Saturday, April 30, 2022
QB Skylar Thompson
(I know it’s probably a long wait for you to get this call and I was just curious as the final picks come down, what was that feeling like getting that call from Miami and did you think that this might be a team that would call your name?) – “It was an unbelievable feeling. Truly a dream come true. A moment that I’ve dreamed about and worked for my entire life and for it to happen with a great organization like Miami, I’m so excited. I’m so excited for the opportunity that they’ve given me and honestly I wasn’t expecting – it kind of caught me by surprise that this is where I ended up. I’ve talked to Coach (Darrell) Bevell at the Combine and talked to him at the beginning of the week a little bit this week, but I haven’t talked to him – they definitely weren’t the team that I talked to the most. I’m super excited for this opportunity and I think it’s a great fit, so I’m so excited.”
(My question to you is you had a quarterback coach Justin Hoover. He helped you prepare I think for the last six years. Could you explain what he’s meant to you in your development as a quarterback?) – ”Yeah, Coach Hoover has been a big part of my development. I met him at the Elite 11 out of high school and worked with him throughout college and he’s been a big part of my progression and my development over the years. Him being in Kansas City where I’m from, it’s only two hours away from K-State, so it’s been very easy access to get back and get to work with him. He was a big part of my pre-draft process and he just really developed me a ton. It’s not ever been re-inventing the wheel or doing a whole bunch of new stuff. It’s just really finetuning every little detail of being a quarterback and there’s really trying to make a very complicated position be very simple and he’s a been a big part of my progression as a player, as a person; and he means a lot to me so I appreciate him a lot.”
(So obviously in this draft process, teams reach out to you. Who did you think was feeling you the most?) – “Yeah, I had the most interest I thought from the Houston Texans and the Detroit Lions, the Patriots, 49ers. There were quite a few teams that I had talked to quite a bit and met with at the Combine and stuff. So yeah, Miami – I had no idea, honestly. It’s a great surprise. I’m very excited for this opportunity.”
(What do you think about your opportunity to come in here and compete for a roster spot? What’s the biggest challenge that you see for yourself?) – “Yeah, well first and foremost, I’ve got to get my foot in the door and start learning the playbook and just be a great teammate. That’s what I’m here – I’m here to win and whatever that may look like, whatever my role is on the team, I’m going to own my role and I’m going to do whatever it takes to help the Miami Dolphins win. That’s what I’m – I’m so excited. I’m so excited to get into the room, to get down in the building down in Miami and get to work. Ultimately I’m – like I said – I’m coming to win and whatever that may look like, that’s what I’m focused on. I’m focused on winning, being the best teammate and leader I possibly can be and making an impact on my teammates and making those around me better. That’s what I’m mainly focused on.”
(I’m wondering if you could sort of give us a self-scouting report on where your game is right now. What are you hearing from teams on what you do really well and what you need to work on?) – “Yeah, I feel like first and foremost, I’m a gamer. Just being able to make plays off-schedule, on-time, with my legs, with my arm. I feel like that’s a summarization of who I am as a player and I’m a guy that wants the ball in his hands when the team needs a big play, when they rely on me to make a play and whether if it’s on fourth down, going into the end zone, red zone, whatever the case may be, I want the ball in my hands in those situations. And on top of that being a servant leader. I feel like I make those around me better. I’m going to serve my teammates at all times and put my team before myself and ultimately that’s what leads to success because it leads to wins and that’s what drives me and my play every single day that I get the opportunity to play football. And as far as moving forward, as far as areas that I think I could get better at or improve is always – first and foremost is my footwork. I feel like I have good feet, but there’s always room for improvement and just being more consistent with my feet and really tightening up my stride on some throws, really getting my turn – my hips open to my left and throwing outbreaking routes. And then just my posture. Sometimes I stand up tall a little bit on my throws and kind of cause the ball to sail, but those are all things that I’ve been working on this offseason and feel really good about going into rookie minicamp here in a couple weeks.”
