Miami Dolphins live free agency blog: What nine of the team’s new players said Monday
As Dolphins coaches and executives host a Monday visit with free agent left tackle Terron Armstead and try to get him under contract, nine new Dolphins players are holding press conferences on Zoom between 1 and 3 p.m.
We’ll post highlights from each player -- and live news -- on Day 8 of our Dolphins-flavored free agency blog. So keep checking back throughout the afternoon:
1 p.m. update: Cornerback Keion Crossen, who was signed primarily because of his good work on special teams, played only two percent of the Giants’ defensive snaps last season after playing 28 percent of Houston’s defensive snaps in 2020.
Asked if he expects to play more defensively here, he said: “That’s always the expectations,” but then added that he’s happy whether he’s playing special teams or inside or outside corner.
“With the assets I have, they’ll try to find every chance to get me a role,” he said.
His impressions of coach Mike McDaniel: “That’s an exciting guy. He loves speed. He mentioned that to me for sure. He lets his players be who they are. That’s one thing I like about him. When I met him, he was chilling on the couch talking. He’s a hell of a coach. He’s a player’s coach.”
Crossen, incidentally, ran 20 miles per hour on 60 plays this past season through the first 10 weeks of the season, per The New York Post via Next Gen Stats. That led the league up to that point of the season.
FYI: Crossen has a street named after him in Garysburg, North Carolina, a town of fewer than 2000 people.
“That’s a dream come true to have the street that you live on.”
Crossen, incidentally, has a Master’s degree in theology from Liberty. “When I sit with a Buddhist, I know exactly the culture,” he said, as an example of how the degree helps him. “It’s a way to network and create relationships.”
1:15 p.m. update: Duke Johnson is signing with Buffalo. There wasn’t room for him in Miami with the Dolphins signing Chase Edmonds and Raheem Mostert and tendering Salvon Ahmed. Myles Gaskin also is under contract.
Johnson ran for 330 yards, on 4.6 per carry, in five games with the Dolphins last season.
1:20 p.m. update: Teddy Bridgewater, who played at Miami Northwestern, said: “I’m happy to be back home. I get to sleep in my own bed every night. My son is here. My family is here. There wasn’t too much to decide on.
“So many memories. So many special moments in my sports career happened in South Florida. You remember Friday nights at Traz Powell.”
He declined to say what the team told him his role would be but said “it’s a unique opportunity.”
He also declined to say if he expects to be the backup (which is the expectation) or whether he would be a given a chance to compete with Tua Tagovailoa to start. “It’s really something I’d rather not discuss,” Bridgewater said.
He said it’s a “quarterback friendly” system that suits his skill set.
Bridgewater said he hasn’t yet spoken with Tagovailoa but plans to.
1:30 p.m. update: New Dolphins receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr. was impressed with “how personable [Mike McDaniel] is. When you talk to him, it’s doesn’t feel like you’re talking to an NFL head coach.”
He said “I picked Miami [because of] how I felt with the vibe and talking to [wide receivers coach] Wes Welker. To know he’s going to be there also was [a positive]... One thing that stood out in the process is the culture around the facility. Everyone is already hand in hand in the facility.”
He said he likes playing in the slot: “It’s a lot more room to work.”
Wilson is 5 for 5 passing in his career (for 111 yards) and said “hopefully coach McDaniel will use that” skill of his.
He has been in touch with Tua Tagovailoa and they’ll get together for throw-and-catch sessions in the weeks ahead.
1:45 p.m. update: Alec Ingold said “being a fullback has been fun. I made that jump when I was recruited at Wisconsin. Call me a dinosaur. But I’ll find my way to the football field one way or the other.”
Ingold said his surgically-repaired ACL is “doing great” and he has had “no setbacks.”
Ingold said McDaniel’s “reputation precedes himself. As soon as we got the call from Chris Grier, it was a done deal. I’m excited to work with this coaching staff. It was good to sit in the office, talk ball.”
He has a relationship with Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith from their time together in Las Vegas.
