WEBVTT - Drive Time - Running Backs Training Camp Preview, Media Availability 0:00:00.280 --> 0:00:07.480 Practice, rows Patrick drawing touchdown. What a win for this 0:00:07.600 --> 0:00:13.840 Miami Dolphin team. Wow? What is up, Dolphans? And welcome 0:00:13.960 --> 0:00:17.160 to the Drive Time Podcast, part of the Miami Dolphins 0:00:17.160 --> 0:00:22.160 official podcast network, covering your Miami Dolphins each and every day. 0:00:22.200 --> 0:00:25.840 How's it going everybody? How was your weekend? Happy Monday? 0:00:25.880 --> 0:00:28.520 I am your host, Travis Wingfield, and I am here 0:00:28.600 --> 0:00:32.040 as always to bring you your daily dose of Miami 0:00:32.120 --> 0:00:35.520 Dolphins football. And on today's show, we continue our roster 0:00:35.680 --> 0:00:38.720 preview series taking a look at the running backs. Some 0:00:38.840 --> 0:00:41.600 new names joined the fold as we break down coach 0:00:41.760 --> 0:00:45.239 Eric Studsville's room, Plus we heard from three veterans over 0:00:45.280 --> 0:00:47.600 the weekend. We'll get you caught up on the highlights 0:00:47.600 --> 0:00:52.240 from Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jesse Davis, and Bobby McCain's media availability, 0:00:52.400 --> 0:00:55.880 and get you the latest Miami Dolphins news. All of 0:00:55.960 --> 0:00:59.160 that and more on this Monday, August the third edition 0:00:59.280 --> 0:01:06.000 of the Drive Time Podcast. And just real quick before 0:01:06.000 --> 0:01:08.080 we dive into the meat of the episode, a couple 0:01:08.120 --> 0:01:11.000 of roster updates for you guys, and the COVID slash 0:01:11.080 --> 0:01:14.120 reserve list. For this season, we added Jerome Baker, the 0:01:14.160 --> 0:01:18.080 linebacker and defensive lineman Zach Seeler over the weekend. Eric 0:01:18.120 --> 0:01:21.240 Flowers as well has joined that list, and Blake Ferguson 0:01:21.520 --> 0:01:24.200 is the second Dolphins to come off the COVID slash 0:01:24.240 --> 0:01:27.480 reserve list. Benito Jones did the exact same move earlier 0:01:27.680 --> 0:01:31.039 last week and Ferguson. While we turned to camp with 0:01:31.160 --> 0:01:34.440 some competition for the long snapping job, as the Dolphins 0:01:34.440 --> 0:01:38.319 signed Rex Sunahara over the weekend, and like Ferguson, the 0:01:38.360 --> 0:01:43.040 West Virginia product, Sunahara was a Patrick Mannelli Award finalist 0:01:43.080 --> 0:01:45.920 for the best long snapper in all of college football. 0:01:46.120 --> 0:01:48.680 Ferguson won that award from l s U back in 0:01:48.720 --> 0:01:51.040 two thousand eighteen. All right, let's go ahead and turn 0:01:51.080 --> 0:01:53.000 the page here and jump right back in to our 0:01:53.040 --> 0:01:55.880 training camp roster preview series taking a look at the 0:01:55.960 --> 0:01:59.200 running backs on today's episode of the Drive Time podcast. 0:01:59.600 --> 0:02:01.720 And as we have done on the show, here going 0:02:01.760 --> 0:02:04.280 in order of the players jersey numbers, and so we 0:02:04.360 --> 0:02:06.760 start with a player that has a kind of non 0:02:06.880 --> 0:02:10.359 running back number, and Malcolm Perry, the rookie out of Navy. 0:02:10.600 --> 0:02:12.600 He wears the number ten. He's gonna be twenty three 0:02:12.639 --> 0:02:15.480 years old when this season kicks off. Next month. We 0:02:15.560 --> 0:02:17.639 are just one month away from the start of the 0:02:17.720 --> 0:02:20.799 National Football League and the Army Navy Game has been 0:02:20.800 --> 0:02:24.520 played an annual tradition, one of the best really aesthetics 0:02:24.520 --> 0:02:27.520 and the best scenes, the best, the best really of 0:02:27.600 --> 0:02:30.720 everything about football in that Army Navy Game and over 0:02:30.840 --> 0:02:34.040 one hundred and twenty years of its illustrious history. The 0:02:34.120 --> 0:02:37.200 record for single game rushing yards was broken last year 0:02:37.240 --> 0:02:40.359 by none other than New Dolphin Malcolm Perry, who ran 0:02:40.400 --> 0:02:42.840 for three hundred and four yards in that