(You’re going to turn 25 in June which is a little bit older than your typical rookie. How do you look at that in terms of do you feel like maybe more of a sense of urgency for your career to develop because you’re 25? On the other hand, do you feel it helps you because maybe you’re more mature than prospects who come in at 21 or 22?) – “I definitely don’t feel any pressure as far as me being older that my career has to accelerate quicker or whatever the case may be. I think my age is a benefit to me. I’ve played in a lot of football games. I’ve experienced a lot of different situations in football. You name it, I’ve experienced it. And every type of adversity you can think of that a quarterback could experience, I’ve experienced it. I’ve fought through and I’ve overcome and I’m still standing strong. That’s the biggest asset for me. I think I bring a level of leadership that can’t be replicated at all spots just because I’ve been around so many locker rooms, I’ve had so many different encounters with players from all over the place and developed great relationships. I’ve been a four-year team captain. All of that is just tools in my toolbox. It’s given me experiences to bring a great perspective to a great organization and that’s what I hope to bring to the Miami Dolphins.”
(Do you have any prior connections to anybody on the Dolphins?) – “I do not. I do not.”
(I was curious to know if there are any quarterbacks that you might have admired or studied throughout your childhood or college that you looked up to and modeled your game after?) – “Yeah. I was always Drew Brees. I always loved the way that Drew played, the way that he leads first and foremost. Everybody has seen his pregame ‘hoo-rah’ speeches, and getting his team fired up and playing hard. He just makes plays. When the team needs him to make a play, Drew Brees is there and is very consistent with who he is as a person, as a player. On paper people would say he’s undersized, doesn’t have the strongest arm, whatever. Drew Brees always found a way to win, always found a way to prove the naysayers wrong, and I just always admired him about that. The way that he carried himself, the way that he led, the great teammate he was, and he’s a gamer. You can tell he’s just a football player and found ways to get his team on the winning side of the scoreboard, which I always admired about him and looked up to.”
Saturday, April 30, 2022
General Manager Chris Grier and Head Coach Mike McDaniel
Mike McDaniel:
(What was it like for you? First draft as a Miami Dolphin.) – “It was fun. It was an exercise in patience but I think I think it was an exercise in patience and virtue. I’m pumped about the players that we added so that was fun.”
(Making the phone calls, did you enjoy that?) – “Yeah, I was the closer. (Chris Grier) had the hard work of the opener. But yeah, that was fun. It’s a special moment for a lot of people and you can hear it in the background especially. It’s a cool thing to be a part of.”
Chris Grier:
(Today you had three picks. You started off with getting WR Erik Ezukanma. Wide receiver probably wasn’t at the top of your needs but was that a case of best player available and what did you see with him and his fit here?) – “Yeah, I think with us, we always go down the board and always talk about the best players available. We got to that pick and he was a player we had talked about, we had visited with him, spent some time. Wes (Welker) worked him out, went there and he was on Mike (McDaniel) from day one about getting a Red Raider receiver in here. (laughter) We dealt with Wes all spring talking him up. We had a good workout with him. We had a private workout with him as well. He did a nice job for us. We got to know him and he was the kind of player that fit our profile for what we were looking for. Good kid. Tough. Catches the ball well. He blocks. Run after catch and things. When he was there and we looked at the board, we said we had to take him.”
(A few months ago, not long ago you said that you wanted to add competition at center with C/G Michael Deiter. Obviously, you didn’t come away with any offensive linemen. Was that just a matter of how the board kind of shook out? Did you try to trade up or trade back? Can you try to walk me through not coming away with an offensive lineman?) – “Yeah, we want competition at every position. We still, we do have some competition with the offensive line group. As we’ve gone through here in the spring and Mike (McDaniel) and the coaching staff have been very excited about the group and that’s been the fun part about working with these guys here is they’ve talked about it all spring and then getting on the field with them recently, they’re really excited about it. With us, all through the draft, yeah we try and look at every position but we follow our board. We don’t reach for people. We did try and move up a couple of times but we had limited resources in terms of being able to move around. As we said before, just because the draft is over doesn’t mean we are going to stop looking to improve the roster. We’ll keep working through that all spring and through the summer.”
(What is the plan now for backup center or is this a situation where you might try some other guys at that position?) – “Yeah, I think – every option.”
