Monday, September 2, 2024
FB Alec Ingold
(Second year in a row where you’ve been selected a team captain. Could you talk about the significance of that for you?) – “I think it’s never why you lead or why you want to be a voice in the locker room – a lot of guys lead a lot of different ways, but when your peers nominate you for the work that you put in, from OTAs to training camp and saying, ‘We trust these guys to lead us through all the good times, all the bad times, all the hard times.’ It’s a lot of responsibility, probably the greatest honor you can have in this league. Really excited for Zach Sieler. He’s been leading for a long time now, right? Leading by example, doing it in his own way, and for him to get that nod this year, I was just so happy for him. It’s extremely validating for the way he works, the way he shows up, he’s beating dang near everybody in the parking lot pretty much on a daily basis. For him to get that nod, it was really cool.”
(How do you describe your leadership?) – “I think it’s evolving. I think it’s dynamic, it’s whatever is being asked. I think you start with leading by example and working your tail off, and then I love the hard stuff. I love the adversity. I love the toughness of this game. I think that’s what brings teams together. I think that’s what wins championships at the end of the day, is overcoming the adversity of a season and coming out that side stronger, closer together, more bonded. I think that’s where I’m always aspiring to lead through is those tough times.”
(WR Tyreek Hill said this is the most talented team he’s been a part of here with the Dolphins, do you agree?) – “Yeah, 100 percent. I mean top down, I think you have playmakers and it’s going to expose new challenges that we have to deal with as a team. All of this explosiveness, all of this talent, how can we come together? And I think that’s going to be the journey of our team is how we can lean on one another, how we can be accountable to one another because we don’t need one single person to carry this load. We got a lot of guys on both sides of the ball that can do that when their number is called. It’s about being patient, it’s about making the plays that come to you when your number is called, so I think that’s what’s going to be most exciting about this year, seeing so many different, talented guys step up at different points.”
(My issue is third-and-short conversions.) – “Yeah, it’s my issue too man. (laughter) It’s my issue too.”
(My thought process is that a fullback is primarily supposed to help you deliver those third-and-short situations. So how come you’re never getting the ball or rarely on the field in those situations?) – “Yeah, I think that’s really on me. I have to inspire the play callers to be able to call that and dial it up. When an offense is running the ball, everyone can feel it, right? It’s inevitable. You’re getting three, four yards. Everyone is falling forward. Everyone is moving these chains. When you have a line in the sand and it’s second-and-short, you’re not falling down at third-and-one, you’re falling forward and getting those yards and that inspires the play call, that inspires the formations, that inspires the play type to be drawn up. And I think that’s a lot of onus on myself, the big guys up front to say, ‘When those numbers are called, we can inspire the team, the guys in the huddle, the play callers from the first snap.’ It doesn’t have to be the third-and-one in the middle of the third quarter to say, ‘OK, now let’s go get it.’ That’s a mindset that builds throughout the game, so I think that’s something we’re all working towards and especially myself. Yeah, let’s inspire the play callers. Let’s inspire the guys so that when we’re running the ball, we don’t have to look anywhere else. We don’t have to do anything fancy. We can lean on guys. We can play smart, physical, elite technique football. That’s what we say, now we got to go out and execute.”
(You guys are an outside zone running team. I love the outside zone, it’s one of my favorite schemes, concepts and you guys are successful at it. But when things are constricted into those short yardage situations, is that what the problem is? That you are more of a movement line as opposed to a power line?) – “That’s a good question. I mean when you get to the Xs and Os of it and the concept of outside zone versus inside zone or gap scheme, I think it really is if you’re running off the ball and you have that elite technique, it really doesn’t matter what the defense is. It doesn’t matter what the situation is, you should be able to run outside zone for third-and-one if you want to or inside zone. I think I would go back to that answer and really reiterate and hammer down the fact that it is a mindset. You see big Julian Hill coming down hill, it doesn’t matter if he’s power blocking or he’s outside zone blocking, he’s hitting somebody and they’re moving. Those are the types of plays that we can build on throughout the game so that there is confidence within everybody in the huddle that it doesn’t matter what the play call is, we’re getting that yard – we’re getting those two yards. I feel like that’s the key point in my mind.”
(But isn’t the Dolphins’ mindset and identity a creative, fast, not power –) – “Yeah, well I mean creative and fast, fullback probably doesn’t belong too much in that in that conversation either. (laughter) So I think it really is how much more we can do and what we can do well. I think that’s what we’re going to be able to find out this next week, is what we’ve been up to and how we have evolved as an offense and a team so that identity comes out of not what we say with the words on the walls or what we talk about or last year’s film, it’s what we’re doing right now and how we’re improving through that. So I think that’s where we’ll really create the identity starting on Sunday.”
(Do you take it personally when it’s third-and-one and you hear a pass play coming?) – “No, once again, it shouldn’t matter. It shouldn’t matter what the play call is. Let’s go execute. Yes, I would love for 21-personnel to be in there and we can do whatever we want, I think that’s just a competitor that wants to help the team win.”
