TE Mike Gesicki
(What’s it like hearing a story like that about G Robert Jones, a guy who didn’t have any D-I offers and comes from a junior college and makes it?) – “Absolutely. To see – you see just how positive he is, how happy he is. So I’m super happy for him. He’s an awesome guy, good teammate and obviously a great football player. He has come in here, impressed a lot of people, made plays, been physical in the run game and in pass protection and all that kind of stuff. I’m super happy for him.”
(One thing that’s common sports – maybe you wouldn’t see it in other professions – is a guy basically having to help mentor or train a guy who eventually could compete for that guy’s playing time. Now you have good people like you, DB Jason McCourty, G/T Jesse Davis who have young high draft picks behind them who are going to help those guys. But when you look at TE Hunter Long, does that thought – and not just with him specifically – does that thought ever cross your mind if you see a draft pick behind you? Say “well, I’m training this guy who might replace me” or is it just natural as a teammate and good guy to do it?) – “No, absolutely. I came in here four years ago as a second-round pick and I was looking for that guidance and help and somebody to help me out. So I know exactly the shoes that Hunter (Long) is in right now and anything I can do to help him, I’m willing to do it. We – me and Durham – we even went out to dinner with him just last week. Just anything whether it’s in the building, outside the building. Just hanging out and just helping with football and anything out there. It’s not the competition that people would think like, ‘oh man, I’m not telling him this because I don’t want…’ No. We want everybody to succeed in our room.”
(Who helped you? Was TE Anthony Fasano on that team?) – “No, so my year, it was MarQueis Grey, AJ Derby. There were a couple other guys, but those were the two older guys in the room and then Nick O’Leary came in so we had a couple guys in the room and it doesn’t have to just be in your room. There were a lot of older guys. I just kind of watched, see how they go about their business. The guy that I was kind of looking at that year was Danny Amendola. He was the locker next to me. Just kind of seeing how he goes about his business and all that kind of stuff.”
(What’s the evolution been like for you? You mentioned four years ago you coming in the league to where you are now.) – “I think for me, I think just kind of learning through – you could say ‘adversity’ or ‘struggles’ – it wasn’t anything major but just not having that instant success. You come in here; people – I remember when I got drafted, it was ‘oh, he’s going to score 100 touchdowns and he’s going to have all these catches and this, that, the other thing.’ And it didn’t happen. And it didn’t happen right away and it didn’t happen for the whole season honestly. And you kind of go back and you look at it and what do you have to improve on and all that kind of stuff and for me, it was just kind of learning the ins and outs of the game and going out there and making plays. So releases, second-level releases, getting guys’ hands off you. How are you going to run this route versus this coverage. So I think just kind of taking those negative, per se, experiences earlier in my career and then building off of it. I think once you make that first play, you kind of get that confidence. For me ,it was against Washington my second year in a two-minute drill. I caught a back-shoulder seam ball in a two-minute drill and that was like ‘all right, I can go out here and make plays and I can go out here and do it.’ I think once you make that first one, you kind of get that confidence and I think I always say to you guys – you’ve got to make the most out of your opportunities when they come and that’s kind of how I go about my business.”
(I remember that time and I guess it would have seemed like it would have been easy to get down on yourself. People were saying a lot of [expletive] about you and stuff like that. What did you do to not go down that hole?) – “So I’ve actually – obviously you hear the good, the bad, the ugly, everybody has something to say – and now you hear all the good stuff. People want to talk all – I don’t pay attention to any of it just because it’s just not productive either way. You pay attention to the bad stuff, then you’re down on yourself. You pay attention to the good stuff, you’re going to have a bad game here and the bad stuff is coming back. That’s just how it goes. I dealt with a little adversity back when I was in college and my sophomore year at Penn State and had kind of a similar situation and all the negative stuff. You just kind of flush it out and you don’t even listen to it. Come out, do your thing and when people want to hop on the bandwagon, it’s too late.”
