QB Tua Tagovailoa
(What’s your current belt ranking i jiu-jitsu?) – “Still a white belt. I’m still a white belt. I just started. Just started.”
(What have you learned, though?) – “Obviously learned how to fall. I learned some grappling techniques. I learned some other things too that I don’t think I should disclose. But for the most part, I learned how to fall. You think it’s easy, just don’t fall and hit your head. But I mean, there’s a lot more to it.”
(For us that don’t know about judo, how do they teach you?) – “We used like crash pads to land on first with trying to fall. Obviously tucking your chin, that was one of the deals. But it went a lot more into the technique of how to disperse your energy when you fall, kind of like the posture you want to be in and if you’re not presented that posture, what are other things that you can do to help you disperse the energy when you fall. So it’s a lot of those things. And it’s actually a lot cooler than you think when you hear of learning how to fall.”
(If I can follow up, if you have a split-second to think, how does that work? Because if you’re being sacked, how does that work?) – “Well, I’ve been falling a lot this offseason, so I think just like anything else, you continue to train it, you continue to work at that, it becomes second nature. Then when a situation like that does happen, it’s not something new that’s presented to you. And for guys at my position, we barely get hit, if that, throughout practices, throughout the offseason, even going into training camp. We don’t even get touched until the season starts. So I mean, with jiu-jitsu, I’ve been thrown airborne, I’ve been put in many uncomfortable positions for me to learn how to fall and try to react throughout those positions that I’m getting thrown around in.”
(How would you describe the last four months? I know that it’s probably been a while since you’ve been in this position, but the past four months, Christmas Day, the day after being in the protocol, missing the playoff game, and just kind of all the emotions, just how has it been for you?) – “Well, it’s been hard throughout the ending of the year last year, not being able to finish the season off the way we wanted to finish the season off last year. But this is a new year for us. This is a new team that we have and we’re all really excited. And it’s cool to have a lot of the big names in the locker room now. Those guys are some great people.”
(Just quick follow up. I know there was a lot of talk about you, about what you should do and whatnot. I mean, truthfully through it all, was there any thought about walking away or whatnot, through the time you were in the protocol? And if not, what kind of led you to have that confidence to not really consider that?) – “Yeah, that’s a good question. Yeah, I think I considered it for a time, having sat down with my family, having sat down with my wife and having those kinds of conversations. But really, it would be hard for me to walk away from this game with how old I am, with my son. I always dreamed of playing as long as I could to where my son knew exactly what he was watching his dad do. And yeah, I mean it’s my health, it’s my body, and I feel like this is what’s best for me and my family. I mean, I love the game of football. If I didn’t, I would have quit a long time (ago).”
(Aside from falling, what other areas of your game this offseason have you been focusing on?) – “There’s been a lot of areas. Obviously, strength work has been really big throughout this offseason for me with getting my legs under me, kind of building my upper body, building around my neck, my core. All of that has been taken into consideration. And I’ve been doing a lot more to try to help myself sustain the season.”
(What type of actual exercises help build up strength around the neck area?) – “We have like this neck device that we use where you clip it onto like one of the pulleys. So I’m able to do a four-way directional head deal. And then also you have manuals where someone is resisting or trying to hold your head down. And then, within the four ways, going side to side, and then back and forth, you have manuals. That’s really what we’ve been doing to help build that up.”
(Part of the process of learning how to fall, you had to see what happened to you. Like you had to watch it. How tough was it to watch? That has creep into your head.) – “Yeah, it wasn’t tough to watch. It wasn’t tough to watch. I want to get better at everything that I can do to help the team win games and I know the biggest one is my health, staying out on the field. And so looking at the film, I was able to watch that with my jiu-jitsu coach, and we were able to kind of relive the scenario in how I got tackled, how I fell. And it wasn’t just one particular game. It was multiple ways that I got taken down and how I could have prevented that.”
