Friday, July 29, 2022
LB Jerome Baker
(Do you want Durant?) – “Durant?”
(You know, to the Heat. Do you think they should get Kevin Durant?) – “Oh, I mean, if he’s willing to come to the Heat, I love it. I love going to Heat games, so that would be fun.”
(There have been a lot of interesting tweets, so why do you say that you regret getting the vaccine?) – “For me, it’s just that I don’t like putting just things in my body. I know the purpose of it is to help and fight off the virus, but for me, I don’t like putting things in my body. That’s really the main thing. I’m not saying the vaccine is bad or anything like that, just me personally, I’m one of those guys that if I’m sick, I’d rather just be sick and fight it out. I’m not going to take medicine or anything like that. That was the real reason. It’s not a ‘the vaccine is bad,’ or ‘I’m afraid of what’s going to happen,’ or anything like that. It’s just I wish I just would have taken the approach of I’d rather just deal with it when it comes.”
(So if you get sick, you don’t even take medicine?) – “So when I get sick, I take the approach of – I like to go outside, I like to sweat. I like to just be very hydrated – that’s my approach of when I get sick. It’s not sit in the bed and mope and just be sick. I like to get …”
(You wouldn’t take any Robitussin?) – “No, I’m just that guy. I would rather just try to fight it out (and) let my body do what it does.”
(I want to ask you about the two most prominent additions in the defense, it’s mostly the same. LB Melvin Ingram, what you’ve noticed so far from him and what you’ve noticed from LB Channing Tindall.) – “Melvin (Ingram), the guy is just explosive, man. He’s only – he’s a veteran, he knows what he’s doing. When we just pop on the film, he can just make plays. With Channing (Tindall), he’s young, but you can see all the potential he has. Just with any rookie, you just try to get the playbook down (and) you’re just trying to get the hang of everything, but you can just tell he’s just trying to get it right. That’s all that matters – just try to get it right and go as hard as you can, and he does that. He definitely has a bright future.”
(Where has the time gone? Year five.) – “Man, that’s crazy that you just said that. I went up to Ohio State for Braxton Miller’s camp a few weeks ago. I’m talking and I’m talking, and I’m talking in a sense of like I was just at Ohio State. Somebody brought it to my attention and was like, ‘Bro, it’s like your fifth year. You’ve been gone for a while.’ I was pretty surprised about that.”
(Did people still remember you?) – “Yes, I mean – you know, a little bit. They remember me a little bit. (laughter) No, the little kids, it’s one of those things of if it’s Braxton Miller or me, they’re going to Braxton Miller. (laughter) But it’s all cool. It was just a great camp. I had a great time up there. Year five and I’m still having fun with it.”
(Dolphins season tickets are going to sell out. I don’t know if you heard that or saw that yet. What do you think about that?) – “I mean, that sounds like it’s going to be some good games. There’s going to be exciting games. Our fans always just come with the energy, no matter what we’re doing on the field. I always appreciate that the fans, the community and the organization, they’re all just behind us as a whole. It’s definitely going to be a good one and I’m excited, man. I’m truly excited.”
(Are we going to hear you mic’d up? Because there are going to be some times this season where the defense is going to come off the field and the offense might score in like one or two plays. What’s your reaction going to be when you have to get back on defense if the offense scores?) – “Oh, I have no problem doing that. If our offense does something like that, you’re not going to hear any complaints from any defensive player. We’re supposed to be in shape, so if we’re scoring points and we have to go back out there, I’ll just keep doing it. I don’t care how many times. They keep scoring points, I keep going out there. Got no complaints from me.”
(Obviously, you’re not getting into gameplan stuff right now. Is the vision for you to just continue to still be everywhere?) – “I mean, yes. That’s always how I’ve been, nothing has really changed. We still have the same ‘DC’ (Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer). Even now, you can just see I’m pretty much everywhere. They throw me in places just to see can I do it and see how it works. I still love that. I love just going anywhere and everywhere. I love that offenses have a hard time of seeing what I line up and what I’m doing. I’m having fun with them. I’m still having fun with it.”