(What was your reaction to Head Coach Mike McDaniel’s extension?) – “Well earned, well deserved. You get really excited when you see the belief throughout the organization when you reward your guys in the building. And I think it’s a testament to a lot of the hard work of all 90 guys of the entire staff, the way that they’re communicating front office to player management to equipment to everything. He’s the head of this team, and when you see that as a player, it definitely breeds confidence, like we have the people in the room. We aren’t looking anywhere else and going and grabbing – we have it here. How do we invest in ourselves? How do we invest in this identity? How do we invest in this culture to make it right? So a lot of confidence, a lot of excitement. Really happy for him.”
(What do you think TE Jonnu Smith can add to this offense?) – “Everything, anything you want. I mean you saw him early preseason, all through camp – you guys see the amount of different plays that he can create for this offense. It goes back to that talent. How can you get that guy more touches, more creative with the ball? It’s going to be really exciting; he’s always got a big smile on his face and he’s another leader on this team that leads by example. You see that speed, you see (No.) 9 running down the sideline, that gets everybody else going. So I think he’s doing things the right way and I’m really excited to see how many different plays y’all get excited about when you see it on Sunday because the dude can play ball.”
(How big is TE Jonnu Smith’s play package?) – “I think whenever you get a guy like Jonnu (Smith) in, it’s so novel, it’s so new to the offense and a guy that’s bought in mentally, I think the cool part is whatever it starts at, it’s not going to stop at. You know what I’m saying? Whatever it’s going to be, it’s going to be a continuation of, ‘Can we expand here? What can we do here? Here’s a new wrinkle here. Oh, that’s going to look great there.’ So whatever it looks like Week 1, I think it’s going to look a heck of a lot different Week 17 with the way that he can consistently execute.”
(What is the biggest change that you’ve seen in QB Tua Tagovailoa from last year to this year?) – “Man, I think it’s that self-confidence. It’s self-grace. It’s self-conviction. And I think it bleeds off into the locker room of being able to lead exactly how he needs to lead and how he needs it to be. He has a vision for this offense, he has a vision for himself, and to have the confidence to go out and say that and speak it and have great conversations, great communication – it’s not just the huddle. It’s the locker room. It’s the training room. It’s the weight room. I think you see it, it’s just infections right now. It’s spreading throughout the entire locker room in the best way possible. And I think that’s something that’s really cool to see (No.) 1 take a step up this year, because the results on the field were one thing last year, but the way he’s leading this locker room on and off the field is something completely different now. It’s really exciting to see.”
(Is that confidence just built based on how well he performed last year or the Pro Bowl or the reaction he’s getting from teammates?) – “I think it’s bought into the process of it. The results came yes, but I think really, it’s the process you buy into it and you can see all of the learning curves that we go through together, and nobody’s flinching here. No one’s blinking over a tough play, a bad snap – whatever assignment happens on the field, the results, the Pro Bowl, the stats – that’s one thing. But the process in which he shows up, that’s where the confidence comes from. That’s where the preparation comes from, is the way you show up every day so then you can cut it loose and have fun and know that nobody’s blinking. It’s trust. It’s true trust that’s been built, and that doesn’t come from stats. It doesn’t come from last year. It doesn’t come from accolades. That comes from the way you show up every single day, so that’s what he’s doing day-in, day-out.”
Monday, September 2, 2024
DT Zach Sieler
(What do you have to do to get a Miami Different t-shirt?) – “Be here for five years. (laughter) I can’t remember what year I got this – three or four years ago. It’s been around in the locker room. I can’t remember why we got them though, because we got one that was a ’Different’ one too.”
(What’s the t-shirt this year?) – “Don’t know yet.”
(You haven’t gotten it yet?) – “I don’t know, I think it’s a surprise. I’m excited to see what we got cooking up. Each year we try to focus on something as a team. (Head Coach Mike) McDaniel does a great job of trying to find something to not rally behind but to kind of encapsulate what we’re going to focus on this season, and that’s what it was early on so I’m excited.”
(So the captaincy, what’s your reaction?) – “It’s a big blessing. I think God has put myself and my wife here in this situation to be able to help young guys. I’ve been here for five years, in the league for seven. To be able to guide and lead by example and vocal hopefully and be able to set the tone each week, I think that’s a big thing. Obviously, you can’t lead without being the frontrunner and setting the pace, setting the tone. So it’s really exciting to be up there with those guys, awesome. Congrats to all the other guys that got the captains’ vote. And to Calais (Campbell), coming in here just before camp and being able to be that big of an impact and role model to get voted captain is incredible. It shows his testament to what he’s done all these years. So I’m really excited.”
(What do you guys have to effective against QB Trevor Lawrence?) – “I think it’s part in the same with just keep that pressure up front, stay on our keys and no selfish decisions in run game, pass rush. Just do what our job description is in the calls and let the plays come to you. Don’t stress for plays and really focus on each one of our individual techniques each play, and don’t try too hard to overcompensate and make a play when it’s not your play to be made.”
