OL Greg Mancz
(What was your reaction when the trade went down?) – “I was really excited. I was actually driving down to play a different preseason game. I got a call and flew out right away. I’m extremely excited still. I consider myself very fortunate.”
(What did Miami tell you about why they brought you here?) – “Honestly they told me to compete. I’m going to try to add value, do whatever they need me to do, wherever they need me to do it and just play hard.”
(Obviously you overlapped with Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey in Houston. What do you remember about him from that time, about the offensive line, and how excited are you to reunite with him?) – “Coach Godsey actually taught me a lot about football. I came in, I was obviously a rookie back then and my second year and stuff, so I was just beginning to understand pro football because it’s so complex. I’m appreciative of what he taught me and I’m excited to get a chance to work with him again. Obviously nothing stays the same from week to week, not to mention year to year, so there are a lot of things I need to learn, but I’m excited.”
(Has QB Tua Tagovailoa asked you for anything special? I know some quarterbacks like towels on the butt and things like that?) – “I’ll get there. Right now I’m just trying to prove to these guys that I’m worthy to be on the field with them. Whenever you come to a new team, I need to do a good job of proving that I’m worth one of the 53 spots so I’m just going to keep trying to put my best foot forward every day.”
(It does get hot out there so you’ll have to keep your hands dry.) – “Yes, it’s very hot. Yes.”
(Head Coach Brian Flores mentioned that leadership is one thing that he had heard about you. Can you describe what you’ve done, how you can kind of go about that and what do you hope to bring to a new team?) – “As a joke, I was studying leadership for my master’s degree in college. But no, I think my job as a player and eventually hopefully some day to be a leader somewhere is to learn how the culture is and sort of immerse yourself in it. I don’t think I could be a leader here until I learn how everyone works and gain the respect of my teammates. That’s really my only goal right now is to prove every single day that I’m worth a spot and I’m happy to be here.”
(I think you’ve played center and guard in the NFL, right?) – “Yes.”
(Have you ever taken a tackle snap in the NFL?) – “In the NFL, no.”
(But in college?) – “Oh, yeah. Wherever they need me I’ll give it my best.”
(Does it help you at all with the familiarity coming back here with Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey?) – “It’s my second day. I might be able to give you a better answer here in a couple of weeks; but a lot of NFL offenses have some similarities. I just need to figure out all of the lingo, the terminology, how things work. Like I said, I’m just figuring it all out still.”
(With the roster relatively set, what are your initial impressions of just the way the organization operates?) – “I can’t tell you how happy I was and how amazing everyone I’ve met in this building has been. From picking me up at the airport to helping me figure out everything. I’m not from Florida. I’m from Ohio. Everyone has been so positive and amazing. It’s something you’re excited to be a part of. I’m not saying other organizations aren’t like that, but it’s just been really nice for me because like you said, I’ve been here three days and the season is upon us. I’m trying to learn the offense and focus on the season.”
(They didn’t send G/T Rob Hunt to pick you up at the airport did they?) – “No. (laughter)”
(WR Will Fuller, LB Brennan Scarlett – anybody else you’ve played with, anybody in your past?) – “Those are the two that are on the active roster. I’ve played with both of them for five years. I know Will texted me. He might have texted me before I even understood I got traded because we’ve had a lot of time together, and then ‘B-Scar’ (Brennan Scarlett) texted me that night because we were talking about just some nuances. I was sort of asking where’s the hotel, how do I do this, how close is the facility and that sort of stuff. They’ve both been a great help already. I actually knew some of the other guys through training. One guy – (Michael) Deiter, the starting center – grew up in a hometown right by Toledo where I played college ball. He brought that up, so we talked a little bit. There are always connections as you get older, but ‘B-Scar’ and Will have been a huge help for me so far.”
(A lot of young guys on the line that you have to play with. What have you learned from them in the short time you’ve been here?) – “The first thing that I noticed is how much fun they have at practice. They are young, excited and full of energy. I came from a team with a lot of older vets. They are just excited. It’s just a different vibe. I’m excited to figure out how I fit, where I fit and how I can help.”