(What do you think about getting to practice in front of fans tomorrow?) – “I’m excited. That’s one of those things that the practice is a lot easier when we have a crowd and you can feel the energy. I’m definitely excited to have them come and I’m excited to make some plays – that’s my thing.”
(Thoughts on OL Liam Eichenberg’s playlist?) – “He kept playing the same song a few times. (laughter) But he had some songs on there. I had to tell him. I was like, ‘Bro…’”
(They had an error, so it wasn’t a good reflection.) – “Oh, OK, because it was like the same four songs for a while. But it was pretty cool. He surprised a lot of us. I didn’t know he was going to play those songs, but I give him a – if I had to grade, a little B-minus. It was cool.”
(From going up against this group, obviously May, June and now, on offense, what besides WR Tyreek Hill is something that’s going to give other defenses trouble in games this year? What stands out to you besides Tyreek?) – “I know with Tyreek (Hill), they all get the hype and all of that, but what’s interesting about this team is it’s not just Tyreek, it’s not just (Jaylen) Waddle, it’s not just Mike (Gesicki) – you see where I’m going with this. We have guys that can make plays one-on-one opportunities. So that’s what I’m excited about, to see guys make one-on-one plays. It’s no longer you’re just double-teaming one guy and it’s not that many guys open. We have guys that can make plays in space. We have guys that can beat one-on-ones. We have guys that run the ball hard. That’s what I’m excited about, just the overall good offense.”
(So you’re not scared [expletive] of this offense with WR Tyreek Hill?) – “Me personally? Am I scared? I wouldn’t say I’m scared, man. It’s one of those things, I believe in our defense. So when we go up against them, it’s very competitive. We’re out there having fun though.”
(I want to ask you, your responsibility… There’s a group of you guys on defense that have been a corps and been here the last couple of years. What sense of responsibility do you guys have to make sure that you guys are playing together, playing under Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer, having it all together so that the offense is in good shape and you guys can actually make a real solid push for the playoffs this year?) – “So the thing with – even today, Josh (Boyer) just went over this, we have to set the standard. It doesn’t matter what the offense is doing. It’s not what whoever we’re going against. It’s our standard, and we have to set that. We can have a good practice and we know that it could have been great. That’s just how our standard is – no matter what we’re doing, we know how great we can be. We had times in the past few years where we can see our defense is pretty good – we just hold to that standard. We have a lot of guys coming back, but now it’s just taking that next step of getting to the playoffs, doing all those things you need to do. But ultimately, our defense knows what we have to do. We have a standard; we have to hold everybody accountable.”
(On that, how has LB Channing Tindall the rookie came along since spring coming into summer?) – “For me, I love seeing how guys develop mentally. Physically, the guy is just talented. He can run fast. He can do all the things that you ask him to do. For me, it’s just mentally. The part where you can look in there, you see him in the meeting rooms and it’s not just he’s scrambling. He calms down and really can answer the question. That’s the part where you can see that now it’s starting to come together. Now, it’s just training camp. With spring, it’s easy – you don’t have (any) pads on and everybody is not going as hard. Training camp, when the pads come on and it’s time to really perform, that’s the part I really want to see. Right now, he’s doing a good job. He works hard. He does everything he does, but I’m waiting for the pads to see what he can do.”
(Do you feel like the side effects of the vaccine have made it harder for you to prepare for this season?) – “No, not at all.”
(Were there any side effects that you had…) – “I really never had any side effects, I would say. It’s just, like I said before, I just don’t like putting things in my body. I know somebody tweeted back and was making fun of me or whatever, but that’s just the guy I am. I would rather just be sick and fight it out than put something else in my body.”
(How did your mom feel about that growing up?) – “What? Just being sick?”
(Just you wanting to tough it out.) – “So when I was young, I wasn’t this guy. (laughter) I was the ‘I’m sick, I want to stay home.’ As I got older, it was just no point in sitting there, being in your bed and you feel bad. I’d get up, take a shower, get outside, sweat a little bit. It makes the process go a little easier for me in my opinion.”
