Adam Gase – July 30, 2017
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Sunday, July 30, 2017
Head Coach Adam Gase
(What went into the decision to let Golden State Warriors F Draymond Green talk to the team today and what was his general message?) – “He told me … I’m trying to remember what part of the summer I saw him up in New York. He was going to be down here for El Clasico and I asked him to come over to practice and a couple a days ago just texted him and said ‘Would you be alright if you said something at the end of practice.’ It’s kind of weird because of the way we do practice, some of our guys are … We don’t have that final call up, so we kind of had to stop there before we hit that special teams period. He had a great message just as far as guys being able to pick each other up and guys stepping up, especially in the tough situations. It just kind of gave them a little something to think about and talked about where they started and kind of where they’re at right now. I’m kind of trying to give those guys that thought process that where we’re at right now, that’s part of the process and keep fighting and trying to do it right.”
(Obviously my guess is that relationship is Michigan State based. Is that correct?) – Yes, it’s a little bit of Michigan State and he has some association with some of Mr. Ross’ people and obviously Mr. Ross knows him really well and it makes it easier for us to be around the same circles.”
(Did you do any recruiting of Golden State Warriors F Draymond Green for the red zone?) – “I think something must have happened at Michigan State where he went out there one day or something and somebody made a comment to him and he’s like ‘No. I’m not throwing any pads on.’”
(What kind of early camp has TE Julius Thomas had so far and has he gotten off to a slow start?) – “I wouldn’t say he’s gotten off to a slow start. I think a lot of the things that we’ve tried to do with him, we haven’t really gotten the matchup we wanted and the ball has kind of gone somewhere else. (Defensive Coordinator) Matt’s (Burke) has done a good job of running certain coverages to kind of prevent us from doing that. The thing about him is he’s been in this long enough, but especially in this offense, he kind of understands about just keep doing what I’m supposed to do and going out there and working in individual. His big focus is always going to be getting good in the run game because he knows that’s going to be something that’s bigger than what we did in Denver and the chemistry between those two guys in the passing game, I feel like is pretty good, and those two have confidence in it. Hopefully we’ll be able to kind of work a little more in the preseason when we start seeing other defenses and other teams. But we kind of come out and there’s a little bit of game plan feel between offense and defense to try to take away guys and not put terrible matchups out there. I think Matt’s done a good job of taking away some of the things, especially in the red area. I like what he’s doing right now. I like that he always knows how to stay focused and kind of just stick with what’s going on and just keep finding ways to get better.”
(How much does it help you from a confidence standpoint that you have pretty much a whole section of the playbook designed with him having experience in it?) – “It makes it very easy to go back and see what we’ve done in the past and what worked. I mean we had a lot of stuff that didn’t work too and it’s just being able to say ‘Cross that off,’ and that’s just not what he does well. It does save some time, but he hasn’t done a few of those things in a while and we just kind of got to get him back in the rhythm of some of those routes he hadn’t done in a couple of years.”
(Is there a preliminary diagnosis on CB Bobby McCain?) – “Yes, he’s fine. I pulled him out of practice. I just wanted to double check everything was good and then he was trying to go back in and I said no. So they were just kind of making sure everything was good after practice. I expect him to be out there tomorrow.”
(Speaking to G/T Jermon Bushrod, he talked about not getting locked into whether it be outside zone, inside zone, but also talked about some power. You guys had some success with that last year. Is that something that there’s more potential for that in Year 2?) – “I think the longer we keep working together, it gives us more flexibility in the things that we can do. It’s hard to go away from something that we did so well last year, but when teams start over-playing certain concepts in the run game, you’ve got to have some options to go and you’ve got to work on them. That’s really kind of where we’re at right now. We’ve got a lot in and we’re trying to work on a couple different things, but at the same time, we’re still trying to stay with our bread and butter and make sure that everybody’s kind of on the same page. And it’s always, for Jay (Ajayi) especially, he likes to feel kind of how they’re setting up their blocks and how it’s going to feel for him when we get to real games.”
(And if I can follow up here, given the type of backs you have, you have a lot of different backs that can do a lot of different things. How does that kind of play in to the type of things that you may be calling?) – “That’s probably the hardest thing to try to manage when your scripting of getting (Kenyan) Drake all the things that he can do. All those different types of things that we can do with the passing game, run game, protection. It’s the same thing with Damien (Williams). We’re trying to see what the younger guys can do and how far we can take them and at the same time, I’m always trying to get Jay (Ajayi) really feeling good about the passing game because he wants to be able to do a little bit more this year and it’s just you never feel like there’s enough plays. You’ve got really less than half a game during a practice. So it ends quick, and you’re trying to spread the ball out. It’s a little tough when you’ve got that many backs that can do all three parts of being a running back.”
(We saw DE William Hayes working on the side. Is there anything you can tell us about that?) – “We gave him a day off. We’re just trying to spread it out because between him and Cam (Wake) and (Ndamukong) Suh, we’re just trying to … We’re not trying to do it ‘Hey, all three of you guys are down on the same day.’ So we’re trying to spread it out a little bit.”
(How is your perception of WR Leonte Carroo evolving?) — “I think he’s done a really good job. There were a couple of things that we wanted to kind of change with him with his releases and kind of how he was running some of his routes and some of the things that we wanted to emphasize. We started in the spring and then he came back to training camp and he was really sharp right out of the gate. It’s funny, we were just having a conversation about the way he is running off the ball. He wants to be consistent with that and stay with what he’s doing because the DBs are struggling putting their hands on him and then trying to stay with him because he’s physical. He’s a big man. The way that he’s kind of angling the DBs a little bit, he’s making it very, very tough on them and I think we’re just going to keep pushing that and trying to put him in the position to make some plays and just keep developing him.”
(With his releases, is it taking more time at the line of scrimmage or is it getting…?) – “It’s just going. We’re trying to get him to go more. Last year was a lot of work in the line of scrimmage where for a guy that size, it’s hard to just like stop him because he can get going pretty quick and then he’s a big man. I mean he’ll run through you. So we want to emphasize that with him.”