(So you know where you were at the end of your rookie year and it’s pretty clear that you were disappointed that it didn’t turn out better than it did. So when that rookie season ended maybe you were cleaning out your locker and all of that – where was your mindset? What were you thinking at that point?) – “At that time, it was a new was coming in and you’ve got to come out here and prove it. I knew what I had to improve on and I knew the things that I had to do to come out here in this league and make plays and I just kind of went to work. That’s the thing. Every day after practice I stay out there and I do my JUGS. And I did that my rookie year. And I did it – but it’s like, ‘Oh man, I didn’t have any catches my rookie year. I didn’t make plays. All right, I’m going to stop doing what I’m doing.’ No. I’m going to keep doing it because at some point the opportunity is going to come. You don’t know when it’s going to come, but you have to be ready for it when it does. So that was kind of the mindset that I took. Just kind of sticking with my routine. Just kind of starting to learn the more ins and outs of the game, how to analyze defenses and coverages. ‘All right, this is Cover 1. He has this leverage on me. I’m going to run it this way.’ Rather than just being ‘I’m big and fast so I can go up and make the plays.’ Everybody in this league is big and fast and I think that was kind of something I had to learn. I was able to do so and now here I am to hopefully just add another year under my belt and go out there and make the most out of my opportunities.”
(There’s a lot of flooding up in the Northeast. Are your family and friends fine?) – “Yeah, family is good. I actually just heard about that this morning. That is crazy. I had no idea so obviously thoughts and prayers to everybody up there. That’s a wild situation right there, but I appreciate you asking that.”
(Every team that’s scouting you this year obviously knows how productive you’ve been and that you’re dangerous. That said, are you kind of curious to see how coverage of you changes at all with the injection of the explosiveness of WR Will Fuller and WR Jaylen Waddle with this offense?) – “We definitely got playmakers in the huddle; so you add a guy like Jaylen (Waddle), you add a guy like Will (Fuller), you get a guy like Albert (Wilson) back, you’ve got DeVante (Parker) out there. There’s playmakers across the board. And then you add in our running backs that can make plays in the pass game and then the rest of our tight ends. Honestly just across the board – there’s guys across the board that can make plays, so I think the biggest thing is just kind of knowing your role, knowing your assignment and then when you get in there, just understanding the concept of the play. Not every play is designed to get you the ball. Sometimes I’ve got to run and go take that backside safety to open it up for the next guy, so understand the concept of the play and then go out and execute it.”
(Hearing you kind of explain some of your story earlier, I couldn’t help but notice maybe some similarities with QB Tua Tagovailoa. Maybe some of the stuff that you had to go through. Have you talked to him at all about maybe your experience, his experience and maybe some of that?) – “Obviously Tua’s is way more blown up than mine. I was just a little nobody up at Penn State and obviously his is everywhere. I admire how he goes about his business and how he handles himself. I’ve kind of shared my opinions in the past about everything that he’s kind of gone through, so I’m proud of him just about how he goes about it and he’s the same guy every day. Positive, just goes out there and executes and does his job to a very high level; but personally, no, I haven’t talked to him about handling this or that just because I see him every day and he goes about his business at a very professional level and like I said, extremely positive and does a great job.”
(Obviously you’ve been a big supporter of QB Tua Tagovailoa, a defender of him at times. He doesn’t feel the need to do that. Do you feel like you guys as teammates sometimes have to carry the shield because he’s so lowkey, you know, quiet guy?) – “Honestly that’s just me. That’s just who I am. I feel like there’s different ways to handle things and go about things. Tua’s my guy so I’ll go to bat for him any day, but he focuses on ball and focuses on being a good dude and being a good teammate. I think that’s why things work out for him because of the way that he goes about his business.”
(QB Ryan Fitzpatrick had his ways I’m sure, things that I would never even know, little things he did. Is there anything that QB Tua Tagovailoa has sort of picked up the torch on and maybe even like a little tradition or some team thing?) – “In terms of that kind of stuff, the thing that Tua has done this year – him and I – we kind of on special teams periods, I’ll get together with him and just go get a couple extra reps. Like ‘hey, this is how I see this route right here.’ This is how I think they’re going to cover you here.’ And we just kind of go through the timing and get that chemistry down and I think that is just a bonus and to sit there rather than, ‘all right, they put the install up and this is this play and this is this stencil, this is how…’ He says, ‘all right, I understand this is the route, but hey, if you’ve got to cut this short because I’m getting pressure or hey, we’ve got this leverage and you’ve got to bend it here, that’s okay.’ So I think just going through it and talking through it with him and you can kind of see his confidence this year compared to last year just because you get that year under your belt and he has that knowledge of the game and kind of just talking through things. It’s been very productive.”