(Did you have a favorite stay-home-sick show to watch?) – “I was a SpongeBob guy. I would sit there and watch SpongeBob all day, every day. I still remember just waking up, put some shorts on, sit in front of the TV all day and just do whatever. When they (would) come home, you have to act a little bit more sick, but it’s all good. (laughter)”
CB Noah Igbinoghene
(Obviously this is the second time CB Xavien Howard and CB Byron Jones have been out and you’ve had the opportunity to step up. What will make this time different than the last time in your opinion?) – “I wouldn’t say – I’m not really worried about last time. I’m really focused on right now and the situation I’m in right now and just coming to work every day. I’m not really worried about ‘X’ (Xavien Howard) and Byron (Jones) honestly. I’m worried about myself and this team and me getting better and my job because I have a role to play on this team, a responsibility just like everybody else on this team, so I just want to come to work every single day and do my job the best way possible.”
(What have you worked on to improve yourself?) – “I’d say this offseason I worked with Goldfeet TA – shoutout to him – and just working on my press and just everything, my speed, getting my body fat down, getting my weight down. Just working on a lot of things, completing myself as a man, stuff like that and just, so I can come here and give my full 100 percent every single day.”
(And going up against WR Tyreek Hill and WR Jaylen Waddle who obviously you’re familiar with Jaylen, but what does that teach you?) – “They’re one of the two top receivers in this league, so if you can be successful against them, consistent against them, that shows how you’re able to do against the rest of the league. So I look to be really dominant against them so I can be dominant against the rest of the rest of the receivers in this league. It’s a blessing just to have those two players on my team and I can’t wait to see what they do and what this team does as well.”
(How much of a difference does it make for you playing and being coached by guys who were so good – Sam Madison and Pat Surtain?) – “It brings a whole different type of experience to the room. We already have ‘X’ (Xavien Howard) and Byron – two people that have been playing this position for a very long time and when you add Sam Madison, you add Pat Surtain, that’s four right there that just – they played this game at a really high level at my position so I’m just able just to soak everything in just to learn. I just watch and learn and listen and apply it to my game and whatever they tell me, I do so.”
(Cornerbacks/Pass Game Specialist Sam Madison was the press god around here. Is there anything that he’s taught you about, that technique, that you’ve incorporated into your game?) – “I would say really just staying on the receiver, staying as close as possible to the receivers and not really letting them breathe honestly because I remember I used to play receiver and I didn’t like that – a corner always in my face, a corner always pressing me, a corner always just putting their hands on me. I don’t like that. A lot of receivers don’t like that, especially now, and so he’s taught me that and just doing it every single play, not just one play and being lackadaisical on it, but showing up to the line every time that man is called and doing it count like play after play after play after play and not just one play like I said before. And so yeah, he’s taught me that and he’s going to teach me so many other things and I’m just excited man. I’m waiting to see what we do.”
(How much more confident do you feel than maybe at this time last year?) – “I feel very confident. My body feels different. Everything feels different. The atmosphere feels different. Everything is new and so I can’t wait to see what this team does again.”
(That play in one-on-ones where you got a pass breakup on WR Jaylen Waddle but he still caught the ball, do you count that as a win or does that make you frustrated when he gets the reception at the end?) – “I count it as a win. I count it as a win. (laughter) Of course if we were live, it would have been complete because he still caught it, but it was one-on-ones, so I count it as a win.”
(Did he talk a little trash after that?) – “No, he didn’t say nothing. (laughter) He knows he lost. He knows he lost. He knows he lost. He got me the first play, though. He got me the first play. (laughter)”
(CB Xavien Howard had some really nice things to say about that. What does it mean to you as somebody who’s newer here to have that encouragement from a longtime vet?) – “Man, like I said, he’s played this position at a very high level so just anything he says, I really just listen because he knows what he’s talking about because he’s done it. Like he has proof, he has film and so I should listen to him. That should be the person I’m going to and seeking advice from – him and Byron (Jones) and Pat (Surtain) and Sam (Madison). I should be going to those guys and asking them all the questions I have in this world because a lot of people don’t have – they’re not in my position to be able to learn from those guys. So again it’s a blessing just to be in a room with them.”
