Mike McDaniel – February 28, 2023
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Tuesday, February 28, 2023
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(In regard to the decision on QB Tua Tagovailoa and the fifth-year option, what role do you think concussions and durability should play in that discussion?) – “I think like any other player, you factor in every variable. I think one thing that when you’re talking about those types of decisions, I think it’s important to recognize that we have a congruence of interest by the Dolphins and the player – Tua – that both parties really want him to play at a very high level for a long time for the Miami Dolphins. So what’s the best way to really engineer that or to help manifest that? Well, those are the things that we’re kind of weighing in terms of the various options with the same desired end (result) as Tua would like. So you factor in everything as best you can, but that’s part of this game that we’re all involved in, is there are some unknowns. So you weigh those and you press forward and make the best decision possible for the organization.”
(Are you close to making a decision on the fifth-year option?) – “I mean, what is today’s date? It’s in February. Our deadline… so we’d probably be best served utilizing the time – that’s kind of the way we’re approaching it, but that doesn’t mean we’re spending any long period of time not discussing it. This is something that Chris (Grier) and I have been working through and will continue to work through.”
(What do you make of CB Byron Jones’ tweet and now that we’ve been a bit removed from the season, what can you tell us about what went down?) – “I’m not a big tweeter, but I know it’s a tough situation from a competitor that loves to play the game of football. I think the one thing I will say is that throughout the process, Byron (Jones) has been able to be the conductor of the train and I think the Dolphins organization, the entire training staff and the medical department have supported him on every turn, and I think we’ll continue to do that as he presses forward.”
(Did CB Byron Jones at any point during the season express any concerns about the care he was getting?) – “To me specifically? No. I try to keep my ear to the street, so to speak, but I’m not sure how – the bottom line is he feels the way he feels and I think as a leader of professional athletes, I empathize with how everyone truly feels. I think all I can do is support. I know Chris (Grier) feels the same way. We can just support the player and the process and do best with that.”
(With nobody in the running backs room under contract for next year it’s kind of an opportunity to … What qualities are you looking for as you build this running back room?) – “The best qualities. Good follow-up. (laughter) I think it’s one thing I’ve been fortunate – being in the same system for like, 18 years, or whatever it’s been; is you see there’s a lot of different ways that you can get to the desired result. So I think first and foremost from the running back position on our team, you need a team player that’s willing to do whatever it takes to win. We have good players surrounding the running back position so you’ve got to be willing to pass block and do things off the ball. I think there are many different types of running backs that can excel in this offense given whatever their skillsets are, so to me, I just want team-oriented guys that enjoy getting the ball, fighting for yardage and trying to win football games as a result. So I’m very open-minded to all the skillsets across the board and just looking for guys that are completely invested in joining our ongoing process to be as good as we can be.”
(Backup quarterback, do you think QB Skylar Thompson is ready to take on the role of QB2…?) – “I think really when you assess Skylar’s play as a rookie, he did a lot of things to deserve to be in competition and to have an open mind to him being – to winning the backup quarterback role. I don’t foresee that being unchallenged by any stretch. I think when you look at the position from its entirety from a year ago; well a year ago, we had a one-man room that there was a lot of questions with regard to where Tua was at in his development of his game and we needed someone to come in that could really help him take a step in the right direction to be a starting quarterback in the National Football League at a high level. I think Teddy (Bridgewater) came in and did that. I think as it stands right now, I was happy with what Skylar was able to do under the pretense that he’s going to continue to get better, and I think Tua is in a different spot. I think the team is in a different spot. And I think there’s some competitive advantages that we can bring to the room through free agency and that’s what we’ll look to do, is at least have some – there will be competition regardless in the room, regardless of who we sign – but I think that’s something that we’re definitely interested in to make the quarterback room better.”
(You made some changes on the coaching staff, but it seems like you’re retaining Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman. Was there consideration to make a move there and if not, what do you like about what he did last year?) – “So for me, it never really crossed my mind, and that just comes as a result of daily evaluations of all coaching involved in the building. I think that the Miami Dolphins fanbase, the players and Danny and myself would all agree that the desired results, we have more to achieve; but if I would have determined that that was solely his – if I thought that we couldn’t get to where we need to get to go with Danny Crossman, I would have made a move. I definitely didn’t feel that way and that just comes as a result of daily investment into the coaching staff and what he brings to the table.”
(What about the same as it applies to your offensive line coach? You did make a change there …) – “So realistically, the way the staff was orchestrated the previous year, I really needed to get more offensive coordinator work out of Frank Smith and he was devoted a little too much to the offensive line. And I needed more, selfishly, to alleviate some stuff off my plate; and so that was the motivating factor to make that move, was to facilitate Frank Smith being able to appropriate his time more as a coordinator and less in the offensive line room.”
(What are your thoughts on Bills S Jordan Poyer potentially making his case to come to Miami?) – “Well, I’m not in the business of tampering. (laughter) And I believe – I mean, you guys might be trying to get this second-year hustle on me, but we need every draft pick we can get, so I’m all for Dolphins fandom and the more players that even if they’re on our opponents’ team; if they’re cheering for Dolphins, I think that’s good for all of us.”
(Ran Carthon told the story about RB Elijah Mitchell and how you put that tape together. What was your experience dealing with Ran and what is it that you think will make him a good GM?) – “Ran Carthon is somebody I’ve had several years of experience in the National Football League with. I have no doubt in my mind that he’s going to do this job as well, if not better, than the last job he had. This is the type of person he is. I think the Tennessee Titans are getting a guy that’s motivated for the right reasons to do what he does best, and that’s evaluate football players. I think he has a great scope of what it takes for a team to win and all the different variables that are encompassed in that. I think he’s a leader of men. I think he’ll get the best out of his department and I think especially since he complimented me, I can’t say enough nice things about him.”
(On DeMeco Ryans becoming head coach of the Houston Texans) – “Oh buddy, these are two of my favorite people. So Ran Carthon transitioning to DeMeco Ryans. I’m just glad that I didn’t have to interview against him. This guy is unlike any other coach I’ve been around where I really haven’t been around a guy that is old enough where we drafted and I was there for his Year 1 as a rookie. Oh by the way, he called the defense and was Rookie of the Year and immediately the best player on our defense. Fast forward to his first year in coaching and he excelled at the same rate as a quality control defensive assistant, which had expedited, fast-tracked to position coach and then he had the pressure of following Robert Saleh and that elite defense and you know what? I think at every juncture he’s just been first-class, high-level human being. The bottom line is as a head coach, your job is to make everyone around you better and at every walk that I’ve been able to view him from age 22 on, that’s all he’s ever done. So it’s very rare that you get such a leader of men that is willing and able to be a coach after having as illustrious of a career as he did. So I think the best is yet to come for that franchise and I know he couldn’t be happier to be in there.”
(Just to round out with all your favorite people, Bobby Slowik is going to be the offensive coordinator in Houston. In having a similar background to you but also his ability to work defensively when he was in Washington, what do you think that gives him an advantage in play calling?) – “I think it’s a huge advantage because it’s almost like being bilingual. To be able to speak that language and understand the motivating factors from that defensive side of the ball and accruing multiple NFL seasons doing so, I think it’s invaluable. I think not all coaches, myself included, are afforded that opportunity and I know from every person that I’ve been around that’s experienced something like that, it pays unbelievable dividends. You have a tireless, hungry worker in Bobby Slowik that has an exuberant young mind, but also is grounded in a lot of football principles both offensively and defensively that every team would be fortunate to have.”
