Laremy Tunsil – August 30, 2016
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Tuesday, August 30, 2016
Guard/Tackle Laremy Tunsil
(On how he played as a starter at left guard against the Falcons) – “Looking at the film, I feel like I played pretty good. I still need some improvement. I still need some work. Like I said last week – and like I said the week before – I’m going to keep listening to the coaches, keep listening to the vets and try to get better every day.”
(On whether he has had a breakthrough at left guard) – “Like I said, I’m going to continue to get better every day and keep going through the same things, listen to the vets, listen to the coaches and learn from that.”
(On whether not overthinking his play is considered a breakthrough playing left guard) – “I really don’t know what a breakthrough is. You can have a good game (or) a bad game. I really don’t listen to all the ‘breakthrough’ stuff. There’s room for improvement. I’m trying to get better every day and listen to the coaches.”
(On not finishing yesterday’s practice) – “I’m going to leave that to the coaches, leave that to the head man (Head Coach Adam Gase).”
(On not allowing a sack this preseason) – “I still got one more game to play, man.” (laughter)
(On whether not allowing a sack so far in the preseason is a point of pride for him) – “I’m going to continue to get better. I’m not looking at that. It’s just the preseason so I’m going to still get better at that.”
(On whether or not he will play on Thursday against the Titans) – “Yes.”
(On whether he will play a significant amount in Thursday’s game) – “Probably. It’s up to the coaches. I just know I’m playing.”
(On his run-blocking game) – “I feel like I need to improve in every, single thing – pass blocking, run blocking, screens. I feel like I need to get better in everything at guard.”
(On whether pass blocking is easier than run blocking) – “(There are) some big boys down there (on the defensive line). I need to keep improving at the run game and the pass game.”
(On transitioning to left guard from left tackle) – “It’s a new position, so everything happens quicker; but it’s football. There’s nothing bad about that. (I) just keep working every day.”
(On the challenges of having three interior offensive lineman playing new roles for the team) – “We’re going to work. We’re going to work every day to get better.”
(On how the offensive line has performed this preseason) – “There is always room for improvement, like I’ve said a thousand times. We’re coming together as a group.”
(On whether the offensive line can pat themselves on the back for only allowing one sack in the preseason thus far) – “No, we can’t be. We’ve got to keep working.”
(On the chemistry between him, C/G Anthony Steen and G/T Jermon Bushrod) – “I think it’s coming along pretty good. The whole offensive line is close. We always hang out with each other; we always joke around, so I think we’re pretty close.”
(On whether he is ready to play for an entire game) – “Yes, I think so. I’m going to have the coaches prepare me. The players are going to prepare me. The vets are going to prepare me. We’re going to keep going at that.”
(On whether his conditioning is on point for the regular season) – “I’m going to continue to work every day with the little flaws that I do have and get better every day.”
(On the biggest hurdles he has had to overcome learning to play a new position) – “I wouldn’t say I have any hurdles. It’s just a process. I’m going to continue to keep going through the process and get better every day.”
Adam Gase – August 29, 2016
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Monday, August 29, 2016
Head Coach Adam Gase
(On how much of the offense is installed to sit the starters on Thursday night) – “I’m looking at this game to where I don’t think we’re going to have all the starters sit. I mean were going to still play some guys. There are some guys we want to make sure we get some good work in. But we do have really the majority of this stuff put in and I feel like our guys understand what our philosophy is as far as being able to be flexible from week to week. We’re still kind of tinkering with a few things – seeing what some of the best things to do, whether it is protection, routes, run game. So there always is going to be a little bit of – throughout the year – where it will look a little different, whether it be week to week or if we figure something out to where we’re really starting to excelling in one area, then start leaning on that.”
(On updates about the few players that started practice but didn’t finish) – “I was still with you guys when you guys were in there. I’ll have more of an idea of what’s going on tomorrow. Obviously we’re going to pull them out as soon as we feel like anything’s going on and, precautionary, send them in with (Head Athletic Trainer) Ryan (Grove) and have him check them out and just make sure, ‘Hey are we good? Do we have any kind of issue?’ I’ll have a better idea this afternoon.”
(On the routes he is running appearing different from past years and what the difference is) – “I do think we try to mix it up a little bit. We do have some guys that have very good ability to do multiple things. I think you have, even though how young they are, Kenny (Stills) coming from a program like New Orleans and then being in the system he was in last year, he has quite a bit of experience running different routes. And Jarvis (Landry) coming from the program he did out of college and then being in the system that he was here for a couple of years, that gives him a lot of flexibility as far as inside/outside and then DeVante (Parker), he just seems to have that natural ability to run a variety of routes. Even for a big guy that can move like him you would think it would be limited, but he does have ability to really change it up and for me it’s just keep getting him out there and seeing how far we can help him grow as far as a route runner.”