(What’s the best advice that CB Xavien Howard has given you?) – “Just to come into work every single day not really worried about yesterday or last year or two years ago, but worried about be present today. Not worried about tomorrow, but come to practice every day and just worry about that day because corner – yeah, everybody’s going to get beat. You’re going to have mistakes. You’re not going to be perfect, but how can you bounce back the next play and the next play after that and just being consistent play after play after play. It’s not just doing it one time. You’ve got to be able to do it over and over again.”
(Did maybe you have that mentality kind of opposite your first two years? Like right now you seem lighter, but did you have that mentality the last couple years where you were a little bit harder on yourself?) – “Yeah, definitely a little harder on myself. Yeah, I would say I was a little bit harder on myself, but now I just, I let things go now because you can’t worry about the past nowadays. You’re not going to be able to stop everything. You’re not going to be able to beat everybody every single time. Everybody gets paid in this league. Everybody is a pro athlete and everybody is playing in the NFL, so I’ve just got to do my job the best way I know how and if I do that count in and count out, I know how dominant I can be. I’m just putting the work in and I can’t wait just to show it off.”
(Speaking of just learning how to let things go, not to bring up old stuff, but that against the Bills your rookie year…) – “Against Stefon (Diggs), yeah. (laughter)”
(Against Stefon. How long did that stick with you?) – “Honestly I still think about it now, and not like anything like ‘I’m thinking about the past’ or anything like that, but he’s a high-top receiver and that’s somebody I want to – if I want to be the player I want to be, I’ve got to be able to beat those guys every single time I go against them. And the Buffalo Bills, they’re really, they’re a high-level team and he’s the top receiver there. So just to be able to go against him, I’ll cherish the opportunity just to go against him again and do the opposite of what happened.”
(So it’s not that it – it could bother you, but it’s not like it still weighs on you?) – “Yeah, because it’s in the past like I said. There’s nothing I can do. I’m a whole different person than I was at that point, so I can’t even judge myself at that time. I’ve got to bring who I am now; I’ve got to bring that forward and show that when we play them this year, so I can’t wait to just to play them honestly. I can’t wait.”
(So your body fat’s down? What did you do to get it down?) – “I’ve just been working. I’ve just been working. Not saying I wasn’t working before, but…”
(Diet?) – “Yeah, diet and stuff like that. There’s a bunch of things that I’ve been able to do.”
(I’m trying to learn the tricks.) – “You’re trying to learn the tricks? (laughter) All right, bet. I actually – a year ago I became vegan. I’ve just seen the improvements in my body. I don’t know if anybody else, but I know what it’s done for me and it’s just completely changed the way I feel, just everything. I just feel more lean. I know I look more lean and so yeah, I’m excited, man. I came in this year, 190, that’s the lowest I’ve ever been ever in my career, so I’m excited. I feel loose. I feel ready and I’m ready to go. Ready to hit it man.”
(What was the toughest thing you gave up to be a vegan?) – “Oh, man. Probably my mom’s cooking. (laughter) Probably just everything. What they have in the cafeteria downstairs – it’s hard. It’s really hard not to eat because I was eating – I wasn’t a vegan for most of my life and now becoming vegan, it’s just another level of discipline, I would say. So it’s just really on my game. Just really sticking on that, really sticking on a diet and that just applies to everything else in this life. Just be consistent and being disciplined. It applies on the field. It applies off the field and yeah, that’s just another asset I have just to be able to be successful in this game.”
OL Liam Eichenberg
(You’re in the ring of honor for playlists at practice.) – “Man, that was a mess today. I don’t know what happened. I guess my playlist didn’t make it up there, at least the full one. But it was good.”
(You didn’t mean to play King Von three times in a row?) – “I mean I hit up the o-line and said ‘send me some songs.’ Then towards the back end, I put some country stuff. But practice was short today … it was all good.”