Mike McDaniel:
“It’s important for a team that you’re a combination of players working together. You give everyone an opportunity that you think fits. We have some good, young competition that we feel good about and you’re trying people at different avenues really just to put people in the best position they can be to be successful. You can’t force the market whether it’s the draft or free agency. You do what you’re most comfortable with for the team, that’s what we’ve continued to do and moving forward, if the opportunity presents itself, we’ll jump on it. Right now, we’re just a group of guys that are all in, trying to learn a new system and get better every day. That’s what we’re most concerned with moving forward.”
Chris Grier:
(Chris, you mentioned that the offensive line group in this draft class stood out to you. I’m just wondering if there was a point in this draft that you were trying to trade up for an offensive lineman or it just didn’t fall right or you didn’t have the resources to do so?) – “Yeah, we were looking but we are happy with the players we got. There were opportunities where we made calls and tried to get some deals done but sometimes the ball bounces that way. For us, Mike (McDaniel) was antsy a couple of times. We were on the phone and we were joking about how no one wanted to do business with us.”
Mike McDaniel:
“You really just want to make sure that – at the end of the day, you have four draft picks. You’re going into both days, or really all three days of the draft saying, ‘You know what – we want to make our team better as best we can.’ You want to feel good about the players that you add. There’s a lot of people that are on the field, a lot of positions to fill, but the bottom line is that we need some Miami Dolphins that our locker room can embrace and that can make the players that we have better and make the team better. That’s what we did and we feel great about that.”
Chris Grier:
(On QB Skylar Thompson, if you could each talk about what interested you in the quarterback and what you thought was appealing about him?) – “Yeah, I think going through the process here, we’ve all kind of seen him over the years. It seems like every year Kansas State pulls a big upset over someone and he has a game that people end up talking about. He’s a competitive kid that’s smart, tough. He’s got some athletic ability. I always appreciate how he played and how their coaches and people around him talked about the character and the person. It was always intriguing and then we got to the point here at the end where there is a guy that has some potential to develop as a quarterback and has some upside. We’re excited. The coaching staff and Mike (McDaniel), I’ll let him speak on that but they followed suit with their work.”
Mike McDaniel:
“You’re excited when you turn on the tape and you see a guy with passion play the position of quarterback. You could feel his command and his competitiveness and that’s something that the entire team benefits from because you’re touching the ball all the time and making decisions. We felt good about that opportunity. I just really like the way he played the game and how competitive he was. I think that everyone will be excited that we added another competitor to the team and move forward in that way. Skylar by far had the best audience, too, around him. (laughter) They were all great but I think he had like several people screaming in his ear and into the phone because it was that loud. A lot of people were excited about it.”
(What was your evaluation of WR Erik Ezukanma?) – “Well, I thought he would be a really good guy to draft. Chris (Grier) agreed, so we drafted him. The cool part about Erik is that he competes and he does it – we’ve talked about it at length. Wes (Welker) believes it and a lot of the receivers in the room are starting to understand it but you can really dictate the toughness and the physicality of the team with how guys go about their business. That’s the one unique thing I think we have is however fast they are, all of our receivers compete and play tough. That’s watching Erik do something similar in a completely different body type. It was exciting to watch him play and I think he fits the energy and the skill level that we’re looking for. We want guys to be fast and play fast and doing both with a decisiveness and a team-first passion that he bleeds. We’re excited to add him. That was the biggest thing, I saw a football player playing the receiver position.”
(The roster the day you were hired and the roster today are remarkably different. I was wondering if you could compare the two and maybe talk about how much better you feel about the players you have?) – “It’s exciting but you’re not sure. I’d like to think that Chris (Grier) thinks that I’m a pretty good coach but then he was aggressively adding a lot of really good players. He recognizes that a good coach needs help, he needs good players. It’s a collective. I’m not sure if it was a compliment or if he was saying, ‘Hey dude, you need some help.’ (laughter) But regardless, the end result I feel very good just about the whole team. It’s not just about the guys that we added. It’s about a collective group of people whether you’re in your first year or you’ve been a Miami Dolphin for two or three years. You want people to all agree on the front end to say, ‘Hey you know what, we’re ready to do something together and full commit to it.’ That’s what I’m most excited about because when I first got here, we didn’t have a team meeting. I was individually meeting people maybe two or three guys a day and then the rest were FaceTime and phone calls. Now, we have the energy of a full nucleus and I know one thing – we have a group of guys with these college guys now joining that are committed to trying to win football games and that’s the best part about the roster now.”
