Jesse Davis – August 22, 2017
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Tuesday, August 22, 2017
T Jesse Davis
(The opportunity that’s presented to you now would probably be unforeseen to anyone a month ago and now Head Coach Adam Gase is talking about you being the Week 1 starter at left guard.) – “Yes, I don’t know. He hasn’t said anything to me about it. I just keep grinding out here. The preseason is still a long ways away (from being) over, so (I) just keep doing what I’ve been coached to do. I’ve just been fortunate enough to get the opportunity to play.”
(How would you describe your strengths as a player?) – “(laughter) I don’t really comment on those.”
(You’re big.) – “Yes, I’m big and I can move kind of well, so that’s probably what I’ve got going for me right now.”
(You spent time here last year, is that correct?) – “Yes, I came here in the beginning of November and was on the (practice) p-squad. Just getting to know the guys, it’s a great group of people around here. This organization is just awesome and I haven’t been around one like it. It’s just been contagious, infectious. Everybody’s motivated. Everybody’s energy is high, so that’s really nice to be around.”
(When you hear the ‘next man up,’ you hear it and you hear it and you’re in that spot now. What’s that like?) – “I don’t really think about it too much. I just wake up every day and try to do what I can do to help move the team forward. I don’t think of it as, ‘Oh yes. It’s awesome.’ It’s a great opportunity. I hope I can hold onto it and really help this team out.”
(How much does confidence play a part? Like how much do you see yourself with the ones and you’re getting it done?) – “I don’t really look at it (like that). It’s game reps that build a little bit of confidence; but mostly just knowing that I’m playing next to my teammates, that’s the most I like about it. You’re not out there alone.”
(Since training camp started, what percentage of reps would you guess you’ve taken at guard as opposed to tackle?) – “Game reps?”
(Game reps, practice, yes.) – “I don’t know. I think it’s probably, right now, more guard reps than tackle; but I’m still getting tackle reps. This week’s a little different right now with bodies, but I can play still either side of the ball. Nothing’s really gone away from me yet.”
(What’s something that is a point of emphasis when you are at the guard position for you?) – “A point of emphasis is just everything happens faster. (You have to) get up in your pass set quicker, your hands have got to be quicker, you’ve got to see everything quicker and react a lot faster. It’s definitely a challenge, but I like it.”
(Before this year, when was the last time you played guard?) – “Let’s see. I played guard at the Jets last year. Not too much, actually. I got fourth quarter reps. It was a matter of just seeing what they needed on their team. I’m fortunate enough to be here. (Head) Coach (Adam) Gase and (Offensive Line) Coach (Chris) Foerster have really helped me a lot.”
Mike Pouncey – August 22, 2017
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Tuesday, August 22, 2017
C Mike Pouncey
(I was trying to figure out what your secret Instagram message meant. I think I know. I think were you asking to play?) – “No. Did (Head) Coach (Adam) Gase say I could play? (laughter)”
(No, Head Coach Adam Gase hasn’t said that yet) – “Well, I don’t know. He said he was going to let me know. We’ll see how it goes. But practice has been good. I feel great. Yesterday was really a confidence booster for me because it was the most reps I’ve taken all training camp. After watching the film, I was really proud of what I put on film. So I’m excited to see how it goes. I’ll see how Thursday goes when Coach Gase lets me know; but if it’s time to play, it’s time to play. We’ll see.”
(From your standpoint, it seems like the progression and the routine has gotten exactly perfectly according to plan. Is that pretty much how you would see it as well?) – “Well, I mean perfectly in some people’s eyes; but as a football player, you want to be out there every day. I think the plan that our physical trainers put in place has been awesome. Right now, we’re kind of on an every-other-day plan and it’s really worked really well because my body feels great. It’s reacting really well to it. So we’ll see how the rest of training camp goes.”
(Is the bubble wrap off?) – “I wouldn’t say that because I didn’t practice today, but I think the plan that we have in place is the most productive one. Obviously we joke around with the bubble wrap stuff – me and (Head) Coach (Adam Gase) – but I think they’ve done a great job of getting me ready to play if it was time to play and giving me enough rest time if my body was reacting the way it shouldn’t.”
(Young T Jesse Davis is getting a lot of reps with the ones. What have you seen from him?) – “I like Jesse. Jesse’s a strong football player at the point. He’s a smart guy. He really plays the game at a speed you’re supposed to play and I think he’s done a lot of great things for offense to deserve those first team reps. We lost a big piece with Ted (Larsen) going down with the biceps injury; but I think Jesse is going to go in there and fill in that spot and do a really good job.”
