Vic Fangio – June 8, 2023
Thursday, June 8, 2023
Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio
(I wanted to ask you about bringing aboard pass game coordinator/secondary coach Renaldo Hill in his position, and his familiarity with this scheme, and what went into bringing him on?) – “Renaldo was with me in Denver for two years, really liked him as a coach. Was really happy and excited to get him back and to join us here. He’s been a great help to me. He’s really the only guy on the staff that has worked with me before and has good knowledge of our system. He’s been a great help. He’s a great coach with a great future.”
(After getting several weeks of incorporating the scheme with this unit. What’s the process over the next month or so before training camp? Do you throw some stuff out, or do you say “ok, I want to incorporate some new stuff?” How does that work for you?) – “The next month or so I vacation. But we’ll be thinking about it and working about it. We’re at that process. We gave them a lot this offseason on purpose. We wanted to expose them to a lot of stuff to see what fits them, what doesn’t, what looks good, what doesn’t, what needs to keep being worked on. These guys have done a good job picking up what we’re doing. By no means is it perfect right now, but I think they have a good feel, and a good foundation that hopefully we can build upon in training camp.”
(What type of things intrigue you about a guy like S Jevon Holland?) – “There’s a lot, everything. He’s a highly talented player, highly instinctive player, highly smart player, tough player, loves the game, there is nothing I don’t like about him.”
(While most of your background is working with the defensive side, you do have experience working with both areas at head coach. What is it about your defense that makes it difficult for offenses to prepare?) – “I don’t know. The better the players we have, that’s what makes it more difficult to prepare for. We try and have a simple but yet subtle complex scheme, and hopefully it causes them problems.”
Mike McDaniel – June 8, 2023
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Thursday, June 8, 2023
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(We have one more day left here in the spring program, but what’s your evaluation of the work so far from OTAs and what you guys got accomplished during this program?) – “That’s a good one because, to be honest, I’m very, very happy, as happy as I could be I think with where we’re at right now. I talked to the team at length. We have a lot of good players that have ambitions to be great. A lot of people have high expectations for this team. So what does that mean? That means, in my opinion, and I think as I’ve observed, our shared team’s opinion, is that means we need to put our best foot forward and go to work each and every day. So I am super, super pumped about where we’re at in Phase 3 with one practice, really left, and that’s awesome. Now, what does that mean? Again, it means check that box. Oh yeah, by the way, nothing. Because the players have to understand that this is the steppingstone. Now in front of us, we have an extended period of time off where they’re going to have to count on each other to stay in shape and be in training camp shape. So you have to show up to training camp in shape and you have to diligently go about training camp. Step by step by step, that’s where our focus has been this offseason. Because of that, I’ve seen guys, we had a very hard-working offseason last year. I think, you know, if we had time travel available and we’d practice against ourselves from last year, extremely confident that this year’s version, 2023, would get the best of them. Now, we had a tremendous time-off period and had a very good training camp last year. So again, it just means checking the box but for a goal-oriented team, I’ve seen people transfer their emotions the right way, which is into the work and into their investment. We have a tight team now because, shared sacrifice.”
(A veteran running back from the Minnesota Vikings who is from Miami is supposedly going to be released today or has been released. You have said that this team is always seeking to upgrade. Does that apply at running back right now?) – “March 6, 1983, the day I was born, right? Now we take a closer look at that date and that in fact was not yesterday. (laughter) Okay, so people that are rumored to be tall, short, people that are rumored to be, you’re not going to get this guy. I’m Year 2. Okay? (laughter) What I am excited about is talking about the most important thing which is the third day of veteran minicamp and we’ve got a lot of guys that are good players that have an opportunity to get better. Answer your question?”
(Yes, not to my satisfaction. But yes.) – “I mean, unless you’re trying to run me out of town, you know.”
(How do you feel about your running backs as a whole?) – “The running back group, it’s developed into a really cool group. Very pumped to sign Raheem (Mostert) and Jeff (Wilson Jr.) back in the offseason. Then the Washington boys have been outstanding as usual, gaining, just getting better all the time. With ‘SA’ (Salvon Ahmed) and Myles (Gaskin). Then we have a couple of rookies that have done a good job being rookies, which means learning from mistakes. So overall, very happy with the way they’ve practiced, very happy with their competitive camaraderie. They’re all trying to be the best, but they’re not doing it in spite of each other. They recognize that each one of them can help each other get better. So it’s been a cool camp for them.”
(I wanted to ask about Passing Game Coordinator/Secondary Renaldo Hill and his position because bringing him aboard sort of changes the structure of the coaching staff on the defensive side. Was that your idea or Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio’s idea and what have you seen out of him?) – ”All ideas are always mine. (laughter) No, obviously I have such a high opinion of Vic Fangio and have really admired, learned so much before I even worked with them. As soon as he made his decision to take his talents to South Beach, we started talking about the functionality of a defensive staff and the way it can look. One of the things that is paramount in trying to implement a system is having really good coaches, obviously, but you’re talking about so many things, so many little details that have to be answered. Familiarity with a system or working with someone with a system is tremendous advantage for Vic and thereby the entire defense. Then through conversations and how it played out, over the moon to have the opportunity to add a coach of his (Renaldo Hill) caliber. It was more out of the opportunity rather than necessity, I would say, to empower the players with the most and best knowledge possible. I think it’s very important that players understand that coaches, their purpose serves to just make them better. So it’s very important, it’s critical, that a coaching staff works together well and that people are trying to utilize the various talents. That’s all I’ve seen from Vic’s staff really, and specifically every coach in the back end, because there’s multiple positions. There are good players that want the investment that yearn for the investment. As long as they’re working together, which they’ve done an unbelievable job with Joe (Kasper) and Sam (Madison) and Mathieu (Araujo), collectively going after it. It’s been cool to see and I’ve very much enjoyed my time, my professional time, with Renaldo and feel very fortunate to have him.”
(Can you talk a little bit about the tight ends. It Looks like you’ve got a group of in-line guys. It looks like TE’s Tanner Conner and Elijah Higgins are kind of the off-line guys. Can you talk a little bit about that competition and what you’re trying to accomplish?) – “I think it’s incredibly important that offensive players have rigid roles and make sure you tell the defensive coordinators that, that they’ll only do certain things. (laughter) There’s a teaching progression, I’d say. It’s important for players as they develop to, there’s always parts of the game that they need to develop. Specifically tight end, it’s a unique position where you’re both receiver and offensive lineman, right? So you need them to do what they already walked in the door good at, or in their minds their strengths, so that they can continue to develop something that is they’re confident in their game. But with tight ends specifically, you’re always adjusting it person by person and some faster than others. But you’re always trying to really work on the stuff that maybe they’re not as confident in, or maybe they didn’t have as much production in. So in OTAs, you kind of see guys doing a lot of what they’ve done in the past with little nuggets each and every day so you can still keep them confident playing football because that’s the only way you can get real reps. Going out and being like, ah, doesn’t get anyone better, including the defense. So, you’ll see a progression of usage so that defensive coordinators can’t notice the same thing you did.”
