The last time Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa spoke to reporters, he had something to say about some anonymous teammates. And he said it.
Which resulted in coach Mike McDaniel I have to say some things about what Tua had said.
It wasn’t just McDaniel. Every player who met with reporters Monday was asked several questions — right off the bat — regarding Tua’s criticism of anonymous players not showing up on time (or, as he initially said, at all) to “player-only meetings.”
Offensive lineman Patrick Paul said, in response to a complex question on the subject (“Was this the right forum for him to say that and did he apologize in front of the team or give an explanation in front of the team? Is that necessary?”): “As far as what he says and what happens in the locker room, I just try to keep those things out of the media. I think that’s something we should handle internally, and I don’t think we should give out all the details about it, so I’m just going to keep that internally.”
As for whether he thinks the situation was “handled in a way that you could move forward without any sort of disconnect or issue between the players,” Paul said, “I’m not sure honestly. I’m not sure, honestly.”
Regarding the prevalence of player-only meetings, ostensibly to watch film, Paul said: “To my knowledge, I think it helps with the camaraderie, but I’m not really sure how common it is. »
Offensive lineman Aaron Brewer, also faced early on with three questions in one (“Was (Tua) right in mentioning that the players skipped player-directed film sessions? Did he apologize or explain to the team for that? Is it necessary for him to come before the team to explain or apologize?”) said: “I feel like things that happen within the team should be kept between the teams, I would say this part. We just got back today so we haven’t been there. as much as each other. There were more position meetings, so I didn’t talk to my guys much today. That’s all I can say for myself.
Asked if he was referring to Tua’s comments or the reaction they sparked, Brewer responded: “Overall. Anything that happens inside the building or anything that we talk about needs to be kept between us. It’s not for the outside world.”
Defensive tackle Zach Sieler, on whether Tua should have said what he said and whether he should talk to the team about it: “We’ve talked to the guys. I think we’ve handled things internally over the seasons over the last couple of years and we’ve grown as a locker room and developed our culture, and I think we’re stronger now than we’ve ever been. I think we’re still working on some things, but for answer your question, I’m not going to sit here and make distinctions. someone’s opinion or what they do. I think we are all entitled to our opinion; we must work together as a team to continue to build and ultimately beat Cleveland.
Cornerback Rasul Douglas, who first joined the Dolphins just before the season started, seemed surprised by the news that Tua’s comments focused on players being late to player-led film study: “Is everything he said what you just said? Is that all he said?” (Which may be a comment on the external reaction or the internal reaction, or both.)
After obtaining clarification, Douglas was wise enough not to broach the subject. “But I’m a defensive guy, so I don’t watch film with Tua,” Douglas said. “I don’t know. You have to talk to the offensive players. I don’t know.”
Douglas was also asked about players’ habit of studying film alone or in the presence of coaches.
“I mean, you could do them anyway,” Douglas said. “I’ve done them anyway. I’ve done them with just players, I’ve done them with coaches as well. But I think we’ve done them ourselves and maybe what we’re telling ourselves is probably not what the coaches probably want us to do in this situation. So I know we talked about it and said we just wanted the coaches to come in and give feedback on whether what we were saying was right and they did that this week. “
This last part is revealing. If players watch film together, their shared interpretation and coaching points may not match what coaches think they should take away from the film they are studying. So perhaps the deeper issue is whether players should do their own player-led film study.
Either way, it will surely be a topic of Tua’s press conference on Wednesday. And McDaniel’s. And any other player who speaks this week.