(T Jesse Davis was on the practice squad last year. When would you say you started really noticing him?) – “Well it’s kind of … The way the NFL is set up, during the season when a guy comes in late, we’re not in pads. You don’t really see … He’s running other team’s plays. He’s not running our plays, our techniques, so we didn’t really see what we thought we were going to see out of him until we got to this offseason and we started running our plays. He’s a guy that was dominating throughout OTAs and then once we put the pads on, you could tell it was a major difference for him. He’s a guy that loves to play in football pads and his game reflects that way.”
(What do you want to see from a guard playing next to you? What does C Mike Pouncey want from the guys standing next to him?) – “I just want a guy that’s going to go out there and play as hard as he can on every snap. Obviously when you’re looking at offensive guards, you want to see if a guy can protect one-on-one by himself because the guards are going to be the first and fastest way to the quarterback. I think he does a great job on one-on-one pass rush when he’s by himself and that’s going to get him into the starting lineup faster than anything.”
(You’ve made the reference to the bubble wrap. Have you been popping the little bubbles little by little?) – “(laughter) It’s starting to run out of wrap. (laughter) I won’t lie to you. We’ll see. If Thursday I play, then the bubble wrap is officially gone.”
(How are you feeling?) – “I feel great. I feel really good. (I feel) better than what I expected at this point, obviously, because of the extent of the injury; but it feels great to be back out there playing football. Like I said earlier, yesterday’s practice was a big confidence booster for me because we took so many reps. If we’re going on Thursday, I’ll be ready to play.”
(It’s tough to get that conditioning when you can’t work like you want?) – “I wouldn’t say that because every day I work out. Monday through Sunday, every day we have a plan of what we’re going to do. Even when I’m not on the football field practicing, I’m still in the weight room lifting weights and running around, so I think the plan they put in place has been great.”
(So you were pleased with what you did in practice yesterday. What grade would you give yourself?) – “You’d have to ask the coaches, but I always think I’m going to do good. An ‘A.’ (laughter)”
(What do you feel like QB Jay Cutler is doing well?) – “I just think he’s done what he’s always done. He gets the ball out really, really fast. He commands the huddle. We’re just appreciative of him. He’s a very smart player. He’s been in this offense so he really understands it. He’s the guy that’s making all the Mike points, setting the offense straight and he’s done a great job so far.”
(What have you learned about QB Jay Cutler’s personality and leadership style?) – “I mean it’s different than most guys but that’s Jay, and once you get used to it, it’s just part of it. I think what he does the best is just be himself every single day. He doesn’t change for anybody and no matter what anybody says, he’s the same guy. He comes in each and every day and works his tail off. He makes a lot of amazing throws during practice.”
Kenny Stills – August 22, 2017
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Tuesday, August 22, 2017
WR Kenny Stills
(On several Browns players not standing for the national anthem) – “It’s encouraging to see other people getting involved. I feel like it’s pretty alarming that we have a league that’s majority African-American and we didn’t have many guys that were getting involved. So I was pretty excited and encouraged by that. People are saying that they were praying for our country; I support that as well. I’m encouraged to see people getting involved and hope that they start taking the action and get involved in their community.”
(What went into your decision to not kneel anymore?) – “I talked about that before. I felt people were being distracted by the kneeling and not seeing the work that we were doing, and that’s what it’s all about. The narrative was going the wrong way and I just wanted to get it going back the right way, and I think the guys (around the league) that are kneeling, as long as they start getting themselves involved in the community and start getting to work, then people can’t really have anything negative to say about that.”
(Your thoughts on the two practices with the Eagles and how beneficial they could be.) – “It’s fun to compete against another team. It’s a little bit different because you never know how much they’re going to show being that we’re going to play them on Thursday, so I’m more excited about the game on Thursday and getting more reps and preparing ourselves for the first week of the season.”
(You caught a touchdown pass from QB Jay Cutler today. How’s the chemistry going?) – “We’re getting better every day, so we’ve just got to continue to work before practice, in the meeting rooms, after practice, and get on the same page. He’s a veteran guy and we’ve just got to go out there and make plays for him.”
(Is it just understanding where QB Jay Cutler’s going to place the ball or you conveying your routes?) – “I think (it’s) just more being prepared for the ball. He’ll throw it to anybody at any point in time, regardless of if you’re the first read, second read, so always just getting open and being ready to make a play for him.”