(Obviously you have to share Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey a little bit more with the offense now. What have you noticed about George and Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs Eric Studesville’s offense as they put it together and what stands out?) – “I think the biggest thing – football is football – there’s only so many different plays you can run and all that kind of stuff, but they’ve done a good job just kind of instilling confidence in everybody, getting guys in positions to be successful and I think we’ve done a good job grasping it as an offensive unit in all positions in all phases. I’m excited to kind of get this thing rolling.”
(How has WR Albert Wilson looked since coming back? I guess he’s coming back from two different things – last year and also in recent weeks? So what can he inject into an offense?) – “Yeah, Albert (Wilson) has done a great job and you can tell that he’s kind of invested in himself and has been working extremely hard for this opportunity. I’m really happy for him and I think that what you guys saw out in training camp; just the speed and the ability to make plays downfield, but also catch-and-run stuff, similar to how he was back in 2018 when you saw that burst that he had prior to him, like you alluded to, coming back from that. So I think he’s done a great job and I’m excited for him this upcoming season.”
G Robert Jones
(I saw you throw a man. Can you tell me what happened on that play that became a little viral?) – “We had a play called and I just followed my technique and my coaching points. When I got out there, there was a person out there for me to block. I tried to do everything coach said to do and it ended up working in my favor.”
(What does it feel like when you get to do that?) – “I really don’t know how it feels. I just take it a play at a time. I didn’t even know it happened like that. I thought he tripped and fell. (laughter) After I made the play, I just got up and got back to the huddle. I was just ready to go. I didn’t want to focus on, ‘Oh, I knocked him down’ or anything.”
(Do you recall your initial reaction when 4 p.m. passed on Tuesday and you said, “I’m an NFL player. I’m on a 53-man roster!”) – “Man, it was a blessing. I was happy to get the opportunity to still be out here and play for the Miami Dolphins. I was just so blessed for the opportunity.”
(Did you have any Power 5 offers? Any major college football offers at all before you went the junior college route and then Middle Tennessee? Were there any Power 5 offers?) – “No Power 5 offers.”
(Any with FBS?) – “I had a number of FBS offers. I just felt like Middle Tennessee (State) was the place to go, so I took it and ran with it.”
(To go from no Power 5 offers to standing at this podium today, it’s not a journey a lot of guys actually get to make. Why are you here?) – “Coming from JUCO, it was hard. I just kept my head down and kept working. I took that with me when I went to Middle Tennessee and I just tried to be the best player I can be. I was lucky enough to have coaches who pushed me. I have family members who stuck by my side and pushed me. It ended up working in my favor and when I was able to take the jump, I took it and ran with it.”
(Obviously they made you a nice financial offer after the draft. Had you sensed that was coming from the Dolphins? Had Offensive Line Coach Lemuel Jeanpierre reached out to you before the draft where you know the Dolphins had interest?) – “No. My only time talking with the Dolphins really was the Senior Bowl. I liked them and I had a feeling that they liked me, but I didn’t know what was going to happen. After the draft, I was prepared to go anywhere and lucky enough the Miami Dolphins called and I really liked the coaching staff from the Senior Bowl. I knew that was the place.”
(What was the mindset you came into training camp with?) – “Just get better every day. Just try to be the best player I can be. I knew there would be a lot of things that I was going to have to work on and learn so I wasn’t setting high expectations. I was just taking it one day at a time.”
(At what point did you start to believe that this is a real possibility for you? Going back to maybe your junior college days or Middle Tennessee? When did it become?) – “I would say when I got my first D-I offer in JUCO. When they offered me – my first offer was UT Martin, FCS. When I got that offer, it hit me that I probably could play on Sundays. I just focused on getting through JUCO and getting through my college and now I’m here.”
(They like linemen six-through-nine on this team to be able to play multiple positions, which you can. What spots among the five are you feeling like you could play? All? Most? Everything but center?) – “I feel like I can play anything, honestly. Wherever the coach needs me to go out there and play, I’ll take a couple reps and I feel like I can be successful.”
(What is the biggest difference here between the setup here at the Miami Dolphins Baptist Health Training Facility compared to the setup at Highlands Community College in Kansas?) – “(laughter) Man, JUCO was rough. (laughter) All I’m going to say is it’s a blessing. You got all the things to take care of your body. You got nutrition and everything. You have everything to be successful. In junior college, you have certain things; but it wasn’t there or wasn’t presented to you.”
(It’s the slide, right?) – “Yes, sir. (laughter) For sure.”
