Miami Dolphins’ Mike McDaniel addresses Tagovailoa, Bridgewater, Hill, personnel issues
Quick hits from Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel’s Monday morning news conference at the NFL owners meetings at The Breakers in Palm Beach:
▪ Asked if Tua Tagovailoa is the starter, McDaniel’s answer made clear that he is. He used the word backup to describe Teddy Bridgewater, who had declined to discuss his role when he spoke with reporters recently.
McDaniel said when he was asked by reporters about backup quarterback at the NFL Combine, “I was discussing what Tua needs as a backup quarterback. I was literally describing Teddy Bridgewater.
“Both players have been explicitly explained their expectations [and roles]. Moving forward, we’re very excited to have Teddy a part of the process.”
McDaniel hopes the team and Bridgewater are “empowering Tua to be the player he be can.”
He declined to say what he told Tagovailoa and Bridgewater about their roles, but let’s be clear: Tagovailoa is the starter, Bridgewater the backup.
McDaniel said that in the early stages, “there has been a lot of trust that has been earned” between himself and Tagovailoa:
“We’ve both been very honest and candid with each other. That’s been a fun process. It’s a lot of buildup. But you have to wait, until we’re allowed to talk football. Once that starts on April 4, the equity we’ve built up with trust and mutual respect can pay dividends with the work.”
▪ On adding Tyreek Hill: “I’m excited what Tyreek can do on the field. He has an opportunity to develop the room as a player and lead. He has a lot of outstanding experience. Next week, get him in the door and have him learn our language. ... I couldn’t be happier for the Miami Dolphins adding a player of that caliber for the team.”
Asked about comparisons between Hill and 49ers Pro Bowl weapon Deebo Samuel, McDaniel said: “Both players are exceptional with the ball in their hands. Where you’re trying to accentuate players’ skills sets, that’s a commonality. With the way we use Tyreek Hill compared to the way we used Deebo Samuel in San Francisco, there will be some overlap.”
Asked the feedback he’s getting from Tyreek Hill around the league, he said “there were some high fives, a couple low fives. People are pretty excited for the most part. It takes a lot of people to orchestrate a move like that. Chris Grier, the magic Brandon Shore had to work.”
He said he told Hill “just be you.”
▪ Asked if he believes the team has enough at right tackle opposite left tackle Terron Armstead: “I feel very confident about the players we have at the offensive line position. I know Terron is the left tackle for sure, but it wouldn’t be fair to the players to outline where they will be. Of the young players, one of their strengths is versatility. We have a new scheme that highlights different attributes of a players.”
▪ Both Cedrick Wilson Jr. and Chase Edmonds “came to us with an unbelievable reputation as human beings. We added people we are very proud of in terms of what they’re about.”
“Both are very good with the ball in their hands. Both are in their own right self-made. They had to compete for opportunities in their given organizations and that made them stronger. There are common traits from that that go from the tape and beyond. We had a lot of great information from Chris Grier and staff about who these players are.”
▪ Asked what the free agent splurge could mean to the players, McDaniel said: “We are transparent in trying to do everything we can to win football games.”
▪ On adding speed: “There are a lot of talented players that are fast. You don’t go into the process necessarily saying all we want is fast guys. What we want is really good football players at the position. If they’re fast, there are a couple ways we can utilize that. We have some really good players that happen to be fast.”
McDaniel and players can begin working together on April 4.
“We’ve added some playmakers,” McDaniel said. “There’s a buzz this organization deserved.”
Asked the most important free agent signing, he couldn’t answer but said: “the first ones were special - Emmanuel Ogbah and Chase Edmonds.”
▪ On facing Bill Belichick, with whom he chatted on Monday morning: “If you’re a football guy and have a pulse, I have the utmost respect and admiration for a coach of his caliber. One of the best to ever do it.”
▪ McDaniel declined to say whether free agent addition Connor Williams will remain a left guard, though that’s the expectation:
“Connor has said he’s most comfortable at left guard for the Dallas Cowboys,” McDaniel said.
“I wouldn’t be doing justice to all the players involved [if I didn’t] get them in house and train them and see where they’re most comfortable as Miami Dolphins. Super excited to add Connor. He’s one of many on the list that their play is matched by the human being.”
▪ On adding Raheem Mostert, who excelled with McDaniel in San Francisco: “It wasn’t on our [initial free agent] plan. But once given the opportunity, it didn’t take us long to jump on. We’ve had journeys together in a related way. We’ve both been counted out at some point and earned everything we got. It’s something I didn’t forecast coming into the process.”
▪ On re-signing Mike Gesicki and Emmanuel Ogbah: “We were very fortunate to retain both players. You’re talking about players that know how to perform on a week in, week out basis. Dependable playmakers.”
▪ Asked about whether to build a great team around a decent quarterback or reverse, he said: “In terms of the best formula, it’s a formula that’s adapting to the people around them.... Having an identity you’re try to find and committing to that vision with an ultimate purpose is important. Quarterbacks need players and players need quarterbacks.”
▪ He said Armstead “is an outstanding player at one of the most difficult positions in the league. That’s obvious by the respect his peers give him and his teammates give him. Having an opportunity to add a player who’s been so good for so long,.... he is a paramount individual.”
▪ Asked if the team’s philosophy is win now, he said: “It’s always kind of been. We had least the amount of players under contract entering free agency. We were aggressive in what we did.”
▪ Amid a Boston report that Tampa Bay quarterback Tom Brady could end up playing for the Dolphins via a trade this season, McDaniel called that “fake news” and said “that has not been a conversation at all.”
We reported on Twitter on Friday (@flasportsbuzz) that the Boston report about the Dolphins working on getting Brady is inaccurate.
This story was originally published March 28, 2022 at 8:19 AM.
