WEBVTT - Turning Practice Habits into Game Day Production 0:00:03.840 --> 0:00:17.279 Touchdown Miami. What is up, Dolph Fans, and welcome to 0:00:17.360 --> 0:00:21.440 the Drive Time Podcast, part of the Miami Dolphins podcast network, 0:00:21.560 --> 0:00:26.520 covering your team, your Miami Dolphins. How's it going everybody? 0:00:26.600 --> 0:00:29.920 I am your host, Travis Wingfield, And on today's show, 0:00:30.200 --> 0:00:33.279 we stride right into the NFL's dead period with an 0:00:33.320 --> 0:00:36.960 action packed show. I'm gonna talk about development and the 0:00:37.000 --> 0:00:40.240 improvements players have seen under the watch of head coach 0:00:40.280 --> 0:00:42.960 Brian Flores and his staff. We're going to discuss the 0:00:43.040 --> 0:00:46.080 media from the end of last week with Byron Jones, 0:00:46.200 --> 0:00:49.919 Jesse Davis, and Coach himself. And we'll discuss Father's Day 0:00:49.920 --> 0:00:56.120 weekend on this busy, busy edition of the Drivetime Podcasts. 0:00:57.760 --> 0:01:00.360 And I'm hoping all the papas in the world enjoyed 0:01:00.360 --> 0:01:03.520 their special day on Sunday. How do you guys do 0:01:03.720 --> 0:01:06.160 Father's Day out there? Do you get the King's treatment 0:01:06.240 --> 0:01:09.440 all day? For me, we had some family obligations to 0:01:09.480 --> 0:01:12.200 fulfill and then once we got done with that, I 0:01:12.240 --> 0:01:14.640 was granted access to do whatever the hell I wanted 0:01:14.680 --> 0:01:17.800 to do on Sunday night, which was watch Hawks and 0:01:17.880 --> 0:01:20.600 Sixers Game seven and more on the sports weekend. Here 0:01:20.600 --> 0:01:22.959 in just a moment, as well as the season five 0:01:23.000 --> 0:01:27.280 premiere of Rick and Morty, which, as completely expected, hit 0:01:27.600 --> 0:01:30.199 the ball not just out of the ballpark, but about 0:01:30.240 --> 0:01:33.520 four nine feet out of the stadium. I mean Mr 0:01:33.600 --> 0:01:37.039 Nimbus Morty's actions causing the culture of an entire planet 0:01:37.200 --> 0:01:41.040 to be based on defeating him. Just an A plus episode. 0:01:41.400 --> 0:01:44.440 And just as I was thinking about the last time 0:01:44.600 --> 0:01:48.240 I anticipated a new episode of one of my favorite shows, 0:01:48.760 --> 0:01:51.480 the new season of Dave comes out, which, speaking of 0:01:51.560 --> 0:01:54.840 a plus, the way they intertwined drama and comedy in 0:01:54.840 --> 0:01:57.920 that show on f x X and Gaeta is quickly 0:01:57.920 --> 0:02:00.840 becoming one of my favorite actor slash person these is 0:02:00.920 --> 0:02:04.120 just absolutely fantastic. That's one of the best shows on 0:02:04.160 --> 0:02:07.520 TV right now. Then we get on Netflix. I think 0:02:07.520 --> 0:02:10.160 you should leave season two here in just a couple 0:02:10.160 --> 0:02:13.120 of weeks. And right behind that is Impractical Jokers. So 0:02:13.200 --> 0:02:16.200 good times in the TV world. Really for my money 0:02:16.480 --> 0:02:20.600 for the first time since pre pandemic. Then how about 0:02:20.600 --> 0:02:23.920 the sports weekend that was And maybe this is the 0:02:24.760 --> 0:02:27.799 it is the the payoff for all the sports we 0:02:27.919 --> 0:02:29.919 missed last year. But it just feels like every weekend 0:02:29.919 --> 0:02:33.600 we're getting fantastic sports with hockey and basketball and the 0:02:33.720 --> 0:02:37.080 US Open and F one. I won't mention my Seattle 0:02:37.120 --> 0:02:39.120 manners more than just to say they swept last year's 0:02:39.120 --> 0:02:42.680 American League champion Tampa Bay Rays in a four game series. Cool. 0:02:42.760 --> 0:02:45.240 I guess we're back over five hundred. But that's that's 0:02:45.240 --> 0:02:47.160 all I care to say about that. But the French 0:02:47.200 --> 0:02:49.320 Grand Prix was a thriller to me. It's so weird 0:02:49.360 --> 0:02:52.000 to see Lewis Hamilton's not be one of that, or 0:02:52.080 --> 0:02:54.200 not to be the guy rather to make the move 0:02:54.280 --> 0:02:57.240 to steal a win last moment. Exciting