Q: General Manager Jon-Eric Sullivan told us that everything's on the table with QB Tua Tagovailoa. How would you evaluate him from looking back at this past year?
"Well, just obviously playing against him when I was at Green Bay a year ago on Thanksgiving, I thought he was talented. He distributed the ball; he was kind of like a point guard. Got the ball out quick, made plays with his feet, had a good two-minute drive, hit Tyreek (Hill) for a touchdown late. Always been a fan, he's done a lot of really good things in this league, and yeah, he's had a really good career."
On how they'll construct the roster:
"I think 'Sully' (Jon-Eric Sullivan) and I have had a lot of really good conversations about that. Between free agency, the draft and the good pieces that we have right now, the whole goal is to build a really strong foundation and we have a shared vision for that. I've kind of noted that. It's one of the reasons that I wanted to come here with the relationship that I have with him and us talking really over the last two years of what it will look like. So I think it's exciting and that would be the best way that I can describe it, having a chance to kind of really build a strong foundation together with a shared vision. Some could look at it in certain ways; I look at it as really exciting."
On whether he thinks the defense could more ahead of schedule or if the offense is more established based on where the roster is now:
"I think we'll find out once we start practice at OTAs. I think it's fair to say that this roster is going to look really different after the draft, right. We have 30 free agents right now. So as we go and go through this process, the roster is going to look a lot different. Once we get through OTAs, I think I'll have a better answer for you on that. It's too hard to tell right now."
On what it was like going against Malik Willis on scout team:
"Well obviously he was our scout team quarterback, so a lot of times he really couldn't do what he does best because I was sitting there telling him, if we were playing a dropback guy and he started scrambling, I'd tell him, 'Hey, you got to stay in the pocket, man. Like, stop scrambling. That's not what we're doing today.' And then if we were playing a scrambler, he could kind of play his game and do his thing. Obviously him and I have a really good relationship, and he always did a really good job and gave us everything that he had."
On his reflections and takeaways from the head coach hiring cycle and what he learned:
"Just really grateful. Obviously we went right from a playoff game, and then I think I had six interviews in five days. It was kind of a blur. It was showing up in my office in Green Bay every day and sitting in Zooms and answering a lot of questions, meeting a lot of really good people and just really learning a lot. A lot about different organizations, how certain organizations are lined up, what the structure looks like, and then ultimately when I came here and I chose to really take this in-person one first, a lot of that had to do with alignment. I've been a lot of places and kind of observed what it looked like with the head coach and the GM, and I always said to myself, if I ever get the opportunity to do this, in a perfect world, you want to really be in alignment with the GM and in an even more perfect world, you want to come in at the same time. So Jon-Eric (Sullivan) and I, really, we share the same vision. Some people think we did this because we're friends. Like, I hate to say we're not friends, we kind of are – but we've never hung out outside the office. I've never been to his house. We've never went out to dinner. I think it was a mutual working relationship and mutual respect where we could have honest conversations, where he could tell me something about what he thought how we played on defense, and I could honestly tell him if I didn't like a prospect he did. I think it just brought us closer together and that was a huge decision for me. As well as ownership – their vision, my vision, a joint vision there. They made me feel really comfortable and I really enjoyed the process, and that's why I chose to take this first and ultimately accept the job."
On the key to the success they've had in Green Bay and making it happen elsewhere:
"I think it's going to be more about the process than anything else, and it's the same thing I would have said to you in Green Bay when I first took the job. Building the foundation the way we want, the playstyle that we want, bringing these guys together like we want. To me, that would be the first success and that's going to start in OTAs on April 6. A lot of guys – it's a little different than Green Bay because a lot of the guys are here or in Miami because it's a little warmer than in Green Bay, so they actually want to stay there in the offseason. So I've gotten a chance to meet a bunch of these guys already, and what will be exciting is bringing them together, going through free agency, going through the draft and then just trying to bring them together and build the culture of what we want it to be. I think that will be the beginning to having some success and then certainly – I mean, look, at the end of the day, you guys know me, I'm competitive. I want to win in everything we do, so I'm not just going to go in and say it's a success because we played hard. I want to win, but it will be the start of the process."
