Dolphins assistant coaches spoke to reporters Tuesday morning. Here were some comments that stood out, along with some perspective:
"We have guys that I think have the opportunity to make plays with the ball in their hands, and that's exciting."
— Offensive coordinator Chad O'Shea says a big goal on offense will be finding a way to get the ball to playmakers like Albert Wilson, Jakeem Grant, Kalen Ballage, Kenyan Drake, and it will be up to everybody working together to make it happen.
"I want to see if we can do what Coach (Flores) laid out earlier. Can we be smart, can we be tough, can we be disciplined, and can we put the team first out there on the field?"
— Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham has a clear vision for what he's hoping his group can produce in the season opener against the Baltimore Ravens. From his standpoint, the goal will be the same every week, namely to try to maximize every one of his players' strengths while taking advantage of the opponents' weaknesses.
"I think he's got tremendous potential to blossom into a really good player for us."
— Wide receivers coach Karl Dorrell said the coaching staff was excited about the opportunity to see Preston Williams as a rookie free agent and he showed great promise throughout the summer. Dorrell made it clear that Williams isn't a finished product, but he certainly is off to a good start in his NFL career.
"He's come a long way, and I think the credit goes to him. He's bought in to what we're asking him to do."
— Defensive line coach Marion Hobby has been impressed with the progress of 2017 first-round pick Charles Harris, particularly in being able to handle the additional responsibilities the coaching staff has thrown his way. Hobby stressed that Harris perhaps has been told in the past what he can't do, while the coaching staff this year has made it a point to indicate to him all the things he CAN do.
"Everyone I have in my room I love having in my room. They're all talented in their own ways and they all want to be good."
— Running back Eric Studesville oversees a group with six players, including fullback Chandler Cox. Even removing Cox from the equation because of the unique nature of his position, five running backs is a large number for any team to carry. But the Dolphins clearly felt all five of those players — Kenyan Drake, Kalen Ballage, Mark Walton, Myles Gaskin and Patrick Laird — deserve to be on the 53-man roster.
