Drive Time - Defensive and Special Teams Assistants

have another slate of coaches media availabilities. We're gonna hear from the defensive and special teams coaches here on this Saturday, August fifte edition of the Drivetime Podcasts, and next week on Monday, we have practices available to the South Florida media. So we have that to look forward to football season right around the corner here and to help get us primed. Like we did last Saturday with the offensive coaches, we're gonna hear from the Dolphins defensive coaches as well as

Danny Crossman, special teams coordinator. But real quick, before we do that, wanted to make a quick point here about three guys that have been picked up for other NFL teams or that had a workout with another NFL team after spending time with the Miami Dolphins. We talked about this last year, how nobody on the roster at training camp that was released or let go without being traded was picked up by another club. Same thing was kind of true in free agency, as not many of the

Dolphins players that walked in free agency found new homes. Well, the Dolphins have said goodbye to three players that have found new homes now. Ryan lewis with Washington earlier list month than we had, Stephen Parker released. He has been picked up by the Minnesota Vikings and cor Dray tankers Lee, who was released last week has also had a workout

with the Indianapolis Colts. So it just speaks the overall talent evaluation of this team around the rest of the NFL, and how the overall talent and the roster has gotten better by virtue of other teams finding value in players. The Dolphs cut all right, let's go ahead now and

get two coaches availability. We heard from six of them on Saturday, and we start here with Dolphins defensive coordinator Josh Boyer, who was asked what the Dolphins saw and guys like Shack Lawson and Emmanuel Ogba and their free agents acquisitions and how he feels they fit in to the Miami Dolphins football team. I think in the opouseason, I think our goal was to add as many good

players to the defense as we possibly could. I think, as with all defenses, each year you start over and you try to, uh you know, whether it's a coach's influence um or whether it's a player influenced, the defense will kind of evolve. I think you're always trying to build as much competition as you possibly can, and uh, you know, I think, you know, obviously, Chris and Flow did a good job of acquiring as many good players

as we possibly could. I like that last line there about acquiring as many good players as you possibly can, because we talked about this on this podcast. But for the market opportunities to go out and improve the roster, whether it's the top player at number one all the way down to fifty three or fifty five, what it is now, the Dolphins just want to get as many good players on the roster as many positions as they can,

and that's what Josh Boyer talked about there here. Coaches asked about how he will influence the defense and the mark he will make stylistically on this Dolphins defense. You know, I mean obviously, uh I would I would say, Uh, Coach Florez and I've worked together for a long time. Uh, we we have many conversations over the years. Um, I would say, it's not really a you know, for As defense, It's not a boyer defense. It would be kind of a Miami defense. And again, uh, you know, coach floors

will have influence on it. All have influence on it, Our assistant coaches will have influence on it, and importantly, our players will have influence on it. So and again, I think, you know, there's core fundamentals that we believe in that will implement, but the defense itself will evolve over time. A couple of interesting notes there about how

it will evolve over time. Obviously that plays in line with the adapting to your opponent and being flexible on a week to week basis, being a new scheme a new team every single week, but also that they're not going to be beholden to any one specific defensive style or defensive mind in the room. A collaboration between he and Brian Flores and the assistant coaches on the staff here.

And that's the beauty of the multiplicity and the flexibility of the defense is if you have a team, an offense that you're facing that requires one certain front or one certain coverage or one certain look, and the next week you need to do something completely different, you have the personnel and the skill set to make that happen, both within the coaching staff to make those adjustments, but also the personnel on the football field and guys that

are multiple in their skill sets that can execute different schemes and do different things. Guys that can play corner and safety, for instance, what you'll hear about more on this podcast as we talk about linebackers that come down on the ball or play off the ball, or guys that do play cornerback and safety, defensive linemen and that

can play inside outside. You have that flexibility and grain within the program that creates flexibility on Sundays, as Josh talks about there and Coach Flores talks about all the time as well. Another common thread in these pressers as asking me about the shortened off season and how coaches are adjusting. Here's what Coach Boyer and plenty of the other coaches. We'll talk about. Two discusses the Dolphins and their approach to trying to find ways to simulate in

game situations. He talks about how there's no better place to do that than in practice. Yeah, I think you know again, it's it's very similar to the players. I mean, the closest thing that we can get to game simulation is practice. So as a play caller and as a coaching staff, we try to put ourselves in game situations as much as possible. Um, you know, I think you know over the course of the years that things have

come up. Um, you just try to practice, and then once you get to a game, you you feel pretty comfortable of what your thought processes. I think the players need to feel comfortable with what the thought processes. We work very hard on our players one understanding the situation, because every play in and of itself is a situation. Is it is it a drive? Start? Play is as second long as a second and short third and short third? Medium? Are we in two minutes? Is it in the red area?