(When I talked to some neurologists after the season, they said there’s no medical evidence that concussions or multiple concussions increase the chances of concussions eight months, nine months, 10 months later. Maybe the immediate aftermath, but not that long. Did they tell you that? Or what was the thing that neurologists told you that made you feel best about continuing to play?) – “They told me exactly what you said. They also told me that CTE wasn’t going to be a problem. It’s only when you’re constantly hitting your head against something. I think that tailors more towards linebackers, o-linemen, d-linemen, guys that are constantly going at it. That also played into the factor of my decision-making and wanting to come back and play.”
(This is the first time since high school you really have the same play-caller back-to-back years. How do you think that’s going to benefit you at the quarterback position?) – “Yeah. It’s been a lot better of an offseason knowing that I don’t have to learn a new system, I don’t have to learn new formations, new motions, new snap points, new cadences. It’s good to know that I already have a year under my belt within the offense. There’s always going to be nuances, but it’s not like a drastic change. So this is really good. I mean, this is good because of the guys that we have as well that have been with us last year under the same system. We’re all really, really excited to get things going.”
(Were you close to playing in the playoffs? Or was that not a possibility?) – “I am not sure. I was going through my process with (Head Athletic Trainer) Kyle (Johnston) and just trying to do everything I could to get better. But at any point, whenever – if the team, Mike (McDaniel) or (Chris) Grier would have approached me and asked me if I were ready, there’s no question, no doubt in my mind, that I would have stepped up to the plate and answered the call.”
General Manager Chris Grier and Assistant General Manager Marvin Allen
Chris Grier:
(Opening statement) – “Hey, welcome to the (most fun) interview of the NFL season for you guys where no one says anything. (laughter) So I guess I’ll start it off with my usual. Excited for South Florida sports teams this time of year with the Heat and Panthers and Marlins off to a great start, too, as well. We wish all the teams in the playoffs luck and we’ll probably have a crew over there watching a couple of games here in the next few days. But other than that, fire away.”
(Wanted to ask you a couple things on right tackle. At this point, is your thinking that OL Austin Jackson – is the expectation that he is going to be your starter? And also, are you keeping in the back of your mind, you and Head Coach Mike McDaniel keeping in the back of your mind, the possibility of moving OL Robert Hunt to right tackle or would you prefer clearly to leave him at guard?) – “It’s always right off the start. (laughter) Yes, the expectation is Austin (Jackson) is the starter at right tackle. We’re excited for him. I know he was frustrated with some of the injuries last year, but he’s been working hard. He’s been doing a lot of stuff here in the offseason. Having Terron (Armstead) around here, another year being around him for a year and the offseason will be tremendous value for him. And for us, we’d like to see Robert (Hunt) stay at one position right now, stay at guard where, again, you’ve heard me say it here many times; I think he has tremendous potential and is already, I believe, a very good player at that position in the league.”
(What was your reaction to the Jalen Hurts contract and how it may or may not set the set the value for quarterbacks moving forward in this league?) – “Happy for him. He’s a good kid. I met him years ago with Mike Locksley at Alabama and I told him I was proud that he stayed the year when Tua beat him out where a lot of these kids transfer out and go places. I’m happy for him. I think for us, at the end of the day, it’s a piece of information. We monitor it, but there’s going to be other quarterbacks here coming up still, who knows how soon, so the market will fluctuate based off those. So for us, it’s happy for him and the Eagles getting it done, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t really move our needle until we have to do something.”
(Along the lines of that, the team decided to exercise QB Tua Tagovailoa’s fifth-year option fairly early in the process compared to how you have acted. I know Mike McDaniel spoke about the thinking, but I was wondering if you could kind of give your perspective as well. You said everything is open. In terms of an extension, is there any possibility to discuss that or just want to kind of…?) – “Yeah, we’ve had a lot of internal discussions between Mike (McDaniel), Marvin (Allen), Brandon (Shore), Steve (Ross), Tom Garfinkel, as well. So all options are on the table like I said then, but we decided that for us, and we always hope Tua will be here, successful long term with us. And at the end day, we made this decision and decided to move forward in the offseason to get it going.”
