Coach Mike McDaniel meets with the media | Miami Dolphins

Coach Mike McDaniel meets with the media | Miami Dolphins

autograph. Silence. So, I was going to ask you about Andrew Meyer and Jason Marshall. Meer’s had a good camp. We haven’t seen him the last couple days. Does that look like a short term or a multi-week thing? Brother Voser. Um, uh, yeah. No. Um, he’s he’s he’s had a great camp. Um, really stepped his game up, been very impressed with his play. He will be out um, it’ll be weeks. Um uh but uh he’s built a strong foundation. Um you know, one of the top really um performers and you want to talk about growth of game, one of the top guys that um from year one to year two has has made tremendous strides. Um so he’ll we’ll be looking forward to uh whenever he does get back. Jason Marshall doing some things. Uh do you think football activity could be weeks away or is this a dayto-day thing? Well, I mean, technically he’s always doing something because if he’s doing nothing, then that’s something, right? Um he he’ll be practicing today. Um a little bit um and uh hopefully we’ll keep him out there. Um but we have a a measured approach today for him. Mike, how’s uh Alec Engel doing? Um he’s in the protocol. He’s doing well. Um he uh he’s um probably once or twice a week. Um he he comes up uh to my office about 6:00 a.m. Um and he’s uh still doing that. So um we had a nice conversation this morning and um he’s he’s progressing. What do you hope to get out of upcoming joint practices? Well, the uh joint practices are are fantastic for a multitude of reasons. Um, but first and foremost, you know, I think uh you’re you’re trying to see it’s the best opportunity to give guys a chance to make it make the team. Um, we’re very much focused on on the team and competing within it. Um but you go to a joint practice um you get to take all the tools that you’ve been refining and uh you you get to try to do um you know responsibilities uh much further beyond resultbased but um executing techniques and fundamentals. Um it’s invaluable. And then the discipline that it takes um to play uh threequarters football, non-tackle football um joint practices um are are a challenge um but it’ll be good for our football team to you know strain between the whistle and and uh get back to the huddle and do it again. So that competitive spirit um I’ll be looking um forward to. I I feel like I’ll have a better vision of what the team is um after today. You know, um we we I I don’t believe in skipping steps and this team is very much grabbed on to that. So, um before joint, uh put your eye block on for today’s practice because this is this is going to be a good one. Mike, regarding Grayson Murphy, he’s a guy that we always seem to see in the back field there getting penetration, chasing the quarterback. Jaylen Phillips said he thinks he’s the best pure pass rusher on the team. What have you seen from him and his growth since that injury last? Well, you know, I think um the football player is is the is the draw. This this guy has natural close quarter contact. Um uh vision bend. Um you know, he can hold the point. He can do a lot of things. And so what you’re trying to do with a natural um pass rushing skill set is fit it within the responsibilities of the defense. And that’s where his focus is on a lot of um you know for guys like that. Uh you get on the field um you know on first and second down um setting the edge and being consistent with that. Um he has the ability. It’s um uh and he’s just refining when to use all of us tools. He’s he’s progressed um a ton. Um I like where where he’s at and his main focus um is utilizing those that natural pass rush um ability within the scheme, within the rush patterns. Um not, you know, rushing too high over the quarterback and not not giving up the C gap. Those are um the mantras of the edge position in our defense and and he’s working on being as consistent as possible. Um because every play the uh entirety of the defense is depending on the edge. Mike kind of sticking with things that Jaylen Phillips said yesterday. Interesting chat about Patrick Paul the trash talker, but uh he said that what’s interesting about him is not that he talks trash. He’s been doing since last year, but this year he feels like he can actually back it up. And so from a coach’s perspective, have you seen a good part that’s a good part of the whole trash talking um uh the whole equation? Oh, that’s that’s funny. Yeah. No, I think I think he’s, you know, um like a lot of people, he’s he’s out to prove something. Um but he, you know, he understands the connectivity of the work and the result. um not chasing the result, chasing the work to get the results. Um you know, I think it’s a it’s the es and flows for for um Pat. It’s it’s much like a I’d coach a quarterback where I know he can block people. Um I I talked to him um and I use the same example to as I as I’ve always used with Tua is much of my evaluation process is after a play that I know he doesn’t like. Um and that’s something he’s very much focused on. Um because you start getting confidence um and you feel as though you can block um everyone on every play. Uh that’s that’s great. But what happens when you don’t? because you won’t, you know what I mean? Um, so he’s he’s really leaning into that. Um, and I think that, you know, for the whole offensive line, I think collectively, um, you know, he he fits within a culture that they’re creating, um, which is all about everything that they do. Um, their their focus, their intentionality, and their strain. Um, and you know, I think the talk um, much like Jaylen’s describing it is a a thing that’s um, you know, that they may or