Monday, March 21, 2022
WR Trent Sherfield
(Obviously you have the previous connection with Head Coach Mike McDaniel and while you’ve mainly contributed on special teams, you did find some opportunities on offense. Just what stood out to you about Mike McDaniel as an offensive mind and the way he worked with you guys on offense in San Francisco?) – “Honestly, I’ve got asked this question before, and Mike (McDaniel) is a genius. The way that he’s able to break down just the defense and he’s able to put players in position to make plays, it’s honestly really amazing. With him – Kyle Shanahan also had a big part of that as well, too – that whole offensive staff over there in San Fran. They both did a great job. Mike being in charge of the run game and having the ability with the pass game and everything like that. Like I said, he’s a mastermind and I can’t wait to get into the offense. Obviously I know a little bit of it and everything like that should be a little bit of carryover but I’m just getting ready to get to work.”
(My question to you – just doing some research – you attended high school in Danville and you played multiple sports and even in football on both sides of the ball. How do you feel that’ll help you where you’re at right now today just from that experience as an athlete in general?) – “Yeah, that’s a good question. I think honestly just being able to do more. Obviously not coming in to play defensive back like I did in high school or whatever it may be, but just being able to play different positions as far as whether that be with special teams, receiver, those type of things. I think that has contributed to the fact of why I’ve been able to stay in the league and last in the league as an undrafted free agent. Just being able to play offense and be able to use special teams with the athleticism and stuff like that, so it’s something that definitely played into my favor a lot just being able to play both sides whether that be on (special) teams or whether that be on offense and those type of things. So it’s definitely played a huge factor in my career.”
(You played a couple years with RB Chase Edmonds obviously in Arizona. Just impressions of his skills as a running back. What does he bring to the table?) – “Oh man, he brings – Chase (Edmonds) is my guy. I’m not just saying this because he’s my guy, but Chase, he is a wide receiver-running back guy that can really run routes, really has great hands. (He has a) very, very high IQ of the game. Somebody who really takes his job serious day-in and day-out. Somebody that you can depend on and just somebody who really like I said, just loves the game. And like I said, he’s just very, very dependable. Very, very high IQ when it comes to learning plays and just scouting the defense and everything like that. He’s just not your typical running back. He’s not one-dimensional whatsoever. He can run routes out of the backfield really well, carries the ball really tough and I’ve noticed that. It’s amazing to be able to see him actually grow. We actually came in together in Arizona and just being able to see how far he’s come as far as route-running and doing all of those different things so. So Chase is, he’s a once-in-a-lifetime back in my opinion.”
(And one other quick thing for you. How much of an advantage if any do you think it is for you and WR River Cracraft knowing this offense? Obviously there will be a lot of similarities from the 49ers offense. I’m sure that Head Coach Mike McDaniel will put his own sort of nuances in it. Is that any kind of advantage for both of you guys?) – “I think it can be, but then I also think that it honestly doesn’t really matter because we’ve still got to come in and compete at the end of the day. Because it doesn’t matter if you know the plays or whatever it may be, you’ve still got to go out and execute, you’ve still got to go out and catch balls, you’ve still got to go out and like I said, you’ve got go out and make plays. So to me, I definitely do think that obviously it plays into our favor. Obviously coming from the system and everything like that, but I think at the end of the day, you’ve still got to go out and strap up your cleats and everything like that.”
(My question is similar to the previous in the sense that you’ve come over here with Wide Receivers Coach Wes Welker. Do you kind of view that as an opportunity? Once we hit OTAs, the first kind of time on the field with this team, does it kind of hit you as an opportunity to kind of help get his message across to the rest of the receivers room and say to the rest of the guys ‘here’s what you can expect?”) – “I think for me, I just want to come in and if I have to lead, I just lead by the way that I work and lead by the example of the way I carry myself and those types of different things. I know that DeVante Parker is a great receiver that’s in the room and Jaylen Waddle and these guys have done tremendous things in this league, and honestly they are the leaders. For me, I think it’s just knowing what Wes expects from the guys, and not only what Wes expects from us as a group, but what I expect for myself. I hold myself to a high standard when it comes to my work and everything like that. Just going in every single day. Just doing what I’m coached to do and doing it at an extremely high level.”
(I wanted to get your impressions of QB Tua Tagovailoa, watching him from afar, and have you had any communication with him?) – “I haven’t had any communication with him just yet. I’m pretty sure that will change here in the coming weeks. But yes, I have had a lot of time to watch him. I’ve had a lot of time to really dive into his film and just watching games from afar on different teams. Travis asked me this question when I was down there not too long ago, if I had seen a play that really struck me to really like Tua. The one that I really can’t get out of my head is the one when they played against New Orleans. I think he made a mistake, then he came back and threw a touchdown. Seeing little things like that is something that is very, very encouraging. Not only as a receiver, but also as a teammate. He’s somebody that you can get behind. He’s a winner. It goes all the way back to Alabama and you can see that and the type of player that he is. I’m excited to get with him and excited to play with him.”
OL Connor Williams
(When you were sold on Miami, were you brought in here specially to play guard? Was there ever any talk about moving you to tackle or was it you are strictly coming here to play guard?) – “I think as of now, it is still really open. After meeting the coaches and everything, they’ve seen my ability to play really any position. Obviously, most of my work in the league has been at guard and at that, it has been at left guard and I feel most comfortable at left guard. But also, they understand that I can probably play tackle, I can play center and so it’s really wherever I’m needed and wherever I’m placed is where I’m willing to work.”
(Did Head Coach Mike McDaniel give you any insight on what that decision would be based on? In terms of whether you’ll stay at guard or perhaps move to tackle?) – “I think the image of the team is like a living and breathing organism right now. Once we get on the field and once the team starts coming to life and seeing who we are and what our identity is, I think that’s when it will start to be more clear. I don’t think until we get on the field will that become more relevant.”