(Last night, Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra was talking about his players being on the same page competitively and speaking the same kind of language that way. With some of the new guys, especially CB Jalen Ramsey, have you felt any change in that within the team?) – “Yeah, it’s cool. The National Football League is set up so that there’s a natural turnover, just in general. I talked to the team at the end of last season. I talked to the team at the beginning of this season. Like, it’s never the same. So I think to approach with assumptions can leave you vulnerable to missing stuff. So you go with an open mind, new season. What I’ve seen from this team is, if you want to say it’s the new guys coming in, or if you want to say it’s the learned lessons from the team from last year. Collectively, to me, I see a more mature, more intentional, more focused group. And we had a fairly focused group last year. But we’ve really, everything that we’ve done, every Phase 1 meeting, every Phase 2 thing on the field, every Phase 3 practice, I can honestly say that guys got something out of each day. That is hard pressed to do with all the different variables and it takes a cohesion of an organization because players have to trust the intent of the coaches, players have to trust the awesome, unbelievable training staff we have. They have to be the right type of human beings that are trying to be great and willing to do the work to be so. So you better have the right human beings you’re directed at with the personnel department. All of that stuff comes into play. But I see this team being, for some of the things that you may have felt like you were lacking as a team last year that could have positively affected outcomes, those things I’m seeing glimpses of at this stage with this team.”
(I wanted to ask you about the philosophy of the organization from resource allocation standpoint. You guys spend money and use up draft picks on important positions in the league such as cornerback, quarterback, offensive tackle, wide receiver, but the flip side is you can’t spend it on everything. What decisions do you make when it comes to, say guard, or running back and there’s a big name that comes out in the market but might not kind of fit?) – “You know, that’s a cool question because the answer to it, I’m very convicted in. I think that sometimes in the effort to have a philosophy, you can pigeonhole yourself into a formula that I don’t think any formula is the same. So what I’m attempting to say is that it’s case by case but that’s intentional. With Chris (Grier) and I talking we think that you can fall into traps. It’s not, okay ‘always this, always that.’ It’s ‘okay, what is this? Is this worth the cost?’ If you’re going to trade away an asset, how attainable is that asset? Oh, this is the only time we will have the opportunity to have a player of this caliber unless you’re a top-ten pick. Well, that’s a reason. Or, you know what? There’s a litany of it. So for me to say, okay, philosophy is this, is this. You trade away assets or you devote assets, which is what a contract is, because we’re in a salary cap. Those things are dependent on, alright, well, how much of a risk is this investment and, oh, this is worth it? Then we’ll build around that. Having an open-mindedness, I think that’s one of the things that have allowed us to get some really good players through transactions of trade in the past two year. Though, that was not necessarily a philosophy as searching. But when the opportunity presented itself, it made a lot of sense considering it’s all about the collective of the team and what you can offset. I see it as an ever-changing equation.”
(You’ve mentioned some areas you feel like you’ve grown from last year. I know you’re always pushing. Is there an area you see maybe into training camp where you’re like, “hey I’d love for us to grow towards this area or maybe improve towards this particular area”?) – “Yeah, the wins. Like I’ve said before, the only thing keeping me from being critical about everything that I do is insecurity. That’s the way I look at it.”
(That doesn’t make any sense. So what does that mean?) – “Well, if you’re unwilling to consider an action, a component of your job, if you’re unwilling to do that, that’s to protect yourself because well what if it wasn’t the best way to do it? I think you can challenge yourself in every decision or everything that literally you do. You can challenge yourself and say, ‘is that the best thing?’ And if it is, awesome. If it isn’t, who cares? Change it. It’s about continually developing and getting better, I think is kind of the race in my opinion of this job. I look at everything across the board and by and large, the things that our team wasn’t good at, you know I mentioned some stuff before. It’s one thing to try to be an offense that’s explosive. It’s another thing to be that and be diligent in your pre-snap formations and penalties in general. Turnovers are a priority, which I think, as a matter of fact I know, the schematic change that we’ve made really puts our best foot forward to rectify that. Then from press conferences to team speeches to gameplans to play calling, I’m not doing my job unless I’m trying to be better at it. So if I’m going to ask players to try to improve and coaches to try to improve and trainers to try to improve, I look at it as like, my voice is loud but they’re not going to just do it because I said so. It’s my job to set the precedent. So what am I looking to do better? Literally everything, because I don’t think I’d be doing right by the Dolphins, the franchise, the fanbase, you guys, if I was like, ‘no I’m good.’”
(A couple of guys that we never touched on, T Brandon Shell, why the decision against bringing him back and LB Melvin Ingram, is something still a possibility there with him a free agent?) – “One guy, is he on a team? I believe he is, but that’s fine. In general, you did talk about two players and those two particular players I can honestly say, it was not no we don’t want them back. It is a capitalistic market and we have a finite allocation of funds. Players have opportunities, especially good ones. So then sometimes guys say hey, I’m only going to play for a certain amount of money. Some guys say, ‘I will play but I have these options.’ Just because they’re not on the team doesn’t mean that we didn’t want them back. They were very good players for us and I enjoyed both of those guys. But you know, business.”
Tyreek Hill – June 8, 2023
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Thursday, June 8, 2023
WR Tyreek Hill
(Was this offseason more of a maintenance year?) – “I mean, you can say that, but for me going into Year 2 it’s all about learning the playbook more, understanding where Tua (Tagovailoa) wants me to be at on the field and how just everything operates. Last year for me was like a blur. I had to come, I had to learn the playbook, I had to get to know my teammates. And this year everything has slowed down, so I’m just really trying to understand playbook, formations and routes and route depths and stuff like that. So it’s going pretty well.”
(What was your understanding level last year percentage-wise?) – “Look man, look. Last year I was just out there balling. You feel me? I was just out there just using all athleticism. Like, ‘here, Tua, I’m going to be here and we’re just going to do that.’ So this year should be a crazier year not only for me, but for also for the other wideouts.”
