Adam Gase – August 12, 2016 (Halftime)
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Friday, August 12, 2016
Head Coach Adam Gase (Halftime)
(On what he liked about the first half) – “I liked the fact that our defense, especially after that first series, came out and did a good job of getting their hands on some balls and causing some turnovers. And then (the defense did a good job) not panicking on that sudden change. That could have been an easy score for them. They did a good job of holding them to a field goal. It changed a little bit of our mindset. It was good because our guys kind of changed their attitude on the sideline with a great stop and tried to get something going. Offensively, we just couldn’t get into a rhythm. We’d get a positive play and then we’d move back.”
(On scoring 17 straight points) – “I liked the fact that our guys kept playing hard and they’re having fun and just flying around.”
Chris Culliver – August 10, 2016
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Wednesday, August 10, 2016
Cornerback Chris Culliver
(On where he is at in his rehab and how far he is from being ready to play) – “Everything is going well right now. I’m just taking my time (and) learning the defense. I’m glad to be here. I’m just taking my time and progressing so I’ll be out there soon.”
(On if he is running yet and what he can do) – “(I’m) running (and) doing light cuts, doing my thing and just progressing. They’ve got a good training staff here and I’m just glad to be here and to keep progressing my training.”
(On why he signed with the Dolphins with other teams interested in him) – “(It was) the best fit for me. (It was) the best fit overall for me – the organization and how they do things. I’m just glad to be here and I’ll just keep continuing my progress and see how it goes.”
(On the team’s sales pitch to him and if they told him that he could compete for a starting spot when he’s healthy) – “Oh yes, definitely. That should be anybody’s mentality. You want to come in and you want to compete and you want to play; but you’ve got to get yourself ready first and as long as the process keeps going well, you’ll see me out there soon.”
(On when he first talked to the Dolphins) – “A little bit ago. We’ve been in contact and things and came out here and visited and everything was good. (We) just went forward from there.”
(On when he thinks he’ll be healthy enough to get on the field) – “The next couple of weeks. (I’ll be on the field) here soon.”
(On the most difficult part of his rehab) – “It’s not really hard, it’s just a process. You’ve got to be patient. That’s the hardest part – being patient. You want to really get out there now but evaluation and things like that – you don’t want to set yourself back. You want to keep progressing and keep climbing that hill.”
(On how his career has gone and if he is pleased with where he is right now) – “There’s a lot more – a lot more that I want to do and a lot more that I want to accomplish. My biggest thing – you know (what) I do – (is) I compete. That’s what I’m going to do. That’s what I’m going to do here and I hope to look forward to that.”
(On his strengths as a corner) – “Press man. Cover 1. Me against you.” (laughter)
(On if he talked about his style with Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph and how it would suit his game here) – “Definitely. That was one of the parts here; portraying the defense and things like that. They have a great defense – a great defensive line, great halfbacks, a lot of good pieces. I just hope to be here and contribute.”
(On if he has played with or has any connections with players on the Dolphins) – “Yes, I have a couple of connections. (Mike) Pouncey (is) one of my guys – cool people. ‘Mike T’ (Thomas) – that’s my guy. We played together in San Fran(cisco) for a little bit together. I know a couple of other guys but yes, (I have) a couple of connections here.”
(On if he has a timetable to practice) – “(There’s) not necessarily a timetable to when I’ll be practicing. You guys will see me out there running around and doing a couple things and things like that. I’m just (going to) keep progressing.”
(On if he was surprised the Washington Redskins didn’t show him patience or if he saw the writing on the wall once they made some roster moves) – “I’m not really worried about their moves and who they made or what happened. I just keep going and keep doing my thing. I don’t look back at anything about what they’ve done or anything like that. I’m a strong man so I’m going to do what I’ve got to do regardless.”
(On if we won’t see him in a game until October) – “I wouldn’t say that. You said that. I’ll be out there soon. You’ll be surprised when I get out there and touch a couple of people. Then you’ll know.”
Jarvis Landry – August 10, 2016
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Wednesday, August 10, 2016
Wide Receiver Jarvis Landry
(On whether the offense is ready for the preseason game on Friday) – “Yes, I think so. (We are) coming out here the day before we travel with the opportunity to fine tune things that we want to go out there and do and get ready for a game week, finally.”
(On how comfortable he feels in the offense) – “Real comfortable. We’re forming our identity, and that takes time. But I can say that the growth of the offense as far as (with) the little details, we have to find a way to continue to make the plays, move the chains and score in the red zone.”