(On the tight ends running a lot of routes the receivers run) – “It was something that we’ve kind of always done, at least the guys that I’ve worked with in the past, to where you want to coach the receivers and tight ends and the running backs. You want to teach them as many of the same routes as possible so when a wide receiver may run a route, we can still coach the half backs and the tight ends. They can see a wide receiver run it, we can coach off of that and then when they have their opportunity, at least they’ve seen it and know how it’s supposed to be done. You just try to keep making everything to where it’s interchangeable so you don’t get stuck on one thing. The more that those two positions can do outside of the wide receivers, the better it is for us (and) the tougher it makes it for people to basically defend us.”
(On wanting the No. 3 tight end to emerge from the group and where does TE Thomas Duarte stand) – “I think we’re still competing. As far as him (Duarte) not getting that many snaps in the game, it’s just kind of how the game went. We did a lot of 11 personnel, three wide receivers, one tight end and so Dion (Sims) actually got carried in to the second half and we wanted to make sure he got his work and then we had a process as far as how we wanted to do it. We had less snaps in the second half and that was just kind of how it fell. We want to get these guys as many reps as possible just so we can put it on tape. We can make corrections. We can get evaluations and sometimes in that third preseason game it doesn’t always work out that way because your starters are going longer and one slight little thing of we’re not using the two tight end package – because we wanted to work on some other things – it just carried over. He was a little bit of the odd man out on that particular day. Obviously I’ve seen him getting a good amount of reps this week so that would be good for him. That will be good for us as far as an evaluation standpoint.”
(On how much work did QB Matt Moore do today and will he be held out for Thursday night’s game) – “He did individual today and then obviously we need to evaluate to see where he’s at. If he progressed then we can do a little more tomorrow. We’ll hold him out on Thursday. I don’t see any need for him to go out there. We just need to make sure he’s 100 percent when we’re heading into that first game.”
(On if he would consider playing QB Ryan Tannehill on Thursday) – “Right now, I haven’t talked to him as far as what we’re doing. There’s only been a couple of guys that I’ve told, ‘You’re either not going,’ or ‘You’re going.’ We’re just going to probably go through it, at least tomorrow before we hit the practice field, to say ‘Okay, here is the final list of guys that are either playing or not playing.’ Obviously he’s going to have to stay available just in case something crazy happened. As of right now, it doesn’t look like he’s going to be going; but you just never know. Crazy things happen in this last preseason game, but he needs to be available.”
(On if the coaches are comfortable with WR Jakeem Grant returning kicks in the regular season and what strides has he made in that area) – “I think we are comfortable in the role we have him in right now. Obviously when we go up to Seattle, we’ll finalize that. But he’s done everything we’ve asked him to do; he’s done it well. We just got to get him more comfortable to understand that we are not looking for just a specialist. We want a guy that can do both – returns and contribute on offense – and just be ready to go in there, if needed. I think he’s making strides. I know it’s tough when you come to a completely different system than what he’s used to. That’s part of the growing pains of a rookie; but I think he is going in the direction of hit that wall and then he is starting to make some steps now.”
(On where he thinks WR Leonte Carroo and WR Jakeem Grant are in terms of understanding the offense) – “It’s one of those things where when we get in the classroom, they’re good. But then when you start having to make some adjustments, sometimes you just draw a blank – whether it is a signal or a code word – and that’s when it becomes tough because it’s happening fast. When you’re in the classroom and there’s no pressure of a guy lining up across from you, ‘Hey, is he press? Is it cloud? What’s going on as far as my adjustment?’ (In the) run game, there’s a lot of adjustments that you have to make but classroom-wise they’re good. And then we’re obviously always learning something out here every day. There are probably one or two things that come up where they haven’t run a certain concept or a certain route against a DB. That’ll happen every once in a while, but that’s why you practice. You try to get them to do as many things that they haven’t done before. We’re making strides though, because Carroo is about as sharp as they come and he works hard at it to make sure that he’s ready to go, if needed.”
(On how he would describe the performance of the right guard position in the preseason games) – “I think it’s been a little inconsistent. It’s like, we’ll have some really good snaps, but then we’ll have that one snap that’s just not good enough. Nobody has really separated themselves right now and we’re taking that evaluation into this last game. Once we get to the first regular season game, that’ll be for that game. You never know what’s going to happen. One guy could emerge himself after this game to where we can say, ‘This is the guy the whole game.’ Will we have guys rotating in and out? It could happen; it wouldn’t be the first time.”
(On if he feels the offensive line is athletic enough to run gap and zone drop) – “The thing about mixing schemes up is you try to hang your hat on something. At least my experience has been, when you try to do a whole bunch of different things, that’s really when you don’t anything well. Right now, we feel good with what we have going on as far as the run game. We have a few changeups, but for the most part, whatever we ask our players to do I think we have the talent or the ability to be able to do it. It’s just what do we want to focus on? Obviously you guys have watched enough practice to at least see what we are up to and what we’re doing. We’ve put a lot of things on tape, it’s not going to be a secret at what we’d like to do, but we have the ability to do multiple things. Right now we’re just trying to get good at what we’ve been practicing.”