(Did you feel we got a full representation of who you are as a music connoisseur?) – “Yeah, a music connoisseur. (laughter) No, I would not say so. That was not my personal preference but it’s what the guys in the o-line room want.”
(What got left out?) – “Some Tyler Childers. Some Zach Bryan. Some slower stuff. Some Turnpike Troubadours. Bluegrass country.”
(Has either Offensive Line Coach Matt Applebaum or Head Coach Mike McDaniel explained to you why they think left guard is the best way for you to help this team now?) – “They really didn’t explain that. I kind of got a phone call and they were like, ‘Hey, we’re going to have you try this out and maybe some other spots.’ It’s stuck so far so I’m just kind of focusing on that and trying to improve every single day. I’m working on my footwork, my hands and cleaning up my pass pro and everything that comes with playing a new position.”
(How does it feel to get practice player of the day so early into a transition to a new position?) – “Yeah, it was a great honor. I appreciate it from the top down. I’ve just got to keep on improving every single day. New stuff pops up today that didn’t happen yesterday, so I’ve just got to go back to the basics, back to the fundamentals and clean it up.”
(Most of your experience at Notre Dame was at tackle. Is playing guard easier? Is it similar in terms of how difficult it is of an assignment?) – “I would say assignment-based, you need to know the offense regardless of what position you’re at. I’d say center is probably the hardest job with IDing everything from Mike (linebacker) points, from pushing to pulling and everything. At guard, it’s just different. It’s closer. I’ve got a guy to my left and my right now, so I’m trying not to step on Connor (Williams) and Terron (Armstead) – definitely not Terron. (laughter) It’s a whole new feel so I’m just trying to figure it out day-by-day.”
(Are you feeling like your skills are well-suited to playing guard?) – “Yes, I think I’m getting better every day so I’m just going to keep moving in that direction.”
(Has this offseason been easier for you being able to hone-in on one position compared to last year where you basically played every position but center?) – “I would say so. It makes it a lot easier with this offense. I think this offense is, for me personally, a good fit. It’s kind of similar to what we did at Notre Dame a little bit running off the ball. It’s been going well. I would say the biggest thing this offseason is not going through that draft process and kind of being able to work out and not train for a 40(-yard dash) and a bench press and stuff like that. Just kind of getting strong and eating better, putting on weight, stuff like that.”
(Did you reach out to OL Austin Jackson and learn about his experience making the same transition last year?) – “I did. We talked about it for a little bit. He just said it takes time. I’ve been trying to listen to Connor (Williams) because he played left guard in Dallas for so long. Whenever I have an issue, I just go right to Connor. And then Terron (Armstead) is there and Terron has been around for a while. He knows a lot about the offensive line position.”
(What’s it like to add these guys – T Terron Armstead and OL Connor Williams – because before it was Jesse Davis and even his experience is not as much as these other guys?) – “It’s definitely nice having two guys who have played for other teams and going into their second contract. Especially Connor, who played left guard. Then Terron, who played tackle, has been around such great guards. I love Jesse. Jesse I thought did a good job for us. But it’s definitely nice having two of those guys instead of one. You have more eyes, more information.”
(Do you feel ok learning a new position with these shorter, faster practices? Or does it make it more…) – “I think it’s great. We have walkthroughs, we have feed meets (lunch meetings) during the meetings, just running it through my mind and everything like that, so I think it’s been good. I’m still on the notecard grind so that’s all good. It’s been fun. It’s been good.”
(CB Noah Igbinoghene said he gave up meat. Could you ever imagine doing that?) – “I don’t know how he does that. (laughter) I’d lose like 20 pounds in two days probably. I can’t do that. Not at my weight. Not at the position I play.”
(Weight-wise gained or lost from playing tackle?) – “I gained about six or seven pounds, I would say.”
(Was that encouraged by Offensive Line Coach Matt Applebaum or did you just feel it was necessary to play guard?) – “I just think I just put in the work in the offseason. I was lifting harder, lifting more weight and it kind of came on a little easy. Then I cut body fat and make sure that I’m running. It’s been good. I feel good.”