(Do you think 2,000 is realistic for you?) – “Oh yeah, for sure. I think the added game gives me quite the advantage, so yeah.”
(Last year you guys started out on fire and then you had sort of a plateau as the season went on and WR Jaylen Waddle has talked about this. How do you have a more consistent year?) – “Obviously staying healthy. That’s the biggest thing for all of us, and I feel like some injuries derailed us from being exactly where we wanted to at last year, so just staying healthy, being available for one another and just practicing fundamentals and techniques each and every week and staying accountable.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel mentioned some things you guys were kind of lacking last year that could’ve affected the outcomes. He said he’s seen glimpses of changes of those things. Is there anything specific that you can think of that you’ve noticed that you guys have improved majorly in?) – “I will tell you this, man. Tua has stepped up a lot in his leadership role. I know last year was my first year playing with him, but seeing him this year, he’s more vocal with the offense and leading and group chats and stuff like that. Organizing outside workouts outside of the Miami Dolphins stadium because I told him when I first got here. I said, ‘Bro, you should be comfortable with telling a group of wideouts to just meet you somewhere.’ We’re going to pull up regardless, so he’s been doing a great job.”
(But overall for the whole team is there anything major you guys have noticed that…?) – “I feel like we’re only going to go as far as our quarterback is going to take us. He’s QB1 so that’s the only thing I watch.”
(Do you guys have a throwing session planned for over the summer?) – “Yes, so I’m really hoping that Tua wants to go back to Hawaii because that way I can sneak a vacation in with the family and also get some work in.”
(You want to invite us to that?) – “You guys are more than welcome to come. You guys can come on over. We’ll all fly with Spirit Airlines together.”
(What will it take to get to that 2,000-yard number?) – “For me, not getting injured, coming in each and every day wanting to get better, wanting to be coached. And I feel like I’ve got the right tools around me. I’ve got obviously the most accurate quarterback in the NFL, I’ve got one of the best head coaches in the NFL and also my position coach is a monster also. So just having those three things and me just keeping the same mindset each and every day that I want to get better and I want to break the record and I do want to break the record. So I feel like this is one of those years that I can achieve it.”
(How much do you think having a guy like WR Robbie Chosen added to this offense will benefit everybody?) – “It’s going to benefit a lot. I feel like having another speed guy, it never can go wrong by adding another speed guy. Him being 6’3 – I didn’t know he was that tall – so him being 6’3, lanky, being able to catch the ball with ease is definitely going to help us out in the red zone because he’s a taller guy that can run some routes that me and ‘J. Dub’ (Jaylen Waddle) may not be able to run. So adding him is definitely going to be valuable.”
Jerome Baker – June 7, 2023
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Wednesday, June 7, 2023
LB Jerome Baker
(Your early impressions of being in this defense after being on the field now? CB Jalen Ramsey, and CB Xavien Howard were saying on the back end is not all zone, it’s not as much zone as people think. What do you think overall and different specifics of the defense, what are your thoughts?) – “You’ve got to be a smart player to play in this defense, but once you get it down and once you have an idea of what you’re doing it’s so fun playing. Just the different things we do, the different things we ask from guys, it’s definitely going to be fun so I’m excited.”
(What are your thoughts on the rookie LB Aubrey Miller and what he’s been able to do?) – “He’s a fun guy. He’s really just trying to learn. Every play he’s trying to figure out how he could get better. That’s all you can really ask for from rookies. They don’t know what they are doing yet, but just try to soak in all the information and he’s definitely trying to do that.”
(Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio… how are you getting along, and what have you noticed about him?) – “He’s a great guy. He really is. He’s one of those coaches that he will sit down and explain every guy’s role what they got to do on every play and that’s all you can ask for as a linebacker. You really just try to understand the defense and he really sits down and explains everybody’s role and how you can get better. Whether you do good or not he’s just coaching you up to get better. It’s definitely fun.”
(I was asking Head Coach Mike McDaniel about basically culture. How important is it to have guys that buy in and the window in the NFL is short because of free agency, and guys moving around. How important is that?) – “It is super important. That’s when you lean on the leaders and the guys that have been here and they know what we’re about. We have great leaders, we have guys that really buy in. We have young guys that are just willing to do anything to get on the field and help our team win and that’s all you can really ask for.”
(How big of a part of that is the head coach?) – “He sets the tone for everything. Even the first day we came in he set the tone of ‘all we’re going to do is try to win the offseason right now and worry about the season when it comes.’ I think we all have been doing that.”
(When it comes to QB Tua Tagovailoa we see a physical difference, he’s put on some weight. What are you seeing as far as his progression, and what’s different about him now?) – “He’s one of those guys that every year he’s trying to get better at every aspect. This year you can tell physically he looks different. Mentally he’s sharp, I don’t think he’s thrown a pick this offseason. Mentally he’s just sharp, and he’s on it. You can tell now that he’s on guys when they are not doing right and that’s just good to see.”
(Yesterday LB Jaelan Phillips talked about how this offense stresses the edge position and how tough it is to react. I’m curious from this second level position how this offense challenges you in that role?) – “The amount of speed we have is kind of crazy. Every day it feels like a track meet. Like I said, right now it is a track meet because there are no pads on. We got to keep pushing through this offseason and when the season comes we’ve got to just lock it in and see what we are about.”
(This is Year 6 for you, do you have any personal goals, or accolades that you want to accomplish this year?) – “Personally – I have my personal goals I keep to myself – but honestly I want to win some games in the playoffs and see what we can do. I think last year I got a taste of it and now I want more. That’s really my main goal, is to get to the playoffs and win some games.”
(Do you think with the South Florida teams winning in the postseason, do you think that will rub off on you guys?) – “Yeah, I hope so. Shout out to the Heat, shout out to the Panthers and everybody. I hope it rubs off on us we got to taste of it last year. When it’s our time to do it, hopefully we win some more games.”
(Does that Buffalo game stick in the back of your mind, or do you kind of wash it away and move on to the next season?) – “Personally of course I’m still thinking about that. I always think about plays that I could’ve done better, especially when it’s a close game like that you definitely think about the plays you could’ve done better. Of course I’m thinking about it. But as a team, it’s last year. We’ve got a new team so nobody really cares about it.”
(What do you think about the Heat and the way they’ve been able to do it as an eight-seed with a bunch of guys that hardly nobody knew?) – “That’s just a credit to their team. Their mentality is no matter what we’re going to go in there and fight, and as you see it’s working out for them and hopefully they get it done.”