(A number of your guys want to practice up on the near field because the fans are there, but you don’t get the field chewed up you think? – “It’s good for what we’re doing right now when we have our day off. The field recovers really fast. I mean you’d be surprised what one day of nobody doing anything would do. Not doing anything on there, it will come back pretty fast and our guys do a good job of day-to-day, being able to get it back to life for the next practice. I feel good with it. If there was an issue, they’d tell me right away. If there were any concerns, even if we had to move to the far field, it’s not ideal for the fans, but we’d do it if safety was getting in the way. But those guys, they do a good job of getting that thing back and like I said, they will tell me if there’s an issue.”
(How much has WR Leonte Carroo’s weight loss helped him in terms of speed and release?) – “I think it’s helped him more with his conditioning. I don’t feel like he’s … He’s not exhausted at the end of practice. I’m not sure how much the speed has really changed for him because whether he was a little bit heavier, I still felt the same speed. I do think him being able to go for longer, it’s help him. Like there’s not a part of practice where I see him laboring and last year I felt like he came in a little heavier than he is now and I think it was tough and the heat started getting to him and it would wear him down during practice. I don’t see that any more. “
(You’ve mentioned spreading the ball around. Are you going to have to talk to your players, playmakers and explain to them it’s not always going to be you?) – “We’ve had that conversation before where we keep talking about being where you are supposed to be. Everybody running off the ball. I mean the defense, it does dictate a little bit where the ball can go sometimes when a defense decides to cloud a guy and you don’t have the best route versus that or play Cover 2. You just have to be patient. You just keep playing and every game could be different. It should be a different guy every game. You just want to make it really hard for a defense to say take this guy away or take this guy away. If they keep thinking of who they have to take away and they select a guy and then the other guys have a big game, it’s kind of how you have to approach it. It all evens out at the end if you do it right. I’ve seen it before. I’ve experienced this before, especially in 2013 and 2014. I mean there were a lot of guys you had to get the ball and everybody just kind of did what they were supposed to do and it works out right in the end.”
(On the defensive line, you’ve had some very intriguing pass rush combinations, which I won’t name – I was admonished for that in the offseason – but, how many of those combinations do you know that you’ll use and how many are kind of still experimental?) – “I think it’s just going to be one of those things ever evolving. You try to figure out who works well together and it really comes down to a communication thing. It’s a brutal honesty thing, saying you guys don’t work well together or one guy saying, ‘I don’t like when I work with that guy.’ You want the best matchups because you only get so many times you can do that. You don’t want to waste a rep just because nobody said anything. I think our guys have done a good job. I don’t think there’s anybody right now I can say that says, ‘I don’t like working with that guy on a side.’ I think our guys all play off of each other really well.”
(That’s really a big factor then, if a guy says “I can’t play off of him.” You take that under advisement?) – “Yes, we’re always going to listen to those guys because it’s not like we are dealing with guys who don’t know what they are doing. When you have experienced guys up front and they’re honest with you and they give you their opinion, that helps you. You’re eliminating bad plays. You’re eliminating calling a defense where they don’t believe what they are doing. I think right now, these guys are doing a good job. They are mixing it up and guys are trying to work with each other and kind of get a feel.”
(How many people still call you ‘Goose’ and where did it come from?) – “I don’t know how many people still do. Probably quite a few.”
(On the team? In this organization?) – “Probably a couple of players that have known me for a while. A lot of the building does. Some of the guys in the building. I’m not mentioning any names. It was something from high school. It kind of stuck with me in college and just kept coming back around. I thought it was gone there, but then when I went to Detroit and T.J. Duckett signed with us. Then it started back up again.”
(Where does it come from?) – “I don’t know, I moved to Marshall, Michigan and some guy asked me what my last name was and he was like ‘We’re not calling you that.’ So he said ‘We’ll call you Goose.’ So I said ‘Alright.’”
(So there’s no Maverick right?) – “(laughter) No, not that I know of.”
(Do you like the name?) – “I don’t know. I’m just used to it, I guess.”
(C Jake Brendel, what does he bring to the table? I can’t diagnose center play but anecdotally it looks like…) – “We keep working all of these guys, whether it be center or guard. We like that whole competition going on up front because we do have multiple guys that can play center and at the same time, when they play guard, they can do what we need them to do. The position flexibility that those guys can have is critical. He’s just a young player. He’s going to keep learning and trying to find ways to get better. You’ve got great competition up front because our d-line, they are competing so hard because there’s open spots. Those guys are fighting to make the team. You’re not getting any down play from the other side of the ball so you’ve got to bring your A game every day.”
(What’s the personality of that receiver group? It sounds like even if some of those guys aren’t competing against each other for spots, they compete with each other every day for production.) – “I haven’t really heard them say much about production. I watch those guys. They kind of like coach each other. When we are in meetings they are really a tight group. They’re all trying to help each other get better. I haven’t heard anybody say ‘Hey, I caught this many balls today’ or ‘I did this.’ It’s more about they’re trying to help each other. ‘Hey, this is how I do this’ or ‘this is why I do this.’ It’s almost like they are trying to help each other get better all of the time. It’s a tight group. If (Wide Receivers Coach) Shawn Jefferson is your coach, that’s how it’s going to be.”
(WR Jakeem Grant seems to be very talkative in that group. He’s talkative in general but he doesn’t think of himself as secondary to those main three guys. He seems to think of himself on equal footing and he is comparing himself against them every day.) – “Jakeem is very confident. That’s what we need him to be. I think him having more success this spring and this training camp, he’s way more comfortable then he was last year. You can see it comes out in his personality, like you’re saying. He does. He’ll talk with the best of them. It is fun to watch all of those guys interact with each other. When we were doing our walkthrough I was watching them and they’re insane. I’m glad that they enjoy each other. It’s a fun group to be around.”