(There has been some discussion at the league level about some of the quarterback runs that we’ve seen. From an offensive philosophy standpoint, what do you think of it, and is it something that could catch on?) – “I think it’s cool anytime someone is able to execute something when the opponent knows it’s coming. I don’t care who you are, that will be attempted by every team if they could guarantee the rate of success that the Philadelphia Eagles were able to do it at. It isn’t the coolest highlight reel of football to watch; but nonetheless, I appreciate what it takes to excess at that because I’m pretty sure that every team in professional football has attempted the quarterback sneak. Any time you’re entering the grounds of 100 percent attempt, but then you have one team that does it at that level of certainty of outcome at that high of a percentage, there will be attempts to re-create it. However, I wouldn’t expect it to have the same residual results. I’ll abide by any rule.”
(If there is one thing you would tell yourself from before you became a head coach to where you are now, what would it be?) – “Have bigger muscles. (laughter) No, I think I’m grounded enough to understand that I don’t think you necessarily want it to be all roses. Part of the beauty of this job is to handle some turmoil. I think I’m pretty comfortable with where I am with that. I think I’d probably tell myself to just get ready (because) you’re going to want to win more for the franchise even more than you can conceive, and that’s ok. So don’t hyperventilate.”
(How do you see the defense fundamentally changing under Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio?) – “I think it’s kind of an unfair comparison to a degree. I think in my NFL career, Vic is one of one in my opinion, of creating and innovating and sustaining high-quality defense. I don’t know about you but in 1995, I was 12-years-old and cheering for the inaugural Colorado Rockies. He started coordinating defenses at that time. But then has been able to adjust it to the game, and to the things he’s having to defend and to the players that he has. I think having the opportunity to add Vic Fangio is as exciting of an opportunity in the offseason that I could have. I think all players on defense will benefit from it. I know myself included, I’ll benefit from the process of being able to work with him on a daily basis and tap into his infinite wisdom. I mean shoot, last week, just in one week in the office with him, I had a couple of hours of just very gratifying football conversations that will just help me moving forward form the head-coaching position. On top of that, he was giving me stories on Pat Swilling and Kevin Greene – just stuff that from a football historical perspective, I very much appreciate. Just last week, I got to find out about his simulated pressures that he’s so famous for – what provoked him, what was the advent of that and when it was. Just that stuff is very interesting but now you take it a step further. When you have a guy that is innovating, over time, I think the residuals for players are really everything they sign up for.”
(On LB Channing Tindall’s progress) – “I’m expecting a big offseason and a big jump in Year 2. Channing knows that. He has that expectation for himself. He worked very diligently. But I think it’s a matter of him really being able to visualize and really carry out all assignments within the defensive structure that I know he’s really mandating for himself to take another step. I think he did a great job with the reps that he had, and the scout team, during the year for practice. He did develop. But we’re excited about this next year opportunity to really take advantage of some opportunities he will have.”
(On if he’s looking for wide receivers) – “I think you wouldn’t – outside of the known entities, Tyreek (Hill) and Jaylen (Waddle), their roster spots are not up in question. I try to refrain from penciling in any player in any sort of position as best I can only because honestly, the way I approach the whole scenario is that if you want a job, you can win it. It’s going to be based on the merit on the field. I think there is opportunity there. I think there are some guys that aren’t on the roster that will be on the roster. Who those guys are, that’s the million-dollar question. The bottom line is we’re going to have an atmosphere that’s going to – you’re really going to have to thrive in a competitive atmosphere because there are talented players that you’re going to have to compete with to win the job of the third-most targeted receiver.”
(On game management) – “I wouldn’t be honest if I told you that going into the season, I wouldn’t expect some natural learning curve. There is a lot of responsibility that I don’t pull any punches. It’s a difficult job. That being said, I feel like there are clearly some situations I’d like to have back. There were some situations that I was ok with. I think that really, every year for me, I’m going to have a high level of anxiety if I’m not finding stuff that I can’t completely get better from. That belief that you’re constantly a better version of yourself, that drives me. There are plenty of situations that – we had as many pre-snap penalties, I think we led the league in them offensively. So obviously there is a lot of work to do that we’re all excited about rectifying. Clock management is just another layer of things that I’ve already begun the process of – call the play faster.”
(On how watching tape of themselves will benefit the offense) – “It’s going to be huge. Little written about scenarios that our offensive players haven’t had an offseason where they are watching themselves in half a decade or maybe more. That’s incredibly important. I even throw digs in jest; but I had to be reminded by coaches on staff last year that this is like the fourth consecutive season that these guys have watched a different team’s cut ups in the offseason and haven’t watched themselves. That adds up fast. I’m very, very excited for the players being able to come back and digest the system and not have any variance offensively. We’ll just be correcting, building, and improving upon what we did last year.”
(Do you have updates on injured guys?) – “(Emmanuel) Ogbah is doing well. I just saw him in the facility and he high-fived me and I had to jump. He looked great to me. He’s been recovering soundly. Brandon Jones is continuing to work. Nik Needham is in good spirits and has had no setbacks in his recovery.”
(Do you see any scenarios where TE Mike Gesicki returns next year?) – “There is always a spot for good players. I think that Mike has earned the opportunity to test the market and I very much encourage that. That’s being in charge of doing our best to take care of their careers as best we can. But for him to have that opportunity to go earn, we very much encourage that. However, we are not in the business of saying no to good players. I wouldn’t close that door at all.”
(What attracted you and General Manager Chris Grier to S Verone McKinley III that allowed him to start games down the stretch?) – “His football acumen. He came in as an old soul, where if you didn’t have the flip card, you’d think he’d been in the league for 10 years with how he went about his business. It was first and foremost a priority for him, which is why he was able to be relied upon down the stretch as though he was a vet. I think those qualities are a common denominator amongst undrafted players that succeed in the National Football League and he exemplifies that, where you have a guy come in with expectations for himself that are far greater than the draft or undrafted free agent money allotment. All the stuff that we perceive, they go above and beyond to set their own course in their career. He very much did that.”
(On QB Tua Tagovailoa doing judo this offseason) – “Jiu-jitsu.”
(A couple of weeks ago, QB Tua Tagovailoa said that he was working on how to fall. Is that something the team facilitated?) – “It’s something that we had various ideas. Some of which I won’t repeat because they weren’t as good as that one. We were willing to go to any length. However, with him getting invested in it and really talking to him and hearing how the trainer is invested in him and how he was really into it and getting good residuals from it, we feel very comfortable in terms of this being best preparing him for things that he hasn’t otherwise been able to prepare for. It’s something, like a follow-through throwing motion, it’s something that we’re trying to train and he’s 100 percent all in, attacking it with vigor and exuberance.”
Vic Fangio – February 20, 2023
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Monday, February 20, 2023
Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio
Opening Statement from Head Coach Mike McDaniel:
“I just wanted to introduce coach Vic Fangio. It’s an exciting day for the Miami Dolphins organization, the fan base. Since the season ended – we really tried to attach, in the journey for looking towards the future, who can we entrust to continue to develop the players to maximize all people in the building in that regard, to do right by the organization and chase what we’re trying to chase in building a winner. So it was a very easy decision, when given the opportunity. I was very excited about the opportunity. I was really pumped that he joined in the vision, and couldn’t be happier, really, for the organization. He’s really a guy that takes professional football serious, but also the obligation to continually evolve and get better. You don’t have a sustaining career for longer than I’ve been alive really, like Vic has, without that fearless chase of continuing to evolve, and get better, and be the best version of yourself as you age with grace. So without further ado, Vic Fangio, the defensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins.”
Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio:
(You were a DC who was in high demand. There were a lot of teams that were looking into potentially bringing you in. What made Miami the right fit and the right opportunity for you after a year off?) – “Well, I think the Dolphins have a good thing going here. I like Mike (McDaniel) and his staff that he already has in place here. I think there’s good components to the coaching staff, led by Mike, that made it intriguing to join that. I think there’s a good nucleus of players here. And the allure of South Florida.”
(What do you think are some of the most important ways to maximize a player’s talents?) – “Well, I’ve always believed you just try and improve every player as an individual. And then hopefully you do that well enough to where their position group improves. And if their position group improves, then the defense is improved. So you really do it from the ground up. And there’s a lot of good young players here that I think have room to grow. And hopefully, myself and the staff will get that done.”
(What’s your connection with Mike McDaniel, and when did you guys meet and develop a relationship?) – “Really, I didn’t have much of a relationship with Mike. Obviously we have some mutual friends. But as far as Mike and I having a relationship worth mentioning prior to this would be misleading. Obviously, I knew of him; he knew of me. We’ve had two- or three-minute casual conversations maybe at the Combine or somewhere else. But no major relationship prior to this.
(Having said that, from the little that you’ve been with Mike McDaniel now, what’s your first impressions of a guy like that?) – “Well, it’s been very little because I got here last Tuesday, and Mike was on vacation. So today’s the first day we’re in here together. Now we did some Zoom interviews together from where he was last week. But everything I thought – he’s energetic, genuine, obviously got a good football mind. He puts good offensive football out there. And hopefully we can complement that.”
(This past season, you weren’t in the NFL for most of the year anyway. But you did spend quite a bit of time studying games. In the time that you are studying games, what can you take away from what you saw of the Dolphins defense? What stood out to you?) – “Well, I didn’t study the Dolphins defense per se that much. Basically what I did with all my time was I kind of treated it like a college professor on a sabbatical and was watching a lot of NFL tape, more from a situational standpoint rather than studying a team per se. So I never actually studied the Dolphins in its entirety. Now, obviously, their games would come across these situational studies that I was doing. And I think there’s some good young talent there. Obviously, just from two years ago in the draft with (Jaelan) Phillips and (Jevon) Holland, those are two really good players that I really liked in the draft. Bradley Chubb is here, who obviously I know about. And several other guys. Christian Wilkins is here, another guy I liked in the draft. Christian’s greatest honor, is the Bill Campbell Award trophy, which is the ‘Academic Heisman.’ Bill Campbell was a good friend of mine. So when I see him, I always think of that. But there’s a good nucleus of players here. For me to give you a great answer schematically, I’d be stretching it.”
(You got a ton of defensive coordinator experience. Going into this tenure with head-coaching experience, how will that transform who you are as a DC?) – “My experience as the head coach won’t change it too much because I still ran the defense when I was in Denver. So I just continued on that path. Obviously, I had more on my plate that I was responsible for. But I’ve done this job enough now that I don’t see it being a major, major factor.”
(How important was it to get Renaldo Hill to come from LA? And now how do you convince him to leave a DC job to work under you?) – “Yeah, it’s important. First and foremost, Renaldo is a good coach. He’s really a talented coach that’s got a bright future in the NFL. He worked with us for two years in Denver. So his familiarity with me and the system and what we do was important to me. But regardless of that, just his ability to be a great coach is what attracted me to him.”
(How’d you convince Renaldo Hill to leave?) – “I’ll let him answer that for you at some point.”
(How do you like to go about deciding which players should play, which players should play a lot, and maybe some aren’t going to play a lot?) – “Well, that’s a process that starts in training camp. I could say OTAs. But in OTAs, we’re going to be teaching everything. It’s a process that really the players are in charge of. Now there’s some that you’d like to play every play. Sometimes that’s not possible from an exertion standpoint. But a lot of the great players that I’ve been around, they never leave the field very often. I know the heat here is a different element and animal to deal with. But there will be plenty of packages available for guys to get playing time. But who plays and how much is really up to the players.”
(Your time off – did you come up with anything new that you would like to try out there?) – “Yeah, there’s a few things that I came up with that I’m anxious to try. We’ll try them in OTAs at some point and then in training camp as a good fit for the other things we do. But what’s going to be most important is tailoring what we do to our players and to the opponent that we’re playing for that week. So there may be things that we did at previous stops that we won’t do much here because it doesn’t fit our players and vice versa; we might do something a lot that we didn’t do other places because it’s a better fit for our players. And sometimes it’s a better – you might think it’d be great to do something because it fits a certain player really good, but you really have to think about how it fits all 11 and what’s the best way to stop somebody from scoring too many points.”
(Your time with him in Denver, what were your thoughts on LB Bradley Chubb and what’s the key to unlocking the best of him here in Miami?) – “Well, the three years – and Bradley and I talked about this the other day when he was in here – the three years I was with him in Denver, he was the victim of some injuries. I believe he got hurt in the fourth game the first year I was there and was out for the season. He came back the second year and it took him about four or five games to get into the groove coming off the injury and then he had a good season that year. And then he really basically missed – it doesn’t say it statistically – but he missed most of my last year there because he had an ankle injury that kept him out and when he came back, he wasn’t himself. (He was) still recovering. He had two ankle injuries. So I’m anxious to get him rolling, keep him healthy and see the Bradley Chubb that we all know he’s capable of being.”
(Based on what you know about LB Bradley Chubb and what you liked about LB Jaelan Phillips entering the draft a couple of years ago, what potential do those two have as a pass rushing duo here?) – “They have great potential. But potential – we got to see it. Talking about it is easy, projecting it as easy, but we got to see it. And I’m confident knowing those two guys’ work ethic that they’ll do everything they can to put a good product out there on the field from the both of them. They both have the tools. They both have the makeup to be really good players on the edges for us.”
(How do you describe your defensive philosophy? I know we’ve heard a lot in the last couple of weeks about things you do, but how do you – do you have any way to describe it?) – “Not a buzzword if that’s what you’re looking for. We’re in charge of not letting the other team score and we will do anything and everything to do that. I’ve been places in the past where we pressured a lot. I’ve been places where we didn’t pressure very much. You’ve got to fit the scheme to the players that you have while also factoring in the opponents that you’re playing. So hopefully we’ll be a team that will keep the points down, make it hard for teams to score a lot of points and put our offense in position to score points for us. So I’m not a buzzword guy as far as that goes other than we want to play good defense and what’s good defense? Keep them out of the end zone.”
(Going off of that, what is your general philosophy when it comes to blitzing specifically?) – “As needed and when I want to. (laughter) Versus having to. If you have to, that’s not a great feeling. You want to do it when you want to on your terms. Now, having said that, I can’t tell you what that means from a percentage standpoint.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel mentioned you’ve been doing this longer than he’s been alive. You see these young guys, young head coaches, the offensive philosophy is changing. How do you mix with that and do you think he’ll benefit from having a guy who’s been around like you and have seen it all?) – “Yeah, the game’s evolving. Since I got in the league, the evolution of the game has just continued. I think we saw it firsthand in the Super Bowl – I guess it was nine days ago, eight days ago – two great quarterbacks, two great offenses, and they had their way with both defenses in that game. There was like, I believe 17 possessions in that game and I think 14 of them resulted in scores. And we’ve got to find a way to slow that down, and the only way you do that is to evolve your philosophy, what you’re teaching, what you’re playing, to fit stopping what they’re doing now. To line up and play what you did 10, 15 years ago, although you’re still doing some of that; you have to adapt it to today’s NFL game. Years ago, every team had a fullback. Now, hardly any teams have a fullback, and the fullback’s been replaced by a third wide receiver or a second tight end who’s like a third wide receiver. That in and of itself has changed the game. But teams are still running the ball. Everybody likes to say it’s a pass-happy league, but percentage-wise from 40 years ago to now, the runs have decreased only about 4 percent. And Chris Grier told me, because he’s on the competition committee, they had a graphic last week in a meeting, this is the most runs in the NFL this past year in the last 25 years. So you still have to be able to stop the run and play physical.”