Is it in the fringe? Every play in it in itself is a situation And what we we try to strive to do for our players as they understand what's getting called okay. So again, once they have an understanding what the offense is in what we're in okay, it eliminates variables, which decreases, uh call it anxiety and allows them to play it a little bit faster pace. So, um,

that's the ultimate goal. And I think in practice, you know, we kind of work towards that way and so that the coaches and the players were all kind of the same page, you know, and understand what's coming. There's not a lot of surprises. It's out like oh damn, he called this, or you know, are are we going to be in this defense on this? There shouldn't be a

lot of surprises. That's the goal. A lot of mentions there of situational football, something we're gonna hear a lot about from those coaching staff and talking about putting guys in uncomfortable position so that when you come to game day on Sunday it does become comfortable. We heard Byra Jones talk about that earlier in the week, and you hear Josh Boyer that refer to situations and practice and

putting guys in those spots. And I think that's something that can be kind of forgotten from like fans, for instance, when you look at practices and what actually occurs on the practice field, those are opportunities for improvement and growth. And the only way you get improvement in growth is to stretch your comfortability right, to stretch the limits of

what you think you're capable of doing. And that might mean for a defensive back being more aggressive out of the back pedal, or for a quarterback trying to fit a tight window in a third and twelve situation in two minute late in the game, because we don't know the situation from the stands, as the fans, as the media, the guys in the field of the situations, so they will always truly know what's best for the football team

and to make those decisions accordingly. Up next, coach was asked about his influences and what it means to him to be the defensive coordinator of the Miami Dolphins. You know, I've really enjoyed the new rule. Um uh, it's it's been good. It's been good with the interaction with the coaches.

It's a different interaction with the players. Um. You know, one thing that I was really excited about and in fact that it just so happened that Bill Arnst Parter was a ward of the Doctor z Award UM this year, which I think he's more than deserving. Um. You know, I I read his book years ago, and um, you know, and uh reading his book okay, and then being in the NFL for as long as I have and to see some of the terminology that's in his book that still carries over to today. You know, it's a pretty

amazing thing. So I would say being the defensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins and there's there's a rich alumni history here and you know, knowing that the standards pretty high with Bill Arnsburger, Um, I considered an honor and a privilege. Um. You know, it might not personally been something that I was looking to do, but I'm very honored to do it. I take my job very seriously. As far as being a defense Um, again, you know,

we look at fundamentals. I mean, we need to be able to tackle, we need to be able to play with you know, good effort. But I would say it goes back to a lot of things that you're coach Florida say, is you know, look, we need to be a smart team. We need to be mentally and physically tough. And I think you know, you know, him and Chris did a great job trying to uh put the team

together with guys that are fiercely competitive. And you know, again, we get sixteen shots at it and we'll see where we lie, you know, when it's all said and done. But you know, as being a coordinator, I'm I'm honored for that position, UM, kind of knowing where where it's been here at the Miami Dolphins. Um, you know, I'm pretty excited about that. UM. So hopefully that answers your question obviously. You know, I think it's awesome for the Arnst Parker family that he was honored, and I think

it's awesome for the Miami Dolphins. And I'm really privileged just to have his talking about having the same position that that guy had. You know, it's a pretty big deal to me. I mean, how cool is that. I don't think anybody was expecting a little Dolphins history background

there on Bill Arrenstbarger. Now, one of my favorite parts of this job that I've talked about on the podcast is how I've gotten to learn and know more about the Dolphins from the seventies and eighties and those eras because I know this team back to front for the last five years, but being a thirty two year old, I don't necessarily have the firsthand knowledge of those teams

of those coaches. And you hear Josh Boyer right there going back into his history book and learning about Bill Arnst Barker, who he had a special here on the Drivetime podcast talking about both his winning the Doctor Z Award. Had a j Dewey on the podcast talking about that, So that was really cool to hear him go into detail about how he was kind of the pioneer of Dolphins defensive coordinators and for him to follow in that lineage, to follow in that path is really special to him.

