T Cedric Ogbuehi
(How do you feel about practicing when it’s going to be the mid to upper 90s?) – “It’s going to be different for sure, but it’s Miami. It’s going to prepare us for what’s to come so it’s good.”
(Why did you choose to play here?) – “What they’ve built so far, even last year. Building on what they did last year. Obviously I was with the Jets so I saw it firsthand. They got something special going on here, and they have the pieces. I’m just here to add on to that and to go as far as we can.”
(How did playing in Mike LaFleur’s offense prepare you to come over to this similar type of offensive system?) – “I love it. It’s literally the same kind of scheme, obviously different nuances, but it’s prepared me a lot. I’ve been helping out some of the guys, too, because it’s new to some of them so it helped a lot.”
(How does it suit your skillset?) – “It does. It’s all about running off the ball. It’s meant for guys who can move, so it’s really for kind of my skillset
(Were you surprised the Jets released you when they did after you signed the contract?) – “No, not really. It’s a business. They have a lot of tackles there, and they drafted a guy, too. So I wasn’t surprised. I wasn’t even there. I was in Dallas the whole time, so I wasn’t even there. But I wasn’t surprised.”
(How do you feel your strengths are at this point in your career? What do you feel you do the best?) – “Being in Year 9 I’ve seen it all, done it all – pass protection, run blocking, screens, out in space. I think kind of just a combination of everything. Once you’ve been playing for so long, you’ve kind of seen it all.”
TE Tyler Kroft
(What was the interest and reason for picking this spot?) – “We made it pretty known that if we didn’t sign somewhere in the first few days that we were going to see how the draft shook out, and where my agent and I, and family where we thought there would be a good opportunity to play. I know we have a good – Durham (Smythe) has been here for six years, but I know there are some younger guys in the room, too. Familiarity with the system, too, being with the Jets two years ago, and the 49ers last year, it seemed like it would be a nice smooth transition into the offense so all of those played a factor.”
(As a tight end what do you like about this offense and the rules and responsibilities that come with it?) – “I love that. I’ve always took pride in trying to be a three-down guy. Excelling in the run game and the pass game. This is an offense that asks a lot out of the tight ends. It gives you an opportunity to do both which I really like.”
(Did you know TE Durham Smythe before this?) – “No, I didn’t, but we met at Tight End U last year and my wife and I bought a house in Austin a couple of years ago, a house, and he stays down in Austin as well. So we’ve connected and talked a little bit about that, but that was when I first met him, it was just last year.”
(How would you describe your strengths relative to the blocking element and the pass receiving element at this stage of your career?) – “I still think I can do some things well in the passing game, I know at least going into – this is Year 9 for me, so going into that, I’m probably viewed more as a blocker now in this, but I still take pride in being able to do it all, and trying to be a three-down guy. I’ll never put myself into a box that way saying I can just do one or the other. But like I said before, I just take pride in doing it all.”
(So if you were talking to No. 84 Elijah Higgins, for example, the guy who’s converting to tight end, he’s got a double whammy – a new offense, new league and a new position. What have you told him or would you tell him for example about here is something you absolutely have to do in this scheme?) – “I’ve just been working on him because like you said, he’s playing a whole new position, it’s a new league. I was a rookie, shoot, nine years ago, but I’ve just been talking to him about not letting it get too big for him, jut trying to take each day at a time. And at the end of the day you’re going to mess stuff up. Everybody does. Everybody was a stupid rookie at one point, so I told him to just not get too low on himself and don’t get too high when you are making plays, too. Because everybody out here was the best players at their college or best players at their position. There’s a reason they are here and there’s a reason he’s here, too. So just making sure he keeps his head on straight and don’t get too low and don’t get too high, but just try and take each day at a time and stack them.”
(What’s one thing that TE George Kittle told you or you observed that really helped?) – “The rack, like when you catch the ball, something that was so simple that I didn’t even really think about and seeing him when we would just do routes on air, making a move or a double move, just getting in your mind that you’re taking that ball to the end zone every time you get it. Not just doing the drop-step. The drop-step is good, but taking that drop-step to the next level, so that was something that I’ve been trying to do here and show the guys, too, as well.”
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(Obviously no two players are alike but generally with the skillset that was lost with TE Mike Gesicki in terms of the seam threat at that size, someone who can block in the red zone, can catch. Who on this roster do you think can compete to fill that role in the next coming weeks?) – “You’re hitting on something that, there’s some opportunities within the offense to put your imprint on your career and for this team. I wouldn’t say it’s just tight ends but really all skill receivers. There’s a lot of competition. Really as the head coach of the team, I’m most excited to see who wins it because it is as organic as one could make it. There’s several capable candidates to catch some balls and be an impactful part of this team I would say at all the offensive skill positions and the proof is in the pudding. You go out there to practice and there’s a good amount of talent. For me to say that I know who that’s going to be would be way ahead of – there’s some sort of saying that I’m looking for…”
(The cart before the horse.) – “Boom. You’ve still got it. So I think that there’s a lot of young players, some veterans, that recognize the opportunity and are really going after it.”