(So selfish decisions meaning play within the scheme?) – “Yes sir, yep.”
(FB Alec Ingold said it’s rare that a guy beat you in here to the facility. What time do you get here?) – “Every day is different. I’ve got a pretty strict routine. I’ve been following that for three years now, but today was up at 5:00 (a.m.), in here at 6:15, 6:10 (a.m.) – most days it’s probably about 6:30 (a.m.), if not a little sooner. For me, I like getting my stuff done in the morning. In college we’d do 4:00 a.m.’s to get before our 7 o’clock classes and our 8 o’clock meetings. So I’ve kind of since Day 1 been kind of doing that early bird schedule. And I think it’s awesome to start the day off ahead and kind of what step ahead.”
(What’s your bedtime?) – “Shoot, I’d go to bed at 8:00 (p.m.) if I could (laughter). But with the baby, we put him down around 7 or 7:30 (p.m.) and then have a little time with my wife – talk, catch up. And then probably around 9 o’clock, I’m starting to go to bed.”
(You might have been asked this at some point during training camp, but is this the Baltimore defense brought here?) – “What was it, six years ago when I was in Baltimore? There’s definitely similarities that I’ve learned, terminology and stuff back from Baltimore. I think ‘Weave’ (Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver) has done a great job putting his own flavor on it and really kind of tailoring it to the players and the talent that we have down here. But yeah, I’d say it’s a great scheme he’s come up with down here. I’m really excited to play in it and see how we can make it work this season.”
(Going back to being named a team captain, when you consider how your NFL journey went, does that make it even crazier to you that you got to this point?) – “I think it just shows hopefully to be a leader and a role model to kids and anyone that’s kind of been told they can’t do something. That’s how my story was from leaving high school. It was, ‘Hey, you’ll never play at Ferris. The best you could do is you’re tall, you might give our guys a good look on scout team,’ to kind of taking off at Ferris three or four years later, and then honestly kind of following that in the league and taking two, three, four years to kind of find my footing. It’s just to never give up and keep persevering. Not trying to get all emotional, but it means a lot. It’s something special, it means a lot to me, and I’m really excited to be able to put my best foot forward this season for all the guys.”
(What do you think Christian Wilkins would say?) – “(laughter) He’d be yelling. I think he’d be the first one cheering and excited and going crazy right there with me and my wife.”
Monday, September 2, 2024
WR Tyreek Hill
(What does it mean to you to be named a team captain again?) – “It means I’m still doing my thing here. I’m very proud. I’m very honored for my teammates to vote me in that role. I feel like it shows how much growth I’ve had throughout my career. I’m very excited to be in the position that I’m in. I’m honored.”
(What’s your excitement level for the season opener? Is it any greater than it has been than any other season opener. This is probably the best Dolphins team that’s been here in years.) – “We’re all excited. We got a lot of weapons, a lot of playmakers on this team man. Everybody is on the very edge of their seats just waiting for this moment. These three days we had off all I could think about is just lining up playing alongside of the guys on offense. I’m very excited. Every year is another opportunity to win games and create memories with a great group of guys. You said it. This is our best team we’ve had since we’ve been here. What a time to be alive, to be a Dolphins fan.”
(You sent out a tweet on the age of the team. You guys are the oldest team in the NFL. Obviously there are guys who impact that… you included. Is there something that comes with that age like wisdom, experience, knowledge?) – “It does. Having a guy like ‘T. Stead’ (Terron Armstead), having a guy like Calais (Campbell). Those guys know so much about the game and those guys are so passionate about the game. Just to have those guys in the locker room, like hearing some of the stories, hearing some of the great tales that they got from other teams; they bring a certain swagger to this team that we haven’t had. A guy like Jordan Poyer brings a different mindset to the defense. Myself, I bring a different swagger to this offense. It’s fun to have older guys on the team. It’s great to have young guys, too, but I believe if there is a blend of both and they mesh well together, a team can be real good. And we got that with this team. Jalen Ramsey is another. He brings a different side to this whole entire team. Not just the defense, but the whole entire team so it’s fun to have.”
(You started this training camp talking about the next step for this offense, being able to grind it out with long drives every game. Do you see that from the work this summer?) – “Yeah, for sure. I definitely see that. Tua (Tagovailoa) has done a great job of over communicating exactly what he wants as far as details and route and Mike (McDaniel) our head coach, he has given him the keys to the car which is even more of a beautiful thing. I believe with that, that gives all of us the ability to play free and just be ourselves and just to be creative within our routes. Obviously within the time of the play, but I feel like this training camp we got better at that. We put together some good drives against some good teams. Falcons are a real good defense. The Commanders I feel like are a real good defense because they added some pieces, and obviously against Tampa, too. We’ve been getting better.”
(How is your health? Has time healed the things you were dealing with a couple of weeks ago?) – “I’m fine. I just needed some days off. That’s it. I’m fine, I’m healthy. All of my fantasy draft people, I’m fine. I’m A-OK, 100 percent. I just wanted to troll y’all a little bit.”