G Solomon Kindley
(We found it interesting that other starters on the offensive line didn’t play the rest of the final preseason game. You played. Can you tell us what you heard about the decision to getting that time out there?) – “Coach wanted me to play so I strapped it on and went out there with my brothers. Whatever coach needs me to do, I’m here for the team.”
(Did you find something of value in that final preseason game?) – “For sure, no doubt. I might have been the only one playing out there but I can’t put bad stuff on field. Just go out there and play like I’m next to (Michael) Deiter or I’m next to Austin Jackson.”
(You moved a lot from the first, second and third team the first couple of weeks of training camp but it seems like the last two weeks, you’ve really been entrenched at that left guard spot. What has kind of clicked for you and being able to really get settled with the first team and keep that spot?) – “I’m working hard every day. I don’t look at where I’m at week to week because everybody has something to prove. So I come to practice every day bashing on myself and being hard on myself like somebody is trying to take my position. That’s every play and every rep I take. Me being with the ones right now doesn’t mean anything.”
(What do you want to still work on since you said you’re such a hard critic?) – “Just my technique with my hands in pass pro and my pad level in the run game.”
(Offensive Line Coach Lemuel Jeanpierre mentioned that he likes to keep track of finishes. I’m wondering who should I install as the favorite for total finishes – you or G/T Robert Hunt?) – “My mama always told me not to talk about yourself and let somebody else tell you. So hey, that’s all I’m going to say. (laughter) You know I’m going to go with myself. I think I’m the finisher on the offensive line. I think I’m going to get a good bit of pancakes and a good bit of finishes on the field.”
(Speaking of pancakes, who eats the most pancakes on the team?) – “Honestly, let me think. I really don’t know. I don’t know who eats the most pancakes on the team. (laughter)”
(G/T Robert Hunt said yesterday that he’s good on the grill. Have you ever gotten a chance to…) – “(laughter I’m the grill master. I’m the grill master. You can ask Raekwon (Davis). When we first got here our rookie year, he came over – I forgot what holiday it was – and I put something on the grill and he was like, ‘Oh, boy. I didn’t know you could do this here.’ (laughter)”
(So your mom’s advice, does it pertain to talking about your skills on the grill?) – “(laughter) See that’s a little different. That’s a little different. You can talk about the grill. But other than that, you can leave everything else out.”
(Why did you make that face when he said G/T Robert Hunt said that?) – “That’s my brother, man. He’s a good griller, too. How about that? He’s a great griller, too. He can grill really good, too. (laughter)”
(What’s the most important thing to do when you’re grilling? What’s the secret?) – “Let your charcoals cook for a long time. Don’t let them stay black. Let them get grey to the point to where you touch them, they go to dust. That’s when the grill is mostly hot. Then clean your grill really, really good. You don’t want to put your meat on a grill after you grilled like two months ago. Clean your rails and everything because your meat could come out black and it isn’t even done on the inside.”
(What about the seasoning?) – “Oh yeah, you know I get down with the seasoning. (laughter) I got a whole little cabinet with the seasoning. I got good seasoning. I season it real good.”
(What’s your go to?) – “I can’t tell you that. (Laughter) I can’t tell you that. You might steal it (laughter).”
(How did you accumulate your spice jar? Is it you going to the store and picking out stuff yourself?) – “You know I’m a big dude, so grilled food is best for me. That’s my go to. I go grilled chicken, grilled fish, grilled everything so that’s why I had to specialize in it.”
(G Robert Jones made the 53. What have you seen out of him and what impressed you?) – “That’s my boy, I got my locker right next him. He’s a very hard worker and like my boy Greg (Mancz) said, they come to practice happy. We come to practice happy as first year and second year players. We want to get better. It’s a great opportunity to be around something this special. He really picked up on it because he came from a JUCO and then went to Middle Tennessee (State) and now he is in a big organization like this. He’s capitalizing on it. He’s a great player.”
(Did you see the viral play of G Robert Jones in the last preseason? How would you describe it, what he did to a man?) – “We saw it while we were on the sideline and our coach had to say, ‘Get back! Get back!’ We almost ran on the field and were happy for our guy. It’s a brotherhood in that room so when those guys get in the game and make plays like that, we are excited for them.”
(How would you describe what he did?) – “That’s a vet block. That’s a 10-year vet block. I’ll say that.”
