Shane Day – May 31, 2018
Download PDF version
Thursday, May 31, 2018
Tight Ends Coach Shane Day
(What did you think when you found out you were going to get not just one new tight end to work with but two in the draft?) – “Obviously we were really excited. It’s good to get two tight ends in the draft. We were really fortunate, especially with the guys that we got. We like them so we were really fortunate.”
(I know it’s early but what impresses you about TE Mike Gesicki?) – “Actually, both of the rookie guys (Gesicki and Durham Smythe), we’re really impressed with just how hard they work. They’re doing all of the right things and they’re doing what it takes to get better. It’s really early in the process, like you mentioned; but they’re doing all of the right things right now, so we’re happy with where they’re at.”
(Did you get a chance to work out or closely evaluate TE Mike Gesicki before the draft?) – “Yes. We went through the whole Combine process, where we interviewed him there; and then we brought him in on one of those visits. So I got to spend like two days with him and get to know him a little bit. He did a really good job.”
(Did you learn anything surprising about TE Mike Gesicki?) – “Not really; but when you spend two days with a guy, you get to really get a good feel for what kind of guy he is, how he learns and all of those types of things. I was really impressed with him. He did a nice job.”
(And TE Mike Gesicki is good at volleyball.) – “And he’s good at volleyball. (He has) multiple skills.”
(We’ve only seen a couple of practices. Have you seen TE Mike Gesicki jump really high?) – “Yes, he definitely … We’ve seen him jump really high. He’s definitely got the vertical leap, for sure.”
(With the veterans you have in here, what do those guys need to do to break through to win that starting job?) – “Well, I think all of our guys are doing the same thing they always do, which is just getting better. Each guy has different things they’re working on to improve on, and it’s the same thing whether you’re a veteran or a rookie. All of the guys are working hard together to get better.”
(What did TE A.J. Derby do last season when he got here to impress you guys?) – “I think the thing with A.J. is he was able to learn the offense within like two weeks and play in a game. That’s really hard to do, to come in and learn an entire offense and be game ready. He was able to do that, so that was very impressive.”
(Athletically, what does TE A.J. Derby bring to the table?) – “Athletically he’s a guy that you can put outside and kind of flex out and do a lot of those things that receivers do, and then he can also block. He’s kind of got a multiple skill set.”
(Getting back to TE Mike Gesicki, obviously one of the limitations that he had based on his film was the blocking – in-line blocking. How do you get a tight end to get better and improve in those skill sets?) – “I think at Penn State, he really wasn’t asked to do that role. They had other guys and he was more of a slot-type of receiver. Now that we’ve got him, we just take him through the same progression we take all the other guys through, and they learn how to block. We emphasize it in individual and then he also gets team reps. It’s just a matter of going through that process. It’s kind of nice because he doesn’t have any bad habits. He’s kind of new to blocking and he’s really willing to do it, so it’s been really good so far.”
(When you are trying to integrate the rookies, do you teach them the entire offense from A to Z? Or do you integrate them with maybe red zone and things you might use them for in first?) – “So our philosophy is we throw it all at them. We know that it’s not all going to stick; but if they have to learn 20 things and they learn 10 of them, it’s better than teaching them five things and they learn one of them. Then we just keep repeating the installs over and over again, and they get better each time. We work for proficiency first and then as we get going, we try to get to mastery. So proficiency first, which is kind of where they’re at, and now we’re just adding details as we go.”
(How much have they busted? Do they seem to get it? They seem like smart guys.) – “Yes. They have an occasional rookie bust like everybody else but for the most part, they’ve been on it with assignments. They study really hard and they’re working together to try to learn all of the plays. They’re doing a good job.”
(Especially from film, how would you describe TE Durham Smythe’s blocking style?) – “He’s a physical guy. He’s going to hit you. It’s the same stuff we saw at Notre Dame. He’s a real physical tight end and he’s got a good blocking style.”
(As you guys studied TE Durham Smythe – you and the guys in the scouting department – studied him as receiver, do you see upside there? What now is he able to do well as a receiver?) – “Yes. I think everything that we saw on the tape … He didn’t get targeted a lot at Notre Dame; but we saw the hands on tape. Everybody saw that and we felt like in our offense and with our situation, he’d have a chance to be a very productive player. He’s working to do everything that we ask and everything that we thought he’d do.”
(Do you ever get confused and think that TE Durham Smythe was TE Anthony Fasano in there? That’s his hero, you know.) – “I know, right? (laughter) We had a lot of conversations at the Combine about Fasano, actually. We actually Facetimed Fasano when we were in the train station and got him involved. Yes, it’s really good to have a role model like Fasano. It’s been a lot of fun.”
(Was TE Anthony Fasano consulted specifically on TE Durham Smythe or on several players?) – “No, (we were) just talking to him for a Notre Dame connection.”
(In terms of the tight end position, how have you seen it evolve in the last couple of years?) – “Well, I think in the NFL the tight end position hasn’t changed so much; but in college, they’re not asked to do a lot of blocking. They’re more slot-type receivers, 7-on-7 type of guys. So just getting them to learn how to play the NFL tight end position takes a little bit longer because they don’t have that skill set coming into the NFL. But I think we’re still asking those guys to do the same thing in the NFL as we always have.”
(With TE A.J. Derby, the things he does now really well and areas where there still has to be growth for him to become a regular NFL rotational tight end?) – “I think he’s just working on all of his skill set. I think he has a natural receiving skill set and he’s working on developing the blocking and pass-protection aspects. He’s moving in the right direction, for sure.”
(What stood out about TE Gavin Escobar when you all signed him?) – “He’s been a welcomed addition. He’s a veteran guy that has a lot of experience. He kind of fit right in and he’s working hard and doing a great job. He’s been a really welcomed addition.”
(What does TE Gavin Escobar do well?) – “He has that multiple skill set in that he can play all of the positions. He can be an in-line tight end or he can be a guy that you flex out. He kind of does all the things well, which is nice to have that kind of versatility.”
(One thing on TE Mike Gesicki’s blocking, specifically. At what point can you get a real feel as to how well equipped he is to be able to block? Is it not until July? Is it not until preseason games?) – “It’s not going to be until we get into pads. When we get into training camp and we get into pads, we’ll have a better feel for it; but he’s on the right track. He’s doing all of the right things, so we’ll know for sure then.”
(In this offense, and maybe it’s pretty much every offense, but when you have a guy at the tight end position with speed and athleticism, how can those attributes contribute to the production at the position?) – “Those things are key. That’s what we look for in tight ends. We want guys that can run and can catch and can make plays in the passing game. Then we can teach them how to block. That’s exactly what we’re looking for. Those guys can be productive in the passing game, score touchdowns and do all of those types of things.”
(How is QB Ryan Tannehill working closely … I know he works closely with everyone but especially the two rookie tight ends. What have you seen?) – “I don’t know that we’re really … We’re early on in the process, so they’re just working through that. Everybody is working to get a better feel for each other – the quarterbacks, tight ends, everybody is doing the same thing.”