(What’s one thing QB Jay Cutler’s done that’s above and beyond just the meetings and getting out there throwing the ball with you?) – “Just the communication with us. Any time something happens, good or bad, he’ll come and talk to us. Just having that open line of communication for us, that’s the biggest thing. That’s how we get on the same page and that’s how we pick up the slack that we missed out on from (not having him here during) OTAs and the beginning of training camp.”
Adam Gase – August 21, 2017
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Monday, August 21, 2017
Head Coach Adam Gase
(What did you want to get out of today, and did you get out of it what you wanted?) – “I think it was just being able to come up here and put ourselves in a different environment, go against different bodies, different skillsets for a lot of these guys. Our defense is close to what (Eagles Defensive Coordinator Jim) Schwartz runs here. Our offense is a different style. Just being able to (have) both sides of the ball being able to go against different guys, it’s just one of those things at camp where you can get a lot out of this.”
(What were the ground rules as to how much you hit?) – “We kind of just made sure nobody was getting any cheap shots taken on them if the guy wasn’t looking, just making sure we weren’t blowing anybody up. We were just trying to put a few rules on (the practice) to where we could avoid any kind of scuffle or start anything up, and just being able to come out here and get good work.”
(It seemed pretty peaceful out there.) – “Yes, guys were just going and they were working. It started heating up a little bit towards the end (of practice) when we were in full pads. I think guys were more focused on football than anything else.”
(How valuable is this trip from a team-building perspective?) – “It’s good. Last year when we got to go to Seattle and we went out early, we went on Thursday, seeing the guys being able to go out to dinner and each position group hanging out, and different guys hanging out that normally don’t, it’s a different feel for us than training camp because we’re at our facility. We don’t really go away. So this is a good experience for our guys and it’s good to get a chance to hang out and this is kind of all they’re doing right now.”
(What’s been the progression with C Mike Pouncey? Are you guys at full capacity with him right now?) – “I think we’re pretty close. I think today was really what it’s going to be, seeing him take four reps per period. We’ll figure out what we’re going to do on Thursday (in the preseason game). I’m going to talk with him; I want him to feel comfortable with whatever we decide to do.”
(So C Mike Pouncey won’t work tomorrow because it’s one day off, one day on?) – “You know me. I’m not going to get too far ahead. I’ll figure everything out tonight and they give me of schedule of what his daily routine is and I’ll check that tonight. Obviously, you’ve got better sources than I do. (laughter)”
(You seem to have out there today your offensive line, more or less. You maybe one guy short. So should it start to look better?) – “Now it’s trying to get Jay (Cutler) caught up, get those guys together and start working and figure out what are we going to do at left guard. We’re rolling quite a few guys in there. When (Mike) Pouncey’s in there, all of a sudden it starts looking like what we think it’s going to look like. We’re still trying to get Ja’Wuan (James) a little healthier than what he was last week, and I think today was a good step for him to get out there in full pads and just seeing how he feels. There will be an interesting conversation tonight just to kind of see how (Ja’Wuan) feels post practice and the next day. So I think we’re close. I think we’ve got a good battle going on there for that left guard spot, where we’ve got some options.”
(What do you recall most about your interviews with Philadelphia?) – “It was a good experience just to get around. I knew (Eagles Executive Vice President of Football Operations) Howie (Roseman), but meeting a lot of different people from the organization. Just the questions they were asking, kind of the culture they were looking to re-establish, and just a good day to have a conversation about all those types of things. (There were) a lot of questions coming up on things. Usually when you go in those interviews, something always comes up that you learn from that you have not necessarily prepared yourself for and you kind of have to think on the fly. I thought they asked a lot of good questions and it was just a good conversation going back and forth.”
(If I recall correctly, were the Eagles the first team that you interviewed with?) – “Yes.”
(So what happened? If the Eagles were aggressive with you initially, why did it all the sudden turn? Did they try to get a second interview with you?) – Well I had, it was (the Eagles) and then I had three other interviews and by the end of the week, (the Eagles) were still in the interview process and I got offered the job (with the Dolphins).”
(So the Eagles didn’t offer a second interview to you?) – “I’m not saying that. (laughter)”
(With C/G Kraig Urbik, is there any concern he won’t be ready for the opener?) – “Yes. There’s a concern there and there’s probably a good chance that he could miss the opener, and it is what it is. I know for (you guys) the sky is falling; but it’s football. This is what happens and we’ll adjust.”
(Does C/G Kraig Urbik need a scope?) – “Possibly.”