(What’s the chemistry like for you guys as an o-line going into year two? A lot of you guys were rookies last year.) – “During the offseason, that was one of our things. Our coach wanted us, even though some people weren’t here, we always talk to each other. Talk to each other because offensive line, all five of us have to be good. One person can’t be bad or it’ll be a negative play but if all five are good, it can be a positive play. It’s like that everywhere on the field, but offensive line is so important. To give a call from the right side all the way to the left side. Our chemistry came together when we were in the offseason, talking to each other and everything, that brotherhood outside of here, we are very close. We are always laughing and sending TikToks back and forth. All type of stuff.”
(What’s the team O-line bonding experience look like? What do you do?) – “We will go to TopGolf and we will just kick it for two hours. Definitely going to sweat at TopGolf. I did not know you sweat that much at TopGolf. (laughter) I did not know that.”
(Who’s the best golfer in the group?) – “Not me. (laughter) Not me, not me.”
(Earlier this week the QB Deshaun Watson rumors came out and yesterday and today Head Coach Brian Flores is saying QB Tua Tagovailoa is our quarterback. When you hear that as a member of this team, that he is our quarterback, how does that make you feel as a teammate? How do you think the rest of the team takes that?) – “I love every single quarterback here and I’m sticking with whatever quarterback ‘Coach Flo’ (Brian Flores) puts out there. I’m going to do my job no matter who he puts out there. Like he said Tua, so I love Tua and I’m going to block for Tua.”
(G/T Robert Hunt told us yesterday that he just learned how to drive last year.) – “(laughter) He can drive, he can drive now. When we first got here last year, we were driving to go somewhere on the expressway and he texted me, ‘Hey dude, slow down. I’m going 60 miles per hour. I don’t even go that fast.’ I’m like bro, what do you want me to do? He said, ‘Just sent me the location, I’ll just meet you there because you’re going too fast.’ I’m like bro, we are both in the slow lane! I’m not even going fast! I think he’s used to it now. I think he’s pretty good. He doesn’t need no ride or a Lyft or a Uber no more. He can make his own way down.”
(We just met your new teammate, OL Greg Mancz. What’s your first impressions of him?) – “He’s a great dude. I picked his brain a little bit, asked him how many years he’s been in the league, how many teams he’s played for and stuff. I see he’s got vet experience and he’s been in the league for a long time. That’s another person I can feed off of because I want to be in the NFL that long. He’s a very hard worker. He’s pretty smart picking up on the plays easily. I think he’s going to be pretty good and adapt well to the offensive line.”
DT John Jenkins
(So it turns out there’s only two guys on the 53-man roster over the age of 30 – you and DB Jason McCourty. Obviously a young team. As a veteran, what are some things that might not be so obvious that you can kind of help guys with here or there?) – “Building a routine to be consistent. Everybody knows that this is a ‘what have you done for me lately?’ type of league, so the thing obviously us being at this age – we’re being the old guys in the locker room – we obviously know what it takes to be consistent and be available so that’s a big thing that we can teach the young guys to develop a routine and how to be a professional. That way when your number is called, the ones who are not playing but have an opportunity – one injury or whatever the case may be – that they’re ready. So that’s one thing I can bring to the table.”
(Do you remember when you started your career your first couple of years, was there a particular veteran who was very helpful to you?) – “I was blessed. I was with the Jonathan Vilmas – rest in peace, Will Smith – Brodrick Bunkley, the Malcolm Jenkins’, the Roman Harpers and those guys, right? And Brodrick took care of me. He made sure all I needed to do was just bring breakfast sandwiches and anything else I was good because all I did was wanted to get better. And by ‘Bunk’ (Brodrick Bunkley) being the starting nose tackle – this was in 2013 with the New Orleans Saints – I just watched him. And by watching him and wanting to get better, he taught me how to be a professional. A couple years later, then I had the opportunity to play with Kevin Williams. So I was blessed to have legit vets who made a name and established themselves to a greater standing and pedestal in this league. I’m trying to be that to these guys coming in and the guys who are here now.”