(Would you be fine doing any of those things? A move to tackle, you’d be fine with it?) – “Most definitely. I played tackle in college. I’ve had snaps at center in preseason games and so I’m most definitely open to play any position.”
(For the first few years of your career, you kept your holding penalties down but then you had an uncharacteristic amount last year. Why do you think that was and what can you do to correct that?) – “Honestly it was a one-off year and it’s not a reputation I’ve had in previous years. I think a lot of things not going the right way and just build on the season. No excuses to be made but just fine-tuning my craft and knowing when to let go and when not to and just focusing on the very details and just playing a cleaner game. Honestly, that comes with an additional year of experience. One year at a time. This game is all about experience and live reps. The more you get those, the more you’re comfortable with it and the more you understand the full scope of what you’re doing.”
(There’s been a lot of talk about Head Coach Mike McDaniel and this zone running scheme that he is seeking to bring to Miami. I was just curious if you can kind of whittle it down to a percentage in Dallas, how much do you guys run whether it’s inside zone or outside zone, and what does it take for an offensive line for that to be really cohesive?) – “I think one thing is clear is that was one of the best things we did in Dallas was coming off the ball running side to side, getting the d-line moving and getting the defense on their feet and then penetrating the defense with the run game. Once you get the defense on their heels, then you can get them in the air, you can dish it out and after talking to coach, you can tell his excitement in bringing this new zone scheme into Miami. That is part of the reason I’m here is to be part of that building block of starting a great zone scheme. I think the biggest part of that is the cohesiveness of the team. Everybody is on the same page, everybody is working together and after reps after reps after reps it starts manifesting into its own.”
(I know that you’re a pretty young offensive linemen yourself, but you come to a town here in Miami where there’s a lot of young offensive linemen in this room already. What are some of the leadership qualities you think you possess that you can help guide this younger group and just be a leader in that room?) – “This is probably one of the most exciting things for me about coming to Miami. Coming into the league, I came in at 20 and you had Travis (Frederick), you have Zack (Martin), you have Tyron (Smith), you have ‘L’ (La’el Collins) and you have all these great players to learn from. They set a mold of how to do things, how to be a great player in this league and what it means day in and day out to work hard and what that hard work means and transitions onto the field and the respect it has in the locker room. Just having a younger o-line group, it’s going to be exciting. It’s going to be some good energy of just being able to get to work day-in and day-out with guys that are eager, that are hungry and just being able to grow as a unit together. The O-line is a special game. It’s all about camaraderie, it’s all about trusting the guy to the left and to the right of you. You’re never just as good as your best player. You’re as good as the whole line’s strength all together. That’s the most beautiful part about it and I think that’s the most exciting part of the game, just being able to build that together – the chemistry together.”
RB Chase Edmonds
(Obviously you played for the Cardinals previously. You’ve faced Head Coach Mike McDaniel’s former team several times. What was your impression in being on the other side of the field and kind of seeing those offenses and then how you can kind of fit yourself in this offense that he seeks to bring to Miami?) – “Yeah, I think the one thing that really just stood out to me watching San Fran twice a year and their offense was the creativity of it. It really felt like McDaniel did a really good job of just being creative and kind of playing to his players’ styles. I feel like that’s one thing that’s lost in coaching, is that guys sometimes try to always rely on the scheme or whatever it is that they’re bringing into an offense and then they kind of lose the focal point of really playing to your players’ abilities. And I felt like McDaniel and the Niners, they did a great job of just playing to their players abilities, playing to their strengths, finding ways to utilize guys and maximizing their efficiency.”
(How do you think you and RB Raheem Mostert could work together, complement each other in this Mike McDaniel run game you mentioned?) – “Yeah, I love the idea. I love the concept of me and Raheem in the backfield together. I was a big fan of his game unfortunately before he got injured and just to really see his explosiveness. Honestly he’s probably the fastest running back in the NFL when he’s at top speed, so I think it really brings a sense of explosiveness to the offense and being able to just capitalize on just us both having really good yards per carry averages. I think that’s something that we can look to do to help this offense.”
(Trivia question. My dad actually played football at Fordham so we’ll have a conversation about that one day. He’s a couple years older than you. Another Dolphin – Isa Abdul-Quddus played at Fordham, too. I don’t know if you’ve heard of him. He was a Dolphins safety.) – “Yeah, yeah, I do remember Isa playing in Miami. Yes, sir.”
(So I guess I’ll ask you a football question. How would you describe your strengths at this point in your career?) – “Yeah, I think my strength is just my versatility. I feel like I can be an every-down back whether it’s first, second down and taking the carry, or whether it’s third down to become a receiving back and also third down in terms of pass protection. So that’s one thing for me that I think is really my strength and what I’m trying to just continue to build on with career going into the NFL. Just being more versatile, I feel like especially just the way the NFL is going, you see the running back position and it is kind of devalued. Guys circle in, circle out. They always try to get younger guys and cheaper guys, so I really feel like in order to keep my career going and be able to positively impact whichever team I’m on, that’s just building off the versatility whether it’s catching out of the backfield, being somewhat of a receiver or whether it’s obviously blocking in pass pro for the quarterback.”
(I guess my follow-up will actually tie in the Fordham deal. How would you describe your journey obviously from a smaller school to where you are today? How would you describe the journey?) – “The journey has been a hell of a ride and I think in life, really, that’s what it’s all about. It’s about how our individual journeys – everyone has their own journey and for me it’s just been one hell of a ride because coming out of high school, I didn’t really have a lot of offers. Not a lot of people really wanted to touch me. Going to Fordham and kind of just trusting that I felt like that was the right place for me scheme-wise and being able to build on that and then taking that blue-collar mentality that I have in terms of just working hard, making sure I’m always the hardest worker on the field and making sure I’m a great teammate, I think that really molded me into the man and to the player that I am today coming from Fordham to Arizona and just again, just trying to build off my resume from Arizona now to Miami and just always finding ways to improve.”