(Did you get any texts from any college teammates or coaches on Tuesday night? Has there been any of that?) – “Man, everybody texts or calls me, congratulates me because I came so far. No one ever thought that I would be in this position, especially knowing a guy in this position yet. Everyone was happy for me and I am just trying to make them proud.”
(You’ve been smiling the whole time talking to us. What have the emotions like for you?) – “It’s just a blessing to be here. I’m just happy to be here. Happy for every opportunity I’m getting. I’m just going to take it and run with it.”
(Did you sign a lease now and go through all that real-life kind of detail?) – “Oh yeah, I got me a little house. Not house, an apartment. (laughter) I got me a nice little apartment, living comfortably. Try to take it day-by-day.”
(No hotels or any of that stuff?) – “No hotels. (laughter)”
(What is your favorite aspect of offensive line play?) – “I feel like just being able to be aggressive in the trenches. Just me being able to go against another man and move him against his will, I feel like that’s the best part of playing offensive line.”
WR Albert Wilson
(The first couple of weeks you were like the most dynamic player we’ve seen in training camp here in 10 years and then we didn’t see you for a while. Is what was keeping you sidelined anything that worries you that could be an issue this season?) – “Nah, we are ready to go. Nah, we are ready to go from here on out.”
(Do you feel good?) – “I feel great. Yep.”
(It seems like with the addition of WR Jaylen Waddle and WR Will Fuller to this room that there is an emphasis on creating separation amongst the receiver room. Is that accurate? Is that where you guys are right now?) – “I just think overall as a receiver, that’s your job. But yeah, we definitely have a lot of guys that can do that. We definitely put an emphasis on it, so yeah.”
(What do you think about that combination of speed that you guys added?) – “It’s great. I feel like the coaches can do a lot with it stretching the field vertically and horizontally. I think that puts a lot of pressure on defenses. I think that’s why they went out and got these guys so we can have an advantage on offense.”
(Is that maybe underrated around the league? It seems like for a long time, when people thought of a wide receiver it was the 6-foot-4, big catch radius, jump ball guys. Have you noticed a shift more towards guys who can…) – “Yeah, for sure. It became more of a passing league. It was kind of run downhill and have your backs going and getting them a lot of touches. Now it’s a passing league. You definitely want a lot of guys that can stretch the field and run great routes and stuff like that.”
(How excited are you to see how coaches is going to use you and WR Jaylen Waddle and WR DeVante Parker and all sorts of different creative packages? Are you excited to see what Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey and the guys come up with?) – “Yeah, definitely. It’s always exciting when you have a lot of guys that’s working with you, that can do a lot of things. It makes the offense a lot more exciting.”
(After a week or two of training camp, it was obvious to all of us that you were on this team. That was our assessment. When you returned to the team officially in the spring, did you feel like you had a little bit of an uphill battle? Did you think all along that you were going to be on the roster?) – “I just knew if I had the opportunity to make this team, I was going to make this team. I’ve got a lot of confidence in myself. The year off helped me build myself mentally and physically. I just knew if I had the opportunity, it was a done deal.”
(What’s it going to be like next weekend playing a football game for the first time in a year and I don’t know how many months?) – “A blessing. I worked really hard to get to this point and now that it’s finally here, it’s definitely a great feeling.”
(What was your time away like? How did you stay prepared after excelling so much early in camp? And how did it feel this week to be able to come back?) – “Training. The same schedule I’ve been on, I pretty much stayed on that same schedule. I knew when we had a bye week, I took that week off. When I knew the guys were in the building, I was going into the facility and training. I was trying to stay in the mindset, but to step away from the game and think about other things, it made me realize how much I do love football and how much I do love playing for the Dolphins. Getting back, I wanted to show everybody how much I love this game and how much I love the team.”
(What about missing time from practice? Were you able to get right back into it this week?) – “Yeah. I’m still around the building every day and walkthroughs and stuff like that, so it doesn’t seem like any time passed.”
(I’m guessing that you guys haven’t shown everything in your bag of tricks either in the preseason games or even when we’re watching. How excited are you to see everything that you guys know you can do in action in a game that counts?) – “Very exciting. It’s all talk until it’s done. For us to get out there as a unit and have everybody back and just go out here and compete against another team, we’re very excited for that to happen.”