(Does WR DeVante Parker say anything? Is there a side of Parker that we don’t know that you could shed some light on?) – “Yes. He’s like the rest of them. All of those guys are all the same. They’re all the same. When they start going, they are all getting after each other. I think when he has to do interviews he’s just not very talkative.”
(WR Jakeem Grant had a couple of drops today on special teams that we saw. Obviously you don’t want to overreact to any one day but with him, what’s the key? Is it the body of work that he does this summer, the preseason games? What’s the most important thing that you need to see from him?) – “To learn from when he puts the ball on the ground and do everything he can not to let it happen again, and not get hung up on a dropped punt. If you sit there and dwell over it, ‘Oh, I can’t believe I…’ Just move on to the next one. Learn from it. That’s why we’re doing this. He’s not the first guy to ever drop a punt. Like last year, he had one in a game. The defense picked us up. We got a pick two plays later. That’s what your teammates are for. If somebody has a mistake, somebody else picks them up. That’s my biggest thing with him is move on to the next one. He’s effective for us. We know he can hit the home run and we need him to just keep working on being consistent.”
(I guess the upside with him being able to hit that home run negates the downside of him sometimes worrying about handling the ball?) – “I just don’t even worry about it. I’m just more worried about us doing our job blocking guys to give him some space to see if he can find the lane and hit it. My confidence level in him is extremely high and that’s the best thing about when you start a new year. Whatever happened in the past is irrelevant.”
Xavien Howard – July 30, 2017
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Sunday, July 30, 2017
CB Xavien Howard
(How would you describe your battles with WR DeVante Parker? It seems like both of you guys are making plays.) – “It’s a good battle – me and DeVante. Every down, every time I line up against the one’s receiver, I try to go against DeVante Parker.”
(What do you think WR DeVante Parker’s potential is as a receiver?) – “The sky’s the limit. This is his third year going into it. A little bit of injuries had brought him down a little bit – me and him both. We’re both healthy. We’re competing and doing the best, trying to get each other better each day.”
(What specifically can you point to at WR DeVante Parker about why he is so different? We hear that he’s running routes quicker every time more consistently.) – “He’s more consistent in his routes. His releases … That’s my main goal, try to get my hands on receivers and his releases are quick. It’s hard to get my hands on him and (it) messes the timing up. His releases are something I’ve got to watch film for and look at that.”
(How much fun are those one-on-one battles with WR DeVante Parker?) – “I love competing against DeVante. I feel like he can be the best receiver in this league, and I want to go against the best every day.”
(You worked this offseason and strengthened your legs, is that right?) – “Yes, this summer I had done that. I’m still doing a little bit.”
(What did you do specifically and have you noticed a difference out here?) – “I’m doing more squats and stuff like that, stuff I was doing in college that helped me strengthen my legs. I try to keep that and keep taking care of my body, being a pro.”
(What’s it like to have a healthy training camp?) – “Last year just watching from the sidelines looking, and I’m out here competing every day, it’s just motivating (so) I can get better. Last year, I didn’t go through training camp. I went straight to preseason and stuff like that. Stuff I can grow from with training camp and just watching film and doing more stuff like that.”
(Does it help that you have an understanding of this defense now in Year 2?) – “Yes, it’s given me time to grow. This defense, this is my second year in the defense. I’m steady learning each day what to do and stuff that I got to learn.”
(Working with ‘Footwork King’ down in Texas, do you notice a difference now with your footwork getting out of brakes?) – “I was doing that since college, so I’ve been working with ‘Footwork King’ ever since my college career. We keep working and are trying to see some things he’s seen on film that I need to work on, and we’re just trying to get that.”
(What’s the next step for you in your development?) – “My next step is … I’m still learning the game. I’m trying to polish my game. I’m watching other guys and stuff like that to see what they’re doing, what has helped them, certain stuff probably doesn’t help me, but it’s helping them. So, I’m just trying to learn from each guy.”
(Who are you watching?) – “(Arizona Cardinals cornerback) Patrick Peterson, (Kansas City Chiefs cornerback) Marcus Peters, a lot of guys like that at the level right now.”
(What do you take from Cardinals CB Patrick Peterson when you watch his film?) – “He’s an athlete. I like his one-on-one skills. That’s the kind of guy I am – I’m in the dude’s face, I want to put my hands on him and stuff like that. He’s an athlete. Richard Sherman, he’s got some good stuff, but he’s more of like a zone corner. I like my man corners that get in a dude’s face and put his hands on him.”
(Is there anybody else you studying?) – “Marcus Peterson from (the) Kansas City Chiefs.”
(What do you see from Chiefs CB Marcus Peters?) – “He’s a ball hawk. Everywhere the ball goes, him and Eric Berry are over there. They’re ball hawks over there. I want to bring that to my game.”
(Do you see anything that you can take from that in terms of the ball hawking?) – “I feel like each year they’re growing and getting better. There’s just stuff I’ve got to learn from to see what they’re doing that probably can help me out.”
(Do you mean like read recognition?) – “Yes, read, knowing the splits and stuff like that, when I can jump the route, when I’ve got to sit on it, stuff like that.”
(You mentioned Chiefs CB Marcus Peters. He’s a guy that finds the ball, always turns his head and locates the ball. Head Coach Adam Gase talked about locating the ball and getting a hand on the football. Is that something that you guys have done a lot more of this camp?) – “We’re trying to do that every day, get our hands on the ball.”
(I noticed you were rotating in with CB Tony Lippett. What has that competition been like? How do you look at that competition?) – “Every day, me and Tony Lippett have been competing, especially when I first got in. Tony Lippett was here and I was the rookie that (was) coming in. I’ve been sharing reps with each one of those guys, even Byron Maxwell. Me and Tony, we’re going to compete. He wants the best from me and I want the best from him, and the best man is going to win the job. But at the end of the day, we’re just getting better, competing and learning from each other, too. That’s the best thing we do and we try to keep that going and try to be the best man out there.”
