Tuesday, June 3, 2025
OL Austin Jackson
(How did it feel being out there today? We saw you in 11-on-11. Just how does it feel to be back on the field?) – ”It was great. It was a great feeling to be back out there. I’m glad to be healthy and back to full speed and feeling a little better.”
(How was this journey for you, mentally, for the injury?) – “It was tough. It was tough. I hate to leave the season the way I did last year with so much at stake in terms of fighting for playoffs and stuff like that, but my situation with my knee was something I had to take care of. So it just kind of forced me to just look inward that really just come up with a plan for the future. Look inward and come up with a plan.”
(How long did it take early in the offseason? Because I remember you were pretty confident at the end of last year that you were going to be back soon.) – “I knew I was going to be back soon. The timeline of the recovery would have brought me back for OTAs and the Dolphins had told me that going into training. So that was my goal the whole time, getting better every day.”
(You mentioned looking inward. What did you find? What you discovered about yourself?) – “More so when I say looking inward, it’s like, you don’t get a lot of outside validation from playing. I don’t get to go play a game and people tell me, ‘Oh, you played well.’ Looking inward is just finding the confidence in my training that I’ll be back to my usual self when I get out there.”
(Earlier today when we were talking with Head Coach Mike McDaniel about you, he had mentioned, and this was a reference to early in your career, “Yeah, Austin heard the labels and he excelled beyond that and kind of shed those labels.” What do you remember about that time? How did you take it when people were maybe critical of you?) – ”Well, I’m a very simple guy. So I wasn’t playing well, and I took that as I needed to play better, get better, simple as that. Now, did some people not believe in me? Sure, but I always believe in myself and my work ethic, so I was ready.”
(This is a big offseason for T Patrick Paul, he’s going to be starting on the other side. What have you seen from him and his development in his second season?) – ”He’s been really consistent in his training, which is really good for a young player. Especially for him, last year to this year, he lost a little bit of weight and has still been able to maintain his strength, so that’s another big jump that tackles have to adjust to when they come into the league.”
(You’re not wearing a brace or a sleeve on your knee. Is there any significance to that?) – ”I’ve always hated playing in knee braces. Even in college, they’d give us knee braces and I would beg my coach to take them off for game day. But yeah, I’m healthy. I don’t need it. If I need it, I’ll know. My body will tell me, but so far, I’ve been great.”
(People have said that this is your room now – the offensive line room. Is that accurate? And how does it feel to have that bestowed on you?) – “It’s really (Chairman of the Board/Managing General Partner) Stephen Ross’s room. (laughter) But no, I definitely do agree. I am the older player in the room now. (Terron) Armstead was that guy for us for a while, for me. I think now with the younger guys coming in and me myself having more confidence in the system, I definitely can help anybody who’s looking to do what we do the right way.”
(Do you see your role shifting a little bit with Terron Armstead now gone as a mentor in addition to starting right tackle?) – ”Yeah, it is changing a little bit, because usually people would go to (Terron) Armstead for stuff and ask him questions, but now they come ask me. It’s cool, I appreciate it. Make sure I’m at my best, giving advice and really just making sure I’m leading by example. I don’t ever want to say one thing and do the other.”
(Do you have enough room in your place to host the o-line meal?) – ”Yes, I do. But I’d like the idea of us like getting on the water or something. I don’t know, like Mastro’s or something, but we’ll see.”
(Why is that? Why on the water?) – “It’s nice. Just looks nice, especially out here in Florida. Yeah, just a good dinner by the water, makes me ready for the next day. (laughter)”
(So you want by the water, not on the water. When you first said that, I’m thinking like a boat.) – “Oh, you’re thinking on a boat? No, I’m thinking by the water. On the water is probably better, though. That’s a better idea, but I was thinking by the water.”
(The one near Miami Beach?) – “That’s a great one. That’s a great one. The Fort Lauderdale one is on the water as well.”
(What have you noticed from LB Chop Robinson in his second spring so far?) – “He’s playing very well. He’s playing very well in his second spring. He’s been a lot more active with his hands, playing more physical. He looks a lot more confident, comfortable than his rookie year. He definitely looks like he’s going to make that big second year jump that we want to see and coaches want to see.”
(Going off of that, even though you’re not live in full contact, how would you evaluate your live reps today against LB Chop Robinson and the rest of the defense?) – “I would evaluate them as some things are good, some things to get better at. At this time, it would be a detriment to myself if I focused on us not having pads. We kind of just do our thing, go with it and focus on the main thing, which is winning productivity.”
(The vibe around here, I know this league is a business, and you’ve got CB Jalen Ramsey taking care of business, TE Jonnu Smith taking care of business. You guys are coming off of a losing season. How is this the same vibe? Is it more optimistic? A little more down? How would you describe the vibe around here?) – “I would say it’s optimistic. Optimistic because we didn’t get the outcome we wanted as a team last year. No playoffs, I think we had a losing record for most of the year, finished the losing record, so the feeling is optimistic and hardworking, man. Everyone just wants to get better. The business stuff is the business stuff. We can’t do much with that. We don’t know how that’s going to play out, but for the guys that are there right now, we’re very optimistic that whoever is on the field is doing the right thing so we can win.”
(This morning, Head Coach Mike McDaniel talked about QB Tua Tagovailoa’s ownership of just everything with the organization, not just his job as the quarterback. I’m curious what you’ve noticed from that from your perspective and how valuable it is to have a quarterback that can really point things out across the entire field?) – “Very valuable. Tua (Tagovailoa) in Year 6, he’s definitely a lot more confident and decisive on and off the field. He knows what people are supposed to be doing in terms of training. He knows what we’re doing on the field. He knows how to take care of his body. He knows how to unite guys, bring us together for team camaraderie and stuff, just to get together. He’s a full-blown leader, and I think he’s showing that he wants to take control of this team and he is.”
(With G James Daniels not quite ready to be out there yet in practice, what are the ways that you guys can build some chemistry even when he’s not on the practice field yet?) – “Right now, I would say the way is the meeting rooms. We watch a lot of film together, and he’s an older player so he has had a lot of experience playing in NFL games, so he can gain the concepts faster. But the meeting room is the main way we kind of gel so that training camp, we can be full speed.”
(The rookie, OL Jonah Savaiinaea, what have you seen from him so far?) – “He’s showed up every day just ready to work. He’s very physical, very fast guy, and he gets better every day. I think he’ll be great in the system.”
Tuesday, June 3, 2025
WR Jaylen Waddle
(You’ve been around here for a lot of years. I wanted to ask abut the vibe around here. You guys are coming off a losing season, you’ve got the CB Jalen Ramsey drama now, TE Jonnu Smith got some contract things. What is the vibe around here? Is it kind of weird? Is it positive, how would you describe the vibe?) – “Pretty regular, everybody that’s here is working. We do know that it’s a business and people be having different business things going on. We’ve been solid, keeping the main thing, the main thing, and just working, man.”
(The different energy that you were just describing, are you feeling any of that as well on your side of the ball?) – “Definitely. I think the defense is doing a good job of making it competitive every day, making us work for everything and just bringing that swag. They got a lot of swag on the side of the ball, forcing the offense to come with it. When you have that type of back and forth, it just makes the days go by easier and really just overall good for the team.”
(You talk about those guys making it tough on you. I’ve heard several of the guys, they feel further along this year in the second-year defense. From an offensive perspective, how have you seen the defense kind of expand from where it was a year ago?) – “Man, it seems like they’re all over the place. It seems like they are all connected, they’re playing together. They’re all playing on a rope; they are communicating good on the backside. They just overall look good on all three levels.”
(I saw a press conference with Cincinnati Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase and WR Tee Higgins. They asked Tee Higgins about being the best No. 2 receiver in the NFL and Ja’Marr jumped in and was like, “He’s not a No. 2 receiver,” or something to that effect. Do you feel like you’re the No. 2 receiver here? There’s this sort of sense that when WR Tyreek Hill moves on, you’ll emerge as the clear No. 1. Do you think of yourself as 1b, or 2? How do you think of yourself?) – “I just got out there and do my job, man. Whatever they ask me to do, I just go out there and do it and try to do it at a high level and consistent. I don’t look at No. 1 or 2 – we’ve got a lot of players that can make a lot of plays to try to get the ball to. So when they call my number, I just try to make a play.”
(We saw at practice last week where you made a lot of down field catches. This a period in the offseason where WR Tyreek Hill isn’t back yet and TE Jonnu Smith isn’t here. How do you approach a practice like that? Where you’re going to get yours and the ball is coming to you?) – “I approach it as any other day. I don’t think it really matters so much of who’s on the field, who’s not on the field. Just go out there and work man. Approach it, I’m trying to get better each and every day, trying to make the other side better each and every day. It’s not really a different approach. I think our just overall offense approach this offseason has been pretty good.”
