Drive Time - Offensive Line Training Camp Preview, Flores Availability

We're gonna break this thing up into two parts because we have fifteen guys along the offensive line. We'll get into seven of the fifteen guys of that group. The same mindset remains here with plenty of change upfront to be physical and versatile. Will detail all of that, Plus we'll hear from Coach Flores on his Monday media availability as well as update you on all the latest around Dolphins camp. All of that and more on this two day August the fourth edition of the Drive Time Podcast.

And before we dive into the offensive line preview and Coach flores media availability from Monday, a couple of notes on the Miami Dolphins roster as our third player has come off the COVID nineteen slash reserve list, and linebacker Jerome Baker he was removed from that list. Running Back Malcolm Perry has been added to the COVID nineteen Slash reserve list, and the Dolphins add another defensive back to the roster by way of Picasto Nelson Jr. What a name.

Nelson spent the nineteen season on the Indianapolis Colts practice squad. He originally entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of college with Jacksonville on May the tenth, nineteen. He played fifty games at Southern Miss between ten and seventeen. He recorded two hundred two tackles there, one d twenty of those solo, fifteen passes, defense, five picks, and he forced one fumble. As a senior in eighteen, he earned

honorable mention All Conference USA. So Picasso Nelson Jr. In the building, as are the Dolphins in their strength and conditioning program. We had tons of content up on the website up on socials taking a look at these guys doing their conditioning drills, getting some stretching and getting out on the football field. And I don't know about you, but for me, lifelong Dolphins fan, it feels incredible to see those guys back in their jerseys, their awkward colored jerseys,

their white colored jerseys. And for the three quarterbacks, of course, the red jersey, the stop signed jersey. Do not hit me with those guys in the red jersey. So we're back on the football field getting after it. And among that group of Miami Dolphins, fifteen of those guys play along the offensive line. We're gonna cut this thing into two parts as we continue our roster training camp preview.

As we swing by the offensive line room, we have gone over each part of the offense so far, quarterbacks, running backs, receivers, and tight ends. And we finish it up up front in the trenches along that offensive line. And once again we are going in order of jersey number as we spend it forward here to last year's undrafted rookie that started ten games. Check that started seven games for the Miami Dolphins. He played in seven games, and Shock Calhoun as he enters your number two here

in Miami. He wears number sixty two out of Mississippi State, Gonna be twenty four years old. On opening day, he played four hundred and seventy one snaps last year on offense, thirty four on special teams, and he was in the lineup for one hundred and thirty nine run blocking snaps and three hundred and thirty two pass blocking snaps on which he only surrendered five quarterback hits. Throughout the course

of the year. Coach Flora's applauded Calhoun, among a few other U d f as in last year's crop, for the desire to improve and develop on a daily basis. He had this to say about Calhoun and the other U d f as as part of the question from the media availability. He says, Calhoun and I would really say of all the undrafted kids, those guys are doing a really good job. They're all working hard. They're all very eager to learn and to do extra on the

practice field and in the meetings. They stay late there in early they're out there lifting. End quote. And you'll hear more of that later in this podcast. For the desire for these guys to have a certain criteria, a certain mindset to be a Miami Dolphin. So Flora speaks that way about Shaq Calhoun as he does the players he wants to bring in to this Miami Dolphins program. And up next a player that was added last year as well, but this one through the draft and third

round draft pick in twenty nineteen. Michael Dieter played his first season last year with the Dolphins enters number two. Of course, this season in he wears number sixty three out of Wisconsin. Gonna be twenty four years old on opening Day. And this guy is playing multiple positions going back to college and in the pros. He made fifty three consecutive starts in college, didn't miss a single one

along that Badger's offensive line. Played sixteen games at center in college, thirteen at left tackle, and twenty four at left guard, the same position he played last year with Miami for fifteen games. In his rookie season. He played nine hundred and nine offensive snaps, getting a lot of experience last year up front on that line, and he played sixty one more snaps on special teams, so up

over one thousand snaps last year. For Jesse Davis and Badger's football and offensive lineman, well they go together, like pardon this horrible analogy, like Wisconsin and cheese. Technique and power are traits. The most of those eleven Badger offensive lineman who have been drafted over the last decade all feature and if you listen to Duke Mayweather talk about offensive line play, he's one of the elite trainers of offensive line, one of the foremost opinions on offensive lineman.