(Are there any guys you can point to that you can try to take under your wing like that?) – “To be honest with you, this D-line group is very unique. We all have our own personalities, but everybody knows that – Christian Wilkins and (Adam) Butler, Zach (Sieler), Raekwon (Davis) – but the thing is we came together and developed a bond so quick. That’s not the norm sometimes, especially with the things we’re dealing with – this whole pandemic and everybody trying to be safe and not being able to do the dinners outside of football or hang out with each other because of everything that’s going on. We managed to develop a bond and not even with just the D-line group, but just the team itself. The D-line is joking with O-line, linebackers joking with O-line, quarterbacks. And I’ve been on teams where that’s not the case. It’s the league; some guys, they feel like they’re better than others and the things they accomplish, they have the right to feel that way, I guess. I don’t know. But this group is different and I can honestly say that it’s tough to try to take somebody under the wing because we’re all taking each other under each other’s wings if that makes sense.”
(Speaking of your relationships in the D-line room, do you at DT Christian Wilkins have any kind of wager – any kind of bet for this weekend?) – “Aw man, I don’t gamble. I don’t gamble. I learned a long time ago, 14 years old being from Connecticut playing Three-card Monte in the Bronx. Saved up all summer – my work all summer to save up money. I lost it. Ever since then, it’s not even in me. (laughter) I prefer bragging rights or hey, we’ll go out to eat. But other than that, I stay away from that.”
(What’s your prediction for Saturday?) – “We’re going to win. I guess people – I don’t even know. I hear things about, I don’t know, spreads and whatever. I don’t know. I just – I’m a Bulldog. Bulldog for life so that means more to me than anything.”
(Were you given a heads up prior to the last preseason game like, “Hey, you’re safe. Plan to be on the roster?” So cut day I guess was yesterday, right? So were you sweating it out at all or you knew you were good?) – “I never felt that way. I always try to play to my last game and I enjoy the process and that’s the one thing that’s allowed me to play this long because if you don’t enjoy the process, then why do it? So if that was ever the case, it didn’t bother or I didn’t care for it because I enjoy the process. Practice, whatever I’ve got to do. I’m always telling (Austin) Clark, I’m hovering; because him and I – we’re developing a relationship so I’m always there. So I’m enjoying the process. All that stuff doesn’t mean anything to me.”
(As a veteran who’s been on many teams…) – “Wow, ‘many teams.’” (laughter)
(What stands about to you about this roster?) – “The fact that we gelled so quick. My rookie year – being able to make the playoffs and seeing how the playoffs develops, what happens in the playoffs and how quickly the sense of urgency, you know? That year, we had a great team. We gelled. Being on ‘many teams,’ (laughter) when I was in Seattle, it was the same type of vibe and chemistry and this is the same type of vibe and chemistry that I experienced and we’re just going to ride this wave. We enjoy one another so I like that.”
(What was your reaction when the Patriots said that Mac Jones was going to be in and Cam Newton was out?) – “I don’t even pay attention to that. And that’s not me being politically correct; I don’t even have cable. I don’t know. I just – whoever I play, whoever is up that week – I just try to keep it real simple so I can do my job.”
LB Elandon Roberts
(What were your thoughts on seeing what happened to LB Benardrick McKinney?) – “It’s a part of the NFL. You hate to see anyone get cut but it’s just another part of the business. I wish him nothing but the best.”
(What does it say to you about the team’s confidence in you coming back off PUP from the offseason? The confidence in your abilities.) – “Me, myself, I’m going to continue to take it one day at a time. That’s my status.”
(What has the grind been like for you, coming back from the knee the last eight months or so?) – “It’s been a long one. I talk about the Dark Grind all the time. That’s my own little thing. There’s no light at the end of the tunnel. You just got to keep digging, keep digging like that and then keep digging. It’s still going to be day-to-day. You start to see the light at the end of the tunnel, you start to get complacent. And if you get complacent in this league, you got that one behind you still grinding, still digging.”
(What’s the tone in the building this week? It feels kind of like a game week but you actually have two weeks. Do you feel like you’re trying different ways to take advantage of extra game prep?) – “Every day we come in and meet as a team. We know the expectations. Like I said, everyone in the NFL has turned the page to Week 1. We will continue to get better each day leading up to Week 1.”