(What stands out to you about this new offensive scheme and what it can do for you guys?) – “It’s more so about the guys they went and got and the guys that are in the room. We can do a lot of things, a lot of different things. We’re all similar, but we’re all different. That’s the most exciting part, just knowing we have weapons in the tight end room, in the running back room, the quarterbacks are doing their thing, the receivers are holding it down. That’s the most exciting part, just everybody working towards one common goal and getting it done.”
(Do you think the added weapons help QB Tua Tagovailoa be more of the point guard on offense and distribute the ball to everyone?) – “Yeah, for sure. I think anybody in any position, just like a lineman getting three more linemen that are just like him, or receivers like you’re saying packing the receiver room out, I think it builds a lot of confidence from not just him, but everybody on the offense.”
(What’s it like when you look back at Head Coach Brian Flores’ first year here. You guys suited up 80-plus players and now you look around the locker room and you know what you have. Make the comparison between the two teams for me.) – “I’m not sure what you are asking.”
(Just how much more talent maybe you see on this team compared to a couple of years ago when guys were coming and going all the time?) – “They do a great job of scouting and getting the guys in. I feel like guys come and go, but their goal is to have a better team each year. I definitely feel like they’ve been doing that since they got here.”
(You don’t have WR Will Fuller for Week 1. What will the receivers have to do and what will it be like once you get him back?) – “They are going to be in trouble if they keep letting him rest like that. The guy is special and he’s got a lot of speed. He stretches the field vertically and does the right things. When we definitely get him back, we’re definitely going to take a step forward with the offense.”
(I saw some guys got some new jersey numbers today because of the roster. How has No. 2 worked out for you?) – “I love it. It’s something my dad played in when he was in sports. I’m the second, so it means a lot to me to wear this number. I’m just happy I can do it.”
(I saw you all dancing. It seems like you were jamming today. What’s the vibe like in that room personality-wise?) – “We’re real tight. Most of us have been around each other for a couple of years. Adding Jaylen (Waddle) and him just being a young guy and just tagging along like the little brother and wanting to be a part of the team, that’s a great thing. Will (Fuller), the same thing with him. He’s just trying to find a new home and we embraced him. I think he’s loving it here and we love having him.”
(When you were a kid, did the Mets play baseball? Did you go to the Mets spring training?) – “Yeah. I went to a couple of those.”
(Are you a Mets fan or baseball fan?) – “Charles Johnson is from my neighborhood so we grew up watching him. I played baseball myself. The Marlins, that was our team for sure.”
DE Emmanuel Ogbah
(This pass rush – obviously it’s mostly the same group. You’ve added DL Adam Butler, you’ve added LB Jaelan Phillips. What’s your level of optimism in terms of being able to get pressure on the quarterback maybe without having to blitz as much?) – “I’m excited. We have key guys that we brought in that can help our defense really run. Definitely helps our pass rush and give those guys opportunities to get interceptions. Just get back there as fast as we can.”
(What’s your impression of LB Jaelan Phillips’ development? He missed some time but since he’s come back?) – “Jaelan (Phillips), he’s a good mixture of size, speed and strength so he’s going to help us out a lot. I’m excited for him. I’m excited to see him out there during his first action. I know I saw him preseason, but regular season is where it really counts. I’m excited just to see him go out there and work.”
(Have you and LB Jaelan Phillips started to build a bond together being the two main pass rushers probably on the edge?) – “We do have a lot of pass rushers now on the team so we’ve all got to bond. We’re all out there. We’re all just doing our thing. Just helping the team win games, just rushing the passer as much as we can. It’s a competition so the first one to get back there is what counts.”
(Is there a bet, I guess who gets the most sacks this year?) – “No, I wouldn’t say there’s a bet, but we thrive on competition. That’s why ‘Flo’ (Brian Flores) got us all in here, because we all like to compete.”
(Similar question to what I just asked S Eric Rowe. Knowing that you’ve got guys in that secondary like CB Xavien Howard, like CB Byron Jones who can really pick the ball off; how much does that alleviate the pressure off of you in getting to the quarterback knowing you don’t really even have to bring him down, you just have to make him a little uncomfortable?) – “It definitely gives us time to get back there. We’ve got guys like ‘X’ (Xavien Howard), Byron (Jones) back there, (Eric) Rowe – all of them back there gives us that extra second that we need just to get back there so that’s always good for a defense.”