(We see you at quite a bit of Panther games. Have you become a hockey fan or do you enjoy the atmosphere when they are in the playoffs?) – “I do. I’m going to go to the finals. I think I’m their good luck charm, because I don’t think they’ve loss since I’ve been. I think they need to invite me sometime soon in an important game, because I think they’re pretty undefeated when I’m there. (laughter) Panthers – hey, I’ll be waiting.”
(When you see the success they’re having, the third consecutive Stanely Cup Final appearance. Does it put in your mind of how great it would be if we could experience anywhere near that?) – “Oh yeah, they definitely bring an urge to the city. They bring excitement to the city. Every professional sport in the city, it’s just like they’re pretty much the standard with all that they’ve accomplished over the past years. It’s definitely like a fire under us to try to match them.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel said to us earlier today that he’s excited about 2025 for you because of how you’re attacking your craft. What’s your vision for this year?) – “Just to go about my days. Have the same approach every day, no matter the circumstances. Have the same approach every day – get the ball, don’t get the ball, ups and downs. Just the same approach.”
(On that same note, how much did the result last year kind of motivate you heading into this year?) – “Definitely not the year we wanted as a team. Definitely the year that I didn’t want as an individual, but lucky for me, we get to go back, same quarterback, same head coach, OC and run it back. I think the foundation that we are setting here in OTAs is going to really help us in training camp and lead us to the season.”
(Is there one or two things maybe that you’re working on in particular this offseason?) – “It was a lot man. A lot after watching the film definitely. A lot of hand eye, I feel like I’m trying to move without the ball too much. And just the simple things, just timing, getting smoother in and out of my routes. Pretty much that.”
(I saw you juggling a little bit earlier. Was that you trying to work on that hand eye coordination?) – “Oh, no. ‘RP’ (Wide Receivers Coach Robert Prince) brought a whole thing in here that we do. He was challenging us to learn how to juggle. I learned how to juggle in two or three days – I’m just saying, if anybody can beat that, I don’t know. (laughter) I don’t know – I was TikTok-ing and some other stuff about this juggling. ‘RP’ challenged us to learn – that was actually pretty fun. I’m trying to learn new techniques actually.”
(What are the glasses that you guys put on? Do they flash?) – “They flash. There are different levels – another thing that helps with hand eye. I really don’t know how to describe them for real, it just makes it real hard to catch.”
(You mentioned in one answer how you’re trying to get the other side get better. What have you seen from the young corners as far as how they’ve trying to progress?) – “They look extremely good. I’m not going to lie to y’all, they are making it really tough on the receivers. They are playing true to their technique. I think they are doing a good job of taking what they do in individual to when we go into team. They look really, really good. I’m not even going to lie to y’all. We’re going to need them to step up and be key for us. I’m happy that they are doing extremely good.”
(If anyone knows QB Tua Tagovailoa the best on this team, obviously you played on Alabama with him 2018. Is his mindset this year any different than per usual the last couple of years going into the season?) – “He’s just excited to play, man. I think all of us are. He looks confident, coming out with a different swag. He’s got dye in his hair and some other stuff. He looks like he’s just eager to play man.”
(You mentioned Wide Receivers Coach Robert Prince. How has he been so far? What is he like?) – “’RP,’ (Robert Prince) he’s just bringing a different dynamic to the room. He’s making us work on and off the field. The meeting room, you’ve got to be on your Ps and Qs because he’ll ask you something from two weeks ago. So ‘RP’ has been great for us, we love him a lot. We love all the challenges that he gives us daily and weekly. ‘RP’ is doing a great job.”
(What’s the juggling supposed to teach you?) – “Hand eye. It’s really tough, I didn’t know anything about juggling but I learned in two days if I didn’t tell y’all that. (laughter) If I didn’t tell y’all that, I learned in two days. Two days.”
Tuesday, June 3, 2025
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(Obviously we know about the TE Jonnu Smith discussions, contract negotiations. From your position as a coach, I know you try not to get into the business side of things, but how complicated does that get for you, especially when it’s offseason after offseason?) – “It’s complicated if you allow it to be. I think the good news is part of the thing that I try to stay connected to is what my job is and what people need for me. When I’m not a part of the negotiations – that’s not my role, my role is to coach, then I’m going to focus on that. So to be honest, it’s really not terribly complicated when I stay connected to what my purpose is and what people need from me, because anything else is time that could be best utilized elsewhere. So that’s where I’m at with it.”
(How would you describe his importance to the team?) – “Jonnu (Smtih) is a very important player and person to me and to the guys. One thing that we can stand on is his professionalism and how he goes about his business. There’s times that business can play a part, for sure, and a team can make it as complicated as they would like. If they have a lot of time to focus on what’s going on with Jonnu (Smith), I would encourage them to focus on their own game. Fortunately, I haven’t had to have those conversations. Guys have been very focused on what they can do today to get better for the Miami Dolphins organization.”
(Is he here today and how much has he been around during offseason workouts?) – “He’s been around, and beyond that I try not to – specifically in this day and age, I think the relationship and the privacy of people’s business is important to me. When dudes have social media, if they wanted you guys know, they would holler at you.”
(Is there anybody that won’t be out there today that we think will be out there? Any excused absences today?) – “We’ve had unbelievable participation and focus. When you go down the roads of what I think you’re thinking, I think that I have no thought. (laughter) Who are you anticipating? I don’t know. I don’t know your knowledge of the depth of our roster and who you could not be considering as well. Straightforward, the focus and regard for the opportunity for our team in the offseason, there’s been voluntary activities that haven’t appeared voluntary by the nature of their approach. I’ll say that it’s what I’d hoped in that way.”
(Where is OL Austin Jackson from a recovery standpoint, and how has he looked in what he has been able to do?) – “Austin Jackson is playing out on the field, moving to the best – as good as he’s ever looked, finding ways to improve upon his real growth. He epitomizes what I see – the National Football League is full of opportunities and the opportunities are disguised in various ways. Sometimes you have the journey of a high draft pick that finds himself trying to define who he is with everybody looking on him and judging him. I don’t think people quite understand how rare of an occurrence it is for a guy like Austin Jackson to hear the label, live it and play through it and come out the other side. It’s a testament to his work ethic, who he is as a person, and his working relationship with our coaching staff, as (Offensive Line Coach) Butch Barry leads that room is as good as any.”
(Will he be ready for training camp?) – “If there’s a more ready version of him, I’m super excited. That’s a level up. He’s ready to go and working each and every day to make sure that stays to fruition. But he looks completely healthy and working his game as we’d want it.”
(Have you been told that there’s some progress on the CB Jalen Ramsey trade front?) – “I don’t really check in on a day-to-day; zero has changed from my end. I let (General Manager) Chris (Grier) work, and I’m diligently coaching.”
(Have you seen anything different in WR Jaylen Waddle this year? I know he’s been out there with QB Tua Tagovailoa with WR Tyreek Hill out, have you seen anything different in his game?) – “I see a guy that’s ready to earn growth to a game that’s already top tier within the National Football League. It’s exciting for me and exciting for when I go out on the field, because he’s humbly approaching his craft, attacking it, so that he’s not satisfied with any part of his game. I think one thing that has been really cool to watch is his understanding of who he is on the team, how much we depend on his playmaking ability, but also how much we depend on how he is as a football player in extremely non-selfish ways. He’s very active in the run game. He’s very active in just really doing whatever he can to benefit the other pass eligibles. Realistically, I’m really excited about what 2025 has in store for him, based upon the excitement that he gives me every day attacking his craft. So today should be a good day, and he’ll go back to the drawing board and chop wood the next. That’s kind of been his formula this offseason and I think it’s benefiting him.”
(With RB Jaylen Wright, what does he have to do to earn playing time, understanding that RB De’Von Achane is probably running back number one, RB Alexander Mattison might have the role as the short yardage guy. How does RB Jaylen Wright fit in there?) – “I think Jaylen Wright benefited tremendously from coming into the league in a very competitive room. I think when that’s the case, you learn how little room for error you have to execute your job responsibilities or to have complete ownership of your assignments, because if you’re a hair off, or a hair late, or a hair indecisive, there’s decisive people who are talented that can contribute to the team. When we had exit meetings, I was talking to Jaylen Wright about being able to non-verbally communicate to me his hunger for an increased role. I see better than I hear, and four OTAs in, I can see him following through with that. A big thing for him and really our entire team this offseason is each and every day being the exclusive evaluation time. Awesome one day efforts; we’re looking for consistency and continuity, and I think it’s the only way that we’re going to be happy with the product come fall.”