(On the quarterback-wide receiver connection with him and QB Ryan Tannehill) – “It comes with trust. It comes with all the hard work that we put into individuals with (Wide Receivers) Coach (Shawn) Jefferson helping me get in and out of breaks and allowing us to attack the football. The thing about the quarterback (position is) when the house is burning down and you see your color flash, you want to throw the ball. For me, I want to be open as many times as not.”
(On his chemistry with QB Ryan Tannehill) – “I think it’s continuing to grow, and this offense allows the ball to be touched by a lot of different people. But in doing so, it’s also an offense built and predicated off matchups. If we get the right matchups, I understand before the play where the ball is going to go. Me and Ryan’s connection has been something we’ve been working on since I’ve gotten here.”
(On the differences between this year’s offense and previous year’s) – “Our main focus has honestly been on this offense. It hasn’t been (on) what we’ve done in the past. It has been focusing on this 2016 offense and having the opportunity, again, to get numerous guys the ball, to create matchups – mismatches – and take advantage of scoring in the red zone. I think this offense is going to allow us to do that.”
(On how he feels in the new offense) – “Again, like I said, (Head Coach) Adam (Gase), (Offensive Coordinator) Clyde (Christensen), (Quarterbacks Coach) Bo (Hardegree) – those guys go up there in those meeting rooms every day and try to find the best possible ways to get guys the ball. I can’t wait to see it come to life against a real-life opponent.”
(On whether it is too much to expect that he will catch more passes this year than last season) – “Too much to expect? (laughter) I want to catch more. I think for me, again, I’ve never really been one of those accolade guys or too much into the numbers. I’ll take the win any day. But as many times as (Ryan Tannehill) throws to me, I want to catch it. If he throws more than last year to me, I want to catch more than I did last year.”
(On how the offense can improve scoring in the red zone) – “It’s a little bit about everything, but I think at the end of the day in the red zone, it’s about trust, because those windows get tighter back there, defenders use the back line as another defender. It’s about trust and timing. I think that’s something that – as you’ve guys seen – we’ve worked the red zone a lot. (It is about) trying to develop that timing, develop that chemistry – especially here – (and) put that ball in the box.”
(On whether the offense has cleaned up what it needs to from last week’s scrimmage) – “I can’t wait to see. It’s kind of hard to judge not having that scrimmage aspect these last two days, but having the chance to go up against another opponent – and having them try to match our intensity, try to match our tempo – is something that we’re looking forward to seeing.”
(On what he has seen from WR Leonte Carroo) – “I’ll tell you what, he made a hell of a lot of plays today. For me (it is about) watching him grow, watching him mature, watching him be coachable. (Wide Receivers) Coach (Shawn) Jefferson, he’s a tough coach. He’s a tough coach, but he coaches us on the fine tune things and the details that we need to do to be fundamentally sound when we step out here on the field. I see the kid every day step up to the challenge, and he’s rising to the occasion.”
(On what his advice to WR Leonte Carroo and WR Jakeem Grant would be before their first preseason game) – “Trust your technique. Trust your fundamentals and detail everything up. What you put on film is everything, especially here in the preseason. It gives the coaches a skill to where you guys will fit in as far as when (the) regular season starts.”
(On whether QB Ryan Tannehill throwing to the receivers from the 6-yard line to the end zone are red zone specific drills or for timing purposes) – “For timing purposes. Of course, without the DB, it’s a little later than usual. But Coach Bo (Hardegree) – the quarterback coach – he tries to do a great job of getting those guys to throw as soon as their plant foot hits. If it’s a hitch and a throw, they try to get it out on time. For us, we try to get our head around and make the plays and understand it’s going to be tight windows and contact catches.”
(On whether the timing drills help with building trust between the quarterbacks and wide receivers) – “Absolutely.”
(On what he wants to improve on this year) – “(I want to) continue to hit the details as much as possible, honestly, and make those tough catches on the outside, try to be an outside receiver, continue to grow as an outside receiver and not just a slot receiver. For me, (I want to) make those catches, compete against bigger corners and keep matching up that trust that me and Ryan (Tannehill) got.”
(On whether he would like to continue returning kickoffs and punts this season) – “I’m the starting returner. We’ll see how many reps I get in preseason, but I’ll be excited to see what Jakeem Grant and those other guys can do as well.”
(On whether the goal is for him to return full time or selectively) – “Right now, I don’t think there’s a number on it. For me – like I’ve told coaches – it gives me an opportunity to get the ball in my hands and make a play and create some energy. That’s what special teams means to me as far as returning.”
(On there not being many receivers that play in the slot and outside) – “There aren’t many, but I would never want to be a guy with limitations, honestly. This offense, honestly, it allows guys like myself … (It allows) guys (with) a bigger body like DeVante Parker to come down to the slot and a smaller guy than DeVante – me, Kenny Stills – to be able to work on the outside as well. This offense allows us to come out of our comfort zone a little bit, but at the same time not limit us to being a particular slot receiver or outside receiver.”