(On CB Tony Lippett getting more reps on the right side) – “We’re moving him around a little bit. He’s been on one side really for the entire time. We just got to make sure that the closer we get to these games of when we make the final decision of who is going to be opposite of (Byron) Maxwell. Whoever’s not out there as a starter has to be able to replace either guy as far as if we have any kind of injury or if a guy needs to come out for a few plays. He has to get some experience on both sides and obviously in the past, at least in OTAs and stuff, ‘X’ (Xavien Howard), we were doing some things like trying to move him around a little bit, as well. Bobby (McCain) can obviously do both. We just need to make sure we do a good job of cross-training guys, so we don’t just have a replacement for one side. We’ve got to be flexible.”
(On how encouraging it is that QB Ryan Tannehill has only been sacked once this preseason and what the biggest key is to that) – “I think he’s done a good job of getting the ball out on time. I think the line has done a good job of trying to avoid letting any kind of leakage. I think any time you have a guy that’s mobile, that helps a little bit as far as actual sacks. The biggest concern I usually have is not necessarily sacks because more times than not he sees those coming, it’s really the hits. When we look at it, pass disruption for us is sacks, hits and pressures. So we kind of really look at that as a whole. In this league, it’s like one out of every three attempts – which doesn’t seem like that many – that occurs. If you’re one out of three attempts, you’re probably in the top five. That’s kind of a scary number if you really think about it but in this league, everybody is throwing the ball. You have to find ways to help the offensive line – whether it be nakeds, run game, screens, quick game – just making sure it’s not a seven-step drop mentality the entire game because that’s when you really put them in a bind.”
(On QB Zac Dysert and if he saw the previous familiarity Dysert had with the offense transfer over to what he’s doing here) – “He was with me last year for a week in Chicago, as well. My experience with him is he’s had ups and downs and obviously when you bounce around a little bit, that’s tough on a guy mentally because you’re trying to figure out, ‘Am I going to get a chance to stick somewhere? Am I going to get a chance to develop?’ That’s the tough thing about that position. When you’re moving to different teams, you’re learning different systems (and) you’re being coached a little different. That’s the toughest part as far as when you’re kind of in that two-three range as quarterbacks. The way the league has been going where most teams are keeping two and keeping one on the practice squad, it’s tough to hang somewhere. Most coaches want to keep a veteran backup or somebody they really trust if something happens. He’s in that stage where he’s just trying to get over the hump and, ‘Hey, when do I get my next step as far as being a two?’ when he’s been a three for as many years as he has. I feel like the other day was a huge step for him. He did a really good job as far as running our offense, getting the ball out on time, getting completions, getting first downs. The whole week he had a different mentality and then he played like he practiced.”
(On if he expects this game to be mostly QB Zac Dysert’s game) – “No, I’m going to split it up between those two guys (Dysert and Brandon Doughty). I want to try to give them both a fair shot to compete both in attempts and play numbers. Obviously it never really works out that way but we’ll just keep an eye on it. If for some reason, Zac has a heavy play amount in the first half then maybe Doughty goes in early. We’ll see how it goes. It’s just one of those things you just can’t predict how the game is going to go. What if they have a couple of really good drives that are long and all of a sudden you lose your play count? You got to kind of guess a little bit and hope you can get an equal amount of reps.”
(On if there is concern about playing veterans in the fourth preseason game because the other team may play guys who are on the roster bubble and will be relentless in their hitting) – “It’s football. Once you step on that field, there’s no half speed. When you’re playing in an NFL game, it doesn’t matter if it’s the first or fourth preseason game, you better strap it up and be ready to go. There’s not going to be any kind of, ‘Hey, you take it easy, I’ll take it easy.’ These guys are all fighting for jobs; they’re fighting for starting spots. Some of them are just fighting to make the roster. Some of them are trying to put out great tape so somebody else sees them and gives them an opportunity. Every snap you take and you’re on film in an NFL game in the preseason, you want to do well because you don’t want to put bad tape out there.”
Ryan Tannehill – August 29, 2016
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Monday, August 29, 2016
Quarterback Ryan Tannehill
(On the different routes receivers are running this season) – “It’s definitely part of our game plan. We have a lot of quick game; we want to get the ball out of the QB’s hands. And then we want to be able to take advantage of shots downfield when we get that opportunity. It’s something we’re working (on) right now, especially as we start the season – getting close to it. We haven’t worked a whole lot on those double moves and down the field big shots so we’re getting a little work in here before we start the season.”
(On the red zone offense looking different to the naked eye this year) – “Yes, (they are) different concepts – some things that I’ve never run before. (We’re) learning the plays throughout this process and we’re still putting new stuff in. (Head) Coach (Adam Gase) comes up with new thoughts all the time and we’ll put it in, in practice, and we’ll see what it looks like. Maybe one time (we run a play) and (we’ll) never run it again and maybe (it’s) a great play (that) we stick with and keep repping. We’re always experimenting, always trying to find an edge and another play to give us an advantage.”
(On if he feels more comfortable running the no-huddle than he does when huddling) – “I feel comfortable. I feel in charge of our offense now (and) in command of what we’re doing out there. I feel like I have a good handle on what we’re trying to accomplish and what we’re doing. It’s fun. It’s fun to get out there and get up to the line, get our guys in the right spots and keep the pressure on the defense.”