On the emphasis on speed versus route running:
"I think it's both, right? I think there's some really fast players in college football right now, and there's some great route runners. I just think there's a lot more in the NFL because it's the best of the best, right? And there's a lot more route variety in the different routes, the different concepts, the different schemes you're going to get, and it's just doing it over and over and over again. I think in college you get a great corner and he shuts the guy down for a play and you kind of take a deep breath and relax. If you do that in this league, you're done. So it's being able to do it over and over and over again and forget about what happened on the last play."
On what stood out about Sean Mannion from being on the same staff in Green Bay:
"Unbelievable person, great friend, highly intelligent, really good with the players. What he did with Jordan (Love), all the extra time he put in with him, you could just see that it was going to happen sooner than later and not surprised. Not surprised at all. He'll have a really, really bright future. A guy who played the position, studied the game. I'll be rooting for him because he's one of the really good guys in this league."
Q: Has Jonathan Gannon talked to you at all about what you had there and what you did? How is he similar or different to the way you do things?
"The only thing Jonathan Gannon and I talked about was whether he was going to buy my house and I haven't heard back from him on that yet, so I'm beginning to be a little bit disappointed in him. (laughter) I think the biggest thing is I talked to Matt (LaFleur) and 'Gutey' (Brian Gutekunst) and kind of gave them before I left my feel on all the players because they asked me to sit down with them. But if Gannon does want to call me up or any of those guys do, I'll be happy to talk. I mean, you guys know I love those players and I love Matt, so whatever I can do in the little time that I have, I'll be happy to help him."
Q: The decision on QB Tua Tagovailoa could have big financial implications. How do you work with General Manager Jon-Eric Sullivan in that regard and the kind of roster you'll have and what success looks like in 2026?
"Just constant conversation, and I kind of answered that about success already. Just constant conversation, communication, making sure him and I are on the same page. I think there's a lot of roster questions right now and we've got work to do."
Q: How do you evaluate the cornerback and edge rushers currently on the roster?
"The edge rusher position right now, we need to fill that room up. There's not many left on the roster right now, so not many to evaluate so we have to obviously add some depth there. There's some good pieces in place that I'm really excited to work with, and the same with the cornerbacks. There's some guys that have played football, there's some youth there obviously, so excited to have those guys compete as well."
Q: When it comes to the defensive front, would you prefer 4-3 type defenders or 3-4 or some combination?
"I like them all. I think having variation is so important. You might say we're going to be a 4-3 defense, which we'll base out of 4-3, but I like to get in the 4-3 structures and 3-4 structures all out of the same personnel groupings so I'm not subbing and you're saying, 'No, now he's in 3-4. Subbing back, now they're in 4-3.' I think front variation is huge and having the ability to be multiple. At the same time, I think it's really important to find out who we end up with on this roster and figure out what we do best, then it will be my job to put that scheme in place. I have a lot of good ideas, but at the same time, even if you look back to my past, in my first year back in the NFL, we played a ton of 3-4 variations with four down, and we had different guys in the inside and then when we made a trade last year, I had to kind of flip it. Then we had some injuries, so I had to flip back. At the end of the day, we'll do whatever we can to make sure we're playing good defense."
Q: Why do you think Larry Johnson has so consistently been able to produce defensive lineman into the NFL?
"At Ohio State, my one year with Larry, just a really good technical coach, really demanding with his players, builds great relationships and he's a great evaluator. He's recruited some really, really good talent. Even when I was there, there were some great players and there will continue to be. Ryan (Day) does such a great job with the evaluation process and then building those guys from the ground up. Larry is a great coach."
Q: You talked about how the general manager and head coach need to be a team. Your experience with the 49ers, is that something that you kind of look back on in how successful they've been?