stuff there from 0:02:57.240 --> 0:02:59.720 Max First staffing with the Red Bull car, who, even 0:02:59.720 --> 0:03:01.840 though not a huge fan of his, has made the 0:03:01.919 --> 0:03:06.360 Driver's championships super interesting because he can challenge Lewis Hamilton's 0:03:06.440 --> 0:03:10.880 and the Mercedes team and good on my personal squad, 0:03:10.880 --> 0:03:13.720 the McLaren team for a fifth and sixth finish there 0:03:13.760 --> 0:03:16.760 at the French Grand Prix with Lando Norris and Daniel Ricardo, 0:03:16.880 --> 0:03:19.760 my favorite driver. And then there were the hoops and 0:03:19.880 --> 0:03:21.359 the hockey. But I'll be real with you guys here 0:03:21.360 --> 0:03:24.240 for just one second. Hockey is just not sticking for 0:03:24.280 --> 0:03:26.359 me as a sport for whatever reason. But hoops really 0:03:26.360 --> 0:03:29.239 are and so much so that I'm officially the owner 0:03:29.320 --> 0:03:31.679 of some Miami Heat apparel for the first time in 0:03:31.720 --> 0:03:34.080 my life. And the team that made quick work of 0:03:34.120 --> 0:03:36.560 the Heat is now onto the Eastern Conference Finals, and 0:03:36.600 --> 0:03:39.400 that was the biggest win of the NBA postseason to 0:03:39.480 --> 0:03:42.280 me because I just can't wait to see the super 0:03:42.280 --> 0:03:44.200 team kind of go away and become a thing of 0:03:44.200 --> 0:03:47.240 the past, and it appears to maybe be trending in 0:03:47.240 --> 0:03:51.200 that direction. The Nets were the only one left, I suppose, 0:03:51.280 --> 0:03:54.560 with the Lakers seemingly in some disarray with Lebron finally 0:03:54.560 --> 0:03:57.480 showing some age and Anthony Davis his injury history there, 0:03:57.840 --> 0:04:00.720 so to see them lose was awesome. Plug Us, Kevin 0:04:00.800 --> 0:04:03.240 Durant and James Harden to me are still super songs 0:04:03.240 --> 0:04:05.840 in my book. So I'm never gonna root for anything, Okay, 0:04:05.880 --> 0:04:08.720 see related and I love Janice and his story and 0:04:08.760 --> 0:04:10.320 I'm rooting like hell for that dude to give himself 0:04:10.360 --> 0:04:12.320 a championship. So go Bucks the rest of the way, 0:04:12.400 --> 0:04:14.560 and I'll pull for the Sons in the West because 0:04:14.600 --> 0:04:16.839 a I love Chris Paul I have since the Wake 0:04:16.880 --> 0:04:20.680 Forest days, but also our social media coordinator or as 0:04:20.680 --> 0:04:23.760 of last week, our former social media coordinator Simmer and Dave, 0:04:24.040 --> 0:04:26.760 congrats on the new gig sim at Bleacher Report. You've 0:04:26.760 --> 0:04:30.280 definitely earned it and deserve it. She's a huge, huge, 0:04:30.800 --> 0:04:34.279 die hard, real Phoenix Suns fan, so it was fun 0:04:34.279 --> 0:04:36.279 to see how excited she is after all these big 0:04:36.320 --> 0:04:39.000 Sons wins coming back to the office and she's pumped up. 0:04:39.200 --> 0:04:42.000 So Sons Bucks is my hope, and I'm hoping it's 0:04:42.000 --> 0:04:44.839 Milwaukee that captures the crown jewel at the end of 0:04:44.839 --> 0:04:48.000 it all. Last thing here on Father's Day before the football, 0:04:48.160 --> 0:04:51.120 I want to make a special mention of the stepfather's 0:04:51.200 --> 0:04:54.520 out there, the unsung heroes, and the ultimate selfless act 0:04:54.520 --> 0:04:57.400 of treating another person's child as your own. I was 0:04:57.480 --> 0:05:00.400 raised by a stepdad and I am forever grateful for him. 0:05:00.400 --> 0:05:02.120 So just a shout out to step dad's out there. 