(I’d like to follow up just on QB Tua Tagovailoa moving forward. The process of checking off all the boxes to ensure that he is as healthy as you can, what was that process like?) – “Yeah, it was a lot of discussions with our doctors, with Tua, just formulating a plan. But I think once we talked to specialists, and he met with specialists, too, and the people he met around the country, everyone felt comfortable with him health-wise. And so, when those boxes were checked, we were fine and decided just to move on and I’m looking forward to him working and doing all the things he’s been doing in the offseason now to help him for next season.”
(QB Tua Tagovailoa kind of hinted at this during I believe, Super Bowl week. But just to clarify, did you guys essentially shut him down after the concussion on Christmas Day and not allow him to progress until the season was over?) – “I think when we went through the process, it still needs to be cleared by the league people as well, too. So it was just our process of going through it, working with the league and with Tua going through it. That’s all it was.”
(Can you tell us a little bit about the process that landed CB Jalen Ramsey in this building?) – “Yeah, you guys have heard us talk for years about opportunities. We always investigate and do that, so we did our work. They reached out about him. (Rams General Manager) Les (Snead) and I have known each other for years and we talked, so we had talks for a couple of weeks and then at the end of the day, for us, it made sense for the player – who he is – after we talked to the people around him. So we’re very excited to add him. He’s been a very good player in this league. We still think he’s a very good player, and he has a good relationship with Xavien (Howard). So I know they were excited. Xavien texted me right away when he saw it. So I think for us, it was the opportunity to add a very good player, so we’re very excited.”
Marvin Allen:
(If I can address this one to Assistant General Manager Marvin Allen, when LB Channing Tindall and WR Erik Ezukanma were selected last year, was the expectation kind of always that maybe they would need a year before they could really make some kind of impact more than just on special teams?) – “Yeah, I think when we selected them, we knew the progression for both of them would be in the future. So you get guys and you want to give them a chance to sit back and learn and do some things on special teams, but knowing that their value would be much more down the line than it was immediately.”
(Marvin, what are your thoughts on QB Tua Tagovailoa – where he stands three years through and the future for him?) – “Well, he went through the protocol and we have all the faith in the world in him. He’s our quarterback and we think moving forward, he’s going to be the quarterback that gets us to where we want to go.”
Chris Grier:
(We heard Mike McDaniel talk about the story of kind of bringing his tape to you guys, the entire building last year on that Mike Silver podcast. I was curious, your perspective on when Mike McDaniel was so fired up that night and watching the tape and bringing it to y’all.) – “I think Mike was excited to work with him even before that. He had watched some film of him, but he knew him from the draft, but I think once he got here and really dug in and got to spend time, because obviously he was busy with the 49ers when they were on their playoff run. And he put together and strung all the stuff that made sense for his offense. I think he showed it to everyone in the building, just going around, he was so excited. I think he pulled an all-nighter putting it together and he was so happy when all the scouts came in, so I saw it like, five times. I was just like, ‘Okay, I get it Mike. He’s good and you’re excited.’ (laughter) But yeah, the relationship the two of them have and watching them how they work and communicate, it’s pretty cool to see.”
(How much progress do you feel you’ve made in the DT Christian Wilkins extension talks?) – “Yeah, I’ve had some good talks with his agent. As I’ve always said, we’re going to keep those conversations private, but I’m excited for Christian. He’s a very good player here. You know how we feel about him. We’ve talked about what he’s done on and off the field for us. So we’re still working through it, but hopefully we can get him here and keep him here for a long time.”
(You come from a football executive family. Your brother is the first Black GM in NHL history. Can you just explain briefly on the role that your father has played in you being to where you are today and the impact that you guys with you and your brother?) – “Just being able to grow up watching how he approached things and I was fortunate to be there in New England with him with Bill Parcells and Pete Carroll and Coach Belichick for a little bit just to see how he interacted and worked. I learned so much from him. Obviously he coached Marvin (Allen), so that’s how Marvin and my connection go back. I just think having that resource to talk to – my brother and I talk every week and we talk about a lot of different things sports-related and in terms of player acquisitions and dealing with people in the building. So just be able to talk to him and even still now Marvin and I will go to all-star games and people keep coming up saying, ‘hey, tell your dad I said hello.’ Or agents are like, ‘your dad was the first guy that gave me a chance and listened to me’ and stuff. So just how you treat people and working with them, I learned so much from him and I wouldn’t be here without him.”