(You mentioned the sabbatical that you took. Can you give us a little bit more detail of maybe what that looked like week to week for you watching those situational drills?) – “Well, I set up shop – I lived in Destin, Florida, up on the panhandle, and I had a computer that I was able to VPN into and it was just like if I was in an office, an NFL office. I had exposure to everything that any NFL coach had at that time. And wherever I went, I would tune in and do my – not every day, but most every day – spent a few hours watching tape and doing these different types of studies like third down, red zone, formational studies against offensive personnel. I did that a lot up there. I traveled out of there. I’d go back east and fly into Philadelphia and either drive two hours north and see my mother or two hours south and see my kids. I’ve spent some time in San Francisco. But no matter where I was, I was doing that. Just doing it on a kitchen table. Sometimes I went into a library and did it. But I just did that all year. I played some golf, too. It was an interesting year, one that I would recommend for anybody to do at some point, but in this business, you can’t do it too often.”
(What was the desire to get back in? Some may have just enjoyed life. You wanted to get back into coaching. Why?) – “Yeah, just because that’s who I am. That’s what I do. That’s what I like to do. I still have a lot of coaching left me. It’s not like I’m thinking about retirement or anything. Somebody asked, ‘How much longer are you going to do this?’ I don’t know. It might be 10 years if they’ll have me here for 10 years. It’s just who I am, what I do, what I enjoy doing. I like the competition. I like teaching players. I like to see players improve as individuals and putting something together is challenging and fulfilling.”
(I think you mentioned teaching players. One guy you mentioned earlier was S Jevon Holland. I know you’ve had a lot of success with safeties. What do you think you could maybe teach him to elevate his game?) – “I haven’t studied him enough since he’s gotten the NFL as far as what can I teach him, but I do know I really liked them the year he came out in the draft. I like his physical ability, his combination of size, speed, quickness, he’s got good instincts. I think he’s smart from a football standpoint. And you’re right, we’ve had some good luck with safeties over the years in the last few stops, and I’m hopeful and confident that he can be one of the top safeties in the league.”
(You mentioned fitting your scheme to the players. With your relationship with General Manager Chris Grier, how much input will you have on bringing in certain players with all the relationships you have that you think will fit here?) – “We haven’t sat down and said how much I will, but you can rest assured if there’s somebody I feel strong about, I’ll be in and out of his offense pestering him pretty strongly.”
(How close is this defense to being Super Bowl caliber?) – “Oh, I don’t know. Can we get one practice on the field? (laughter)”
(What have you done this week? You’ve been here a week, you said about a week. What’s your order of business this week?) – “A lot of it’s been spent on filling up the staff and everything that’s involved with that, which is a multitude of phone calls, Zoom interviews, talking to a lot of people. I did one day of a little house hunting and up to this moment right now I’m looking at one that’s way more than I wanted to spend. (laughter) But it’s been – I’ll tell you what it is, too – last week, it’s one of those where you’re super, super busy, but if you came in my office, and ‘hey, show me what you got done today,’ I really couldn’t show you much. Because you’re doing all the busy work, not handwriting busy work, but the legwork to fulfill your staff.”
(So if you’ve had conversations with them, what are your early impressions of Defensive Line Coach Austin Clark, Linebackers Coach Anthony Campanile and Cornerbacks/Pass Game Specialist Sam Madison?) – “Great. They were on vacation last week, although I did spend some time with Austin (Clark) and Anthony (Campanile). We watched some tape together. I met Sam (Madison) for a little bit. But by all reports and everything I know, they’re great coaches, and that’s why Mike (McDaniel) kept them on and I’m looking forward to working with them.”
(You mentioned obviously you spent time, it’s been reported, with Philadelphia during the Super Bowl period. What did you learn? Or what did you maybe help in that period that you think you can provide insight with?) – “I wasn’t there often. Like I said earlier, I would fly into Philadelphia and either end up going north a little bit or south a little bit to see family and I’d stop in and see them because Howie Roseman and Nick Sirianni are friends of mine and I’d spend some time there. And then when they got in the playoffs I helped them prepare for the NFC Championship game and the Super Bowl, but I was helping the offense, not the defense. I was giving them a defensive perspective for the offensive coaches and it was a great experience. They’ve got a great organization. Jeffrey Lurie’s a great owner. Howie does a great job as the GM. Nick Sirianni is a great coach and they really have a great staff up there and what little I was around them, I enjoyed it.”
(Did you have any background with the Dolphins at all before this?) – “No. Other than – some of you are old enough to remember when the Dolphins were in the AFC East when it was a five-team division and I was with the Colts a couple of years. Dan Marino and I talked about one of those games just last week. Obviously when you think about the Dolphins, you think about Don Shula, Dan Marino, the heyday in the 70s, the 17-0 season. I think the Dolphins are one of those franchises that the NFL is a better league when the Dolphins are relevant and in the hunt and hopefully we can get it back to that.”
Zach Thomas – February 9, 2023
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Thursday, February 9, 2023
Pro Football Hall of Fame LB Zach Thomas
(Can you sort of take us through this day? What’s your day been like today? I’m sure it’s been pretty remarkable.) – “Oh, man. It’s amazing. I’m just a small-town kid from West Texas, and for me to be here with all these greats and legends that I used to watch and even play with, it’s just an honor. It’s humbling and I’m just so grateful for everybody that helped me along the way because you’re not self-made, but to look back when I was eight years old and just to – it would be a huge dream for me just to make it to the NFL, but to end up being a Hall of Famer is crazy, man. It’s crazy when I think about it. I’m proud to represent all our defense. We had those great defenses when I played and I owe it to all those guys. I guess somebody has to get the credit. My d-line did all the work and I’ll take the credit (laughter). But I know this, is I’m so grateful for those guys, the linebackers that I played side by side. It was just a fun journey and it’s a humbling honor for me, but I’m just so grateful just to even get this far.”
(I know a lot of people have questions, but before I let you go and you move on, have you decided – I know it’s sudden – but have you decided on a presenter yet?) – “Who would be your guess?”
(Jimmy Johnson?) – “Yes, sir. Yes, sir. All day long. He’s a guy that gave me a start my rookie year from the get-go. He threw me in the mix from the get-go. I was there for special teams. Mike Westhoff helped out in getting me there, but Jimmy (Johnson) put trust in me before we even played a football game. We played a preseason game and he was like, ‘all right, you’re going to be starting.’ And he told me, ‘don’t let me down.’ And I never wanted to let him down because of that start, because man, I was a longshot. I never got the respect I felt like I needed and that’s my motivation. But for being my size most of the way because I didn’t fit the part, it gives hope to those kids that don’t fit the part, that are undersized. They could end up a Hall of Famer one day if you just believe in yourself and bet on yourself and I feel like that’s what I did. But I’m lucky to have some bad asses around me my whole career. It’s crazy how grateful I am for that.”
(Congratulations. Well-deserved and long overdue.) – “Man, I’ll tell you what. I know you didn’t ask a question, but ‘deserved.’ It’s a team game and like I said, you’re only as good as what’s around you and I had some great players around me. But like I said, I’ll take the credit.”