(Along those lines, you are having an outstanding camp, WR Jaylen Waddle was having an outstanding camp, CB Jalen Ramsey. But you guys all got kind of shut down. How do you feel about the momentum of camp? How did you end camp because you guys were balling in camp?) – “We obviously were doing our thing, but at the same time we got to be mindful of our bodies. For me I’m an older player. Sometimes I forget that and I forget about the maintenance of my body. That’s why we’ve got people inside of this building for that job. They tell us, ‘you need to back it off a little bit.’ That’s why you see me come out to practice late sometimes because we’ve got people inside the building to say, ‘hey we’re going to slow you down a little bit today. XYZ.’ I just spend that time working out, inside running, doing different stuff.”
(I’ve always wondered if you thought it was fair that everybody will be on the field practicing for 50 minutes and you come out from the air conditioning and run a 9-route on CB Ethan Bonner?) – “You know what’s crazy though? If I was a younger player –and this is how I think – if I was a younger player I’d take advantage of that because if I’m filling in the role of Tyreek or Jaylen (Waddle) and I’m making the same plays, that’s great. That’s kind of how I made my name for myself. When the older guy didn’t want to come and practice, I’d come in and make plays. So as a young player that’s great. If you want to stay in, ‘Reek,’ stay in. if you want to stay in, Waddle, stay in. But Malik Washington this is your time to show up. This is your time to make our job harder which is fun.”
(What do you think of Head Coach Mike McDaniel’s contract extension?) – “I absolutely love it. Absolutely love it. I’m glad that they did the right thing. I’d seen something on Twitter the other day that said that every coach that the Dolphins paid, they fire them a year after so hoping we can change that right there.”
(You mentioned earlier about Head Coach Mike McDaniel giving QB Tua Tagovailoa the keys to the offense. We saw Tua make the jump he did last year, making the Pro Bowl and all. What do you see as major differences in Tua 2023 versus Tua 2024?) – “I’m going to keep pounding the table and keep saying that he’s more vocal. He’s more vocal in the huddle, he’s more vocal in the locker room, he’s vocal everywhere. Like everywhere I walk inside of this building you’re going to hear Tua mouth like to the point where I’m like, I wish you’d shut up now. (laughter) He’s been great, though. Tua is a great teammate, and he does a great job of just overcommunicating to all the wideouts even if it is a good rep. Good rep or bad rep he’s always coming up to us making sure we see that route or that play the same as him. And he does that with everybody on the offense which I think is a great thing. Versus when I first came in here, we’d run a play and then it’d be like ‘Where’s Tua at? I need to talk to him about this play.’ Versus now, he’s coming to find you. It’s a beautiful thing to see. The same thing that Pat (Mahomes) used to do back in KC making sure that guys see it the same as him. It’s great.”
(What should we expect to see out of WR Jaylen Waddle this year?) – “All-Pro. I’d say All-Pro this year. He’s taken his game to another level in the classroom. He’s taking it more serious. He’s moved to the back of the classroom with me and River (Cracraft). So he’s sitting beside us now. He’s asking more questions which is great. He’s very eager to get better. And for me I believe that’s where it starts. To be able to take you game to the next level as a not ideal receiver size; you’re fast, you’re twitchy, you got to be able to do it in the classroom and he’s done a great job taking advice from our Coach Wes (Welker), Coach(Jonathan) Krause and all of the older guys in our room. I expect All-Pro, WR1 all of that. Lead our team.”
(You mentioned WR Malik Washington earlier. What do you think of the rest of the receiving corps after you and WR Jaylen Waddle? Especially now that you’ve got WR River Cracraft down, WR Odell Beckham Jr., just the prospect for the rest of the guys. Even WR Braxton Berrios or the new guys, WR Grant DuBose?) – “We have a very interesting room. I’m glad that we added some height. (laughter) I told Wes (Welker), I’m like, ‘hey bro, y’all keep on adding these short guys.’ As far as our room I feel like we’ve got one of the best entire groups in the NFL. As far as like explosive, as far as big play abilities, as far as all of that. We have exactly what we need to win games in this league. Big games, whatever games you want to name. We have a great room and we have great coaches in our room who do a great job of making sure that we pay attention to detail. Coach Wes, he does a great job each and every week. We are very fortunate to have him. Hall of Famer, by the way.”
(I thought it would’ve been healthy last year if you would’ve gotten 2,000 yards. I thought it would’ve helped this offense. If you don’t have at least 1,700 yards this season how does this offense get better? How is it better than the previous two years?) – “We’ve got other guys to make plays. It’s football for that reason. When I was in KC I had 1,000 yards one year and we won the Super Bowl. Which is great. Yards are great, but at the end of the day I want to be able to win games. I want to be able to do something special here in Miami. It would be great if you had back-to-back to back 1,700 yards, but obviously we’ve got to do what’s best for the team and what’s best of the team is making sure we’re able to put together some good drives and win games when it counts.”