0:05:02.480 --> 0:05:04.880 So how about that football? On the plane ride back 0:05:05.360 --> 0:05:08.400 to Washington State for what seems like the thirtieth freaking 0:05:08.400 --> 0:05:10.520 time over the last eighteen months or so that I've 0:05:10.520 --> 0:05:14.520 made that flight, and it was my final bicoastal jump 0:05:14.920 --> 0:05:17.600 back over the country before we as a family make 0:05:17.680 --> 0:05:21.080 the move here in total for good. The next month, 0:05:21.480 --> 0:05:23.719 inspiration kind of struck me on this flight as I 0:05:23.720 --> 0:05:26.120 began to do some writing, and if you couldn't tell, 0:05:26.160 --> 0:05:28.599 I was trying to establish a bit of a theme 0:05:28.720 --> 0:05:31.800 and line of thinking in my questions for Coach Flores 0:05:31.839 --> 0:05:33.880 and the players last week at o T as media 0:05:33.920 --> 0:05:38.200 availabilities with regards to testing the waters, as Coach Flow 0:05:38.240 --> 0:05:41.400 put it. And I wasn't just hoping to examine coaches 0:05:41.480 --> 0:05:44.960 comments or two US comments or anybody else we talked 0:05:44.960 --> 0:05:48.719 to about being aggressive and practice. After all, this is 0:05:48.800 --> 0:05:52.039 nothing new. This is what practice has been in sport 0:05:52.400 --> 0:05:55.800 since the beginning of time. To relate my own experience 0:05:55.800 --> 0:05:57.840 in sports, my regular audience knows that I was a 0:05:57.880 --> 0:06:00.599 baseball guy back in my heyday, and in bad practice, 0:06:00.839 --> 0:06:02.880 we had some rules. We had to get one down, 0:06:02.960 --> 0:06:04.880 which is a bunt. Obviously, we had to get him 0:06:04.920 --> 0:06:07.160 over hit the baseball the other way to the right side. 0:06:07.200 --> 0:06:09.080 If you're a right handed hitter and get him in, 0:06:09.360 --> 0:06:11.480 get lift on a ball to the outfield to get 0:06:11.520 --> 0:06:14.960 your sack fly. Then my next fifteen or so swings, 0:06:15.640 --> 0:06:18.280 we're just trying to hit line drives into either gap 0:06:18.360 --> 0:06:20.000 less in our field or rights in her field, depending 0:06:20.000 --> 0:06:21.880 on where the pitch was on the outer half. Or 0:06:21.920 --> 0:06:24.799 the inn half, and I know these are different times 0:06:24.839 --> 0:06:27.520 pre launch angle. And then I would take a few 0:06:27.520 --> 0:06:29.720 swings where I did try to pony up and lift 0:06:29.720 --> 0:06:33.080 the baseball. Now I ran into a few home runs 0:06:33.320 --> 0:06:35.560 in my heyday, despite the fact that I was a 0:06:35.640 --> 0:06:37.760 leadoff hitter who stole a bunch of basses and was 0:06:37.800 --> 0:06:41.160 always on base. But it wasn't because of trying to 0:06:41.200 --> 0:06:43.840 elevate the baseball. And you know why I didn't bring 0:06:43.880 --> 0:06:46.600 it up over into games because I wasn't good at 0:06:46.600 --> 0:06:48.960 it in batting practice. So I would stick to sprang 0:06:49.040 --> 0:06:50.839 the ball all over the field because it got me 0:06:50.880 --> 0:06:53.520 on base better than half the time and created more 0:06:53.600 --> 0:06:56.120 runs for my team than if I tried to hit 0:06:56.160 --> 0:06:58.120 the big three run homers. So I tested it out 0:06:58.120 --> 0:07:00.680 in practice. That's the time to find out what your 0:07:00.720 --> 0:07:03.599 limitations or potential limitations are, and find out what you 0:07:03.680 --> 0:07:06.280 do best on the game day field. And so in 0:07:06.400 --> 0:07:09.520 thinking about that and thinking about coaches comments, and then 0:07:09.560 --> 0:07:12.080 consider the results of the development we've seen here with 0:07:12.160 --> 0:07:15.040 the individuals on this club that has been night and 0:07:15.120 --> 0:07:18.200 day to what it was before Flow arrived for almost 0:07:18.240 --> 0:07:20.800 an entire generation of Dolphins fans too. I mean, how 0:07:20.800 --> 0:07:24.640 many times, and especially especially to division rivals. Did we 0:07:24.720 --> 0:07:27.720 see talent and go out the door and then flourish elsewhere? 