He had this to say about Wisconsin lineman last year, as he always has a crop of guys come and work out with him and train with him in the

run up to the draft. Quote. Wisconsin has traditionally done a great job of recruiting talent from the high school ranks that not only have the physical traits we all get enamored with, such as height, length, weight, power, explosion, and athleticism, but they find the players that usually have a very good base of fundamentals and technique and quote, and Dolphins general manager Chris Career he at those comments after Miami selected Deeter last April with the seventy pick

in that twenty nineteen draft quote, just his consistency and toughness, Greer says of his desirable traits, It's typical Wisconsin. You kind of watch it, you kind of know what you're getting. It's kind of the meat and potatoes, not the flash. So that's what you appreciate. This guy started fifty three consecutive games in that conference, which speaks for itself. He's an easy player to evaluate and a great kid as well,

and Deeter improved on the stretch last year. His numbers proved that he didn't allow a sack after the Week eleven game against the Buffalo Bills and finished the season with his best Pro Football Focus run blocking grade in the Week seventeen victory over the New England Patriots. Up next on our rundown here is jersey number sixty five, Danny Isadora, who has three years in the NFL, entering

his second with the Miami Dolphins. He's a hometown product, went to the University of Miami, gonna be twenty six years old on opening day, and again returned back to hard Rock Stadium after playing his college ball there with the Hurricanes, and he played three games with the Dolphins last year after coming over in a September trade from the Minnesota Vikings, but he only played one twenty seven snaps and those three games because his season was cut

short with an injury. But he did say the best for last in that third game against the Dallas Cowboys with an eight three point six PFF pass blocking grade in that Dallas game, a clean sheet and pass protection zero sacks, zero hits, and zero quarterback pressures for Isa Dora. Coming back to Miami this year, trying to carve out a spot on the offensive line. Up next rookie Solomon Kinley, the fourth round draft pick this year out of Georgia.

He's number sixty six, three years old. You can't miss him, six ft four, three hundred thirty nine pounds. He is a wrecking ball. Guys bounce off of him in his Georgia tape down there in the sec He has that sheer density, which just by virtue of the size, creates longer routes to the quarterback for his opponents in the passing game and leads to some almost comical pancake blocks on that college tape. NFL draft analyst Lanczerline noted Kiley's

ability to both win with power and finesse. He said this quote, nasty guard who lives in scrap mode, looking for fights inside a relatively small phone booth. Kindley has the frame of a powerful guard. He's a maller with enough finesse to get some reach blocks and cut off blocks. The size and toughness are great end quote, and he played mostly on the right side early in his career, but he did move to left guard, where he started

each of the last two seasons. Kiley played two thousand five snaps in his collegiate career and allowed just four snacked, sacks and fourteen hurries on nine one pass blocking reps. Now, I'm not one for guarantees, but I can guarantee that Kinley had more than four snacks in his college career down there at Georgia. And Flora's appreciates that physical aspect of the game right. He talks about playing with a fullback, playing behind guys that can run the football and really

move guys off the line of scrimmage. That's what he sees when he watches Kindley play. This quote from back in April when the Dolphins drafted him. Well, I always say that's the one thing that stands out. Flora says. He's a physical kid. He plays the game physically and looks like he enjoys the game. When you watch him play, you get the feeling that he enjoys the physical aspect of the game. And quote and staying on the interior offensive line up next on our offensive line training camp preview,

Part one. We will get to part two on tomorrow's podcast, talking about new Dolphins center slash interior lineman Ted Carriss played four years, all with the New England Patriots, entering his first here in Miami, coming on a one year contract. Sixty seven is the jersey number he went to Illinois

for his college. He's gonna be twenty seven years old on opening day and he played three years as a swing interior lineman, the backup lineman on the interior there for the Patriots, before being called upon as the starting center last year en Patriots, where he started fifteen games, play of the Patriots offensive snaps and continued an impressive run of mostly a mistake free football. I love cool stats.