(Speaking of Week 1, what did you think about the Patriots naming QB Mac Jones the starter?) – “Definitely was surprised. When you have to cut to 53, everyone around the league had big surprises and stuff like that. Like I said, it’s just a part of it. Now we know we will be getting ready for Mac.”
(How different is the feel at practice now that the business of cutting the roster and getting the team established to 53 has been taken care of?) – “You are going to have crazy stuff this whole year in this business. Every team makes all type of cuts throughout the year. All you can do is come and work every day, focus on your job and continue to build on each day. If you start thinking about all the distractions that go on in the NFL, you’re not going to be able to do your job. As a team, we just block out distractions and keep coming in every day and know what we need to do to make sure we are getting better and the team gets better.”
(There’s only five guys on the whole defense with more NFL experience than you. What kind of an impact can older guys who have been around have on a team and a locker room beyond what they do on Sunday?) – “I’ll be honest with you, I can tell you experience, to a certain extent, really doesn’t mean anything. You still have to come in every day, do your job and take your job serious. You can have the most experience on the team and still put yourself in bad situations and stuff like that. Like I said, as a team we just try and come in and get better each day. Whether you have been in the league 10 (years), five (years or a) rookie, every day is a day to get better. That’s all we can worry about.”
(There was a report out and Head Coach Brian Flores told us today that QB Tua Tagovailoa is the team’s quarterback. The fact that he told you guys in the team meeting that Tagovailoa is the quarterback, what does that mean to you guys as his teammates on the other side of the ball or just in general?) – “Who told y’all about our team meetings? (Laughter) Y’all aren’t going to rat him out? (laughter) Nah, each player comes in each day and they’ve got a job to do. Tua, he comes in each day and is very professional. Like I said, age doesn’t mean anything. He comes in with his best foot forward every day. He’s our quarterback. Like Tua supports each of his teammates, we support Tua. Like I said, we are going to take it week in and week out.”
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(Obviously you know Patriots QB Mac Jones well. What is it going to be like for you guys Week 1?) – “I think it’s going to be competitive. Just knowing Mac Jones since I got there – we got in at the same time at Alabama – he’s a very competitive guy. He’s very smart, athletic, instinctive; and I know he’s going to do all he can to get his guys ready offensively for our team. That’s what I’m trying to do for our guys is getting ready for the Patriots next week.”
(Have you talked with him at all? Any communication?) – “No. I haven’t been able to talk to Mac. But if he’s going to watch sometime or if this is going to be running on ESPN, good luck, Mac. (laughter)”
(Is there a little part of you that’s a little bit happy for him even though he’s your rival?) – “Oh, of course. Like I’ve said, we got to Alabama the same year at the same time. He enrolled early, I enrolled early. There’s a lot of meetings we’ve been through together and a lot of football we’ve seen throughout our college years, and a lot of coaching that we’ve been through together. I’m very happy for him.”
(Head Coach Brian Flores came out today and said to us very strongly, he said ‘Tua is our quarterback.’ What does that mean to you?) – “I think it means a lot with it coming from the head coach. The support that I have from him and from the team, it means a lot. But for me, I’m just focused literally on trying to get our guys ready for next week.”
(I know you’re a focused quarterback and Head Coach Brian Flores’ message has been to block everything out, but how do you compartmentalize everything that flows with Deshaun Watson and everything that’s mentioned?) – “What’s funny is I heard ‘Jenk’ (John Jenkins) just say he doesn’t have cable. I’m one of those guys that doesn’t have cable too. (laughter) I’m not able to turn on my TV and watch what’s going on to see the news and whatnot. Now obviously I know social media is a big deal but really, I only hear about those things either from my agents or if it comes from (someone in the building) or if Coach (Flores) wants to sit down and talk to me about things like that. That’s kind of how I find out a lot of the talk that’s going on.”
(Did you have a sit-down with Head Coach Brian Flores after this or was it just in the team meeting?) – “No, I have many sit-downs with Coach Flores. I mean if you will, we pretty much talk every day whether it’s a private conversation in his office or a private conversation to the side before practice starts. Whatever it may be, we’re always talking.”
(What about Stephen Ross? Have you talked to him?) – “I’ve never. I’ve never gotten to talk to Mr. Ross unless it was after a football game.”