(What’s been the thinking in so far not adding another tight end besides TE Eric Saubert, who you signed, and a backup defensive tackle? Are those positions you think you could address in the draft? What What’s your thinking there?) – “Yeah, I think our approach is we’re evaluating every position, going through it very thoroughly at every position. We’ve had our 30-visits that you like to track and you do your work – your Inspector Clouseau stuff on it. (laughter) For us, it’s every position. So we’ve bought in guys from basically every position except quarterback into the building. So for us, we’re always looking for good players that compete for roster spots because that’s how we get better is with competition.”
(For both of you, when you look at your roster, when you look at what’s in the tight end room right now, what do you see? How comfortable are you? And transferring that forward, what do you see in this tight end draft class? A lot of people have said it’s quite talented and deep. I wonder if you agree.) – “I’ll talk about our room and I’ll let Marvin talk about the draft class. With us, our room, we’re happy with it. Obviously, you know how we feel about Durham. We’ve talked about Durham for a long time. Letting Mike (Gesicki) leave was – he earned the right to be a free agent. Obviously I drafted him. We’ve talked in here before about how I feel about him. I’m very happy for him other than he went to New England. So I said, I’ve got to root against them twice a year. (laughter) But I’m very happy for him. But we’re excited for – Eric (Saubert) was a good addition for us. And Tanner (Conner) we feel has good upside. So yeah, we’re going to keep looking to add at that position, some competition, but we’re happy with the guys there and especially how Durham leads and what he provides for our team.”
Marvin Allen:
“And as far the draft class this year, as most of you guys know, this is probably one of the deeper tight end drafts than has been in the last several years. So we feel good about having an opportunity to grab a good football player, if he’s available when we’re picking. We’re going to look at every position, but there’s a strong chance that there are going to be a lot of tight ends selected early.”
Chris Grier:
(Obviously you’re not in the market for a quarterback in this draft. There are five that could potentially go in the first round. As an outside observer to this process, how do you see that draft class of quarterbacks?) – “They’re all very talented. I think with any quarterback, it’s the fit with the coach and coaching staff, and what you’re asking them to do offensively. I think there are some tough decisions for teams to make because they are talented and I think they can fit at a lot of places. We’ve talked to a few of them, just doing our research, just to say hello. We haven’t spent a ton of time (on that) but I like the kids. I’m excited for them and I think a couple of them will be some really good players in this league.”
(What does the addition of CB Jalen Ramsey say about where the organization stands relative to a window opening to pursue the biggest bowl – the Super Bowl? Are you all in?) – “I think where we are is we have a competitive roster that we feel we can win games with. It’s not done. Obviously with the draft here still and even post-draft, there will be signings. Again, opportunities to add good players to your roster, we’ll always do that and pursue it. And Steve Ross has given us a lot of flexibility to do that, which I don’t think he gets enough credit for allowing us to do that. But for us, I don’t really look at it as windows. It’s just opportunities to add good players and then keep building a roster that gives you a chance to compete.”
(I know with draft capital being what it is this year – it’s only four picks. But have you guys explored trying to move up?) – “I was waiting for someone to ask that one. (laughter) We’ve had a couple of teams in the bottom half of the first round reach out, saying they would be interested in coming down possibly if their guys aren’t there, and if we’d be interested in moving. So for us, again, any opportunities we can to get a player, we’ll look at it. So no serious conversations but we’ve had those and we’ll keep those options open.”