(You’ve talked about the Heat, and the Panthers and it seems like Inter Miami is getting ready to make a move and bring Lionel Messi to South Florida. What do you think about that? It’s a big-time move right?) – “Yeah, it’s definitely big time. I guess you can say Miami is trying to win some ball games around here. That’s just the credit to the culture of Miami. We’re just trying to win in every aspect and it’s going to be a good one.”
Tua Tagovailoa – June 7, 2023
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Wednesday, June 7, 2023
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(Inter Miami just got Lionel Messi. What do you think it does for the Miami sports culture?) – “We’re getting Lionel Messi? I just got done watching ‘Ted Lasso.’ Anyone watch ‘Ted Lasso’? That thing’s awesome. I thought you were pulling my leg because someone told you that. But I’ve been raving about how good ‘Ted Lasso’ was in the locker room. But that’s awesome. Got another superstar. Big, big names out here in Miami. It’s good for the culture out here, just like what the Heat got going on and what the Panthers got going on.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel talked about your ownership of the offense and leadership role here in your second year in this system. I’m curious to hear your perspective on how you feel more comfortable in the second year?) – “Yeah, we feel extremely comfortable coming off of a year having to study, having to get a good feel of how Mike (McDaniel) calls plays. Get a feel of the guys running the routes and then the concepts and where guys are going to be and the distribution of those. It makes it a lot easier when you can transition from that into this year and not have to learn a new offense.”
(What are your initial thoughts on WR Robbie Chosen and how has your time been working with him?) – “Chosen is a great teammate. He’s really fast. He knows how to get the ball. He’s been getting the ball a good amount this OTAs. But he’s a really good player, just like everyone in this room.”
(You’re using the new quarterback-specific helmet. I’m wondering what you learned about what makes it safer and how it feels to play with it on?) – “I’m still trying to feel it out. So what better time to feel it out than OTAs. I heard it’s supposedly better than the helmet that I had been wearing last year. If it could be that much more safe, then why not give it a shot?”
(So you’re not sure it’s what you’ll go with? You’re still feeling it out?) – “Yeah, still feeling it out.”
(It looks like you’ve been in the weight room a little bit this offseason. What have you been trying to work on?) – “Well, I’m trying to work on everything. As much as I’m trying to work on throwing the ball, getting the ball to the guys, being able to push the ball a lot more downfield. You know, getting in the playbook. I’m doing the same with my body.”
(You brought up culture. Coach (Mike) McDaniel talked a little bit about bringing the right guys in. How much more important is that than maybe some guy with a little bit more talent that doesn’t have the right attitude?) – “Yeah, I think that’s really important because if you have someone with talent that does their own thing, it’s going to screw up that entire symphony of the offense, the defense or the special teams. If you get someone that’s less talented, but understands what they’re doing, their assignment, he’s going to be where he needs to be when he needs to be there and whatnot. It’s going to move like a symphony and guys in the backend are going to be able to help that one specific guy, kind of cover his tracks, if he’s not as good as you know, per se someone else at that position.”
(So when you put it together, everybody talks about WR Tyreek Hill’s work ethic. When you have guys like that at the top of the food chain, does it make it a lot easier?) – “Yeah, it makes it a lot easier because before Tyreek (Hill) came here, he was a well-known person. He’s a superstar in the NFL. For him to come here, we have a young team so a lot of the younger guys look up to someone like him. Now that he’s on the team, they see the kind of work ethic he has. They see what kind of person he is in the building, around the building and it’s like, oh, he’s a cool dude. He’s just like any other person. He’s not this, ‘I’m this ego person.’ Although everyone in the locker room thinks they’re better than everyone. But at the end of the day, it’s a team and everyone respects each other in there.”
(I wanted to ask you about the 10k donation for Eric’s GoFundMe. I guess what inspired you to do that for a fan that was really a diehard about you?) – “Yeah. Well, you basically said it. He’s a diehard fan about me, but out of my respect to him, I mean, he basically not just covered me but the entire Dolphins. For me to have done that, Tyreek (Hill) was able to do the same. Other guys have been able to do the same as well, to donate. But I just want his wife and his kids to know that we’re praying for them and that we’re thinking of them.”
(I wanted to ask you about the helmet cam. What was your reaction when they first approached you about doing it? Were you onboard? Were you like ‘oh this is kind of strange’? How has it helped you?) – “It’s almost like, you think of the integrity of the huddle. Like, man, do I really want the coaches to hear what I’m saying to the guys? Because sometimes you might not like a play and you go into it and you tell the guys how you feel, but you basically tell the guy, ‘Hey, I’m skipping this progression to come to you so you better be there.’ Well, it has its good, and it has its bad. That was one of the things that we felt wasn’t as good. But a lot of the cool things that you can do with that is it gives audio for a lot of the new guys so that they can listen to the play over and over and over from the guy giving the play. Then they can listen to the cadence. So when they go off from OTAs, it’ll be good for them to just listen to the cadence over and over and over. That’s something that’s been big this offseason for us, is operation.”
(You’re going against a Vic Fangio defense every day in practice. I remember going back to your rookie year that was one of the bigger challenges you had was playing that Denver game over there. What do you remember about that game and what makes his defenses so difficult to go against?) – “Yeah, I remember I was getting hit a lot. I was getting confused where to go. I think what he does a really good job with his guys is holding shell in the back end. They do a really good job holding shell and being able to disguise their coverages in that sense. But there’s so many nuances to what they do and how they run their defense. So many coverages, it’s not just one. There’s a knock off of like, six in just one coverage. So you’ve got to know what they’re doing and if you don’t, they’ll make you pay.”
(Just watching today, there seems to be a motion and a shift, at least one, every single play. Is that a philosophy where you just want to give the defense as much to look at pre-snap as you can?) – “Yeah, I would say it’s something that we tried to harp on last year during our operation. What we don’t want to do is go out, get the defense set, and just run a play. Those guys on the other side are already good. So forcing them to have to communicate, back, back backs, you know, shifting the front. Just having to force them to communicate and not just get set and just go out and play football and not have to think.”
(When you skip a progression in the huddle, when you’re like ‘we’re not doing that, we’re doing this.’ How does Head Coach Mike McDaniel respond to it?) – “I won’t do that to Mike (McDaniel). (laughter) I’ve got too much respect for Mike. It’s more of a, I don’t like this play but what do I know is going to be open more often than not if I’m given these three or four coverages. So that’s how I kind of gauge it.”
(You’re not the first quarterback to do that but now you’re more conscious because it’s on camera?) – “Yes, not the only quarterback but because it’s on camera, you start thinking of everything. Then it gets weird when you start hearing yourself calling plays in the huddle, calling cadence.”