How's this for a cool stat? Over the last six years of ariss football career four as a pro two in college, he's committed only eight penalties over that eight five game span, and that includes forty five starts, So very mistake free football. Type of guy can communicate the offense, to the quarterback, to the rest of the line, all that good stuff. His best football came down the stretch last year for the Patriots. He was Pro Football focuses

number two overall graded center. Over the final six games of the season. On the year, he allowed just fourteen quarterback pressures. That was six among all centers that played at least five hundred snaps in pass protection, and only three of those pressures resulted in hits on the quarterback, giving Carrots an impressive point o five quarterback hit a loud rate. He keeps your quarterback clean on the interior offensive line. And of course, a former Patriot will reunite

now in Miami with head coach Brian Flores. They spent three years there together as members of the a f C East rival of the Miami Dolphins, and the head coach of the Patriots, Bill Belichick, had some really good praise of the Dolphins new man in the middle, saying Ted's been a dependable player for US for four years. He's played guard for US. This year with David Andrews

who was out for the entire season last year. With David Andrews situation, Ted's had the opportunity to play more and he stepped in and played consistently like he really

always has for US. Ted's a smart player, He's strong, he could anchor the middle of the pocket, and his communication with his teammates on the offensive line, which is critical for the center position to handle blocking schemes and protections and so forth, has been good and quote and speaking of crazy stats, are next player here on this list, number sixty eight, the rookie Robert Hunt. He has one of my favorite stats that was given out throughout the

course of draft weekend out of Louisiana Lafayette. He's gonna be twenty four years old on opening Day. This was a stat given by Trey Wingo on the ESPN broadcast, which he got from the Louisiana Lafayette coaching staff down there and that Rageing Cajuns program. They said that over the course of the last season, Hunt allowed only two quarterback pressures and did not miss a single run blocking assignment. Of course, they're the ones they're gonna track that thing

and they know the call of the offensive line. Because for fans, even the most knowledgeable a fan who can read back stats and everything and give you all the knowledge of the game. From a fans perspective, we really don't know the true responsibility of each player on any

given play. So who else would you trust besides the coaching staff, and they say that his stat sheet was pretty clean at Louisiana Lafayette, and his tape really checks out too, because it is full of dominant play where he controls the point of attack against the run and locks out in pass protection. He's played both guard and tackle. You'll hear Brian Flores later in this podcast talk about

that versatility and how important it is. And according to Pro Football Focus, raging Cajun runs behind Robert Hunt in twenty nineteen resulted in a six success rate and four point one yards before contact. Now, most of the times you're gonna get one to three yards four point one yards before the back is even touched running behind Robert Hunt. That of course led all twenty two interior line prospects charted.

They charted him as an interior line prospect, as some have considered him an insider outside guy, but he will have a chance to play on the offensive line insider outside. Again, that versatility is valuable here, but he led the nation in that four point one yards before contact stat And according to Chris Greer, the Dolphins took Hunt off the board in that second round in front of some other teams that were hoping to land the six ft five three pound lineman. Greer had this to say. He's a tough,

physical player. He plays with an attitude, He's got good football intelligence. It's important to him. A lot of those criteria and qualities the coaching staff is looking for. This kid has them, so we're very excited. After we took him, Brian and I got multiple text from people on other teams saying that was their guy. So we were happy to get him and think he'll be a good fit.

We are looking forward to having him to work and get on the field and compete for a job, Greer said there after the Dolphins drafted him back in April. Let's go ahead and finish up part one here with offensive tackle Julian Davenport three seasons in the NFL, entering number two with the Miami Dolphins, number seventy out of Bucknell,

still just twenty five years old on opening Day. He came over last year in that trade towards the end up training camp and entered the lineup right away as a left tackle, but got hurt in that game and missed a big chunk of the season, but he did come back in the Week eleven game against Buffalo, and he finished out the season over the final four games with positive Pro Football Focus grades in the past blocking department with just one sack, two QB hits, and seven