game. And 0:02:42.840 --> 0:02:45.079 it wasn't just the Army Game where Malcolm Perry went 0:02:45.080 --> 0:02:48.919 crazy on opposing defenses. He piled up two thousand seventeen 0:02:49.000 --> 0:02:52.320 rushing yards in nineteen that was the second most in 0:02:52.400 --> 0:02:55.640 college football. He's an explosive runner. He jumps off the 0:02:55.680 --> 0:02:59.040 tape with twitch, speed and vision. He carried the football 0:02:59.040 --> 0:03:02.120 two hundred and nine five times last year and twenty 0:03:02.200 --> 0:03:06.120 nine team and of those runs, sixty five of those 0:03:06.200 --> 0:03:09.600 runs in total exceeded ten yards, So two percent of 0:03:09.639 --> 0:03:11.560 the time he's ripping off runs that are gonna be 0:03:11.560 --> 0:03:13.560 good to move the chains on a normal first and 0:03:13.600 --> 0:03:17.120 ten situation. Ken Nia Matallo, the head coach at Navy, 0:03:17.160 --> 0:03:19.799 we talked to him on the Drivetime podcast a while back, 0:03:19.960 --> 0:03:22.600 and he said that Perry's running instincts are as good 0:03:22.720 --> 0:03:26.200 as he has ever seen. Perry participated in the East 0:03:26.200 --> 0:03:28.880 West Shrine Game back in January, and he carried the 0:03:28.880 --> 0:03:31.720 football one time in that Senior All Star game and 0:03:31.720 --> 0:03:33.800 he took it to the house fifty two yards for 0:03:33.840 --> 0:03:36.800 a touchdown to give his team a fourth quarter lead. Now, 0:03:36.840 --> 0:03:40.280 he played quarterback, slot back, and receiver over his four 0:03:40.360 --> 0:03:42.720 year career there at the Naval Academy. But he will 0:03:42.760 --> 0:03:45.760 be on the Dolphins roster, listed officially as a running 0:03:45.760 --> 0:03:49.000 back up next number twenty in the Miami Dolphins backfield. 0:03:49.040 --> 0:03:51.720 Another newcomer, he's been in the league for three years, 0:03:52.160 --> 0:03:55.640 entering his very first here in Miami, Georgia. Southern product, 0:03:55.680 --> 0:03:58.560 twenty five years old. Matt Brita, and this guy can 0:03:58.600 --> 0:04:02.120 flat go. Brita, that Cheetah. He has the fastest registered 0:04:02.200 --> 0:04:04.800 top speed in the NFL each of the last two 0:04:04.840 --> 0:04:07.680 years at twenty two point three and twenty two point 0:04:07.960 --> 0:04:10.640 nine miles per hour. He really can cook when he 0:04:10.680 --> 0:04:13.320 gets the football in his hands. And that rhyming nickname, 0:04:13.360 --> 0:04:15.720 Matt Brita the Cheetah, It just all goes in line. 0:04:15.880 --> 0:04:18.120 The Dolphins sent a fifth round draft pick to the 0:04:18.160 --> 0:04:21.520 forty niners on draft Day to acquire this speedster. He 0:04:21.560 --> 0:04:23.839 has a five point oh yards per carry average on 0:04:23.920 --> 0:04:26.920 three hundred and eighty one career carries, and the old 0:04:26.960 --> 0:04:29.479 adage tells us that speed never slumps, right, and that's 0:04:29.480 --> 0:04:32.800 true of all sports, Baseball, basketball, football, you name it, 0:04:32.880 --> 0:04:35.880 and by any standards, Matt Brita can run a four 0:04:36.080 --> 0:04:38.560 three eight forty yard dash. At his college pro day 0:04:38.560 --> 0:04:40.839 a few years back, he also jumped forty two and 0:04:40.839 --> 0:04:42.839 a half inches in the vertical, so you get a 0:04:42.839 --> 0:04:45.360 sense for how this guy is built athletically and how 0:04:45.360 --> 0:04:48.160 he maneuvers that way. He also has the production to 0:04:48.200 --> 0:04:50.400 go along with the five yards per carry. He's a 0:04:50.400 --> 0:04:54.279 conversion machine of his runs. Over the course of his career. 