(Do you feel like you’re going to win that starting job?) – “It’s up to the coaches. I’m just doing what I can control right now.”
Julius Thomas – July 30, 2017
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Sunday, July 30, 2017
TE Julius Thomas
(How have you felt physically so far in this training camp?) – “I feel pretty good. You get the humidity off your back a little bit. I’m getting used to it, so it’s been a good camp for me. I’m getting into the swing of things so I’m encouraged about how it’s going.”
(What is your biggest asset to this team and offense? Is there a specific part of the field you feel you will succeed the best at?) – “I think, just the flexibility I give our offense. Being able to do different things out there for us gives our coaches a lot of ability to call some pretty intricate stuff. I think that would probably be my biggest asset.”
(You did a lot of blocking today, I saw that. Do you think that’s an underrated part of your game?) – “It’s probably always going to be that way. It’s hard to shake the basketball (player stereotype) and catching passes. It will always be … If you can’t do it to the same level as somebody else does or whatever … I always try to do it – it’s important for me to do to help my teammates. I’m going to give it my best every play.”
(Your offseason training, did you change anything this year as far as some of the injuries you’ve had to strengthen those areas more than usual to prepare?) – “Luckily for me, none of my injuries have been wear and tear. All of them have been just getting hit in the wrong position, none of them have been chronic. I stick to the things I do. I’ve been a little more calm this offseason. I’m getting a little bit older now so I’ve been able to have a more mindful approach to it. That’s about it.”
(Is that pacing yourself basically because you know what this is already?) – “Yes, a lot of it is. I used to kind of burn the candle on both ends a little bit more than I do now. I think it’s just, you’re 29 now so your life starts to settle a bit and you start to understand more about yourself and the things you need and want to be doing. I feel like I’m in a good place.”
(Head Coach Adam Gase compared Devante Parker’s development a little bit to a young WR Demaryius Thomas. Do you see any of that?) – “6-foot-3, fast as (heck), yes I can see how you could liken those two. DeVante is having a good camp. He’s an amazing athlete. We’re going to depend on him big time to make big plays for us this season.”
(Obviously you’re a veteran who’s done it. When you go through a practice and you don’t catch two or three passes. Do you start to look around like, “Hey what’s going on around here?”) – “Luckily I’ve gotten a little practice at that. You learn not to value your day based on the passes, based on the touchdowns, based on the yards. That’s part of me getting older and understanding that I just have to be my best every day. I can’t control the outside factors. I can’t worry about that. I’m just going to focus on making myself a better player. The catches, that’ll all come.”
(You’ve talked about the age and the durability. As you’ve matured, how have you started treating your body differently?) – “You get better time management. You start to understand that, ‘Man, I don’t have no time.’ Well actually, you have a lot of time if you do some things differently in your day. You make more time for things. You cut out things that you were doing. Maybe I don’t pick up the sticks to play the game anymore, I don’t have as many shows that I used to watch. All that time you spend maybe not even treating but working with people, helping people understand movement and different things you can do to prevent injury. That’s what it’s all about.”
(What are you doing now different than maybe four years ago?) – “Just the understanding I have of the body. It’s completely different. Four years ago, I stretched because they said stretch, I ate these foods because they said you should; but now I understand the muscle groups. I understand why you’re stretching. I understand the order, whether it’s heating, stretching, is it myofascial work, is it ice tubing and how to do that. But a little bit more of a scientific approach, that’s making a big difference in how well I feel coming into practice each and every day.”
(Are the durability concerns that come with you bother you?) – “No, not at all. I think that everything I’ve always done was to be my best. You’re never going to be able to affect the things that happen to you in life and you can’t consume yourself in that. What I’m going to do is I’m going to come be the best player I can be every day. I’m going to give it all I had. That’s the only thing I can control.”
(As a former college basketball player, how much did you enjoy have Golden State Warriors F Draymond Green out here?) – “It’s funny just to see a basketball player again and remember how skinny I used to be. I graduated college at 217 pounds. Even though I don’t play, I still watch the game a lot. It’s hard to remember back to being a basketball player for me at this point. It’s great to see a guy that has been a champion. He’s part of one of the most exciting basketball teams I’ve even been able to watch.”
(Could you have taken him one-on-one in your prime in basketball?) – “No. He’s a good player. Unlike most football guys who are like ‘Aw, man I’ll get buckets,’ I’ve been there before, I know how hard it is to get those buckets. (laughter)”
(Did this feel familiar to you out here with Head Coach Adam Gase the past few days? Is it what you expected having known him?) – “The offense has changed a little bit, but it’s the same terminology. ‘Goose’ (Adam Gase) is always going to be the same guy. That’s the beauty of playing for him. That’s why so many guys appreciate him and want to play for him. That’s what made me want to come back here and play for a guy that I respect and the way he relates to players. He’s humble. He doesn’t have that aura of ‘I’m this head coach.’ He just comes to you and he talks to you and lets you know what’s expected and he holds you to that. That’s always been appreciated.”
(Where does the nickname ‘Goose’ [Head Coach Adam Gase] come from?) – “Where does ‘Goose’ come from? You’d probably have to ask him that. When I was a rookie in Denver, that’s what everybody called him. He’s still ‘Goose’ in my phone.”
Anthony Fasano – July 30, 2017
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Sunday, July 30, 2017
TE Anthony Fasano
(You were running like a 25-year-old out there today. Running free.) – “I don’t know about that. It’s just the first couple days of camp. We’re trying to get our football legs back and get back on the same page. I think the offense has some bright spots but a lot of work to do.”
(We tend to pigeonhole people. You’re a great a blocker. Do you think you still have a lot to show in the receiving end too?) – “Sure. I’m trying to prepare myself for whatever role coaches put me in, whether that be run heavy, pass heavy or a mixture of both, I’m going to try to fit myself in the best I can within those roles.”
(Are you going to run any ‘9’ routes this year you think?) – “(laughter) You never know, you never know. Keep the defense honest.”