Ingold said he has watched 49er film. He said two of the backs he will be blocking for - Chase Edmonds and Raheem Mostert - have “blazing fast speed... Everyone is going to be running. The entire offense is going to be running.”
2 p.m. update: Raheem Mostert - who played briefly for the Dolphins in 2015 - said “this was a long time coming, full circle.”
Mostert, coming off a significant season-ending knee injury in Week 1 last season, said “I’m way ahead of schedule in my rehab. I went to see my doctor [Dallas-based Dan Cooper] a week before I signed. In the six years he’s done this surgery, I am by far the fastest healing patient he’s ever experienced. He’s dealt with several athletes in the league. I heal fast.”
Cooper told him that he performed the surgery on offensive linemen and cornerbacks. Mostert noted that Xavien Howard had the surgery with Cooper and came back even better. Mostert said he wants to come back “120 percent instead of 110.”
He said he can’t wait to start running and hitting 20 miles per hour again.
He said McDaniel leads “players into the right direction. I can’t wait to see how this whole thing turns out. One heck of a coach.”
He said “I envision my role, the same thing how it was with the 49ers, just coming in and competing. Chase is a heck of a player.” He said he didn’t recognize Edmonds when both were sitting for their physicals because Edmonds had his mask on.
“I told [Edmonds], look, I’ve been in this system. There will be minor tweaks. Just be patient. You’ll see how” players will “flourish” in this system.
He said he spoke to McDaniel before the Dolphins hired him. McDaniel told him: “I don’t know where my coaching journey will take me but I would love to have you.”
Mostert closed his media Zoom session by saying “You’ve got a special player for sure.”
2:15 p.m. update: Edmonds said “one thing that’s lost in coaching is playing to your players’ abilities. McDaniel and the 49ers did a good job playing to their players’ strengths and maximizing their efficiency.”
Edmonds said “I liked Miami because I felt McDaniel could utilize me in ways to benefit me. I was told he’s a guru from players I trust and he’s a really good players coach as well. He’s a creative guy. He can get that out of us offensively. I’m really just following McDaniel. I’m putting my faith in him.”
The fact there’s no state income tax also appealed to him.
“I felt Miami was building something special. Defense already set in stone. I trusted [Chris] Grier, I trusted McDaniel to bring in pieces they felt to take the next step on the offensive side of the ball. Individually and as a team, I felt it was a good fit for me.”
Edmonds said: “I love me and Raheem in the backfield together. I was a big fan of his game before he got injured. Probably the fastest running back in the NFL when he’s at full speed. Brings explosiveness to the offense. Us having really good yards per carry averages, that’s something we can do to help this offense.”
What are Edmonds’ strengths? “My versatility,” he said. “I can be an every down back. Third down in terms of pass protection” is a strength.
2:30 p.m. update: Connor Williams - who was exclusively a left guard in four years in Dallas - said “it’s open” whether he will play guard or tackle.
“They see my ability to play any position. Most of my work in the league has been at guard. I feel most comfortable at left guard. They understand I could play tackle or center. Wherever I’m needed.”
He played tackle at Texas and took preseason snaps at center in Dallas.
He said the team will determine in the months ahead where he could most help.
He said there are “no excuses” for his 17 penalties last season but said he needs “to focus on the details and play a cleaner game.”
He said “you can tell [McDaniel’s] excitement bringing this new zone scheme to Miami. That’s part of the reason I’m here, being a building block.”
2:40 p.m. update: Receiver Trent Sherfield said McDaniel “is a genius, the way he’s able to break down a defense and put players in position to make plays. Kyle Shanahan obviously had a big part of that as well.”
Sherfield also called McDaniel “a mastermind.”
Does having played for the 49ers give Sherfield and fellow new Dolphins receiver River Cracraft any advantage?
“It doesn’t matter,” Sherfield said. “You still need to come in and compete. You’ve got to make plays. It plays into our favor coming into the system.”
He said he know what new receivers coach Wes Welker expects. Welker held that same job with the 49ers.
Sherfield said Tua Tagovailoa “is a winner. Definitely excited to play with him.”
This story was originally published March 21, 2022 at 1:08 PM.