(You’ve been on championship teams. What is it they have mentally not physically? Is there a difference mentally or is there something this team needs to learn?) – “I think we are doing it this year. I believe we are actually doing it this year. A lot of guys are hanging out outside of the building each and every week. That’s something that is rare. There are so many things you could be doing in Miami. In Kansas City there wasn’t that many things for guys to do so guys had to hang together. But in Miami guys can go here, can go to South Beach, can go here, can go there. This is the year that I’m seeing guys hanging out. I can say that is one thing that Odell (Beckham Jr.) did bring to this team. He makes sure that guys are hanging out each and every week. I like that.”
(You mentioned that size of the receivers room. I’d have to check you guys are one of the smallest in terms of height. Do you think height actually matters at the receiver’s position anymore?) – “No, it don’t matter. I just be jiving. It don’t matter. I feel like we set the standard. As a player myself, you dictate who you are in this league. You can be anything you want to. I could’ve played quarterback if I wanted to, if I wanted to put my mind to it. There are no rules or no regulations to that. They try to say ‘hey, you got to run this speed, you got to be this height, you got to have this hand size.’ If you know how to play football, you know how to play football at the end of the day. If you know how to catch, you know how to catch. You can have six-inch hands – I don’t have the biggest hands, but I know how to catch so I don’t care about none of that. I’m him. (laughter)”
Monday, September 2, 2024
LB David Long Jr.
(Tell us about your reaction when you learned you were getting stripes on your sleeve.) – “It was special, especially knowing it’s player-voted. It means a lot when you’re in here training with these guys, offseason – I’ve been here, going into my second year – and we all know the grind especially with the heat out here. We know it’s tough, and it means a lot to sit with these guys and train with these guys and know they see the effort I put in. But besides that just more responsibility that I already put on myself that I have to carry. I can’t be getting on everybody else if I don’t have myself together. So just being me, that’s all it is.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel said you were playing it cool when they told you that you would be a captain. Was there a moment where you didn’t play it cool and maybe called a family member?) – “Yeah, for sure. The person I called was my mom, because we have our little talks when stuff is going bad and when stuff is going good. So she knows what it means to me, and she was excited. She felt like I could’ve had it any other year in the league, and she just felt like it was around the time everything is just coming together and we talked about it for a while.”
(When was the last time you were a captain at any level?) – “College, that was the last time. Then at Tennessee as far as the Mike (linebacker) and having the green dot, that’s a role itself, but no captain until here while in the league.”
(What do you think of the possibilities for this defense this year?) – “No limit for us, man. We talk about it every day. You see on every level it’s multiple dawgs, multiple elite players, and we’ve just got to hold each other accountable. We know the ceiling – there’s no ceiling for this group – we’ve just got to come in and attack that, be intentional with everything, whether it’s jogging off the field or whether it’s in the meetings fixing the little things and helping the people behind us be right there with us.”
(I know you bring the intensity all the time. Where is this defense and this team overall as far as bringing the intensity all the time?) – “We’re right there. We’re working with each other. I think that’s what it’s all about as far as bringing the person next to you, especially on both sides of the ball, all three phases are working together. And it also comes with the relationships off the field – how close we are so we can hold each other accountable when it comes to those times when we’re in dogfights. We have to get on each other and not take it personal. I think that goes a long way.”
(Why is that so important to everybody in terms of the closeness and hanging out with each other and camaraderie? Why is that so important from a leadership standpoint?) – “Like I said as far as being able to hold each other accountable; when you come over – you see across the league – guys go on the sideline, you see them kind of going at each other. That’s not coming from a belittling place or like, ‘I’m here and you’re there.’ It’s coming (from) like, ‘You’re my brother, I want to see you succeed.’ And that comes with knowing each other, not just the football family. These guys that got kids, a little older – like Calais (Campbell) – they joke about him being older and stuff, but it’s also just so much behind that, so much experience and stuff that can trickle down to the younger players.”
(What’s it been like to work with LB Jordyn Brooks and just everything he brings not just on the field but also the same way like the intensity, leadership?) – “It’s good seeing Jordyn (Brooks) open up. He’s new on the team, quiet guy, but is also good player, elite player. Fast and physical but it’s good to see him get settled in and him opening up and flowing. I think that goes a long way. I keep saying it goes back to when we’re in them dogfights, when it comes clutch time, that gives you kind of a relaxing feeling on the field when you can trust your brother next to you. It gives you a little weight off your shoulders knowing you’re not out there by yourself.”
(Coming from Tennessee, you obviously have a lot of experience playing against Jacksonville. Do you have a game or moment against them that stands out to you?) – “In Jacksonville – it’s always tough in Jacksonville. Glad it’s here – both hot as ever. But no, it’s tough. They’re a disciplined team, good quarterback and players that can make plays if you don’t take care of your responsibilities. But like you said, I am familiar, and then they have some players. We’re familiar with them, getting around the scouting board earlier this week, but just playing our game. We don’t need to do nothing other than what we’ve been doing this whole way, and that’s just playing fast football.”
