Sunday, September 1, 2019
(I want to ask you this right off the bat regarding WR Kenny Stills. Was any part of him being traded personal or political on the part of the team, or you or Stephen Ross?) – “Not at all. You guys saw the compensation we received in the trade. It was something we couldn’t turn down. Kenny is a very talented player, as is Laremy (Tunsil); but at the end of the day, we felt like we were doing what was best for the team and the organization.”
(As far as T Laremy Tunsil, why couldn’t he be part of the rebuild? Why wasn’t he viewed as part of the rebuild?) – “Again, you guys saw the compensation. He was a part of that. It is one of those things that, again, he’s a very good player. I like him; but at the end of the day, we just felt like this was the best move for us. You’ve got to make tough decisions when you’re sitting in this seat. I think (General Manager) Chris Grier and (Vice President of Football Administration) Brandon (Shore) and myself, we spent a lot of time talking through and thinking about it. At the end of the day, we felt like this was best.”
(You’ve been asked this a lot this offseason, but in light of the recent moves, are you guys tanking?) – “I think you know what my response is going to be on that. Again, this game means a lot to me. I wouldn’t disrespect the game with that. Again, no we’re not (tanking). We’re going to try to win every game. I think that’s disrespectful to even say that. These guys have worked extremely hard. They’ve done that all summer, they do it all spring, and they’ll continue to do so. It’s disheartening to hear people talk about it, to even say that. For a guy who respects the game and for as much as the game has done for me, when people say that – you shouldn’t say it.”
(With that being said, when you look at the roster, I think you’re going to be the youngest team this year. You’ve gotten rid of, in my opinion, many of your best players. How can you put together a team this year that has a chance to compete?) – “We’re going to come to work every day. We’re going to coach this group to the best of our ability. We’re going to come out, we’re going to work hard and we’re going to fight. We’re going to play hard and try to win every game. I think that’s what you do. That’s kind of how I’ve been brought up. This team is motivated. I think we’ve got some talented players and we’re just going to try to go out here and try to win every game.”
(How does trading WR Kenny Stills and T Laremy Tunsil help you win every game in 2019?) – “Well, I think again, like I said earlier, these are two very talented players, but we’ve got a lot of talented players on this team. I feel good about the receivers. I feel good about our offensive linemen. These guys work extremely hard and they’re going to do everything they can to help this team win.”
(Can you put into words the larger strategy or play the Dolphins are making with these trades and other trades to – a timeline beyond this year?) – “I don’t really like to look into the future and timelines. Right now, my focus is on right now. Right now, really my focus is on the Baltimore Ravens. They’re a tough, physical, well-coached, disciplined team. They’ll be ready to play and we’ve got to kind of turn our attention to that.”
(What has Stephen Ross said to you, if anything, about – what is his reaction and his input on the direction the organization is taking, particularly given the deals in the last couple of days?) – “He’s been very supportive. We – myself, Chris Grier, Brandon Shore – as an entire organization, we’re all on the same page. He’s been supportive. We’ll continue to stay on the same page moving forward. Again, he’s been very, very supportive. I could go into detail on those, but those conversations are private, and we’re going to keep them that way.”
(What was your reaction when this particular trade combination was brought to you, including LT Laremy Tunsil and WR Kenny Stills?) – “There are a lot of conversations with a lot of teams on a daily basis. We’ve had several different offers. My reaction is always the same: does it help this team? Does it help this organization? We’ve got to put all those things – all those things factor into my feeling on a particular trade. In this instance, I felt like this trade would help this organization and this team. Myself, Chris (Grier), Brandon (Shore) – we spent a lot of time talking through this. Like I said before, we’ve got a process on how we make decisions here. I think we went through that process and we did what we felt was best.”
(Who is vying for your starting left tackle job now?) – “We’ve acquired Julien Davenport. We’re excited about him. He’s a good young player. I think his best football’s ahead of him. We’ve also acquired Evan Boehm and Dan Isidora through trades this weekend, and we’re excited about those guys as well. Again, it’s going to be a team effort. There’s 11 guys that play. The communication, the camaraderie amongst the offensive line – we’ve got to build that and try to build and improve on a weekly basis.”
(Have you spoken with LT Laremy Tunsil and/or WR Kenny Stills after the trade, and what was their reaction?) – “Yeah, I spoke to both guys; but again, my conversations with players, with other coaches about contracts – those are all private. Honestly, I just think that’s common courtesy. I try to respect the privacy of those conversations. I’m not going to go into detail about how those conversations went.”
(There are going to be some guys in the locker room who are sad, and there are going to be some guys in the locker room who are mad. Tell me how you plan to deal with that.) – “I think we’ve got a good locker room. I think we’ve got a lot of guys who care about each other, work hard and want to play for each other. I understand there are relationships that are built over the course of years; but at the end of the day, the guys in this locker room – I think that they’re going to band together and play together, and at the end of the day, we’ve got to play for one another.”
(How important is it for this organization to win in 2019?) – “It’s always important to win. I’ve always believed that. I think to take any other approach, that’s just not how you coach the game. That’s not how you play the game. To take any other approach is disrespectful to the game, so it’s very important