"Yes, absolutely. That actually, I've been thinking about a lot lately. The question was about San Francisco and seeing the alignment there. When I got there, it was Kyle's (Shanahan) first year. Obviously, John (Lynch) was a new GM and Kyle, and they were coming in together. I thought that alignment was really strong. Now what people forget, we started off 0-9, but they built it the right way, and they built a really strong foundation. Slowly, the improvement where then three years later they went to the Super Bowl. Just watching them all work together, whether it was in football meetings or whether it was the draft process, two phenomenal human beings who are really good at what they do, who are lined up together, who weren't afraid to have hard conversations and disagree, but at the end of the day, had each other's back. That's I think one of the huge reasons why they've had success, but 100 percent, yes."
Q: What all went through with the hiring of new offensive coordinator, Bobby Slowik?
"Yeah, Bobby (Slowik) and I were together in San Francisco. Bobby was a defensive quality control coach with me, and we spent a lot of time together. Highly intelligent, really knows football, both sides of the ball. You know the story, Kyle (Shanahan) took him on offense and trained him with the pedigree to run his system, had success in Houston. Him and I kept in touch, interviewed a bunch of guys and Bobby hit a home run. I trust him as a person, which is huge for me as a developer because as we build this foundation, we're going to have to develop players. I think that's the thing that people forget. This is about developing whoever we come out of this draft with, right? I think he's unbelievable with that and I love his scheme."
Q: Offensive Coordinator Bobby Slowik had a chance as a first-time play caller before. What did you see in how he has advanced in that and what signs in his progress have you seen?
"Yeah, he's went through it. Just like in anything else, you go through something and you learn from your mistakes, or you learn from your successes. People might point out how it ended with Bobby (Slowik) but look at the success that he had, too. Look at what he did with the quarterback in his first year, I believe he was Rookie of the Year. Look at what he did in the playoffs. Personally, I had to coach against him, so I know exactly what that was like too. Then over the last year, being back in Miami, picking up some new ideas and just going through his thoughts, you can see the growth he's had from that time, which excites me."
Q: How do you plan to address the player needs on the offensive line and the secondary with limited cap?
"Yeah, I think those are like all our needs right now. Again, anytime you have 30 free agents, there's going to be needs across the board. It's get the best players we can with the right mindset who are great people, and then we got to develop them and coach them. That's just going to be the key to this whole entire thing, which kind of excites me."
Q: In your opinion, is physical ability of football IQ more essential to a versatile player to do some of that scheme diverse and front diverse stuff that you talked about?
"Well, you've got to have the physical tools because, I mean I have the football IQ to do it, but there's no way I could ever play, right? I'm joking. Well no, I really don't have – I'm kind of not joking. (laughter) You have to have the physical tools to have the ability to play, right? Then to play multiple positions is hard. I mean, even what we asked some guys to do in Green Bay to move around, as I watched the tape there's times when we might have overdone that a little bit, and then there's other guys who, no problem. So you do need the football IQ, especially if you're going to ask somebody to do it early in their career. It's probably easier to do it later as they get older and they have more experience at one position, but you don't want to take somebody early and spread them too thin because then they're not going to be good at anything."
Q: When you talk about player development, is there a position in the draft you're more partial to because they come a little bit more ready?
"I think it depends on the individual, to be honest with you. Just in my experience, I could tell you one position, but then I start to think about it and a guy came in and was able to do it. I just think it all depends on the individual."
Q: You mentioned that 0-9 start in San Francisco. In a league that's so result oriented, how do you stay emotionally level-headed?
"I think you stay level-headed win or lose. I think that's probably the biggest thing that I take pride in. Whether we won a game, whether we lost a game, shame on me if I didn't come in the same exact way because if you believe in the process and you believe in everything that you're doing, and you believe in the players you have, and you believe in the coaches you have, then you've got to just stick with it no matter the situation. Because the moment I start to go one way or the other or waver or change, everyone else is going to do the same thing and that can't happen. So sadly, I've been in those situations, and I've been able to hold the room together. I hope not to be in that situation again, but I think it's prepared me for wins and losses to be the same guy and to stick with the people you believe in, the process that you believe in."