pressures allowed. So incremental improvement there for Davenport as the year went along, and Flora's talked about that improvement and areas where Davenport can improve his game. He said, quote, We've harped on him about just consistency with this technique. The kids athletic, but he's got to play with good footwork, hand placement, tight hands, a low base in the run game. He's starting to do those things a little bit more consistently and quote. So check out the written piece up

on Miami Dolphins dot Com the offensive line training camp preview. Again, we have all this content for you guys up on the website taking a look at the offensive players we're gonna transition in two days now to the defensive side of the football. Tomorrow is going to be the offensive

line Part two. We'll get a look in that piece at guys like rookie Austin Jackson, the eighteenth pick in this year's draft, and Jesse Davis, as well as the rest of the offensive lineman let's go ahead now and pivot over to the media availability of head coach Brian Flores from Monday. He spoke with South Florida reporters for about fifteen minutes, answered some really good questions and gave us some good insight into what the Dolphins are doing

this week and beyond here in training camp. And I thought the first question was a great leadoff question to the media availability because every year you'll see teams talk about their motto or their slogan, the kind of top priority for that season. That was the first question put to Brian Floores about this year season. What is your motto or slogan or theme for the year? As well as is everybody there and reported to camp. Here's Flores's

answer on both those two questions. Well, to your first question, every one here, UM, as far as a model or theme, I think you know, safetyes is probably the first word that comes to mind. O. You know, just trying to make this place is as safe as possible, UM, you know, on the field, off the field. Up next a question posed to coach Flora's about the shape of the players reporting to camp as we get ready for this strength and conditioning program and the ramp up up to actual

training camp practices that begin on auguste. Here's coach Flora's talking about the state and the condition of his team without the benefit of O T A S and a normal off season. Well, you know, the first week it's been, it's been good. You know, the information period um, you know that the league, in the in the p A agreed to. And I think it kind of shows how importantly offseason is. It's from a rep standpoint on the field,

but also from a strength and condition extampoint. I think guys are okay shape, I've got a long way to go, but they're working. They're working pretty diligently, and you know, I've seen already have some improvement for the first week, and I'm sure that they'll continue to proved. But you know, the off seasons, you know, obviously very important, and I think the players they understand that too, you know, which

is why they asked for this. And when we do these media availabilities, I always try to find the key story of the thing we really want to point out

in that story up on Miami Dolphins dot com. And the thing I found most interesting was the attention to detail and how Brian Flores and his staff are always going to have contingencies and plans in place in the event that something does come up they have to address and how they will handle any potential coaches going on the COVID list and having to replace those coaches for practices games. And here's Coach Floras on any contingency plans

regarding that. Yeah, we we talked about this in the spring. Everyone's gotta backup? Was that two backups. It's something we talked about. We've gotta we're taking this the same coach will take with the players that you know, I go down the line, coach will down doing this and so on and so forth. So it's something we talked about. But it's not just you know, in the coaches and coaching the players staffs. It's try addition to coach, trainer,

head equipment guy on christianness. You got that point where everyone especially time with you, and so we talked about the buzzwords Coach Flora's loves to use and the kind of pillars he's building this program around the criteria of being a Miami Dolphin. We've talked about the attention to detail, the quizzes he'll give players throughout the course of the week and meetings and practices in the film room and

so forth. Well, the other thing we talked about a lot on this podcast on the website with anything regarding Miami Dolphins football is versatility, right, And so coach Floores was posed the question about the approach of adding players up front to the front seven and what each of those players might fill, which role each of those players might feel rather, and how Flora's feels about where guys like Emmanuel Ogbas, Shack Lawson and the like might fit

into the defense. Well, Flora's had this to say about everybody on his roster, including those guys in the front seven. Who you want to bring in? Good players, guys who you know fit the criteria. We're looking forward, tough, smart, talented, able to communicate, and I think we we feel good about the guys required. But at the same time, um, it takes time for a defensive line of Gael. So

we need to hit the practice field. We need to get you together meetings and talk through yeah, cause communication scheme, where guys fit the best, what specific roles is best for each individual players. So that's what that's what training camps about. So we had a long way to go.