(What was your reaction to finding out QB Cam Newton was released from the Patriots and they’d be going with Patriots QB Mac Jones?) – “They’re a different style of quarterbacks, but they’re all still the Patriots. They always bring a good game, bring a big game; so you just know we’ve got to be prepared for them. But not knowing exactly what he really does because he’s still a rookie. We’ve got to watch some film on him. I’ve got to go back and watch some college tape on him and see what he struggles with and what he’s good at even though it’s a different scheme with the Patriots. We’ve just got to be prepared for him now instead of Cam (Newton).”
(Does it change a lot of the preparation, a lot of what you guys were working on?) – “I mean yeah, it changes a little bit; but we’ve still got kind of the same game plan.”
(Do you get excited when you play a rookie quarterback?) – “It’s still a game. I take everybody the same – seriously. We’ve just got to do our job – each position. We can’t take anybody lightly. He’s a good player from Alabama. He’s a first-round pick so that’s always a good factor. Just got to do our job pretty much. Don’t do too much.”
(Are the Dolphins a playoff-caliber team?) – “I’d say we can be as good as we want to be and we’re going to take it one game at a time.”
(You had a really good year last year. Do you have any goals to try to be better?) – “Coming into the season, you always have goals – what you try to do or what you want to do. But I write them down, keep it in my head and pretty much my goal is just to do what I can to help this team win games. Pressure on the quarterback, stopping the run, rushing the passer, just giving guys time. I’m willing to do that.”
(Do you have a sack goal?) – “I’ll keep that to myself. (laughter)”
(Did you reach your sack goal last year?) – “I’ll keep that to myself, too. (laughter)”
(The last time Drew Rosenhaus spoke about you on WSVN Channel 7, he said that he was hoping to still work out a contract extension. Is that something that you have hope about or have you kind of shelved that and you’re just planning to play the last year of your contract?) – “Like I said before plenty of times I’ve been asked, I’m just focused on this season. I’m out there going out there to ball, help this team win games and let my agent handle his business. But yeah, I always see myself long-term here. It is what it is. I’m just ready to work and help this team win games. That’s about it.”
(What do you do to compartmentalize that? Because just like all of us, you probably think about money, but you’ve got the football to…) – “Once I’m on that field, the only thing that matters is that football. That’s it. That’s how I think about it on the field.”
S Eric Rowe
(Is it harder at all for you, does it increase your number of hours of preparation not being completely sure who is going to be lining up next to you always during the season? It could be DB Jason McCourty some, it could be S Jevon Holland some. Does that add any extra work to you in terms of achieving chemistry and communication with both guys?) – “No, not really. Really all camp we’ve been in rotation with each other. I know what it’s like being out there with Jason, I know what it’s like being out there with Jevon. Even when Brandon (Jones), when he’s in the mix. We all rotate so we all get a feel for how the other person acts. They make the call, they’re quick on it, stuff like that.”
(What do you think of S Jevon Holland wearing No. 8?) – “Oh yeah, I just noticed that today. I was like, ‘Who’s No. 8 out there?’ (laughter) I just noticed. I remember he did tell me and I was like ‘hey, it looks cool.’
(That’s S Jevon Holland’s college number. Did you get a vibe that he felt real comfortable in it today at practice? Felt like he was back in his college days.) – “I don’t know. I just saw a No. 8 and said, ‘Yeah, that’s pretty cool.’ If I was a rookie, I would definitely go single digit too. (laughter)”
(Obviously this is an unusual bye week. We are all looking forward to it. When the team does play its first game, which will be here real soon, what kind of first impression do you think the club would like to make about what’s coming for the season?) – “Our goal as a team – as a defense, special teams, offense, it doesn’t matter – is to start fast because last year we did not start fast at all. We started like 0-2, didn’t play as well first game in New England last year even though we had the potential. That’s been our main goal this year as a team, organization, to start fast.”
(You are familiar with both players, but TE Jonnu Smith and TE Hunter Henry, have you spent much time watching film of them at all in the last week or so? Or is that more of a next week thing?) – “A little bit this week and definitely next week. This past week, it’s kind of been still focused on us. I watch a little bit, really the past couple days and then next week obviously game plan week and I am all on it. Those two guys, they have a reputation in the NFL. You know their names. I respect all opponents, but those two guys are some of the two best at it.”