(Is it a familiar feel out here or different years, different setting, different feeling?) – “You mean the humidity? (laughter) Yes, a little bit. It’s been a while but also, once you get back into it, it almost feels like you never left. There are a lot of new faces, kind of a different culture, but one I’m happy to be a part of.”
(Talk about kind of a different culture.) – “Well, for one, there are a lot of younger guys from my perspective. It comes from (Head) Coach (Adam) Gase and the all ball, no distractions, get your job done (philosophy). But he’s not going to really grind you into the ground as much either. I think we get good, efficient work and everyone takes advantage of the time they have.”
(You’ve been in the league for a little bit. Is that kind of the biggest thing that separates Head Coach Adam Gase from other coaches that you’ve had?) – “I think he’s a great offensive mind, calling plays and creating a playbook and a game plan. But also, the psychology of a team and ways to motivate players in certain roles and motivate the team. I haven’t been there on a true game day yet, but I can see all the makings of a great mixture of that.”
(Is the humidity about the same?) – “I think it’s gotten worse, actually. (laughter)”
(What do you think of TE Julius Thomas as a downfield threat?) – “I think he’s great. He’s a student of the game. I’m really impressed by his football IQ and his willingness to do everything. He loves to stick his nose in there and block but also get out there on the edge and create mismatches. I think our whole tight end room is a really solid room with a lot of competitiveness in it. I think he’s going to be an asset for our offense.”
(You caught more passes than TE Julius Thomas today.) – “I wasn’t counting. (laughter)”
(I was.) – “I guess so. (laughter)”
(I know it is early but when you watch yourself on film, can you see where you want to be and where you want to get to?) – “Sure. I know it’s early in training camp and I’m just trying to knock the rust off and get the football legs back; but there is a lot of competitiveness. A lot of defensive players, especially the d-line, are going to make us better. I look forward to that competitiveness throughout camp. I welcome it on both sides of the ball.”
(Is it a comforting feeling when you’re in a two tight end set and I see you talking with TE Julius Thomas and having another veteran presence there just communication wise, is that a comforting feeling for you?) – “It is, yes, especially when we’re just trying to feel how each other communicates and what we see and think on certain plays. This is the time to do that through the spring and this time. So come Sundays in the fall, we know what each other is already thinking. It’s the same thing with Ryan (Tannehill).”
(What did Golden State Warriors F Draymond Green tell you guys?) – “I think he did a great job speaking to us. He focused on growing out of each group and that’s needed, and also the margin of victory is so slim on this level, and to really concentrate on details. I think it was a really appropriate message for our team.”
Leonte Carroo – July 30, 2017
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Sunday, July 30, 2017
WR Leonte Carroo
(How did you feel about your day today?) – “It felt pretty good just to go out there and make some plays for my team. I’m just trying to get better. That’s what training camp is for is to get better each and every day and to just go out there and compete.”
(There was a play where there was kind of a hard-fought competition over the middle there and you won the ball. Tell me about how that fits into what you’ve done in your career and what you hope to continue to do.) – “That’s what I’m known for, just having strong hands and competing. ‘Mike T’ (Michael Thomas) and I were battling for the ball and I was just going to come down with it. Like I said, that’s what training camp is for – to go out there and compete against your teammates and have fun.”
(What happened on the touchdown that they said wasn’t a touchdown?) – “(laughter) In my eyes, it was a touchdown. We’ll watch it on film.”
(What are some of the bigger things that you’ve been working on during training camp this year?) – “One, like I’ve said before, just getting my weight down. That’s a big factor for me, to continue to lose more and more weight so I can become a more fluid, faster receiver. Also, just to learn from ‘The Big 3’ (Jarvis Landry, DeVante Parker and Kenny Stills) and learn from what they do every single day, and try to feed off of them and make plays myself so I can make my way into their little group.”
(What is your target weight? What are you trying to get down to?) – “I’m trying to get down to 208 (pounds). Right now I’m like 212. The way my body is set up, it’s kind of hard to lose four pounds every single day, so I’m just trying to get down to a steady 208 and become a better and faster receiver.”
(What weight did you play at last year?) – “Last year I was about 221 (pounds).”
(So you want to be down like 13 pounds this year?) – “Yes.”
(From last year to this year, was last year a disappointment for you not getting as much time and what do you look forward to this year?) – “Yes, I would say it was a disappointment as far as the expectations that I had for myself and that these guys had for me. This year, I’m just looking to go out and make plays (and) make way more plays than I did last year. (I just want to) go out there and do whatever I can for my teammates – special teams, offensively – and just continue to have fun.”
(How much better is it in Year 2 where you’re more comfortable and you know the surroundings and all of that?) – “A lot better. You’re just going out there. You’re not thinking as much. You’re just making plays. Now I just have to focus on my craft instead of worrying about what I have to do.”
(The weight you lost already, have you noticed a difference out here in training camp as opposed to where you were last season?) – “Absolutely. Last year during training camp I couldn’t do two plays without breathing heavy and dying. This year, I’m able to run four, five or six plays without feeling as tired. I just have to go out there and continue to take each day by day and continue to grind.”
(Is this the ideal weight for you for the rest of your career you think?) – “Yes. I don’t want to get anywhere next to 215 (pounds). I want to stay at a steady under 210, between 208 and 212.”
Adam Gase – July 29, 2017
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Saturday, July 29, 2017
Head Coach Adam Gase
(WR Isaiah Ford was not in pads. Anything you can tell us about him?) – “Yes, we’re still trying to figure out really what happened. He came in this morning and his knee was a little swollen up, so we held him out. I’ll probably know more tonight because it kind of came up out of nowhere.”
(C Mike Pouncey, how would you describe what he did today? Would you say he was limited or did he participate at all or he was out there?) – “We’re trying to work him into some individual things, but we kind of got some time limits there that we’re trying to stick to because any time Mike does anything, if you say ‘Hey, we’ve got 10 minutes,’ he figures out a way to get 30 minutes worth of work in 10 minutes. So we have to … we’re trying to go through a certain progression. That’s why we’ve got … The guys are doing a good job of making sure they’re watching what he does and how much he does because he’ll go past what we want to do, and that’s why he is who he is and the kind of player he is. We’re just trying to make sure we keep an eye on him and he can go through our progression the way that we have been talking about the last month or so.”