(On if he felt the defense was tired when they played Atlanta last week) – “Yes, you can definitely see just the number of plays starting to wear on guys. I think we had 46 plays or something like that in the first half. You add that to another second half and you’re going to be getting over 70, close to 80 plays in a game – possibly 90. Our conditioning level is extremely high. We want to push ourselves in practice and just keep the pressure on the defense, that way when we get into the second half of games, teams do start wearing down and we can get some big plays because of it.”
(On how much of this week has been about preparing for Seattle) – “Not a whole lot so far. We’re ones versus ones and just playing football. We’re looking at some new thoughts so (there) were a lot of new concepts today. (It was the) first time seeing it and going through it so it wasn’t as clean as we’d like it to be but that’s part of the process – just getting those reps and deciding what fits us.”
(On what went through his mind when he saw WR Kenny Stills go down with an injury in today’s practice) – “It was tough. I hope he’s alright; I haven’t gotten to speak with him yet. He’s a heck of a player for us and hopefully he’s back soon.”
(On San Francisco 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick’s decision not to stand for the national anthem and what he would do if that happened on his team) – “There’s nothing you can do. That’s a guy’s right to take a stance how he sees fit. That’s his right as an American. Obviously some people agree with it and some people disagree with it – that’s just the way it is. He felt like that was his best way of taking a stand on things that are going on in America at this time. I’m not saying it is right or wrong but he felt like taking a stand and that’s what he did.”
(On his thoughts of the renovated Hard Rock Stadium) – “I haven’t seen it. You guys are going to see it before I see it so I’m excited to see it. We were going to see it today; we were going to practice down there, but (with) the rain, we had to move it back here. I’m excited to see it. I’m excited to play in it. From what I’ve seen and the guys that I’ve talked to that have been there said it’s really cool and should be a great venue.”
(On why he hasn’t been to the renovated Hard Rock Stadium yet since he’s the quarterback) – “I mean I could if I wanted to. (Laughter) Nothing has taken me down there.”
(On QB Zac Dysert) – “He’s progressed a lot. He’s really playing well right now. I saw a lot of great things out of him this past game. There was a big third down there that sticks out in my mind. It was third-and-9 I think, or third-and-10. He went through his progressions, stood in the pocket, stepped up and made a great throw. Another play, he moved a little bit to his right and found a guy. He’s really done a good job. He knows this offense; he’s been it, I guess, three years now. So he’s seen it, he knows what’s going on and he’s comfortable. He’s finally hitting a rhythm as far as his play goes so it’s fun to see.”
(On if QB Zac Dysert’s experience in this offense has been a resource to him) – “On a few things. I think him just having prior knowledge of some concepts, like ‘What did you call it?’ or signals or ‘How did you see it?’ so it’s been nice to have him around.”
(On how many times QB Brandon Doughty had to correct somebody about the pronunciation of his name) – “I asked him because I don’t know what I called him at first, but I don’t think it was right. (laughter) So I asked him, I was like, ‘How do you say your name?’ And he said ‘DOW-tee.’”
(On if he has been in QB Brandon Doughty’s ear at all) – “He’s a young guy. I just tell him to keep practicing, keep learning the offense and hang in there. He’s going to go through some bumps and bruises as he learns the offense and gets accustomed to not only the offense but the NFL and the speed of the game. He’s learning. He’s getting better and I think I’ve seen some flashes from the kid. It’s really exciting to see. He’s got some talent. Once he settles down and gets comfortable, he’ll be making plays for us.”
(On if it is weird to be referring to teammates as a ‘young guy’) – “It’s different. That’s life, I guess – life in the NFL. It’s fun. It’s fun to be a guy that’s been around and can help the younger guys.”
(On if it’s tough to sit around for two weeks before the regular season starts) – “It’s kind of nice because you get a little chance to let your body recoup before you start the season. I think as camp goes on, just the wear and tear of practicing every day and the preseason games, it’s kind of nice to have just a small reset. Obviously we’re still practicing and still getting better but (it’s nice to have) a small physical reset before you get kicked off on a long season.”
(On how much of the offense he has grasped now) – “I feel like the stuff that we have in, I have a great feel for and a great concept of what we’re trying to accomplish. I think the stuff we added today, I’m not 100 percent on commanding exactly every detail against every coverage; but the stuff that we’ve had in and practiced, I feel in complete control of.”
(On the biggest challenge of learning three offenses in five years) – “Just the changes, as far as how certain plays are read or adjustments you make. You might run a similar play and look at it three different ways in three different offenses. So it’s just re-framing your mind and how to look at that play, how to expect the ball to come out; because it’s a similar play but you might start on the other side of the field or start with the low guy instead of the high guy so you train yourself one way to see it and then flipping your brain to see it another way is probably the toughest thing.”
(On pulling the offense together and saying a few words and if that’s something he has been doing a lot of) – “I just said, ‘Hey guys, just hang in there.’ It’s one of those days where we had a lot of new stuff going in and we’re going against a defense and we’re not really in scout looks; we’re just playing football. Obviously it wasn’t as clean as we’d like it be; but like I said, we’re learning. We’re getting those first reps and we’ll see what sticks and we’ll get better from this tape.”
