CB Byron Jones
(I know obviously CB Xavien Howard’s business is his business. You guys are friends and you don’t want to get into that. But do you personally he returns just because we know how good you guys can be as a combo together and that obviously makes your defense much better?) – “I would love to have him, of course; but like you said, it’s none of my business. But we had fun last year. We balled out. Obviously what he did was completely special and unlike anything I’ve ever seen before and those skills are – we love those skills in our defense. So yes, we’d love to have him back, of course.”
(I was curious, at this stage in your career, you’ve been around the block and you’ve seen a lot of stuff around the league; but what are you working on now? What’s the step that you’ve kind of identified for your game to go to the next level and how are you working to achieve that?) – “The dope thing about football is you really have to start from (step) one every single year. You’ve got to start with the fundamentals – breaking 90 degrees, 45 degrees, downhill, tracking the ball. For me, I’d love to work on my technique more and just be more of a technician and not rely just solely on my athleticism; and I’d also like to be more of a playmaker and get my head around and take more chances at the ball. Instead of batting them down, take those boys back to the house like ‘X’ (Xavien Howard) did last year. Those are the things that I’m working on; but like I said, you really have to build from the ground up every single year. That’s the fun part really.”
(If I could follow up, at game day or practice, I always seemed to notice you’re off to the side getting extra work whether it’s pre-practice or between series. I’m just wondering is that kind of like a routine-based thing for you? Is it kind of like drilling in those fundamentals and stuff? What do you get out of that?) – “Any chance I get, I try to work on something that I am lacking. In the game, I’m really trying to stay warm and stay ready because that first play coming out of a series, they can come at you for a 40-yard fade ball, so you want to be ready. But in practice, I’m working on small things so oftentimes I work with ‘Chuck’ (Cornerbacks Coach Charles Burks) and we’re doing looking over the shoulder, catching the ball at the high point. We’ll just walk through some of the man coverages in terms of getting out of a break 45 degrees downhill, a 90-degree break. Just kind of slow things down, but allow yourself to work on the technique component of it.”
(You mentioned obviously about why you want to improve with ball hawking, playmaking. You were a good corner even before the interceptions, but did it feel good to get the two in December and I’d hate to use the term “monkey off your back,” but had you felt any pressure to get those first picks?) – “To be honest, no. I don’t know why. One thing I’ve prided myself on is just sticking to what I do best and trying to work on the things that I need help in. If it doesn’t come, great. Keep working. It’s just really that simple. Whether you get it or not, keep working. That’s always been my mindset in life; but yeah, it’s fun. You realize how important it is to the team and how important it is to the defense when you can give the ball back to the offense. I think each team maybe averages about 10 possessions a game. If you can take one or two of those away, that’s a big deal as we saw last year. So to be a part of that, yes, it’s exciting. It’s fun. Everyone’s slapping you on the head and on the butt, and you do your little dance on the sideline and whatnot; but yeah, it’s fun. I’ve just got to keep it moving.”
(I know it’s hard to gauge this just in OTAs, but with what the offense has added with WR Jaylen Waddle and WR Will Fuller V, you’re teammates with WR Albert Wilson for the first time since he opted out last year. The speed and elusiveness – how dangerous could that be from an offensive standpoint for you guys this year?) – “As I always tell my friends, they always ask ‘Hey, how’s it looking?’ I don’t know. On paper, everything looks great. It really takes an entire camp, those preseason games, guys who work together and guys who kind of gel and really carve out the position of the team and really make something happen to make something happen with the ball in their hands. You don’t really know what you’ve got until you’re out there battling against another team and we’re going to have plenty of opportunities this year. I think we’re practicing against a couple of teams and obviously we have the preseason games this year. We’ll some of our talent at that point. It’s really too early to say, really.”