(What factors made you give the go-ahead to Drew Rosenhaus to accept the Dolphins offer really early in free agency as opposed to waiting it out a little bit?) – “For me when I made my decision, I kind of had a list of things. I had a list of my priorities and I kind of already had an idea of which teams were interested in me, so I just laid out my priorities. I kind of laid out each team of did it fit those priorities, kind of where it stood at in terms of what I was looking for. Miami, I really liked Miami because (Mike) McDaniel – I really felt like McDaniel could utilize me in ways where it benefits me to my playing ability, so that was really a home run hitter for there. Obviously no state income tax helps a little bit. (laughter) And the location is cool. But really I just felt like Miami was building up something special. I think there were nine wins last year, if I’m not mistaken. Nine was the year before that?”
(Nine last year and 10 the year before) – “Yeah and I liked the defense. The defense is already set in stone. I think I read somewhere where like every starter on the defense was under 30, so to me that was a strong foundation. I felt like I trusted (Chris) Grier, I trusted (Mike) McDaniel to bring in the pieces that they felt the team needed to take that next step on the offensive side of the ball, so that kind of led into my decision going to Miami. I just felt like individually and collectively as a team, it was a good fit for me.”
(You touched on it a little bit earlier of backs being sort of devalued and the game sort of evolving. How important is it that this kind of seems like a team that’s going to be run-first, run-heavy and anti-what’s going on with football today? How important is that part of that?) – “Repeat the last part of that question one more time for me?”
(In terms of you guys have a fullback. You guys want to be – the offense. How important was being part of something like that going basically anti-establishment?) – “You know, importance-wise it has something to do with it, but I kind of – I’m more so, I was following (Mike) McDaniel. I really believe that he’s a guru. I was told he was a guru from players that I trust and that he was a really good player coach as well. So I’m kind of putting my faith in him. I feel like he’s a creative guy. He’s going to find a way to utilize all his players that we have on the offensive side of the ball, find a way to utilize what we’re all good at, what we’re best at and keeping it at that. And I think that’s really important for just a player’s development in this league. When someone or when a coaching staff asks a guy to do too much, that’s when you kind of see the mistakes. But if you ask a guy to do what he’s comfortable with, if you ask a guy to do what he’s (good) at, what’s he’s best at, that’s when you see the best version of that player. And I think McDaniel can get that out of us offensively.”
(I’m just curious whether you had any connections – either former teammates, former friends, anything like that with anybody on the team?) – “Yeah, so I did not actually. Funny thing is after I got signed – I think like a day and a half later, one of my best friends from the Arizona Cardinals – Trent Sherfield – he’s coming down to Miami. So that’s really the only connection that I have in terms of people I knew in the NFL. So it’s kind the start of a whole new situation for me myself, so I’m kind of just learning on the fly.”
RB Raheem Mostert
(There is obvious connection with you and Head Coach Mike McDaniel and I feel like you’re better suited than anyone to answer this. Just being and working with him up close, what can you tell us about Mike McDaniel and why he’s so ready to take on this role as the leader and the coach of the Miami Dolphins?) – “Mike McDaniel is one heck of a coach. Me personally, dealing with him for the last several years and getting to know him more so on a personal level, he just wants the best out of his players no matter what transpires throughout the rest of the team. In his role that he had with the 49ers, he definitely exemplified a guy that can go out there and get players pumped up, including myself. We would have these games where I would come in for the gameplan and he would be talking to me and stuff like that to get me ready to go out there and perform at a high level. Mike is definitely one of those coaches that has a lot of tenacity. He brings a lot of (charisma) and stuff like that that is ultimately going to lead players in the right direction. With the opportunity that he has right now, it’s definitely going to be magnified on a much bigger scale because like I said, he’s just an unbelievable coach and a great guy. I’m looking forward to it and I can’t wait to see how this whole thing turns out.”
(How would you describe Head Coach Mike McDaniel’s leadership style? Is he a rah-rah kind of guy? Is he overprepared and lets you know he’s prepared for whatever situation? I don’t want to put words in your mouth but how would you describe his leadership style?) – “His leadership style, he’s definitely a guy that is over-prepared. He wants to get the gameplan in. He wants to understand the scheme. He also wants to be a coach where ‘hey look, we’re going to get the job done.’ I can’t really tell myself he’s a ‘rah-rah’ guy because I’ve only had personal conversations with him. I’ve only been on a personal level with him. I’ve seen when he deals with other guys on the field but it’s just one of those things where you’ve just got to see where it goes. Like I said, he’s prepared. He’s always going to be prepared no matter what the outcome is or what the situation entails. He’s always going to have that readiness to him and I think it’s definitely going to come out this season especially as the head coach.”
(Obviously they signed RB Chase Edmonds a couple of days before agreeing with you. What do you envision your role being here with Chase also on the roster?) – “I envision my role being the same thing how it was with the 49ers. Coming in and competing. We signed Chase and kudos to Chase, he’s a heck of a player. I’ve watched him. Obviously I’ve been watching him just because of the 49er connection and us playing the Cardinals two times a year, so I know all about Chase. It’s funny. When I got to Miami he was also in Miami at the same time and we were both having our physicals and I didn’t really realize who it was sitting in the chair because he had got there literally a couple of hours before I did. As I was walking by to go to use the restroom, he had stopped me and said, ‘Hey Raheem, big fan.’ I couldn’t recognize him because he had his mask on and he was like, ‘I’m Chase!’ and I was like ‘Oh, what’s up man!’ Dapping him up and stuff like that. I told him like, ‘Hey look man, I’ve been in this system already and there’s going to be some minor tweaks and everything like that but just be patient and when the time comes, you’ll see how this thing flourishes out. It’s going to be a fun time and if you have any questions, you’re more than welcome to reach out to me.’ We exchanged numbers and stuff like that. I try to implement my role when I was with the 49ers, the room that was being built and the room that was built, we lean on each other. It’s not so much, ‘Hey look, I’m going to beat this guy out. I’m competitive. I’m going to go out there and I’m going to show everybody that they made the wrong mistake by signing him and not signing me.’ It’s more so like ‘hey look, we’re all brothers, we’re in this together and this is how we are going to operate. I want to see you win and I hope that you want to see me win. One thing that I even talked to the running backs coach when I got in the facility, I basically broke it down to him and the mindset that I have for the running backs group is that I’m going to help you feed your family and you help me feed mine. That’s something I’ve lived with going back to Coach (Bobby) Turner in San Francisco. He instilled that in the room. I’m going to be instilling that in the guys that aren’t too familiar with the scheme and aren’t too familiar with the play calls and everything like that.”