(On if he’s having more fun in this offense) – “Yes. It’s a fun offense to play in, especially being a quarterback, being able to get up on the line, make the changes at the line of scrimmage, keep the pressure on the defense, communicate at the line of scrimmage – it’s fun. It’s fun to feel like you’re always pushing the defense and keeping them on their heels.”
Ndamukong Suh – August 29, 2016
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Monday, August 29, 2016
Defensive Tackle Ndamukong Suh
(On what he has seen from the defensive line that gives him encouragement heading into the season) – “I think we’ve done some good things. Based on last game (and) some of the run game that we saw, we handled (it) the proper way, as well as in the pass game – hitting the quarterback. The young guys are doing the same thing as well. I think over time, as we continue to grow together through camp – with the last week that we have going into (the regular season) and then going into the preparation week for Seattle – we’ve seen some growth. The true test will come in real games and live bullets when we get into the season.”
(On what he has learned about DE Julius Warmsley during camp) – “I think this is my second year with Warmsley; I think he was with us last year, if I’m not mistaken. He’s a young kid. Obviously he’s very energetic. (He) plays hard, works hard, asks a lot of questions and is a guy who is asking a lot of the right questions and following through on his actions and his play. To me, it’s not necessarily surprising. I’ve seen a lot of young kids do it and wish him the best and success.”
(On the seriousness of his ankle injury in last week’s game) – “You’ll have to ask coach.”
(On if the ankle injury is affecting him at all) – “Ask coach.”
(On if he’s happy how the defensive line is coming together) – “I think you’re never where you want to be. I think at the end of the day, you want to see good progressions and moving forward to stuff that you like and have seen in the past, and see from guys individually, and then make it into a group effort. I think that’s what we’re happy with thus far; but we obviously have a lot more room to grow. It’s not like we had a ton of sacks in the preseason and even if we did, it really doesn’t mean anything because we have to get into the live bullets and really get that true test. But from what I’ve seen, in my own personal view and how we’re at right now, we’re moving in the right direction.”
(On what he thought about San Francisco 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick’s protest) – “You’ve got to respect the man’s opinion as well as his actions. I definitely understand where he’s coming from and him choosing to do what he did.”
(On if he thinks that players should speak out more) – “I think it’s an individual choice. At the same time, I think a lot of (us have a duty) as leaders, especially with young kids, to make a good, proper announcement if you feel the need to. I think that’s what (Kaepernick) is doing. I support him in that and for me, I just have to move forward and go with the punches.”
(On his thoughts about the renovations at Hard Rock Stadium) – “It’s a beautiful stadium. I think the fans will be very excited about the Jumbotrons – obviously there are four amazing ones in there. Hard Rock Stadium is going to be a rocking place, in my opinion. I’m excited to get out on that football field. Like you said before, I was out there with the (naming rights) announcement and it is a pristine field – beautiful. I can’t thank enough our ownership and front office for all the work and time that they put into that. I’m excited to get out there and see it when we have a true home game against the Cleveland Browns.”
Leonte Carroo – August 28, 2016
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Sunday, August 28, 2016
Wide Receiver Leonte Carroo
(On the possibility of getting a lot of snaps on Thursday night) – “It’s a very exciting time – especially (for) young guys like us – to go out there and showcase our talents for a whole entire game (and) show the coaches how we can play in a game-like atmosphere for a whole entire 60 minutes. (It’s) just a great experience. I’m looking forward to the challenge and just going out there and playing.”
(On Dolphins fans seeing him in a game at Hard Rock Stadium for the first time) – “Yes, (it’s) very exciting. (It’s the) first opportunity for the Dolphins fans to see us young guys perform out there, so why not go out there and give it your all and play (hard). At the end of the day, you’re going out there and winning and having fun (with) your teammates.”
(On if he is chomping at the bit to play more) – “Yes, definitely. Just being able to really showcase my talent and go out there and play. I’m just excited for the opportunity.”
(On how comfortable he is with the playbook now) – “A lot more comfortable. The coaching staff and my teammates did a great job of helping us younger guys get adjusted and moving faster. Now you can just go out there and just play.”
(On if his play speed has improved) – “Yes, sir.”
(On if he has gotten reps against CB Xavien Howard and what he has thought of him) – “I think I got a couple reps with him last week. I think I got one rep with him today. He’s back. He’s a spectacular player and a guy that can help us out tremendously this year. I feel like (with) him being out, he got a chance to learn the game mentally and prepare himself in that way. Now that he’s back, he looks back to normal again.”
(On what the fans can expect to see from him on Thursday night) – “Exactly what they expect – a fast, physical guy that’s going to go out there and play hard. (I’m not) going to overthink anything and just do what I do and go out there and play my game.”
(On how much he is looking forward to getting additional action Thursday night) – “I’m looking forward to it. This is something that you want – to be showcased all preseason. (I’ve had) a couple snaps here and there (and) a couple quarters here and there but now you have a chance to go out there and make plays and get an opportunity to play the whole game. So it’s going to be a very exciting time.”