(What was your reaction when the Patriots moved on from QB Cam Newton and named QB Mac Jones the guy?) – “Just like everybody else – surprised. We’re sitting here getting ready for trying to think about how are we going to stop this quarterback run and then he’s let go. It’s like alright, well now we have to shift our thoughts of who we are playing. It’s pretty guaranteed it’s probably Mac Jones but whoever else they have next. Just like everyone else, I was surprised.”
(How does that go for you defense-wise? You go from the big 250-pound bruiser to a pocket passer?) – “Two totally different style quarterbacks. You got one who can definitely throw but he’s a runner. You got quarterback runs that are definitely a threat. Now, you have a rookie that we only have preseason tape on him. We know he can throw. He’s a smart guy but he doesn’t have any NFL tape. Just kind of transition, you have to adapt to it.”
(I know you get very formal cut-ups of QB Mac Jones preseason and of Mac Jones college, but do you ever just type in YouTube “Mac Jones Alabama” just to watch? Do you ever go on YouTube and type in player names?) – “No (laughter). No, I don’t really go watch someone’s highlights. I’m trying to see how they play throughout the whole game.”
(You mentioned limited NFL preseason tape that you can watch on QB Mac Jones. Can QB Tua Tagovailoa help in that regard having played with him at Alabama?) – “I don’t know how much he can help. Mac is in a totally different offense. Obviously, he’s probably grown from whenever Tua was there with him. I don’t know how much he can help.”
(You guys really thrived on taking the ball away last year. This year the team obviously added LB Jaelan Phillips to help spark that pass rush. What can an improved pass rush do for you guys do in the secondary?) – “Really an improved pass rush can help for everything. One, having a core to put pressure on the O-line and quarterback to make a decision quicker, but it’s also on us to cover the guys. If we don’t cover them, the quarterback can get it out quick and the pass rush doesn’t mean anything. With the pass rush, the quarterback has to get it out quicker, maybe bad decisions are made and that’s when INTs or strip sacks come in or sacks come in. Pass rush is everything.”
(Rush plus coverage?) – “Yeah, it all works together. You can’t do one without the other. An improved pass rush? Improved coverage.”
C Michael Deiter
(I know you probably don’t take a moment to appreciate the moment because you push yourself hard and you’re just looking at what’s next ahead, but was there any moment this week of just being maybe proud of yourself for winning this competition? Obviously it was a competitive battle at center.) – “Maybe for a second it was cool, but I’m more focused on keeping the job and making sure that I’m playing well. Obviously it means a lot for them to trust me to go out and play center but I need to make sure that they made the right decision, so that’s what I’ve got to focus on.”
(What do you think you showed that proved to coaches that you should be the guy?) – “I just try to work hard every day and make sure that I was on my assignment and make sure that I was communicating well because at center, you want to make sure you’re communicating well, getting everything dialed up up front and then just competing and working hard to help this team win. I guess I did that.”
(What’s the biggest change between the 2021 starting center Michael Deiter versus whatever year it was you were a starting center the last time?) – “I would say just way more experience, obviously. It’s been probably five years since I was last playing center but more experience, more confidence. I’m playing with a good group of guys. I’d say more excitement but definitely more experience, more confidence, the ability to go up there and make calls and trust it and cut it loose.”
(You’ll see C Ted Karras on the field next week. In your transition to center last year, what things specifically did you watch about him to learn about the nuances of playing center, which have helped you?) – “Ted was definitely a detailed guy. He was in there watching film and talking with guys, meeting with quarterbacks, running backs, tight ends and all of that. He was just super detailed. He’s also a little bit intense and that was something that was good to see. Detailed and intensity and I definitely try to mimic that for sure because he brought great detail and great intensity every day. It definitely paid off for him. He was a leader and was helping guys out and controlling things, and that’s definitely something I try to mimic and keep that going.”
(Obviously the quarterback/center relationship is important. In what ways have you and QB Tua Tagovailoa’s relationship developed?) – “It’s definitely grown a lot because last year, the little bit of work we got together, there wasn’t much communication there. Like, ‘hey, what do you need? The snap’s good. Should we work cadence? This look versus that look? All of that stuff.’ Whereas this year, after every series we’re talking. ‘How are the snaps? How are the cadences? Should we mix anything up? Anything different we can get to on this look versus that look?’ We also went golfing a few times. Every aspect of that relationship off the field and on the field. It’s been cool to spend more time with him and grow with him.”
