Flores Friday Morning OTA Takeaways

The Miami Dolphins head coach talked about Tua Tagovailoa, the possibility of having joint practices and bringing in former New England players, among other topics

The Miami Dolphins opened their OTA practice to the media Wednesday, but before that took place head coach Brian Flores conducted a Zoom session.

Here were the highlights of Flores' media session:

-- Bringing former Patriots players has to do with guys who fit the culture. Looking for guys who are tough and smart and love to compete.

-- Flores says the Dolphins have gotten a lot out of the offseason program amid reports that measures were taken (such as players wearing flip-flops in walk-through) to make things less strenuous. Mentions the communication aspects of the work.

-- The rookies are being instructed gradually instead of having everything thrown their way at once, and the Dolphins coaches evaluate how quickly those players pick things up.

-- Flores addressed Tua's now-famous "playbook" comment from last year, saying it's only normal that Tagovailoa would feel more comfortable after one year in the NFL.

-- Relating to players who have not been attending the voluntary offseason program this year, Flores says he respects the few players who have chosen to work out on their own. "I  have no issues as long as they're ready to go. I support it."

-- Asked about the issue of Tagovailoa and the ability (or inability) to check out of plays last year, Flores says he's looking forward and looking for overall improvement.

-- Raekwon Davis showed improvement throughout his rookie season and it showed in practice, then translated to the games. "You see an understanding of what we're doing conceptually." Says that applies to every player.

-- Flores points out he's got a fairly young staff, all hungry to learn and get better. "We've got guys who are passionate about the game."

-- Tua wants a process for how he studies, how he eats, how he trains, really everything.

-- There have been discussions about having joint practices. "I'm always in favor of doing joint practices. I think they bring a lot from a camaraderie standpoint, from a competitive standpoint." Dolphins had joint practices with Tampa Bay in the summer of 2019, but obviously couldn't do it last year because of COVID-19.