It's cool to hear that as Dolphins fans, I think, and it's someone that works here in the building with the Miami Dolphins. Up next, coach was asked about the different backgrounds and bringing all these new coaches onto the staff and kind of how they have meshed together. We talk about themes in this team and on this coaching staff a lot. Right well, you're gonna hear him talk about one of those themes, the ability to be a

teacher as a football coach. I think for everybody it's it's a little bit different, you know where you come from. I think the one thing that uh, it's consistent with all those guys is they're good teachers. UM, they're good communicators and they work hard. Um. And I would say the other thing that's important in coaching is they really there. They don't have egos, so um, you know, it's amazing what you can get accomplished when nobody cares what gets

the credit, um. You know. And I think our head coach, coach or is I mean, he exemplifies that, you know. He you know, he's a very humble individual, very hard worker. UM. And I think you know, you got guys that are young, hungry, intelligent, hard working um that give very little to who gets credit for what they just want to work hard and be successful as as a team in an organization, which is what we're all trying to do. And we'll go back a little bit more history behind Josh Boyer, his

influences and coming up as a young football coach. He references being around football since he could walk, his father being a high school football coach. Here he is talking about his very first impression of football watching film on the old highlight earl on the old tape reels rather and how he was kind of immediately drawn to being a football coach. Well, I think, you know, first of all, it's like, again, I've been around football since I can walk. Uh so my my father is a high school coach

and he's still coaching. And um, you know, so I guess when I was a little kid and they had the film projector on, I thought it was the coolest thing in the world when the players went backwards. So, uh,

you know, that kind of sparked my interest there. Um. And I think, you know, no matter what what you're vocation is in life, I think, you know, you always are seeking knowledge and there's so many, so many coaches that have done it, you know, for so many years, and there's always you know, there's always good things you can take from everybody, whether it's good, bad, or indifferent. And I think as much as you kind of open yourself up to all, right, you know, what it was

this guy doing here? What was this guy? I mean, there's a lot of good books out there, and some of them and Bill Bill Arns Partner's book is one of those. Is if you have a pretty good knowledge, you think it's pretty good book. If you're a little bit novice in it, it could be a tough read, you know. So which I mean there's other books that I like to read as well too. Some of them

are tough reads for me too. Um. But I would say that the history of the game, you know, you always hear like, oh, this guy's innovative, this guy's innovative. I mean, the the Wildcat was really the single wing offense. You know that people were running, I mean before they had you know, face masks. So um, I think it's it's always interesting. I think there's things that you can pull from everything. Um. You know, uh, I do enjoy that, you know, any time that that, like any of the

old games are are going on. And I mentioned Charlie Winner earlier. I believe he might be the only living coach from the greatest game ever played? Um what what they titled the greatest game ever played? Um? So um, you know, and it's interesting to have conversations. I feel very fortunate to be a part of the NFL. And um, I would say my paths have crossed with a lot

of guys and there's a rich history here in Miami. Uh, there there is, you know, and there's a lot of guys and a lot of alumni that come around, and there's always things that relate to today's game. It's not a completely different game at the end of the day. I mean, there's still eleven guys out there and um, you know, a lot of their experiences, Um, and they've been great, you know. So I'm I'm excited. Uh, I'm

decided with our past. I'm excited for a future. Uh you know, and uh, we're gonna work hard and like I said, we get sixteen shots at it and we'll see what we are. So there he goes. Dolphins defensive coordinator Josh Boyer. Up next, we had Dolphins linebackers coach Anthony Campanelli, and the first question posed the coach came from me, So I'll go ahead and roll that and

its entirety. Hey, good morning, coach. My question is about the amount of players you guys have that can play both off the ball as well as come down on the line of scrimmage. And I was curious how do you and Coach Clark kind of balanced that time on the field or in meetings, whatever it is with a player like Kyle van Noy, who has so many snaps