(I want to get into where you are from a rehab standpoint and then also with this wide-zone scheme, I don’t know if that is exactly how you refer to it, but what is the key to the success of establishing that type of running style?) – “I’m way ahead of schedule on my rehab. I’ve been training hard, I’ve been getting back in the rehab phases. I went to go see my doctor a week before I signed that Wednesday, Dr. Cooper out in Dallas. In the six years that he’s done this surgery, I am by far the fastest-healing patient that he’s ever experienced. He’s dealt with several different athletes in the league. That right there tells you how fast-paced my body is and I like to tend to call myself a mini-wolverine just because I heal fast when it comes to injuries. I’m way ahead of schedule and I just can’t wait to start running and get my legs back up under me. It’s going to take me no time to hit that 24 miles per hour. That’s my goal for this year. To answer your second question, with the run scheme, it’s wide zone from a typical run scheme but we do a lot of inside zone. There’s several different ways that we can attack the defense. Like I said, Mike (McDaniel) has been a run game coordinator for years with the 49ers and I know that he’s going to come up with a great gameplan per defense. When it comes to wide zone reads and stuff like that, you really have to just make your mark and that’s putting your foot in the ground and getting up field. If you’re not doing exceptionally well at that, especially understanding the blocking scheme – because you can’t just be a running back in the league you have to also understand the blocking scheme, and if a lot of running backs tell you differently then they’re foolish on their part. With this offense, you definitely have to understand the blocking scheme and what the defensive front is and how the linebackers overplay the run and how do you counterbalance that. A lot goes into it but it’s fairly simple too. You can’t just make it more than what it is.”
(Can you reflect on your first stint with the Dolphins? That first tenure and playing in an NFL game for the first time with Miami – regular season game at least? How are you different and how have you grown since then?) – “When I first got to the Dolphins, it was my first ever opportunity on actually making a play in the NFL that actually counted. You go through preseason – I was with the Eagles undrafted and I tell everybody this story. I talked to Travis on the podcast about the time I was at the Dolphins and all I had on my back was nothing but Eagles gear and I showed up to the facility. It was one of those things for me where I’ve aged a little bit more and I understand the game and the business aspect. You can’t necessarily jut wear the team-issued gear, especially when you’re going to get poached off another team. I’ve changed those ways throughout the years. When I first got here, it was an unbelievable moment for me. Being able to go out there, I was a special teamer at heart. I just had to work my way up the totem pole. At the time, we had Lamar (Miller), we had Jay Ajayi, we had Damien Williams and I’m forgetting another back. I didn’t have the training camp under me to have the coaches know who I was and everything like that. Being able to come in and try to provide a different type of aspect in special teams and go out there and try to produce at a high level was very important to me just like it is still to this day. A lot of it has changed and a lot of carry over. Coaching changes happened during the time. I think Dan Campbell took over as the interim coach and that’s when I actually got released and then got picked up by the Ravens. It’s just crazy how full circle it can be. I always believed in myself and one of the things that I’ve always told myself was don’t ever burn those bridges because those same bridges can lead you to a full circle in a completely different path. I just try to put that in my mind and put that in my toolbox. When it comes to the football aspect, that’s what I also use as well. Like I said, now I’m in this position to where I can be the running back of the Miami Dolphins and go out there and produce at a high level like I’ve always been doing. It takes a lot throughout the years and you just gain that knowledge. It’s definitely worth it.”
(Beyond doing the contract last week, did you have any contact with Head Coach Mike McDaniel in the process? Did he call you and say “I want to get back what we had in San Francisco together?” Any calls from him?) – “We had discussions prior to him even being a Dolphin. It was just one of those things like, ‘Hey man, I don’t know where my coaching journey is going to take me but I would love to have you.’ We’ve built that relationship over time and I know that during the free agency, there’s a tampering period that you’re not allowed to talk to coaches at a personal level and one-on-one but I just know that he was trying to do everything in his possible will power to try and get me. I’m blessed and happy that he’s still taking a chance on me and everything like that because at the end of the day, that’s all you really need is that one person to believe in you. The sky is the limit whether you want to believe that or not. Everybody has a journey in life and that’s one of the things that I’ve always believed in was it just takes one person to believe in me. If I can get that one person to believe in me, then let’s ride. Let’s get this show on the road.”
(Did you ask Dr. Cooper about how this particular injury affects running backs? I’ve heard a lot of things in that it shouldn’t affect your cutting and some of your elite skills. Is that something that you talked to Dr. Cooper about and what did you emerge from those discussions thinking?) – “Yeah, so me and Dr. Cooper had, I want to say a week of conversation specifically on my position and everything like that. He said, ‘I’ve had o-linemen have this same injury and their position is a little more demanding as far as technique-based. That’s where it gets real tricky. I’ve had cornerbacks have this same injury and have this same operation.’ I believe Xavien Howard was the one that got an operation done by Dr. Cooper and look how he turned out. He’s an All-Pro and Pro Bowl caliber player. For him to come back and the mindset that he had, it’s definitely one of those things that I know that I can come in, get this rehab and attack this rehab, get the surgery and be 120 percent rather than 110.”