(Early last season, we talked sometimes about being in a different scheme and trying to refine and perfect some different techniques than you would use previously. As the season moved along and in the latter parts of the season, what did you figure out in terms of how you could use this particular scheme and the techniques that are being asked of you to actually work to your advantage?) – “This team, obviously we play a lot of man and you’re going to have to play aggressively at the line of scrimmage. I think I learned that I can stay more square at the line of scrimmage and fight receivers a little bit longer than I’m used to. We want to make it hard for those guys because every team has an amazing receiver, a great quarterback and you’re going against some of the best in really the NFL when you’re going against the teams that we have. So we want to use that to our advantage. We’re long, we’re athletic corners, so that’s been a big lynchpin in our defense is being able to play effective man coverage and being aggressive at the line of scrimmage. So using the tools at my disposal and just being confident in it and just repping it over and over again so that when it comes to game day, it’s just second nature at that point.”
(And I have one unrelated question. How did OTAs and minicamp go from your perspective? Obviously there was a point in time where many teams and many players publicly stated that they weren’t planning to attend and then what changed and how did it go?) – “I think it went really well. I think the adjustments that ‘Coach Flo’ (Head Coach Brian Flores) made in the offseason program were incredible. It speaks to the type of coach he is, but the type of man he is. Just the fact that he was willing to work with us and kind of describe out exactly what he wanted to get done and how he wanted to do it. He was very clear and transparent, and it was very valuable to have a coach like that to kind of break things down for us. But it was great to have the guys. I think most guys were kind of missing that interaction, just being together and being around each other and I think guys showed up. Guys were attentive. They took good notes. We had really good meetings, effective meetings and we’re out here working. We just got done with a conditioning test and it looked good out there.”
(Did you pass?) – “Of course, man. (laughter)”
(I wanted to ask you a question about kind of a theme the last week or so with Head Coach Brian Flores in his press conferences and he’s talked a little bit about the perspective that players can gain from playing multiple positions like a cornerback playing inside and having that benefit and also an offensive lineman. I’m wondering from your time in Dallas playing safety, how that has kind of helped you improve as a cornerback and just getting that multiple perspective on the defensive side of the ball?) – “Yeah, it’s very valuable. For example, Cover 2 – as a corner in Cover 2, I can be as aggressive as I want at the line of scrimmage because I do have an over-the-top safety; but there is a weak spot. It’s called the honey hole. And if you’ve never been a safety, you don’t really know how hard it is to get from the numbers all the way to the sideline when the quarterback throws that dart. So as a corner, I typically carry those honey hole shots a little bit longer than most corners because I just know what it feels like to be a safety, so just being a guy – I’ve been in this league for now seven years and I’ve played multiple positions – I try to help out my guys as much as I can. I try to take as much stress off the safeties and they try to do the same for me as a corner. I try to understand where my help is, so I play certain leverage – inside leverage, outside leverage – depending on where my help is, and you gain a better appreciation for the defense in its entirety when you actually understand and appreciate each position. It’s invaluable and that’s one thing that’s awesome about some of the young guys on our team because they’re so versatile and they’re playing different positions and learning those different perspectives, so that’s going to be valuable in the future and this year as well.”
(As the team’s highest-paid player there’s always obviously some expectations with performance and leadership that kind of comes with that title. How do you think you’ve done with that so far and how do you kind of deal with those expectations continuing to move forward?) – “I keep it very simple for myself. Whether I was a rookie, a second/third-year guy getting paid minimum or the guy who’s getting paid the most; you bring your A-game every single day. You really have to bring it and you really build from the ground up every single day, every single year. It doesn’t change. If I was the second-paid player, I’m not going to change the way I approach the game or how I prepare. As an older guy, I try to be the kind that the young guys come to for advice off the field, on the field. I try to be a leader for the young guys, that lynchpin in our defense and our offense just to be that communicator, that leader that we all need. For me, I keep it simple. I don’t overstress it, I don’t think much about it. I put a lot of work in this league and every day you kind of build from the ground up again whether you’re the highest, lowest, first-string, last-string; you build it from the ground up every single day.”