Marvin Allen:
(I know last year when the team traded for WR Tyreek Hill, Chris Grier said that you were able to kind of provide insight into the type of person and type of player that Hill is from you time in Kansas City. What did you see maybe not on the field but off the field that told you he was right for the culture?) – “Well, when he got here, just to see him take a leadership role. I saw the same competitive spirit I saw in Kansas City where he competed every day and we didn’t have a defensive back on the roster that could cover him. When he got here, I felt the same way. He could run by anybody. But just to see him take a role in the locker room, as a man, he matured and became a leader and was held accountable, it was really great to see.”
Chris Grier:
(You’ve generally been a best player available type of decision-maker when it comes to the draft. When you have a roster that, as you say, is more ready to compete, do you shift a little bit on the spectrum to focusing a little bit more on positions of need? Or do you still stick with that mentality?) – “It’s still a balance because at the end of the day, you always have to look long term. There’s guys here – just being realistic – on one-year deals. So you may have a position that you think is deep. Like last year we had, I think, four linebackers on one-year deals. We always look for the best player. Then there are some occasions where you do take a position of need but you try not to draft on need because again, I think that’s where you get in trouble.”
Marvin Allen:
(How would you describe the way you approach helping Chris Grier and serving the organization? Can you sort of take us behind the scenes in the structure and dynamics and how you guys work together?) – “Sure. Chris and I’s background are pretty much the same being college (scouting) guys. So I’m able to provide another set of eyes. I can go out and look at guys and present them to him and say ‘Hey, this is a guy we need to look at.’ Because I can pretty much tell where he’s going to go with some things. Then looking at our locker room and being a former player myself, I can kind of gauge some guys and kind of read some things in the locker room and I can be in places that Chris is not sometimes. And even during pro free agency, just to get another set of eyes on guys and bring things to the forefront.”
Chris Grier:
(We haven’t talked to you since the receiver additions. If you could talk about WR Braxton Berrios and also the appeal of adding WR Chosen Anderson?) – “Yeah, Braxton obviously has been a good returner in this league. We’ve known him obviously from the University of Miami here and met him at Miami Day a few years ago. We liked him and at that time, Adam Gase loved him. So just watching him over his career, he’s a professional and a great teammate. It’s been fun getting to know him again in the building here over the last couple of days. He’ll be our returner as well as playing some slot receiver, so we’re excited for the versatility and the things he can do. As far as Chosen, that had been going on for a couple of weeks. His agent reached out to us and him being a South Florida guy, he wanted to come play at home. So as we kind of worked through it and talked with his agent, we told him we wanted him to come in and spend some time with him and get to know him. So he and I talked one day for about an hour-and-a-half and he got Mike (McDaniel) for over an hour. He and Wes (Welker) talked a bunch over a couple of days. So once we went through it, both sides – I told him, ‘don’t rush through this decision just because it’s home. Talk to those other teams that are interested in you and make your decision on what’s best for you because we have two dynamic players that are the starters.’ And he understands that. So we told him what the role would be and he was excited and all in on it and was excited to come here. I’ve enjoyed getting to know him and talk to him, so I am excited to add him.”
(You have a ton of wide receivers now including two very, very good ones. WR Cedrick Wilson Jr. kind of got squeezed by the numbers game last year. Is that a concern again this year? Can you say with certainty that he’ll definitely be on the team in 2023?) – “I would say yeah, it’s a very talented room. Going back to Chosen (Anderson) to, we didn’t promise him anything. We said we’ve got some good young players here that are pushing for time and he understood that. Cedrick signed here to be the No. 2 (wide receiver) at the time and then we made the trade for Tyreek (Hill). But how he handled himself, he’s an incredible professional. Like volunteering to return kicks for us at the end of the year. He saved us and won us some games with some key returns that probably people don’t give him credit for. The expectation that he’s here? We’ve had teams call and ask about him. We’re not shopping him but teams have called. And especially when we just added Chosen, we’ve had a couple of teams reach out. He’s a really good guy and I’m trying to do right by him because of how he’s handled himself on and off the field.”