0:04:54.360 --> 0:04:57.320 Move the chains. He's converted one hundred ten of his 0:04:57.360 --> 0:05:00.279 four hundred forty eight career touches into first down and 0:05:00.320 --> 0:05:02.839 that includes six out of seven carries on third or 0:05:02.880 --> 0:05:05.320 fourth and short with just two yards or less for 0:05:05.400 --> 0:05:07.200 a first down. So I sure bet to pick up 0:05:07.240 --> 0:05:09.600 the first down. Move those chains, and according to Pro 0:05:09.680 --> 0:05:12.560 Football Focus, last year, Matt Brita lined up in the 0:05:12.560 --> 0:05:15.440 backfield on two forty six snaps. He was in the 0:05:15.480 --> 0:05:18.880 slot for six plays and flexed out wide on sixteen occasions, 0:05:18.920 --> 0:05:21.400 so moving around the offense a little bit. Played eighty 0:05:21.400 --> 0:05:24.560 five snaps on special teams. He has sixty seven catches 0:05:24.720 --> 0:05:26.760 and that was good for a seventy five point three 0:05:26.839 --> 0:05:30.120 percent catch ray on eighty nine targets and average of 0:05:30.200 --> 0:05:33.600 eight point four yards per reception. Kyle Shanahan praised him 0:05:33.680 --> 0:05:35.560 last year in training camp, and I wrote about it 0:05:35.600 --> 0:05:38.240 in the article when Brita was first trade to Miami, 0:05:38.400 --> 0:05:40.040 taking a look at some of his work and how 0:05:40.080 --> 0:05:42.640 Matt Brito worked hard to get himself into that fold, 0:05:42.800 --> 0:05:45.919 into that deep backfield out there in San Francisco, and 0:05:45.920 --> 0:05:48.440 head coach Brian Flores feels the same way. He had 0:05:48.440 --> 0:05:50.400 this to say about Brita after they traded for the 0:05:50.480 --> 0:05:53.000 running back back on draft Day. As far as Matt 0:05:53.000 --> 0:05:55.480 breed to the player, this is a very explosive young 0:05:55.600 --> 0:05:58.000 running back with good vision and he can create a 0:05:58.000 --> 0:06:00.840 lot of big plays, Flora said. But he's also tough, 0:06:01.040 --> 0:06:03.000 he's also smart. He also has a lot of the 0:06:03.040 --> 0:06:05.320 qualities we are looking for in our players. It was 0:06:05.360 --> 0:06:07.640 an exciting phone call to have with him, and we 0:06:07.680 --> 0:06:09.279 can't wait to get him out here. Of course, that 0:06:09.400 --> 0:06:12.680 was back in April and Brita. You know, Flores talks 0:06:12.720 --> 0:06:15.120 about the toughness in that little blurb there. It's not 0:06:15.200 --> 0:06:16.960 just a speed guy that we're dealing with here. This 0:06:17.000 --> 0:06:20.400 guy he has some tough runs, some tough physical yards. 0:06:20.520 --> 0:06:21.960 You go back and watch some of the games where 0:06:21.960 --> 0:06:24.480 he had some of his biggest production totals this past season, 0:06:24.520 --> 0:06:26.800 like the Saints game, for instance. The Niners try to 0:06:26.800 --> 0:06:29.239 be balanced in that game, going with the run, the pass, 0:06:29.279 --> 0:06:31.480 getting up and down the field against Drew Brees and 0:06:31.480 --> 0:06:34.039 the explosive offense. He had some really tough between the 0:06:34.040 --> 0:06:36.680 tackles runs. So he is not just a speedback, and 0:06:36.720 --> 0:06:38.960 that's that's kind of a misnomer I think about his game. 0:06:39.120 --> 0:06:40.840 He can do a little bit of everything for you 0:06:41.080 --> 0:06:43.440 in the offense. Up next on our list here two 0:06:43.560 --> 0:06:46.760 years in the NFL, entering his third with Miami. Caitlin 0:06:46.800 --> 0:06:49.680 balage number twenty seven out of Arizona State, gonna be 0:06:49.720 --> 0:06:52.960 twenty four years old on opening Day, And like Matt Brita, 0:06:53.160 --> 0:06:54.880 he also had his name near the top of one 0:06:54.880 --> 0:06:58.520 of these fastest game day speed charts in On his 0:06:58.640 --> 0:07:01.520 seventy five yard touchdown on against the Vikings, he topped 0:07:01.520 --> 0:07:03.680 out at twenty one point eight seven miles per hour, 0:07:03.920 --> 0:07:06.680 that was seventh fastest in the league that year. And 0:07:06.720 --> 0:07:09.679 as he did in college, Belage served as a Dolphins 0:07:09.720 --> 0:07:12.800 primary trigger man in wildcat packages last season. He's a 0:07:12.880 --> 0:07:15.440 downhill runner, a big dude that can drop his pads 0:07:15.600 --> 0:07:18.760 and get behind that six ft twirty seven pound frame 0:07:18.920 --> 0:07:21.440 to give the Dolphins a viable short yardage option in 0:07:21.440 --> 0:07:24.320 the ground game. He converted seven to eight first downs 0:07:24.320 --> 0:07:26.200 on runs where he had to get one yard to 0:07:26.240 --> 0:07:28.480 gain the first down, and all three of us touchdowns 0:07:28.480 --> 0:07:31.960 came on such plays. And running backs coach Eric Studsville 0:07:32.000 --> 0:07:34.840 had this to say about Kalen Blage last year. Quote 0:07:34.920 --> 0:07:37.200 the guy is passionate about the game and he brings 0:07:37.200 --> 0:07:40.840 professionalism and everything he does on the football field end quote. 