(On where he is with mastering the offense or understanding it to the point where he is playing fast) – “I would say that you’re never 100 percent there. Guys like Kenny (Stills) and Jarvis (Landry) aren’t even 100 percent there. It’s an offense that you have to stay on every single day. I’m learning and meeting with my coaches and getting extra work after practice so I can have a feel for it – better and better every single day.”
(On if any veteran has given him a piece of advice that has stuck with him) – “I wouldn’t say what they said or them talking to us; I would say us watching them practice. The way Jarvis (Landry) and Kenny (Stills) practice – the speed and the level of competitiveness that they go out there and practice with every single day – to watch that speaks for it enough. Just to see that and then as a younger guy, you look at that and try to mock your game and develop that work ethic that they play with.”
(On if leadership by example is a tangible thing) – “Yes, definitely. They’re out there, they’re competing and they’re full speed. When you watch that as a younger guy, you go, ‘Now it’s my turn. It’s time to give it my all because if they can do it, why can’t you?’”
(On how he feels he has performed this training camp and preseason) – “I feel like I’ve been fine. Just taking steps along the way; it wasn’t going to be easy. You just have to go out there and continue to get better and better every single day. I strapped on my helmet every single practice, went out there, competed and got better. I took coaching and my coaches were hard on me, my teammates were hard on me and it was just a great opportunity to go out there and continue to, whether it was special teams or offensively, just do whatever I can to help this team win.”
(On if he thought this training camp might be slower for him because of the talent at his position than if he had gotten drafted by another team) – “Yes, definitely. I knew it was going to be a learning process for me. I knew I was going to be looking up to guys like Jarvis (Landry) and Kenny (Stills) and going out there and taking advice from them – just watching the way they practice – and they were going to slowly bringing me along. That’s what’s happening now. I’m just slowly being brought along and before you know it, I’ll be out there making plays as well.”
Xavien Howard – August 28, 2016
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Sunday, August 28, 2016
Cornerback Xavien Howard
(On how he feels health-wise) – “I feel way better. I don’t even worry about my leg anymore. I feel like there’s no setbacks, so I’m feeling good.”
(On whether he will play against the Titans) – “It depends on the coaches (and) what they want me to do, but I’m practicing this whole week and getting ready to play if I do.
(On whether he feels ready to play a couple snaps) – “Yes, sir. I feel like I’m ready to play a couple snaps.”
(On whether it’s important to get adjusted to the speed of the game) – “That’s the main point that I’m worried about – just getting my feet wet.”
(On whether not thinking about an injury is a mental hurdle for an athlete to overcome) – “Yes, sir. It’s mental. Like I said, I don’t even worry about it anymore. I feel like it’s all mental.”
(On what he can contribute to the team) – “Be a playmaker (and) be around the ball. I’m a playmaker. I’m going to be around the ball.”
(On the crowd and environment at CenturyLink Field) – “I heard it was loud up there. I’m going to see when I get down there and see how the vibe is, but I heard it’s one of the loudest stadiums to play in.”
(On the loudest game he played in while at Baylor) – “(The) OU (University of Oklahoma) game was loud. OU and Oklahoma State. They were road games. They were loud games, but we were sticking in there.”
Adam Gase – August 28, 2016
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Sunday, August 28, 2016
Head Coach Adam Gase
(On where RB Kenyan Drake and CB Xavien Howard stand right now for Thursday’s game and what he would like to see from them during the next two weeks of practice) – “We’re going to play them both. Really, right now, we’re going to go through the next couple days of practice to see where they’re at as far as (a) conditioning standpoint. I think they’re in good shape, but obviously, it’s not dynamic football shape right now. Probably ‘X’ (Xavien Howard) is a little ahead of (Kenyan) Drake, but we’ll have probably a set number of plays they can go and try to stay in that range and not go over. We don’t want to overdo it, but I think right now they need to play. Those guys – if they’re active for the Seattle game – it’d be nice for them to have the experience of an NFL game.”
(On the outlook for LB Jelani Jenkins) – “Right now, it’s week to week for us. It’s going to be about how quick he can get his strength back. Every person is different. It’s really (about) the pain tolerance (and) how quick can the rehab go. I can say there’s a possibility that that first game he’s good. We have to see how his body reacts to everything.”
(On what he has seen from LB Spencer Paysinger) – “What he brings to the table is he knows all the positions. Obviously, he’s a very good special teams player for us, but his ability to be able to plug into any spot – and us not really lose anything as far as a guy knowing what to do – is valuable. When you have a player like that, especially that has some experience, that makes you feel better as a coach, and I think he’s been doing well as far as the way he’s played in preseason games and the way he’s practiced. You see a guy that’s constantly trying to get better.”
(On DT Ndamukong Suh not practicing) – “With the practice structure we had today, we just thought we’d rather him stay inside and get a little bit healthier instead of getting him out there on the turf for what did we do, like three periods with offense (vs.) defense? And then a lot of times guys were standing around as far as what we were doing (with) some instructional things and situational stuff. We just thought it was better for him to stay in and kind of rehab.”