(It looked like QB Tua Tagovailoa had one of those little cameras on his helmet. Can you tell us about the benefits for that relative to you guys working together on progressions and what not) – “So that’s a tool that has been around in the league in different avenues in different organizations I can remember since the teens of the 2000s. For us it’s multifaceted. It’s not like anything earth-shattering. It’s a camera, but it does have audio and I think some of the strong attributes of that technology are that you get to hear play calls. You can library those play calls for players to hear when they’re studying. This just in, the National Football League huddles. A lot of college and high schools don’t, which means you’re taking in information auditorily for the first time with many minimized reps as opposed to looking at the sidelines for a signal or a picture. So auditory, it’s a tool. It’s also something that you can see from his side eye what he’s looking at. For all quarterbacks, it’s a tool to help really drive home certain coaching points and just see what they’re seeing to be on the same page as the player.”
(Is there anything in correlation to concussions that could help if any? Seeing his head movement, where it might go or things that might maybe forecast a play that he got himself into last year?) – “I think preparation is the best thing that you can do for all players in regards to executing your jobs while protecting yourself. Outside of that, you’ve got to get a hold of one of those see the future cameras. Then it’d be extremely helpful if you knew where the players were going to be. But I think for all players when they’re in the right time of their learning process, where it’s not too much on the front end where you’re swimming in too many variables of information, when you’re ready, added information, added articulation through our problem-solving only benefits the player and the team for the ultimate results. Information and tools are not the end all be all by any stretch, but I think it does help us to become really the best football team and the best players and the best coaches that we can be, which is really how I see our jobs.”
(The Dolphins are one of like four or five teams around the league that are doing six OTAs as opposed to the maximum allowed of 10. I’m curious as to why that is?) – “A lot of things factor into it. I think that by and large, players, coaches, people in general, do best when ‘why’ is explained to them. In this particular situation, I think that it is crucial that we have, as convicted, present, deliberate, football players when they’re approaching practice and really recognizing how each opportunity is very crucial to the development of the team. I think when you’re able to acknowledge players’ hard work, and they get positively reinforced with actual action, I think it goes a long way. They are afforded the less practices because they’ve earned it because of the way they’ve approached the whole offseason. My standards for preparation are pretty high and they have recognized that and really heeded to the expectation across the board. I think in those types of circumstances, everyone benefits with a little bone here or there.”
(You’ve become a regular fixture courtside at the Miami Heat games but you’re also a Colorado native and the Denver Nuggets will be your hometown team. So I’m wondering, where is your allegiance going to be?) – “How did you know I was courtside? (laughter)”
(Everyone can see it) – “Oh, I wish I would’ve known that. You know, it’s funny, I will not deny that – I’ve been a football coach my entire adult life. I was born and raised in Denver and cheered for the Nuggets forever. I had a fan plan in 1994. They packaged games and we picked the package that (Michael) Jordan was going to play and he retired. It was my mom’s entire bonus. So yeah, I’ve been invested, and they’ve had a really cool journey. It’s a cool franchise, but you know, I’m an only child and I myself am a father to an only child. So this is going to be totally forecasting but I feel comfortable doing it because I’m blind. The Kelces went through it. I imagine it being like a parent with a couple of kids where, of course you love all your kids, but don’t you love one more? (laughter) Realistically, when it comes down to it, the stuff that I’ve been able to really get access to with the Heat coaching staff led by “Spo” (Erik Spoelstra) last summer. Getting to know them, following their journey and getting to know the people you know I’ve become extremely invested. So I don’t lose any sleep by saying you know what, Denver Nuggets, why don’t we wait 48 years? Not 47. So that’s kind of where I stand on that. But really, I think it’s really cool. It is odd that the two teams you probably follow as close as anything, you’re rooting for one and somebody has to lose. But I’m really excited in particular for just The (NBA) Finals in general because I think both teams in The Finals represent what’s really cool about sports, because they have had to scratch, claw, fight tooth and nail to get in the position they’re at in their own respective journeys. So I have no doubt in my mind that both fan bases, both teams, no one’s going to take anything for granted. We’re going to have elite schematic coaching from both sides and you’re going to have to earn whatever comes here. So I think from a sports fan perspective, it’s as cool as it gets and I’m excited to see what the Heat can do.”
(When you go to these games are you going purely for entertainment purposes or is there stuff you can bring back from a football perspective to kind of show the team and relate the two things…?) – “I think there’s information in front of us all the time that can be very beneficial to what we do on a day-to-day basis, just in general, every day if you’re willing to look and listen. You don’t know what is going to come about but the bottom line is, when you go to those games, where would you rather be if you’re in professional sports. You have high stakes. A lot of sweat equity has gone into those moments. I still have a tough time imagining how many up-and-downs and shuttles and how many practices and shootarounds basketball teams go through and how long that season is, and how many practices hockey teams have to have to get on the same page. That stuff is what really is impactful for me in those moments and I think without a doubt, there’s great stuff to take away that can be applied in what we’re trying to do.”