(On the offense’s goals for the first preseason game) – “Have a great first drive – have a great first play, honestly – (and) test their defense. And then from there, watch the young guys go a little bit.”
(On whether the speed and tempo of the offense is the biggest difference between this year’s and last year’s offense) – “Right, and that’s the whole emphasis of this offense – trying to make defenses match our intensity, match our tempo. That’s how we get our mismatches. Defenses have to communicate a lot more than we do, so the faster we get to the line and get the play going, the more efficient it can possibly be.”
Adam Gase – August 10, 2016
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Wednesday, August 10, 2016
Head Coach Adam Gase
(On how he knows there is trust in the red zone) – “I don’t if you ever really get there completely. You’re always working on things because once you get into the season and you feel good about a certain kind of concepts, defenses catch up very quickly. There’s not a whole bunch of things that you can do in the red zone that defenses haven’t really seen or studied. You always feel good coming out of camp probably about a few things and then as you get into the season, you have to evolve as you go. You can’t just be stagnant with one thing and (say), ‘Hey, this is what we’re just going to do,’ because defenses are so good. They’re so well prepared and there’s nowhere to hide. Everything’s on film. You have to keep evolving and that’s going to be an important piece for us. As we go through the season, we’ve got to keep (saying), ‘Hey, what’s our next thing? What’s our next thing?’ We got to keep developing trust throughout the season.”
(On if he has a number in his head for the touchdown percentage in the red zone and if that number is 60 percent) – “Yes. I mean that’d be great. It’s tough. You get down there and those windows close tight. You want to try to … at the end of the day if you can be two out of three every game, that would be great. But the top five teams, that’s usually probably where they’re about at.”
(On if he has a feel for how much the starters will play Friday night) – “I’m just going to go by feel. I think the better idea as far as the defense is going to go, I have less concerns on that side of the ball with a lot of those guys because they’ve played. I think on the offense, it’s mainly just kind of that chemistry of our guys getting used to playing what we’ve been practicing and, at the same time, Ryan (Tannehill) and myself getting on the same page – him being able to go through the communications of the offense. We probably need to try to play a little more in the preseason; but, it’s one of those things we’ll see how it goes. I know last year when we were in Chicago and then Miami came to us, I think they had a 17-play drive to start the game. You never know what’s going to happen. You always have a number in mind and then it could change.”
(On what was different about the offense today in practice) – “I think the last two days they’ve come out with a different mentality. I think Ryan (Tannehill)’s done a good job of jumping in that huddle right away and being that guy – chirping a little bit, getting the linemen going. And then I think the rest of those guys have really just been doing their job. The receivers have been in the right spots. I know we’ve had some drops here and there. It happens (when) we throw the ball as much we do during practice. I think for the most part it’s just going back to guys are just, instead of just worrying about the outcome of everything, they’re saying ‘Hey, we’re sticking with our process.’ We’re going to make sure that we do a great job of just doing what we’re supposed to do.”
(On if he sees things that ease his concerns from Saturday night’s scrimmage) – “Yes. I feel lightyears better. We needed to go through that. We needed to see what happens when just about everything possible could have gone wrong. Somebody screwed up on every play. It was like second-and-20 and then we were third-and-17. That probably needed to happen. I think guys just kind of took a step back and realized it’s about just doing my job and then things will work out. The more guys we have doing that, the better chance we have.”
(On the depth chart for the game and how much each string will play) – “We go by the person. Some guys may stay out there longer. Like on the defense, if it’s a younger guy that happened to be rolling with the ones, he might stay in there for a little longer. It’s really the feel of the coordinators of saying, ‘This guy, he needs more work. We want to get him some balls.’ If DeVante (Parker) doesn’t go and (Leonte) Carroo’s with the ones, we’re going to leave him in. He’s not going to come out because he needs snaps. Every guy is kind of treated a little different.”
(On RB Arian Foster is game ready) – “I would say he’s one guy that on offense, I’m not going to play him in this game. That’s strictly my decision. I have a certain way that I treat running backs that have played for a while and I don’t like them taking any unnecessary hits in games where it might only be a couple of snaps for him. It’s like, ‘How do I get him ready for the regular season?’ Plus I just want to be smart. We’re getting him back to where he’s almost to that point where we can go the full practice (with him and) there’s no restrictions. I just want to keep him on track on that and then the next week, we’ll reevaluate what we’re doing.”