0:07:28.040 --> 0:07:30.440 For me, and I want to hear from older's, older 0:07:30.440 --> 0:07:33.200 Dolphins fans on this, but it probably didn't happen nearly 0:07:33.200 --> 0:07:35.800 as much because well Don Bleep and Shula was here. 0:07:36.000 --> 0:07:40.280 But for me, it started with Wes Welker. Then remember 0:07:40.320 --> 0:07:42.600 the Rex Ryan Buffalo Bills, not the Jets, the Rex 0:07:42.680 --> 0:07:45.680 Ryan Bills and that game where he made every ex 0:07:45.720 --> 0:07:48.880 Dolphin on their squad which was for deep A Captain, 0:07:49.160 --> 0:07:52.920 Richie Incognito, Charles Clay, Chris Hogan and Dan Carpenter all 0:07:52.960 --> 0:07:55.760 out there for the coin toss and that was a rough, 0:07:56.000 --> 0:07:59.040 rough forty one to fourteen game that was really over 0:07:59.120 --> 0:08:01.480 by mid way through the second quarter. I think we 0:08:01.520 --> 0:08:03.600 threw a pick six to make it twenty two one 0:08:03.640 --> 0:08:06.160 to nothing. And how those guys were the ones doing 0:08:06.240 --> 0:08:08.640 all the scoring for the Bills. Clay scored the very 0:08:08.640 --> 0:08:11.200 first touchdown of the game and they got themselves that 0:08:11.280 --> 0:08:14.240 big lead and started pumping the football to both Clay 0:08:14.280 --> 0:08:16.360 and Chris Hogan who found the end zone to make 0:08:16.400 --> 0:08:18.760 it thirty four to six or something like that. In 0:08:18.760 --> 0:08:21.080 the fourth quarter. So for a long time that was 0:08:21.160 --> 0:08:24.400 kind of the norm. But now now you see guys 0:08:24.440 --> 0:08:27.280 get here and they get better. You see draft picks 0:08:27.440 --> 0:08:30.600 show a clear trajectory in the right direction, allah of 0:08:30.720 --> 0:08:34.320 Jerome Baker. And so it got me thinking, we know 0:08:34.360 --> 0:08:37.680 about the results, but what about the process to get there? Now, 0:08:37.960 --> 0:08:39.720 I'm not going to be able to take you inside 0:08:39.720 --> 0:08:42.880 the entire plan of getting a player, concocting a plan 0:08:43.000 --> 0:08:46.400 first said players development, and then executing that plan for 0:08:46.440 --> 0:08:49.040 the players development. And a quick aside one I will 0:08:49.040 --> 0:08:52.480 never forget was the first season of the fantastic Amazon 0:08:52.559 --> 0:08:56.080 slash NFL film series All or Nothing, when Bruce Arians, 0:08:56.160 --> 0:08:59.240 then the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, was talking 0:08:59.240 --> 0:09:01.559 about their rook running back that they were very fond 0:09:01.559 --> 0:09:05.040 of and David Johnson and how he was running back kickoffs, 0:09:05.200 --> 0:09:08.360 making big explosive plays in the passing game, and Arians 0:09:08.360 --> 0:09:11.240 would talk not so candidly to his coaching staff that 0:09:11.360 --> 0:09:13.920 was of course picked up by the cameras there about 0:09:13.960 --> 0:09:15.280 how they were going to keep him in more of 0:09:15.320 --> 0:09:18.960 this complimentary role until about Thanksgiving or so, to keep 0:09:19.040 --> 0:09:22.480 him hungry, to keep him humble amidst all the success 0:09:22.520 --> 0:09:25.800 that he was having in that initial rookie season, and 0:09:25.880 --> 0:09:29.160 to tie it all back together, the ultimate place of 0:09:29.240 --> 0:09:32.480 development is on that practice field. You put in the 0:09:32.520 --> 0:09:35.600 film work, you put up the weights, you stay discipline 0:09:35.600 --> 0:09:38.440 in the kitchen. But when it's time to apply everything 0:09:38.480 --> 0:09:42.520 you've taken in the I guess extracurricular portion of the 0:09:42.640 --> 0:09:45.400 job and put it on the field and test those 0:09:45.400 --> 0:09:48.360 mechanics and your skill sets you've developed against your teammates 0:09:48.559 --> 0:09:51.000 and other guys working on the same things. That's when 0:09:51.000 --> 0:09:54.320 you see the proverbial sausage come through the grinder or 0:09:54.320 --> 0:09:57.200 whatever that machines called. And that's how you get your 0:09:57.360 --> 0:09:59.480 display for him, your sausage that goes in front of 0:09:59.520 --> 0:10:01.839 the window to sell to your customers. So I want 0:10:01.840 --> 0:10:03.360 to take a look at the roster and check out 0:10:03.600 --> 0:10:06.319 some of the names that can definitively point to and 0:10:06.360 --> 0:10:09.240 say here's a guy. Now, here's a guy that has 0:10:09.280 --> 0:10:13.720 really blossomed with this team since or you know, whenever 0:10:13.760 --> 0:10:16.400 it happened within that framework