(One other C Mike Pouncey question. You said earlier this week that when he returned against Tennessee last year, he played at an elite level? Do you recall anything about that day? Was he in the secondary blocking?) – “Yes, I mean he just does such a good job. He gets to the second level when most guys can’t. He’ll have poor angles and he’ll get there. A lot of times centers aren’t able to do that. They’re trying to catch up to the linebackers and they can’t quite get the right angle on them and can’t get that block, where he can. It’s very unique to have a guy that can do some of the things that we ask him to do. When you’re running outside zone and there’s some tough avenues you’ve got to finagle through with the d-line, and he gets through. He’s got that ability to see it before it happens and make the right move a lot of times, whether it be going in front of a d-lineman or making a right call to combo up to send the guard. He just has very good instincts and there’s a huge calming affect that he has over the entire offense when he’s in there because things don’t … You don’t have mental issues. The right calls are always made. You never have to worry about the snap.”
(And you saw all that on that day against Tennessee without…?) – “Absolutely. I’d see him practice enough and then when he gets in the game it’s just, you can tell that he’s doing something a little different than everybody else.”
(When you have a three interception practice, who surfaces? Adam Gase the play caller or Adam Gase the head coach?) – “That’s a tough question because I’m excited because the defense did a good job. Guys either tipping a ball or somebody making tight coverage and it goes up and then I go right to the ‘Hey, let’s be careful if we’re going to start pitching this thing around and not turn it over again.’ So I think a little bit of it does go to the head coach but then, at the end of the day, I go back to like ‘Alright, we just turned it over.’ But I love the fact that last year I don’t remember really getting a lot of hands on the ball and this year the coverage is way tighter. The underneath is really the biggest difference I’ve noticed with Lawrence (Timmons) and Kiko (Alonso). Those guys that have been kind of coming in that gained some experience last year, and even in that second and third group, those guys are doing a good job. Mike Hull, he showed up a couple of times today in the red area, which is always good to see.”
(What would you like to see from LB Neville Hewitt in the short term, meaning training camp, and then the bigger picture, meaning the full of season?) – “I think he just needs to keep doing what he’s doing. He seems to always make some kind of play that everybody takes notice and he’s been very consistent over, really since the end last year, spring and training camp. He looks very comfortable in what he’s doing. He understands the concepts of the defensive schemes and why we’re doing things and it’s been very impressive watching him grow so fast in a short period of time.”
(Would you say LB Neville Hewitt is competing for a starting job?) – “They’re all competing right now. We don’t have anything … we’re not even looking at it like that right now. We’re just trying to get guys out there. All of those guys are getting reps. That’s how we have it set up. We want to make sure that we give every guy an opportunity. We’ve got so many guys out there and we’d rather not have anybody standing around, so we want to get everybody on film. We want to be able to evaluate everybody. We never want anybody to walk away thinking they didn’t get a shot.”
(We had a chance to speak with CB Byron Maxwell today and he said like he said last year that he feels like he’s the best corner in football and things like Pro Bowl and All-Pro. More important before what they are now, what kind of mindset and then performance have you seen out of him so far?) – “One of the things about (Byron) Maxwell that I’ve always appreciated is his ability to put himself in that one-on-one situation and he really wants to be the best corner – whether it’s in the league, on this team, however he looks at it – he just wants to be the best guy, especially on the field that day. He does a good job of knowing his weaknesses and what he needs to work on, and that’s what he tries to do in practice. He knows, ‘Alright, I know I can press. I know I can really disrupt the wide receiver coming off the ball.’ So we’ll see him playing the off, trying to do different techniques to really challenge himself to see, ‘Okay, can I do this a game and can I do it well enough?’ That’s when you know, like a veteran player trying to make sure he’s got one more thing in the bag he can go to. He’s really done a good (job), this camp especially. He’s made it tough on some of these wide outs when he’s able to put hands on them, especially today when you get those pads on. It’s tough when you’re a wide out. You better do something at the line of scrimmage with him because if he gets his hands on you, you’re probably not going to go very far.”
(What gives you confidence that you’ll see the CB Byron Maxwell from the second half of 2016, not the first half?) – “Because that’s kind of where he is right now. I think he was trying to figure out how he kind of fit in and his third team in three years. It’s a little different scheme then what he did in Seattle and completely different then what he did in Philly and I think it took him a minute to kind of figure out his place here; but once he did, he did a good job.”
(WR DeVante Parker told us today that in his words he has a ‘new work ethic.’ Have you seen tangible examples of that?) – “Oh yes. It started last year. When he got on that schedule that (Wide Receivers Coach) Shawn (Jefferson) put together and that got him kind of rolling, and then he’s gone out on his own and started working with guys to help him with his running and his training and the way he practices. You can tell. It looks the same as it does in a game for the most part. When he comes out to practice, you’re getting full-go the whole practice. I really feel like that’s one of the main reasons why there’s good timing going on between him and Ryan (Tannehill). They’re working on things after practice and trying to make sure they’re always on the same page. Watching him at that last period, it’s … They’ve run a lot of plays and he looks like he’s not even close to being tired. He accelerated on a scramble and the guy’s in really phenomenal shape right now. I think he realizes what he needed to do to get his body to that point.”
(Is there a football skill, route-running preciseness or something that you have seen development in the last 6 to 12 months?) – “Yes, he understands leverages of DBs a lot better then what he did last year. He understands the reason why we’re doing a lot of these concepts and he understands where he fits in some of those concepts. The thing that does make him unique from a mental aspect of it is he never gets frustrated. Like if he goes a long time without a target or catching a ball, he doesn’t get rattled by that. He just keeps lining up the next play and looking to win on that route. Sometimes it takes guys a few years to kind of realize it’s not always going to happen exactly the way you think, because the defense can sometimes take you away or play some coverages where the ball is not going there. He does a really good job of just lining up the next play, learning from the previous one and going again.”