may not choose to do, the focus has been on the work and his game. Um, so his his uh, his onelining trash talking probably hasn’t um, evolved as much as his game, which is what I’d want um, because his his focus has been on that. Mike, last year when um Austin Jackson and Alec In Engle were out together, the run game took a little bit of a dive, which you would expect. They’re out together again now. What did you learn last year and what can you how can you apply that moving forward right now? No, I think that was um you you learn a lot from problem solving to you know what um you know the reasons for those those incremental or those gains and really it’s the displacement at the point of attack um that that both those players were really adept at. And you know, we used um those players and and our foundational teaching um of the whole group and trying to get more uh more weapons in the run game. And you know what I’ve seen thus far is that we we do have um this the the foundation the player foundation um here to um you know be able to be better at in a situation um that we’re in the last year. So, not having your right tackle and fullback. Um, I I’ve I’ve seen uh a lot a lot more production um you know, block forblock and play for play this this year than last. So, I think it’s a I hadn’t thought about it that way, but um if I were to, it is a good measuring stick relative to where we were at last year. Um, we’ve had a lot of focus on uh what ma made those guys be impactful players and applying it to a lot of other people’s game and I think I think we’re um getting better in that regard. On that note, how valuable has it been to get Larry Borum some elevated reps now? I mean, it’s been extremely valuable because, you know, we had um you know, I think Larry and I think the Dolphins both saw um saw elements of his game that could really really grow based upon um his technique and fundamentals, what they were asking him to do um previous. So, we saw a fit based on, you know, all of our reps and and draft and free agency over the years and um he’s really, you know, he he came with a chip on his shoulder and he’s really um met and exceeded expectations in that way. Um that being said, um part of that whole thing is the constant evolution. um you know to get your technique connected with the runner, connected with the passer, connected with the receivers and all those things um you have to diligently find those techniques and then maintain them. So um Larry uh doesn’t blink each and every day. It’s such an important part of the offensive lineman productivity down the stretch of the season is are you willing to um ma continue to master things that many would find boring. Um, well, Larry uh is uh Larry Borum is about the only boring part of his game to me. His he’s really put a lot of work into it and it’s it’s cool to see very valuable reps against some very um difficult pass rushers to block. Offensive line, how happy have you been with that group as a whole and their ability to pick up the different rushes and sim pressures and all the things that can be thrown an offensive line? Well, I think that, you know, it’s one of the reasons I um, you know, gravitated towards this uh, defensive scheme with coach Weaver is they give a lot of protection issues um, while uh, or systematically um, while being able to um, throw a lot at you um, but it’s not that much to them. And in that process, it makes your offensive line collectively better. I’ve seen um you know passo and um in the run game um a a a nice evolution thus far in camp relative to where we’ve been every year. Um so that so far so good with that. Um but the biggest part that I think that will um really really last the the test of the season um is the collective culture of the O line room. Um and really the the uh you know between um Brew um and Austin Jackson and and you’re talking about um you know guys ascending like um uh Patrick and then you know you have um you know everything that Liam brings the collective culture of the offensive line room you can come to you come to practice and you feel their presence and they’re not you know um it’s the hottest for for those guys. And when when you can have a um a mentality and kind of a a I don’t know, a way you play that you’re proud of that you earn. Um they it offensive lines can kind of dictate the the tenacity of your football team. So, um I know they’ve taken that challenge on and that’s what I feel more than anything is that we have a group of guys that are going to lay it all out there, but they are prideful and have are starting to develop their own um unique flavor uh and style of football play. When you look at your safeties, aside from Minka and Iffy, it seems like we’ve seen stuff from Ashton, Elijah, Saunders, Colbert. I’m wondering what you’ve seen from from that group and what you think of the depth right now. It’s super competitive and I’ve seen um a lot of guys focus on the details of playing their position not um as focused as all right did a ball um get thrown in my direction. uh and that diligent play after play um uh breaking on angles um you know putting themselves in position to make vice tackles um those things. Uh it’s it’s going to be super super competitive in um today. It’ll be in joints, it’ll be in preeason. um it’s going to be uh one of the the groups that guys are going to have to earn their separation from the rest of the pack. And right now um we have a lot of good play. Uh, I I see NFL um talent um all over the crew and um as we press forward, see um see different offenses um see uh different tools that this offense has um we’re going to, you know, we’ll see some separation. Um but right