(On the offense celebrating TE Jordan Cameron’s touchdown reception in practice) – “I think that’s something, offensively those guys are … We’ve been doing things a little different as far as, when we get in the end zone, we’re all celebrating together. It’s not a one-man show. I think those guys have been doing that during games, and it has really carried over to practice. Obviously, those guys … That’s a guy that all those guys really like and they really care about. For us in that situation, that was a big play in that 2-minute period. Him making that play, and (he) made a couple of good plays in that series and you could see Ryan’s (Tannehill) going to go to him. He know he has a great matchup sometimes, especially when it’s on a linebacker or safety. You’re going to see he’ll keep getting opportunities.”
(On CB Xavien Howard’s readiness to play) – “I think we’re good to go. We just need to get him out there in a preseason game just so he gets a feel of how it really is. If we lined up in Game 1 tomorrow, he could play.”
(On CB Xavien Howard developmentally being ready to play) — “Playing corner with what we do, it’s really what he’s been doing his whole life. We’re going to line him up and tell him to cover that guy – whoever’s across from him. We’re not going to make it hard on him. It’s no secret kind of what we do on defense. We attack and we play man-to-man coverage.”
(On an update on C Mike Pouncey’s injury) – “It’s just going to be week to week. We got to keep seeing how he feels every day, and we constantly keep monitoring everything. I don’t want to put pressure on him to be like, ‘You have to be back at this date.’ It’s something that we’re going to keep looking at.”
(On how G Anthony Steen played) – “He did a good job. I know he had the one ball on the ground, but for the most part, he did his job. There’s quite a few times where he had to do some things as far as redirecting some protections along with him and Ryan (Tannehill) communicating. (The) communication was outstanding. I love the way he plays. He’s aggressive, and he’s one of those guys that finds a way to get it done, plays physical and tough.”
(On RB Isaiah Pead’s status) – “It’s probably going to be a couple of weeks. Unfortunately for him, (it is) another hamstring. We’ll see where we’re at on the roster. Obviously, I think he has done a good job, and it’s unfortunate for him, because he was rolling pretty good. We’ll see how everything falls.”
(On LB James-Michael Johnson not practicing) – “On the turf, we’re trying to be smart on that. But he looks like he’s on track to possibly practice tomorrow and then try to get ready for this game. Anytime we go indoors, we don’t want any setbacks in there. It seems like every time we go in there – if you’re kind of a borderline guy – we’re just being smart with that. The turf seems to affect our guys quite a bit.”
(On how much harder is it to make a roster decision about a player who is injured) – “It’s tough. You got to figure out what’s the right thing to do. Has the film and what the guy has done in practice (make you) say, ‘Hey, you’ve made it, and we’re going to have to carry you.’ And then obviously, you have a few options you can do to kind of hold a spot and then be able to bring him back. We haven’t really made any of those decisions. We need to get through Thursday first and then we’ll figure out all those little moves.”
(If whether a player’s injury history affects roster decisions) – “You try not to let it, but everything comes into play. It’s almost like the draft process. You look at everything and then you have to evaluate what you want to do as far as your final roster.”
(On making roster moves ahead of the Tuesday deadline) – “It’s something that (Executive Vice President of Football Operations) Mike (Tannenbaum) … I remember very early on – before we really got going on all this stuff, and that date was set – he told me, he goes, ‘I’d rather do it early to try to give those guys a little bit of a head start as far as if other teams want to look at him.’ We knew who the guys were that we were going to release. Obviously, it’s never fun telling a guy that he’s not going to be here. I felt like the guys that we all talked to were very appreciative as far as getting an opportunity. Obviously, some of those guys could have the possibility of coming back. They were all smart guys, too. They know our system and this last game trying to get down to that number and making sure. ‘Okay, how many guys do we need for each spot?’ And you’re trying to play a game too at the same time. You need to be a little strategic as far as what you’re going to do in this game.”
(On if cutting players as a head coach was tougher than he thought it would be) – “I was usually involved in those decisions. In Denver (Broncos) and Chicago (Bears), it seemed like the relationship I had with a lot of those guys was pretty close. I know in Denver there were a couple of times with some older guys that I had to sit there and talk to. It’s not an easy thing to do; it’s probably the worst part of being involved in this profession because you do get close with a lot of these guys, especially when you’re with a guy since we’ve started in April, and you watch these guys work as hard as they did. They’ve given you everything they have and you want to make sure as a coach, you give them an opportunity to put it on tape and give them reps at practice, so at least when they leave here they say, ‘I got better and I got a fair shot,’ as far as an opportunity.”
(On if he has a position on players protesting in situations like San Francisco 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick) – “Well, the only thing I’d say with that, kind of like the league said as far as, every guy has their position on certain things and they’re able to express it in certain ways. There is nothing that says they can’t do that. I know our guys in our locker room, if they have certain stances they stand behind, it’s not my right to say, ‘You can’t do that.’”