0:07:41.120 --> 0:07:44.400 Up next, another newcomer in the Dolphins backfield, number thirty four. 0:07:44.640 --> 0:07:46.720 He's been in the NFL for four years, his first 0:07:46.760 --> 0:07:50.040 here in Miami. Jordan Howard out of Indiana gonna be 0:07:50.040 --> 0:07:51.920 twenty five years old when the Dolphins kick it off 0:07:52.440 --> 0:07:54.680 in September against the New England Patriots. He was a 0:07:54.680 --> 0:07:57.920 fifth round draft pick back in and few backs have 0:07:58.040 --> 0:08:00.640 produced like this guy since he came in the league 0:08:00.640 --> 0:08:03.560 in sixteen. He has the third most rushing yards over 0:08:03.560 --> 0:08:06.760 that time three thousand, eight hundred and ninety five yards 0:08:06.800 --> 0:08:09.760 and the seventh most rushing touchdowns with thirty in the 0:08:09.880 --> 0:08:12.720 NFL over that time. He's one of five backs to 0:08:12.800 --> 0:08:15.160 rush for at least six touchdowns each of the last 0:08:15.240 --> 0:08:18.600 five seasons. He's a complete back. He utilizes a rare 0:08:18.680 --> 0:08:21.800 blend of vision and power to create poor angles and 0:08:21.840 --> 0:08:24.760 slip arm tackles of defenders. Because of that, he really 0:08:24.760 --> 0:08:26.680 finds a way to get skinny in the whole and 0:08:26.760 --> 0:08:29.040 does so well to make good decisions. There's a great 0:08:29.120 --> 0:08:31.840 video up on YouTube by one of my favorite analysts. 0:08:31.840 --> 0:08:33.840 We've referred to him on the podcast all the time, 0:08:33.880 --> 0:08:37.280 Brett Coleman, talking about his rookie season back in twenty sixteen, 0:08:37.320 --> 0:08:39.120 but really he's still the same back. He's still the 0:08:39.160 --> 0:08:41.400 same type of guy and the way he reads the 0:08:41.400 --> 0:08:44.080 blocks and it led to that really explosive breakout rookie 0:08:44.160 --> 0:08:47.040 year there for Jordan Howard. And he also mentions the 0:08:47.040 --> 0:08:50.200 past protection which really comes valuable to the passing game 0:08:50.400 --> 0:08:54.160 two fifty five career pass blocking reps according to PFF, 0:08:54.320 --> 0:08:57.760 and of those two fifty five, he's allowed nine quarterback pressures. 0:08:57.760 --> 0:08:59.760 In the four year career, he has an eighty six 0:08:59.760 --> 0:09:02.520 point three pass blocking grade on ninety two reps back 0:09:02.520 --> 0:09:05.800 in his last full season of full health, and that 0:09:05.880 --> 0:09:08.120 was the best in the NFL among all backs with 0:09:08.200 --> 0:09:10.959 at least thirty two pass blocking reps. On the season, 0:09:11.160 --> 0:09:13.400 he has one hundred and ten runs of ten yards 0:09:13.520 --> 0:09:16.240 or more an averages two point seven seven yards after 0:09:16.280 --> 0:09:19.520 initial contact, including a career high mark in that former 0:09:19.559 --> 0:09:22.920 stat last year at two point nine three yards after contact. 0:09:23.080 --> 0:09:25.760 Howard has run for two hundred and fifteen career first downs. 