(I think one of the leagues used to have a helmet cam live. Do you guys remember that? Would you want that to come back to the NFL? Like, you could watch…?) – “No, no. Let’s not do that. I just think there’s too many things that are said on the field that should be said on the field and on the field only. Just to keep the integrity of the game with the guys out there.”
(Regarding the offense, where do you feel like you’ve made the biggest growth in terms of comfort?) – “The biggest growth in terms of comfort? I think, for me, it’s continuing to work on the little things. One of the things that we’ve been harping on has been operation. When I think of my position, I think of what have I done as a leader for the guys up front, for the guys out there to have gotten them better? What have we done? So I think we’ve been doing a great job, working operation, doing some cadence deals, motions, trying to work a lot of things just to give some eye candy for the defense and forcing them to communicate in the back end.”
(How has it been as the leader of the quarterback room, coming from working with Ryan Fitzpatrick and Teddy Bridgewater in the past and taking on more of a leadership role? How has that been for you?) – “It’s been good. I think the coolest thing is now that we have James (Blackman) in our room, I’m finally not the youngest in our room which is great. That blows my mind that I’m going in to my fourth year and it took me four years to not be the youngest. It was cool. Everyone has their own ideologies of how they like to do things, how they like to prepare, how they like to think of plays, and how they like to go about those. I think for me I’ve been able to learn from all of those guys. Being able to learn from Mike (White) as well. With Mike White being in our room, taking a little piece of what I think is pretty cool that a person does and trying to implement that into my game.”
(I saw a drill out here today where you literally did bootlegs for twenty straight minutes. Right side, left side. You hit WR Tyreek Hill. Is that just a reminder that this whole thing always comes back to the basics, that you can never drill it enough?) – “Yeah, it always comes down to the basics. I was just over there talking to our OC Frank Smith telling him you know when are we going to start doing these plays, these plays, because the defense are overplaying this. He said that Mike (McDaniel) wanted to stick to the basics. Once everyone understands where they’re going, gets the foundation of it, then we can move on from there. That should tell you all from the drills that we did.”
Mike McDaniel – June 7, 2023
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Wednesday, June 7, 2023
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(I wanted to touch on base on the South Florida athlete and how they stand out? During your coaching tenure you’ve had time with Santana Moss, Travis Benjamin, Devonta Freeman and Nick Bosa. Your thoughts and what’s unique about those guys and how is WR Robbie Chosen been similar in those aspects as a South Florida athlete?) – “First and foremost, it’s one of the hotbeds in the country for talent and my experience doesn’t mean it’s a 100 percenter, but the guys he just named; a common denominator is that they’re very used to good competition and have a chip on their shoulder to go above and beyond. Any time in professional football, you have athletes that also have the drive – you have top-tier athletes that are super driven to be the best at their respective positions in the game. It’s a good formula for success. So I’ve always really, throughout my career, and all the teams I’ve been, there’s been guys from South Florida that they have stood out because they’re familiar with the competition, and they have a burning desire to uplift themselves for sure. Chosen has been awesome to have him around because he’s at a point of his career where he’s experienced a good amount of success. But he’s hungry to continue to develop and improve. One of the most coachable guys that I’ve been around that have had success at the level that he’s had in this league. He is open-minded, bright-eyed and wants to be better and doesn’t just say that. A lot of people can say they want to be better, but then when you’re trying to improve stuff, you have to be real with yourself and take criticism. And he is a tough-minded individual that means what he says and has followed through, has really just approached it that he wants to be a part of the team. I think he is about the cause as much as anyone in terms of he knows the direct history of the Dolphins and what it would mean to the city to for the Dolphins to be a success at the level that we all aspire. So he’s doing it for the right reasons and doing it well.”
(I wanted to ask you about WR Tyreek Hill. Obviously last year he seemed to take basically every single rep. Didn’t do too much team or I don’t think 7-on-7 yesterday. Is this just understanding at this stage in his career he doesn’t need all that kind of work or is he dealing with something?) – “I’m very consistent that I’ll be inconsistent with player to player. I think it’s hard, but if you prove to the players that your intent is right, and you’re doing stuff for the right reasons and you pay attention and know who’s deserving of a little time off or maybe we’re hypersensitive to maintenance of someone. Case by case, you approach it as such. I know one thing if Tyreek (Hill) is at risk for further injury, he doesn’t know any speed on the practice field as you guys know, but full go, so there’s also a component of coaches protecting players from themselves. And he’s dealing with some minor stuff, but if at any point, we think it makes the Miami Dolphins worse for someone to practice, turn the page, he will not practice. So that’s kind of where he’s at. I have no concerns of any player, whether you’re the 53rd, the 90th, or one of the best players in the league; all those players in a pool, Tyreek is probably the least I’m worried about him being physically able to perform his tasks. And I will say in executing his assignments in walkthroughs his putting his best foot forward is night and day ahead of where he was last year with regard to the offense and has his mind set on improving and getting better from last year, which is the only place we want it.”
(When it comes to Year 2 in this system for QB Tua Tagovailoa and overall Year 4 for his career, what are you looking at on a day-to-day basis from practice to say, “okay, I saw what I needed to see from Tua, we had a good day with him”?) – “There’s a lot that goes into that. I think Year 2, the prerequisite is that he, as the quarterback, he has to have ownership of everything he’s doing and what everyone else is doing as the facilitator of the offense, and he’s checked that box every day. It’s been really cool in a year’s time, how he’s not only learned the language but is now fluent in it. That opens quarterbacks up to doing some of the components of the job – it’s really hard to try to be the leader of an offense and motivate guys and encourage guys when you need to or maybe be hard on guys when you need to, when you’re just trying to spit out a play and know your own assignment. So this offseason, hoping that I would see a graduation of sorts and really have every single day. That’s first and foremost. For his game, you’re less concerned about the really good plays. Your attention is less drawn to that and it’s more about consistency of the entire practice. Just like a game where you can have some – he had his games where he made some big-time plays and then he wasn’t as happy with the rest of the game. So kind of looking at it through that lens, he’s really been one of our more consistent if not – I think he’s been as consistent as anybody day in and day out, which has residual effects to the whole team. I know the team can feel it as well.”