(We know outside zone, having athletic linemen like you and OL Austin Jackson helps. Have you found it to be a help so far in practice having that sort of athletic skills for a big guy?) – “I would say the biggest thing is the way we run this offense, it relies heavily on the wide zone. So teams have to honor it and it kind of creates that movement that you need to run other plays such as power and inside zone. Yeah, I think it helps. But it just comes back to which offense we run, which is wide zone.”
OL Austin Jackson
(How has the transition to right tackle gone? Are you comfortable there? Are you optimistic about the possibilities?) – “Oh yeah, I’m very comfortable. I’m very optimistic for every opportunity that I have to lock down a position and contribute for my team and play my best ball yet.”
(Are you happy to back at a tackle position, albeit not the one you were at before?) – “I enjoy playing tackle. It’s definitely something I’ve done a lot of film study on in the past. I did enjoy playing guard. Just playing offensive line in general is really my specialty, as Mike would say.”
(CB Noah Igbinoghene let us know that he stopped eating meat and became a vegan. Have you changed anything about your diet before?) – “No, never. Actually, I did once. I was actually vegan for like two games at USC – Southern Cal. I watched this documentary called Game Changers. It’s like – the whole premise is going vegetarian. It didn’t work for me though. I’m a lineman. (laughter)”
(When you sat down with Offensive Line Coach Matt Applebaum, did he explain to you why he thought right tackle was the best opportunity for you to help this team? What sort of reasons were shared with you as to why that’s the spot they think they can maximize you and you can help?) – “Sitting down with all my coaches, really – I don’t think it was just (Coach) Applebaum when we talked about this. But they definitely wanted to utilize my athleticism at the position in this offense. Learning the scheme – it’s my first time playing in this scheme, so that’s exciting. I’ve made great strides and have great coaches working behind me and getting me better.”
(Is there a right tackle whose film you enjoyed watching, someone who played in the system?) – “I watch a lot of offensive tackles play, not just necessarily based on a name basis. But you know. I watch Tristan Wirfs, of course. I used to watch Ryan Ramczyk a lot over at the Saints. Really just any tackle. It all comes down to fundamentals at the end of the day.”
(With T Terron Armstead, any mentoring of you he’s done, where is it focused? Has it been more off-field stuff? More technique stuff? Technique stuff, where has Terron been the biggest help for you?) – “Definitely technique stuff. Definitely technique – he is a technician. I’m definitely hearing a lot of his teaching points on just having good body leverage and giving me – just having tools to utilize your athleticism with technique. So it’s definitely been very helpful from him. He’s a big vet for us, so there’s definitely a lot of knowledge there.”
(How challenging would you say it’s been to learn this offense?) – “Challenging – I wouldn’t say challenging. It’s actually been very exciting to learn this offense, honestly. I think every install we get to learn a new little page of our scheme, and it excites me. It gets me excited to get on the field and execute.”
(Did it do anything to the morale of the offensive line room, the fact that the new staff comes in, and despite any struggles last year, says, “We still believe in you guys. We still think we can put you in the best position to success?”) – “Oh yeah, for sure. That’s the business, that’s your job. So we definitely want to cooperate and execute. We’re definitely glad they believe in us.”
(A couple of the linemen have talked about how in this particular scheme, it’s like less hesitation and react, more attack, like you determine … Can you explain to me a little bit more about how that works and why that might be helpful?) – “So our biggest advantage on offense is we know the snap count and we know what play we’re running. The defense’s job is to react; it’s our job to attack, even though we kick backwards. (laughter) Most majority of the pass pros, our job is still to attack. That makes a huge difference in our approach to the game. I think it’s very similar to how I was coached at USC as well. So it’s kind of like getting into my fundamentals for me and my mindset.”
(What has Assistant Offensive Line Coach Lemuel Jeanpierre’s role been as he goes from o-line coach to the assistant o-line coach under Offensive Line Coach Matt Applebaum?) – “He’s been great for us. He’s been around since my first year here. I think he had the same two-man position my rookie year and then he had his shot last year. He’s a great coach. He’s a Super Bowl champion, a veteran offensive lineman just into a great offensive line coach. He’s just been able to help us tremendously. Him really knowing his players is huge. He knows what he has in the room and what we need.”