0:09:25.920 --> 0:09:28.160 The average is four point three yards per rush, and 0:09:28.200 --> 0:09:31.040 on fifty carries on third or fourth and short, which 0:09:31.080 --> 0:09:34.199 is two yards or less, he has converted thirty seven 0:09:34.240 --> 0:09:37.120 of those runs into first downs. It's a seventy four 0:09:37.200 --> 0:09:39.840 percent conversion rate. A reliable guy back there when you 0:09:39.880 --> 0:09:42.080 need a couple of tough yards when the defense knows 0:09:42.120 --> 0:09:44.320 the run it's coming. And after signing that two year 0:09:44.320 --> 0:09:46.600 deal in the off season with Miami, Howard had this 0:09:46.679 --> 0:09:48.920 to say, I just thought it was a good opportunity 0:09:48.960 --> 0:09:50.959 for me to come to Miami. I feel like this 0:09:51.040 --> 0:09:52.760 is an up and coming team, and that's what Jordan 0:09:52.800 --> 0:09:54.960 Howard's talking about. The youth on this team, A team 0:09:54.960 --> 0:09:57.080 that really is building for the future right now as 0:09:57.120 --> 0:09:59.079 they have signed a bunch of young players, drafted a 0:09:59.120 --> 0:10:00.839 bunch of first and set get year players here in 0:10:00.840 --> 0:10:03.400 the Miami A team that's really building towards something in 0:10:03.440 --> 0:10:06.280 the near future. Up next on the list here Miles Gaskin. 0:10:06.360 --> 0:10:08.880 He had a first year last year in Miami, entering 0:10:08.960 --> 0:10:11.600 his second with the Dolphins. He wears number thirty seven 0:10:11.640 --> 0:10:14.280 out of Washington. You dub he's gonna be twenty three 0:10:14.320 --> 0:10:17.080 years old on opening day and he had really abbreviated 0:10:17.080 --> 0:10:20.440 work last year in Miami. But his production in college 0:10:20.520 --> 0:10:23.560 was really off the charts rushing yards each of his 0:10:23.640 --> 0:10:26.040 four years there with the Purple and Gold, and he 0:10:26.040 --> 0:10:28.200 earned his way onto the Dolphins roster last year as 0:10:28.200 --> 0:10:30.520 a seventh round draft pick. He played one hundred and 0:10:30.559 --> 0:10:33.800 forty three snaps, one twenty five of those coming on offense. 0:10:34.000 --> 0:10:36.439 He led all Dolphins backs with three point to eight 0:10:36.520 --> 0:10:39.640 yards after contact. He had three point seven yards per carry, 0:10:39.679 --> 0:10:41.880 which was the most of any back to finish the 0:10:41.920 --> 0:10:44.120 year on the roster and had the longest rush at 0:10:44.120 --> 0:10:46.920 twenty seven yards. And his college production was not exclusive 0:10:46.960 --> 0:10:48.920 to the running game either. He was a big time 0:10:48.960 --> 0:10:51.120 producer in the passing game. There for you, dub and 0:10:51.120 --> 0:10:53.960 he caught last year ten of seven targets for fifty 0:10:53.960 --> 0:10:56.680 one yards, and forty seven of those fifty one yards 0:10:56.679 --> 0:10:59.240 came after the catch for Miles gas Kim. He spent 0:10:59.280 --> 0:11:01.679 time last year after practice every day in training camp 0:11:01.720 --> 0:11:04.920 getting extra work with fellow rookie back Patrick Laird out 0:11:04.920 --> 0:11:07.079 of the pack twelve from cal There and his incremental 0:11:07.160 --> 0:11:09.840 improvement throughout the season on the practice field caught the 0:11:09.880 --> 0:11:12.120 eye of coach Flores, who said, quote, this is a 0:11:12.160 --> 0:11:14.400 kid who's really improved over the course of the season 0:11:14.480 --> 0:11:17.360 from a preparation standpoint, from a process standpoint, and he's 0:11:17.400 --> 0:11:19.360 gotten a lot better. And where he was as a 0:11:19.400 --> 0:11:21.400 rookie and mini camp to where he was this last 0:11:21.400 --> 0:11:25.079 week talking about training camp. He's made a lot of progress. Unfortunately, 0:11:25.280 --> 0:11:27.840 he got injured last week that was after the Bengals game. 0:11:27.960 --> 0:11:29.640 But he's a guy who will bounce back and get 0:11:29.720 --> 0:11:32.760 himself healthy quickly as possible and hopefully build on some 0:11:32.800 --> 0:11:35.800 of the improvements he's made over the course of the season. 