(How is your mental health? Did you leave social media a little bit behind because it was good for your mental health? Why is that reason?) – “I think really, social media is good just so you can stay in contact with people that you’re not in contact with. But I think for me, more often than not, it’s more so for a lot of the marketing things that go on. (laughter)”
(G/T Robert Hunt was telling us yesterday – he told us a lot of stuff – that he learned to drive last year at the age of 24, which was a cool story.) – “Wait, Rob Hunt? He just learned to drive?”
(Yeah, last year.) – “Wow! Ok, that’s good to know. (laughter)”
(G/T Robert Hunt also said he ate all of the sausages that you gave him and that he loves the Traeger grill. The reason I bring this up is Quarterbacks Coach Charlie Frye said to ask you for any specifics about how you take care of your guys, meaning not just the offensive line but is there any way other than giving guys a nice grill that you’ve connected with not only the linemen but all of the players in the locker room or all of the players on offense?) – “Yeah, I think I’ve been able to work with a lot of the guys in the offseason, training, throwing with them. I’ve been able to go out to lunch with a lot of the guys we have offensively and defensively, as well. The Traeger situation was just a Christmas gift for our O-line. The O-line doesn’t get enough love. And you give them some food with that so there’s stuff to grill on their Traeger as well. Hopefully they can appreciate that enough to protect you in the back. (laughter)”
(How much can you take advantage of almost two full game weeks leading up to Week 1?) – “I think every – even the game I didn’t play against Cincy, I think you can take advantage of all of those because we were practicing that week and we were practicing as if that was our game week. I think there’s always something that you can learn from throughout those weeks of practices and then game play, as well. But yeah, I would say it’s a continuation of learning for me and our guys up front and for the entirety of the team.”
(This is the first full training camp for you that’s over. What have you gathered about maybe yourself and the offense throughout this camp?) – “I’ve gathered that we’ve taken a lot of reps offensively and defensively. This is the first time we’ve done two-spot, I think, where we’re on one field and once we’re done, there’s a rotation and now we’re moving onto a separate field and doing different things. Just being able to get reps with the guys. For me, it’s hard to look at something – say for instance we’re in the film room, it’s hard for me to just look at something and say, ‘Oh, I see that. I’ve got it. I’ll be able to go out there on the field and get it.’ How things kind of resonate for me is we see it in the film room, we go out and we rep it and we rep it and we rep it, and that’s kind of how it sticks with me. I think that’s for a lot of guys on our team. That’s how a lot of the guys get comfortable with running a route, making a block, making a pass, catching the ball, whatever it may be. I think that’s been very beneficial.”
(You mentioned how much the support from teammates means to you. As the quarterback of this team, what do you take from that? What does that enable you to do in terms of whether it’s taking charge in the huddle or just being able to know that you’re going to make plays and build that confidence? Where do you build on that once you know that you have the support?) – “I think just the confidence in general and being able to be myself with the guys, and not forcing myself to be someone that I’m not. Coming in the huddle, screaming at guys, that’s not who I am. I’ll pull guys to the side after series and I’ll talk to them and tell them what I thought on this play and then hear what their thoughts are. Then, I’ve always said this, we come to an agreement in between of what we think will work for the team, or what will work best for that specific play.”
(Do you think the team is ready to go? Or do you think there’s something in particular that you need to work on in the next few days?) – “Well, I’m glad that we have this week and next week because this is going to be a tough team that we face. It’s going to be the first game for us to pretty much see every look. They’re very similar to our defense. We’ve been able to see that throughout this entire camp. But I think it’s going to come down to execution. Communication is going to be a big deal up front for us; but eliminating a lot of the bad plays, as well.”
(We talked to Head Coach Brian Flores a little earlier and he talked about how some of the offense this year is pulling some college schemes and maybe some things you did back at Alabama. How much does that help you comfort-wise with whatever was integrated this offseason?) – “I think whatever ‘Flo’ (Brian Flores) and the coaches do, they do it for the best interest of the team. I don’t think it’s necessarily just for me but it’s for the talent that we have as well, whether it’s getting guys open deep, getting guys open throughout the middle, throughout the outside, and trying to take advantage of throws and matchups with guys as far as personnel and things like that.”