There was a makeover to a degree, but we got a long way to go and up next, coach was asked about the plan for quarterback Josh Rosen, but again that gave him a chance to really emphasize the importance of every single player taking each day, taking each rep, each meeting, each practice, each walkthrough with a certain sense of urgency and the opportunity to get better and to earn yourself reps come game day, and how everyone right now is under the evaluation process heading in to training

camp and the season. You know, the vision for Josh's is is the same vision for every player you come in. That's it's a new offense, there's a you know, new teammates, used to learn the playbook, get to know your teammates, work hard in practice, try to improve every day, take advantage of your opportunity to take advantage of your reps,

and let your play on the field. Um, you know, what you do on the field will at the end of the day that that'll that'll uh will know if you'll earn your excuse me, you'll earn your your reps on the field based on how you play in practice. So you know, that that hasn't changed for but Josh or anyone else on the roster, and the next question here on our media availability from Brian Floors on Monday,

August the three. On this Tuesday, August, the fourth edition of the Drivetime Podcast is another opportunity for him to tell you this team will not make excuses and will not look at any circumstance or situation as a reason for why they might not get victories on Sunday, this is the hand you're dealt. You gotta play the card you get. Here's Brian Flores's answer regarding that. You know, David,

it is an odd year, it's a different year. But you know, like I said the last time last week, we want to talk to when I talk to you guys, these are the cards you've been dealt. So you know, we gotta play this hand. And um, you know they're gonna be some some obstacles, but um, you know, I think we're you know, we've got to make the best of the situation. I think as coaches, as a coaching staff, we understand that. So we have a plan in place, So we we put a lot of thought into you know,

trying to to build in a competitive team. Um, you know in a short period of time. You know what that entails. I'm not gonna get into right now what we felt like an entails. I'm not gonna get into that right now, but you know we put a lot of thought into that really in all in all areas, you know, strength trenthing into its strength and condition conditioning phase.

If you learn right now to walk the rules which are also in you know, when you start to kind of ramp it up in the phase two an O T A days and finally little bit the pads kind of try to put a schedule in place that you know, we're building on the course of that and hopefully we're ready to play when the season starts. But you know, we are taking the one day at a time approach. You know. It's that's that's that's things are changing one

of the other base. I think one of the things you can really appreciate about Brian Flores and his transparency with the media is that he's going to kind of help you get an understanding of his thinking with certain things. And this year especially, which is gonna be a different year.

Here he talks about the idea of being multiple and having versatility built into the scheme, both on offense and defense and the kicking game, and how that's not going to change anytime soon for this Dolphin squad under Brian Flores. I think it's it's it's built into the you know, the versatility in the scheme. It's it's it's it's built into we do offensively defensively in the ka um. So you know, a player maybe this you know, this position, in this group, in this position or another group. So

I don't think that changes. I think that's that that remains the same for for our team, and I imagine that's the way it's the way it is a lot of teams. So we still need guys for multiple We still need guys who played mortiple positions. And I think that's you know, even more important this year, in the year where we don't know, um, you know, you could lose a uh you know, one, two or three, a few a group of guys, We're gonna need other guys to step in. So, you know, tackles are playing guard

guards were playing centers. Uh, you know, defensive tackles will end up kicking out the defensive end. You know, poets playing safety and safety's playing corner. You can't get all of that practice. And I'm not saying that, but you know, the guys we feel are flexible enough and smart enough to to handle those different positions. You know, we'll try to m introduced those physicians in those schemes to them. Um,

you know, in small increments, I would say. And next you here coach talk about the rookie class and getting these guys acclaimented to the season to training camp this year, and you'll hear him refer to the evaluation period and how right now is kind of a ramp up period, just getting guys bodies used to the riggers of training camp and of football every single day. Here's coach talking about his rookie class and the evaluation of his players on his roster. I think we've got a pretty solid group.