(T Jesse Davis, has he put himself into contention for that left guard spot and what has he done that makes him worthy of that spot?) – “Yes. I think his position flexibility. He’s a guy that’s been in our program for a minute here and he’s done a good job of finding a way to get better every day and I’ve really been impressed. He’s had to play a lot of snaps already, and to see – I think in both (preseason games) he might have played almost the entire game. He’s getting a lot of experience there. I like how our young guys are doing things. They’re all competing; they’re trying to get in there. They see a little daylight there, so I think they want to get on the field.”
(LB Rey Maualuga, what do you hope he brings to the defense?) – “Well he’s an experienced guy. We feel like he’s a guy that can help us a lot and we just want to make sure that when we put him on the field, it’s the right time. We want to get him ready. Where we play, it’s a little different environment for him with the heat. We just want to make sure he’s in good shape and we don’t want to put him in a position where he’s behind all the rest of those guys. When you get put in a position like he was, and it’s the first time it’s ever happened to him and you’re not really sure how to go about your business … You’re working out, but it’s still not the same as when you’re involved in a program. (Defensive Coordinator) Matt’s (Burke) familiar with him obviously from coaching him. Any time we can add an experienced guy like that this late (into the preseason), I think it’s a positive for us.”
(Where do you envision LB Rey Maualuga playing – inside or on the outside?) – “I mean, it’s probably going to be inside. It really is irrelevant; but we’re a three-stack ‘backer team. Three guys off the ball, so he’ll know how to do all of them. He already knows the defense. He’s been in it before.”
(You mention a lot of moving parts that need to come together for your offense so that the sky is not falling, can it all happen by September 10th?) – “Yes, absolutely. This is the NFL. That’s what they do. This is what these guys do. This is what they learn; they learn playbooks. You see guys move from team to team and all of the sudden they’re ready to go. We’re just trying to see if we can get as much cohesiveness as possible, as fast as possible. We had to kind of start over a little bit when Jay (Cutler) came in just trying to get him caught up to speed. We had to back off a little bit; but our guys handled everything in stride. They do a good job. They don’t get frustrated with anything. They just keep plugging along, keep moving and finding ways to get better.”
(It seems like every year you have a new quarterback, whether you’re a coordinator or a head coach. How do you keep adjusting?) – “I think the way that this system was built, which really started in 2011-ish when we went from option (in Denver) and all of the sudden we get Peyton (Manning) and we’ve got to change that up. It’s just an easy system to make some adjustments (to). We don’t have to change terminology. Everything is kind of … We can build it in within whatever we’re doing for that game plan. We’re going to adjust to our players. Whatever fits best for our players is what we’re going to do.”
(Having coached Eagles WR Alshon Jeffrey, who are the Eagles getting?) – “They’re getting a guy that you can basically throw the ball up and he’ll go get it and make the play. It doesn’t matter what the coverage is. (With) two, three guys on him, he’s made some incredible plays when we were together in Chicago. I think it was the first time I ever had a player where I’d call a play and just say ‘Throw it to Alshon.’ He’s a big-body guy. You kind of are surprised when you stand next to him. You always think he’s taller, but his arms and his wingspan are incredible. His ability to track the ball and go get it in traffic is really something that you don’t see a lot. He’s a guy that when you get in the red zone, he’s a definite threat, and he can be a game-changing guy. When he makes those explosive plays, they’re game-changing plays.”
(Who would you list as the candidates at left guard at this time?) – “Warm bodies. Whoever’s out there. Everybody. We’re rolling everybody through and we’re going to figure out who the best guy is. That’s why we’re going through the preseason. We’ve got two more games. We’ve got a bunch of practices. We’re going to figure it out and then when we step on the field in that first game of the season, then we’ll have the right group out there.”
(T Jesse Davis is a guy that to us seemed to come out of nowhere. How has he been able to improve?) – “It started kind of in the spring. I heard some guys talking about him. (Offensive Line Coach) Chris Foerster and (Assistant Offensive Line Coach Chris) Kuper were both saying the same thing of just keep an eye on this, and the personnel guys started noticing it. Then we got in pads and there was no fall off. Sometimes when you go from the whole offseason to training camp, there can be a change, and there hasn’t been. It’s really been an improvement. I think when you’ve got a guy that works as hard as he does, he’s trying to find ways to get better. I think he’s got a legitimate shot.”