both on and off the ball in his past. Yeah, I just think that, uh, you know, we're awesome things about coaching here is we all coach defense, you know, Um, so we all got an opportunity to coach all our guys. And I think it's, uh, it's a staff full of guys who love the coach fundamentals um and love coaching

with each other. So it's it's something that as a group collectively, I think we all at every position, to be honest with you, we all kind of incorporate our own philosophies and get the opportunity to coach all the guys. So it's been an awesome experience that way. And you know, the theme is the same there among the coaches and players, guys that can do multiple things and kind of work as a collaboration. That's gonna be what you get from

the top down here. And it's kind of a challenge as a question asker in these interviews to get them to talk more kind of in depth about that kind of stuff because that group think that let's work together as this all is one individual unit. It's really there instead of parent and you can hear it and the coaches speak, you hear in the players talk as well, and it all comes down from the top with coach

Brian Flora's up next. Coach was asked about getting the job here in Miami, working under Brian Flores and the chance to coach for an organization like the Miami Dolphins. And you'll hear this theme as well, the storied franchise that is the Miami Dolphins. Listened to coach Campanelli talk about what it means to him with a little chuckle and a ray smile about coaching for the Miami Dolphins. I mean, it means a world to me. It's been

a tremendous opportunity. Um. And then the opportunity to coach for coach Flores. Uh, was something I was really really excited about. Um. You know, it's a story franchise. So the opportunity to come here coach for him, coach at this place and coach these players, It's been a fantastic experience so far. Um, it was something I was really really looking forward to. I was really really excited about it,

and I've loved every minute of it. Now. I couldn't get Coach talk about Kyle van Noy, but the next question does get a little bit of insight behind new Dolphins linebacker Kyle van Noy and how coach Campanelli thinks he fits into the defense here in Miami. Well, I think Kyle, um, you know, like you said, one of his great abilities is he's got a lot of multiplicity to his game, um, and I think him bringing that

to our system, you know, and we're a system. Then I think coach Flores has done an incredible job and Coach Porter has an incredible jobs to their careers of plans, of strengths of all their players, you know, throughout their entire career. So he uh, we're obviously really really excited to have them here. Um, and I think he's gonna gonna be a great addition to our defense. And he's a great fit to what we do. I mean, you hear it there at the end, A great fit to

what we do. Obviously, would not pursue a player like that if he doesn't fit what you do. But you look at the past rush numbers for instance of Van Doyle with the Patriots under Brian Flores. There in how Sam egil Van and Jerome Baker here last year, we're near the top of the linebacker list in terms of pass rushing situations, finding different gaps to blitz, guys that

can rush from different spots. You talk about all that with Kyle van Noy, he certainly fits and coach and Relli talks about it there and up next an interesting answer from coach and kind of alluding to the Dolphins having so many coaches that came from the college ranks as well as first year players on the football field, and how that might kind of help this Dolphins team with regards to no preseason because college players and college coaches they're used to getting after it week one without

any exhibition warm up games. I think for guys coming from college, it's it's not much of a difference, you know, so that that might be an advantage for us. You know, a guy like myself as a coach, it's something that that's what you know, getting ready, getting the guys ready

through training camp. Um and I think coach Flores has done a great job of, you know, managing everything up to this point and uh really really organized it in a way that our guys can get better every day and it's been meticulously done so I think he's not a fantastic job with that, having been through some other situations like that, is you know, like this as a college coach, Um, I've been really really impressed with that, and I think, you know, through the summer, like you said,

this is this is the same situation for everybody in the league, and we just kind of do a great job of coaching our guys every day. Everything is important, Every meeting is important, every practice is important, um, and I think our guys understand that. I know they do because they're prepared that way. So uh Da've taking the you know, it's a little bit of a change, I'm sure for a lot of these guys as professional athletes with no preseason games, but they've really stepped up to

the challenge and I've done a great job preparing. And finally, Coach was asked about his connection to coach Flora's and how that initial meeting and initial phone call came to be where Flora's eventually offered him the job to come down here and coach with the Miami Dolphins and their connection back with their their roots going back to Boston and Boston College. I had I had spent some time