They worked hard, they've worked hard this first week. They're into it. They're picking up the schemes offensively, defensively in the kicking game. But again it's it's walk through. So um, as far as you know anything, you know past their high weights, Um, you know, you we're not really seeing them move and you know, change the directions, uh, you know, really sprint, you know, we're not. We're we're really not seeing that from anyone in the group to conclude to us,

So I think they're all doing a good job. We've got a long way to go, um and as as we start to practice, starts to go, you know, ramp up, and we're in more to the phase two, the O t A and the actual practice that we're really good in evaluation. And speaking of rookies, we go back for the final question of the presser with a question about a strong rookie from last year's team in Preston Williams and how he's progressing this year through his off season rehab coming off the a c L injury in the

middle of the nineteen season. Well, Preston's he's worked extremely hard since the injury, worked his way back to uh so where he was clear for activity. Again, it's it's walked through right now. So you know he's you know, the strength and conditioning in the morning, so he's running his lift in and then you know we see him

to walk through setting, but again propressing. It's a new offense, so you know, learning the terminology, you know, the depths on some routes and things of that nature that a little bit different than aywhere a year ago. That's kind of worries focus is right now. But he's worked extremely hard, as all of our guys have from a rehab standpoint. No, look, we just got to put take this thing one day

at a time. That should be his approach and every every every player on our team's approach, and you know, just try to get better at their own a daily basis. And I continue, you know, you've got you guys, probably I say to hear me say that, but it's it's something that I try to appreciate these guys every day. Let's just try to get better. Let's trying to improve us. As we say, if this makes smart decisions, who do those consistently will be okay? And so there's coaches, media,

devailable older. You guys can find the entire press conference up on Miami Dolphins dot com as well as our YouTube channel. And speaking of Miami Dolphins content, do not forget to check out the new Miami Dolphins HQ pieces. I'll be writing those every single morning at eight a m. Eastern. They're gonna be called today from Miami Dolphins h Q. As we take a look at everything you need to know for that day as a Miami Dolphins fan. Around.

The other content aspects here on the Drive Time podcast and the Miami Dolphins podcast network is the fish Tank Podcast with Seth and Juice. They had Dave Hyde on the podcast, which is available right now. Here's a quick teaser for that podcast on the Fish Tank. You're now guy. I know you had to have some some memorable moments in times with coaching and some experience. NICKI tell us about a little bit of a yeah, well, you know.

The one that comes to mind is probably one of the more recent ones, which uh I went out with him and Bob Reefs is the gold Stream Racetrack and sat for an hour and listen to it coaches awful jokes. The funny thing is he got older, he actually lightened up and he let you in and uh he has since you were you saw it a lot more when he had the full pressure on him of coach Schula. You knew if you wrote something he didn't like, you would hear about it. He had. Confrontation was in his toolbox.

You know. That was a great tool he had. And I don't mean that in any bad way because everybody says, oh, tell a story of coach school blowing up at you. Well, here here's the story. I went out there one day and back then again with access after lunch in the media the cafeteria, back players eight media in the same room, there's a media table. Coach would walk over and sit down at the media table. You'd ask him questions. So I asked the question and he goes, after the crap

you wrote, you're asking that? And I was like, I don't know where we are on the rating scale here, okay, after the horse wrote And I was like, and I said, what are you talking about? And he goes, you don't even remember what you wrote? And I said, yeah, coach, but I wrote two columns this week. I'm not sure which what you're talking about. That Actually, that actually got

a little chuckle out of me. At the point, if you gave something, you know, you couldn't just take it with him, if you gave something back a little and he appreciated that. He that's what he and at the same time, some sometimes you just let had to let the thunder storm roll over you. And but he was very good. Once he said what he had to say, he was done with it. He didn't carry grudges he didn't carry remind you the next time, but he got it out and and I think talking with players, he's

the same way. There it is Dave Hi talking of course about the legendary Don la the late great Don Shela, the winning is coach in NFL history. Check out that edition of The fish Tank podcast with Seth Levitt and O. J. Juice mcd uffe that is live right now on Apple podcast, Spotify, wherever you get your podcast from. Go check out the fish Tank. Also, please be sure to subscribe to this podcast, that podcast, the Audible podcast as well. Give me a

follow on Twitter at Wingfield NFL. Follow the Dolphins at Miami Dolphins, Follow the fish Tank at the fish Tank eighty one, of course Miami Dolphins dot com. Until next time, Dolphins fans fins up,