(Is OL Connor Williams expected to return to the team before the end of minicamp or is he expected to be away for the remaining two practices?) – “Well, I don’t have my ‘what would Connor Williams do’ bracelet on, so like I said, for me personally talking about our workings, that’s one hand the Dolphins, one hand Connor. It’s something that I don’t think is business necessarily that needs to be out there on the street that he can’t answer to. We’re in communication. I’m not going to put a day when he’s back. He might be in the back of this room right now. I don’t know. But like I said, I know where he’s at. We’re in healthy communication, so there’s nothing wrong with that and I have so many other very quality players to worry about that you’ll get to watch in vet minicamp Day 2, which is where all my concerns really focus.”
(But to your knowledge, not here today?) – “To my knowledge, he’s not here today.”
(I wanted to ask you about LB David Long Jr. We have not seen him much at team drills in the days that we’ve been here. At what point – I don’t know if this is an injury-related situation or if it’s a veteran rest, if you could clarify that, but at what point does he have to get his legs in and gain a comfort level about the defense or do you just worry about that at training camp?) – “No, although practices started OTA 1, we had Phase 2 in front of that and he’d been getting really good work there and then had a minor tweak or something that isn’t that big a deal, but it’s cost him some immediate reps. Those we will see when he comes back, how much he got out of it. You can go one of two ways where you can be on the sidelines and observing and as an observer, or you could be gaining reps from putting yourself in situations that the people that are playing are going through. So I think he’s more of the latter, but the great thing is he gets to show me and the rest of the coaching staff and his teammates, how the time getting healthy has treated him. I love his energy. I love what he brings to the locker room. I love what he brings to the practice field. You can feel that he’s out there and I’m certainly excited for when he’s able to get back on the field, but I’m not going to all of a sudden overreact and put them out there before his body’s fully ready. He’s in a good spot and look forward to getting out there, but first he has to get fully healthy.”
(Kind of discussing what you just mentioned with LB David Long Jr., the guys who have been in there in place of him during this time, what have you seen from them and maybe your overall inside linebacker depth?) – “Well, that’s the key really, you have to be opportunistic to succeed in this league, for sure. When you do have available reps, you need to seize them and I’ve seen several players. It’s giving great, great work for our rookies, but the extra reps that ‘Gink’ (LB Andrew Van Ginkel) has been able to get, invaluable. Duke (Riley) has been doing a tremendous job at that spot. ‘Bake’s’ (Jerome Baker) been doing a tremendous job learning this new system and not just knowing it, but being able to react in an elite fashion. It’s hard to do. That’s why it’s not for everybody, but we’ve got several quality guys that have gotten work and then all the reps that the younger guys get are incredibly invaluable. As I talked to the team about numerous times, you don’t know – these reps might be more than your first two weeks of training camp. You just don’t know. So you have to be opportunistic, so each and every rep that people have been able to take as a result of him being out has been very beneficial because this is all stipulated on guys are going after practice in an elite fashion, and we’ve really had that thus far.”
(What kind of things do your coaches tell you about what CB Jalen Ramsey is like within the facility, what he’s like in meeting rooms, on the sidelines, when he’s not in team drills?) – “Just nice, very nice things. He’s a very talented individual in more ways than one. He’s been exactly what we need from a guy that is in charge of holding a predominant piece in our defense. He’s been engaged. He has history in a version of the scheme so there’s a lot of talking points that if you have the right type of players, you can really get to the next level in terms of how you execute your defense. He’s fit right in with a lot of the veterans here. I mean, you can already see him push ‘X’ (Xavien Howard) for ‘X’s’ benefit. The way he communicates with guys that are out there coming off the field in Jevon Holland. I mean, that’s tremendous, but there’s also, he’s communicating with all the secondary players, as well as some of the guys that aren’t practicing like, the Brandon Joneses or the Nik Needhams. He is exactly what we’d hoped for, probably a little bit more.”
(Along those lines, you talked about WR Robbie Chosen being a guy that blends in well here. As a coach, with all the turnover in the league now, how tough is it to get that group of guys? You’ve seen it go sideways in some places. How in touch do you have to be with it?) – “It’s huge. First and foremost, we wouldn’t have a chance to have the camaraderie that we have in this locker room if it weren’t for the personnel department and how good of a job they do and really figuring out what types of people we’re getting on this team. As a result, I think over time you have a bunch of like-minded individuals that are trying to be their best, which is ultimately, that’s the only thing that wins, really, are people going after it like that at least on a consistent basis. So it’s incredibly important. You have to pay attention to everything. I think before any player comes on this team, Chris Grier and I are spit balling what’s that going to look like starting with the position room. Then you extrapolate that out to the rest of the team, but a predominant fixture on our minds, is, what is our team going to look like? And it’s not just Madden, you know what I mean? To get it to orchestrate the right way, you need the right people and I’m very confident that we have that.”
(We’ve seen a more stout version of QB Tua Tagovailoa this offseason coming in. What does maybe that added weight or strength do for him going into the season?) – “I think that the major part of it is that he’s put time into his body that I think helps him perform all tasks. It’s funny to reflect on some of the areas of concern, so to speak, when I first got here, or just things that were on my radar of, you know, random people saying, ‘Okay, well, he’s young or whatever.’ I didn’t have a complete picture on what type of professional he was. As we stand right now, I mean this dude is everything you’d look for in a starting quarterback in terms of professionalism, how he attends to his job, how seriously he takes it. He takes pride in making sure he does his job, but more importantly, how he makes others better at their jobs. All of that can fall on deaf ears if you’re not living it yourself. So I think it’s empowered him to, kind of what I was talking about before where he is really owning the position and going about the verbiage of the offense as well as motivating teammates and encouraging them. That probably doesn’t look the same if he didn’t go about his individual work on his body, which has residuals all over the place. So you’re talking his ability to make certain plays is enhanced. His ability to protect himself is enhanced and his ability to communicate and do his job with his teammates is enhanced. I think it affects everything.”
(Can you give us an example about how the camera, the go-pro, has helped him? Have you seen one thing get better the next day because you were able to see it on tape?) – “I think that added resource, he’s seen it live and he has a very strong recall in what he sees and is able to communicate it to coaches. So it’s more for coaches to see exactly what he’s seeing. That’s proved beneficial as well as, I’m not sure if you guys have noticed or not, but I’m never in the huddle. Now I am. There’s a lot that goes on with that. How you communicate to your teammates, all that’s available now. I think he does get some enjoyment on, like, ‘See Coach (Darrell) Bevell? This is kind of hard to see.’ (laughter) But he’s at the stage of his game where he already knows what he’s seeing and he’s able to articulate it well enough to now we’ve just found out how honest he is, which is a great thing.”