(Their running back Jaguars RB Travis Etienne Jr., No. 1, what does he do well?) – “Make people miss. He’s a hard runner. He’s been like that since coming in the league and disciplined. You give him some space, he has some speed that will make you pay for it. That just goes back to us playing fundamentally sound football like we’ve been doing and just continue to build on that.”
(Jacksonville has blazing speed at positions you don’t traditionally see it. RB Travis Etienne Jr. is a burner, TE Evan Engram is a burner. But you guys also play against TE Jonnu Smith and RB De’Von Achane and RB Raheem Mostert every day. How much does seeing that speed every day help with a matchup like this?) – “That’s a good question. It’s a lot especially not even just the speed; it’s so much motions and stuff they do over there. They’re going to keep you disciplined. Even when you’re disciplined, it’s a trick to it, so it’s great that we have those players on the other side of the ball that we’ve been facing every day to be prepared for things like this. But it’s also going to be like coming straight from practice going against Jonnu (Smith) and those fast guys, even ‘TC’ (Tanner Conner) on the other side of the ball. It’s a lot of guys over there that are similar that we’ve been grinding with as well.”
(DT Calais Campbell is one of your other captains. How does a guy who just got here become a captain that quickly? What does it say about him?) – “That’s funny because I’d seen people saying that, but the thing is he’s not being anything other than himself. He just does things so naturally which just comes as far as he’s another coach on the field, another motivator, and you can see it’s not something he tries to do. It’s just like you said, it just comes out. He pulls younger players to the side and coaches them. He just talks about whatever is going on, not even just football. So he just comes in and fits that role, and people just gravitate towards it.”
(How important is that nose tackle spot to what you do in the trenches?) – “It’s a lot especially because it’s a lot of o-lines that we go against, and if it’s muddy for me, it’s a problem down there. We have some killer guys up there up front that get the job done well, him (Calais Campbell), Zach (Sieler), (Da’Shawn) Hand, all those people behind them. If the trenches are not well-fit, it’s going to be a long day especially in the run game. You stop the run, you win a lot of games. So it’s very important and I would say one of the most important jobs on the team. I think we’ve got the right guys in that spot. I know we’ve got the right guys in that spot.”
(LB Emmanuel Ogbah just didn’t look right in No. 51, did he?) – “Actually he was liking it for a little bit honestly, but he had to go back to (No.) 91, That’s his number. Everybody keeps trying to get me out of the (No.) 11; I think I’m going to stay with it.”
(You were No. 51 last year, right? Why’d you make the switch?) – “Yeah, that’s my college number. I’ve been wanting to get it for a while and it was open, so I’m going to test that out real quick.”
(The offensive players talk about three years in Head Coach Mike McDaniel’s system – not that this applies directly to you, you’ve only been here a little bit. This is the third year with a new defensive coordinator. What is the challenge for defense going into learning the new system and getting comfortable with it?) – “The challenge is all playing as one. We have so many defenses where we’re on a string and we have to communicate, and like I was saying, going against this offense that we’ve been going against, it just challenges more to communicate like I said because they have so many moving pieces and Mike (McDaniel) does so many things on that side of the ball. It’s been a great challenge for us just to keep hitting on communication which has been the biggest thing especially in the backend. We have communication down; it’s not like – we have the players, the talent to do it, run with anybody, hit with anybody. But when players are not communicating correctly, it opens big plays up. So I think that’s the biggest challenge, that everybody can speak. If we win the play before it starts, we’ll be all right.”
(What has impressed you about LB Chop Robinson so far?) – “It’s just coming together, coming every day to get better. He’s coming in, he’s open and learning. He takes coaching, but he’s a natural athlete. Just once he gets the right person here – like he has Calais (Campbell) right there on the side on him, he has these older guys – (Bradley) Chubb, ‘JP’ (Jaelan Phillips) – even though he’s still young a little bit, he has experience. He has some great people in front of him that he can learn from. There’s no ceiling for Chop (Robinson).”
Monday, September 2, 2024
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(Congrats on the contract extension. Just to fill in one detail about it, was this done entirely through your agent or was there a neat moment in the last couple of months where Chairman of the Board/Managing General Partner Steve Ross said to you, “I’d like to give you an extension, we’re happy with what you’ve done.” Was it a meeting? Was it a phone call? Was it anything like that?) – “I appreciate it, thank you. I see – the congratulations goes to the organization. I think there’s a lot of people that lift you up that to give you the opportunity to become a head coach, but once you become a head coach, for that program to sustain, that takes each and every person involved in it so I see that as an accomplishment for the organization. And there was a neat moment, as you phrased it; I had dinner over at Mr. Ross’ house a couple weeks ago. It was a great dinner; I ate all of my steak.”
(Did you eat your vegetables?) – “I did. I did, they gave me minimal. (laughter) So they anticipated that.”