(There’s video circulating of the moment when you found out you were in the Hall and it’s Jimmy Johnson breaking the news to you. Can you describe the emotions of receiving that welcome surprise and for it to be Coach Jimmy Johnson?) – “Oh man, it was powerful. I went to lunch with my mom and I didn’t even think they even voted on it yet. So I come home and I’m walking up the stairs and I see Jimmy in a gold jacket just standing there and man, I broke down. I cried, even thinking about it now, and I really appreciate that guy. It’s crazy how you’ve got to rely on so many other things and choices of a coach because I would have went anywhere else and it might not have been the right system for me. It might not have been the right coach for me. They might not have taken a chance on me. Jimmy was a guy that did, and so for him to be there, that was wild, man. I’ll remember that for the rest of my life and for my family to be there, too, because my kids really didn’t get to ever see me play unless it’s old tape. But for them to be there for that moment was special.”
(Did you kind of have an inkling that maybe this was the year for you? This was your fourth straight year as a finalist?) – “I never did. I try not to look at all the guys because all of them are deserving, even the finalists. I definitely wasn’t surprised, but I am grateful that I got this opportunity to get in because it’s hard to get in. It’s very hard and I’m finally in. You can’t take me out so I’m very blessed.”
(Did you kind of have an inkling that maybe this was the year for you? This was your fourth straight year as a finalist.) – “I never did. I try not to look at all of the guys because all of them are deserving, even the finalists. I definitely am not surprised. But I am grateful that I got this opportunity to get in because it’s hard to get in. It’s very hard. I’m finally in, man. You can’t take me out. I’m very blessed.”
(At what point, either late in your career or after your career, did the thought of ‘Maybe I have a shot at getting into the Hall of Fame one day,’ start to appear?) – “Once I started seeing some of the guys get in, I said ‘Man, I’m going to have a chance.’ And once you get into the finalists and you’re a finalist year after year, you get more of a chance. So I was very grateful for that. But I started feeling like I was inching closer and closer every time I was a finalist. My family, I would let them vent one day if I didn’t make it. And that’s it. Because the game has been so good to me. I’m never going to be ungrateful, even if I never made the Hall of Fame, because it’s so good to me. It’s set me for life, man. So again, for me to be up here and represent the former teammates that I had, I don’t know if they’re going to give us enough time for all of the guys that I owe in the induction speech now that they’ve shrunk it down to 10 minutes. But I’ll try my best because that defense we had from Sam (Madison) to Pat (Surtain) to ‘JT’ (Jason Taylor), Trace (Armstrong), ‘Tim-Bo’ (Tim Bowens), the interior with ‘Big Shorty’ (Daryl Gardener), Robert Jones – the linebackers, Derrick Rodgers, Morlon Greenwood. We just had so many great players around me. Brock Marion. It’s special. I know I’m probably leaving so many guys out that played a part in helping me get all the way here because it is a team game.”
(So many great players have played the game. So many great players have played your position. What was it, do you think, about the way you played football that will enable you to have this permanent honor and to be enshrined in Canton?) – “Well like I said earlier, I didn’t fit the part. I’m in the middle of the defense. You’re supposed to be the Dick Butkus, Brian Urlacher type look. And I didn’t fit that part. I feel like the one thing I will say that was really good of mine was my prep. My pre-snap was really good. Towards the end of my career – it wasn’t great from the beginning. But once you start fine-tuning everything – I was so happy and so confident going into every game (in my) later years. You just get smarter. You get more efficient with your time. You get smarter. That’s why pretty much walkthrough was so important to me before even a live practice when it came to preparing. Everybody kind of overlooks walkthrough. Because my alignment is what won for me. I’ve got to give myself the best chance and if you just get lined up right, your odds of winning on that play go up. I think that’s where I felt like I won was my pre-snap … That was it. That was one thing that I felt like – you’ve got the quarterback as the quarterback of the offense and I was the quarterback of the defense. To get our team lined up pre-snap, that was big and underrated because nobody knows when you line up right or wrong besides the coaches. That was the one thing that I took a lot of pride in. I’m getting us aligned right. And if they come out in a certain formation, it’s all about keeping yourself out of a bad play than not just trying to win every play. It’s keeping yourself out of a play. So for me, that’s what I miss the most and that’s what I feel like was underappreciated was my pre-snap and how I lined my guys up once they came out with the formation.”
Chris Grier and Mike McDaniel – January 16, 2023
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Monday, January 16, 2023
General Manager Chris Grier and Head Coach Mike McDaniel
Chris Grier:
(Obviously it’s unfortunate that CB Byron Jones couldn’t help you this year. There’s not a lot of cap relief by cutting him until after June 1. Does he intend to keep playing and also is there any desire to try to salvage that perhaps with a restructured deal or do you think basically both parties will be moving on from each other at this point?) – “Byron (Jones) worked hard trying to get back. Unfortunately it didn’t work out. He did his best. Training, doctors, everybody worked hard. The season just ended. We’re not there yet. We’re still – after the tough loss yesterday, we’re kind of licking our wounds and just going about our process and we’ll meet with the coaching staff here, trainers and doctors to talk about every player on the roster. So we’re just not there right now to deal with it, but Byron did everything he could to try and play so no qualms with that at all.”
(Did you consider this a successful season and if so, why?) – “I would say successful, but at the end of the day, every team’s looking – all 32 teams are trying to get to that ultimate goal. But it was successful. I would say not satisfied. I think to watch the guys compete yesterday, knowing the injuries we had – we’ve played that team three times, Buffalo – and what Coach McDermott, Brandon Beane and those guys have done is tremendous. I have great respect for them and told them that after the game. For our guys to go out there in that environment and most of that roster hadn’t been in a playoff environment before, and go down 17 and not blink and come back and fight and get into it, and have a chance late in the game to tie it up or potentially win; very excited. We’re disappointed we lost, but very excited, so I would say yes, it was a successful season.”
(Yesterday, we asked Head Coach Mike McDaniel about QB Tua Tagovailoa’s standing with the team and he essentially said yes, we intend to welcome him back as a starter and leader of our team next season. Now with that being said, I was wondering if you could kind of elaborate on that and in terms of the offseason. Do you plan to exercise his fifth-year option? In terms of a long-term view, where are you with that?) – “Yeah, I would say with Tua (Tagovailoa), he’s our starting quarterback. I don’t know how we could say it any more clearly. We’ve been that way through this season and what he’s done and what Mike (McDaniel) and Tua, (Darrell) Bevell, Chandler (Henley), the coaching staff have all done; they’ve all worked tremendously hard, all of them together. So Tua – we anticipate him, worked with and talking with the doctors and consultants and everyone we dealt with, we fully expect him back next year 100 percent ready to go and then we’ll get through all those decisions like I said, just like we talk about every player on the roster. Obviously I understand because it’s Tua and that’s why the question is being asked. We’ll go through our process but he is our starting quarterback and will be next season.”
Mike McDaniel:
(If I could follow up on General Manager Chris Grier’s response there, is it just a process that QB Tua Tagovailoa has to go through to ensure that he’s healthy coming into at least OTAs …?) – “Yeah, absolutely. That’s something that’s driven by the doctors. Those are the things that – they’re the experts in those fields – and when they tell us that he’s ready to play and as we expect, when they tell us that he’s ready to play coming in the spring or whatever, then we’ll press forward in that direction.”
Chris Grier:
(With concussions – again, I’m a few credits short of my MD – but what I’ve read is that if you have a couple, you might be susceptible to getting more easily. Is that a concern with QB Tua Tagovailoa and what confidence do you have that this won’t be a recurring issue for him?) – “I think from what our doctors and the consultants we’ve talked to through the NFLPA, that is not a true statement. So for us, I don’t think he’s any more prone than anyone else. So for us, we’re just going through and letting the doctors and the medical staff and the people in that field, like you said that know a lot more – but from everything we’ve been told, that is not a concern.”