Chris Grier:
(General Manager Chris Grier, you were asked about center and I’m curious about the running back position. Obviously you have quality running backs on the roster but I’m curious if there was a running back or two that you and Head Coach Mike McDaniel and the other coaches liked in that third or fourth round range that would have been an option had it broken a little differently?) – “Yeah, there was one guy that we kind of targeted a little bit and Mike (McDaniel) fell out of his chair when he got picked by somebody.”
Mike McDaniel:
“I mean I was composed. (laughter) I was a professional. I was convinced that I was internalizing it all.”
(The 49ers got a back, right? Was he from Arizona State?) – “The 49ers drafted a running back? I don’t know. We were focused on our four picks.”
Chris Grier:
“Yeah, we were just focused on our guys. (laughter).”
Mike McDaniel:
(Did you guys have any HBCU targets that you guys wanted to bring in during free agency or after this draft as unsigned free agents?) – “There are plenty of good players in college football. They come from all different conferences. That’s competitive as well. It’s just like the draft. There are a lot of players that we feel good about that we would add on our team that we don’t have the opportunity to because of the competitive nature of the selection process and undrafted free agency. There are plenty of players we’ve evaluated, several of which we had high on our board.”
(How are you feeling now that the draft process is over as a head coach? How are you feeling, how was this process for you?) – “I feel like there has been a lot of work done, but nothing has been done if that makes sense. You’re right, you’re in the natural process of at least for a portion of the calendar of the year, you can be focused specifically on one thing and that’s practicing football and getting better at that. That’s relieving, but it’s just the transfer of focus. It’s a cool part of the process. It was fun. I imagine the first night would be a little more climatic in the near future. It was nice to get my feet wet by doing nothing. (laughter) But it was fun. I was very happy with our draft picks on our first day. I just got to watch them practice for the last couple of weeks with Tyreek (Hill). That was good. We felt good about that one. (laughter) I’m excited to move forward and I think a lot of people in the building are too.”
Chris Grier:
(I’m guessing you guys will have a large undrafted free agent class to get into now?) – “Yeah, we think so. We’re in the process of working through that here as the draft ends. We’ll be signing players as always and getting ready for rookie minicamp.”
(Does it benefit you that you don’t have that many draft picks with the undrafted rookie, or is that really a situation that comes down to money?) – “It’s a combination of both. It does help because some teams have had eight, nine, 10 players added at a position. With us it gives you a little more space for opportunities. Kids will look for opportunities with their agent. But at the end of the day, the good players that are left, it always gets competitive with the money.”
(This is you guy’s first time in this process working together in the draft and free agency. I’m curious if you guys learned anything from each other throughout the course of this process the first time around?) – “I learned that he likes sushi. He was crushing sushi on Thursday night.” (laughter)
Mike McDaniel:
“He’s a tough guy to compete with in Cherry Pepsi consumption. I tried to go bottle for bottle with him and I couldn’t keep up. (laughter) That was humbling I guess. No, but it’s been great. You’re excited to get involved in the process and it felt like we’ve worked together for a long time, to the point where I feel like Chris (Grier) looks at me and he’s like, ‘We’ve worked together for a long time, I’m kind of sick of you at this point,’ which I think is good for everyone. (laughter)”
Chris Grier:
“It’s been good, it’s been good. Even when we disagreed on players, we spent time on the players and talking through why and talking with the coaching staff and scouts. It’s been a good process. It has been fun. I think for everybody it has been enjoyable. The scouts, coaches – we’ve had a number of coaches that Mike has hired that have said they’ve enjoyed this process because it’s been different, the openness and communication just from other places they have been. It’s been fun and we feel good about the process but there is still work to be done.”