(With WR Jarvis Landry, a lot of the knock on him has been his touchdown production throughout the years. Obviously, it’s a tighter area in the red zone. How do you get more production out of him when it comes to scoring touchdowns?) – “Well sometimes what happens is, when you play that position, you get taken away because of the position you’re playing. A lot of teams play double coverage. It doesn’t matter how many touchdowns you have, you get double coverage with the nickel and the safety just by the formation. That’s why we try to move him around quite a bit, to avoid (double coverage) and try to find some one-on-one matchups. A lot of teams are playing zone defense down there, that’s probably why you’re seeing a little more rushing touchdowns. Even though there’s three wide outs, teams are running it. You get the middle of the field open, zone, tight coverages. We’ve had a couple of shots probably to have some touchdowns where we’re a yard or two short. I’m not really too concerned about it because I think there are plays to be made there. (There’s) a couple of things we cleaned up from last year that we’ve talked about. There’s probably a couple of more touchdowns there. That’s the good thing about going into this season, I feel really good about all the skill players we have. I feel like any of those guys could score at any moment.”
(What are your impressions on S Nate Allen’s return to practice?) – “He’s done exactly what we brought him here to do. When we get him back there, his job is to make sure nobody gets over the top and if somebody gets to you, get them down. He seems to be in the right place (at the) right time. He does a great job as far as knowing his assignment. He can help other guys. It’s great having a veteran leader in that room, another one, and his special teams value is very high for us. We really put a big emphasis on that and the fact that we’ve got him, T.J. (McDonald), and Reshad (Jones) back there, it gives us a lot of flexibility. It gives us a lot of options, especially after T.J. comes back.”
(Is there any consideration to bringing back T Branden Albert to play guard?) – “I haven’t had that discussion with the personnel guys.”
(Two weeks with QB Jay Cutler now, where do you feel like he is? And do you continually ramp him up any differently just because the offseason was so unusual for him? He didn’t have the normal sort of throwing and all that?) – “Playbook-wise, I think he’s good. I think it’s more feeling the pocket, getting back used to that again. Really, a lot of it is alignment and his throws, his footwork, and just kind of (getting) his mind right on all of those things. He’s done a really good job of trying to make a few adjustments here and there. When you see a ball kind of not come out as clean as he’d like, he’ll make a little adjustment to make sure that doesn’t happen again. Just getting back comfortable with what he does, what he does well. I’ve got to make a couple of changes from the things we were emphasizing with Ryan (Tannehill) compared to him. Everyday, that’s why it’s a great learning experience for us and today was another one. We saw a few different coverages, some different fronts, some different looks, some different pressures. I mean everything he can see, the more we can put him out there, the better.”
(Any chance that LB Rey Maualuga plays Thursday in the third preseason game?) – “Zero percent chance.”
(You have kind of like a competition with Defensive Coordinator Matt Burke out there sometimes when you guys practice by yourselves. Do you have any of that with Eagles Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz? Did you guys kind of get after each other today?) – “I picked Coach Schwartz up when I was a GA at LSU and he was at Tennessee, so really it’s been fun for me to be able to communicate with him and kind of talk through a lot of things with how we wanted to get practice set up and what we wanted to against each other, if either of us wanted to see something or work on something for this practice. Coach Schwartz, I’ve always enjoyed being able to pick his brain. He’s got a lot of experience. He’s been through a lot. He’s seen a lot of things. He’s been with a lot of great coaches. He’s been a head coach. There’s a lot of good stuff that I can get from him and I’ve always enjoyed spending time with him and being able to discuss football.”
(Can you go over Thursday night’s game against Baltimore? What did you take from that film and what did you relay to your team?) – “I thought the first quarter was good, especially on defense. We only gave up 7 yards rushing – just wanted to remind you of that again because nobody asked that question last time. (laughter) On offense, we’ve got a few things to clean up. I thought Jay (Cutler) was smooth as far as getting (the offense) up to the line. (It was) a little bit different flow for our guys. He was going fast. But we made some plays, we had some penalties – a couple holding calls there in a row. (Jay) Ajayi took a shot there on the sideline so he popped right back up. That’s probably what he needed and just to kind of know that he’s alright. It was fun to call it and just kind of get those guys rolling a little bit. We knew we were going to go a few series and once that first group came out on both sides of the ball, we really struggled. We couldn’t get anything going on offense. We had way too many mental errors on both sides of the ball. (We had) way too many missed tackles. We had a lot to clean up with the younger guys, which is expected sometimes. It happens in training camp and we’ve got a lot of them and we’ve got to get them ready to go because you never know who’s going to be the next man up.”
Rey Maualuga – August 21, 2017
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Monday, August 21, 2017
LB Rey Maualuga
(What did you like about the idea of playing for the Miami Dolphins?) – “I’ve obviously been away for a couple of months, away from football. I was very familiar with the scheme of Coach Burke (Defensive Coordinator Matt Burke) and what he does. Just to come in and step in right away would be a lot easier to go off of his playbook instead of learning something from scratch.”