(When you have o-line against d-line one-on-ones down there, as a coach, what is more important – who wins the battle or the guy showing technique?) – “It’s a little bit of both. It goes with all those groups that are working the one-on-one stuff, because it’s a little bit unrealistic, because it’s not really how it’s going to be in a game. But it is fun to watch the competitive nature of guys and how bad they want to win. What are they going to do to win that one-on-one battle? I kept trying to venture down the o-line/d-line to see if I could catch Charles (Harris) or Cam (Wake) or (Ndamukong) Suh. I kept missing it. Every time I turned my back, it seemed like I would turn around and they would be already gone. I really liked the competition that … Those guys, they get excited when you get the one-on-one stuff. All those groups get really fired up to do that because there’s a lot of talking going on and the groups really … that’s where it all starts because you’ve got linebackers and safeties together and running backs and tight ends. You get a lot of good back and forth going on.”
(With the defensive tackle, the backup situation, so many young guys. We’ve seen so many mixing and matching with the second team. How will you do that evaluation?) – “The good thing is when you watch the film, it’s almost like a game every day, where you go through your evaluation and keep track of what’s going on and who’s doing what. The development of guys, we really take focus day-by-day – who came, who showed up and who played well and who didn’t. Our coaches do a good job of keeping track of those things and there’s communication between the front office and our coaches – (Executive Vice President of Football Operations) Mike (Tannenbaum) and (General Manager) Chris (Grier) and our personnel guys, we’re talking all the time. They’re talking to our position coaches almost every day. If a guy’s in charge of one group, he’ll come down there and they’ll have a discussion on it. It’s an ongoing process. We just know we have a long time before we have to make any decisions; but it’s kind of neat to say this guy started here the first day of camp, where was he after one week, where was he after two weeks, and see how that guy follows as we go through the entire preseason.”
(Can you explain the University of Davie t-shirts?) – “We were talking about it last season when we had free agents coming up and guys going down and guys stepping up. We were just talking about the culture that we wanted to create and a lot of our players were agreeing with what we were saying. That was really where it started. We were like, ‘Yes, we’re kind of a college team.’ Sometimes nobody really even knows we’re down here. It’s kind of where it started and then when we re-signed (Andre) Branch and (Kenny) Stills, I think those two guys both sent it out on Instagram or something like that. That’s kind of where it started. We were trying to think of something to do, like giving those guys something before we start camp or OTAs. That’s where it really started and our guys like it. They feel like there’s a little bit of a college atmosphere around here.”
(Are you the dean or the chancellor?) – “I don’t know what I am. Neither one of those. (laughter)”
(Are you going to stick with War Daddy?) – “We’ll still do that, you guys saw it last year I think. We have the Cam Wake tier ‘War Daddy,’ like hoodies. I’m sure he’ll want me to do something else this year – different colors, I don’t know. I haven’t checked with … I think he’s in charge of that, so I’ll have to check with him first.”
(What are some ways you would like your program to be similar to the university or collegiate atmosphere?) – “I think it’s just the closeness. I think our guys have kind of created that on their own. We kind of wanted to make it where our guys like coming to work every day and they want to go out to the practice field. They enjoy being around each other. Those guys created it. They spend a lot of time with each other when they’re here. When they are off the field, it seems like our guys like to hang out with each other. That’s kind of really … Most of us think back to when we were in college and that’s what it was. I like the environment our guys have created. Like today, it was great energy on the field. Guys were having fun, they practiced hard and there was great execution on both sides. I’m sure we made plenty of mistakes we’re going to learn from and tomorrow we’ll come back and get better from today.”
(With DB Cordrea Tankersley, we saw that he was back out there today. Do you leave the hydration thing on him today to see if he could handle it on his own? Or is it a player safety…) – “It throws a big red flag for us. So now he probably has about 20 people on him. It’s like your worst nightmare if that happens. You have so many people coming at you with water, Gatorade, all kinds of things to make sure that you’re hydrated. Our training staff and strength staff and nutritionist, all these departments we have – sports science – they make sure … That’s no joke to them. They do a good job. That was the first time that really has happened since I’ve been here because they are always on these guys about all of that stuff. That’s probably the worst thing that could’ve happened to him because they’ll be all over him now.”
(A couple of picks for LB Kiko Alonso so far. How do you feel like he’s adjusted moving from the middle to the outside, and what do you like about him playing on the edge?) – “It’s such an interchangeable … The way we play defense, he’s not in the middle in base; but when we get to our sub packages, those guys move all over the place. It’s not a hard adjustment for him. A lot of times it’s like ‘see ball, get ball.’ It’s not too hard. You can tell he’s very comfortable, especially the second year in the system. Communication-wise, he has been outstanding. I think the front … Him being back there is a familiar voice for them, and that’s kind of good for our defense instead of having a different guy all of the time talking. I think ‘L.T.’ (Lawrence Timmons) being back there too, that’s kind of nice for him to have another veteran back there with him, especially a guy that can make a lot of plays. If Kiko just stays in the defense and does his thing, he should be very productive.”
DeVante Parker – July 29, 2017
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Saturday, July 29, 2017
WR DeVante Parker
(It’s only half packs, but how did it feel to get a little more physicality out there?) – “It felt good competing with the defense and seeing what they’re bringing and us competing with each other, going back and forth, it’s a good thing.”
(I think on Day 1 you had that 32-yard touchdown catch. What was it like to start off your camp and what do you remember about that play?) – “It was a great way to start off camp. I felt like I can go up and attack every ball that comes my way, and I don’t think anyone can get it from me. I just go up and high-point it. It’s the way it goes.”
(Who did you work with this summer to stay in shape? Who did you work out with?) – “I worked out with this guy named Adam. (He) stays out here in Davie about 10 minutes from here.”