(Did you end up watching any WR Tyreek Hill highlights?) – “No, we didn’t. (laughter) Practice film, we actually did. Thursday at practice. (laughter)”
Saturday, April 30, 2022
OLB Cameron Goode
(It was reported a couple of weeks ago that you had a pre-draft visit to the Dolphins. How did that visit go, and what did you learn about this defense during your time here?) – “The visit was great. It was honestly, definitely one of my favorites. I love Miami. I’ve always loved Florida. I’m excited to come out here. The coaches are great. I love the coaches. I met with Coach ‘Camp’ (Anthony Campanile) and Coach (Ty) McKenzie. I love the coaches. I felt like I built a good relationship with them and I’m ready to go out there.”
(What do you feel are the things you do best as an outside linebacker? Did you play mostly in a 4-3 or in a 3-4 at Cal?) – “I played in a 3-4. I feel like I’ve been able to get my pass rush better throughout the years. I feel like I’m physical. I’m always going to be physical, setting the edge and things like that. I’m ready to get with Coach McKenzie and rush the passer and get all of that squared away and ball out.”
(You mentioned at the start how much you enjoy Florida and Miami. Tell me about how much time you’ve spent here and what it is about the area that you enjoy?) – “I played baseball for 10 years so I’ve been in Florida for a good amount of times to play baseball tournaments out there. I’ve always loved it. I’ve always said I wanted to live in Florida. It’s really a dream come true. It was my first time in Miami on my visit and I honestly loved it. It’s really crazy it happened.”
(How did baseball lose out to football?) – “Baseball was a little too slow for me. Football was it for me. It was physical. It runs in the family. My dad and great uncle have been in the league. I’m just excited and ready to go. Baseball was fun, but it’s not football.”
(Where did your dad and your great uncle play?) – “My dad got drafted by the Falcons in the fifth round a long time ago and my uncle, I believe it was the Chargers who drafted him. He went first round a long time ago.”
(Going back to your dad, I’m wondering what kind of advice he’s given you for the NFL?) – “He’s always telling me about his experiences. I just know it’s a mental battle and you always got to be mentally strong. It’s a long process. It’s a fight. Everybody is good, so things like that. Stay mentally in it and keep going really and just keep working.”
(I’m wondering how a outside linebacker ended up with the number 19. How did that come about?) – “When I first got to Cal, they gave me No. 41. I wasn’t feeling that, so I asked to change my number and they gave me the options No. 19 or No. 29. I felt like No. 19 was the number. It stuck. I love it now – No. 19.”
Saturday, April 30, 2022
WR Erik Ezukanma
(I just first wanted to ask how much conversation did you have with the Dolphins in the pre-draft process and did you get a feeling that you might be picked by them?) – “Throughout the process, Miami did show a lot of interest and I had a formal (interview) with them at the NFL Combine. That’s where I got this hat. They just showed love throughout the process and for them to pick a spot with me, it was big.”
(My question to you is how does it feel coming to Miami with a loaded wide receiver group such as WR Tyreek Hill and WR Jaylen Waddle, to learn from them for your first year and working with the wide receiver group?) – “It’s going to be a big opportunity. You’ve got a guy like Tyreek Hill who’s done it for a long time. Jaylen Waddle being a rookie last year and putting the numbers he put up, it’s going to be a great opportunity to learn from them and take notes and learn from Wes (Welker) as well. Him being able to coach the guys up and just take a lot in and be a sponge and take a lot of notes and watch a lot of film.”
(I wanted to ask you a little bit more – you just mentioned Wes Welker – how much contact have you had with him? How familiar are you with his background?) – “Oh, you know, he’s a Red Raider. He’s Red Raider blood just like me, so a lot of contact throughout the process and with Wes Welker taking a chance on me and the Miami franchise, I appreciate them so much and I’m grateful for this opportunity and I’m ready just to work.”
(How do you describe your style?) – “Play style?”
(Yes.) – “I’m a versatile guy. I feel like I can fit in right where Jaylen Waddle – the way he can take the ball out of the backfield as well as be a deep threat down the field, but also just a versatile guy with RAC ability and YAC ability – yards after contact and run after the catch. You can put me anywhere on the field and I feel like I can help the team in any situation.”