(On if there’s anybody on defense that he made that same decision to keep them out of the game) – “Yes. We’re still going to talk about it. We’ll probably finalize it tonight as far as what’s going on. We got to talk to those guys first. Arian (Foster) knows that he’s not going to play. I’ve already told him. The other guys we haven’t told anybody anything so I don’t want to say it first here. We still got that last discussion to have.”
(On how far away is CB Chris Culliver away from being able to help) – “I think right now we’re on a day-to-day process. We’ve got to get our hands on him. I feel like we got a good feel for who we got (and) the kind player we have. I’m excited to see him when we can get him out there and get him rolling to see what he can do in this defense. I like the fact that we were aggressive and went out and got him and adding depth to that position. (Miami Herald columnist) Armando (Salguero) is happy, so that’s all that matters (laughter).”
(On what he sees in CB Chris Culliver) – “It’s a guy that wants to get up, he wants to press, he wants to be able to play man-to-man coverage. That’s what we’re looking for. That’s what we are. We’re an attacking style of defense and our corners have a lot of pressure on them to be able to cover and he’s a guy that can do that.”
(On the advantages of having taller corners) – “I just think it’s hard to get balls over (their heads). If you get beat, you got to throw a great ball. You got to get it over the top of the guy. And unfortunately I have a lot of experience watching (Byron) Maxwell break up balls. I’ve seen it first-hand where I’ve seen some good receivers get by him and he recovers and it’s because of his length. When you’re trying to get off the line of scrimmage versus press and he gets his hands on you, it’s challenging to get around him because he really extends and gets around. It’s hard to get his hands off of you. When you got a long guy like that it’s the advantage to that player. It’s tough on the wide outs.”
(On WR Leonte Carroo and his progress so far in training camp) – “He’s been doing good. He’s been making some positive plays. His biggest thing is mentally, what are we going to do? Is he going to keep growing? Are we going to get stuck? Are we going to have that rookie wall hit? He’s going to keep rolling on that.”
(On if he wants to see the offense get more vertical or if he’s fine with things the way they are) – “I’m fine with it. I’m the one scripting the plays and calling the plays. I had a little success with what we do. There’s a time and a place (to get vertical) but there’s also a time and a place not to get sacked 60 times in a year too.”
(On if he has been pleased by S Walt Aikens this training camp) – “Yes, he’s been doing a good job. Obviously we know his value on special teams, as well. The fact that he’s showing up at safety as well, that’s a bonus. We know we’ve got a guy that when we put him in on defense, he’s going to make plays.”
(On RB Jay Ajayi catching a deep pass in practice today and if that is good for his confidence) – “I thought it was great because, I don’t know, it’s been like five years since I’ve seen a guy actually lay out for a ball in practice. The fact that he went and got it, you know he’s a big man running down the field. It’s good to see. Any time we hit a shot like that, that’s a good thing.”
(On DE Cameron Wake coming back from an Achilles injury and if he’ll play on Friday night since RB Arian Foster will not) – “I haven’t talked to him yet. We’ll finalize it tonight.”
(On what the conversation is like when you tell a veteran he won’t play when you know he wants to play) – “More times than not, I personally haven’t had any bad experiences in that area. They want to play but at the same time, there’s certain guys that know that we have to be smart. You’re looking to get work in the preseason and at the same time you’re looking to get the guys you want to the regular season, so where’s the fine line of (staying) healthy but still getting what you need to get to get ready for that first game?”
(On if the short plays run in practice are a result of play calling or plays getting checked down) – “The whole league is 10 yards and under. That’s what it is. Nobody is going down the field like that. There is one team that does it really, maybe two – Pittsburgh and Arizona. They hold onto the ball and they chuck it down the field. More teams than not, it is 10 yards and under. That’s where all the passing game is. The d-ends are too good. If you want to stand back there and have your quarterback get his brains beat out, go at it.”
(On WR DeVante Parker’s status for Friday) – “I’ve got to watch practice and see how he looked. We’ll see how it goes. I want to make sure he’s good. I don’t want any setbacks with him.”
(On if he can tell when guys are pressing in preseason games and if he takes that into account when he judges them) – “Yes, you can tell. You start watching the game … Really it starts going with the mental. When guys start busting their assignments with things they don’t normally do, that’s when you start to realize there’s something not right. You keep an eye on it. You evaluate it after the game. You evaluate everything – how was he on the sideline? What was the look in his eye? That’s the good part about being down (on the sideline), a guy like (Wide Receivers Coach) Shawn Jefferson will be able to tell me, ‘Hey, this guy did not have a good look in his eye.’”
(On if he takes that into account when he makes the final 53-man roster) – “Yes, because if a guy is freaking out in a preseason game, there’s a good chance he’s going to … like Seattle. I don’t know if you’ve been there lately; it’s interesting.”