(Can you use some of that to teach the other quarterbacks?) – “Absolutely. It has so many different applications, but they’re all not totally calculated. I’ve really set off the last two consecutive team meetings with random things that are hilarious like the noises Raekwon (Davis) makes when he pass rushes. (laughter) Like I said, it’s a tool of resource and it has many different applications. It’s just case-by-case, play-by-play how you can really employ those applications.”
Jaelan Phillips – June 6, 2023
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Tuesday, June 6, 2023
LB Jaelan Phillips
(Where do you feel like this defense best suits your skillset?) – “I feel obviously being able to rush the passer, being able to emphasize the back end and let them be multiple and let them work in the coverage; it just allows us to have a little bit of time. Just being able to marry the coverage with the pass rush, I think that is going to be ideal for not only me, but everybody on the d-line.”
(What has Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio taught you guys about this defense in terms of the identity you want to create?) – “I just think that we’re obviously figuring it out and only been practicing it a few times, but really just about locking in on your technique and job. Obviously we’re going to be high-motor, high-effort guys flying around the ball and just playing for each other. There is still a lot to learn, but it’s been good so far, for sure.”
(Coach Mike McDaniel talked about how he feels like you have taken your practice performances to a different level. I’ve always thought your practiced pretty well, pretty hard. What did you do in particular to do that this offseason?) – “I just try to take it day by day. I honestly don’t think it’s been as good as he said they were, but I’m just a really hard critic on myself and constantly trying to improve. It’s been a great offseason so far. Obviously feeling confident and comfortable in the defense, comfortable with the guys. I’m just looking to build on what we did last year, and what I’ve done so far this offseason.”
(Where do you see your partnership with LB Bradley Chubb? Last year you guys had to kind of work it in on the fly midseason and all. Now that you’ve had time together, how is that working out? How much better do you think you two can be this year?) – “We definitely spend a lot of time getting closer off the field and I feel that just helps on the field. And I think when you have relationships with your teammates, then it just brings up the motivation and makes you want to play with them even more. I think it’s just iron sharpening iron with us. We’re competitive, but we’re for each other. Whether it’s the weight room, whether it’s off the field with our habits, whether it’s out here; we’re always making sure we’re on point. It’s nice to have an accountability brother when it comes to that.”
(What do you like most about his game?) – “He’s a baller. He’s a gamer. His technique is really what I like the most. I kind of look up to him when it comes to that honestly and have him kind of put me on game, showing me different techniques and things. I think he’s very crafty and obviously physically gifted, so I love having him on the opposite side of me for sure.”
(I’m going to ask you about a player – I don’t know if you expect this, but LB Mitchell Agude has been flashing every day. What do I not know?) – “You know it’s on tape, what you’ve been seeing, he’s a baller. He’s super twitchy, he’s super athletic. Me and Mitch (Agude) – we have a little bit of history now. Obviously he went to UCLA and transferred out to Miami. While he was being recruited to Miami, I kind talked to him and told him about my journey, and the blueprint I kind of found, and he really felt that and locked in with that. When he got to the Dolphins, I was like, it’s a prophecy at this point. It’s been really cool to be a mentor to him and seeing him work. We got a great young group and Garrett Nelson is doing really well, too, it’s been good.”
(This morning Head Coach Mike McDaniel praised the defense for giving the offense good looks to make their game sharper. I’m curious if you take that conversely how this offense makes you guys’ game sharper?) – “Absolutely. This offense is so multiple with the things they do. They are always testing your eyes to make sure you’re disciplined. I think that’s one of the hardest things as an edge rusher, really as a football player in general. But specifically on the edge when you have an offense with so many different motions and so many different possible plays out of the same looks, it really just kind of makes you hone in. It’s awesome having that on a daily basis. It’s frustrating at times for sure because there might be a couple of practices where they get my edge a couple of times and have these crazy plays. It’s definitely a good experience.”
(He also mentioned that the technique and fundamentals that Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio really preaches is a big part of that, and you mentioned that LB Bradley Chubb’s technique was a big part of what you look after. I’m just curious how you’ve taken from that and improved your game?) – “I’m just trying to get everything to be muscle memory at this point. I think that’s the moment where that switch happens, is when all the things you were working becomes second nature so that when you’re playing, you’re not thinking about throwing different moves, or doing different things, you’re just going. I think that’s what I’ve been trying to get to and what I’ve been working towards.”
(The effort you talked about that Head Coach Mike McDaniel mentioned this morning as well, and you said that maybe they’re maybe not as good as he said they were. I disagree with you a little there. I agree more with Coach, but DT Christian Wilkins is a guy that stands out in that way, I’m curious to hear your perspective on the way Christian works out here.) – “Christian is the same guy every day. He’s going to come with energy, yelling all the time and just enjoying life. I think it shows on the field because the passion that he plays with and the energy that he has is super contagious. I think he’s a great leader for this team, he brings guys up with him, and man, you see him on the field, that dude is different. Just break down his tape, he’s different. Christian is a baller.”
(How aware are you guys of the Heat and the Panthers success, and has it had any effect in that building?) – “Yeah, I’ve been watching. The only thing that I wish is that we could be playing now at the same time as them, because then we could really feed off that motivation. But it’s been great seeing the South Florida sports being successful. Obviously when everybody is winning down here, everybody is a lot happier. We hope that they can continue the success, we’re rooting for them for sure.”
(You got some good post moves?) – “Post moves? I’m good for some boards. I’m not really too much of a scorer. I’ll cherry pick and get some dunks in, but I’m not a hooper at all, never was.”
(Do you have any special plans once you get through minicamp at all to chill away from football?) – “Yeah, I’m headed back to Washington, Lake Chelan in particular. That’s where my girlfriend’s family is from. Her dad has a little lake house up there. We’re going to go out and chill out and vibe out. It’s going to be great. And train, too, obviously. We’ll be out there working.”
(Is there anything move-wise or technique-wise you’ve worked on in particular offseason?) – “I can’t give that away now, can I? (laughter) You know the opposition watches these, too. No, I’ve just been continuing to hone in my craft and really trying to refine my moves so that I’m not just a jack of all trades, master of none. I’m trying to really lock in what my repertoire is.”
(After your rookie year you said that you wanted to improve your run defense and become an every-down player, and it seems you achieved that goal last year. What’s the next step to being a guy that can dominate every play?) – “Just keep building on that and being consistent with it. I think in the past whether it’s the beginning of my season being slow and kind of catching on towards the end or just certain games where I might have not have that impact; I want to get to a point where I’m impacting every game in any way possible. Just getting more comfortable and confident and continuously trying to grow with that.”