(On his overall snapshot of the wide receivers and tight ends) – “I think we have to clean up the drops. They know it. We’ve talked about it quite a bit as far as, when we do have these games where the ball’s on the ground too much, what do we need to do to get better? Today I saw a lot of guys working on doing extra in-between periods, when special teams were going on, they were catching balls. I know (Wide Receivers Coach) Shawn (Jefferson) and Ryan (Tannehill) were throwing balls to guys – (and) the other quarterbacks – and try to do some things like distraction drills to keep their focus on catching the ball. This is a very prideful group – all those guys that are skill guys – and they don’t want to be the guy to drop the ball in big situations. I know when the littlest thing happens, they want to make sure they fix it. They don’t want to be that guy. They want to be the guy that makes the big play.”
(On if he is concerned about QB Matt Moore not being back in time for the opener) – “No. Obviously we’re going through the concussion protocol. He looks like everything is on track. I know he is itching to start getting back out there and doing things. But obviously we have the procedure that we follow, which for us, it makes everything nice and clean to where we know exactly where we’re at in that procedure. I know he’s tired of sitting around. He missed some meeting time because he wasn’t here. We had him stay at home or we had him with the doctor and the training room. I know he’s kind of over sitting around.”
(On if he is concerned about the quarterback depth) – “I’m not. I’m good.”
(On where he stands on allowing veterans to play in the fourth preseason game) – “I think we are in a different situation because we are so young, we probably have more guys that need to play more than the luxury of having so many guys sitting out. I guess you can look at it as … for (Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Darren) Rizzi especially, I think we can play some guys. Any kind of game experience is great. It is football at the end of the day and things happen, but I’m not going to sit here and stay up all night worrying if somebody is going to get hurt. We are going to play and some guys will be out and some guys will be playing.”
(On RB Daniel Thomas and the other running backs having a great opportunity to play Thursday night while some guys sit out) – “Yes, I mean especially in this game. Who knows what the weather is going to be like. If it becomes one of those games where those guys are touching the ball quite a bit, there’s a chance it will really make it tough on us from an evaluation standpoint. At the same time, they’re putting tape out there for 31 other teams. It is a great opportunity for the backs; it’s a great opportunity for the offensive linemen too, if we end up having to run the ball quite a bit. The running backs, it’s a fine line when you have an older guy and you have a big group of guys that are really young. I know it’s the fourth preseason game, but you’re still a competitor, you still want to get as many touches as you can and you want to get on film as much as you can.”
Cameron Wake – August 25, 2016 (Postgame)
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August 25, 2016
Miami Dolphins Defensive End Cameron Wake (transcribed by Michael Bradley)
(Opening Statement) – “It’s good to be back out there, obviously, playing with the guys and getting a win.
(Cameron, I think on your first snap you were actually able to hit the quarterback, right? What was going through your mind as the play was developing and then you actually hit him?) – “Just trying to go back to ways of old. It has been awhile since I’ve actually played in a lot of games, so I’m taking all the things we’ve done in practice, all the rehab reps, and all the other stuff I’ve been doing. Finally, I’m just playing football, just having fun. You kind of forget all the other stuff by doing what you do best.”
(Cameron, the first team defense it seemed the run defense was better tonight. It seemed the tackling was better tonight. You guys got the turnover with Reshad Jones’ interception. What areas do you think you guys made strides tonight, if any, overall as a defense?) – “I’ll be honest, I think I can speak for a lot of guys saying the way we played last week wasn’t the way we wanted to go out and show as part of the Miami Dolphins. The old mantra was just going out there and doing your job, stop thinking so hard, going out playing fast, playing aggressive, (knowing) what you do, what got you in the situation in the first place. You have to cover pass rush. You’ve got cover on cover. That’s cover. I just run downhill. I think the guys played every style tonight, and they should have.”
(Miami Dolphins Head Coach Adam Gase said the plan for you this year is to make sure you make it through 16 games, that most of that time is to use you as a pass rusher. What do you think of that plan?) – “I think for the most part, we’ve been working together from back in November as far as my recovery and maximizing my skillset for the team. Whatever the area that is best suited – especially right now working my way back into full time – that’s fine with me whatever is best for the team. You have to start thinking long term. Of course, I want to be out there for every snap, but is that going to be best come December and January? You got to be honest and smart, and all of us working together, our plan is really good, and so far it’s working.”
(Coach keeps talking to getting you to 100 percent. Do you feel like you’re still not there yet?) – “Probably not. That’s the truth. There’s so much that you can do off the field. I’ve been working out, doing rehab, a lot of things. But the reality is football is hard to replicate. You can’t in the middle of the offseason have two guys pushing on you. It just doesn’t work that way … It’s coming. Obviously, I had a good step tonight, in the right direction …”
(Most veterans don’t play in the final preseason game, and we’re assuming you might not so that 100 percent is not going to come before the regular season?) – “It’s possible, but again, the game is not the only time you get it. We have quite a few big hogs in there who I fight with every day. Those are real reps … Whether it’s Tennessee or Seattle or Ja’Wuan (James), (Mike) Pouncey or whoever it may be, that’s the situation that you put your body in and you have to get it to respond.”