to Boston obviously, coach I was at Boston College. Coach Flores was a Boston College graduate, and uh, I was coaching, you know, in New England at the time, and knew a lot of people who knew him very well. Everybody spoke so highly of him, not just as a football coach, but as a person. Um, and for myself and my own family to this point in the time I spend here, Ah, he's been phenomenal to us, you know. And uh, he's just a great person, like in that regard. I mean,

he he cares about people's family. Um. Football is is what we do, you know, It's it's all. It's a huge part of all of our lives. It's a huge part of our family's lives. But he understands that. And uh, first and foremost, he understands that as a father, you know, in a husband. H that's that's the most important job all of us have in the world. And I think he does a great job of managing that with himself, with the staff, and with the players. You know, he

never loses sight of that. So that I think makes him a special guy in the regard. And you'll hear a lot of these coaches talk about their feelings about coach floor isn't what he means as a leader and as a person. Up next, we had Gerald Alexander g A, the coach of the defensive backs, and he was asked first about the conversion of players going from cornerback to safety and he relates to his experience in the NFL

making a similar conversion in the defensive backfield. Well, to me, it's a very familiar challenge because I personally would through that myself as a as a corner in college and transition into safety prior to my career in the National Football League, So it's something that I'm familiar with, and so, um, you know, it's it's different, But those guys have definitely done the necessary things to kind of transition to that role, and it's just continuing to have them improved throughout practice.

You know, when you're not a when you're not a safety, you're not being that primary communicator as you are when you're in that position. So these guys have been doing a good job and then we will continue to develop their communication out there on the field so they can

take command and be quarterbacks of our defense. You hear him talk about the communication aspect of being the quarterback of the defense, and later we're gonna hear him discuss how the safeties are the ones that really have to get guys lined up from that kind of not bird's eye view with the furthest view back right. The guys that play the furthest off the football and getting the

defense aligned. Communication is going to be a big theme with coach Alexander on this particular interview and of course going forward. But now he was asked about what the Dolphins saw in the rookies Noah Anogamy first round draft pick and Brandon Jones third round draft pick, a corner and safety respectively. What the Dolphins saw in those two players that made them want to go ahead and pull the trigger and get them down here to Miami. Well,

you know, those guys had great athleticism coming in. They have great tools to be able to develop in our program. UM, and not to mention just their athleticism, but just getting the chance to beat them throughout the process. You knew that there were guys that UM that had the football character that we were looking for UM in our building, and so we we haven't really had a chance to

obviously see that on display on the field. You know, we're just getting to start practice, but you can tell just by their football character and their makeup that they're willing to be coachable and to improve to day to day Up next, coach was asked about his influences as a defensive coach, something we've talked about here on the podcast before working under Jimmy Lake as well as Chris Peterson there at you DUB and the teaching aspect of

being a football coach. I think my my experience UM with with Jimmy Lake, who's the head coach in Washington now UM and and Chris Peterson and his staff were monumental in my coaching career UM and really had me think about developing the UH teaching aspect of being a coach and really being a great presenter and making sure that I take all the complexities of the game UM and make it simple for the guys to be able to comprehend and execute out there on the field and

UM and just trying to get better in that way in form and I think that you know, some of the experience stuff currently had here with this coaching staff is just continued to challenge me as a teacher. UM and developing these guys and getting those guys to understand what we're trying to get him to do on defense.

And with the young guys in this defensive backfield room and so many new additions to the DB's room, coach was asked about getting those guys acclimated and how quickly rookies and young guys can get themselves onto the football field. There's so many things that young guys have to learn, you know, and it's just learning really you know, how to practice, how to be a professional and not to mention all the things and the responsibilities and the communication.

Um that it takes, you know to be able to feel uh comfortable and develop in this defense. And it's really just gonna take reps. It was gonna take you know, repetition and um, you know, being able to see different plays and experience different things that practice. And obviously as we start to intesify intensify the practice, um, you'll they'll be able to make those full speed mistakes and learn

from them and develop as they go. And so it's just gonna take you know, uh time and reps and being able to get those reps to to feel ready and continue to develop them there and a very common theme among these coaches and the questions they received was how did you get in contact with coach Flora's to ultimately get the job? Really cool connection here on the Dolphins coaching staff last year. Who knew coach Jail Alexander. Here's his answer on how he got this position with