(How hard is it to have that mentality when money kind of plays a factor in the team aspect of everything? How hard is it to kind of have the mentality?) – “Honestly, that’s a good question. Obviously you saw (Jerome) Baker. He got a nice little contract. But nothing changes. It’s not like he changed today than he was last week. I think people on the outside looking in, they over-complicate it. We’re here playing football at the highest level, so we’re all trying to be the best versions of ourselves, whether the money is there or not. You try to stay healthy, you try to learn as much as you can; and it really doesn’t change once the money is involved. Just keep it simple for yourself. Let everyone else make it complicated.”
(Two questions ago, you referenced younger players. You yourself, you’re headed into Year 7 and you’ve seen a lot in the league. I wanted to ask you about CB Noah Igbinoghene. What’s it been like having him back here? Obviously his rookie season. Just having him back and have you noticed any strides he’s made? To us just seeing him at practice…) – “He’s an incredible talent. I think the way he’s approaching the game this year is going to be special. I think, to be honest as a rookie, he balled out in camp. I was really impressed with the way he performed and approached the game. He’s been consistent throughout the entire season in terms of the coaching. ‘Chuck’ (Cornerbacks Coach Charles Burks) is not easy on anybody. He’s certainly not easy on the guys he knows the expectations are very high for. I think Noah did an incredible job of just being there, being attentive every single day, and learning and trying to put fourth what ‘Coach Chuck’ was wanting out of him. He’s doing the same thing this year. He’s comfortable, he understands the defense, he understands what it’s like to be in the National Football League. Of course that’s a learning process for everybody. Everyone kind of learns at a different pace. But I love the way Noah is approaching the game so far.”
(One last follow up, Defensive Backs Coach Gerald Alexander’s presence in the group, it seems like every time we talk to him he’s very knowledgeable and no matter who he’s talking about, it sounds like he always knows his stuff. What has his impact on the group been?) – “He is awesome. He’s a really good teacher. That’s one thing that kind of undervalued. There are a lot of coaches that know their X’s and O’s, but he’s a really good teacher at breaking things down very simply for us to understand in a short amount of time. He’s a guy whose played at a high level, so you can relate to him. He’s a guy that can laugh and joke with the guys and he’s very funny and keeps things lighthearted; but he understands how important the game is and we feel that when he speaks to us. He’s very clear with his expectations of what he wants out of us as players. Having really this entire coaching staff – we have a lot of good coaches who are working their ass off to put us in the best position and he’s definitely one of those guys in there.”
(In the past, we’ve talked to you about your activism in terms of getting people out to vote and register to vote. It occurs to me that we’re kind of entering a dead period now where everybody has some time on their hands. What’s on your radar screen? Is there any special cause or concern you have off the field that might take up your time now?) – “This time is very football focused. In July, you’re trying to build the runway to glide into camp and really excel and build the season from there. I think one thing that’s great about the Miami Dolphins is the work that we do off the field continues throughout the year. We just had a social impact committee meeting three days ago, strategizing on what directions we want to take throughout the season and how much work we want to do throughout the season because our time is very valuable and we want to use our time very effectively. We meet about that stuff beforehand instead of waiting for the season gets here. We’re coming up with some really dope plans that we can do and get the guys involved and making it easier for everybody. The only thing on our plate is just executing. We have the ideas, we have what we talked about and we’re putting things in motion; but it’s the execution that’s the most important thing, especially when time is limited. We have a couple things on the way.”
(Do you want to drop any hints at what the main focal point might be?) – “I think for me, it’s just going into classrooms. Hopefully this year we can actually go into classrooms and talk to the kids and hopefully see my face and see that I’m more than just a football player and they understand that life is bigger than just the sports and entertainment world. There is an incredible lifestyle that you can live outside of those realms. I speak to kids often and they always talk about wanting to be a football player and a basketball player and that’s great; but they don’t know that at the Miami Dolphins, we have a front office. We have a communications directors, we have marketing and sponsorships. You can strive to be those positions and also be around the football and the game of ball; but not necessarily being a player itself. I just want to shed light on that. That’s what we’re looking for and that’s what I’m looking forward to most – just getting in front of the kids and kind of sharing with them and expanding their world view, really.”