(Is there a greater sense of pride or importance to the right tackle position knowing it protects the blindside of a left-handed quarterback?) – “Oh, of course. I take a lot of pride in whatever position I play, really, at the end of the day, just because that’s the name of the game. That’s the name of the position. Moving back to tackle, I’ve always had pride in playing tackle. I got drafted as a tackle. I’ve always had my own selfish pride about playing tackle. So, that’s my own little personal thing, but overall, glad to play regardless.”
(It was noted on Twitter that you look slim and fit and trim. Is the body fat down a little bit?) – “My body fat is down a lot. I would say probably like eight percent from last year. I had a really good – really great offseason. I won’t say good, I’m going to say great. A really great offseason.”
(Weight-wise, what are you down from?) – “I reported around this time last year at the upper 320s, and I’m now at like a really lean 310 with my lean muscle mass higher as well.”
(You still have a lot of supporters in the building, even with the coaching change, one of them obviously is General Manager Chris Grier, who really believes in you picking you 18th. Has Chris made any comment to you about the faith that they have in you?) – “I haven’t talked to Chris like that in a second.”
WR Cedrick Wilson Jr.
(How does this Florida heat compare to Texas heat?) – “It’s not too bad yet. I hear it’s going to get worse. The humidity is definitely different, though.”
(How has this offense been picking up? I know the spring was a lot of install and a lot of getting used to your calls and scheme as a whole. How do you feel like you guys have developed now in training camp?) – “I feel like the group is definitely coming along. We’re definitely getting to the later installs now that we’re going on practice four. But most of the guys are just getting refreshed and getting out there and actually running at full speed again. I feel like we’re picking up pretty good for the most part.”
(You guys have used different receiver combinations with every different team. I’m curious what the advantage of that is to play with receivers from WR Tyreek Hill all the way down to the undrafted rookies. How does that kind of help you come along?) – “It helps me and my aspect of whether I’ve got to help the next guy out or he has to help me out, it’s going out there and knowing the assignment and either getting the job done with whoever is next to you or pushing the guy next to you to get the job done like you are.”
(This particular offense, do you have to learn two or three spots?) – “Yeah, in this offense, you have to learn all of them pretty much. We move around a lot. There’s a lot of formations. It’s pretty much the same plays, very good plays, but in different formations. I feel like that’s most offenses as well.”
(Is there anything that Wide Receivers Coach Wes Welker has sort of taught you or opened your eyes to in your first few months around him?) – “Yeah, definitely get your shoulders past the defender. That’s like the biggest coaching point. You can win most of your routes once you get that done. And get off the ball.”
(What have you picked up about QB Tua Tagovailoa from working with him?) – “He can throw. He can throw that ball. It’s accurate and he’s always on point. He’s going to joke with you but as soon as you get in the huddle, it’s time to go.”
(What’s it like with QB Tua Tagovailoa in the huddle? How is his demeanor?) – “He knows what he’s talking about when he’s saying it. He’s very knowledgeable of the playbook and you can definitely tell the intensity once you’re in the huddle. Once you’re lining up, you know he’s going to get his job done so you better get yours done.”
(What’s it like seeing a different person in the huddle versus out of it?) – “I feel like that’s the balance of football. Football when we’re in the game versus when we’re hanging out in the locker room, I feel like you need that. No one can be just a football player all the time.”
(So much is made about QB Tua Tagovailoa’s accuracy. How does that benefit the wide receivers? Ball placement, capture in stride – how does that help you take your game to the next level?) – “I feel like it’s more so get to the spot because you know he’s going to hit it. If you’re not in that spot, you’re probably not going to catch the ball.”
(You have some punt return experience from your time in Dallas. Is that something that you would enjoy doing here as well?) – “I’ll do whatever’s called upon me.”