(What are they going to see from you when you get on that field?) – “Have you seen Maui from Moana? How crazy he is? (laughter) My strengths are coming downhill and taking on blocks and stopping the run and leading by example. If I come in and do all of that and show what I can do on the field in that aspect, I think everyone will follow and I think we can be that much better on defense.”
(I saw you doing a little work on the side. How anxious were you to get out there?) – “I’m very anxious. This is my first time to actually see the team practice and seeing the tempo and seeing the guys moving around here and there. Whenever coach is ready for me to get on the field, I’ll be ready. In the meantime, I’m just on the side working out with the strength guys and doing drills.”
(What have you been doing to get in shape?) – “I’ve just been back home in Cincinnati working out, staying ready and hanging out with my daughter. I’m doing things that people would do on their down time – swimming, eating, relaxing – things like that. But obviously she doesn’t start school until next week, so I really didn’t get to do all of that. With that, you can never prepare for the Miami heat. Cincinnati is somewhat humid; but the moment I stepped off the plane I was like ‘Oh my gosh, what did I get myself into?’ I’ve talked to some guys here and there and it takes some time. It takes a while to get adjusted to this humidity and heat; but hopefully it won’t take too long for me.”
(What is you’re ideal playing weight and where are you at now?) – “My ideal playing weight is somewhere in the 250s. I’m about in the 260s right now; but I don’t think that’s stopping me from practicing. I’m just going off of what coach is saying and whenever he’s ready for me to practice, I’ll practice.”
(What do you feel like you’re going to be asked to do? How was it explained?) – “I’m just trying to fill in wherever I can. They haven’t really said anything. They just said there’s a … Whatever they need me to do to help this team win.”
(You’re not nursing anything?) – “No, no, no. I’m not hurt. I feel good. I feel great. It’s just in due time, I’ll be out there practicing with my teammates.”
Nate Allen – August 21, 2017
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Monday, August 21, 2017
S Nate Allen
(What’s the key to your longevity and just doing it year after year?) – “Probably taking care of my body. I’ve got to give the good Lord thanks for keeping me healthy. I’ve been blessed to play for … this is going on eight (years) so yes, it’s been a blessing. Taking care of the body, that’s about it.”
(How difficult has this injury been for you to work your way back?) – “I’ve had some injuries before. The hamstrings and stuff like this, it wasn’t really anything that kind of set me back mentally. I just did what I had to do and it wasn’t too long of a process.”
(What were you emotions coming back here today?) – “Yes, like I was telling them, it was nostalgia. It brought back a lot of memories even when I pulled into downtown, just remembering, going, staying down there near some places you used to eat. It was good. I told them when I looked back, it was just was a great experience for me.”
(Is there any memory or two that sticks out on this field, coming out here today?) – “Not necessarily one. Five years, there was a lot of stuff happened out here. A lot of ups and downs. Yes, it was good though.”
(What are you better at now than when we saw you as an Eagle? What makes you a better player now?) – “I’m just wiser (and) more mentally in-tune to the game. I’ve just seen a lot now and I feel like I’ve been through different situations and just about every situation you probably can be in. So wisdom, probably.”
(How close have you followed the Eagles since you left?) – “Not closely, but I mean they’re on ESPN. You look and see, and I still talk to a few of the guys here every now and then; but not too many.”
(How is it going in Miami since you got there? Do you feel like you’re fitting in?) – “Yes, yes. Everything’s been good. (We’re) just building the chemistry and hopefully when the regular season rolls around, we’ll just hit the ground rolling.”
(The secondary’s undergone a lot changes obviously.) – “That’s kind of … There’s always change that happens around the league. We’ve got a good group of guys. We’ve got a lot of … a good combination of older guys and younger guys. So it’s a good combination.”
Ndamukong Suh – August 21, 2017
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Monday, August 21, 2017
DT Ndamukong Suh
(How would you describe practicing compared to practicing against your own teammates?) – “I think we did a good job. A lot of competition out there. Obviously being able to go against an elite offensive line is great for our defensive line, especially our young guys and myself. We can get a good gauge for where we are at right now. It’s still very early in the season and we’ve still got a lot of work to get done. It was an overall good practice.”
(Was the intensity somewhere between a regular practice and a preseason game? Where was the intensity today?) – “I think it is a combination of the two. I think you can go back and compare it to what we had in Carolina (in 2015). I think there’s a lot more maturity out here versus people wanting to get into fights and things of that nature. It’s all about getting hard, good work, and that’s what we were able to accomplish this first day and look forward to following that tomorrow.”