now, to their credit, it’s a very competitive group that’s very deep. Um and uh the these are very important days each one of them um in in are really moving forward. Wanted to ask you about two 30 plus guys who were not in NFL offseason program just to see how they’re coming along. Obviously with Waller I don’t know if you brought your crystal ball to give us an idea of when he might come off PUP. And with Hilton are you limiting his snaps at all in camp? We see Cornell getting a lot of of nickel work. Are you weeping him back in slowly because he wasn’t in May, June practices in an NFL team? Well, uh, with with Waller, uh, you know, it’s it’s looking about it’s a little tricky because, uh, you’re bringing a guy back. Um, and is his first practice a joint practice? Um, so it’s about a week, but it’s a little tricky in terms of what practice, and we’ll feel our way through that. Um uh and you know, you’re just trying to trying to be smart with that. And um yeah, the the rotation um on the back end we’re intentionally um keeping very varied uh uh at a lot of places to give a lot of people opts to compete. Um and you know, I think uh each each player um in our secondary will get their opportunity. Um some days um we’re we’re uh heavily repping one guy over the other, but just in general we’re trying to uh tool ourselves, refine how we play football against each other as a team. Um and then uh when we get done with doing that, uh we’ll take our take our group on the road and and keep compete against other guys. that will be um very very important practices and uh and preseason exposure for for each for everyone. So, we’ve been building for for this competition um for a while and um I can’t I’m pretty excited to see how it unfolds, tell you the truth. What what has stood out about Zach Wilson’s training camp work so far? Uh he’s uh he’s really starting from the offseason program, he when you get veteran players um it’s a different timeline sometimes where you know you have all the stuff you’ve done up until that point and uh uh techniques, fundamentals and stuff. And then um the stuff we’re asking, how long are you going to resist? How how fast will you jump into how we’re doing things? Um and Zach I think Zach’s play um has caught the attention of you know a lot of his teammates and uh that that was uh you know I I could have reasonably predicted that based on how quickly he leaned in to what we’re doing. Um I think uh that that room in general is uh is giving us a chance to have a very competitive football practice in its entirety. Um, and you know, I’ve been the some of the stuff uh with the with our timing and inside the you know, just the aggressive um reads we ask quarterbacks to do and you know, sometimes turning their back, doing a lot of different footworks and ball handlings. He’s owned it. Um and and is you know almost every practice I get to see um you know that the the thrower um spin spin a throw in our offense that is pretty impressive. Um and it it’s stacking. So um I’m excited about where he’s at. He’s come a lot a long way with the team um just by his um how he’s leading his unit and uh guys guys are starting to notice for sure. I’m curious about your evaluation process during the joint practices. From where I sit, it’s kind of two sets of teams, right? You have two up and cominging teams with the Jaguars and Bears and, you know, an established team with the Lions. Does the evaluation process change? Yeah, it’s completely different. Um for sure. Uh, and it’s a lot more tape. Um, because I’m calling plays, um, you know, and seeing, you know, for portions of the practice, not all of it, but for portions, I’m only seeing half the team where I’m used to seeing everything. Um, and you know, you have your I have uh different mechanisms within a practice to, you know, have an idea of everything that’s going on, but I can’t be two places at once, and it’s the only time there’s two places of things going on. Uh, so you catch back up on that. Um with uh with tape it’s a much longer process of watching tape because you’re essentially watching two practices um uh worth but it it’s all the more fun and um there’s a a lot joint practices historically have always um been on the field with uh your coaching staff. You get word of mouth on this happened or this happened. Um, and then you get a fun little present when you get back to the hotel and check it out. Last question. Not to look too far into the future, but any early lean on whether um any starters would play in the preseason opener? Um, yeah, I’m leaning on um this day early and often. Um and then uh that joint practice uh full transparency um you know the uh haven’t communicated to the players either just we’re we’re we’re um my eyes are wide open and I’m seeing what happens today with the football team. We’ll have a joint practice and then uh we’ll we’ll we’ll talk about h how we’re going to attack that that preseason game. But um not allowing um guys to uh look forward. The best way to do that is literally give them no information. All right. See

Coach Mike McDaniel meets with the media on Sunday, August 3.

Presented by Baptist Health

Subscribe: http://www.youtube.com/channel/MiamiDolphins

#MiamiDolphins #NFL

For more Dolphins content: http://www.MiamiDolphins.com
Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MiamiDolphins
Follow us on TikTok: http://tiktok.com/MiamiDolphins
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/MiamiDolphins
Follow us on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/MiamiDolphins
Follow us on Reddit: http://reddit.com/u/yourmiamidolphins
Get the app: http://apps.apple.com/us/app/miami-dolphins/id563617073