0:11:36.280 --> 0:11:38.440 We've got two more to get to here. One a fullback, 0:11:38.480 --> 0:11:41.280 one a running back. Will start with Chandler Cox, the 0:11:41.360 --> 0:11:44.200 first year player last year out of Auburn, entering his 0:11:44.280 --> 0:11:47.240 second with Miami. Number thirty eight gonna be twenty four 0:11:47.320 --> 0:11:49.360 on opening day, and you hear some of the biggest 0:11:49.400 --> 0:11:51.720 collisions down there. Whether it's training camp, whether it's on 0:11:51.760 --> 0:11:54.400 the game day field at hard Rock Stadium, You're probably 0:11:54.400 --> 0:11:56.600 gonna look up and see number thirty eight Chandler Cox, 0:11:56.640 --> 0:11:59.480 because this dude don's that classic neck role, and he 0:11:59.520 --> 0:12:01.440 makes thirty eight looked good as a full back back 0:12:01.440 --> 0:12:03.640 there and really gives the Dolphins some options from more 0:12:04.040 --> 0:12:07.040 one personnel packages. That's two running backs, one tight end 0:12:07.200 --> 0:12:09.480 with two receivers on the field. Here's a quote here 0:12:09.480 --> 0:12:12.640 from coach Eric Studsville. The one thing about Chandler Chandler 0:12:12.640 --> 0:12:15.240 will go and attack. That's part of the job description 0:12:15.280 --> 0:12:17.440 of the position, which is why there's not very many 0:12:17.440 --> 0:12:20.240 guys like that that like that job description. I think 0:12:20.240 --> 0:12:23.560 it's the same thing. Guys aren't always finished products. Depending 0:12:23.600 --> 0:12:25.920 on from week to week what we're doing game plan wise, 0:12:26.120 --> 0:12:28.880 Chandler has been ready to go every week. He's prepared, 0:12:28.960 --> 0:12:31.400 he's excited, he brings a great energy to it, and 0:12:31.400 --> 0:12:33.080 he's going to go in and do the best of 0:12:33.120 --> 0:12:35.680 his ability everything that we're going to ask him to do. 0:12:35.800 --> 0:12:38.400 And quote so Cox played sixty six snap last year 0:12:38.440 --> 0:12:40.839 as a rookie. He allowed one quarterback pressure on ten 0:12:40.840 --> 0:12:43.600 pass blocking snaps, didn't catch any passes, but he did 0:12:43.880 --> 0:12:45.960 at Auburn when he was there in college. He caught 0:12:46.000 --> 0:12:48.480 twenty six balls for two and thirty seven yards and 0:12:48.520 --> 0:12:51.400 a touchdown in his college career. Up next last on 0:12:51.400 --> 0:12:54.559 the list here, number forty two Patrick Lair first year 0:12:54.640 --> 0:12:57.520 last year in Miami, undrafted free agent enters year, number 0:12:57.520 --> 0:13:00.000 two out of cow. He's gonna be twenty four years old. 0:13:00.240 --> 0:13:02.520 And the great joke last year from Ryan Fitzpatrick was 0:13:02.559 --> 0:13:06.040 calling Patrick Laird the intern. But he quickly proved himself 0:13:06.120 --> 0:13:07.599 that he was much more than the intern. He was 0:13:07.640 --> 0:13:10.160 a good football player for this Dolphins team. The U 0:13:10.240 --> 0:13:12.880 d f A really played a multitude of capacities for 0:13:12.920 --> 0:13:15.880 the Dolphins last season, five hundred forty six snaps and 0:13:15.920 --> 0:13:18.680 that included two hundred twenty one on special teams. A 0:13:18.800 --> 0:13:21.240 factor both in the running game, the passing game. He 0:13:21.280 --> 0:13:25.319 gained three hundred seventy two yards from scrimmage rushing, two 0:13:25.360 --> 0:13:28.439 oh four receiving, and forty seven of his two nine 0:13:28.559 --> 0:13:31.679 two offensive snaps came aligned as either a slot receiver 0:13:31.920 --> 0:13:34.439 or out on the perimeter, and even one as the 0:13:34.480 --> 0:13:36.720 wildcat trigger man. So he really plays all over the 0:13:36.760 --> 0:13:40.079 formation for you. That versatility was not new for Laird. 0:13:40.120 --> 0:13:42.520 He was a prominent pass catcher in college down Lair 0:13:42.559 --> 0:13:45.800 at Cal caught ninety nine balls and including fifty one 0:13:45.840 --> 0:13:48.560 catches for two d eighty eight yards and four touchdowns 0:13:48.720 --> 0:13:51.640 in his senior season there at Cal. Special teams coach 0:13:51.720 --> 0:13:54.880 Danny Crossman was impressed with Laird's contributions on his coverage 0:13:54.880 --> 0:13:57.800 and returned units last season, saying this, He's getting better 0:13:57.880 --> 0:14:01.240 every week. He's conscientious, he worked hard, he studies hard. 0:14:01.440 --> 0:14:03.360 We really like where he's going, along with a lot 0:14:03.400 --> 0:14:05.800 of the other guys, trending in the right direction. End 0:14:05.880 --> 0:14:08.960 quote's way deeper backfield this year. Plenty of opportunities for 0:14:09.000 --> 0:14:11.320 guys like Matt Brita, Jordan Howard, the guys who talked 0:14:11.320 --> 0:14:12.920 about here with Laird and Gas going to get some 0:14:12.960 --> 0:14:15.360 work on special teams on offense. Gonna be a fun 0:14:15.400 --> 0:14:17.839 battle to watch this year among the Dolphins running backs 0:14:17.960 --> 0:14:20.160 in training camp. All right, let's go ahead and cover 0:14:20.200 --> 0:14:24.120 the three veterans that spoke on Saturday at Dolphins media availability. 