(You played some games in the Super Bowl in Hard Rock Stadium. You had a pretty impressive postseason that year. Heading to Miami this year, knowing that you and RB Chase Edmonds are joining the team and the Dolphins haven’t had a 1,000-yard running back since 2016 – do you think this is the year that you may be able to break that milestone?) – “One of the things that really impressed me about the history of the Dolphins, like you said, was the fact that they didn’t have a 1,000-yard rusher for some time. With this offense, who knows. I wasn’t the starter in the 2019 season. I came in, I want to say like fifth on the depth chart, just playing strictly special teams. The next thing you know, it just led me to the performance that I had in the postseason and then playing in the Super Bowl and leading the team in rushing. This offense is definitely tailored to a one-pony running back to rush for 1,000 yards but in the grand scheme of things, we’re not necessarily – I know in previous years the running backs that I’ve had in San Francisco, we weren’t necessary worried about somebody reaching 1,000 yards because in the grand scheme of things, we were all just worried about each other and how we could bring the best out of each other. Stats will come. Maybe myself, Chase or any other running back that comes in and they do rush for 1,000 yards. Myles (Gaskin), he has the potential to do it. We all have the potential to do it but like I said, I know this offense well and I can tell you that we don’t necessarily have to have everyone think about 1,000 yards. It’s all about how we can we each get each other better.”
WR Cedrick Wilson Jr.
(You’re a coming from a team in Dallas that was statistically one of, if not the best, offense this past season and coming to Miami, this is kind of a rebuilding offense with Head Coach Mike McDaniel. Outside of the opportunity to maybe play more, what really sold you on this opportunity to join this team and this offense?) – “Just obviously the recruiting process that all of us went through. I definitely felt the likeableness there and obviously once I made the decision, it was just one that I knew I could stick with and strive with.”
(What have been your first impressions of Head Coach Mike McDaniel and how you fit in his offense that he’s seeking to bring here?) – “The first thing that is definitely not on paper and not in the news is just how personable he is and just a guy that when you sit down and talk to him, it doesn’t feel like you’re always talking to an NFL head coach. And then just his basic philosophy of greatness, of what he wants to achieve. He definitely has some similar things in mind and just the overall competitive nature that you just get from someone from the first time sitting down with them.”
(You can also throw the ball I’ve seen and get involved in different ways in the offense. Does Head Coach Mike McDaniel excite you as a play caller in that regard?) – “I mean, yes, to the fact of obviously I can throw it so hopefully that gets used. I can’t necessarily say too much about the offense because obviously we haven’t looked over and read about it too much, but obviously knowing what he did in San Francisco and playing them and watching them, they were a heck of an offense and I’m sure he has a lot more tricks up his sleeve than he’s already shown.”
(You’ve been versatile. Obviously you’ve got to be versatile in Dallas, but do you view yourself as a slot receiver? Is that something where you feel like that’s the strength of your game?) – “Yes, I definitely like the slot. There’s a lot more room to work. But I definitely see myself as an overall football player which I can run, throw and catch. So pretty much any position I feel like I’ll be comfortable at, whether it’s inside or outside. But I definitely strive in the slot when I’m in there.”
(You spoke briefly on your recruiting process with the Dolphins. Just out of curiosity, what were your thoughts on the Miami Dolphins training facility compared to the Dallas Cowboys?) – “The new facility they just built is amazing. It’s nice, it’s new and just the overall layout of it is definitely special. We’re sitting right down in Miami Gardens right next to the stadium, so it’s not really a step down. It’s almost just a lateral move from a great facility to a great facility, and it’s just a nice place to work. Usually you just go to work to work and if you can look at a facility like that, it makes work that much more enjoyable.”
(Have you reached out to QB Tua Tagovailoa yet to try to get work on your timing with him? Have you got in contact with him yet at all?) – “Yeah, we’re good. We’re trying to get it set up to see when we can definitely get out there to throw together. I’ve got a lot of stuff to get moving on. I’ve got a family that I’ve got to get situated and what we’re about to do, so as soon as we can get together, we’re going to hit the ground running.”
(Beyond the facility and beyond the fact that Head Coach Mike McDaniel is a really engaging, smart guy, what else impressed you during the recruiting pursuit? Was it how they explained your role in the offense would be? Something General Manager Chris Grier said? A video they sent you? What else stood out in the process?) – “The first thing that I would have to say that stood out in the process would definitely be just I’d say the culture around the facility. Even though I feel like it hasn’t been built yet, with most people being new, if not all, that’s probably stuck out to me that everyone was already hand-in-hand in the facility with just getting there in a short time. And obviously the scheme, people know I can throw the ball so I’m pretty sure Coach McDaniel is definitely hopefully going to use that and if he does, then it’s just my job to go out there and make the play.”
(First of all do you prefer “Ced” or “Cedrick?”) – “Either one is cool. It’s just whatever your preference.”
(You said that Head Coach Mike McDaniel was a really personable guy, that you wouldn’t guess that you’re talking to a football coach, but I was curious what your impression of him was in terms of his knowledge of the receiver position? He played receiver in college, he was a former wide receivers coach. Did you notice that he was any more in-tune with the position than maybe any other coach that you’ve worked with in the past?) – “It’s kind of hard to decide that now, but off the first meeting, I definitely could tell that he’s a guy that’s going to want to be hands-on with everything. You like your coaches like that because you don’t want the coach to disappear and you don’t see him at practice. So I feel like he’ll be very hands-on and I feel like that’ll be good – one, for the offense, and two, for the whole team, just showing that their head coach is out there grinding with them.”
(If you’re able to share this, was your sense from talking to Head Coach Mike McDaniel that you would be used primarily in the slot?) – “No, we didn’t really get to that much detail of where. It was basically just a meet-and-greet, not football. That’s the one thing that I really like, that was just going in there to get to know people because all of us can obviously coach and play football. You just want to make sure the guys that you’re working with are in-tuned and have the same goal that you do. I feel like that’s what I got mostly from the meeting. We’ll have plenty of time to talk football.”
