With training camp complete and the Dolphins initial 53-man roster settled, a long but productive, 2023 offseason has come to an end. Now it's time to prepare for an opponent as players and coaches share a sense of excitement for what the team can accomplish this season.
General Manager Chris Grier, Head Coach Mike McDaniel, fullback Alec Ingold and numerous other players spoke with media members throughout the week.
Here are some of their top quotes:
GM Chris Grier
(On the team's roster heading into the regular season) – "We feel good about the players. Mike (McDaniel) and the coaching staff do a fantastic job. I think this group is a very close group that's focused. They've had a great camp in here and working together. It's a very close unit and it's fun to be around them, and they enjoy being around each other. And I think that's always a big key when you're building a team."
CONTRACT EXTENSIONS
HC Mike McDaniel
(On DT Zach Sieler's contract extension and what he means to the team) – "The absolute climax of the coaching experience. It is everything because to watch someone go to sustain what that is, that body blow to be released from a team, to battle against the human nature that is, am I good enough? The fortitude to keep pressing forward for the right reasons. The belief it takes in oneself. All of that, and to see someone come out the other side, we're so fortunate to have Zach and we were so fortunate to be able to extend him for three years. And there's one thing you know with guys like that. Every piece of the pie was earned and that is a testament, a living testament, that we have in house now. It is a great example of perseverance that you can always resource and point out."
DT Zach Sieler
*(On signing a contract extension) – *"Blessed. It's one of those things you just dream about it and you work every day towards it and it's one of those things that I'm kind of like just don't talk about it and just work. Things will come and just go from there. And then to be able to get to this point in Miami and just to stay here and be with the team, the guys I love, the staff, the coaches, everybody. It's really something special."
FB Alec Ingold
(On signing a contract extension) – "I'm extremely humbled, a lot of people to thank. You have just an absolute attitude of gratitude for this whole organization to trust you. I feel like that's the biggest thing is whenever you can get your trust from teammates, players and organization, the people you go to work with every day, that's the biggest seal on anything, stamp of approval. So yeah, man, I'm excited to be here. You guys are stuck with me four more years, stuck with some fullbacks. It'll be good."
*(On rehabbing from an injury and the instability that followed early in his career to finding a home in Miami) – *"There were some dark moments on the rehab table, trying to straighten out those legs and be able to walk again. Then you're on the street trying to find a new opportunity, new job. To come into a place that supports you and the way that you can believe in yourself and really just amplifies and empowers you to be the best version of yourself, I think that's what I fell into and got extremely lucky to be here. You just show up to work every single day with the guys in the room, doing it for something bigger than yourself, and all of a sudden, the time flies by. The growth happens, the plays happen on the field, and then you're able to kind of grow into that potential which has been extremely rewarding and fun journey up to this point."
MAKING THE INITIAL 53-MAN ROSTER
HC Mike McDaniel
*(On what DT Brandon Pili, TE Julian Hill and RB Chris Brooks, the three undrafted rookies to make the team's initial 53-man roster, have accomplished) – *"So that is the journey that is the hardest, most difficult to navigate that really exists. You go zero to 60 from college to professional, and then you get here, and you're stacked underneath guys that have been doing it professionally in the scheme or on the stage for an extended period of time. It can look insurmountable. Especially, you have your first rookie minicamp and you're like, 'Man, I'm pretty good.' And then you get to a practice with your whole team, and you're like, 'Whoa.' So undrafted free agents that are able to make a 53-man roster, that in and of itself is such a monumental task that so few people can undertake, promised nothing, and really just behind the eight ball. It's like if I went to a foreign country, could I speak fluently in a month and a half or however long? That's tough to do. But every year, there's certain guys that you're really trying to find that have that mental fortitude to really accomplish something like that. Very huge accomplishment that really all the teammates really appreciate.
DT Brandon Pili
*(On what he did to make the team as an undrafted rookie) – *"I just came to work. I just came and put in the work. Yes sir, no sir. The coach told me to be low maintenance, don't be a high maintenance guy. So I think that combined with the stuff I did on the field is really what helped me kind of get here."
TE Julian Hill
(On being a longshot to make the team as an undrafted free agent) – "I knew since I walked into that meeting room, I understand I'm at the bottom of the depth chart, but I knew it was an opportunity. That's all I needed, just a (foot) in the door. Every single day I'm going to continue to work hard. I'm just honored that they decided they want me to be one of the pieces, and I know every day, it's an interview every day. So I'm willing to take that on."
RB Chris Brooks
(On going undrafted to making the team's initial 53-man roster) – "I feel like not getting drafted, I wouldn't really look at is as a low. I would say it's an opportunity. It's an opportunity that not many guys I have. I can either take advantage of the opportunity or I can just let it go to waste. And I chose to take advantage."