(You described your play and you described your teammates. I know it’s only been OTAs and one minicamp, but heading into training camp, how would you describe this defense right now?) – “I have no clue. I have no clue. Like I said, it takes a while to kind of gel together as a team, to really figure out, ‘Ok, we’ve got some guys,’ or ‘We need some work here and there.’ But on paper, I think we have a special team. Really. But it comes down to the coaching, the systems, the players stepping up, the players studying and taking care of their body. That just take time. I would be BSing you if I gave you answer right now. I really don’t want to do that right now. Give it some time. We have a couple of weeks in camp. We’ll have some preseason games. We’ll see exactly what we look like very soon.”
G/T Jesse Davis
(Looking at your career, you came here as an undrafted guy and now you’re going into Year 5. People have come to know that you’re always going to be there and Mr. Dependable and all. How do you process your career so far? What sort of satisfaction do you get out of it?) – “Just being accountable and wherever they need me to be … I’m not going to tell them no. I like playing. I like being out there. I like mixing up with the guys. It’s been a challenge but it comes with the job.”
(A continuation of the last question, I know they ask many players on the team to be versatile in their abilities and their roles, but you’ve proven to be a guy that is a guard or tackle on either side. How much do you think that versatility helps with your personal situation, and also being able to share that information with other guys in the room?) – “Yeah, I’ve bounced around a lot in multiple years. But going into this camp – each year gets harder but with this, being able to have that experience and then passing it along to younger guys like what to expect, how do you play this guy, how do you set this. I like being a teacher for these guys because they’ve got to play too, and I look forward to watching them.”
(The veteran role, it seems like it’s something that you’re taking a lot of pride in. What gives you pride to kind of pass along that information to all of the young guys?) – “As a young player when I was growing up too, these vets would help me. They weren’t scared of competition at all. Going into this, I’m not really going, ‘I’m not going to help this guy because he’s going to take my job.’ I’m like ‘Good, I want you to make me better by pushing me and I’ll push you, and we’ll see where the chips lay at the end of the day.’ Helping these guys, it’s part of the role. If you want to be a leader, you’ve got to help your team out. And if you’re afraid of competition, it isn’t the place to be.”
(What have you seen from QB Tua Tagovailoa as far as his command of the offense and the huddle from Year 1 to Year 2? Has there been a big difference so far this offseason?) – “Yeah, I think each year you get a little more confidence. I think that’s what he’s showing. He’s showing great leadership. He’s taking control of the huddle and he knows what he’s doing. He’s letting us know that he’s here to play and I think he’s done a great job with it.”
(You’re so easygoing about wherever you’re asked to play. So when they asked you what your comfort level is at left guard and if you’re okay with playing there or anywhere, as long as you’re on the field ideally…) – “Yeah, it’s the same thing. Wherever I can be at, that’s where I want to go. But yeah, every spot is open right now. This is where I’m at. The left side I haven’t really gotten too many reps at but that’s how we get better is by doing it. Wherever this organization needs me, that’s where I’ll be.”
(Head Coach Brian Flores mentioned this morning that it’s kind of tough for offensive linemen to get a true evaluation during this time of year because you’re not hitting and you’re not wearing any pads or anything besides the helmet. I’m just wondering, when you’re out there, what are you specifically trying to work on to get better at during these unpadded practices?) – “It’s mostly passes. There’s not a lot of runs. It’s not like fitting up or anything. You kind of get in your sets and you get in your handwork. It’s more technique-based and more fundamentally with that. I’m just trying to get myself to quiet my feet down, keep my hands tight; and I think that everybody does that on the o-line too. We’re just trying to work the same thing. It’s not as easy as it sounds but that’s kind of the thing – you go into these camps trying to work.”
(Do you notice any kind of difference in terms of where you are this year compared to last year, having this on-field work?) – “It’s kind of hard bouncing around but I think I’ve got more confidence in myself with my sets, with my hand placement and just seeing our defense again and seeing the different looks. You’re kind of familiar with them. You’re not going out there kind of blind to it. So just understanding our offense and understanding what the defense is giving us.”