the Miami Dolphins. You know, I got a chance to meet UH coach flow and and really these guys really through Taekwon Underwood, who I played with in Jacksonville. UM. I was here, UH really locally with visiting UH Blake Banker, who I coach with at Arkansas State, who was a

defensive corder at the University of Miami. UM, and while I was in town, I came and visited Taikwon and got a chance to just meet some guys in the building and they got an opportunity to be here and and really kind of shadow and training camp last year UM during an internship and UM you know, going back and taking some of that information to cow where where where I was coaching at the time, and it was valuable information just being here for a week, and I

learned a lot from this coaching staff. UM. And you know when the opportunity came, and um, you know, obviously I was very excited and grateful for the opportunity, which I still am and um and now you know, now of them here, I understand what my responsibility is to be able to leave the secondary and contribute to this

team as much as as I can. And I go back to Indianapolis at the scout InCom By when I had a chance to ask Cal's safety Ashton Davis about coach Alexander, and he referenced that coach was going out to do internships to go learn different football schemes and different practices at different programs across the country, both in pro and the college level, and Davis talked about Alexander's willingness and desire to get better every day as a

coach and not be stuck in his ways. I thought that was a cool response there from coach g A and I also love the response to this question that I had a chance to ask coach on Saturday morning. Hey, good morning, coach. You talked a little bit about the character of the two rookie defensive backs you guys drafted, and coach Flores talks a lot about communication as an important trait on his team with an emphasis on players that can communicate on this defense and in this defensive backfield.

How much does that help you guys acclimate things quickly in this condensed offseason program. Well, communication is as is that must in our defense. I mean, all guys have to be on the same page, and especially at the tafety position. You know, we have the depth of the defense and we're responsible to really get everybody in line. And so it's very important that whether you're young or older,

vet that the communication is on point. And we know that big plays always run to the secondary, whether it be in the past game or the run game. And the easiest way to give up uh explosive play in the back end is lack of communication. And when I tell those guys is lack of communication leads to disaster. And so we have to make sure that all of our communications on point, regardless of the condensed offseason and

not not a lot of reps in the off season. Um, you know, through practice and walk through we have to understand what certain terminology means and get everybody on the same page. You know, those guys are gonna be the ones that are playing on Sunday, So it's not it's not really important how much I know. Is it's how important I know how much those guys know, And there goes their awareness out there on display on the field and understand what words to say, what communication to make

to make sure everybody's on the same page. War communication leads to disaster. That's my favorite quote of this entire coaches availability on this Saturday, and so very true in that defensive backfield where he says that most of the big leaks you're gonna get on defense come from communication in that area. So really insightful there from coach Alexander.

Up next, we had a chance to talk to new Dolphins outside linebackers coach another guy coming up from college, Austin Clark, and we'll kick it off with my question for coach Austin Clark. Hey, good morning, coach. Kind of want to go on that same topic. They're about the guys in your position group, and I'm curious if it's a challenge for you to find reps for all the guys that have a lot of snaps and production on

the resume. If it's a challenge to find reps for those guys, and if the multiple nature of the defense kind of helps you carve out rolls for everybody. Yeah, you know, I think, uh here coach Flow and Josh I was saying, your role is what you make it, and I think that applies to all the guys. I think we've only had a couple of days so far. We haven't even had a padded practice, so that's a little tough for me to say right now, but I think everybody's doing a hell of the job so far.

And maybe jumping the gun there a little. But on those questions asking about roles in the defense, as he talks about there, they haven't even been on the field

for a padded practice. But next we had a good question asking him about his first impressions of coach flores And here's Clark talking about looking up Coach Florence for the first time after he initially made that phone call hard working guy, knowing you know, when I came down here to meet with him, I I looked him up and researched him and UM saw his path through coaching and UM that immediately to me was like, Hey, this is someone I want to work under and learn from.