of time. And I start 0:10:16.440 --> 0:10:19.360 at the quarterback position with well, who else besides starting 0:10:19.440 --> 0:10:22.720 quarterback to a tongue vloa. Go back to Week fifteen 0:10:22.760 --> 0:10:25.400 last year against the Patriots. The Dolphins are on that 0:10:26.559 --> 0:10:29.000 yard march right into the five yard line, about to score, 0:10:29.040 --> 0:10:30.679 go up seven nothing, take a lead in a very 0:10:30.720 --> 0:10:33.520 important game against a Vision rival in New England, and 0:10:33.559 --> 0:10:35.600 it looks like it's gonna be a Dolphin's touchdown. But 0:10:35.679 --> 0:10:37.600 then to get some heat, he throws a ball to 0:10:37.600 --> 0:10:40.040 the outside under pressure and it's picked off by J. C. 0:10:40.280 --> 0:10:43.440 Jackson has to described it himself a rookie mistake in 0:10:43.480 --> 0:10:47.120 that moment. But what's the hallmark of the great players 0:10:47.120 --> 0:10:49.440 in this league. There are a few, but one of 0:10:49.480 --> 0:10:52.679 them is the ability to take an occurrence that happened 0:10:52.720 --> 0:10:56.200 in game, learned from it, and then within that same game, 0:10:56.360 --> 0:10:59.720 apply those lessons later on. And we heard exactly the 0:10:59.720 --> 0:11:03.800 same phrase for rookie Dolphins outside linebacker Jalen Phillips from 0:11:03.840 --> 0:11:06.599 Brett Coleman, who came on the podcast. He's from the 0:11:06.640 --> 0:11:09.400 film Room on YouTube does a great work. They're breaking 0:11:09.400 --> 0:11:12.120 down some some NFL and college football, and he talked 0:11:12.160 --> 0:11:14.600 about the best traits of each Miami rookie and he 0:11:14.640 --> 0:11:17.240 said his favorite thing about watching Jalen's college tape at 0:11:17.280 --> 0:11:20.000 the you was how he could counter moves that were 0:11:20.320 --> 0:11:24.240 successful early in ballgames, forwarding his pass rush to make 0:11:24.280 --> 0:11:26.640 an impact in the second half. Now that is the 0:11:26.679 --> 0:11:29.360 hallmark of a pass rusher you want on your squad. 0:11:29.480 --> 0:11:31.800 Key third downs in the second half, and he's figured 0:11:31.800 --> 0:11:34.840 out how to beat his man. That's choice stuff. Back 0:11:34.880 --> 0:11:37.880 to to a same game, fourth quarter, third and goal 0:11:38.160 --> 0:11:41.000 trailing nine to seven. In the game, he gets pressure, 0:11:41.120 --> 0:11:43.800 he makes a move in space and forces a mistackle 0:11:43.920 --> 0:11:46.160 right at the goal line to get it across for 0:11:46.320 --> 0:11:50.839 six in game. Application of adjustments and lessons applied big 0:11:50.840 --> 0:11:53.960 time for a then twenty two year old quarterback. At 0:11:54.040 --> 0:11:57.720 running back Miles Gaskin is inactive through the first nine 0:11:57.800 --> 0:12:00.720 weeks of his rookie season, gets the call and sees 0:12:00.760 --> 0:12:04.560 five snaps, next week, seven snaps, then sixteen, then sixteen again, 0:12:04.600 --> 0:12:08.120 and then thirteen before finally seeing thirty four snaps in 0:12:08.200 --> 0:12:10.960 each of the next two games, where he posts a 0:12:11.040 --> 0:12:14.120 hundred and thirty yards from scrimmage and his first career touchdown. 0:12:14.160 --> 0:12:16.480 Not bad for a rookie seventh round draft pick getting 0:12:16.520 --> 0:12:21.800 his first significant action. Then he gets to camp and 0:12:21.880 --> 0:12:25.920 he's in the Debrief podcast slash story on Drive time 0:12:25.960 --> 0:12:28.680 in Miami Dolphins dot Com every single day because to 0:12:28.720 --> 0:12:31.600 me he was looking the part of not just a contributor, 0:12:31.800 --> 0:12:34.440 but a possible feature back, and lo and behold, he 0:12:34.559 --> 0:12:38.000 enters Week one and gets overwhelmingly the majority of the 0:12:38.040 --> 0:12:40.679 Dolphins workload among running backs in that Week one game, 0:12:40.880 --> 0:12:44.600 and winds up finishing the season as the tenth highest 0:12:44.600 --> 0:12:47.719 player among all NFL running backs and average yards per 0:12:47.760 --> 0:12:51.160 scrimmage for yards from his krimmage rather per game, say 0:12:51.160 --> 0:12:53.520 that ten times fast, and one of college football's most 0:12:53.559 --> 0:12:55.959 productive running backs over a four year span. Takes a 0:12:56.040 --> 0:12:57.680 year to pick up the speed of the game, or 0:12:57.679 --> 0:12:59.920 the playbook, or whatever it might have been. Where Miles 0:13:00.200 --> 0:13:03.679 progressed for himself, the results spoke for themselves here under 0:13:03.760 --> 0:13:07.160 coach Eric Studisville in that running backs room, and savan 0:13:07.280 --> 0:13:10.200 akhmed his best friend and team at you dub now 0:13:10.240 --> 0:13:13.440 teammate here in Miami, goes from waiver wire to a 0:13:13.480 --> 0:13:15.839 back who averages a team high four point to five 0:13:15.920 --> 0:13:18.640 yards per carry and breaks the streak the Dolphins had 0:13:18.720 --> 0:13:21.400 for not having a one yard rusher at twenty five 0:13:21.520 --> 0:13:24.720 games and finishes his rookie season with almost four hundred 0:13:24.840 --> 0:13:28.400 yfs yards from scrimmage and three total touchdowns on just 0:13:28.520 --> 0:13:31.719 eighty nine touches production from a guy that was undrafted 0:13:31.840 --> 0:13:34.880 and got here in August after spending the entire summer 0:13:35.120 --> 0:13:38.400 with another club. Also, he was activated for the first 0:13:38.400 --> 0:13:41.120 time in Week nine after not being active for the 0:13:41.160 --> 0:13:43.360 first three games, when he was called up to the 0:13:43.400 --> 0:13:46.360 active roster in Week five against the forty nine, his 0:13:46.440 --> 0:13:49.120 former team. So he gets here and learns and does 0:13:49.120 --> 0:13:52.280 the process and develops and gets production. For Miles Gaskin 0:13:52.480 --> 0:13:55.000 with his game and his his skill set jump, I 0:13:55.080 --> 0:13:56.680 just look at the balance that he showed and the 0:13:56.679 --> 0:14:00.200 way he's able to not only make tackling and was 0:14:00.280 --> 0:14:02.160 more difficult, but to bounce off of them and stay 0:14:02.160 --> 0:14:04.760 on his feet. And he talked about this this offseason 0:14:04.800 --> 0:14:08.920 with some media availability about getting stronger and specifically strengthening 0:14:09.160 --> 0:14:12.600 awkward type of movements or muscle groups like your ankles. 0:14:12.600 --> 0:14:15.600 Are just finding ways to mimic the football movement that 0:14:15.840 --> 0:14:20.800 you can't do with traditional weightlifting or even certain agility movements, 0:14:20.800 --> 0:14:23.040 like you have to find certain ways to mimic football movement. 0:14:23.160 --> 0:14:26.880 He talked about that in this offseason at the receiver position, 0:14:26.920 --> 0:14:30.520 you look no further than DeVante Parker sticks number eleven himself. 0:14:30.920 --> 0:14:33.560 He gained more yards in twenty nineteen than he did 0:14:33.720 --> 0:14:36.920 in seventeen and eighteen combined. He also caught thirteen of 0:14:36.960 --> 0:14:40.400 his twenty two touchdowns in his career since the arrival 0:14:40.640 --> 0:14:43.160 of Brian Flores and staff, and under the watch of 0:14:43.200 --> 0:14:46.640 wide receivers coach Josh Grizzard, who went from assistant receivers 0:14:46.640 --> 0:14:49.600 coach in twenty nineteen to earning a promotion to full 0:14:49.600 --> 0:14:54.280 time receivers coach in And not just that, but Davante's 0:14:54.360 --> 0:14:57.680 games played average saw a nice bump from thirteen and 0:14:57.720 --> 0:15:00.520 a quarter games per season and his first four years 0:15:00.520 --> 0:15:03.560 in the league up to fifteen games per season. Each 0:15:03.560 --> 0:15:06.680 of the last two he's been more physical. I thought 0:15:06.760 --> 0:15:09.720 his contested catchability has just shot through the roof and 0:15:09.760 --> 0:15:12.080 he goes up there and that football is his when 0:15:12.080 --> 0:15:14.920 it's in the air between he and a defender. Speaking 0:15:14.920 --> 0:15:18.320 of contested catchers, Preston Williams an