(I’ve been working on this feature on Tropical Breeze Auto Spa. What is it about Kevin and his services that you enjoy and trust to be a repetitive client of his? Again, what do you enjoy about his business?) – “Yeah, Kevin has been around for a while. He’s done the whole team at one point. He’s somebody you’re familiar with that you can trust. He’s gone through our organization and does good work.”
(What’s that feeling like when he hands you the car keys, whether it be after practice or at your house, and you see that sleek car?) – “Are you asking if I feel comfortable with him?”
(No. Like it’s got to be enjoyable to see…) – “Yeah, every time you get car washed and you don’t have to do it, I think it’s a good thing.”
(So if you could take the car of any teammate, whose car would you like to take?) – “Probably my own. (laughter) I’ve got a pickup and I don’t want anybody’s car I can’t fit into. I’m not big on these quick hot-rods or anything. I’ve got a pickup that serves me well.”
(Offensive Line Coach Lemuel Jeanpierre, Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey and Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs Eric Studesville, you obviously know them all because they’ve been around; but they’re also in different roles. What’s different?) – “Just chain of command for one. Godsey and Studesville are co-OCs but they all have different things that they bring to the table. ‘Lem’ (Lemuel Jeanpierre) does the o-line stuff and Godsey it seems is more everything pass-oriented and Studesville is more run game. But they all bring good qualities to this team and they’ve gotten us better in the short time they’ve been here.”
(I know it’s only OTAs and minicamp but do you see a difference in QB Tua Tagovailoa as far as the leadership role coming into this season, knowing that he comes in as the starter? Because he had talked and emphasized that that’s more of what he wants to do – be a vocal leader of the offense.) – “Yeah, I think him coming in with that confidence and knowing – it’s kind of silly to say but knowing the building, knowing where you’re at, who is in the building and your teammates; having that behind you as well in Year 2, you feel more comfortable and can be yourself a little bit more. I think he’s showing his leadership skills on the field and in the huddle and outside the field. He’s been good at it.”
(I know the other day he had thrown several picks in minicamp and it was raining and Head Coach Brian Flores wanted him to throw the ball into the window; but that didn’t seem to rattle him. You were not surprised, I take it?) – “Yeah, sometimes that’s the way it goes. The only way to get better is by failure. It’s just one practice. It was raining. I didn’t even notice how many picks we were throwing. We were just trying to get better. I don’t think it bothered him at all.”
Head Coach Brian Flores
(Do you feel like QB Tua Tagovailoa pretty much maximized what he could do over these last few months and do you feel or sense that he’s a better player or will only time tell with that?) – “He’s made some improvement over the course of the last two days and definitely over the course of the offseason. I think we talked a lot after the season about a variety of things that we felt like he could get better at from a training standpoint, from a command of the offense standpoint, from a reads and throwing mechanics standpoint. I think he’s really worked on all of them and made some improvements. I think he’s going to not rest on that and try to continue to improve, and he’ll be raring to go for training camp.”
(You’re acutely aware you didn’t have OTAs and minicamp and so forth last year. Do you feel like your team has taken advantage of those exercises this offseason and are you in a better place than you were this time last year as a team?) – “Every year is different. Obviously last year we didn’t have OTAs or really any offseason program like you mentioned. I think we’ve gotten a lot out of these OTAs and minicamp, just from a getting to know each other/camaraderie/team chemistry standpoint. I think on the field working the techniques, working the fundamentals – any time you can get on the field, work with our coaching staff or the players can work with our coaching staff and go through those techniques, fundamentals, get them corrected, go out there, do them again and get better at them; I think repetition is always a good thing. So we were able to get that accomplished. I’m happy with what we did this offseason and hopefully it helps us moving forward into training camp and preseason games and into the season.”