(LB Mitchell Agude and what he’s shown so far, how do you like to see that from a fellow UCLA Bruin, turned Miami Hurricane, turned Miami Dolphin?) – “We were just talking about that. It’s pretty crazy how he kind of followed that same path in terms of locations as me. He’s really cool because he’s very receptive to coaching and to advice from me. Him in particular, he comes up me all that time like, ‘Jaelan, what were you doing your rookie year? What type of things can I do to work on my method and different things like that?’ I really appreciate that from him and you can see it on the field if you guys have been watching him doing his thing.”
(Just piggybacking off of that, another guy who may be a little older in LB Bradley Chubb, can you give us insight on you guys’ relationship and how you try to feed off of each other coming off the edge?) – “We’ve gotten a lot closer obviously since he’s been here. I’m just excited for us to have a full offseason, full OTAs, a full training camp to really keep gelling and developing our identity as players.”
Jalen Ramsey – June 6, 2023
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Tuesday, June 6, 2023
CB Jalen Ramsey
(What are your first thoughts about the way the defense has been coming together in OTAs and the first day of minicamp?) – “It’s been good so far. It’s the first day of minicamp so it’s a progression. That’s all you can ask for really.”
(What kind of visions do you have in the early going with you and CB Xavien Howard together in the secondary?) – “We can do some special things. We can be elite. Put it all together. When the time is right, it’ll happen how it needs to happen.”
(How do you think your experience playing under Brandon Staley over in Los Angeles helps you with this defense with Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio?) – “I mean, I know the defense so that’s how it helps. I’ve been running the same defense for three years now. My past three years in LA. So now it’s the same defense. It’s just a little bit different terminology but same type of stuff. There’s different ways to play this defense. Vic has his own way of putting his own flavor in it and I guess kind of catering it to certain people who will stand out in the defense and who can stand out in any defense really.”
(Earlier Head Coach Mike McDaniel praised Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio’s defense for the way it prepares the offense. How have you seen the way this offense can kind of elevate your guys’ game as a defense with the way they go about their work?) – “Yeah, just good players going against other good players and really competing and challenging us to bring the best out of each other. Obviously you know you’ve got the receivers, you’ve got the running backs, you’ve got everybody over there who you need to challenge us and we feel the same way.”
(What have you noticed about the rookie CB Cam Smith?) – “He’s got a lot of confidence which is good. That’s like the main thing you need to play this position in the NFL. He’s learning the defense pretty quickly. Going through some rookie things, but I mean that’s given. He’ll continue growing and doing good things. He’s cool. He’s good.”
(What would you tell any rookie corner coming into this league. What’s the No. 1 thing you’ve got to tell a guy?) – ” I’m just helping my teammates out so the rest of them can figure it out kind of themselves. (laughter)”
(What have you been able to take in and notice while you’re watching team drills off to the side?) – “Just looking and trying to help out wherever I can. Because like I said, I know the defense so that’s really where I’m trying to help this offseason, this minicamp. If anybody’s got questions about the defense or if I feel like they can be more comfortable playing it. Because you can kind of – there’s certain ways that Vic (Fangio) wants it to be very specific, but there’s also certain ways where you can have your own flavor and get comfortable within the defense. So that’s where I’m trying to help, honestly. But all these guys are professionals. They’ve got to kind of get it themselves and any way I can help, I’ll give them my input then, but I’m not doing too much like forcing it on nobody or nothing. It’s natural.”
(With no pads right now how do you measure progress as a defense and as a team?) – “Picking up our defense. It’s a new defense for everybody and it’s not an easy defense. That’s how you measure our progress right now, is picking up the defense and then when we do add it all, pads and all that when the time is right. Then it’ll be cool.”
(Was the plan for you to kind of ramp up slowly and training camp be when you’re full go, or did something kind of pop up that you weren’t expecting physically?) – “No, I think I’ve had the same plan for the past three offseasons. So it’s the same here, same carryover here. I play extremely physical. I play a physical style of game and I recover my body the right way. I trust in my process. The training staff and the strength staff here are extremely good and we are very like-minded in the way that we think about my training regimens and rehabbing or whatever the case may be. So we’re all on the same page with that. What matters is when the time is right, that I’m ready to go full go and that’s not even a question in anybody’s minds. So yeah, we’re following the right plan for me.”
(You mentioned that this is not an easy defense. Do you remember when it clicked for you that you could play fast in it and what it was that helped you do that?) – “I’ve had great coaches, honestly. Coach (Brandon) Staley was great. We had a great relationship obviously, and I was able to learn the defense a little bit faster than other guys I guess because of that relationship. And then Coach Rod (Renaldo Hill) became the defensive coordinator, it was kind of the same and our relationship has always been good. Just putting a lot of energy into it and learning it. I’ve been blessed that certain stuff is like catered to me or certain guys so it’s a little bit easier for me as well in those regards. And just the fact that I play multiple positions, so I have to know the defense really well. I just take a lot of pride in that.”
(It’s a new defense for a lot of folks here at Miami to see. You mentioned different positions. Can you maybe educate folks on when you played the star in Los Angeles versus the corner responsibilities there?) – “It’s just different roles. The defense may ask different responsibilities for certain people at certain times or certain games and moments or whatever the case may be. When you have a guy or a few guys who are able to be versatile and play multiple positions – corner, safety, nickel, whatever the case may be, play different techniques, be able to play different schemes and coverages and all that, it’s a plus for the defense. So not only myself, but there’s a handful of guys who can do that on this defense. That’s a big positive. Just getting everybody to learn the system in its entirety is really good.”
(When you look at this defense, especially the amount of zone coverage you guys can play. How do you see that really impacting offenses in years past when you get in this defense?) – “I mean, we’ve got to put it all together, but it’s not just zone. This defense is very complex. So y’all looking on the outside, y’all may think that it’s zone, but it’s not. It’s a very complex defense and it’s a lot less zone than you think, especially under Coach Vic (Fangio). It’s a lot less zone which is great, because you have guys that can play a lot of man, but you also have guys that can play the zone schemes and stuff like that. Yeah, I mean, it excites me just in general having these guys on the team. This is the best defense I’ve played in. Like I said, I have played in it for the past three years anyway so I’m excited for that. But Vic is kind of like, one of the guys who innovated it, innovated the defense, so it’s exciting to have him as the coach and see how he views it, see how he calls things and see what he leans towards as far as his schemes and coverages and stuff like that. So it’s been fun so far, but it’s all been learning and it’s all just been trying to get everybody on the same page. It’s been good.”
