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http://www.miamidolphins.com/news/a...r-Hickey/fda69eb3-0481-4772-b988-245b2d9b4302
There is a video in the link. Here is the transcript.
General Manager Dennis Hickey met the media Sunday to discuss how the Dolphins assembled their 53-man roster and a common theme was that talent won out over positional needs.
That explains the Dolphins keeping six wide receivers and seven cornerbacks.
“It’s about keeping the best players,” Hickey said after the Doctors Hospital Training Facility at Nova Southeastern University. “Especially at premium positions, if you have quality players at those positions, it’s a good problem to have.”
Speaking specifically about the cornerbacks, a group that includes rookie fifth-round picks Bobby McCain
and Tony Lippett, Hickey said. “We felt like those guys earned it and they played well and we’re excited about what they’re capable of.”
It was the same story at wide receiver, where second-year player Matt Hazel earned a spot with an impressive preseason performance that saw him lead the team with 14 catches — the highest total for a Dolphins player since at least 2000.
“We liked what he brought to the table,” Hazel said. “Watching what he did in the offseason and the growth that he made, that’s what we like to see from young players is making growth and showing up. Every preseason game he showed up and made plays. We really like what he brought as a route runner and the upper progression of a guy that was drafted, was on the practice squad last year and continued to progress.”
Looking for talent is what Hickey said led to the addition of Thomas, a fourth-round pick of the Cardinals in 2014.
Thomas appeared in two games for Arizona last season, and joins Ryan Tannehill and Matt Moore as Dolphins quarterbacks on the active roster.
“We really liked what we saw,” Hickey said. “Obviously we tracked him in draft preparation last year. We like the skill set, the size, the arm strength, the arm talent. We saw development from year one to year two. We’re always excited to get with our coaches. They do such a great job of developing players and (we’re) anxious to get them in that quarterback room with Ryan Tannehill and Matt Moore and learn from those guys and get with our coaches.”
One of the most notable roster battles this summer was the kicking competition between third-player Caleb Sturgis and rookie free agent Andrew Franks.
With the decision to go with Franks, the Dolphins will head into the regular season with two new kicking specialists for the first time since the 2007 season.
“There’s a lot of things that go into those decisions,” Hickey said. “We base it on a totality of work. One, we feel like he has an NFL-quality leg. We like the way he approaches the game and what he did for us. What he did for us in preseason games, practice and a lot of those things. Again, working with guys over a long period of time, we felt confident that Andrew Franks could do a good job for us.
“Obviously he has a strong kickoff leg, but we also liked what he brings as a field goal kicker. Excited to see him work.”
On the flip side of the wide receiver and cornerback positions was tight end, where the Dolphins kept only Jordan Cameron and Dion Sims on the active roster.
The team did sign Jake Stoneburner and Tim Semisch, who were in camp this summer, to the practice squad Sunday.
“We feel confident about our (tight ends),” Hickey said. “Obviously Jordan Cameron has come in and done a great job. Dion Sims, we really like what he brings to the table. We signed two guys to the (practice squad), Jake Stoneburner, who we have a lot of confidence in, and Tim Semisch, another young tight end that we feel really bright about his development. We like those guys and we really felt that was the right move for us.”
After the moves Sunday, the Dolphins’ roster includes 23 players on offense and 27 on defense along with the three specialists.
As Hickey pointed out, though, the possibility always exists that more moves will be made before the regular season begins, next Sunday at Washington.
“It’s a fluid process that continues to progress,” Hickey said. “There’s been a lot of roster maneuvering. Still fluid, but we like where we are now and now the focus is on the Washington Redskins as we prepare to play them next Sunday.”
There is a video in the link. Here is the transcript.
General Manager Dennis Hickey met the media Sunday to discuss how the Dolphins assembled their 53-man roster and a common theme was that talent won out over positional needs.
That explains the Dolphins keeping six wide receivers and seven cornerbacks.
“It’s about keeping the best players,” Hickey said after the Doctors Hospital Training Facility at Nova Southeastern University. “Especially at premium positions, if you have quality players at those positions, it’s a good problem to have.”
Speaking specifically about the cornerbacks, a group that includes rookie fifth-round picks Bobby McCain
and Tony Lippett, Hickey said. “We felt like those guys earned it and they played well and we’re excited about what they’re capable of.” It was the same story at wide receiver, where second-year player Matt Hazel
earned a spot with an impressive preseason performance that saw him lead the team with 14 catches — the highest total for a Dolphins player since at least 2000. “We liked what he brought to the table,” Hazel said. “Watching what he did in the offseason and the growth that he made, that’s what we like to see from young players is making growth and showing up. Every preseason game he showed up and made plays. We really like what he brought as a route runner and the upper progression of a guy that was drafted, was on the practice squad last year and continued to progress.”
Looking for talent is what Hickey said led to the addition of Thomas, a fourth-round pick of the Cardinals in 2014.
Thomas appeared in two games for Arizona last season, and joins Ryan Tannehill
and Matt Moore as Dolphins quarterbacks on the active roster. “We really liked what we saw,” Hickey said. “Obviously we tracked him in draft preparation last year. We like the skill set, the size, the arm strength, the arm talent. We saw development from year one to year two. We’re always excited to get with our coaches. They do such a great job of developing players and (we’re) anxious to get them in that quarterback room with Ryan Tannehill and Matt Moore and learn from those guys and get with our coaches.”
One of the most notable roster battles this summer was the kicking competition between third-player Caleb Sturgis and rookie free agent Andrew Franks
. With the decision to go with Franks, the Dolphins will head into the regular season with two new kicking specialists for the first time since the 2007 season.
“There’s a lot of things that go into those decisions,” Hickey said. “We base it on a totality of work. One, we feel like he has an NFL-quality leg. We like the way he approaches the game and what he did for us. What he did for us in preseason games, practice and a lot of those things. Again, working with guys over a long period of time, we felt confident that Andrew Franks could do a good job for us.
“Obviously he has a strong kickoff leg, but we also liked what he brings as a field goal kicker. Excited to see him work.”
On the flip side of the wide receiver and cornerback positions was tight end, where the Dolphins kept only Jordan Cameron
and Dion Sims on the active roster. The team did sign Jake Stoneburner and Tim Semisch, who were in camp this summer, to the practice squad Sunday.
“We feel confident about our (tight ends),” Hickey said. “Obviously Jordan Cameron has come in and done a great job. Dion Sims, we really like what he brings to the table. We signed two guys to the (practice squad), Jake Stoneburner, who we have a lot of confidence in, and Tim Semisch, another young tight end that we feel really bright about his development. We like those guys and we really felt that was the right move for us.”
After the moves Sunday, the Dolphins’ roster includes 23 players on offense and 27 on defense along with the three specialists.
As Hickey pointed out, though, the possibility always exists that more moves will be made before the regular season begins, next Sunday at Washington.
“It’s a fluid process that continues to progress,” Hickey said. “There’s been a lot of roster maneuvering. Still fluid, but we like where we are now and now the focus is on the Washington Redskins as we prepare to play them next Sunday.”