(Did you throw with QB Ryan Tannehill at all before camp?) – “Yes, we threw with Ryan a little bit and also (Minnesota Vikings quarterback) Teddy (Bridgewater), so I threw with both of them.”
(Where do you think your comfort level with this offense is compared to last year?) – “Comfort level, it’s all the way up now compared to last year. (It’s my) second year learning this offense and I’m comfortable with it.”
(Is there one example where you’ve said, ‘I’ve got this. I’ve done this thing better than I have in years past.”?) – “Of course. A lot of things.”
(Anything specific you can tell us?) – “No. It’s a lot.”
(Did you have any fun during the summer, during the offseason? You get away? Any trips or anything?) – “Yes, I went to the Bahamas for a weekend, and I went back to Louisville for a week and then I came back and started working out again.”
(Bahamas – any fishing or just chilling at the pool? What’d you do?) – “I didn’t do (any) fishing. I’m not good at fishing. I just went to the beach, that’s it.”
(What’s different between this training camp as opposed to your first two in the league?) – “I’m playing a lot faster than I was. The first year I came in, I was playing fast; but then I got hurt. This year, I’m just playing a lot faster and know the plays and everything well.”
(How has your mental approach to the game changed these last couple years entering your third year?) – “It’s changed a lot. When you’re healthy, you just feel a lot different. You feel like no one can guard you. You just go out there and play hard.”
(What kind of mindset do you think does it take to be one of these dominant wide receivers? You obviously want to be one of them. What does it take?) – “It takes a great mindset. You want to go out there and feel like no one can guard you. That’s how you have to play. Just go out and play hard every play.”
(Do you feel like no one can guard you? Is that how you feel?) – “That’s how you have to think, feel in your mind that no one can guard you. That’s how you got to play.”
(How does that translate to the field?) – “It’s a mindset. You just go out there and do it.”
(QB Ryan Tannehill said earlier this year that this is the most talented skill position he has had since he has been here. What do you see when you look at the talent of the skill positions of this team?) – “There’s a lot of talent at skill positions that we’ve got. There’s just a lot of talent everywhere. We just bring that to the field. I’m looking forward (to it).”
(Do you think the offense going to be very difficult to defend because of the weapons they have – WR Jarvis Landry, you, WR Kenny Stills, RB Jay Ajayi?) – “I think so. It’s a lot of people to have to choose to pick to guard. (There are) a lot of us out there at one time, so it’d be difficult.”
(In what ways do you and CB Xavien Howard challenge each other and make each other better?) – “We try to get physical with each other, tell each other good job. It’s good competition with me and him. We just go at it every day.”
(QB Ryan Tannehill expressed to me that he has more confidence, more trust, more excitement about what he has seen from you since last season ended. When you hear all that, what goes through your mind?) – “I’m glad to hear that from the starting quarterback, to know he’s talking about you and he sees me healthy. I’m healthy now. His trust in me grew a lot.”
(QB Ryan Tannehill also spoke of you being, obviously, so talented but that at times obviously, when you were injured he said you were a Ferrari with four flat tires at times. As you look back now, how limiting were all the things you went through – foot, hamstring, etc.?) – “It was a lot of things limiting (me). I couldn’t do certain routes like I wanted to, because I couldn’t run at full speed and that was bothering me. This offseason I had to work on that and make my legs and everything stronger.”
(Did you do that through anything new as far as new drills or new conditioning work?) – “Just a new work ethic. Things in the weight room also – leg strength.”
(This is the best you’ve felt since when?) – “Since I first got here.”
(What about food? I tried changing my diet, I ate the exact same thing every day – fruit and oatmeal for breakfast, salad with chicken … You don’t need to know all that, but I’m curious about your diet. What are some foods you’ve discovered or are your favorite foods now? What are you eating all the time?) – “I eat pears, some potatoes and salad and some type of meat.”
(And you’re what weight-wise now?) – “Weight-wise, 210 (pounds).”
(The same as last year?) – “The same.”
Kiko Alonso – July 29, 2017
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Saturday, July 29, 2017
Linebacker Kiko Alonso
(I’ll give you a hard one right off the bat. Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather. What’s the prediction?) – “I’ve got Mayweather.”
(Decision? Knockout?) – “I’m saying knockout. I’m saying knockout Mayweather.”
(How much are you looking forward to that fight?) – “I’m glad we get to watch it, because it’s … We might have the day off. I’m looking forward to it. It’s like a once in a lifetime type fight. It’s going to be fun. It might not be much of a fight, but it’s going to be entertaining.”
(Are you trying to go to it?) – “No. I’m going to watch it on TV.”
(How do you think they’ve promoted the fight? Would you do anything differently?) – “I thought it was funny. The tour – the press tour – that was some funny stuff, like some WWE stuff.”
(How would you describe your comfort level now in your second year with the Dolphins?) – “I’m really comfortable. It’s nice going into a year and being comfortable in the system. This is my first year having the same defense, so it’s definitely nice.”
(With your QB Ryan Tannehill picks back-to-back days, were those reads, disguised? How’d you get him?) – “I was just dropping into coverage and I was kind of reading his eyes, and I was in the right place at the right time.”
(Kind of picking up where you left off last year with the takeaways aren’t you?) – “Yes. We’re just trying to make some plays, trying to help out the team.”
(It’s still early in the process, but how is the chemistry building with you and LB Lawrence Timmons?) – “Good. The more reps we get, the more comfortable we’re getting.”
(Anything about LB Lawrence Timmons that has stood out to you so far?) – “The guy plays hard. He brings some intensity. The guy loves the game and he’s just a great, great player. It’s going to be fun.”
(How do you feel like your skills translate to playing on the outside?) – “It’s not that different. At the end of the day, its run, hit, make plays. That’s what I’m going to try to do.”
(Does it give you a chance to do anything even better playing outside as opposed to in the middle?) – “I don’t know. We’ll see. I’m going to go try and do my part on the outside.”
