Reshad Jones – May 24, 2018
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Thursday, May 24, 2018
S Reshad Jones
(What do you want to accomplish in 2018?) – “Really, no goals. Just be consistent and be the same guy I’ve been the past nine years. (I want to) be one of the leaders on this team now that I’m one of the older guys here and lead by example, not by my mouth.”
(Your thoughts when you heard that the Dolphins drafted S Minkah Fitzpatrick and what are your impressions of him?) – “He’s been making plays, getting his hands on balls early. I think it was a good pickup. I think he will definitely help us. I’m glad we got another DB, another guy in the room.”
(One thing that’s been tossed around is, having three safeties on the field at times. Obviously we saw that with S Maurice Smith on the field before the appendectomy last year. What kind of package could you S T.J McDonald, and S Minkah Fitzpatrick do? What strengths would that bring?) – “I think we all are versatile safeties. I can play strong safety, free safety. I guess it gives us an extra element of coverage. We have two strong defensive ends right now that are going to get after the quarterback. I know with Minkah on the field and all three of us on the field, that gives us that extra lockdown coverage.”
(We haven’t seen LB Raekwon McMillan play in a game yet. What do you think his strengths will be in front of you guys?) – “I think it will be good. Raekwon’s a big body. He’s been very vocal out there, taking on that leadership middle linebacker role. I think he’ll be very good and he’ll be helpful for us this year.”
(Have you seen any signs with CB Xavien Howard that he’s progressing, that he’s maturing and moving into that veteran status at all?) – “’X’ is being ‘X.’ He’s getting after it. We all have a common goal right now, to just come out here and get one percent better, like our coach preaches. I think he’s doing that. I think he had a small injury. He’s working through that and he’s out there trying to make plays for us.”
(Do you see things improving for him? Do you see things that he is approaching differently where he doesn’t seem like a rookie anymore to you?) – “I think he’s getting more knowledge of the game, as far as seeing things a little bit differently. He is recognizing formations and different things like that, so I would say yes.”
(I think you had your 30th birthday not that long ago, right?) – “Yes.”
(What does that mean to you in terms of being a professional athlete and turning 30 and where you feel you are in your career?) – “I still feel 18. I still feel like I have a lot of ball left ahead of me. I still feel good, I don’t feel 30.”
(This might make you feel old too, but this is your ninth season. Is that hard to believe?) – “Yes, it is a little hard to believe.”
(When you come into this league, you want to provide for your family. But, you also want to win too. Any frustration to not really getting to that point? You’ve been to the playoffs once, but being a competitor year in and year out, has that kind of eaten at you a little bit?) – “A little bit, but I just control what I control. I come and work my butt off and do everything that I can to help this team win. Whatever happens, happens.”
(What gives you confidence that this year will be different than years past?) – “It’s early. I can’t really tell right now. I feel like we’ve got the right guys in the locker room. There’s been a lot of changes around here. The culture feels a little bit different. It feels better. I just think we’re headed in the right directions.”
(How would you describe the personality and the leadership style of the new secondary coach, Tony Oden?) – “Tony’s a great dude. He’s a family guy. You can tell that he cares about us not only on the field, but off the field too. He asks about your family members and different things like that. It’s fun being with a guy like that. He’s been around also. He knows football. He knows the game. I think he’ll be very helpful for the young guys this year in our room.”
(In terms of how Defensive Backs Coach Tony Oden and former Defensive Backs Coach Lou Anarumo teach technique, can you sense that there is a big difference in how they teach technique?) – “Not really. For us, everything is pretty much the same for the safeties. The cornerbacks can tell you a little bit different. He works with the corners a little bit more than he works with us. Like I said, he’s a family guy. We have fun in the room. He has a lot of knowledge of the game. He’s been on Super Bowl teams. He knows what it looks like and how to get it done.”
(How would you assess how you and S T.J McDonald play as a tandem once he came back? And where is there room for improvement?) – “T.J and I played together a little bit later. I’m excited to see early on what we can do. I think me and T.J are interchangeable. We’re both versatile safeties. I can play free, he can play fee. I can play strong, he can play strong. I think it will be exciting for us to see early on, to have both of us on the field at the same time at the beginning of the season.”
(What can help your secondary produce more turnovers than last years total of eight?) – “Just tightening up coverage. I think it’s a total defensive effort. Pass rushers getting to the quarterback, us tightening up coverage, communicating a little bit better. Different things like that.”
(Has S Minkah Fitzpatrick been picking your brain and what is some advice you’d give him?) – “He hasn’t really picked my brain too much. I‘ve been helping him on little things; but, what advice I can give him is to be yourself. Continue to do what you’ve done to this point. Continue to be Minkah. I think he’ll be fine.”
(What was your initial reaction when you saw the Dolphins were drafting a safety in the first round?) – “It’s about time. We haven’t drafted a safety in a while. I think it was about time for us to get another defensive back in the room. I didn’t really have a reaction. I think it was helpful. I think it was a good move.”
(How was LB Raekwon McMillan doing last offseason? He was a rookie that was still pretty new. As far as just commanding the defense a running everything.) – “Last year, you said?”
(Last year when LB Raekwon McMillan was practicing with you guys.) – “I really didn’t pay attention to him too much last year. I don’t think we got as many reps together either, last year; so I wasn’t really paying attention to him like that.”
(What are your reaction to the NFL changing the way we do the National Anthem?) – “I really have no comment on it.”
(In sports, when someone is traded, released or whatever, it’s the next man up. What kind of blow was it to the defense with DT Ndamukong Suh not lining up here?) – “I’m going to miss him. I think Ndamukong Suh was a great guy, a great friend and a great talent on the field too. He’s a dominant force. A guy like that just leaving is going to definitely affect us a little bit; but I think we’ve got the right guys in our room and on this team that can step up and fill that void.”
(I know it’s early, but you’re way-too-early impressions of QB Ryan Tannehill as he comes back from the knee injury?) – “Ryan is a competitor. I’ve been seeing him work all offseason. While we’re working, he’s been here working. He’s one of the first guys in the building. He’s been looking good. He’s been making all of the right throws. He’s been making plays out there. I’m excited to have him back as our starting quarterback.”
(I can remember a couple of years back when we talked about how much making the Pro Bowl would mean to you when you hadn’t made it yet. Now that you’ve made it a couple of times, what sort of statement do you think you make to the rest of the league? What do you think others think of when they think of Reshad Jones?) – “It really doesn’t matter. Like I’ve always said, I know I’m one of the best safeties in this leagues. I know what I can do in this league. All I’m here to do is continue to do whatever it takes to win games. The contract situation is behind me and all of those things are behind me. My main focus is to help this team win and be the best teammate and player that I can be.”
(You’ve had an eight-year career here. Have you given any thought to finishing your career here and possibly being a Ring of Honor kind of player?) – “Most definitely. I definitely would like to retire. I’ve been here nine years. My family’s here. I don’t want to go anywhere at this point. Nine years in being with the same team is kind of rare; but I’d love to finish as a Miami Dolphin.”
(What do you think you need to do to get that Ring of Honor kind of status?) – “I really haven’t looked at that. Like I said, I want to come and be consistent and keep doing what I’ve been doing and let everything else – all those honors and recognition and accolades –handle itself.”
(It’s so rare to see a player go his entire career with one team. Would that be kind of something you’d really cherish if you were able to pull that off?) – “Yes, most definitely, I’d love to be here. I love Miami, I love the fans, I love everything about it. I was blessed to be drafted by one of the teams I wanted to come to. I’d definitely like to end my career here, if that’s possible.”