(Were there rules for d-linemen as far as how hard you could go?) – “At practice, I only know one way, and that’s going as hard and as fast as you can. For me, that’s my focus and that’s the way I learn and really treat my craft. So, that’s the way I’m going to practice.”
(How beneficial could this trip be from a team-building perspective?) – “I think it’s huge. I think we can definitely compare it to something similar to what we had when we went to San Diego and when we were in L.A. (Los Angeles) last year. Obviously that was in season. This is preseason, so there are a lot more guys and things of that nature; but at the end of the day, it’s a good bonding opportunity. We are going to be here for four or five days, play a game and travel, and get back home.”
(When you get to do something like this, do you think there is more opportunity to learn as opposed to going against your own offense?) – “Yes, I think you get true life experiences to be able to see what you will be able to see in the game; but then be able to re-look at it and see in practice film and go back. These are obviously great offensive linemen and these young guys, as well as myself, can see we are going to play against similar guys. The way they like to set, the way they like to approach the offense, the way they game-schemed us and things of that nature. I think it’s definitely a great thing for us.”
Jay Cutler – August 21, 2017
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Monday, August 21, 2017
QB Jay Cutler
(What can you tell us about Eagles WR Alshon Jeffery? I think the assistant coaches here said that he might be a little bit behind in the scheme. Do you guys, in preseason and training camp, try to … What you get in the regular season is what matters the most with him?) – “He’ll be fine. I obviously don’t know what’s going on here. I don’t know where he is in the system, what his production’s been like; but as long as he’s healthy, he’s going to produce. He’s going to go out there. He’s a pro. He knows football. He’s got a great feel, great instincts. If he’s healthy, that wouldn’t be a guy I’d worry about.”
(How beneficial is this kind of practice for you?) – “I think it’s good. It’s good for everybody on the team. It’s just a change of pace. You see different faces, a little bit different defenses, different tendencies. I think it’s good for me just to get more game simulations out there and just play more football.”
(What were the last three days like for you. Obviously you guys didn’t have a practice. The last three days, getting up to speed with … catching up on lost time?) – “Yes. We had an off day Saturday, so I was able to see my family, and then we took off (for Philadelphia) yesterday. I think for me, the whole last two weeks have been kind of a whirlwind. It’s been a lot of football but it’s been fun.”
(Did you have a chance to catch with Eagles WR Alshon Jeffery at all?) – “I just talked to him a second ago.”
(You guys, WR Alshon Jeffrey, obviously had a connection. You played together for a long time in Chicago. Do you remember back when you first got together how long it took to…?) – You guys are worried about Alshon. (laughter) He’s going to be fine. What’s going on? Is something going on that I don’t know about? (laughter).”
(WR Alshon Jeffrey has missed a little bit of practice.) – “For what?”
(WR Alshon Jeffrey had a shoulder injury.) – “Well, he had a shoulder injury. What do you want him to do?
(In the offseason, you were thinking about going into television.) – “Yes.”
(How much did it take for you to re-generate your enthusiasm to play the game?) – “I don’t think I really ever lost it. I just kind of channeled it in a different direction. I still wanted to be in football and still wanted to be around it, and I was going to have that opportunity through FOX. Then once this new opportunity arose, it seemed like a natural fit for me.”
(Where’s your comfort level now? You’ve played one game, you’ve done two weeks of practice. Where are you right now?) – “I feel really comfortable with these guys. Like I was saying earlier, I think the situations like this are really good for me. The receivers, the o-line, just knowing how we’re going to kind of react in game-type situations.”
(From your perspective, how is Head Coach Adam Gase different now versus when he was just a coordinator?) – “Not much. He’s just got more responsibilities. I don’t think he’s changed in any regard. He’s kind of refined some things that he likes and doesn’t like, which I think every play-caller does. He’s leading the team and I think he’s doing a heck of a job doing it.”
(Now that you’re playing, have you found what you missed the game when you decided you were …?) – “I always missed it. I think I’ve always said there were going to be days I missed it and days that I was content with my decision. There’s never a week that went by that I didn’t think about playing football. Did I make the right decision? Did I not make the right decision? I think that’s kind of in life. There’s always situations that come up that you’re not for sure which direction to go. You’ve just got to pick one and roll with it. I was just lucky enough that something like this happened for me.”
(Were there other opportunities for you, before the Dolphins, in the offseason at all?) – “I mean that’s neither here nor there.”
