Head coach Mike McDaniel addressed the media before the Miami Dolphins headed out to practice at the Baptist Health Training Complex on Thursday..
Here were the highlights from McDaniel's press conference:
-- First question pertains to Lynn Bowden Jr. signing with the Patriots practice squad, and McDaniel begins by saying he's happy for him getting another chance. McDaniel adds it was a concern early in his career that this type of situation might be detrimental in terms of what Bowden knows and says he's not concerned at all.
-- Regarding the team captains being announced today and Tua Tagovailoa being among them, McDaniel says "captains represent the players." McDaniel says the players vote for the captains on a point system, and the resounding highest point winner was Tua. "It was done for the right reasons for the right intent." McDaniel says it speaks to their belief in Tua. McDaniel says it was "100 percent player-controlled."
-- McDaniel says "the most accountability occurs in the locker room because there's nowhere to hide."
-- About Jevon Holland being named a captain at 22 and in only his second season,, "That's the makings of a special individual." Calls it a nice alignment between talent and respect. Says he wasn't surprised that Holland got the nod as a captain.
-- The locker room is not divided by position under McDaniel and he explains that it was designed that way to develop better camaraderie. Says players at the same position already spend enough time together as it is with position meetings.
-- I ask McDaniel about his level of confidence that Jaylen Waddle will be ready for Week 1: "Very, very, very confident." Says Waddle would have been able to play the past two weekends had those been regular season games. Waddle will be getting reps at practice Thursday.
-- Asked about the battle for the starting cornerback job opposite Xavien Howard with Byron Jones off the active roster, McDaniel says it does no good to reveal who might have the edge at this point.
-- McDaniel reveals that his favorite position in football "by far" is the defensive line and the edge. Adds that it really can impact the game. "I'm of the belief that you can't have too many of those guys." And the Dolphins do have a lot of them with Phillips, Ingram, Van Ginkel and newcomer Trey Flowers.
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