Mike McDaniel:
“Yes, specifically, these are the doctors that are working with him directly and individually as opposed to a generalization.”
(The two concussions were when he hit his head from the back. Is there anything you can do for his helmet or anything? Are you guys looking into that? Are you looking into something like that?) – “What’s interesting is his helmet is one of the higher-rated helmets. It’s in the top two or three, I think, from the NFL rating. I believe it was, I think No. 3 or No. 2 … but it’s in the top for helmet safety. I think with every player, that’s a choice that they make. They all like the comfort, feel and whatever, but I think those will be discussions that he’ll have with all of us – equipment, doctors and stuff. But it is a very safe helmet in terms of how the NFL has rated helmets.”
Mike McDaniel:
“And with regard to – our plan is to kind of approach it like you do a young quarterback who’s not used to sliding. We have ideas and thoughts of how to help him because that is a consistency that we’ve noticed as well, is that they’re ground-induced. So like everything else, we’ll do everything in our power to help coach them and that’s a new way to attempt to coach.”
(What are your thoughts on the job that Josh Boyer did as defensive coordinator this season?) – “I was very, very proud of the defense, the coaching staff and the players – specifically the very end of the season. I think the last three regular season games, in a place of adversity, they found their best self, I think. And then I couldn’t be prouder of yesterday, specifically with – you’re talking about seven sacks and turnovers and just really aggressive play. So I’m very, very proud of the way the defense finished the season.”
(Have any changes on the coaching staff been conversed about?) – “It’s pretty early. I think 24 hours ago, we might have had a lead, maybe. One of the things that I’ve found from my experience in the National Football League is that it’s very long. It’s very emotional. And you’re not always – you can lend yourself to living with regret if you make any sort of decisions emotionally. So we’re going to go through the process and you’ve got to kind of let things simmer for just really the entire coaching staff, just like you do with players, and have communication. But it’s going to take a minute and we’re just out of it. I’m just getting my feeling back in my in my hands from the cold winter Buffalo skies.”
Chris Grier:
(How extensive will your research be this offseason, getting ready to find those diamond top players in the draft?) – “Yeah, I think it’s the same process we’ve always had. It doesn’t matter how many picks we have or what. You have to go through it because you have to be ready for every scenario. So our guys were out at all-star games last week. They’re out at all-star games now – all of them from all divisions, HBCUs. They’ve been at the all-star games. So our guys are in the middle of that process right now and then I’ll jump into it here the next couple of weeks coming up with the East-West (Shrine Bowl) and Senior Bowl and stuff.”
Mike McDaniel:
“That’s the only way that you have – you don’t plan on having injuries. You just plan on going through the process like they do and the coaching staff will join eventually. And when you go about it with that diligence and that intent, you wind up with players like Kader (Kohou). We didn’t go out trying to find a corner that would start for us, but he ended up starting because you’re doing your due diligence.”
Chris Grier:
(What are your early leanings on TE Mike Gesicki after watching one season of the marriage between him and this offense?) – “I think Mike (Gesicki) did a good job this year. I think we had a great individual conversation with him probably a couple hours ago. I told Mike I was proud of him. He did a nice job and made some plays yesterday for us, got us back in the game. He worked through it all this year. We’ll see what the future holds. He’s earned the right to be a free agent, but we’re happy for him and he did a nice job. I know his teammates are happy for him, as you saw when he scored the touchdown yesterday.”
(There obviously was hope that OL Liam Eichenberg would thrive at left guard and T Austin Jackson at right tackle. Unfortunately, both got hurt. Liam ended up playing more. Do you have any initial instincts whether you want to continue down that course with those positions, with those players, to allow them to win starting jobs next year or if you need to address those two positions elsewhere this offseason?) – “I think at every position we’ll always keep – but they’re two young players and again, this would be the first offense they will be in for two years in a row. Liam (Eichenberg) showed some really good signs of playing well for stretches after adjusting to the system and being asked to do stuff he had never done before. We actually joked before one of our games when he got hurt, a coach and a GM of another team came over and was like, ‘Man, losing Eichenberg hurt, because he said he’d been playing really well for you.’ So it’s encouraging to hear that from others and to see work that Mike (McDaniel) and (Offensive Coordinator) Frank (Smith) and (Offensive Line Coach) Matt (Applebaum) and the offensive staff put in with him, and his hard work as well. Then Austin (Jackson) was playing really good. He was the one we were talking about all preseason and then he gets hurt Week 1 on kind of a fluke thing. Then he comes back and (has the) same injury, which is a one in a million thing. Again, he’s still young, a lot of upside, needs to keep developing and continue, but he’s still – they’re both part of the plan, and we’ll give them opportunities to grow and compete here.”
Mike McDaniel:
(I know the season just ended, but what were some of your biggest takeaways or lessons learned from your rookie season as a head coach?) – “There’s a lot to learn each and every game, just each and every experience. I didn’t really realize how rewarding a lot of things would be. I didn’t realize how certain things not going your way would keep you up quite as late at night. I think all in all, I think that’s kind of the nature of how I’ve learned to try to attack each and every year in anything you do is find more to learn from than the Average Joe. So that doesn’t change in this seat by any stretch – there’s new things that happen every day. I’m excited to have a little experience with handling each and every one of them. Although I’ve thought about it, it’s a different thing to really attack it. You learn that you are only as good as everyone you work with. I think I thought about that going into it. That was a principle and philosophy of mine, but truly living it, you just rely on a lot of people deciding to go in one direction. It’s a humbling experience, but it’s also very validating and reinforces what the position truly is – that you are a service to a lot of people that are trying all to do the same thing. Trying to orchestrate that is not easy, but it sure is worth it.”
Chris Grier:
(How do you approach QB Tua Tagovailoa’s contract coming up with the fifth-year option and if possible, an extension?) – “Like I said, we’ll have discussions and talk through it, just like we’ll have discussions with Christian Wilkins and all these other guys that are coming up here.”
(Are you open to taking the fifth-year option with QB Tua Tagovailoa?) – “I think everything is on the table for us.”
(You mentioned DT Christian Wilkins, who is eligible for an extension. How big of a priority is getting that done after the type of year that he’s had?) – “Yeah, Christian (Wilkins) has had back-to-back really good years for us. Everything he’s done on and off the field. Last week, it was a Wednesday or Thursday?”
Mike McDaniel:
“Thursday, I’ll never forget it.”
Chris Grier:
“(laughter) (Mike McDaniel) is in my office talking and it’s about 6:45 (p.m.) and all of a sudden, he goes, ‘What is that?’ And it’s dark and the lights are on the field. We see someone working out. ‘Who is it?’ So he flashed the laser pointer on him and he looks up and it was Christian (Wilkins) out there by himself at 6:45 (p.m.) in the dark doing drills to work. So that’s just the type of person he is and how much he loves this game and the leadership role that Mike (McDaniel) and the players have empowered him in. So for us, yeah, it’ll be important to talk to him and work with him and keep him here, because he’s been a big part. He was one of the first guys here through this, and we talked about that after the Jets game. We hugged after he does his usual jump trying to knock me over and hurt my ACL. (laughter) But we talked about that – he’d been through a lot of stuff and how happy he was to get a chance to go to the playoffs.”