0:14:24.160 --> 0:14:26.280 I apologize for not getting it out to you guys sooner, 0:14:26.320 --> 0:14:28.680 but we had a busy, busy weekend. The first of 0:14:28.720 --> 0:14:30.640 the month is when me and my wife moved in 0:14:30.720 --> 0:14:34.160 to the new apartment. We put together a desk, a 0:14:34.160 --> 0:14:37.840 computer chair, a dresser and entertainment center, a bedframe. It's 0:14:37.840 --> 0:14:41.560 been a long, long weekend getting this podcast recorded late 0:14:41.600 --> 0:14:44.440 on a Sunday for Monday publishing. Let's go ahead and 0:14:44.440 --> 0:14:47.200 first start with quarterback Brian Fitzpatrick, who was asked about 0:14:47.320 --> 0:14:50.040 putting himself on an offseason pitch count to help rest 0:14:50.080 --> 0:14:54.040 his arm in preparation for the new season. Um, that started. 0:14:54.560 --> 0:15:00.640 It started probably eight or nine years ago. Lot of it. 0:15:01.480 --> 0:15:05.800 I mean it's physically, mentally and emotionally, just kind of 0:15:05.840 --> 0:15:08.200 getting away for a little bit. And I think you 0:15:08.320 --> 0:15:12.080 pour so much into every season. Uh, I do like 0:15:12.160 --> 0:15:14.960 to just take a step back. But the throwing part 0:15:14.960 --> 0:15:19.880 of it for me, just preservation and longevity and um, 0:15:19.920 --> 0:15:23.080 you know, I probably have ramped it up here for 0:15:23.440 --> 0:15:25.520 the last two and a half or three weeks and 0:15:25.640 --> 0:15:29.760 trying to get ready. But I think, you know, I 0:15:29.800 --> 0:15:31.520 wish we would have had O t A s and 0:15:31.560 --> 0:15:34.920 been able to do all the offseason stuff. But the 0:15:35.160 --> 0:15:39.400 silver lining for me is not having to make all 0:15:39.440 --> 0:15:43.440 those throws and coming in with a real fresh arm 0:15:43.640 --> 0:15:46.200 for the season up next. Fits was asked about his 0:15:46.240 --> 0:15:49.200 relationship with Chan Gailey and what the new Dolphins offensive 0:15:49.240 --> 0:15:53.400 coordinator brings to Miami and this Dolphins offense. Uh. Yeah, 0:15:53.520 --> 0:15:57.120 Chan and I have worked together for five years in 0:15:57.200 --> 0:16:02.000 two different places in Buffalo and New York. And first off, 0:16:02.040 --> 0:16:09.680 as a man, UH amazing guy, very humble, Uh loves football, 0:16:09.760 --> 0:16:14.600 loves family, and so there's a lot of characteristics in 0:16:14.640 --> 0:16:19.120 that regard that we share. Uh. Guys love playing for 0:16:19.200 --> 0:16:21.760 him because one of the biggest things with him is 0:16:21.800 --> 0:16:25.200 he wants you to be yourself. He wants I'll never 0:16:25.240 --> 0:16:29.040 forget Stevie Johnson and Buffalo was a guy that didn't 0:16:29.080 --> 0:16:31.480 really play a whole lot, and as soon as he 0:16:31.560 --> 0:16:35.280 got with Chan, and Chan gave him the freedom to 0:16:35.360 --> 0:16:37.480 be creative on some of his routes and do some 0:16:37.520 --> 0:16:41.520 things that were a little unorthodox that really catapulted his career. 