(I saw that you were a captain as a freshman at Texas Tech. Just wanted to ask you about the importance of kind of the leadership role and being a good locker room guy.) – “Man, the locker room is everything because that’s really where the team collaborates and works together outside of the coaches. And you know, you want to be a player-led program. You want guys in the locker room to uplift each other, not be one of those guys that brings each other down. I’m willing to go in there, learn my role with the team and as I gradually get up in the ranks, earn my respect; I feel like I can hop into that leadership role.”
(Forgive me for not knowing this, but how much special teams, if at all, have you played over your career in college?) – “Yes, sir. I did a lot of front line kickoff return. I was blocking a lot in the front line either in the center or the edge. I did a lot of gunner as well. Also kind of kickoff, the edge guy at No. 9 or 10 coming off the edge, being the fold player.”
(I’ve always wondered what it was like to be a gunner. When you did that, what was your approach?) – “It was kind of just like being a receiver, getting off the line and running as fast as you can down the field before the punt returner catches the ball. If that’s what they need me to do, I’ll do whatever it takes to make it on the roster.”
(I saw you’re 6’2”, a bigger receiver, bigger body. What do you think about your ability to make contested catches? Is that an area that you like about your game?) – “That’s one of my strong suits. I feel like throughout my career I’ve really worked on contested catches, bang-bang plays. I feel like in the beginning of my career at Tech, that was one of the places I struggled at, but I gained more confidence with that and just getting bigger in the weight room, buying into the weight room and being able to make those contested catches even if a defender is on my back or hitting me at the same time. So I feel like that’s one of my high points of my game.”
(One of seven children, single mother supporting you guys as a nurse. I just wanted to ask you about the impact your mom had in your life?) – “She is really the reason why I’m sitting right here today. I really believe that because I’ve watched her grind every day working nights – 5 p.m. to 7 a.m. in the morning and going right back to it. Growing up I had to grow up fast. Being the older brother and little brother at the same time, I had to get them out of the house and go to school and I also had to go to school myself. It was growing up really fast. I feel like without her, I couldn’t have watched her work ethic and watch her grind. I feel like all of that grinding is instilled in me. I feel like that’s why I’m here right now.”
(Just because of the last name, is there any African heritage in there because I’m Nigerian myself, so I had to ask.) – “Nigerian, yes sir. I’m Nigerian. I’ve never been to Nigeria, so I hope to make that trip out there. I have a lot of siblings, so my mom really hasn’t been able to get us out there. But I definitely want to get out there and get with some relatives.”
(I wanted to ask you about head coach Mike McDaniel. We’re all enjoying getting to know him. I’m wondering what your impressions of this guy was when you talked to him.) – “Man, great guy. I feel like I really haven’t got to know him yet. I want to really get to know him because that’s going to be my head coach and with that, I want to learn from him, ask him a lot of questions, get with the staff and really just have them pour into me and be that guy that they can trust.”
(I found your logo on the interweb – the EE with the lightning bolt. Did you choose the lightning bolt? Was that your design? And if so, why?) – “The lightning bolt is also considered a Z in the logo – EZE. The lightning bolt is to express my speed, how explosive I am, the way I play ball. It’s just a representation of me and the way I play. Just a little cool design that I thought was nice. We put it on some t-shirts and things.”
(I have to ask you about your connection to Patrick Mahomes. I believe you trained with him and maybe received some words of encouragement and advice. What can you tell us about that?) – “It was a cool experience. I went out to the place he works out at and worked out twice actually. The first time I went over there and we worked out, he was very encouraging. He was letting me know the grind doesn’t stop here. Basically you’re going to get drafted and you’re going to be grinding until the next offseason, and with that, you got to stay hungry and be the first one into the film room and have a note or pen whenever you’re learning anything. And just be a sponge throughout the process because they are looking for that and they want to see you be the first in line in every situation.”
(What excites you about getting to know and getting to play with QB Tua Tagovailoa?) – “I watched Tua in the national championship when I was a kid a couple of years ago, just hoping to be in that same situation as him. To watch him grow in the NFL and learn, obviously it’s going to be an experience. I want to come in and get with him as soon as possible and run as many routes as he wants me to run just to get that chemistry going and that friendship going.”