Mike McDaniel:
(Can you talk about yesterday coming close but also the last few minutes and time management and all that? You probably thought about it. What went wrong? What can you correct?) – “I always think about – so I think about it this way. So there’s, I think, in the regular season offensively, there was 1,084 plays. It’s like kind of a baseball player. A lot of them don’t work with every one (of them) intending to work. So there’s a lot of constructive criticism that I put on myself, first and foremost. The bottom line is in the biggest moment, we weren’t able to execute. There was compounding variables to that, things that you can’t really change in hindsight. There are some things that, as I mentioned before, that I need to work out with the staff. The bottom line is I need to work it out with the staff. So if it became a problem in crunch time, that’s ultimately my responsibility. It wasn’t necessarily for a lack of direction. It was more just really working on the nuances of communication, which starts with me. That being said, I think that’s the most important thing that I took from it. I don’t think it helped the situation to have the rookie quarterback in a (third) start with a new starting running back, a new starting left guard, a new right guard and a new starting right tackle. All those things hurt communication, probably. The way I look at things is in hindsight, you learn that (with) that many new players in one game, you have to be mindful of that when you’re building a plan with a lot of communication. So (like) all things, you learn from it. I was proud of the guys, really proud of the entire team, for allowing us to be in that situation. And because of that, there’s a lot of young players that really can understand the gravity of how you operate in the spring (and) how you operate in training camp. All of it matters because you’re building for those moments where you don’t want a time issue to be the reason why you’re having to watch the rest of the postseason from your home.”
(Has QB Skylar Thompson earned the privilege to be the No. 2 quarterback behind QB Tua Tagovailoa or will there be competition in training camp?) – “Man, if I had an answer to that, it would be bittersweet for you because it would be cool to have an answer to write about but then how much work am I really doing? (laughter) I think his teammates were very pumped about how he rose to the occasion. I think he was the second seventh-round rookie to start a playoff game. He was just a day late and a dollar short and he could have been the first. (laughter) Not only that but on top of that, it’s easy to forget that he started a game, got injured and then was out. So he came back from injury. One of the reasons why it’s so impressive is an NFL season is a grind for college players. All rookies involved in that know exactly what I’m talking about. It’s like ‘Whoa, we’re still playing football.’ He was relentless about the season. Really, the veterans all trusted him with the season on the line. That’s a huge ringing endorsement from his teammates. We’ll see what ole Chris (Grier) has up his sleeve. You never know. He’s got long sleeves. (laughter)”
Chris Grier:
(From watching this defense, do you believe that upgrades are needed at inside linebacker? And with you guys up against the cap, is there money for any real impact outside signing at any position?) – “Yeah, we always have flexibility. We’ve done a lot of work to make sure we maintain that. What it is right now is not what it will be at the start of the season. For us, like I said, we’re going to keep going through our process here of evaluating everything. I think guys, especially the defense in the second half of the year, played really well. We were just talking about when Bradley (Chubb) came on, our analytics ran steady for us and we moved into like the top 10 or top eight of six of our 12 metrics we evaluate for defense. Just his impact coming in. And that’s run and pass. In the exit meetings today, some of the defensive guys were talking about how cool he was, what a good guy, work ethic, toughness, leadership. I think with all of that, we look at it all. Elandon Roberts did a nice job showing leadership. (Jerome) Baker, Duke (Riley), all of those guys. Channing (Tindall), we’re excited for his future in terms of developing, which we kind of expected that this year, that he would be more of a special teams guy. Sam (Eguavoen) did a nice job on special teams. I don’t want to leave anyone out. But that position – I know you’re asking because there are a lot of free agents at that position – but we’ll just keep doing our work and filling in the holes like we always do.”
(Considering all of the injuries this team had, will you be placing greater emphasis on a player’s injury history in roster decisions going forward?) – “I think you can’t be scared with stuff. Talk about Terron (Armstead). He’s a Pro Bowl left tackle and the impact he had with us in terms of leadership and what he did on the field for us. Raheem (Mostert) is another guy people talked about being hurt and had a career year and everything he had done in terms of leadership and stuff again. If you’re scared – like Bradley (Chubb) again. He’s another one that people said was a good player and the right type of person that you bring into the building for a young team to help impact. It’s (more) far-reaching than if they miss a game or two here. You never hope they do but injuries happen. It’s football. As I told you guys before, my dad drafted Curtis Martin. Curtis Martin never finished a (season) in his college career and everyone said it was a mistake. And then he (hardly) ever missed a game in his (NFL) career.”
Mike McDaniel:
“I wouldn’t want to be the GM that took Frank Gore off my board.”
(Earlier you kind of alluded to OL Liam Eichenberg and OL Austin Jackson playing in the same offense for the second year in a row. What are some of the tangible impacts of that continuity coming into Year 2 next year for the offense to take another step forward?) – “It is really the nuts and bolts of execution and understanding the foundational movement and prioritizing every single inch that you approach how you block people. Those things – the game of inches – is a cliché for a reason. Part of the philosophy of the offense is very specific in how you attack and try to enter into your blocks on the other side of the line of scrimmage. That is also in conflict to a lot of things that have been deliberately trained for an extended period of time. The bottom line is to undo that, it’s one thing in practice. I think they did a phenomenal job of that and more often than not, it was applied to the game. But there were times when you just go to muscle memory of sorts, that you can play out of your drill work, that reverts to things you’ve done in the past. And that type of disconnect, if you have two linemen on different levels, I’ll tell you one thing; a d-lineman or a linebacker is not getting blocked. So you have to be in concert. It’s extremely important and very beneficial in this type of system in Year 2, specifically, to really have that Year 1 groundwork prove great dividends in Year 2.”
Chris Grier:
(Is 9-9 a fair reflection of this season?) – “That’s a good question. You know me, I started with Bill Parcells and he says you are what you are. (laughter) It is what it is. We had a year – we haven’t had injuries like this since probably 2017 maybe was the last time we were this ravaged by injuries. We finished where we were but we got to the playoffs and had a chance to win a playoff game versus one of the best teams in football. That’s what it is.”
Jaylen Waddle – January 16, 2023
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Monday, January 16, 2022
WR Jaylen Waddle
(After watching yesterday’s game. Do you wish you had some of those plays back?) – “Yeah, definitely. Definitely. Definitely.”
(After the game, what was the message from Head Coach Mike McDaniel to all the guys in the locker room?) – “Really just stay together. Learn from it and just stay together.”
(How do you build off of this season?) – “You go about it, look at film, take the experience and just learn from it.”
(What do you think the playoff game yesterday did for you guys?) – “I think we could just learn a lot from it. I think we’re a young team. We can learn a lot from just having that playoff experience, that playoff game. It was hostile out there. It got chippy. It was a great, great playoff game.”
(How pleased are you with you year, obviously leading the league in yards per reception? And is there another big step you think you can even make?) – “I feel like it was okay. It was okay for me, personally. I definitely didn’t end the season how I wanted to. I can take steps forward in so many aspects of my game, for sure.”
(What do the next few weeks look like for you?) – “It’s going to be a lot of relaxation getting my body right, hanging out with family, family time.”
(Does the waddle celebration change for next season?) – “I don’t know. I haven’t thought about it, honestly. I couldn’t tell you.”
(Adam Schefter reported QB Tua Tagovailoa could be back. How exciting is that after everything he’s been through this year, knowing he’ll be back?) – “You’ve got to be excited. Tua is a great player, a special player. So going out there and having him out there is always good.”