(On his first preseason game as a head coach) – “I’m lucky to have the two coordinators on offense and defense and then to have a special teams coach as involved as we have him right now with (Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Darren) Rizzi. I don’t know. It feels comfortable to me. The fact that having those guys around you and even a guy like (Linebackers Coach) Matt Burke, who is a smart guy and involved in what we’re doing situationally and the conversation that we have every day in practice. That’s why we do as much situational work as we do because if we screw something up, that conversation is happening fast and we’re like, ‘Okay, maybe we should have done this and maybe called timeout here.’ So those discussions are going on. I feel like the biggest thing is going to be getting into that rhythm of calling plays and now we have to start thinking about timeouts and things like that in 2-minute drives.”
(On if that was something he was involved with in previous stops) – “I mean, having (Chicago Bears Head Coach John) Fox, because him not calling either side of the ball, it made it really easy on me. I was just calling plays until somebody told me to stop, which was nice. It won’t quite be … we don’t have that luxury.”
(On what he expects from his team on Friday night) – “I just want energy. I want energy and I want guys flying around. If guys screw up, oh well. Just go 100 miles per hour. I know with what we’ve done out (on the practice field), that should take over. We’ve been practicing in some tough conditions. Today wasn’t easy. The guys battled. Nobody said anything. (They) just grinded it out. If we come out with that kind of mentality and enjoy what we’re doing, we should play fast.”
Jordan Phillips – August 9, 2016
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Tuesday, August 9, 2016
Defensive Tackle Jordan Phillips
(On taking advantage of showing his skillset with DT Earl Mitchell out of practice) – “Stuff happens and you have to take advantage of it when it happens. That’s all I’m trying to do.”
(On how training camp is going for him) – “I’m doing the same thing I was doing: trying to work hard and whatever happens, happens.”
(On the competition between himself and DT Earl Mitchell) – “It’s great. Earl (Mitchell) brings the best out of me, because I know he’s going to come out and work hard every day. He’s a hell of a player, and he works his (butt) off every day.”
(On how he has improved as a player from last year’s training camp) – “I know what to expect. I know how to work a little bit harder.”
(On the biggest eye opener for him last year) – “Just how much I actually didn’t know about football technically and studying film and stuff like that.”
(On letting technique catch up to his natural ability as a player) – “I’ve been getting better. Everything is coming into play.”
(On facing another team in the first preseason game) – “I’m ready for it. Everybody knows what you can do out here, so I’m ready to show somebody else.”
(On whether Defensive Line Coach Terrell Williams and Senior Defensive Assistant/Pass Rush Specialist Jim Washburn reinforce playing with a high motor every play) – “Every day it’s, ‘Run to the ball.’ They’re going to remind you every day, because that’s what we’re trying to be known for – being aggressive.”
(On where he trained this offseason) – “I just did my own thing.”
(On whether he trained in Miami or at home) – “I was back home (in) Kansas.”
DeVante Parker – August 9, 2016
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Tuesday, August 9, 2016
Wide Receiver DeVante Parker
(On if it seemed like a long wait to return to the field after missing three or four practices) – “I’m not sure how many it was but yes, it was a long wait. (Head) Coach (Adam Gase) and everybody wanted to make sure that I was 100 percent when I came back. You don’t want to come right in and rush into anything so you have to be patient with it.”
(On how his injury responded today) – “It felt good today. (I had) limited reps but those reps were good.”
(On if it has been a frustrating offseason to not practice as much as he would like) – “It is frustrating. You want to be out here with your teammates and be practicing and getting better with them but things like (injuries) happen so you just have to get back and get healthy.”
(On if he expects to play in the preseason opener on Friday night) – “I think that’s the plan but we have to see how I feel the rest of the week.”
(On how he thinks the offense looks with or without him) – “I think our offense looks good with or without me. We have all types of weapons – ‘Juice’ (Jarvis Landry), Kenny (Stills) and everybody else and (Jordan) Cameron and them. We still have a good offense with or without me. I’m just another reliable source and know that whenever I come back, to help the team out.
(On if he feels like he is up to speed with the offense) – “Yes, I feel I am. There are just some things I have to look back and look over.”
(On his chemistry with QB Ryan Tannehill) – “I feel like we have good chemistry. Even though I missed a couple of days of practice, I still feel like the chemistry is still there.”
(On if there is anything he can do to prevent future injuries) – “Yes, I just have to hydrate – that’s the biggest thing. It’s nothing serious; it’s just all about hydrating.”
Ryan Tannehill – August 9, 2016
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Tuesday, August 9, 2016
Quarterback Ryan Tannehill
(On whether the offense practiced well today) – “We came out and practiced well today. I think the guys came out with purpose, with intensity, with enthusiasm and executed. That’s what it comes down to – coming out, pushing the tempo, pushing each other and executing. I think we did that today.”