undrafted free agent to 0:15:18.400 --> 0:15:20.680 a guy that's played sixteen games in two years. A 0:15:20.720 --> 0:15:23.320 couple of unfortunate injuries to end those seasons, but he 0:15:23.360 --> 0:15:26.360 produced seven hundred and sixteen yards and seven touchdowns. That's 0:15:26.400 --> 0:15:28.440 really good production from a U d f A in 0:15:28.520 --> 0:15:32.040 sixteen games. The tight end position might have the best 0:15:32.080 --> 0:15:35.480 example of all from growth and Mike get sick and 0:15:35.640 --> 0:15:39.600 his usage went from in line as a traditional y 0:15:39.680 --> 0:15:43.080 tight end in his rookie season to less than ten 0:15:43.160 --> 0:15:46.040 percent to capitalize on those gifts that he shows as 0:15:46.080 --> 0:15:48.440 a receiver, to help get him more free releases and 0:15:48.520 --> 0:15:51.440 all the benefits that come from playing detached from the 0:15:51.480 --> 0:15:54.560 line opposed to being in line, and he responds by 0:15:54.720 --> 0:15:58.120 showing a just growth in the functional strength, the improved 0:15:58.120 --> 0:16:00.840 ability to fight through re routes and demming safeties and 0:16:00.880 --> 0:16:03.760 linebackers off the line, from two hundred and two yards 0:16:03.800 --> 0:16:06.160 as a rookie to five hundred and seventy in a 0:16:06.280 --> 0:16:09.280 second season and then seven hundred and three last year. 0:16:09.560 --> 0:16:12.760 Also no touchdowns as a rookie, five in that sophomore 0:16:12.800 --> 0:16:16.760 campaign and a career high six last season. And how 0:16:16.800 --> 0:16:20.280 about the yards per target jump he saw up to 0:16:20.360 --> 0:16:23.680 eight point three. That's eight point three for a tight end, 0:16:23.720 --> 0:16:26.440 that's receiver numbers, and that's up from six point four 0:16:26.440 --> 0:16:29.040 and six point three his first two seasons. And really 0:16:29.080 --> 0:16:32.880 that stretch of production began in Week twelve of twenty nineteen. 0:16:32.880 --> 0:16:35.760 He scored all five of his touchdowns from week twelve 0:16:35.800 --> 0:16:39.040 on right around Thanksgiving up through December, and how about 0:16:39.040 --> 0:16:42.120 a rookie on the offensive line and Robert Hunt. He 0:16:42.160 --> 0:16:45.120 goes from extra offensive lineman six or seventh guy off 0:16:45.160 --> 0:16:48.600 the bench in the heavy personnel to starting right tackle 0:16:48.880 --> 0:16:50.960 and all he does is play out the final six 0:16:51.000 --> 0:16:53.960 games of last season as one of PF's top ten 0:16:54.080 --> 0:16:57.960 graded offensive tackles. Take that for what you will. Onto 0:16:57.960 --> 0:17:00.480 the defense, we saw ray Kwon Davis get an elevation 0:17:00.480 --> 0:17:02.480 of playing time right around the midway point of the 0:17:02.520 --> 0:17:04.800 season and his play took off from there. We've noted 0:17:04.840 --> 0:17:07.600 his pressures, his run stops, his tackles for loss, all 0:17:07.600 --> 0:17:10.680 those jumps he saw about midway through the season last year. 0:17:10.800 --> 0:17:13.480 As we have discussed on this podcast, his teammate on 0:17:13.520 --> 0:17:16.080 the defensive line there is Zack Seeler. He gets here 0:17:16.320 --> 0:17:19.240 in December of twenty nineteen after being waived by the 0:17:19.280 --> 0:17:23.919 Baltimore Ravens, and he has an immediate impact with some 0:17:24.000 --> 0:17:27.160 promising reps in a week fifteen game at the Giants 0:17:27.160 --> 0:17:30.080 and then the production to match the following week where 0:17:30.119 --> 0:17:33.679 he records a bunch of pressures, hits, sacks, TFLs against 0:17:33.680 --> 0:17:36.000 the Bengals in that game also had some past breakups 0:17:36.000 --> 0:17:39.080 at the line. Then part way into the season he 0:17:39.119 --> 0:17:42.200 earns a contract extension and and for what it's worth, 0:17:42.480 --> 0:17:45.719 he claimed a spot in the top twenty on Brandon 0:17:45.800 --> 0:17:49.359 Thorne's true sack rate for interior rushers. Brandon Thorne evaluates 0:17:49.359 --> 0:17:52.160 past rushers and offensive lineman. He did the podcast back 0:17:52.200 --> 0:17:54.680 and I want to say February, which is really impressive 0:17:54.720 --> 0:17:56.960 to me for Zach because he plays inside and outside 0:17:57.040 --> 0:17:59.720 and those outside reps didn't count in this particular measurement. 