(What do you take away from your time with Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra. He’s still only 52 and yet he makes the playoffs very consistently, he makes the NBA Finals on a pretty regular basis. What are your takeaways on what makes him as successful as he is?) – “Well, first and foremost, I feel so humbled to be able to have the relationship. I think what screams to me, just the way he runs the program and what they do is there’s a passion for developing players and coaching and a standard for what they believe should prepare their players, I feel a true love for who they’re coaching and what they’re coaching and I think systematically, when people describe the Heat culture, they’re talking about a bunch of individuals that are trying to be great in the game of basketball, players and coaches alike. I feel so fortunate. I think he has to be one of the best professional coaches across all sports. For me to have access to pick his brain, he throws me a handshake after wins. It’s an unbelievable resource for me in the coaching profession that I feel very, very fortunate to have.”
(It was reported yesterday that the team is going to be having another set of joint practices with the Houston Texans. Specifically having sessions with a coach you know well in DeMeco Ryans, what do you think the team can take from those?) – “Yeah, you know, I wanted to break the news to you guys last time I was up here but gave the opportunity to a friend and somebody I feel fortunate to have coached with and been around for such a long time in DeMeco Ryans and he just turned it down like the humble guy he is. So pumped about that. That’s a young, hungry team that will afford us the opportunity of getting better in training camp. Those types of opportunities are invaluable. It breaks camp up. It gives a little newness to it. It reinvigorates it, but it also – there’s only so much scheme that one side of the ball can have. You get different players that you have to go against and subtle schematic nuances that are different that really help the players get prepared for preseason and then regular season.”
(Things you’ve noticed about CB Cam Smith so far and RB De’Von Achane – obviously speed stands out – but if you wouldn’t mind digging into those two individually?) – “I think both of them have done exactly what’s been asked of them to this juncture. I think along the process there’s so much going on for rookies, you forget that you’re joining a team that has established players and you need to make way on that team through the locker room and the coaching staff, just the building in general. That’s what I’ve seen them focus on and I can tell they’re starting to become one of the guys. You are swimming at this stage and that’s to be expected, but I also see from those two in particular, guys that have a deep-down self-confidence that the minor hiccups in the short term aren’t really affecting them which is something you look for in young players because there’s a lot. It’s almost like you’re a baseball player where you bat like 30 percent or .300 for the real fan. (laughter) You bat .300 – that means seven out of 10 times, failure. That’s kind of like being a rookie. So, so far, so good. I think you have to win over your teammates at least with the Dolphins before you’re able to play with them and I think they’re knee-deep in that journey and I’ve been happy with what they’ve produced.”
(They say that for the human brain, moving and starting a new job are two of I think the five most stressful things you can go through. Obviously when you get here you’ve got to hit the ground running focused on the job, but how have you allowed yourself to acclimate to I guess the new environment outside of work?) – “Man, moving, new job? Wow. It’s been cool to kind of – it’s one of the reasons that it’s so awesome for me to be this fortunate coach of this team, to go to these playoff games. Just my comfort with the entire, all of South Florida. I didn’t know what I didn’t know and there are so many things that this place has to offer and it is night and day. Like now, it feels like home. Last year, you don’t even know where you’re at, so there’s a ton of stuff that allows you to do your job more efficiently and more focused on the task at hand. So it’s been an awesome offseason that’s been filled with work with a little sprinkle of husband/dad time that has been outstanding, and I know my daughter is, she’s really excited to play all day. Which is what I’ll be doing for my break, but there’s a lot of work to be done before that.”
(Just to follow up real quick, you said it’s starting to feel like home. Was there a moment you have in mind where you kind of were able to stop and realize, “wow, yeah, this is home now”?) – “It’s hard not to feel that way with the amount of support. I’ve said it before in the past. I didn’t really know the strength of South Florida fans and really the sleeping giant that I kind of walked into and I started to feel it in training camp, but by the time there was a first home game, it’s hard not to feel at home when so many people are supporting you. I’ve moved my whole life so that’s old hat, but I remember specifically leaving the stadium after the first game and being like, ‘wow, this is a great place to live and do my job, so I’m going to fight tooth and nail while you guys try to kick me out and I’m a fighter.’”
(Did T Terron Armstead have the foot surgery and should he be fine for training camp?) – “He’s been having a good offseason. I try to honor all the players with not really putting their business out on the street unnecessarily. I have no reservations about where he’s at. He has had his fill of watching practice so he’s done everything in his power and I look forward to seeing him in training camp and I haven’t been given any reason to have hesitancy to this point at all.”
(The team runs into some money post June 1 which happens to be tomorrow’s date. I know you can’t tell me what the organizational plans are, but can you speak to the benefit of having that kind of capital that you’ve got at this job?) – “It’s something that when any direction is decided for the team, you’re kind of aware that that’s coming. So that has been planned and we are aware that that’s occurring and we typically do everything we can to have the best team possible within the guidelines of the salary cap. So not sure where, but I’d feel confident to say that we’ll make good use out of that salary cap room when it comes to the start of the regular season.”