(We saw QB Tua Tagovailoa in the orange jersey yesterday. We’ve seen the production of the passes and what the ball looks like in the air, but from a coach’s perspective, what does it look like for a quarterback in a practice to earn the orange jersey? What does he do that puts him in that position?) – “It’s a cool question because this one specifically I thought Tua (Tagovailoa), the previous practice to wearing the orange jersey, had most ownership of all the players on each and every down, particularly in non-passing downs. There were double motions where he was aligning people appropriately. He really had command and resolve within the practice of things – sometimes football for a quarterback can be uniquely challenging, because you have the ownership of the operation of the whole unit. You have 1/11th of the execution of it, and anything that falls short can be frustrating. Sometimes your play can be exactly how you envisioned it going into whatever the performance is, but then you’re faced with frustrating things that are out of your control. What a great rep for a player of the quarterback position when you have practices like that. We had some things where people weren’t necessarily where they should be at the appropriate time in run and pass, and he handled his job and then performed, executed and was very, very competitive and didn’t allow the ebbs and flows of practice to really keep him out of his rhythm. For me, there’s a lot of layers. It’s definitely not just like, ‘Hey, three throws.’ When you’re a quarterback, you throw the ball professionally so I feel like you should have good throws, but playing the position and being what the other 10 players on the team need you to be on that down, that’s a whole other story and that’s why he earned it.”
(In what ways have you seen T Patrick Paul grow going into his second year?) – “I think for one, he epitomizes a player that didn’t waste his rookie season. He had a huge transition to make in terms of style of play and kind of really the detail that we ask tackles to play with, and he had Terron Armstead in the building every day. He had a ton of veteran leadership within the room, and he really chopped wood each and every day. I think you could his big vision scope by the way he chopped wood. I see him doing things every day in individual that are top tier things. I see him in group work do some things that I think some of the defensive players are surprised by, and then I see room for growth every day. What I’m pumped about is that he’s actually focusing on the part to grow. You can tell a person’s vision of what they want to be – are they high fiving themselves because they had a couple good plays? Or are they focused on, ‘OK, well, yeah, I did those things good. I did those things good the day before. Who cares? Let me focus on what I can get better at,’ and that’s what I see on the daily from him.”
(How much did have Terron Armstead around not only through his first year but still around to a degree, how much did that do, do you think, for T Patrick Paul’s growth?) – “It’s a huge accelerator. Coaching can take you so far; there’s another level of coaching tied to peer ownership that is a completely different vessel to help a young player. There’s a piece of him too – when you have a player like ‘T-Stead’ (Terron Armstead) invest in you, you want to bear fruit of that investment. So I think that relationship plays a part in it as well, but a huge cheat code in terms of being able to develop an offensive tackle is to have an active roster Terron Armstead play in front of him.”
(As I watched the team last OTAs, it occurred to me a lot of those 30-somethings you relied on last year and two years ago are gone. It’s a very young corps. Is this team still in win-now mode? Is this kind of a rebuild on the fly? How are you looking at this season?) – “I think if you ask any player, including some of those younger players, it’s not gray. We are trying to maximize our opportunity, and I think we have a good amount of young players that are very, very football focused and their approach every day gives them the chance to be productive NFL players early. Just the way that I see patterns of roster construction, the days of putting an entire rookie class on ice, I think, are over. You have to have guys that have the appropriate mindset that they will do what needs to be done to do right by their teammates, and that peer-to-peer pressure is the strongest motivator in a game in my opinion. I think if you have the right types of people, both veterans and young players, you can really make sure that the youth on the field is advanced in football and that’s what we care about.”
(We’ve seen a lot of players down at the Panthers game during the playoffs. You hit the drum last year. How much does that inspire the players to see the South Florida fan base at their peak, to want to win for them as well?) – “I think just in general; the elimination games really capture professional athletes. Now you have the players that have been here in this region; I think the Florida Panthers as an organization have done an unbelievable job of creating a sense of, ‘we’ve been here before,’ or a certain level of expectancy of performance. All of those things, you can never have too many friendly reminders of what you’re fighting for. There’s nothing more motivating than watching people that really sacrifice hard earned monthly income to support athletic performance. You can feel it; the Panthers games in the playoffs are unique in its own right, and you can just feel the appreciation and that isn’t lost on coaches or players at all.”
(One last thing on TE Jonnu Smith, what’s your level of confidence slash optimism that he’ll be on the roster this season?) – “Erroneous of my feelings, my hope – I haven’t really considered anything other than I want Jonnu (Smith) on the team. I think he wants to be here, and so my experience with business is you let that play out. In that time, Jonnu is depending on me to focus on the players that I have the ability to coach and influence, so that’s where I’m at.”
Wednesday, May 28, 2025
LB Bradley Chubb
(What’s your excitement level like to be out here after missing all of last season?) – “10 out of 10. 10 out of 10, man. Being around last year and trying to lead from the background is one thing, but when you’re actually going through the fire with guys and you’re actually putting the blood, the sweat and the tears in with the guys, it’s a little different. You can lead from out front, not in the background and trying to be like, ‘Hey do this,’ but you’re not doing it. You know what I mean? It feels good just to be in the mix, to be around the guys and be able to lead out in front. Just trying to continue to get this thing going, man. We’ve got a lot to prove, not to anybody but to ourselves because we know what we can do this year, so we’re out there on the grass working it right now.”
(I don’t want to overplay OTAs, but can you take me through the play we saw of you driving back the left tackle and getting pumped up?) – “Oh yeah, man. You got guys out there talking junk, and it’s just the competitive nature of guys. Like I said, I’ve been out for a year and a half, so anything to get going. I just see red, and at the end of the day, I’ve got to protect the team a, but we’re just getting better competing with one another and that’s going to make us better throughout this whole process. I’m excited just to be out there, just to be going through those plays and being able to talk junk and receive it back because you’re actually playing. It’s been fun.”
(What is your schedule going to be like the rest of minicamp? Are you going to be 100% in minicamp, 100% in training camp on the Day 1?) – “That’s the plan. I feel good. I’m moving along good and that’s the plan, to be 100%. Like I said, be out there as much as I can and continue to lead from out front.”
(How do you feel in retrospect about the decision to not come back at the very end of last year?) – “It was one of those things that weighed on me early in the offseason. Like, ‘Man, would I be able to go out there and do it all again?’ I left some on the table in that aspect, but at the end of the day, I had to make sure I was 100% right. That allowed me to get 100% right and allowed me to attack the offseason like I knew I had to. At first, it was a little hard, but I’m glad I made the decision to get all the way right and to be able to be out here and to run around however many plays because that’s what the team needs to do for this year. It sucked in hindsight, but at the end of the day I’m glad that I made that decision.”
(What have you learned about yourself throughout this whole process?) – “That I’m a warrior, man. Not even in the sense of football, just in the sense of life. When things came and knocked me down and had setbacks, in the moment it’s like, Oh man,’ but when you take a step back and really see it for what it is and see what God is trying to tell you in that moment, that helped me out a lot throughout this process. It helped me learn a lot about myself. Like I said, learning how to just fight through adversity, learning how to accept what it is for what it is and move forward and not dwell on the negatives that could come from it. Just pushing on and staying positive.”
(You looked good out there today. Where would put your football percentage at this stage?) –“Man, football percentage in terms of body-wise, I’d say I’m about 95-99% in terms of just feeling good, feeling better and feeling like myself. For sure high 90s – I would say that last 10% is just game reps. Actual game reps, actual tackling just to see where I’m at in that aspect, but that’s going to come when it comes and for right now, I’m good where I’m at.”
(A lot was made about WR Tyreek Hill after the season finale saying, “I’m out,” and everything like that. How has he been received by the team this offseason and what have you seen from him?) – “I’ve seen a growth in leadership from him, to be honest with you. Just being around every day, leading the young guys from out front and just being that guy that we know he can be, that vocal leader. Finishing first in all the drills when we were doing Phase 1 and Phase 2, showing that speed. It’s easy to sit in the back when you’re a guy of that caliber and be like, ‘I don’t have to go to OTAs. I don’t have to do that.’ But to be here each and every day, working as hard as everybody else – even harder sometimes – it’s one of those things that you commend and respect and we’re looking for a big year for him.”
(Why did you go along with the revised contract?) – “Because at the end of the day, I know that this a ‘what have you done for me now’ business. Yeah, I had a good year in 2023, but at the end of the day, I didn’t play a lick of football all of last year. At the end of the day, I could have gotten cut, had to learn a new system, had to move to a different city and do all this. I knew this is the team I wanted to be with, I knew the guys, the leadership I had from the background, I knew that these guys were the guys I wanted to be around to push and to push me. I knew what we can do here in Miami; a lot of doubters this offseason, a lot of talk, a lot of chatter, but I knew what we could do with this team this season. I’m excited to just be here and be able to show out.”