Head Coach Brian Flores
(You had some tough decisions to make with the 53-man roster. What were you trying to get to with some of the veterans that were released?) – “We always try to do what’s best for the team. A lot of tough decisions really across the board, starting last week or a couple of weeks ago, and then culminating yesterday or the last couple of days. They are all tough decisions – veterans, some younger players who we thought played in practice well. We can only keep 53 and 16 on the practice squad. A lot of tough decisions, but we’ll always try to do what’s best for the team.”
(Can you detail what CB Trill Williams and G Robert Jones showed you throughout camp and the preseason to make the 53?) – “I think two young guys who really made a lot of improvement from the spring to the early part of training camp, then getting into games and doing some nice things. We just felt like two young guys that we could continue to develop and work with. We feel like with continued development, we may have something; but still a lot of that is on their plate. We see some potential but they’re going to have to continue doing the things they started to do – from a work ethic standpoint, from a routine standpoint. I think (they are) two competitive guys that want to get better. I think if we just continue to work with them, they’ll have a chance.”
(There was a report that you addressed players and staff and stated that ‘QB Tua Tagovailoa is our quarterback.’ What can you tell us? Is that accurate? What was the message? And why did you choose to deliver a message about Tua?) – “You guys know this, I don’t really get into conversations I have with the team, players. Those conversations are private. Like I’ve said before, I think it’s just common courtesy to keep those conversations between myself and the player or the team. I will say that Tua is our quarterback. I think he’s had a good training camp. I think he’s made a lot of progress. I think he’s made a lot of improvement and we’re pleased with where he is. He’s going through his preparations for New England the way he should be, and that’s where we are as a team.”
(It’s always important for players to feel that you have their back. But is it that much more important for the quarterback to feel that way, do you think?) – “Yeah, I think it’s important for players on the team to feel like they have the support of their teammates, their coaches and everyone in the organization. I think that’s very important. Yeah, I think that’s important.”
(Do you think that team meeting you had yesterday, do you think that was enough? Do you think there is still a process of kind of maybe regaining some trust or anything that needs to happen further?) – “Again, I’m not going to get into what was said in the team meeting. I think we’ve got a team full of guys who work hard, who will support one another, who are tough, who are smart, who love to play and are team-first. We’ll go out to practice today and try to improve and get better and prepare for an upcoming game.”
(Your roster has three running backs and 11 receivers/tight ends. When you go into that meeting to put together the 53, how much is the balance of the roster enter that conversation compared to just taking the top 53 guys?) – “I think there is a lot of conversations around depth at some positions versus keeping the guys we feel are the best players. At the end of the day, we did keep a number of tight ends and receivers. We feel good about it. We feel good about those players. If it’s one player over another, that was a choice we had to make. Again, we always try to make the decisions that we feel are best for the team.”
(With the Patriots claiming RB/WR Malcolm Perry, how much does that affect changes you might have to make with your offensive playbook and calls between now and the opener?) – “Malcolm is a tough kid, a hard-working kid. He’s smart. I wish him all the best. As far as changes, I don’t think there are very many changes. This happens, really quite a bit I would say, where you end up with a player who’s on a team that you are going to play down the road or in this case, it will be the next game. I don’t think we’ll make very many changes. I don’t think we’ll make very many changes.”
(What about the player that was added – DB Elijah Campbell, the defensive back? What do you know about his skillset?) – “Tough, fast, tackles well. He can play in the kicking game. We felt like he’d be a good addition. I’m glad we got him.”
(After the tough day yesterday, how important is it for your guys, your team, to know that you have their back so that they can give everything for the team on the first week of the season?) – “I think our guys – they’re a tough group. They play hard, they prepare well and it’s important to them. I think playing well is important to them, to each guy. I think that supersedes really everything. It’s a good group. I’m lucky to coach them and we’ll keep coaching them hard.”
(I know you said what you said about QB Tua Tagovailoa. Is he going to be your Week 1 starter?) – “Yes. I don’t know if I can be more clear. (laughter) I don’t know how many times – I don’t know how much more clear I can be here. Tua is the starter. Do I need to say it again? I will.”