(And was the chance for more playing time, obviously Dallas – they’ve thinned the room a little bit with you and WR Amari Cooper gone, but there wasn’t a chance to play a ton. You played a lot but not a ton. Was that a big factor in coming here, the chance to play even more?) – “I wouldn’t say play time. I feel like just in my position in general, I’m going to have to grind and try to go play as much as I want to with any team I’m on. I solely just picked Miami just off of the fact of how I felt with the vibe and also with Wes Welker. Talking to him, and obviously talking to him a couple years ago when I was coming out as a rookie, to know that he’s actually going to be there also was definitely a warm welcome.”
FB Alec Ingold
(What is it like to be the last of a dying breed? You’re like the dinosaur of your position and it’s approaching extinction.) – “It’s a responsibility. (laughter) No, it’s been fun being a fullback, being in this league, being able to play football. Man, I just – I made that jump when I got recruiting into Wisconsin. They said, here you go, here’s an offer as an athlete. And I was a mid-major guy trying to play quarterback. I had a quarterback offer and my family and I just discussed how much we love football and I said I’ll do whatever it takes to be on a football field and it went from quarterback to linebacker to running back and eventually to fullback. So man, I just love being on a football field. Call me a dinosaur if you want, but I’m going to find my way onto a football field one way or another.”
(Do you have respect for teams that run these similar offenses?) – “Yeah, we all stay in contact. I watched all of the 49ers film from since I’ve been in the league just watching ‘Juice’ (Kyle Juszczyk) do his thing and watching Pat Ricard and C.J. Ham, Derek Watt. The list goes on and on and on. Just being able to follow those guys, follow those offenses, seeing how they do their techniques and how they play football. We take great pride in changing the dynamic of an offense. As soon as 21, 22-personnel comes out, it seems like a little bit different flow of the game. I think we all take pride in that and that’s something I definitely do any time I put a helmet on. It’s exciting to be a fullback in this league, for sure.”
(Kind of like you were mentioning, the fullback position, it isn’t a glorified one. It’s in large part about setting up others for success. What’s your approach, your mindset to playing that role?) – “It’s dominating that role, knowing that role and yeah, it’s just being consistent with it. Being a force on the football field that can change, take advantage of different matchups, whether it’s a linebacker, a safety, corner, d-lineman, whoever that might be on the other side of that football. It’s definitely a match-made, base defense type of position, so those are the looks you’re going to get and those are the ones that you definitely have to take advantage of.”
(I wanted to check how the knee was and if you expect to be full-go for training camp?) – “Yeah, the knee is doing great. I got into town on Thursday, met the trainers and everything, met the whole staff, met the coaches, and Friday was the first day of rehab out here. I’m super excited to get to work with these trainers. We’re on the same page. No setbacks so far – knock on wood there and we’re just going to keep rolling. I like working with the staff out here already. I’ve been in a couple days now and I don’t mind this Miami weather either.”
(And I was going to ask you also did you and Head Coach Mike McDaniel talk at all during the process before you agreed to terms on Wednesday about something that you already knew, that he uses a fullback?) – “No. Coach McDaniel, his reputation precedes himself, so just hearing from – as soon as we got that call from Chris Grier that the situation, that we had a deal in place, it was a done deal. I was excited to work with this coaching staff. Obviously I have a relationship with Frank (Smith) and then getting to meet Mike on Thursday was outstanding. So it was good to sit in the office, hang out, talk ball and just kind of get a vision for this team and just find that role and what we can do here.”
(The Pardon My Take guys, they’re big fullback guys. I don’t know if you got to see, but I asked PFT for a scouting report for Dolphins fans for you and he had a nice little nugget. He said, “Just like an actual Dolphin, he has consistently low pad level but also poses the ability to leap majestically.” I thought it was pretty neat. I just wanted to see if maybe you could either add to that or give the Dolphins fans maybe a scouting report on yourself.) – “No, PFT – he’s pretty spot-on with all that stuff, man. He’s good with all those metaphors. (laughter) Shoot, that’s – physically, yes, I think that’s pretty spot-on, but also mentally, just everything about it. I’m going to be as much of a Dolphin as I can possibly be and whether that’s low pad level or leaping or whatever that is, man, I’m just excited to be here. I know that’s a cliché answer but being a part of this organization is really exciting. I’m just going to throw myself into it. I’m going to be here as much as possible, be where my feet are at right here in Miami and it’s going to be exciting. I can’t give you all much of a scouting report on what’s ahead just because I’m just really looking forward to coming back from this knee injury a little bit better, stronger, mindful, physically, mentally, spiritually, everything. And just being able to put that full play together, that full season together is going to be really exciting to do out here.”
(I had one more thing for you. Just wondering from watching NFL games, just your impressions of two of the backs you’ll be blocking for – Chase Edmonds and Raheem Mostert.) – “Fast. (laughter) Absolutely blazing speed fast. Everyone’s going to be running. Shoot, the entire offense is going to be running and I know there’s going to be a lot of conditioning work when we get going in training camp and OTAs and all that, but those guys start – running backs that I’ve worked with in the past and especially these guys, they kind of set the tone for how an offense is going to run, right? If you’re running fast, if you’re finishing plays through the whistle, you’re getting those explosive plays on offense, those running backs are part of that. They’re the leader of that. Once they can break through the second level and they can take off like that and you can feel that speed, all of a sudden you have the offensive line moving, the wide receivers, everyone is running downfield with those guys. So the amount of speed that they bring to an offense, that’s exciting just to be able to chase those guys downfield after those explosive plays that they’re obviously capable of making.”
DB Keion Crossen
(It seems like you have a past relationship with Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer. What role did he play in you coming to Miami? And early on in that one season in New England, what was the impact he had on your career?) – “Josh Boyer is a great coach. Obviously he drafted me when I was in New England. He actually developed me in my rookie year. He’s a great guy, a really good coach. I know he’s going to put in the effort as a coach towards me as a player in making sure that I have all the tools and essentials to be a great football player. That was my reasoning for choosing Miami, in terms of Josh Boyer. He’s a good coach and gets the best out of his players, and that’s exactly what I’m looking for.”