(How much do you appreciate being back with LB Jaelan Phillips in that sense and then also now having LB Chop Robinson to go with you guys?) – “Man, I’ve been smiling ear to ear every time I get a chance to look at the tape. From the jump that Chop (Robinson) has made over his growth – guys get 6.0 sacks and get in the Defensive Rookie of the Year [conversations] and they take the foot off the gas, but Chop has put pedal to the metal. And to see him do that, and to see ‘JP’ (Jaelan Phillips) attacking his rehab as hard as he has – just the back-to-back injuries he dealt with and his mindset is still, ‘I’m still the best out here. I’m still going to do this and do that.’ So I know that if I’ve got those two guys in my corner, I’m going to be good for life. And I’m going to do my part, as well. Make sure I do everything to do my part, and we’ve got three guys hungry and ready to go like that. Nothing but good can come from it.”
(With S Jevón Holand gone and CB Jalen Ramsey about to be traded, how do you think that the pass rush group can help alleviate pressure on maybe a less experienced secondary?) – “In the outside linebackers room, we call ourselves the ‘Big Dawgs.’ We have that mantra because at the end of the day, we want to be the ones to change the game. We want to be the ones that if we need a play, we’re going to be the ones that do it. So yes, we’ve got some inexperienced guys in the backend, but we all know who we are in that room and we take it upon ourselves not because, ‘Oh, we don’t believe in this guy,’ but because we want to walk the walk and talk the talk. It’s added pressure to us, but we know they’re going to handle their job because we’re going to handle ours.”
(I know you and LB Jaelan Phillips live in different areas, but how much of rehab did you share whether mentally or physically?) – “A lot of it, actually. Especially toward the middle of the season when he started getting back into the crank of things. All of his Achilles rehab, we were in there getting after it, and his ACL one kind of came on the tail end of my rehab. We were in there a lot, man, getting after it, pushing each other, keeping each other’s spirits up. At the end of the day, we all know we’re hard workers, but it’s just about that mental and making sure that mental is right each and every day to attack the day. That’s what we did for each other, so it was good.”
(What is the ceiling of this pass rushing unit?) – “I don’t want to put any numbers on it, nothing. I just know that if we all go out there and do what we know we’re capable of, the sky is the limit. We have a lot of great talent, a lot of hard-working men that go in each and every day. It would be one thing if we had guys that took their foot off the gas and were just cool with being in the NFL, but we’ve got guys that are really, really hungry and in some sense guys feel like they have something to prove. It’s been good. I feel like the sky is the limit because everybody is going hard, working hard and I’m just excited to see where it goes.”
(Did you do the paintball exercise or any other team bonding?) – “I did. I’m a camper, though. I don’t run around; it was too hot for all that. I got all these long sleeves on trying not to get hit, so I’m camping, putting my head up, putting it down. I got ‘KG’ (Kenneth Grant) a couple of times because he’s a big target, but that’s the only guy I got. (laughter)”
(Who won? Who was really good?) – “My team lost two out of the three times. Who was really good? I feel like guys would get hit five time, just wipe it off and be like, ‘Oh yeah, I didn’t get shot at all,’ but at the end of the day, we lost. I know that. Who was good? I can’t even tell you, man. I feel like ‘JP’ (Jaelan Phillips) had one of those fast guns that you can shoot fast with, so he got it by default because of that.”
(I would think DT Zach Sieler, a hunter would be good.) – “Oh yeah, (Zach) Sieler was good. Sieler was good, but he’s a big target, too. Once you get him, he’s out and we lose our best guy.”
(With overall team leaders like T Terron Armstead and DT Calais Campbell gone, is there more of a workload you feel this year to be one of the big voices of the team?) – “I don’t see it as a workload. I see it just as who I am. Honestly, when I first got here in 2022, that’s what (General Manager) Chris (Grier) and (Head Coach) Mike (McDaniel) told me. They saw the leadership I had in Denver and they brought me here because of that. I didn’t do anything different, I didn’t do anything special; it was just who I was as a person and how I approach each and every day. So I don’t see it as a bigger task, I just see it as all eyes on me. People are watching me and I just have to do what I do, but to another level. So I don’t see it as, ‘Oh, I’ve got to go out of my way to do this.’ Just be myself each and every day and guys will follow.”
Wednesday, May 28, 2025
WR Tyreek Hill
(For starters, how’s that wrist feeling?) – “It feels great. I’m in a way better spot than I was last year. Zero pain, and I’m glad that me and the Dolphins took the step of actually having surgery, because first I was nervous but I’m actually glad I did it.”
(Was it strictly the right wrist or did you have something going on with the left wrist as well?) – “It was really both of them, but the right wrist was the one that was giving me the main problems.”
(Coaches have mentioned how involved you’ve been and how around you’ve been during the offseason. Given how last season ended, did you feel like you had to make an effort to show teammates how committed you are to this team?) – “That’s every day I feel like in this league. Every day, you’ve got to prove who you are. It doesn’t matter how much you’ve earned or how much success you’ve had in this league, it’s always the next day mentality. That’s something my grandparents raised me by and that’s something that (Head Coach) Mike (McDaniel) preaches here in this locker room. Every day I’m trying to prove myself as one of those guys that this team can depend on in crucial moments. I’m going to stand on that too, though, because that’s just me as a person, as a player, as an individual; I try to carry myself in that way.”
(What did you say to your teammates about that moment at the end of last season pulling yourself out of the game and obviously what you said in the locker room afterwards?) – “It was tough. Obviously, emotions were high then, but at the end of the day I’m just looking to move forward from that. Hoping that I can prove myself and prove to my teammates I’m still one of them ones who’s chasing 2k, one of those ones chasing playoff dreams and all of that great stuff.”
(You know it’s a long season; there are highs and lows all the time over the course of 17 games. How can you be assured that you won’t get frustrated to the point that you were at the end of last season?) – “For one, I’m going to church more and I’m doing more therapy more. I’ve been finding that more on my side lately. Being more involved in that and then just understanding what Coach is trying to do. I feel like when I first got here, I wouldn’t say that I wasn’t all the way bought in, but me having a better understanding of what he’s trying to push throughout the locker room, I feel like now I understand him better. I understand Tua (Tagovailoa) better, I understand ‘Bev’ (Darrell Bevell), our new receivers coach (Robert Prince), me and him clicked immediately when he got here. Everybody is on the same page, man.”
(With this offense specifically, what is the value of banking these reps in the springtime?) – “It’s timing, man; it’s all about timing, man. Tua (Tagovailoa) is real good at what he does. He’s very accurate, his timing is amazing. He has a very strong arm a lot of people don’t give him credit for. Just those valuable reps against certain defenses whether it’s Cover 2, Cover 4, just trying to find certain windows, being able to catch the ball and being able to take a 15-yard catch and turn it into a 40-yard touchdown. That’s very important in the offseason for all of us.”
(I can’t tell if it’s because we haven’t seen you since January, but have you slimmed down at all?) – “Yeah, I’ve been training a lot man. I’m weighing 183 (pounds). When I first got to Miami, I was 197 (pounds), but I feel like I’m back to my original playing weight whenever I was back in Kansas City. I feel great man.”
(Was that on purpose or just like a side effect of additional training?) – “I would say it’s just something I wanted to do man. In recent years obviously I could run with anybody, run by anybody. I think having that endurance, having that ability to not get tired on third downs is very important. I wanted to slim down and actually lose body fat. I committed myself to eating right, training hard every day and just drinking more water.”
(Is part of the motivation in that is training to race Noah Lyles?) – “Oh, for sure. For sure, man. Actually I’ve got a race June 13, I’m doing like a little trial race so I can get in shape for that. I’m looking forward to it.”
(Against who?) – “I don’t know, just some random guys. I’m doing it in Los Angeles actually.”
(Speaking of Los Angeles, do you consider entering your name in 2028 Olympics for the flag football game?) – “Yeah, for running the 100 meter. (laughter) June 13, I’m going to run a 10-flat. I’m banking on that. After I run a 10-flat, I’m trying for the Olympics.”
(You talked about therapy. Obviously you’ve having a personal offseason where a lot of challenges, how difficult has this offseason been for you and how do you kind of lock in and focus in on football?) – “For me man, at the end of the day you’ve always got to understand who you are. The people around you, they know who you are. So my kids, my mom, my dad and just the people in my inner circle, just having that support on my side each and every day – even the coaches too, though. They know who I am as a person, as a player, as an individual and how hard I work. Just having those people in my corner every day really helps me lock in everyday man. It’s hard; it’s tough going through what I’ve been through – call a spade a spade, a divorce or whatever. It’s tough man, but at the same time, I’ve got to understand what I’m trying to accomplish and what this team is trying to accomplish too. I want to be a part of something special; I want to win a playoff game.”
(How much have you used football as kind of a refuge or distraction to life?) – “I would say a lot man because we’re always up here a lot. I’ve been here basically every day, OTAs. I only missed I think one day. It’s been real good for myself, helping me take my mind off a lot of things, and then obviously in the evening, I go train. It’s been great being in the building.”