(On Saturday’s scrimmage) – “We didn’t play well. We didn’t play well anywhere on the offensive side of the ball from top to bottom – from ones, twos or threes. We didn’t play well. We didn’t come out. We didn’t execute. We got dominated upfront. We wanted to respond and come out and correct the things that we didn’t do well that day, and I think today we showed that we can bounce back and come out and play the way we want to play.”
(On what he said to the team after Saturday’s scrimmage) – “We talked. I’m not going to get into what I said, but everyone already knew that it wasn’t acceptable how we came out and practiced. We have limited days. (The) season is coming up upon us, and we have to be ready to go when the first game hits. (We) can’t have a wasted day, and to me, that was kind of a wasted day. I think everyone realizes that and doesn’t want to let it happen again.”
(On whether Saturday’s scrimmage was an indicator of the offense’s progress so far) – “No, it’s not an indicator by any stretch. I think it’s one practice. That’s what it was: practice. You can’t overanalyze one practice. You have to look at the whole body of work and the steps that we’re taking day in and day out and building off of it each and every day.”
(On whether the offense is where it needs to be) – “You don’t really know where you need to be until you get there. But I do know that we’re coming out here with a purpose every day. We’re working to get better, and that’s all you want to see at this point.”
(On his comfort level with the offense and if he’s more comfortable than he was Saturday) – “I think it’s the offense as a whole. We came out, and we played well, and we executed (today). The offensive line did a great job protecting and enabling me to make throws downfield. (Our) receivers were getting open and making plays. That’s the whole thing. (that Head) Coach (Adam) Gase talked about yesterday is (the) defense, they can have nine busts and two guys make a play and everyone thinks it’s a great play on defense. Offense, you have one guy bust, and it looks terrible. It’s a matter of getting all 11 guys on the same page and clicking and (being) consistent.”
(On what he wants to accomplish in the first preseason game) – “I want to go out and execute. I think that it’s our first chance to go against another team. Obviously, that’s exciting. You kind of get tired of hitting each other in camp, especially the guys up front. I think we’re excited about the potential we have (and) the steps that we’ve made. To go out and have an opportunity to go against a fresh team – a fresh defense – and really test ourselves is going to be a lot of fun.”
(On WR DeVante Parker returning to practice and if that helped the offense come to life today) – “It’s nice to have DeVante back. (In) that two-minute drive, I threw the comeback to him, got him back in the huddle, and I said, ‘Man, it’s nice to have you back.’ It’s one of those things. He’s a good player. He stretches the field for us. You put him on one side, Kenny (Stills) on the other side, Jarvis (Landry) in the middle and we have three really dynamic playmakers. When you take (DeVante Parker) out of the equation, obviously it’s a little bit tougher. It’s nice to have him on the field. That’s where we want him.”
(On where he is at with learning the offense) – “Some of the new stuff we’re just putting in (now). We’re still installing, so some of the stuff we’re putting in is still new. (We are) still going through some of the thinking. That’s going to happen at this stage of training camp with the new offense (for) myself and everyone else. That, obviously, slows us down and keeps us from playing as fast as we want to play. The more reps we get, the more practices we go through, that’s going to continue to decrease the amount of thinking that goes on and the more playing we can do, and that’s when you’re going to see us really play to our full potential.”
(On whether his reaction to Saturday’s scrimmage is part of being a leader) – “It’s part of my role to push the guys around me to be the best they can be. I think that’s part of being a leader: pushing the guys around you to be the best they can be. That, obviously, wasn’t the best that we could be. You have to try to do everything you can to consistently push guys around you to elevate their game.”
(On his leadership role with the new coaching staff) – “I think Adam (has) completely enabled me. I think I have the credibility now to pretty much demand excellence out of these guys. That’s what I’m trying to do.”
(On how many series the first team offense will play against the Giants) – “I have no idea. (I am) looking forward to taking advantage of every rep we get and really just playing fast.”
Adam Gase – August 9, 2016
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Tuesday, August 9, 2016
Head Coach Adam Gase
(On how QB Ryan Tannehill has handled taking on a bigger leadership role) – “He’s been good. I thought today was one of those days were I felt like he came out with a purpose and was very aggressive as far as he was chirping a little bit out there, especially amongst our guys. I think he was more focused on our group, just really preaching what we’ve been talking about like sticking with our process, positive plays (and) getting completions. I thought he did a good job of when we did get some pressure, he got rid of the ball (and) wasn’t trying to hang on anything. Today was a good day for him as far as, I felt I saw some growth there as far as his personality coming out and taking control of the offense.”
