’s going on, either what the league is looking at or if there’s new products or anything from shoes to helmets to shoulder pads. He does a good job of keeping me informed. Usually sometimes it does take a little bit of, ‘We’re through OTAs. We got four days.’ Those are the type of times where he’ll come to me with stuff.”
(I think at the very end of practice, I saw you do pushups with the offense. I hadn’t noticed that before. How often does that happen, and what’s the thought process?) – “It was something … When Jack Del Rio … When Coach (John) Fox, when he got sick in 2013, Jack implemented this last play of the game on Fridays. It was one play. Usually we would just make it fourth down with 3 seconds left and winner take all. It was something as simple as five pushups. It gets competitive. There’ll be a lot of talking going on afterwards. They’ve won a few more times than we have. It’s not calling very good plays, I guess. It’s good though. I like the competition. I like when guys get ready to go for that last play. It has been interesting how a few little situations actually came up last year – San Francisco being one of them. We had the exact same yard line, exact same time. It was kind of eerie how we went through that thing. I remember on the head phones we were all saying, ‘We did this. We did this live. Offense versus defense. See if this pays off.’ Those situations come up in a game, and it’s not the first time our players have been through it, because they go through it every Friday.”
(We’ve had a few people come up on that podium and talk about how committed they are to being better – DT Jordan Phillips, WR Leonte Carroo, WR Jakeem Grant. How much do you pay attention to that, or are you more of an action-type guy? Do you pay attention to those words?) – “These guys are very open with our coaching staff. A lot of times you don’t have to tell a guy what his faults are. They know by playing time whether they’re active or not. When guys really take it on themselves and come to you and say, ‘I need to get better. How do I do it?’ and they keep following up on that, to me that’s the action you’re looking as the starting point. At the end of the day, you have to go out there and do it, and it’s consistency. Everything you do is consistency. As soon as you have that drop off, that’s when you can get the … It’s the same thing. You just want to avoid that. You want to be consistent. When you get put in that kind of situation where things don’t quite go right, how are you going to battle back? I know a lot of people, that’s what they’re going to look for. Are you going to fight and do everything you can to win your job or to go from good to great? I think every one of us is always looking for, ‘Who are the guys striving to get better?’”
(There was a moment it seemed like you were really pleased with WR Jarvis Landry, particularly on the sidelines. What was he doing that had you so happy?) – “I think the entire spring, he has really done a great job with the consistency of the way he has practiced. Today, he got some really good opportunities. It was one of those practices where the ball kept finding him. We were getting some right coverages for some of the plays that we had – we were running in practice – and he did a great job. He made the plays. He got himself open and made some tough catches. He was doing all the little tiny details that would make him to where if he was just a little bit open, he really did a good job of getting himself wide open. When he’s rolling like he was today, you just keep trying to find ways to get him the ball.”
(Looking ahead to next week very quickly, what changes? We know it’s mandatory attendance, but what changes with minicamp from OTAs?) – “Since it’s always at the end, I don’t try to go too far from what we’re already doing. Our guys are on a pretty good schedule. I haven’t had any guys coming up complaining about what we’re doing. I think they like the format of how we change some things up. It allows us to have those walkthroughs at night or in the afternoon and have some more meeting time. It allows you to cover more things, watch more film, be able to really take a deep dive into what we’ve done in practice. Coaches (are) making cutups and try to find some things that we didn’t do well and see if we’ve improved or if we’re getting stuck somewhere. It gives us a little more time. In OTAs sometimes, it’s tough; your window is so small. Those meeting times really … They go by quick. You want to watch every little thing and teach all the stuff that we have. You’re constantly playing catch up. The minicamp allows you to really take that deep dive and help your players as much as possible.”