(Where is this line’s evolution? How would you assess your progress so far?) – “I wouldn’t say we’re at any point in any journey but we’re getting better and that’s all we need to focus on. We know we can be way better and we want to be way better and more consistent and all of that; but we just need to keep working every day to get a little bit better every day. Then maybe at the end of the year, I can say we’re finally at the point we wanted to be at. But right now we’re not at any point in our development or anything like that. We just need to get better, more consistent and all of that.”
(How would you describe the role that the offensive line’s performance will play in the offense’s success over the course of the entire season?) – “It will be super important. I mean you can’t have great skill players, a great quarterback and all of that and then have a line that isn’t helping the offense. It will just hold them back and we need to be a group that doesn’t hold them back but helps us excel. That just starts with consistency, playing smart, good technique and all of that. We just need to make sure we’re doing everything we can to make this offense go and not have it be the o-line that’s holding them back.”
(There’s been, I guess, some criticism of the O-line in the past. Do you guys use that as motivation, as tools to try to…?) – “Sure. But really, the guys in the room are critical of themselves. You don’t need to get on Twitter and see you’re getting roasted to be like, ‘man, I need to play better.’ It’s watching the tape and understanding and listening to your coaches say ‘hey, this is what we need to do better. This is what was bad. This is what needs to be better. All of that stuff – that’s the good criticism that you get from your coaches, that you get from watching your tape and just learning from it. You definitely don’t need to get all mad about something going on on the Internet to think, ‘I need to play better because someone was talking crap about me.’”
(You said you played a little golf with QB Tua Tagovailoa. How did you shoot out there?) – “I didn’t play very well and Tua, he just started playing this summer, so we both looked a little brutal out there. But it was a good time. We definitely can get a lot better, for sure.”
(It seems like golf has been a common theme. G Solomon Kindley was talking about how guys maybe having some Top Golf outings and he said he wasn’t very good out there too.) – “Nuh uh. He struggles. (laughter) We all need to get better at a lot of things and for sure our golf swing.”
(Who are among the better golfers then?) – “Reid (Sinnett) is a good golfer. Jesse (Davis) is coming along. Some days I’m not half bad. Some days – every like 10th shot – is pretty. Jason (Sanders) is a great golfer. He’s definitely the best.”
(It’s often the backup QBs and the kickers, huh?) – “Yeah. It makes sense.”
(Did you ever get to skate with the Florida Panthers?) – “No. And I want to, so that would be cool. (laughter) Offseason. I’ll just come sit in the corner and dish out pucks if they need me to.”
(Do you remember at one point that you were told by Offensive Line Coach Lemuel Jeanpierre that you would get first-team snaps? Because we’ve seen you obviously throughout the offseason, throughout training camp. I would imagine when they signed C Matt Skura, you might have wondered if you would be competing with him. What was the point where he first told you that you’re our guy for now, and you’re getting first-team opportunities?) – “There really never was a point where it was like ‘hey, you’re the guy,’ or anything like that. It was you, Matt (Skura) and Cam(eron Tom) are all going to get reps with each group and it will all shake out from there. I interpreted that as you’re getting a chance. But you all are. It was never a ‘you’re going to start here and we’ll see how it goes’ (thing). It was all you’re all going to get work from every group and we’ll just go from there.”
(What’s the biggest difference I guess for you shifting from guard to center?) – “It’s definitely just mental. I mean I’m doing a lot more talking. You have to see defenses at guard but now I have to look at a lot more and I’m getting all of our calls out and things are adjusting on the fly and all of this other stuff. I would say mentally – it’s just a lot more mentally but physically sometimes it’s almost a little easier. But mentally it’s a lot more just getting guys right. At guard, I’d be looking at Dan Kilgore, going ‘what do we got?’ And now I’m the center where the guards are wondering what I’m about to say.”
(At what point did you start to feel pretty good about your chances to be the center?) – “I don’t know. I always felt good about my chances if I was getting opportunities. I would say all camp I’ve felt ok about it. I was just worried about playing good and making sure that I’ve got the same opportunities the next day; and if I did, I didn’t want to waste it.”
(We’ve heard a little about QB Tua Tagovailoa’s cadence maybe getting stronger. Do you have to get your voice stronger to kind of…) – “For sure. I’m definitely not a loud, yelling guy. Especially when we’re at away games, it’s going to be a lot of guys looking down the line and wondering what the call is. I’ve got to get loud and get some bass to me.”