(So did you have an idea that was the discussion of the dinner? I’m trying to get the details right here.) – “I knew he wanted to have dinner and I knew I was going to be a good dinner date, I guess you would say. Outside of that, you don’t really forecast too much. It was an opportunity to hang out with Mr. Ross, so I jumped on that. So yeah, that’s why I’m employed.”
(Was there any, I guess, kind of sense of relief when you look at your watch? Because if I remember correctly, you bought that as an investment not only in yourself but the work that you’re putting into this team, so signing that extension, do you feel some kind of sense of relief?) – “You know, I really haven’t even thought about it, to be honest. I think part of trying to have a program sustain is you have to really look at each and every day and what goes into it and what you’re asking of other people and who are those people that are supporting you and really rallying the troops each and every day. I think for me, I haven’t really thought twice about it afterward from the regard of, I guess – I’ve had a ton of reasons, millions and millions of reasons to approach every day with everything that I have and really giving myself to everyone as best I can. I guess this is another reason to be motivated to kind of really attack each and every day your fullest, so I probably have just some more reasons to do what I’ve been intending to do since I got on grounds here, and that’s a – I mean, September 2? Man, we’ve got a great September 2 today, and I’ll do September 3 when that comes.”
(What do you view as the common denominator between the eight recently named Miami Dolphins captains?) – “Really good players. I think off the top of my head, 28 Pro Bowls – boom. How about that? That’s fast facts. I think you have guys that have not only the respect and the regard of their teammates, but they’ve earned their stripes, so to speak, from the league. I think the National Football League, your peer – really the opinions of your peers, there’s nothing that I think you can have a stronger attachment towards if you’re a player. It’s as important as the name on the back of your jersey, and I think with our particular unit, I think it was cool to see the amount of conviction the team had for the individuals across the board. I saw a lot of – there was a lot of worthy people on this team, a lot of captain worthy leaders, and I could tell by the way the award was received by each individual that it meant a great deal, because it was a very high honor, particularly on this team.”
(For LB David Long Jr., he’s been through a lot in his life professionally and personally. For him to get the captaincy, what did that mean to him and you to see that?) – “Well, he tried to play it cool in front of all of his teammates. I’m convinced that him and a couple other of his fellow captains probably had an emotional moment behind closed doors. That’s just me guessing because I truly know how much this game means to David Long Jr., and I thought it was a really cool orchestration of a player-voted captainship for him to let him know just how much regard his teammates hold for him. It was a very cool moment to be a part of, something that I think none of his teammates were surprised by but happy that he was bestowed that honor.”
(When you started prep for the Jaguars, what about their defensive front jumped out at you?) – “I think how they come off the ball, how they play with consistent technique and fundamentals and their relentless strain. I think that’s pretty obvious from the minimal game tape that we’ve watched, but that’s something that’s been paramount in Coach Nielsen’s (Defensive Coordinator Ryan Nielsen) kind of repertoire defensives lines and defensive fronts that he’s coached in previous teams. Very talented group that is playing hard together, that’s what I see on tape.”
(Quick follow up if I can, DE Travon Walker, it seemed like he made a big leap from Year 1 to Year 2. What kind of challenge does he present?) – “Typical of every defensive line you face in the National Football League, especially ones that have invested some top assets into some elite athletic defensive front players, I think you really, both on run and pass, not just on pass, but in your run, you’re scared of ‘Walk’ (Travon Walker) making a play at the point of attack or from the back side of a play. I think his game is kind of – I just saw little glimpses of evolution that you know is coming. You can tell that they’re preparing to put him in positions to make plays and be a primary area of focus, so that’s going to have to be something that each one of our offensive players along the line of scrimmage, including tight ends and receivers, we’re going to have to be aware of his game. It’s going to take several people to slow him down, for sure.”
(To build off of that, what have you seen from LB Josh Hines-Allen and what do you think of your pass protection package overall? Have you seen enough from it right now or do you think it’s kind of a work in progress?) – “I think the stuff that we’ve gone into the offseason emphasizing and things we wanted to get better at as far as protection is concerned, it’s a very timely matchup when you’re looking at all their pass rushers and the problems they present, really kind of overlapping with some of the stuff that we’ve been trying to focus on and get better connected with. I think much like you are orchestrating an outside zone run play where you’re trying to tie in blockers to the course of the ball carrier, you get better in pass protection by getting better connected from the blockers and the launch point from the quarterback and having consistency with the depth and what you’re blocking for. I think that’s stuff that this group will really challenge you on, because any time you have speed with adept rushes, particularly on the edge, they can really expand your pocket. And if you’re not tied together with your launch point and where your blockers are, you can have individual pass protectors get edged pretty quickly, and there’s a lot of space that is tough to protect against. I think they’re a great group to start with because they’re super talented that if you’re not on your game, you will be exposed, and I think that’s something that you have to be used to in the National Football League in terms of protecting the passer because you don’t get a week off from elite pass rushers and unified fronts.”