(How much of a difference is practice when you’re going against another team?) – “Yes, the intensity is a little bit higher. I think guys get a little comfortable at home, comfortable going into the same defense. When you go against a different guys, different defenses, that level raises a little bit and I think competitive juices start flowing, which is good.”
(What can a trip like this do for team building? Especially for you, who started late?) – “Yes, I mean I think it’s great because you get to go to dinner with these guys, you get to eat with guys, you’re around them 24/7. There’s no going home. There’s no leaving the building. You’re kind of stuck in a foreign city. You kind of have to figure it out together, so it’s good.”
(With WR Jarvis Landry, one of the big knocks on him is production in the red zone. What does it take to get a slot receiver more involved when you’re talking in the short area?) – “Just coverage. It’s all coverage based. Typically, you’re going to get more doubles on the Y and the F in red zones. That’s kind of where it’s at, and they’re going to make you force the ball on the outside. It’s a little bit tougher throw; percentages are lower. So scheme-wise, just kind of moving him around, he’s going to get some big plays. We’ll score from a little bit farther out. I haven’t been with him enough to answer that properly.”
(You played five years with WR Alshon Jeffery. How would you describe him as a receiver?) – “(He’s) super smart. He knows football. (He has a) great feel. I think he’s one of those natural guys that knows where the ball should be thrown. (He has) body control, hands. He’s not afraid to block. He’ll go in there and dig out a safety. Obviously he’s had a shoulder injury. He had some injuries with us that kind of a … Some speed bumps for him; but when he’s healthy and he’s rolling, he’s one of the best out there.”
(We’ve heard a lot about WR Alshon Jeffery’s catch radius. As a quarterback, how nice is that?) – “Yes, you just throw it. Just throw it out there and he’ll make it right. If you get a guy like that one-on-one and you can back-shoulder him, you can put him over the top. It’s hard to cover a guy like that and I’m sure Carson (Wentz) and some of these quarterbacks have witnessed his ability to catch some back-shoulder balls and be able to get on top of guys as well.”
(Do you know much about QB Carson Wentz?) – “No. Do you want to tell me? (laughter).”
(When you were studying to become a broadcaster, maybe you studied him a bit?) – “No. I did not.”
(When you go into Thursday, trying to figure out how much you need to play or want to play, how collaborative is that between you and Head Coach Adam Gase?) – “He’s the head guy, so he’ll make the final call; but I mean we’ll talk about it. Whether we go all the way to halftime, or come out in the third quarter. I believe a lot – I’m trying – a lot of that will depend on kind of how we play offensively.”
(It’s not a typical start of the season for you obviously; but do you have kind of rhythm that you prefer at this point in the preseason?) – “How much to play?”
(Yes.) – “Yes, I’ve always kind of played the same. I’ve played one, two, three, sat on four. Sometimes I come out in the third quarter, sometimes not. So I think we’re kind of … Right now we’re kind of sticking to that game plan unless something drastic happens.”
(What have you seen from WR DeVante Parker and WR Jarvis Landry that reminds you of WR Alshon Jeffery and WR Brandon Marshall?) – “I think if you look at Jarvis, just his physicality. The way he attacks the ball, getting in and out of things. They both have really high IQs like ‘Al’ (Alshon Jeffery) and ‘B’ (Brandon Marshall) do. They know where the ball is supposed to go. They know coverages. They know weaknesses in defenses. DeVante has a lot of ‘Al’s’ catch radius – back-shoulder balls, over the top. So they’re kind of younger versions of those two guys.”
(Because you didn’t have a normal offseason, you didn’t throw probably as much in the spring as you would. Do you feel as though you’re still building your arm up or has two weeks kind of got you back where your arm was?) – “It’s still fresh. I think whenever you go through a whole spring, you’re throwing, throwing, throwing and your body gets a little torqued. So right now I feel really balanced and fresh, which it’s probably a good thing.”
(Would you have entertained the idea of coming back if it was anyone other than Head Coach Adam Gase?) – “I don’t know. Like where? That’s a hypothetical, so it’s a tough one.”
(How instrumental was Head Coach Adam Gase in your decision?) – “Oh, it’s huge. I mean to come back with Adam, the roster is really talented, I know the system. It’s kind of just plug and play. So that was kind of everything for me.”
(Was the game not fun for you when you decided to retire? It looks like you’re enjoying what you’re doing now.) – “I think you can talk about anybody in the league, no one likes losing. No one likes going through those situations, so that was tough. They wear you down. But that wasn’t the sole reason. They released me. So it was kind of the end of the road at that point. (laughter)”