(Going to church, going to therapy has it helped you maybe – at any point have you kind of reflected on why it has been more or less difficult to keep you name out of headlines for things that aren’t always about football?) – “It’s tough, bro. All that I’m going to say is money is a crazy thing for a lot of people. For me, we’re just going to let the details handle itself, because at the end of the day the truth always comes out. My job is to just be a great father to all of my kids and be the best player I can be and be the best leader I can be for these guys in this locker room. I’m going to stand strong on that, and I’m going to stand firm on that man.”
(You’ve been a captain here. Do you want to be a captain in 2025? Do you think you deserve to be a captain again?) – “I’ve got to prove myself. This OTAs, training camp, I’ve got to prove myself. I’ve got to show up different; the mindset has got to be different. I don’t feel like I deserve it, and if I didn’t get it, I wouldn’t dwell on it. I wouldn’t sweat it because I put myself in that position.”
Wednesday, May 28, 2025
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(With LB Jaelan Phillips and LB Bradley Chubb, how much participation are they doing in this stage of the OTA program? And do you expect them to be cleared for training camp?) – “Both of them have basically made their offseason an in-season with how they approach their work. As a result, they’re both able to really participate in most things, most days, being cautious and using the science on their recovery. So someday, depends on what day you’re out there, you’ll probably see one, if not both. There will be a day or two where we’re going to have to back off that, but very happy with where they’re at and know that they’re as excited as ever. I mean, they’re the most excited practice players of all time right now. I think that it’s a cool piece for our team to feel, because it’s an authentic appreciation, and much like most people, most of us, you don’t always know exactly to the level of what you have until it’s removed from you. So these guys are exemplifying everything we’re asking of players right now.”
(How much are G James Daniels and OL Austin Jackson doing?) – “Austin (Jackson), more. James (Daniels) is still working back. I like where he’s at in his recovery and in that process, and the biggest thing for him is he’s been an active participator within the room and in the film room, knowing that he’s new to the system and what we want to do and how we want to utilize his skill set. So Austin is surely further ahead, but James is doing well.”
(How is WR Tyreek Hill doing in his recovery? And is he still on track to be ready for training camp, at some point in training camp?) – “Tyreek (Hill) has done a great job of being proactive with when he got the surgery done and then making sure that he is able to do as much as he can with the team, which has very much included his daily participation in how he attacks all of our strength program, whether he’s able to run routes and not block, quarterbacks have gotten used to him getting routes run. As we really train his way back into recovery of that hand, then he’ll start catching the ball, but he’s been participating above and beyond from whatever he can do, he has been doing.”
(Is his race against Noah Lyles still a possibility for you, just considering he’s recovering from surgery?) – “I have no idea, nor do I care. First theoretically, if people are competing and it’s helping their training – as long as he doesn’t train to be a sprinter and he’s running routes while he’s doing it, that’s cool. Whether I’m going to stand and say whether I’ll allow something – I don’t even know where that stands nor did I know that it existed, so we’ll cross that page. Right now, I’m worried about OTA 2 and making sure that he aligns properly in formations before he runs routes and doesn’t catch the ball.”
(Your first year with QB Tua Tagovailoa, it seemed like there was emphasis on the confidence mentality standpoint, and the last couple of years it’s been mobility and body and things like that. Is there a point of emphasis this offseason for him that stands out?) – “I think for Tua (Tagovailoa), being in Year 4 of the system, really going through the process and understanding what his job is and how to excel at it, it’s consistency of development for him. I think there was a lot of lessons learned, last year in particular on and off the field, when he was playing and when he wasn’t, how to do his job. I’ll let him talk at specificity. When we’re talking, he’s the quarterback, the franchise quarterback of a team that his job is to lead men each and every play. Finding different ways to continue the process of evolution for him, that’s always been the name of the game for him. Whether that’s getting the offense to the line of scrimmage faster out of the huddle, whether that’s being able to adjust protections, do side adjusts, growing his game, work on progressions, working on escaping the pocket and getting rid of it, all the things that a quarterback is asked to do, I think that’s where he’s at. There’s nothing – he’s dipped his toe in the water with everything and now it’s consistency of mastery, and that’s why it’s a never-ending exercise.”
(Where do things stand regarding CB Jalen Ramsey? Do you expect him here this week at all?) – “I mean, quite honestly zero has changed since the last time I said anything about him. I’m very much interested in the players that I’m coaching on the field today. I think if you have a team that’s focused on getting better each and every day, that’s plenty for me to worry about, and I guess I’ll leave it at that.”
(How hard would it be to find a resolution before minicamp?) – “I’m really worried about the players that will be out on the field today, and that’s about as much breath as I want to speak into it.”
(Are you sad that the relationship went sideways?) – “I’m very excited to coach a football team, that’s not dismissing, but quite honestly, everything is an opportunity cost. So I think it is quite honestly irresponsible for me to put down some of the thoughts and focus on the players that we’re working now to build a performance for the season and concern myself with that. That’s where I should be, I think.”
(T Terron Armstead said shortly after he announced his retirement that coaching is something he wouldn’t mind getting into. Then we saw clips of him yesterday out here on the field. Have you guys had discussions about maybe him helping out or joining the coaching staff?) – “That’s a talented individual, Terron (Armstead), that is also smart enough to know that he’s going through an aggressive lifestyle change. So in that, I think he’s very much interested and has a passion for football. He’s so invested in football that he retired and was still participating in a voluntary practice on the side. I think he’s going to – for me, all the guys are happy to see his investment, and he woke up hoping that his guys were getting the best out of today. I think in that, he’s just going to stay present as he spends time doing this. I think options are open for him in the future, but I don’t think he’s nailed down exactly what he wants to do – talented person problems.”
(How have you see RB De’Von Achane’s approach this offseason after shouldering such a significant workload last year?) – “I think being a professional football (player) and ascending as a player, you understand that there’s a lot of different layers to that and development in that. We’ve seen who appeared on the surface as a quiet kid from Texas as a rookie find confidence and develop different ways that he can impact the game. Year 3, I see a guy that understands a broader picture of not only how to be successful independently, but your independent success is helped by the collective success, understanding the type of player he is and competitor, you hear his voice on the field. The first person that pretty much any skill player has to answer to if they maybe drop something or get gloved when running a route – first person they’re going to have to answer to is De’Von (Achane) because he’s going to be quick trigger. I think that competitiveness that he has naturally to him and what I’m seeing day in, day out, through the five weeks that we’ve been together for this offseason program is a guy that wants to take his game to the next level by both his skills, but also by raising the level of his teammates and finding different ways to fulfill that role. I see him looking at himself as a leader in his own specific way, and how what do leaders do? They bring it every day. You can’t take days off as a leader, and I’ve seen him bring it absolutely every day he’s been in the building.”
(With DT Calais Campbell and T Terron Armstead leaving, there was obviously that leadership void entering this offseason. Is that more of a common theme that you’ve seen guys like RB De’Von Achane step up and try to fill that void that’s been left?) – “I think part of the reason the greater population knows how big of leaders those players were is because we were obviously very aware and promoting that. The game is about transitioning and evolving, and with 45% of the roster flipped across the league every year, you’re solving different problems. I think our vision of who we had on the roster, where they’re at, being in the league for 20 years and seeing how the progression goes, seeing there’s guys that are ready to step up in the roles and I know that because they’re showing me daily. The way you do that is by really attacking the day in both how you approach your job, but how you approach your teammates and how they can count on you and what you can get out of them. All of those things are evolving processes that you know I take – for instance, a guy that was on a team that I was on in I think the early 2020s or late teens, Fred Warner. If you would have asked what type of leader Fred Warner was as a rookie, you’d have, ‘He’s a good leader. He knows what he’s doing.’ Now Year 2 or Year 3, playing with Kwon Alexander and finding his voice, very much a different leader. So you allow people to fill those voids authentically, but we very much go into this offseason feeling confident that there were numerous players ready to fill that that vacuum, because that’s seeing that their opportunity on the team is more than just playing but also their roles in the locker room and how we are bonded together as a team.”
(With some of the concerns that were expressed by players at the end of last season about the culture, I guess similar to that last question, what have you seen in the early offseason program that’s shown you that guys are making an effort to change that? Are you seeing more players in the building early offseason program? What have you seen that shows you that?) – “There’s no shortcut for the answer to that equation. There’s no easy put a poster on the wall. You have a team, this 2025 team I’ve been with for five weeks. With their daily investment across the board, with the attendance and the vigor that we go about each and everything, I can tell where their minds are at. You don’t fix something by (expletive) about it and complaining about it; you fix stuff with action. So every day, I’m motivated for the team to tell me who they want to be, and as we’re standing five weeks in, I’m happy with today knowing that today is not our ultimate vision for where we’re going. So we better press forward to put ourselves in a position to get better today into tomorrow, and you just chop wood like that. Your culture is defined by the people within it and how you execute your daily habits. The tonality of the focus of the team has been clear to me thus far, and we’ll see how it goes today and through the week.”