0:16:41.640 --> 0:16:45.680 So players love playing for him because, uh, he gives 0:16:45.720 --> 0:16:50.120 them freedom, a certain amount of freedom, not a whole lot. Uh. 0:16:50.200 --> 0:16:54.080 And he's a guy that you know, he does care 0:16:54.120 --> 0:16:57.080 about the details, but he really cares about the end result, 0:16:57.160 --> 0:17:01.320 not necessarily how you got there. And so everywhere that 0:17:01.400 --> 0:17:04.280 I've been with him, with all the different receivers and personnel, 0:17:04.640 --> 0:17:09.000 it really enjoyed his offense and the freedom that comes 0:17:09.000 --> 0:17:12.159 with it. I really found that answer interesting regarding the 0:17:12.160 --> 0:17:15.320 freedom and the routes because Joachim Grant mentioned something similar 0:17:15.359 --> 0:17:17.760 in the podcast last week when we talked to him 0:17:17.800 --> 0:17:20.840 about what chance offense does for the wide receivers. There 0:17:20.880 --> 0:17:24.000 so some some consistency there on that message between Fitzpatrick 0:17:24.040 --> 0:17:26.720 and Jachine Grant. About chan Gailey, this next question was 0:17:26.760 --> 0:17:29.640 asked to fits about how he balances both that mentorship 0:17:29.800 --> 0:17:32.119 role but also a guy that's really the quarterback right 0:17:32.119 --> 0:17:33.640 now at the top of the depth chart, getting ready 0:17:33.640 --> 0:17:35.360 to go into the training camp as the number one 0:17:35.359 --> 0:17:39.520 guy entering camp as the expected starter. It's not it's 0:17:39.560 --> 0:17:42.200 not all that difficult for me. I mean, I'm gonna 0:17:42.200 --> 0:17:45.119 go out there and compete every single day. As I 0:17:45.160 --> 0:17:50.320 know the younger guys are. But in the meeting rooms, 0:17:50.720 --> 0:17:53.120 I'm not gonna keep anything to myself either. I'm gonna 0:17:53.280 --> 0:17:56.560 I'm gonna make someone tell me to shut up, because 0:17:56.680 --> 0:17:59.400 I'm gonna talk as much as I can and share 0:17:59.440 --> 0:18:01.960 as much as I can with you know, the intimate 0:18:02.000 --> 0:18:04.679 knowledge I have of this offense, being in it for 0:18:04.720 --> 0:18:08.560 five years and really just experience since I've been in 0:18:08.560 --> 0:18:12.360 the league, and I know that you know, I don't 0:18:12.359 --> 0:18:15.840 I don't know how much time it'll be before two 0:18:16.040 --> 0:18:18.440 is in the lineup. I know that I am the placeholder, 0:18:18.520 --> 0:18:21.879 and we've already had that conversation. I told him, you know, 0:18:21.920 --> 0:18:25.560 I'm gonna do the best I can to uh lead 0:18:25.640 --> 0:18:29.040 this team and you know, to win football games when 0:18:29.040 --> 0:18:32.400 I'm out there, and uh, whenever it is that too 0:18:32.400 --> 0:18:35.879 A gets his chance, whether it's early or later or 0:18:35.880 --> 0:18:38.480 whenever it is, I'm going to be his biggest cheerleader. 0:18:38.480 --> 0:18:42.720 And that's what I said earlier. But um, I think 0:18:42.760 --> 0:18:46.080 I have a unique perspective just from the career that 0:18:46.160 --> 0:18:50.760 I've had, and I'm really I was excited that they 0:18:50.840 --> 0:18:53.800 drafted him, and since you know, meeting him in person 0:18:53.920 --> 0:18:58.240 finally the other day, I'm really excited. Uh, I think 0:18:58.240 --> 0:19:00.560 we've really hit it off. And you've though I'm an 0:19:00.560 --> 0:19:04.600 old g easier to him. Uh, you know, he's we've 0:19:04.640 --> 0:19:07.600 messed personality wise, and I'm excited to work with him. 0:19:08.000 --> 0:19:10.199 He's a really interesting guy. He's got a lot of 0:19:10.320 --> 0:19:13.920 energy to him. Um, and you can even you can 0:19:14.000 --> 0:19:17.960 just tell that guys are gonna gravitate to him. There's 0:19:18.000 --> 0:19:22.320 just a there's something about him that, uh, it's just 0:19:22.520 --> 0:19:25.840 very likable. And you know, I can already tell that 0:19:26.560 --> 0:19:28.919 he's gonna be one of those guys that gets along 0:19:28.920 --> 0:19:32.560 with everybody that guys are gonna want to follow. Um. 0:19:32.640 --> 0:19:35.119 He just has that kind of air about him. And 0:19:35.119 --> 0:19:37.639 and part of it is probably the way that he 0:19:37.680 --> 0:19:41.720 played in college and uh just kind of the name 0:19:41.800 --> 0:19:45.160 that in the reputation that he's built for himself. But uh, 0:19:45.880 --> 0:19:49.159 there's there's not a whole lot of ego involved, and 0:19:49.200 --> 0:19:53.640