(Did General Manager Chris Grier, Head Coach Mike McDaniel or Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer give you any sense of whether you would get an opportunity to play defensively here?) – “I think that’s always the expectation. Even being a special teams player, you always look for opportunities of where you can fit in to make the team better. Whether that’s me being on special teams, me being at the nickel or the outside corner, I think wherever I can fit in to make the team better, that’s the position I’ll be playing. I think with the assets that I have, they’ll try to find every chance or possibility to give me a role. As we work out those kinks, my main goal here is to make the team better and do what I can do to the best of my ability.”
(You mentioned special teams. There are a lot of good special teamers, but there are only a handful of great special teamers. What do you think is required of a great special teams player?) – “I think the discipline just to understand the craft. Special teams as a position is very different from offense and defense because it’s the only team on the field that has multiple aspects to it. It has offensive players, defensive players and it has guys that specialize in special teams. I think it takes a team effort. It takes a lot of ability to lead and ability to follow – a lot of communication aspects. But at the end of the day, it takes a lot of hard tough-nosed guys to get the ball. I think we have that and I think we can work to create more of that this year and the years following. That’s the thing I think it takes to be a great special teams unit. I don’t think it’s one player that makes the unit the best. I think it takes a team effort, and that’s what I’m here to do. We’ll see how that goes.”
(I heard there is a street named after you in your hometown? How did that come about and what does that mean to you?) – “I was surprised. I want to say about a year and a half ago, I was surprised with it. My hometown of Garysburg (North Carolina) had a revealing. I was actually shocked then. That was a dream come true to have the street that you live on – and one of my parents still stays back in my hometown. My dad visits the street very often. It’s a dream come true. The town is accumulated of less than 1,000 people, I would say. There are still kids there that need to be motivated and need to be inspired. I’m glad that God put me in the position to be an inspiration.”
(What’s the official name of the street?) – “It’s Keion Crossen Street.”
(The last time we chatted, you mentioned your master’s degree. I wanted to get you to follow up on that and talk more about your decision to pursue that master’s degree and what exactly you have it in?) – “My master’s degree is in theology. The decision I made to pursue it was basically – I’m an educated individual and I like to pursue education. I think that knowledge is not only power but it’s also a stream to communication, it’s a stream to meeting others and communicating with others. I like to learn – even with football, outside of football, I like to learn. Most people think theology is all about the bible, the bible, the bible. But actually, it teaches you about different cultures. When I get a chance to go and I’m sitting with a Buddhist, I know the culture. I know what exactly they accept, exactly what they don’t accept. It’s just a way to network and to create different relationships. It’s been a trying educational period for me because oddly Liberty has a strict master’s program. It’s definitely been a disciplined action. I took pride in it and I hope a lot more guys in the league take pride in whether it’s finishing their undergrad or going to get their master’s. Education is important and one day I hope my kids are able to do the same thing. That’s what I wanted to start, just that educational, generational wealth, if you will.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel, I don’t know how much time you’ve gotten to speak with him yet, but do you have a first impression?) – “That is an exciting guy. Obviously he loves speed. I think that’s one thing he mentioned to me for sure. One thing he mentioned for sure is family. This place is like family. You can even tell within the walls of the facility. He’s all about having fun, enjoying the game and he lets his players be who they are. That’s one thing I like about him. When I first met him, we were just chilling on the couch, talking. It wasn’t even about ball. It was about life and that’s all that matters. We know he’s a hell of a coach and he’ll get to prove that when his time comes. At the end of the day, he’s a players coach. I’m looking forward to getting to know him a little bit more and I’m sure he’s looking forward to getting to know me more as well.”
(What brought you to major in theology? What inspired that?) – “As a young guy, I was always into church, but I never could figure out what church was about. Going to a Baptist church, obviously there is a lot of shouting and hooting and hollering, and you don’t know what exactly is going on, but you know something is happening. I just wanted to dig deeper. I had a pastor named Rev. Lee. He’s my hometown pastor. I met with him a few times and he actually encouraged me. He said do you ever want to try to figure out what exactly it is that you’re doing. We met a few times. It was one youth Sunday he let me be the MC. I wasn’t the lead pastor, but I was the MC and I really, really enjoyed it. I always tell people the feeling that I got preaching on that one Easter Sunday when he actually gave me the opportunity about two years ago, it was way better than any feeling I’ve had, even in the Super Bowl that we won with the Patriots in Super Bowl LIII. It was way better than that. I know it’s a passion that I have because it not only helps me lead people, but it helps change people’s lives. That’s whether it’s in the church or just evangelizing out here in the world. That comes every day. It’s an everyday thing that I try to pursue and I try to get better at.”
(What would you say after all of your studies is the purpose for life?) – “The purpose for life, honestly there are three things I would say. One thing would be to be a better person. Find your better self and that helps you get the best out of others, because the more you know about yourself, the better you can get things out of others. The next thing is to enjoy life, have a good time and try to be as respectful as possible. I think those three concepts all lead with the integrity factors of respect, honesty, and doing all of the right things. I think that’s a given – being respectful, being honest, that’s a given. Everyone should do that. But that’s not always the case.”
QB Teddy Bridgewater
(I wanted to ask you what memories stand out from last time you played in Miami, high school ball at the West, playing at Traz Powell and the whole bit?) – “I’m just happy to be back home, man. So many memories. So many special moments in my sports career happened in South Florida and South Florida played a huge role in me developing the mindset that I have as an athlete, as a man in society. Of course, you remember the Friday nights at Traz Powell Stadium competing against Miami Central, Carol City and Booker T and just the pageantry. You realize how passionate how everyone is about sports down here.”