(Entering Year Four with QB Tua Tagovailoa, it seems like every offseason there’s been a general theme point for him. Last year was more mobility, the year before it may have been size and durability. Is there a common theme that you guys centered on, let’s work on this primarily in the offseason?) – “I think there’s specific things that Tua (Tagovailoa) challenges himself as a competitor to work on, and there’s things that from an overall tonality of coaching, what I want to see from his game. Those sometimes overlap, sometimes don’t. On top of the things that he likes to do to have ownership of his game, which is it seems to be something extra unique and very, very – it’s a residual win for the Dolphins, how he’s self-motivated. It’s pretty clear in Season 4, the expectation of having mastery in everything from both him and the coaching staff, it gives you daily opportunity to prove consistency. We already know he can do a lot of things throwing the football, but we’re working on the craft of being a quarterback each and every play and continuing that process of development so that he continues to be on the field a better version of himself than he was the year previous. At this point in Year 4 in the system, I think everything’s on the radar for me and we’re coaching a lot of things about his technique and fundamentals, as well as how to be a quarterback of a franchise in the appropriate fashion, which he loves attacking. Which is why each and every time he’s out on the field, he’s finding a way to get better, simply by how he attacks it. Regardless of whether the result was on the field in that moment, touchdown or pick, he’s utilizing that rep and that’s what I’m asking of him this offseason, because that focus for a quarterback is the hardest thing to develop. You touch the ball every play. There’s 1,000 snaps a season, and to be responsible with all those is a tough endeavor that he’s excited to continue to chop wood at.”
(Are you planning any changes for the format of any spring or summer practices in terms of length, tempo, structure? Anything that you’ve said, “You know what, I’m going to change that this spring, summer?”) – “Yeah, I think that’s kind of my natural approach as I see myself. I’m in charge of solving problems, so there’s a natural adjustment to your team. I think it’s pretty much the same up to this point, but I know Week 2 there’s subtle changes, identifying which and how many days to do situational football, those types of things, the time of practice. I’m not comfortable with the answer of, ‘Because that’s what we’ve always done,’ I actually hate that answer. So generally, there’s little tweaks, the first ones I would say would be we’re doing a little more situational football earlier in our teaching progression but there’ll be more specifically after the break and into training camp.”
(I want to know about the cornerbacks, the secondary unit. This is probably the first year during your tenure I cannot remember where you didn’t have a clear-cut starter in a unit. How do you approach that from a competitive standpoint with those guys, where they can look at everything like, “OK, if I want the job, I can go take it?”) – “I think it’s sometimes the best message is the clearest one. I’ve said to the group a couple times, ‘I have a depth chart to fill out, can you help me out with it?’ But realistically, we’re far from establishing what that is at any position. Yes, there’s guys that are not going to get beaten out, but the biggest thing is I want people to show me who they are. I don’t like looking at a guy, looking at their name plate and judging them off of last year, the year before. I want to see how they compete and what they do with the opportunity. The way that it’s played out thus far is you have a lot of guys very eager and understanding what the opportunity is. So the secondary unit, every day in individual, you can see – any sort of DB, they are as focused as anybody on the field in what they are training. You take that training to practice, and we had some great line of scrimmage and deep-third play yesterday and some stuff that we can get better at. So my thing is I’m not trying to guess; I don’t want to guess. I want people to show and earn. So then what do you do? You coach, you assess good play, bad play regardless. How do you adjust the next day? And that from a secondary perspective epitomizes what the whole team is, is you are defining yourself daily by what you do, not say. That’s what I’m excited about, because they are very much up for the task of competing who gets to take most advantage of the opportunity.”
Wednesday, May 21, 2025
Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver
(What was that second round of interviews like for you?) – “It was like the year prior, to be honest with you. (laughter) But truly blessed for the opportunity, New Orleans bringing me in for that second round of interviews. All experience is good experience, but I’m on divine timing, man. This is where I’m supposed to be, I’m grateful for that and can’t wait to see what we can do.”
(With this defense, obviously there was an emphasis in the trenches when you got pretty much DT Zach Sieler and DT Benito Jones here, you obviously need to restock that defensive line room. How much do you think you achieved in the draft process?) – “Thrilled about the draft process. It was a collective work of so many, just targeting the guys that we did. Really excited about Kenneth Grant and what he brings to the middle of that defense, and him just being in here and have the opportunity to work with Benito (Jones) and Zach Sieler and obviously (Defensive Line) Coach (Austin) Clark. Whatever he’s supposed to be at the end of the day, I promise you he will reach every bit of God-given potential. Really happy about Jordan Phillips, guy who was kind of under the radar a little bit, but the way he plays on film and just the person that he is, it’s the same thing; he’s going to reach that ceiling. I have really high hopes for both those kids. And then I still don’t know how we got we Zeek Biggers in the seventh – a guy with that size, that length, that mass to play as hard as he plays, he can end up being a steal for us, too. So really happy about those three, they’ve been putting the work in since they got here. I know we’ll live through some growing pains early, as you do with all rookies, but the one thing I do know is that it’s going to click faster for them then just because of the work they put in.”
(I wanted to ask you about those young guys. Are you going to be afraid to throw them in there right away or are you going to get them ready for that?) – “No, not at all. Not at all, that’s got to be trial by fire. I was in a very similar situation when I was in Houston back in 2016. Around Game 4, Game 3, something like that, we had to play with D.J. Reader who was a fifth-round draft pick, I think, and Joel Health, a defensive end who was an undrafted free agent, and we finished that year No. 1 in total defense. The standard doesn’t change; there’s going to be a lot asked of those guys, but they’ve got the shoulders to handle that.”
(You could tell that from the moment… I saw you walking around them in the rookie camp. You were pretty happy.) – “Yeah, I like it when I walk around guys and they’re bigger than me. That makes me feel good. (laughter)”
(We’ve heard some of the guys in this offseason talk about attendance and building this thing from Day 1 of OTAs. As a coach, how does that lighten your load or make it easier to communicate defense when you’ve got everyone here in the spring compared to bits and pieces?) – “It’s huge. In a game where communication and coordination, obviously which I’m in charge of, is so critical, I don’t know how you get that done without being around one another. When you just talk about the great teams that genuinely care for one another, which often transcends just being a teammate, you have to invest time. If I want to get close to the guys, I’ve got to spend time and work. If we want to get better at football, we’ve got to spend time on the football field. If we want to be better teammates, we need to spend time together. So all these guys that have been here in a voluntary period are truly investing in this team and in the process.”
(Going back to DT Kenneth Grant for a second, since he’s a first-round pick, there’s always going to be a spotlight. What gives you that confidence that he’s going to fulfil his potential? What is it in his makeup that you maybe saw before the draft if you met with him and you’ve seen post-draft?) – “First, just in terms of makeup – to me, the one thing you can always gauge on film is the effort a guy plays with, and his effort on film was elite. They played a ton of plays, actually didn’t rotate very much a year ago at Michigan, and for him to play as hard as he did at his weight and still go out there and be as forceful as he was a player, that spoke a lot to me. And then so much of the things he’s done already with the familiarity in being in Mike Macdonald’s scheme, Jesse Minter’s scheme and Wink Martindale’s scheme, there’s obviously a lot of carryover there, so we’re hoping some of that rookie curve is shorter for him. Just really happy about the kid.”
(I wanted to ask you about your most unproven unit, which happens to be your cornerbacks. Especially with CB Jalen Ramsey kind of seemingly on his way out, how do you replace that level of experience with a unit where relatively everybody but maybe CB Artie Burns and CB Kader Kohou is unproven?) – “I think first and foremost, those guys, they’ve been here from Day 1 and you can see the confidence that grows in them by day. Artie (Burns) has been a tremendous leader, obviously Kader (Kohou). There’s leaders in the backend with Iffy Melifonwu and Ashtyn Davis, Elijah Campbell, but all those corners – one, they all have a chip and they want to prove themselves. There’s no greater motivator than that as a coach, because you know every time they attack that field, they’re going to attack it with purpose and intention, which ultimately they’re going to get better. In this portion of the offseason, it’s the only time you can invest this much time in individual technique and fundamentals, so I’m just so proud of how those guys have attacked that. I also think we’re going to be strong up front. If by God’s grace we’re fortunate that Jaelan Phillips can stay on the field, Bradley Chubb, Chop (Robinson) coming into Year 2, the additions we made on the defensive line and Zach Sieler, obviously, I think we can help them too by being more disruptive and creating more chaos for the quarterback.”