(On how significant was it for WR DeVante Parker to be back out at practice) – “It was good in the fact that I know he’s been driving (Wide Receivers Coach) Shawn Jefferson crazy as far as ‘Why won’t they let me back out?’ But that’s two (injuries) since spring so we were going to go through our process. We’re not going to have, you practice for two days and then we don’t see you for two weeks. So the trainers and the strength staff and the sports science guys did a great job as far as just making sure we were all on the same page. We all felt good about him coming out today, getting reps (and) going through individual. The toughest part for him is surviving individuals (and) what Shawn (Jefferson) does. You get through that then practice is a breeze.”
(On if he plans on WR DeVante Parker playing on Friday) – “I’m still thinking about that. I’m not sure what we’re going to do to be honest with you. We’ll keep looking at that. We really haven’t told our guys anything. I just told them just be ready to go (and we’ll) ee how it goes. It could be 30 plays (or it) could be six. I just really don’t know.”
(On how WR DeVante Parker looked today) – “I look more at just kind of where his mind is. I’m not worried about him as a football player. It’s just about learning the offense, learning the adjustments and seeing him just knowing where to go constantly and running the right route. That’s the biggest thing for me with him.”
(On how much of an impact could WR DeVante Parker have in the red zone and how big of a role he will play in the offense) – “It’s hard to say right now. I haven’t seen him practice enough. We haven’t really gotten into specifics as far as who’s going to do what. We’re trying to give everybody an opportunity across the board to do as much as they can (and) show us as much as they can. Then once we get into the regular season, then we’ll start getting specific as far as, ‘Hey, Jarvis (Landry), this is going to be your specialty or Kenny (Stills), this is going to be your deal or DeVante (Parker), Jordan (Cameron), Dion (Sims) like all those guys.’ It’s going to take a little time for us to figure that out.”
(On WR DeVante Parker’s skill set and what he might do a little better) – “I mean he’s a big man that can move. So when you throw a ball down the field, he can either go get it or if you underthrow a ball, he can make it right. You have room for error as a quarterback and those kind of guys, there’s not a ton of them.”
(On if he was pleased with what the tight ends have done for two weeks or if he’s looking for a lot more) – “I think we can grow that spot as far as what we’re doing. I think right now we’re probably doing enough to make sure those guys are still involved in the offense but at the same time not overloading them with information. It is a different system for both of those guys, especially the two guys that play the most. We’ve kind of pulled back as far as how much we’re doing with those guys. We really loaded them up in the spring and then now we’ve kind of cut it back a little bit and then we’ll grow it as we go.”
(On DT Jordan Phillips getting more opportunities and what he sees from him as far as consistency and intensity) – “I wasn’t really looking at those guys today as far as what was going on. I know the other night, for a guy that size, just seeing him finish and running down the field and being disruptive and penetration, he did a great job in the scrimmage. And then yesterday, he did a good job again. I mean he’s showing … two days in a row I’d be interested to see what it looks like today on film. So that’s the biggest thing for some of these guys – especially the young guys – it’s understanding that you want to constantly just keep putting good tape out there, every day. It can’t be like great, great, I didn’t really show up today. That’s when you get nervous as a coach because that means on Sunday, who are you getting?”
(On what he wants to see from QB Ryan Tannehill in Friday’s preseason game) – “I guess I’m not really so much focused on him. I’m more focused on the entire group. I just love to see our guys go out there with confidence and our execution has got to be the number one priority for us. And the more guys we can get to do their job and not go off on their own and go outside the box, that’s going to be a good step for us because obviously the other night was our first real test and we failed it miserably. So this will be another one and we’ll be going against some good players, if they play, a lot of their guys and a scheme that you got to be ready (for). In the first preseason game you’re going to see what we’ve been seeing here for (Defensive Coordinator) Vance’s (Joseph) 12th install or whatever. They’re going to have to be ready to go. This is not going to be one of those deals where they just line up and play one coverage. They’re going to see some different stuff. Our guys have got to use their rules of the offense and they’re going to have to make some adjustments.”
(On his general philosophy about playing veterans starters in the preseason) – “Every guy is different. We’ll take a look at basically who’s healthy (and) what’s the best for us for this game? That’s where you can run into some problems where all of a sudden we get some back end guys that get hurt and banged up and you don’t have a choice. We’re going to have to take a look at who do we have going into this game and then make decisions off that.”
(On if we’ll see a lot of G/T Laremy Tunsil on Friday) – “I haven’t really thought about it but I’m assuming that we’re probably going to give him a pretty good amount of action.”