(Obviously we’re looking at some vacation time for some folks in the NFL. What’s your message to the players so that they can be ready come training camp?) – “My message is to go on vacation, to take this time to recharge, get some rest; spend time with their families – friends, families, loved ones. I think you need that balance in your life, so that was my message to these guys this morning; but at the same time, keep themselves in some type of condition, train. Obviously this is what they love to do and if they want to be at the top of their game come training camp, they’re going to have to train. But I think it’s a good time for them to get away and recharge and come back refreshed with a lot of energy and ready to go.”
(For the past two seasons, you’ve basically invested a lot into your rookie or young offensive linemen. Most of the time they’re thrown into the starting lineup right away. What is your mindset and philosophy of throwing the guys into the deep end at that position particularly? I know you say it’s the top five guys, but is there something to young players just gaining that experience at that position?) – “To answer first, we’re always going to play the best five guys and if that happens to be five rookies or five vets or two rookies and three vets; I think we’re always going to do what’s in the best interest of the team for a particular game to try to win that game. Specific to the young offensive linemen who have played, we have had some who have gone in there and played. (Michael) Deiter his rookie year. And Austin Jackson and Solomon (Kindley) played a lot last year and Robert Hunt played a lot last year. Those experiences for those guys, I feel like, can only help them. I think to play in an NFL game, to play against the defensive linemen in this league who – I’ve mentioned this before – are big, fast, strong, physical, mean. To play against guys like that, I think that experience is invaluable for any player, specifically a rookie coming from obviously the college ranks, and I think it only helps them. But at the end of the day, we’re going to play the top five guys. I think we’re excited about the young guys we have and look forward to continue working with them and we’ll continue to try to play the best five.”
(And if I could follow up, how has T Liam Eichenberg looked? I know there are no pads and it’s kind of hard to evaluate, but how has he done from a technique standpoint and a learning standpoint?) – “I think he learns well. I think the concepts he picks up quickly. You mentioned it, it’s hard. You can’t evaluate an offensive lineman in this setting. There’s no bull rushes, there’s no speed rushes, there’s no runs, there’s no contact, so it’s impossible to really get a good idea of what that is; but we can go off of his college film and we feel good about what we saw there. He’s got to – he’ll have plenty of opportunities during training camp to see what he can do physically, or from a physical standpoint, I should say.”
(At the beginning of last season, CB Byron Jones was talking about adjusting to a new scheme and adjusting to some new techniques. I’m wondering in looking back at his first year as a Dolphin how did the improvements go relative from the beginning to the end in those areas?) – “I think he made strides really throughout the season. He got dinged up early and missed a few games and came back and I thought he played well and got more comfortable. Last year was a very different year for a lot of different reasons. He was more comfortable towards the middle-end part of the season with the techniques, with the fundamentals, with the environment. I thought he played well and we’re looking forward to working with him again this year.”
(Was there something that you learned about him that was surprising?) – “No. I think I’ve known a lot about Byron (Jones). I remember watching him when he was in college, doing a lot of work on him coming out and knew he was smart, knew he was tough and knew he was talented and cared about the game and was competitive and was team-first. A lot of those things I had known from kind of the evaluation process when he was in college and obviously spent some time with him during the free agency process. Just spending more time with him, I think it just reinforced a lot of the things that I already kind of knew during the evaluation process, so we’ve been happy with him. Very happy.”
(I wanted to ask you about WR Jaylen Waddle. I know during camp it seemed at times he does have like a noticeable limp kind of going between plays and things like that and then there was the play towards the end of practice yesterday where he catches the ball from QB Tua Tagovailoa and he’s kind of off into the distance, the fastest guy on the field. Where is he at from a health standpoint and how do you think about how he improved during OTAs this month and last month?) – “I think he’s come in, he’s worked hard. He’s gotten to know his teammates. He’s learned the playbook. From a health standpoint – I think you saw him run yesterday – I’m looking at him run and it looks like he’s doing all right from that standpoint. I don’t know if he’s got a limp – I don’t know. Maybe he walks with a limp. It looks like he’s running pretty well to me though. You just said the same thing, so I don’t know. He looks fine to me physically and we’re excited to continue working with him. He’s done a lot of good things so far, but he’s still got a long way to go and a lot to learn. It was only a couple practices and he still has to see different coverages, different ways that he’s going to get played – inside leverage, outside leverage, off coverage, press coverage, double teams. Who knows? But we got a good two practices. You can only get a couple things. We’ll continue to give him different looks and he’ll practice his techniques and fundamentals and hopefully get better.”