(Can I get an update on two guys? OL Aaron Brewer and DT Benito Jones, where are they in terms of their practice participation levels and close to readiness for the season?) – “Well, you’re going to see them participate in practice this week. Boom.”
(OL Aaron Brewer can handle the snapping with the hand?) – “You have to let the player do it, but that’s the anticipation. Fortunately enough for our group, we’ll see how that progresses. I feel great about our starting offensive line, I also feel great about the contingencies we have in place should we have a different version of that this week. So all things, I’m confident by the work orchestrated by the individual players, and how that will play out over the course of the week, my crystal ball is broke, but we’ll take it one step at a time.”
(Why great? What would you describe great about what you…?) – “Because of the adversity we’ve had since the spring has proven to be a wonderful opportunity to really get looks at players in different spots, and got a lot of work, extra communication from all the individuals, so it’s almost like they got extra reps from the spring into the fall just because the different lineup changes that we had and the different injuries we were managing from spring into training camp. It’s almost as if it was the training staff’s diabolical plan to mix up the groups early, so that we can just not even bat an eye once we got into regular season mode.”
(WR Tyreek Hill and WR Jaylen Waddle, how are they recovering from their injury deals?) – “They’ll be practicing today. No setbacks to relay as of yet. They’ll be out on the field today.”
(How has LB Chop Robinson grown from Day 1 of training camp to today? Is he ready for game action?) – “Grown a lot just because we ask a lot from edge defenders in our defense. You ask to be not only of primary importance in the run game but in the pass game as well. I think understanding the box that you kind of have to play within as a pass rusher is huge. Gone are the days of running the hoop 11 yards that you can get some college productivity at. Typically you have to really tighten that angle because quarterbacks don’t drop back as far, as well as just different keys to how to play the game within the game. Different stance keys that kind of diagnose run or pass, situational awareness, all of these things, he doesn’t waste a day out on the field which is good news for us because he is a talented player that we are counting on to contribute. I would expect nothing else from – that’s the great thing about Chop (Robinson) is he attacks each practice the way a veteran would where you’re trying to get something out of it and adding to the tools of your game.”
(Presumably you guys took a close look at WR Brian Thomas Jr. in the pre-draft period. What was your evaluation of him as a player?) – “Super talented player that has a unique combination of being able to be a down the field third level receiver that can track and make plays down the field, while also having a route running skill set to do your underneath and intermediate routes. You see a very talented individual that can take his game as far as he wants to take it. I think it’s adding to the plethora of LSU Tigers out there in the league. He’s a very talented individual that we will be well aware of when he’s out there on the field. It won’t be a surprise, because we did a lot of work on him coming out.”
(What are some factors that you’ll consider each week as far as running back touches? Obviously, those guys are healthy right now – you have a lot of talent in that room. What are some of the things you think about each week?) – “Each week just trying to get individuals opportunities and let those opportunities shape their overall breadth of how many touches they get in the course of a game. I think it’s important to make sure that guys have the opportunity to – it doesn’t take long in a game for you to get a guy a couple carries, then the next guy gets a couple carries, and then you feel, ‘OK, well, this dude, it’s one of his days. We better lean on this guy and give him more.’ So it’s just to get everybody involved is important for me and then letting the game take its course on who’s competitive edge we’re going to lean on the most.”
(You’re in a unique spot at receiver because obviously you have three veterans in WR Tyreek Hill, WR Jaylen Waddle and WR Braxton Berrios. But then you have options this week. You have two young guys at 4 and 5 in WR Grant DuBose and WR Malik Washington, and then you have two really experienced guys on the practice squad in WR Robbie Chosen and WR Dee Eskridge, and obviously WR Erik Ezukanma is coming back from his injury. How unique or difficult is this call on whether to elevate the practice squad guys or go with the young guys? I know Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman is a part of that decision. Is that kind of an unusual spot to be in?) – “I guess in a healthy regard, yes it would be unusual just because there’s a couple different directions that you can go. Again, you try to facilitate the most opportunities possible; taking advantage of the extra day of practice we have this week is huge for us to shape the direction we’re going to go. We just have a lot of different versatility, not only in the receiver room but really at all the skill positions offensively that you, week-in, week-out, have the ability to tailor how it’s going to manifest towards the people that you have. I think the bottom line is that I feel very good about where that room is at because of the existing assets that we had, and the people we were able to add I think fit the mold of what we’re trying to do and trying to be as fast, physical with as elite technique as possible. However we deploy that, I think having versatility and options helps you in a competitive scenario against opponents week-in, week-out.”
(What did you like with QB Tim Boyle?) – “So I had followed him through the course of his NFL journey. There was some good overlap tape that I’ve had in previous years, and then this past preseason I thought he did a great job. I think it helped me personally having personnel connections with two of his previous coaches, that being Bobby Slowik as a play calling offensive coordinator in Houston, as well as Matt LeFleur in Green Bay because you want to add value to the room, and you want to make sure the personalities fit and really the group can grow together. I think not only as a player but as a person, that’s where Boyle fit for me and fit for our group, so we’re fired up to have him.”