(On the reasons behind S Michael Thomas taking as many reps at nickel as he has) – “I think what we’re looking for on defense is we’re giving guys opportunity and we’re moving guys around. Once again, I know I talk about the o-line making sure you have multiple guys being able to play multiple positions. On defense, it’s the same thing. We don’t want the first time … Let’s say Bobby (McCain) is the guy in Week 1 and then something happened to him and all of a sudden Michael (Thomas) gets thrown in there. It’s not new for him. He’s working with those guys in training camp. I know it seems strange but you always want to work on those contingency plans and move guys in and out so you get used to different guys being in there. The communication factor like we talked about yesterday – the DBs have to communicate. (When) a different guy is in there, we have to get used to that.”
(On WR Jarvis Landry catching so many passes in practice and if he wants to see the ball spread around more) – “I told him, I said ‘One day, I tried to script every play to where he wasn’t in the progression and somehow the ball gets to him.” The guy is like a magnet. It really is. I’ve never seen anything like it. He does his job right and the coverage seems to take Ryan (Tannehill) there a lot of times. I’d be more concerned if I was like, ‘Why are you forcing this throw?’ But that’s not what’s happening. (Landry)’s in the right place at the right time and they play certain coverages and the ball ends up going to him where (Tannehill) loses a progression or he ends up getting taken there by the coverage. There is (some chemistry). The guy (Landry) just has some kind of thing going on where that ball just wants to go to him.”
(On a situation where a team decides we aren’t going to let WR Jarvis Landry beat us) – “Then the ball goes somewhere else. We still are working on certain things. You see Kenny (Stills) catching plenty of balls and today Griff (Whalen) had some good plays and then DeVante (Parker) will always have his opportunities. The more we can get the tight ends involved and the (running) backs involved, the ball will start getting spread out. Practice is … we have some periods where it is labeled and certain periods it seems like one guy is getting the ball because of whatever the defense is doing. I think it will get to the point when we get into games, it will equal out; but like I said, somehow that (football) just seems to find him.”
(On the trend of fullbacks disappearing) – “This has been a discussion, at least for me, because working for (Chicago Bears Head) Coach (John) Fox); he had a history with having a fullback. Where we kind of ran into the problem was that we liked staying on the ball, we didn’t like changing personnel and we always liked the fact of having a guy that could play the fullback role slash still be a guy that we could flex out plus play in-line. We’re really being a little pickier as far as we want a guy that can do it all, and then play special teams as well. We didn’t want to get stuck in a spot where we had some experience with a fullback when we were first at Denver and he was getting like eight plays a game. We just felt like let’s get the guy out there that is going to play 30 plays a game on just offense, plus special teams. We just kind of looked at it like that. We just wanted to make sure that it wasn’t a specialty position. We wanted a guy that can do the entire thing.
(On his thoughts about having tablets on the sideline during games) – “I’m going to pass on that one. I’m not a big fan of it. I like using the pictures. I just feel like when you’re looking at video, it’s not for me. I like the fact that it’s kind of a chess match. When you have the still shots, you don’t always know what is going on. It’s kind of that being able to go to the sideline and talk to your players, that’s part of the game as far as who is giving you the right information, who is working hard enough that week to prepare yourself to where if somebody does something on the field, you either see it or somebody in the box sees it. To me, that’s part of the challenge of being a coach. I love the fact that when you get players that are really smart and they understand it, and what they see on the field and they can bring that information back to you, that gives you an advantage. When you start using the video tablets, it takes that out of it.”
(On his thoughts about using QB Ryan Tannehill in the read-option game to move him out of the pocket) – “We’ll see how it goes with that. I haven’t had great success in the past because I haven’t had a ton of mobile guys. We have some things that we could use. We’re just going to take a little bit at a time. It’s hard to run against our defense. If we want to run it and just make it … it’ll look terrible. We’re trying to get some more positive plays, especially in this part of camp. We’ll probably focus more on that in walkthroughs and things like that. There will be a time and a place for it but once again, when you’re putting your quarterback out there, especially in the zone-read game, you just better make sure you’re right because you don’t want him taking unnecessary shots.”
(On if moving the pocket is part of his playbook) – “It can be. It’s in there but against our defense … Every time we run a naked, I love watching Mario Williams run past (Tannehill’s) face and tell me he just killed him. That’s a great feeling. That’ll discourage you real quick against the defense.”
(On if moving the quarterback cuts off half the field) – “It does. That’s the one thing, if it’s not open, it’s a frustrating thing. You really got to feel comfortable with what you called and just know, ‘Hey, it’s either going to be here, here or that thing is going out of bounds.’ Or hopefully you get a lane where you can take off and run. But once again, now you have these guys coming from here and (your quarterback) doesn’t see it and it’s going to be a deadly shot.”