Bradley Chubb – January 16, 2023
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Monday, January 16, 2023
LB Bradley Chubb
(The dreaded day in football. What are you feeling today?) – “It’s just a little unfortunate. All the things that this team went through this year and the position we were in, we still had an opportunity to make noise and just came up short. It’s a bittersweet day because you know what’s coming in the future and what we could build off of and what we could do mentality-wise and overall. It’s cool, but it’s going to hurt over the offseason. It’s an added use for motivation. I know me and ‘JP’ (Jaelan Phillips) talked last night, man, we’re just going to get to it and understand that we just have to (hone our) craft, make sure we’re leading the pack and make sure we’re doing everything we can do to help this organization take it to the next step.”
(When they brought you in, there was a boost. There was a boost that you felt and then a bunch of things happened, from injuries to guys out to the uncertainty.) – “No doubt, and that’s how the NFL season goes. There’s so much uncertainty out there and we just have to understand it. We saw how it was. We just have to do a better job controlling it in the future. Adversity and all that, change and all that, it helps out in the future. So I’m just excited to see where this thing goes.”
(What do you build off of this season?) – “There’s a lot of things we can build off of – just the offense, how they came and exploded, and everybody just saw their growth. The defense, when I came, everybody felt, like you said, the added bolt of energy and seeing how everybody kind of came together towards the end in playoff football. We started playing a little bit better as a whole unit and just building off that. Understanding who the leaders are, following those guys and setting the standard and setting the tone of where we want to be as a team. Once that happens, man, everything is going to be exactly where we need it.”
(For you, how much more impactful do you think you can be next season looking ahead since you’ll be there from the beginning?) – “Man, just very impactful. Going through OTAs, going through the offseason program, getting closer with the guys, because football, man, the game is the game, but I feel like it’s the relationships that take it to the next level. I came in, made good relationships with guys, but I want to take it to the next level and be there when their kid gets born and they’re saying, ‘Uncle Chubb,’ and stuff like that – take it to that level. I feel like we can do that, we’re going to do that and it’s going to be fun when it all comes together.”
(Between you and LB Jaelan Phillips, how scary can this combination be?) – “It could be real scary, man. It could be real scary. We’re looking forward to all the things that we’ve got coming ahead and looking forward to the future.”
Christian Wilkins – January 16, 2023
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Monday, January 16, 2023
DT Christian Wilkins
(Do you think this is like an origin story for the team?) – “I don’t think about it that deep or look at it that deep or anything like that, but I just think we’re definitely doing some things the right way, moving in the right direction and there’s a lot to look forward to like I said, as an organization and as a team. So I’m just excited. If everyone handles their business this offseason, I’m excited to see what we can do next year and the years to come.”
(How different does this day feel from all the other ones that you’ve been in the NFL?) – “Different in ways, but it’s all the same because you didn’t get to the big game and you didn’t have an opportunity to play for that. But definitely a lot of positives to leave with from the season and I learned a lot this year both as an individual and about my teammates and things like that. So I definitely am leaving with a sense of optimism and just looking forward to what’s to come.”
(What do you know this year – after a few years in the NFL – to have the kind of year you did, that you didn’t know when you came into the league?) – “It’s just really – you develop each year. Stick to a routine, stick to a plan and you improve on that each year and you just try to be your best each and every year. There’s a lot of things I learned schematically about our defense, about how offenses try to attack us and different things like that that allow me to play at a higher level and be more productive and just overall confidence. When you put your all into something each and every day with few days off, you’ve got no choice but to get better at what you do.”
(How much were you able to grow as a leader this year?) – “Definitely. Growing as a leader was definitely a point of emphasis of mine this year because I try to do a lot of things the right way not just on the field, but off the field and carry myself in a way to where people can look at me and count on me so that’s only going to improve and just like anything, it’s a skill so you can always work on it, can always work at it, always find ways to improve and it’s something I’m going to improve on and get better at.”
(We move onto the business side of the proposition. What do you expect this offseason from the Dolphins?) – “I’m not paying attention to that. I’m not in control of that. That’s up to the powers that be – my agent, whoever else – but I just like I said, control what I can control, do what I can on the field. If I do what I can around the building and things like that, then that’ll all take care of itself.”
(If I can ask you just the motivational factors, just the way this defense played yesterday against a team that Head Coach Mike McDaniel called one of the best, if not the best in the NFL? What do you take from that?) – “Again, like I was just saying earlier, there’s a lot of positives you can take away. It wasn’t perfect, but we did some good things and we played hard and we fought hard to the very end. That’s one of the things I appreciate about this team and respect about this team and the guys on defense and everything. Even when things were at their worst, we never blinked. We never wavered. Maybe a lot of you and a lot of people on the outside didn’t believe in us. But we believed in each other, and we fought hard each and every day. So that’s one thing I can appreciate about my teammates and our defense and our team as a whole.”
(If I could follow up, what does it say about Head Coach Mike McDaniel keeping this team together through QB Tua Tagovailoa’s situation, injuries, a losing streak? What does it say about him?) – “It says a lot and it’s easy to follow a guy who leads the way he does, in the manner that he does. He never flinches. He never blinks. He embraces adversity so you as a man and you as a follower of a leader like that; it’s definitely something I take from him. Just embracing adversity and just looking at it all as an opportunity.”
(What do you think getting to the playoffs and that experience yesterday, what do you think that can do for you guys going forward?) – “I think it was definitely good because I’ve never played in a playoff game. That was my first time. This organization, we haven’t been in the playoffs in however many years and haven’t won a game in even longer, so it’s definitely just getting a rep of it knowing what we can be, what it feels like, what it looks like, all that. I’m already ready to fast forward to next year and already start training and doing things I need to do because I’m excited for what’s going to come for the years to come. Absolutely.”
(How different was a playoff game?) – “It’s all football. It’s all a game. But there’s an extra sense of urgency, an extra sense of heightened physicality, heightened sense of urgency, all that. So like I said, it was good to get that rep and hopefully we’ll get the opportunity to play in a lot more of those games down the line.”
(Obviously you’re in line for an extension this offseason, but what does it mean to you to have seen improvement over these past few years to put yourself in line to get an extension?) – “I always try to keep perspective and just appreciate the distance traveled individually definitely. It was rough for me my rookie year and I just work tirelessly every day because I love this football stuff. I love my teammates, I love Miami, I love this organization so I put my all into it, not for myself but for the people that it affects. And I’m going to continue to do that moving forward. I’m just grateful for the distance traveled for myself individually.”
Jerome Baker – January 16, 2023
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Monday, January 16, 2023
LB Jerome Baker
(Now with a day to digest this game, how proud of you are of this season?) – “I’m definitely proud. We definitely accomplished some things. It’s just unfortunate we lost but it’s part of the game.”
(What are some of the things that you’re going to build off of and this team needs to build off of in the offseason?) – “I’m sure we’re going to sit down and address that and figure that out. Right now, it’s kind of just waiting and getting back to normal. We definitely have some great people here and it’s going to be some great years coming.”
(How different does this day – the garbage bags and everything being packed up and all the stuff going on. How different does it feel?) – “It definitely feels different. It’s one of those feelings that you know it’s going to happen every year but you still can’t get used to it. But you’ve got to do it and we’ll figure it out next year.”
(How tough is it to not look back at what could have been? Especially in that game yesterday?) – “For me, it’s pretty easy because I know I can’t change it, so I’m not going to dwell on it. But we definitely could have made some plays. We definitely could have done some things differently and changed the outcome. But it’s too late to say anything about that now. Now it’s just about going forward.”
(How long do you step away from football in the offseason before kind of going back into that mentality of workouts?) – “I don’t know. It changes every year for me. Some years I want to get back in the gym like next week. Sometimes it’s like let me take a few weeks off and take a vacation. Usually after a vacation I’m ready to go back. But it changes every year.”