(You started off at wide receiver in high school right? And then converted to quarterback. Also, I heard during your time in high school that you thought you would have to convert back to wide receiver to play in the NFL. Can you take us through both the process of becoming a quarterback initially and then why you felt back in the day that you would have to make that move back in order to play in the league?) – “I always went back and forth from the time I played little league, being a quarterback and wide receiver. I always loved playing wide receiver just growing up watching Randy Moss and Chad Johnson. You know, those guys. I wanted to be like those guys, scoring touchdowns, celebrating. In high school, our quarterback my sophomore year who started the season was Wayne Times. The time he was on the varsity team the year before I got there, he was a spectacular player. We just made a transition where he went to receiver and I went to quarterback and so many great things happened for his career and my career. I really just always went back and forth because I felt like I was always a better receiver. I loved catching the ball. Just trying to be a receiver with a quarterback’s mindset, that’s a huge asset to a wide receiver when you can think like a quarterback and play as a receiver.”
(What went into your decision to come to Miami and what was General Manager Chris Grier and Head Coach Mike McDaniel’s pitch to you to come here and back up QB Tua Tagovailoa?) – “Honestly man, the conversations that I had with the coaches – they were transparent with everything. Being from South Florida, this is home. I get to sleep in my own bed every night. Not have to find somewhere to live. My son is here. My family is here. It was pretty much a smooth and there wasn’t too much to decide on. The football side will always take care of itself. I’m just looking forward to this opportunity that I have.”
(Have you had any conversations with QB Tua Tagovailoa since you signed last week?) – “No, I haven’t. I’m pretty sure we’ll talk here in the near future.”
(I just wanted to touch briefly – you started off at Bunche Park playing with the Cowboys. Did you ever think that one day you would be playing quarterback for the Miami Dolphins?) – “When you grow up here, you can’t miss the stadium. From the days when the Marlins played baseball in the stadium, I thought I was either going to be a baseball player for the Marlins or a football player for the Dolphins at some point because that was so much motivation and it’s still motivation for so many young children playing sports in South Florida today. You ride on the Turnpike, you can’t miss the stadium. You can be all the way down south by the airport on 836 and you can see the stadium still. It was always like, ‘Man, one day. One day.’ That day finally came when it became official last week. I’m just taking it one day at a time, looking forward to being the best football player I can be, being the best man that I can be, continue to do some great things in the community and help this team.”
(You spoke on the community a little bit. You’re very big on the community aspect. I know seeing you sometimes, a few years back over by Miami-Northwestern and just participating with the youth. What impact are you trying to have and leave with them this year with you coming back home, being successful, having the accolades and things? What kind of message do you want to instill on the youth this year coming back?) – “The message hasn’t changed. It’s dream big. No dream is too big. I’m happy that I get to be home. I always tell myself that the more that they see you in the flesh, the more it means to them. Oftentimes you see your idol on TV and it’s like, ‘Man, okay that’s my idol.’ To see them in the flesh, to see that you walk the same sidewalks, play street football in the same streets, play in the same parks, went to the same middle schools, high schools, that’s huge for a lot of children and teenagers. Like I said, first and foremost I’m home to be a football player but I get the opportunity to continue to make an impact in the community.”
(Can you share with us what the Dolphins told you specifically about your role coming to the team?) – “Honestly man, that’s a conversation I’d rather keep in-house. It’s a unique opportunity for me, for this organization and I’m happy that I could be a part of it this season. I’m going to be the best version of Teddy that I can be, helping the way that I know how to help, being genuine and still giving my all to this game.”
(Are you coming in with the idea that you will be backing up QB Tua Tagovailoa or do you feel that you might have a shot to earn the starting job?) – “That’s something that the coaches and I, we talked about. I’m confident in that conversation and it’s really something that I would rather not discuss (publicly).”
(In terms of this offense, what about it appeals to you as a quarterback?) – “This offense, it’s quarterback friendly. There are always guys open, running wide open at times. This coaching staff, if you’ve followed them over the past couple of years, you’ve seen their work to get everyone involved form the running backs to the tight ends to the wide receivers. That’s appealing and I’m just excited to continue to grow mentally in this league, learn a new offense and just grow.”
(Do you feel like it suits your skillsets?) – “Yeah, definitely. Of course. I just have to get up to speed, do my part and I know that this coaching staff will do a great job of getting everyone to be the best version of themselves and get guys to play to their strengths. All I’ve got to do is just get a grasp of everything and go from there.”
(I’ve been looking at this for a while, do you feel like you are the best Miami quarterback that the community has ever produced? When you stack it up, you’ve probably had one of the biggest career) – “(Laughter) Yeah, I have the accolades but I tell people all the time my favorite guy is Cato, Rakeem Cato. The things that he was able to do and I was competing against him every year. We were the same year in high school, played against each other in college. He’s the one guy that I just couldn’t beat in basketball, football. I punished him in baseball but he was a guy, he went up to Marshall and did some great things. I think he broke just about all the passing records at Marshall. He’s one of the best to me.”
(What did you learn from your experience in Denver last year and what are your thoughts on them trading for QB Russell Wilson?) – “This business, man, it’s been great to me. It’s opened doors for me. It’s given me opportunity after opportunity. That’s what Denver did for me. They gave me a chance to continue to grow in this league and I’m appreciative that they traded for me from Carolina. Last year was great just to be a part of that organization, have an impact in the ways that I may have had. With the trade, I’m happy for them. I think George (Paton) and I have a great relationship. From him trading Von Miller and Von winning a Super Bowl. I texted George like, ‘Hey man, what you did for Von and his career, I’ve got mad respect for you.’ The trade for Russell, I’m happy for those guys, especially those receivers there. They get to continue to grow in this league and I wish them nothing but the best.”
(What have you learned since entering the NFL to now about what it takes to best position yourself to be a good quarterback in the National Football League? What have you learned about what it takes for a quarterback to succeed in the NFL?) – “It starts with throwing the ball to your guys. That’s how you last. Also man, just having a process and a routine. I learned that – it took me what, four years? It took me until I got to New Orleans with Drew Brees to really understand the value of the process of having a routine. When you have those things, it makes the week have structure. You’re not all over the place because on Sunday, you have to be dialed in and hopefully your routine is in such a way that it has you prepared on Sunday. That’s the biggest thing, having a process, having a routine and sticking to it and trusting it.”