(So is a key just to have bigger bodies, bigger more athletic bodies? There’s a lot of zone coverage which takes a lot of instincts, a lot of understanding. These guys are relatively green.) – “Yeah, that’s OK. That’s OK, well one – I think it’s a size and speed league. Particularly in today’s game when a lot of defenses are playing a lot of split safety shell, which smaller backers that have to eliminate space because it’s such a space game, you better have the girth up front to keep those guys clean. I thought the guys last year obviously played admirably. I think we finished ninth in run defense. The standard will be the same, if not better for these guys, and they’ve got some of the best teachers in the world with (Defensive Line) Coach (Austin) Clark, (Assistant Defensive Line Coach) Kynjee’ Cotton. We’ve had Pete Jenkins here for the past few days and have been extremely blessed to have his wisdom and expertise here. I expect no fall off from the front, regardless of the youth movement.”
(What was your initial reaction when you heard the news about CB Jalen Ramsey, not just that he wanted to leave but that the organization was willing to trade him?) – “I’ve got to be honest; I’ve been in this league too long that anything I hear at this point, I have very little reaction to it – other than COVID; that one I had a little bit of a reaction to. But this game, things change by the day. I have a tremendous amount of respect for (Jalen) Ramsey, he played very good ball for us, but shoot, relationships are hard. Both mutually have chosen to go other ways, and I respect that and I wish him nothing but the best moving forward.”
(How do you manage that of him being a big part of your defense last year and now having a sudden change to having to adjust your scheme a little bit for different players?) – “I’m fine with it, that’s the league. The one thing I know is whether it’s through injury during the season or what’s happening here with us with Jalen (Ramsey), I’m not getting any sympathy cards from anybody. It’s my job and our job collectively as a staff to find a way to make these pieces work, and what I know is every player that is here is trying to get better and they’ve bought in. So just really pleased with where we’re at at this point.”
(The tush push remains; it didn’t get enough votes. What is your reaction to that news?) – “I’m glad we added the 340-pounder, he should help a little bit. (laughter)”
(The other cornerbacks in your room, there’s going to be a lot of eyeballs on them because of some youth in that room. What do you know about your group and some of those guys that are maybe competing for those starting spots at this point?) – “To this point, all I’ve seen is a bunch of guys who are competitive, are tough and just hungry to get better. Usually when you have that combination with good coaching, you’re going to find a way to make it work. Ultimately, the cream will rise to the top, but I have ultimate faith in all the guys in that corner room right now who are going to go out there and play for us.”
(You talked about the front a little bit earlier and the depth and youth of it all. Last year, you guys kind of got a little bit wiped out early on and had to use DT Zach Sieler and DT Calais Campbell more outside. I’m curious, how much of a challenge was it to overcome that? And was there some intentionality about the way you build up the front seven this year because linebacker, edge, defensive tackle, you guys added so much into those rooms?) – “Whenever you’re faced with those obstacles, usually the obstacle is the way, so you’ve got to find a way through them. I thought as a staff, we did a good job of whatever deficiencies we were trying to hide of masking those. That to me, that’s why we have the coach tag on our chest. A lot of guys can get up here and complain about personnel; I promise you we will never do that. Ultimately, we’re going to find a way with a bunch of guys that are volunteers and not hostages that want to get better, and if we do that and we can find a way to play as one collective unit, which is what we’re always chasing, we’re going to play good defense. Whichever combination of 11, however this shakes out, we will play good defense because of the conviction and the trust that they’ll have in one another.”
(What’s your level of confidence that your three top edge rushers are going to be available to you and playing at the level that everybody expects?) – “I’m confident every day. Every day I wake up on the right side of the dirt, I wake up confident. So I have the upmost faith in those guys in God’s grace that they’re going to be on that field and play 17 (games) for us.”
(If I could ask a little bit big picture, obviously you came through the first year of running your scheme yourself. As you self-scout on maybe what the league is doing and trends, what do you see as maybe what offenses will try to do to maybe combat your style of defense and those style of defenses across the league?) – “I think we saw it a little bit towards the end of the year. We play with a lot of air underneath, so people screen us. They’re trying to force our under coverage up so they can create those throwing lanes behind them and the safeties. People are going to try to run the ball, we’ve tried to address that. But I know the one thing that we have to do is we have to find a way to take the ball away. As well as I think we played defensively at times a year ago, think of how much better it could have been if we could have had six less possessions because of turnovers and takeaways. So that’s been a point of emphasis for us and will continue to be all offseason.”
Wednesday, May 21, 2025
Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith
(How would you say the offseason program has gone, turning the page from last year and starting a new?) – “I would say right now it’s going great. Guys are really investing the time and using all of the resources they have. So far we are real pleased and we are looking forward to finishing this week and getting into OTAs.”
(From a personnel standpoint how different is it when you look out there and you don’t have this guy but you have this guy and just the different pieces to the puzzle for you?) – “In the offseason it’s kind of realistic to how the season will go because each week there are variables with the personnel. So it allows guys to do things and expand what they in season maybe wouldn’t get as many reps at so they can bank it now and use it later through training camp and all that. That’s what the offseason allows us, is to work variables with different guys and see whatever we can do.”
(When you guys evaluated last year what really worked well for you and what was a disappointment for you?) – “I think the result of the season was disappointing for where we wanted to go. There’s positives littered throughout, but I think ultimately when you look at the past you really study it, look at it and use as far as each present day as your motivation. I think for us right now we’re starting over and basically going back to the basics and making sure we know them inside and out to start a good season.”
(When you look at some of the route running last year what stood out to you and what would you like to fix in 2025?) – “I think ultimately as we had guys coming in and out of the lineup, I think that this year we’re looking to make sure we can maintain the consistency, similar things we did in 2023. Ultimately for us it’s making sure we get the continuity with the guys, for everyone being on the same page with our expectations for fundamentals and techniques so that way we can really use the offseason to build to get ourselves ready for the season.”
(You added a guy who I’m intrigued to see on Sundays in WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. Nine touchdown receptions I believe it was last year – that’s a pretty big number. What is he showing you so far and how is he able to put up a number like that in Tennessee?) – “I think ultimately it goes to who he is as a man, and you can see it’s a very detailed, very process-oriented guy. He’s going to be extremely reliable. I think ultimately if you talk to the guys that knew him in Tennessee and our exposure so far has been consistent work ethic. I think that’s ultimately where he puts himself in position to be successful is because he really is a student of the process, making sure he’s on the little things so, therefore, on Sundays he can be reliable for the quarterback and really the rest of the offense.”
(We saw a rough ending to the season against the Jets. What is WR Tyreek Hill showing you since that gray day up there?) – “I think it’s a guy who is extremely motivated to get better each day and to be a positive impact on the offense and team. He’s got energy every day, he’s working through his process. He’s been great so far through the offseason.”
(He’s telling you he wants to be here?) – “Yeah, and I think so far our buy-in with the guys and everyone collectively and trying to use the way last season went as our motivation to make sure we maximize each day. You don’t look forward, you don’t look to the past; just say, what do I need to get done right now, and I think Tyreek and all of the guys are really embracing that.”
(While we’re on the subject of WR Tyreek Hill, we saw the vote yesterday in Minneapolis with the Olympics. Tyreek has made no secret that he would love to participate. Project, if you will, Tyreek in flag football. What does that look like?) – “It’s one of those where being a proud American I hope we field the best team possible and absolutely shred the competition. So him or whoever is necessary to go get us a gold medal in that would be awesome. I hope that obviously when it works out it would be great for all the guys who represent our country to really show what flag football could be on a global stage. I’m stoked, but it’s all in the future.”
(When do you expect Tyreek Hill to be back?) – “I don’t know if there are really timelines to everything. We just basically are making sure that we get everything one day at a time, maximize it, so when he’s ready to go, he’s ready to go.”
(In terms of the running game do you expect RB Jaylen Wright to get the ball more this year, obviously with Raheem Mostert’s departure there is maybe a gap in touches.) – “When we look at the running game it’s basically for us making sure that, again, it goes back for us this time of year making sure that we are all connected with whatever back, blockers, everyone knows we are on the same page. So whether it’s Jaylen (Wright), De’Von (Achane), ‘Matt’ (Alexander Mattison), all the guys, we get that connection so that we make sure we maximize our opportunity in the run game this year.”
(What more can you get from the tight end room?) – “I just think for them they are a group of guys that are extremely hard workers, do exactly what we’re asking them to do, and I think ultimately when we added a guy like Pharoah (Brown) – who actually his second year he was in Oakland when I was there – so to see what he has done in his career and how he’s really maximized and made a name for himself with his blocking. We have big guys, catch radius who really complement our skill players. I think ultimately we have a group of guys that’s going to be on the details and maximize all the things we’re asking them to do.”
(When you guys analyze at the end of the season the offense as a whole, does this offense need to be more physical?) – “I think that ultimately what we need to be is more consistent. That’s the thing we’re shooting for, is consistency. That’s what this time of year provides, is for us to use the time to get connected on the same page so that way our expectations through the entire play intent is then maximized through just logging in daily opportunities to make sure for the season we’re all connected on the same page and being consistent.”