(I know WR Michael Gallup went down last season but what were some things that really worked for you in your favor as you played and had a lot of success last year?) – “I feel like definitely him going down was really not in my favor because that’s one of my best friends, so it was hard to see him go down. But he gave me the opportunity to go out there and show what I’ve been practicing. I feel like I stepped in when they needed me. And just like when he came back healthy, he came back out there and he didn’t miss a beat. Then he obviously went down again and I had to step back up for the team while I was there.”
(What stands out about WR Erik Ezukanma?) – “He’s big, physical. Definitely going to be useful once we all get going.”
(Can you talk about these running backs here and what you recognize from them so far?) – “A lot of them are fast. All of them are fast. Sometimes you can barely see the number of who is running but they’re all hitting holes and moving forward.”
(Blocking at the wide receiver position is going to be pretty important in this offense. What have you heard from Wide Receivers Coach Wes Welker or anybody else in that aspect?) – “Get in position in the play for the blocking scheme and the blocking will take care of itself.”
(What is learning this playbook like for a wide receiver? We heard WR Tyreek Hill say the other day that it’s kind of tricky that there were times he had to go to Wide Receivers Coach Wes Welker and say he didn’t understand something. How challenging is it to pick up from your position?) – “At first, it was pretty tricky because one, you’ve got to break down all of the formations just to know where to line up. Then once you get lined up, now you’ve got to know which play it is, who is getting tagged and who is not. I feel like it’s one of those things that once you get it, it’s kind of hard to forget because it’s just going to be second nature.”
(Do you feel like QB Tua Tagovailoa has enough of a command on this offense that when you get into the huddle, even if you are a little shaky of where you need to line up and what you need to do, do you feel like he’s got it locked in him?) – “Oh, he’s locked in. He’ll tell you what you have if you definitely don’t know what you have.”
(You had a 74 percent catch percentage last year on 45-of-61 targets. When you see the ball and it winds up in your hands more likely than not, what’s the pride that you are taking in having that stat in your favor?) – “I feel like that’s what my job is – catch the ball when it’s thrown to me. If I’m not doing that, I probably wouldn’t have a job. Yeah, I take pride in it because it’s my preparation – catching it. Shoot, that’s how I feed my folks.”
(The other day Head Coach Mike McDaniel talked about the value of adding WR Mohamed Sanu, someone that’s been around this offense and seen it. WR River Cracraft has worked in this offense. So have WR Trent Sherfield. How valuable have those guys been to kind of help in the receivers room get the offense down?) – “They’re extremely helpful. Shoot, I sit next to all three of them so I’m always asking them questions on the side when Wes (Welker) is installing or Mike (McDaniel) is installing. They’ve both been in it for a while sitting right next to me. ‘Mo’ (Mohamed Sanu) definitely has vet status so he’s taking it to the next step of just overall helping you with the football game.”
(Have you guys had a competition to see who can throw the football the best? I know you guys are both former quarterbacks.) – “We haven’t yet but the day is coming. (laughter)”
(Since WR Tyreek Hill was acquired, have you thought about how having him and WR Jaylen Waddle is going to affect coverage on you? Because I would imagine if you see a third or fourth cornerback in single coverage, you’re going to have an advantage every time with your skillset. Is that something you’ve thought about?) – “Definitely with the two speed guys on the outside, it’s going to leave me with a little more open room. That’s when I feel like I thrive the most is when someone is covering me one-on-one.”
(What have your first impressions been of CB Noah Igbinoghene at corner?) – “Physical. I like his energy. I like how he’s turning into a pro at a young age. It’s good for a young player like that.”
(CB Noah Igbinoghene stopped eating meat. He told us he’s a vegan.) – “Everybody has their methods. I definitely couldn’t stop eating meat.”
(Who has caught your eye among the DBs on this team besides CB Noah Igbinoghene and CB Xavien Howard? CB Trill Williams? S Jevon Holland? Anything on any of those guys that you’ve noticed?) – “Yeah, Trill has definitely had a good two days of camp. A big, physical, young player as well. He definitely has a high ceiling on his game.”