0:17:59.800 --> 0:18:02.480 So good work there from Zach Seeler as a pass 0:18:02.560 --> 0:18:05.639 rusher and the interior defensive line. Christian Wilkins had a 0:18:05.720 --> 0:18:08.639 nice jump too, and just real quick. Year two jumps 0:18:08.680 --> 0:18:12.359 I think are interesting because they are automatically assumed by 0:18:12.400 --> 0:18:15.399 every single fan base, right like you, you think that 0:18:15.520 --> 0:18:19.560 you're gonna see a like, without doubt, a tangible jump 0:18:19.560 --> 0:18:22.160 from employer from year one to year two, because that's 0:18:22.200 --> 0:18:24.200 just how you operate when you don't have the benefit 0:18:24.520 --> 0:18:28.320 of full information. But it doesn't always happen. Maybe we've 0:18:28.320 --> 0:18:31.000 become a bit spoiled into thinking that it does the 0:18:31.080 --> 0:18:33.359 last couple of years, But I'm old enough to remember 0:18:33.400 --> 0:18:35.720 the likes of Jason Allen or John Beck or Chad 0:18:35.720 --> 0:18:37.920 Henny or Jamaar Taylor, and the list goes on and 0:18:37.960 --> 0:18:41.480 on and on. But Wilkins took a tangible jump. Pro 0:18:41.560 --> 0:18:44.280 Football Reference had him with an approximate value A a 0:18:44.359 --> 0:18:47.919 stat that measures just a player's overall impact on the 0:18:47.960 --> 0:18:51.560 game and the season and every year of their career 0:18:51.920 --> 0:18:54.920 of four in twenty nineteen, that number went all the 0:18:54.920 --> 0:18:58.040 way up to seven in which was the same number 0:18:58.200 --> 0:19:01.560 as ray Kwon Davis. For comparison sake, I've got several 0:19:01.600 --> 0:19:04.840 examples of this development and growth in the second level 0:19:04.880 --> 0:19:07.639 of the defense. Jerome Baker. I mean, we covered that 0:19:07.680 --> 0:19:10.680 pretty thoroughly in the episode last week tracking his extension. 0:19:10.920 --> 0:19:14.359 The box score production was unreal in after showing his 0:19:14.400 --> 0:19:18.000 medal as a versatile, durable, explosive four down player his 0:19:18.040 --> 0:19:20.199 first two years in the league. And one thing I 0:19:20.240 --> 0:19:23.280 liked about Jerome this year personally was the improvement in 0:19:23.359 --> 0:19:25.600 taking on blocks. I thought he showed real growth in 0:19:25.600 --> 0:19:29.000 that area. And speaking of that, our next candidate on 0:19:29.040 --> 0:19:32.080 this list as Andrew Van Ginkel. Now, if you were 0:19:32.160 --> 0:19:34.600 riding with me back in the Lockdown Dolphins days, you 0:19:34.640 --> 0:19:38.520 remember my personal a VG journey. I was not familiar 0:19:38.560 --> 0:19:40.800 with him with his game when the Dolphins drafted him 0:19:40.800 --> 0:19:42.840 in twenty nine team, but I got right to work, 0:19:42.880 --> 0:19:45.240 and after two or three tapes, I couldn't believe this 0:19:45.280 --> 0:19:47.600 guy made to the fifth round. He had one big 0:19:47.680 --> 0:19:50.119 year of production at Wisconsin, and it was easy to 0:19:50.119 --> 0:19:52.600 see why because watching his tape, you would find him 0:19:52.640 --> 0:19:57.120 locate bodies, not just grass, but locate route runners, potential 0:19:57.160 --> 0:19:59.720 threats on his zone drops and take him away. He 0:19:59.720 --> 0:20:01.960 would gained depth when he got out to the flat 0:20:02.000 --> 0:20:04.880 to help him locate what what route concept it might be. 0:20:05.040 --> 0:20:06.919 And there were clips in his rookie season to confirm 0:20:07.040 --> 0:20:09.359 what I saw on that Wisconsin tape. Shoot there on 0:20:09.400 --> 0:20:12.000 my timeline from two years ago. He's not just picking 0:20:12.040 --> 0:20:14.160 up routes that originate from his side of the football. 0:20:14.280 --> 0:20:17.800