On the decision to hire Passing Game Coordinator Kevin Patullo:
"When I interviewed him, I was blown away, the knowledge that he has, the football experience that he has, what he did for that entire organization – don't forget he won a Super Bowl. Behind the scenes, what he did with that offense and with that whole team and listening to him talk and his football knowledge and not just about offense, but about game management, about situational football, I got off the Zoom and I said to Bobby (Slowik), I said, 'We've got to try to hire this guy.' And he had other opportunities and other options. I think he's going to be a huge asset to what we do, and I think often it's unfair to judge anybody off of one single year."
Q: Do you have examples of that? You say the football details, the IQs, do you have examples? Sometimes it makes it easier for us.
"Yeah, we'll keep those as examples for right now to me."
On evaluating edge rushers and off-the-ball linebackers:
"Yeah, I mean, certain edge guys when you watch the film, it starts to me with the ability to rush the passer and then can they play the run. Then what you do, you look at if some of them are bigger, for example, you get a 275 (-pound) edge rusher that maybe is more of a speed to power guy, can he go inside and kick in and beat a guard with his quickness? Maybe he's not a speed rusher on the outside, but maybe you get him into a passing situation, you can kick him down on the inside. And then it's the same thing for an off-the-ball backer. When you look at an off-the-ball backer, how does he play in space? How does he react to the run? But then is he a guy that you can match up one on one with the backs and run through backs and becomes a good blitzer? I think people make mistakes; they just watch like point of attack film. I think you've got to sit back and really watch game tape to see all the different things that they're asked to do."
Q: When you're looking at prospects, is the whole short arms, long arms a concern to you?
"With some guys it is. Some guys with short arms, they kind of get eaten up but some guys are so quick where they can get their hands inside first and still disengage. So in an ideal world, would you love to have a guy with long arms? Yeah, absolutely. But I think there's other guys that have shorter arms and that are really good edge rushers or really good inside, but it is definitely a conversation at all positions. It's the same thing with the 5'9" corner. If you have a 5'9" corner with 33-inch arms then all of a sudden he's beat but he can reach, it makes him a lot taller than he is if he's a 5'9" corner with 28-inch arms, right? If you get a 6'1" corner with short arms, the analytics of it, it kind of all adds up. But good question."
Q: You guys struggled to close in Green Bay last year, so what did you learn in some of these games that you can take to Miami?
"I think you can't look at that as being black and white. There's some games where we didn't close, and there's other games where we closed with an interception in the end zone or a fourth-and-1 stop. So I think you've got to look game by game and try to figure out why you didn't. Was it scheme? Was it putting the players in good positions, bad positions? I think just like anything else, when we study our tape, and right now what we're doing is we're studying the two years at Green Bay, the film, it's what did we do well over the two years? What didn't we do well? And some of those situations, we didn't do well. Some of those situations, we were in position to make a play and we didn't make the play. Some of the situations, I should have made a better call. So you've kind of got to look at everything and you've got to get better in everything that you do. But win or lose, you've got to figure that out on the tape; it ain't just about when you don't make the play at the end of the game."
Q: You talk about watching game tape and the technique, but with the on field drills this week, what can you learn about a player from those as far as speed, reaction time, things of that nature?
"I think anytime you can get an eval of a player live and you're really down there and you see it, whether it's a DB, for example, and you can see his foot speed, you can see his ability to break and drive. But then I also think sometimes it's bigger than that. It's the guy jumping out first in the drill. Does the guy like got a little bit of edge to him? Is he standing straight up? Is he paying attention? Is he cheering the other guys on? Like what's his make-up all about? Sometimes you can't see that on the tape, but you can see it when you observe a guy and you can kind of get a feel for what he's all about. What type of energy does he have? Does he have any leadership ability? I think that's kind of what people miss when they say, 'I'm not going to come out and watch any of this stuff, I'm just going to watch it on tape,' because you can't tell that on the tape. So there's nothing better than a live evaluation."