(I’m curious, obviously this year QB Ryan Fitzpatrick isn’t here. QB Tua Tagovailoa has been the guy throughout. How much did you reach back to maybe his Alabama times to maybe try to form this offense and what you want it to look like?) – “I think you always want or try to do things that fit the skillset of your players – receivers, tight ends, quarterback, offensive line, safeties, corners, d-line. And there’s always different themes, different concepts that show up. You grab from the college game, from other professional teams wherever. If you think they fit the skillset of the players you have, then you try to use them. We have used some concepts – some college concepts. We’ve used some, let’s call it ‘professional concepts’ as well. And you kind of put all those together and you try to put together a game plan that fits the quarterback, but also the rest of the players on the team. That’s a collaborative effort from our offensive coaching staff. I think they’re always trying to put our players in the best position to have success and obviously the quarterback is a big part of that.”
(The roster – it only has two guys over the age of 30. One of them is DT John Jenkins. What role does his leadership and experience play into the decision to keep him on the roster?) – “John (Jenkins) was here in ’19. Didn’t have him last year, but we were happy to get him back this past offseason. Leadership is a big thing. It’s probably the first thing that comes to mind when I think of him, but he’s a good player, too. He’s already kind of taken some of the younger players under his wing and teaching them how to be professionals and talk about some of the things he wished he would have done as a young player that he does now. I think from a leadership standpoint he does a nice job.”
(Someone did some research. At this time last year, you guys had the second-youngest roster by age in the NFL and now you’re all the way up to 14th-youngest. Does that feel about right?) – “I think we’ve got a young team. If we’re 14th – there’s probably a small difference between 14th and fourth, but we’ve got a young team. It’s a bunch of hard-working young guys who football is important to them and as coaches, it’s a group we can mold and I think that’s what coaching is all about.”
(You guys made a couple trades on the offensive line these past few weeks. How comfortable are you where that position group as a whole in terms of your front five and your depth right now?) – “I’m comfortable. I think a lot of those guys have played a lot of football together last year and this training camp. So I think they do a good job as a group, as a unit – going through the material, practicing it, going through the material again, practicing it. I think there’s communication – good communication – but they’re always kind of working on it. And they’ve got a good feel for working with one another, I would say, over the past couple years. (There’s a) couple new guys in there, too, and we’ve mixed and matched I think enough where they all feel comfortable playing. I feel good, but we’re still just trying to improve and get better every day.”
(You talked a little bit about it yesterday with Patriots QB Mac Jones. You spent time with him at the Senior Bowl. What do you remember about him at the Senior Bowl?) – “Smart. He has a process of how he goes through things throughout the week and I think it’s a good process. He’s a tough kid. You can kind of feel that tough mentally, tough physically; you see that in his play and I was impressed by him.”
(I wanted to ask you about your depth at linebacker. Obviously we don’t know what the practice squad looks like right now, but seven guys on. A couple of them have battled some injuries during training camp. LB Elandon Roberts is nine months into a knee rehab. Do you feel like that unit is deep enough to carry you through a 17-game season?) – “I do. I think it’s a group – and we talk linebacker and we talk personnel groupings – sometimes there’s three, sometimes there’s two, sometimes there’s one, sometimes there’s none. So I feel good about where we’re at and kind of the conversations we’ve had defensively and what we want to do and how we want to use those guys, that group, along with some of the other groups. We feel comfortable. Like you said, there’s always the potential for injuries and hopefully we’ll add some guys to the practice squad that we’ll feel good that if they needed to step in, they could step in. So we feel good about where we’re at.”
(If I could go back to Patriots QB Mac Jones a little bit, what do you – obviously every quarterback is different, but defending a rookie quarterback – is there something that as a defense that you guys can do for a rookie specifically to make his first start difficult?) – “I think you try to make it difficult for any quarterback. Rookie – kind of goes through that position, but it doesn’t just happen because you talk about it. Everyone is saying that every week and we’ve got to prepare the right way. We’ve got to get lined up, have good communication so that we can have good execution because if we don’t do that, then we’re not going to make it hard for anybody. So rookie, 15-year vet – we’ve got to execute defensively in order to make it hard for the opposition. So that’s kind of my thought on it. There’s been plenty of rookies who have gone out and played well and we’ve got to execute.”