UM just how he came up in the grind and where he's come from his story, UM, all the obstacles he's gone through. And then on a first impression basis, I would I would just say, is a teacher. You know, to me, coaching is teaching UM. And there's an element of how he interacts with players, UM and coaches and uh, you know he's got a mission. We you know, he's

a tough guy. We want tough people that are smart, love to play or physical and that's what impressed me about him and I'm really really excited to work for him. And just as he evaluated the head coach and Brian Flores, here he is talking about defensive coordinator Josh Bowyer. You know, I would say, uh, tactical. You know, I think Josh has uh a philosophy of what he believes in that I think aligns directly with our head coach. Um. Those

guys have been working together for so long. UM, I would say, he knows what he wants and he's going to demand that out of his players and us his coaches to do it. And uh, that's the environment I want to live around. And uh, it's been great so far and I'm really really excited. And here is coach

talking more about his players. In his possession room and how the Dolphins can get more pass rush this season with the players they have on the current roster, I would say, I think we have some great players across the board, and I would say pass rush is a collaborative deal, um, in terms of the different guys and combinations and who they're going against and what they do best. And I think is the defensive staff. Um, we're we're doing a great job of finding out what those guys

are and what they do well. Um. Again, it's only been three days, but it's been great so far. Um, you know, with with Lass and again or there's so many different guys that can do it. So Um, we'll see where we're at here in three or four weeks. A little bit of a hidden nugget and they're talking about the collaboration of the pass rush. It's all about opportunity and matchup. Right. We're gonna hear about that on this defense on this team for a long time to come.

But we know there are different ways to get after the quarterback. That's not just one guy lining up and beating his man across from him, like maybe Cam Wake used to do back in his heyday here in Miami. But now you have multiple guys that can really commit to a rush contained scheme, and guys that can do things from a stunt, slant and twist and blitz and different types of things and games up front on the defensive line to create that pressure and to create that

pass rush from multiple guys on the system. That's why you heard him talk about van Away, Lawson, ag Ball, all these guys that add different elements to your defense. It's always going to be beneficial when you have multiple guys that can do things within the scheme to help get pressure on the quarterback up next, defensive line coach Mary and Hobby met with the South Florida media and first he was asked, of course, about his former Clemson

protege and now under him in Miami, Shack Lawson. Well, you know, starting off with Shack Lawson, you know, you kind of have a good history with him and you kind of know where he's from, what he's about. You know, when we were looking for those smart, tough players, you know they love football and you know in team first attitudes and and he fits it. You know, it's something that he's been been a leader all his career. You know,

even in college going to their pros. With his energy level, I thought he would be a really good fit for us. One thing you'll hear coach talk a lot about is both heavy hands and players being conscientious of their roles and kind of that idea of being more of a read and react type of player of posts and just shooting up field, getting in the gap. Here's coach talking about how Manuel Ogba and ray Juan Dave was both

excel in those areas. Watching you know, um football on rereak one Davis even when he was a young player at Alabama, you know, and seeing him a mature you know each year coming in you know, and getting a chance to visit with him at to come By and I thought he did a great job in the interview. Um. You know, Rake one is is different athletically, but he's

really more conscientious football player. Um. You know, football is important to him, his family is important to him, you know, and just getting to know those things about him after visiting with him at to Combine, yuh, you know, we just gave us a good encouragement about that guy, you know. And Hogbuck you know, he's just been a pleasure to work with, you know, it's uh, you know, was just

visiting with him early. You know, didn't know I didn't know him before that hand, but you know, just evaluating my tape acting other coaches about him, his work ethics, you know, his smarts and all of that, and he's proven to be exact actually what they're saying. You know, he's very conscientious, he likes the game. You know, he's

got a good football like you. He's smart man, he'll work and just as an outside linebackers coach is concerned with getting pressure on the quarterback, of course, a defensive line coach will be asked the same thing. Here's coach Hobby talking about the collaboration of the team coming together to create collective pressure on the quarterback from this defensive line and this pass rush here in Miami. I think I think you hit it perfect playing as a unit.