(The next time we are gathering, it’s not going to be in Davie. So what are your impressions of the new practice facility and how do you think it will better prepare the team for games next season?) – “I think we’re all excited about the new practice facility. I’ve been down there several times. It is just a credit to Steve Ross and the investment he’s made in the team and really spared no expense to create a state-of-the-art facility for us. I know I’m very appreciative of that as well as everyone else here in the organization, so I’m excited about the place. I think it’s – when you guys see it, you’ll see for yourselves –it’s really a phenomenal building. We’re excited to get in there and get to work. We’re actually going to head down there today as a team and really take a tour of the place, so we’re all excited. I’m excited to see the reaction from the players when they walk in the place, but a credit to Steve (Ross) for sparing no expense for us.”
(First for record-keeping purposes, can you confirm that CB Xavien Howard is absent again today?) – “He’s not here, no.”
(Second thing, you mentioned C/G Michael Deiter earlier. How would you assess his progress over the last year from the time he started practicing at center, and where does he fit into the picture in terms of the starting center position?) – “I think ‘Deets’ (Michael Deiter) has really made a lot of improvements over the last two years. Obviously he played a lot his rookie year and didn’t play as much last year. He moved to center – has played guard, has played center, played some tackle for us his rookie year. He can play really across the offensive line. He’ll be in competition to get playing time this year. He’s excited about that opportunity. Look, he’s a guy who works extremely hard. He’s competitive, tough and has a lot of the qualities that we’re looking for. I’m excited to see what this looks like for him during training camp. I think when you get into Year 2, Year 3, there’s a sense of urgency – which he has, you can see that – to earn a role or a bigger role. He’s definitely working towards that; but he knows there will be competition there and the best man will win.”
(Do you look at it as any one of those three – Michael Deiter, Matt Skura and Cameron Tom – can win the starting center job? That it’s a wide-open job. Or did you sign Skura with the thinking he would be our starting center if he wins the job?) – “We sign players with the idea that they are going to create competition and earn a role. Nobody is going to be given anything. I think really at all positions, at any position, that’s always the plan. It’s to come in, compete, learn the playbook, communicate with your teammates and we’ll play the best people at whatever that position is.”
(Has C Cameron Tom made a case that he’ll be in that mix with C/G Michael Deiter and C Matt Skura come August?) – “Yeah. Cameron has come in and learned the playbook. Again, for offensive line, without the ability to – no run game, no contact, no bull-rushes, no double teams, you can’t really make a true evaluation; but based off the knowledge of the system, the ability to point Mike (linebackers), redirect the protections and know where to be, he’s done a good job.”
(I’ve been meaning to ask you this for three years now – what is the Brian Flores workout plan? You always seem so fit. I think it’s a great example to your team. I’ve always wondered how players look at coaches when they’re on them about their conditioning yet their conditioning is rarely ever good. How do you stay so fit?) – “Feel free to come workout with me. (laughter)”
(I would pay money for that by the way. What time?) – “(laughter) We can get that set up very easily. But I’m a 5 a.m. start guy, so feel free to come on over. (laughter) I think it’s important. Health and wellness is important. I try to stay fit for myself, for my own mental health. I think it’s important to be fit, not necessarily for the players. It’s just personally something that’s always been important to me.”
(Is it a lot of conditioning? Or is it still weightlifting? Because you’re getting up there in age now. I don’t know if you can still throw up the weights like you did in the college days.) – “(laughter) It’s running, it’s biking, it’s lifting, it’s boxing. Anything you can do to get a sweat. Sometime release some stress, hitting a bag, pretend it’s (someone). (laughter) Just try to stay fit.”