Marvin Allen:
(What do you guys feel about where the roster stands at running back, bringing back last year’s guys? And can you speak on the potential of potentially adding another?) – “I mean the running backs we have, obviously we like them. We brought them back and they’re coming in on one-year deals, so obviously we’re going to keep our (eyes) open to see what’s available in the upcoming draft and free agency. We’re looking at all opportunities to bring in good football players. Obviously running back is a key component in this offense. We’re going to look for the best players we can find.”
Chris Grier:
(We’ve seen a lot of creativity with trades made over the years. Do you have one more in you this month?) – “(laughter) We’ll see. I was going to say on the running back stuff – I couldn’t let this one go, Marvin. I’m sorry. (laughter) Who here played Tecmo Bowl back in the day? Did you ever play with the Patriots when Marvin was there? Our scouts found it and it’s hilarious. You give Marvin two carries and he’s running through fast. The third carry he’s tired and fumbles every time. Every time. (laughter)”
Marvin Allen:
“I was equal to Bo Jackson for two runs and that third one I was out in the pasture somewhere.”
Chris Grier:
“Tecmo Bowl did him wrong. Guys were dying.”
Marvin Allen:
“Half the team doesn’t know what Tecmo Bowl is now. (laughter)”
CB Xavien Howard
(So what makes this offseason so different in terms of participating in the offseason program instead of training on your own?) – “Learning a new defensive scheme. I’ve got to come in and understand the defense’s new scheme. So I just have to get used to it.”
(As you noted, it is a different defensive scheme. What are you most looking forward to? Because it seems like over your career, we’re used to you being a man-to-man guy. Maybe now you’re going to have a little more zone looks. What are you looking forward to?) – “I’m just on the second day of OTAs and stuff like that, so we’re studying and trying to learn some new stuff. Even though it’s going to be different, I’m sure there’s going to be a couple man (coverages) in there. Especially with the guys we got outside. I’m looking forward to it. It’s going to be a challenge this year for me to learn something different and play in a new scheme.”
(What are your impressions over the years of Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio from afar and then now?) – “His defense has always been top five, so he’s been doing a good job at that. I’m looking forward to having him on my side now and improve our defense.”
(Do you feel like your strengths could be playing a lot more zone?) – “Yeah. Getting my eyes on the quarterback is going to be something different. I’m not looking at the quarterback so now I’ll get my eyes on the quarterback and understand route concepts. I feel like it’ll help my game.”
(You can level with us now. The season has been over for three months. How much did your health impact your performance in 2022?) – “I’m healthy now. All I needed was some rest. With a groin injury, week in and week out, especially playing defensive back and playing a lot of man (coverage), it put me down a little bit. But I’m better now. I feel like I’m going to do better this year also. I’m just ready for it.”
(What do you think the cornerback position and CB Jalen Ramsey’s addition?) – “I love it. I feel like we’re definitely going to push each other and push everybody in the secondary, the whole defense, I’d say. They’re going to start with us. I love it. I’m looking forward to competing.”
(What’s the potential of the secondary? Can it be the best in the game?) – “I feel like the sky is the limit for the secondary. I don’t want to put nothing out there right now. We still have to play and we still have to do training camp and preseason. There’s a lot of stuff that we’ve got to get over.”
(What did you think of CB Kader Kohou’s rookie season?) – “Man, that guy got better each game. I’m looking forward to seeing him. This is his second year. I’m excited for him. I feel like he can do a lot of great things out there.”
(One of the things that you posted on social media is ‘People will think you fell off and the whole time you were …’ What was the thought behind that?) – “Just seeing people saying I’m washed, I’m getting older and stuff like that. Just a little bit of motivation. People are going to say this and say that. I’ve been proving the critics wrong my whole life so it’s nothing new.”
(Along those lines, how much of an extra motivating factor is it to have CB Jalen Ramsey on the other side as well? Do you want to be known as the best corner on this team?) – “Like I said, it’s motivation. We’re also going to compete against each other. We’re also going to make each other better. We’re also going to help the team a lot.”
(Can you explain your relationship with CB Jalen Ramsey? I think he mentioned that you guys met back in college.) – “Yeah, he came to my Pro Day in 2016.”