You know, one guy get a great rush and another guy it's not in the right position. You know, this guy gets a great rush, and it seems where we didn't really play together. You know, you usually have four man rushes. Everybody has a rush lane, everybody has a responsibility, and I think if we can improve there, you know, everybody is counting the next man to him to do his job for dudes, and you know, I think that's it really could be a one of the things we

can do is play together is big time. And to finish up here with coach Hobby a question back about Christian Wilkins and the comment he made about his professionalism and staying in shape that you heard him talk about that in the previous answer. He had a follow up question here where he talked more about Christian Wilkins, who just loves loves some football. Well, I think it's a little bit of both. You know, everybody know anything about Christian Wilkins. He loves football. Now he's a he's a

football guy. And uh, you know the critique and him, um tell him where he's showing him where he could be better. You know, sometimes that's as coach can be critique or that could be coming down on him. But I think it has a lot to do with him, you know, him want to do well and get better. Um as a player, and that's where it starts. Man, They got to be self motivators and then as as coaches, man, we just continue to build them what they bring to the table. But um, I think he matured as he

went on. I think he had a lot of things going on early, you know, and he he's gonna try to do them all in the community. He's gonna try to do them all anyway anyway he can. I just think you had a lot on his played early and hope with him about it, and he said, yeah, Coach, I had a lot of going on. And now I'm settling me into my to my role. And so there is Coach Hobby. You have now heard from the offensive and defensive coordinator obviously, the head coach, and Brian Flora's

each of the offensive and defensive assistance. Let's go ahead and finish it up here with special teams coordinator Danny Crossman. I had the pleasure of getting the first question, asking him about core special teamers and how they help identify those guys on this roster. Good morning, coach, good to

see uh um. I wanted to talk about something. Coach Flora's talks about the importance of the kicking game, obviously, and this offseason had several acquisitions of guys that both have return ability and core special teams experience with other clubs.

My question to you, coach is what do you personally look for when trying to reveal which guys can be core special teamers, Well, I think it all starts first and foremost because getting our kinds of guy, you know, smart, tough team first, and then having the athleticism to be a multifacet player. Everybody talks about the core teams in the four and the four faces, but the more guys that we have that can play multiple spots on those four faces are the guys that really end up being

your core guys. Now you like to isolate them, but the more they can do, the better off you're going to be. So you kind of get an answer there to a previous statement from Brian flora Is about the importance of the kicking game and how you do want guys that can contribute in all four facets of the special teams game. Find those core special teamers as the same as finding guys on defense or offense that can do multiple things. Again, the same theme follows up true

here on this Dolphins football team. Up next, coach was asked a follow up question about trying to find those core special teamers and guys they brought in that might fit that role for the upcoming season. Well, I think when you look at some of the guys that we added,

you know, the Kalin Frasier's, the Clayton, the Cameo. I mean, we've added some guys that you know when you look at their his three in your experience and what they put on tape in the National Football League, not to compare them to what Walked did, but a similar guy, a veteran leadership, has made plays, has made big plays and in several different phases. So uh, like always in this league, you're gonna to get some, you're gonna lose some.

That's just how it's always gonna work. So we feel good about the guys that we've added and uh, you know, and how it's building from a leadership standpoint. And as just about every coach did have a question about this, coach, Craftsman was asked about his impression of coach Flora's and what he learned about coaching under Brian Flora's last season to watch how he handled the good, the bad, the

ugly throughout the season. He was the same guy. And I think as a player and as a coach, when you know what you're what you're getting on a daily basis, and and where that person is coming from and their values and what they're teaching. I think it's invaluable, you know, because no matter what what happened, when you walk into the building, you know what you're going to get from

a leadership standpoint. So for me personally, I think for the rest of the team, uh to know where Flow stands on what he's going to demand, what he's gonna need, and if you're not on board with that, it's gonna be a long day. But if you are on board with that is it's going to be a fun a fun rebuild for where we're trying to get to next. Coach was asked about how they identify players that maybe would have made more of an impression with preseason games

kind of flashing on special teams. Here's coach talking about how practice really is where you can control the ultimate environment and find guys in their practice habits, their study habits, in the film room, all that good stuff. Coach talking about identifying which players are gonna fit on special teams and other ways besides preseason games. Well, I don't think

it's that. I think more times than not a lot of times, what happens is a lot of those things you see that guys do uh in a preseason game. A lot of those traits and a lot of those things you may see in that game, in that particular play or those place you see a lot of the build up in that and practice. So you know, as a coach a lot of those things, they don't surprise you when that guy does that in the preseason game because you've seen evidence of it in drills, in group work,

in teamwork on the field. So, um will work. We have a you know, we have a great plan for for how we're gonna work and how we're gonna get things done. I think to your point of making sure you have the situations and certain drills that put guys in positions that maybe you're not gonna get