Wednesday, May 21, 2025
Special Teams Coordinator Craig Aukerman
(Can you just talk first of all about taking the job and joining the Dolphins?) – “Yeah, super excited to be here. Obviously when I got the call from Mike (McDaniel) to interview here, I was really excited for it. Getting an opportunity to come down here to South Florida, be a part of the great organization with the Miami Dolphins – it really excited me. And then when I got offered the job, I couldn’t wait to get down here, so I’m looking forward to being down here with all the players, all the coaches, the organization. Super excited.”
(What stood out to you when you looked at the tape of the 2024 Dolphins special teams?) – “One of the things that I look at – I’m always going to check out last year’s film – but ’24 is ’24. I told the players, ‘Listen, whatever happened in ’24 is in the past. What we’re going to do is we’re going to raise expectations, no matter if we were the second-best special teams unit or the 31st; it doesn’t matter. Everyone is going to get a fresh start and it’s their opportunity to go in there and compete and get after it with that fresh start with me.”
(What kind of role might you have played in the signing of P Ryan Stonehouse?) – “Well, I’ll tell you what. I have good dialogue with Coach Mike (McDaniel) and with Chris (Grier), whether they’re coming in my office or me going in there. There’s always going to be dialogue between us, but they handle the roster so that stuff, I wouldn’t say I have a big-time role in it. I give my opinion on certain things and I let them handle the roster.”
(You have a new long snapper who’s been doing this quite a long time. What’s the value of having somebody who’s got as much experience as LS Joe Cardona does?) – “It’s big. An opportunity to get Joe (Cardona) – when that happened, I think I sprinted down to Chris’ office and said, ‘Hey, this guy has done it for 10 years in the National Football League at a very high level.’ I was excited for the opportunity to have that chance to get him and then when he signed, it was really big for us as an organization to bring a guy in there with that type of experience – a guy who’s won multiple Super Bowls, who’s done it a very long time – so really excited to have him here.”
(So now you have two punters on the roster with P Ryan Stonehouse and P Jake Bailey. How much will holding play a role in the battle for whoever winds up being the guy?) – “I think everything – holding, punting, directional punting, distance, hang time – all that stuff. Obviously Jake (Bailey) has a lot of reps with Jason (Sanders), but it’s also going to be our job to get Ryan (Stonehouse) and Jason ready just in case he ends up winning the job. Who knows, but Jason had an unbelievable year and I credit Jake with that, too, because it’s tough to go through a bunch of long snappers in a season and I thought those guys handled it like pros last year and obviously Jason had one of his best years of his career which was unbelievable. Yeah, everything will be factored into the competition.”
(How are you liking Florida so far?) – “Love it. Love the weather. It’s been fun working with Mike (McDaniel) and all the rest of the staff and the players. In fact, it’s kind of crazy. I grew up in northwest Ohio and my favorite team was the Miami Dolphins.”
(How did that happen?) – “I think I did the opposite of what my family did, so whether it was them liking the Browns or the Bengals or the Lions, I went off and liked the Miami Dolphins. So it’s been fun to be down here.”
(Taking this job down here, I think maybe a couple weeks after you got here, the team brought in P Ryan Stonehouse. I’m going to assume you had some kind of input on bringing him in here. What was it that made you want to bring him down to South Florida?) – “My major thing is I’m all about competition. Jake (Bailey) is an All-Pro punter. Ryan Stonehouse is an All-Pro punter. When an opportunity arose that Ryan was free, hey, let’s bring him down here. Nothing is guaranteed to anybody. It’s all about competition and the thing that I love about competition, it makes the guys step up their game, and I think this is going to be being for both of them. Coming in here and competing against one another, two really good punters, and I think that’s only going to help those guys out.”
(Is it just limited to punting or is there going to be a competition for K Jason Sanders as well?) – “Jason (Sanders) is going to kick on his own. Really the whole thing is when you look at the roster and you bring guys in here, how many specialists do you actually want during training camp? It’s going to be hot down here. You don’t want to have a bunch of specialists on your roster to begin with because guys are going to go down, they get hurt. So we just thought it was going to be best to have this punting competition, guys going down there, and Jason had an unbelievable season, too, last year. I was just going back and watching the film and seeing what was going on. It’s unbelievable what he did – making 37 field goals, 27 straight, 12 out of 14 from 50-plus – give the guy a lot of credit. And even Jake holding, too. He had a bunch of different long snappers. Those guys working really well together, that was fun to watch and see.”
(Long snapping. I’m glad that you mentioned that because from a neophyte standpoint like most of us here when it comes to the technicalities of special teams, we think, “Okay, it’s a different guy snapping the ball. All right, a snap is a snap.” But for the expert, how difficult actually is that to have three, four different long snappers at that point in a season?) – “It’s tough. And that’s why these guys – I’ve been very excited about their process that they go through every single day. They are pros and it’s fun to watch them understand and talk about different things and communicate, and when you have three or four different long snappers, it’s tough because maybe one of the times he’s a left-hander and now it’s going to be a different type of spin that’s going to be on the ball. So all those different types of things that happen during the game or practice, that’s why I give those guys so much credit, being able to deal with the adversity that was happening with having a bunch of different snappers and then them competing at such a high level was big.”
(K Jason Sanders specifically, I’ve been here since ’21 so it was the year after his All-Pro year and he was fine, he was good in ’21 and then he struggled from distance for a couple years. And to see him bounce back like he did last year despite outside noise, it was commendable. It was impressive.) – “He just goes out and does his work. I knew him seeing him playing against Miami when I coached different places, but then when you truly watch him practice and how detailed he is on every single kick; he could have a kick that goes right down the middle and he is looking at whether it’s his footwork, where he hit the ball at, the rotation. All those different types of things, he just sits there and dissects the whole thing each and every rep and you can just tell he’s in a zone and I just love watching him work. I love it.”
(I feel like more people should know about that because I feel like the popular critique any time somebody misses a kick – “you have one job, you have one thing to do” – and it’s like, there’s probably a lot more to it than just going out there and kicking a ball.) – “Yeah, because it starts with the snap and then it goes to the hold and then the kick. If one of those things is off, it makes the kicker’s job harder and again, that’s why I give those guys so much credit because they were able to deal with anything that got thrown in front of them and were able to do it at a high level.”
(Now on the other side of special teams – the returning side – over the past, we’ll call it four years or so, hasn’t been one of the best units in the NFL. It’s been I think towards the bottom in terms of average yards per return. How much of that is actually controllable though because I feel like just like with the kick, there’s a lot of different factors – how high was the punt, where was the punt located, where on the field were you – how much of that is uncontrollable versus how much can you actually dictate as the return team?) – “I think there’s some that you can help out with and again, it’s all predicated to where you’re at on the field. Is it going to be a field punt, is it going to be a plus-50 punt? What our job is as coaches is to put the players in the best situation that they can possibly be at and we’re going to work at return game, coverage game; it doesn’t matter what it is, we’re going to try to raise the expectation and get better. I’m excited about Malik (Washington), I’m excited about Dee (Eskridge). I’m excited about a bunch of guys. If we’ve got Tyreek (Hill) back there, if we’ve got Jaylen Waddle back there. Like whoever is back there, I know one of the biggest things that we talk about is we’re going to continue to raise those expectations and continue to get better each and every day. We’re going to enjoy the process. And if it’s catching, if it’s making a guy miss; whatever that is, studying a little bit more on how they’re going to go down there in coverage, we’re going to try to do our best to improve every single aspect that we have.”
(You kind of answered my next question there as to with Braxton Berrios is gone – he’s been hurt for a bit – but who is next in line to be that next returner now that’s gone? But sounds like WR Malik Washington, WR Dee Eskridge, WR Tyreek Hill if he says he wants to?) – “That’s what one of the biggest things when I came down here. I’m like, they have a bunch of guys that are very skilled football players that can go back and return punts or kickoffs. So one of the biggest things that we’re going to continue to harp with these guys is, ‘Hey, let’s make sure we’re catching the ball, we’re able to give it back to our offense, but we need to make some plays.’ And it’s our job on special teams, is to go make those plays and help our team win football games. So I think the process will help those guys get better every single day and we’ll continue to try to work and be the best we can.”
(Last season, I want to say this was the most penalized special teams unit in the NFL. How do you tighten that up or I guess what do you think would cause excess penalties on special teams – not without assessing the blame on any previous person here?) – “I think you can ask the players already about my meetings on what the emphasis is, and that’s a huge emphasis. I might word things differently than about being highly penalized or not being penalized, but we understand that, hey, being penalized on special teams is going to hurt the football and that’s what we’re not. We want to help the football team win games, not hurt them, so it’s getting emphasized pretty much every day with those players and I would be disappointed if you would ask them a question and they wouldn’t be saying something about how we’ve got to be disciplined and understand, ‘Hey, this is going to hurt our football team.’”