(What’s your friendship been like with him since then?) – “We’ve always been cool. We always respect each other and stuff like that. We had a relationship – he came to my Pro Day and we were just chopping it up before the draft and stuff like that. We always had a good little relationship.”
(What do you like the most about CB Jalen Ramsey’s game?) – “His physicality. What he does on the field. He can get interceptions but he can make big hits also.”
(I saw that you did a lot of hard training in the offseason. What were the areas of focus for your training?) – “I always do hard training every offseason. It wasn’t anything different. Like I said, I feel better now. With that little groin injury, I feel like I’m healthy now. That was something I was really working on was strengthening my groins and stuff like that.”
(You and CB Jalen Ramsey vs. WR Tyreek Hill and WR Jaylen Waddle, who you got?) – “Us all day. The DBs, we’re going to get it right. Those guys, we definitely have to worry about their speed on that side too.”
(In the beginning of last year’s offseason workout program, we spoke to you and you said there was a different energy in the building obviously with Mike McDaniel coming in. How would you kind of assess the vibes? How would you describe this year?) – “I’m excited about it. It’s the same way, I’d say. But we brought more new pieces to the team and guys that I feel like can help us win.”
(Going back to the groin injury, when did it first start to bother you? Was it sort of an up and down thing or was it constantly a sense of annoyance for you?) – “It started Week 2. The other side happened in Week 3. We ended up playing a long game against Buffalo and then we had a quick turnaround against the Bengals. I tried to (grind) it out but it didn’t happen. I ended up getting out in the second half. It’s hard to play with groin (injuries), especially on both sides. Even though I try to push through and help my team, I feel like I wasn’t helping at all.”
(The draft is coming up next weekend. What memory sticks out to you the most? The team traded up to get you. What memory sticks out the most?) – “Getting that call from the Dolphins. When I came on my visit, I didn’t like my visit here. And on draft day, I think (Mike) Tannenbaum called me. And he was like, ‘I heard you didn’t like our visit.’ I was like, ‘No, I loved the visit.’ Then he said, ‘Welcome to the Miami Dolphins,’ and stuff like that. (laughter) That’s definitely what I remember. And just them trading up for me. I think it was the Bears they ended up switching with. It meant a lot that they trusted me and believed in me.”
(Why didn’t you like the visit?) – “It was Lou (Anarumo). (laughter) That’s my guy though. Lou is my guy. I feel like he was being mean to me as soon as I got here. (laughter) I had just come from a visit in Tampa, so I had like a two or three day visit and I was like ready to go home. And he was like ‘Fix your face.’ As soon as I got in the car, he said ‘Fix your face, you’re about to meet the defensive coordinator, Vance Joseph.’ (laughter) Ever since then, me and Lou have been locked in.”
(When we talk about last year, we mention your groin and maybe not being your best year and all of that. You still made the Pro Bowl, you were still voted for the Pro Bowl. What went through your mind? What does that say about the respect you have around the league?) – “I really didn’t like it. My expectations, I feel like it wasn’t Pro Bowl caliber. Even though I made it, I was like ok. But it made me even push harder. Like I don’t want to get in like that.”
(So you told Mike Tannenbaum that you loved your visit. But was there part of you thinking, ‘Miami? I don’t know how that’s going to work out.’) – “Nah, when I got that call, I was excited. I was happy. I thought I was going to go in the first round but ended up going second round. I just loved everything about it. It was Miami. It was something different. I didn’t really know much about it but then when I got here, I loved it. I’ve been here going on eight years. It worked out for me.”
(What are your thoughts on the organization? From the time you’ve been here, you’ve seen rebuilds and now it seems like every year, Chris Grier goes out and makes a huge splash to kind of go for it. What do you think about where the organization has come in the last few years?) – “Since 2016, there have been a lot of changes since I’ve been here. I feel like we finally got a team that I feel like we can go further. Doing all the things we’ve been doing around here, I feel like this is a team that can go farther.”
