Miami Dolphins Head Coach Mike McDaniel Talks Football At NFL Scouting Combine
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - With his famously dry sense of humor, Miami Dolphins' new head coach Mike McDaniel is back in a football setting since taking over the team.
McDaniel is at the NFL Combine this week, meeting with players, evaluating talent, and fielding questions from a national audience.
He also stood by and watched his old boss, 49ers General Manager John Lynch, speak highly of him to reporters.
McDaniel will get back to work with his new GM Chris Grier.
This is the beginning of a collaborative effort between the two to lead the new staff towards attacking the draft.
"It is fun to kind of take all of your expansive theoretical ways to approach things that you learn over your years, then kind of set a foundation of expectations for a coaching staff."
"Here's what I want to get done. Here's what's important to me. Here's what's not important for me, that is a fun part of the process."
Aside from evaluating prospects on the field, McDaniel will get the chance to meet players.
We've heard from coaches this week talk about the importance of those first impressions but McDaniel says is a small part of the bigger picture.
"There's no absolutes that say oh that was an awesome interview. You're wary of the two extremes. If it's an awesome interview, you're like OK, is this dude overly prepared? If it's a terrible interview... well, is he nervous? That's not his deal. So, you just try to get information out of it and put it into the whole pie of evaluation, which is why you start this process now. Scouts are doing it year 'round."
Last week, when speaking with McDaniel's assistant coaches, they preached forming their system around the talent they have. So, trying to force a square peg in a round hole isn't something you'll get from this team anymore.
CBS News Miami's Mike Cugno asks McDaniel, "You get the question a lot about Deebo Samuel and versatile guys. Is that just for one position like running back or let's say offensive line is a position of need. Do you look for versatility there, as well within your system?
"You try to keep an open mind for everything," said McDaniel.
"You're just looking at skills then. Trying to keep an open mind to what way we can utilize these skills, because we've always done something, is not a good enough answer for me and nor will it be for the Dolphins moving forward.