Takeaways from Newcomer Media Sessions

Seven of the Miami Dolphins' free agency acquisitions spoke to the media via Zoom; here are the comments that stood out

Detroit Lions safety Ifeatu Melifonwu (6) warms up before the game between Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions at Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill. on Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Miami Dolphins introduced more than half of their 12 free agent acquisitions to the South Florida media Monday with a series of Zoom sessions.

The seven players who spoke to the media, in order, were offensive lineman Larry Borom, linebacker K.J. Britt, quarterback Zach Wilson, wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, defensive back Ifeatu Melifonwu, linebacker Willie Gay Jr., and tight end Pharaoh Brown.

Here are some of the highlights of those media sessions.

TACKLE LARRY BOROM

-- After playing guard and tackle for the Chicago Bears, Borom simply said he "can do some of everything" and doesn't have a preference as to where he'll be used.

-- He said he hasn't been told by Dolphins coaches how he'll be used, though it's a good guess that he'll start as the swing tackle and could be used inside as well.

-- Borom played collegiately at Missouri and said that team ran an outside zone scheme, which obviously will help him transition to the Dolphins.

-- Regarding new Dolphins teammate James Daniels, with whom he played in Chicago in 2021 and 2022, Borom described him as a "jokester."

LINEBACKER K.J. BRITT

-- Britt discussed his familiarity with the Dolphins scheme, which as he said is a 3-4 base with a switch to a 4-2-5 alignment in obvious passing situations.

-- Britt explained he's been a linebacker since the age of 5.

-- He returned to Auburn for his senior to complete his degree in business management with a focus on supply chain.

QUARTERBACK ZACH WILSON

-- Wilson mentioned Tua Tagovailoa's development under head coach Mike McDaniel as one thing that appealed to him about the Dolphins.

-- This is an important one, Wilson said the biggest things he learned in Denver last year dealt with processing in the NFL as a quarterback, pocket awareness and understanding of the game. Those, of course, were shortcomings for Wilson during his time with the New York Jets.

-- Another interesting nugget was Wilson saying he learned in Denver about the importance of building chemistry with his teammates, which he accomplished by spending more time in the locker room.

WIDE RECEIVER NICK WESTBROOK-IKHINE

-- Regarding McDaniel, NWI talked about the Dolphins head coach's energy during their meeting, adding, "It's awesome to feel wanted."

-- Naturally, the 6-foot-2 Westbrook-Ikhine was asked about his size and using it to block. "I plan to use what God gave me," he said.

DEFENSIVE BACK IFEATU MELIFONWU

-- Melifonwu explained his name means "reminder" and most people call him "Iffy."

-- As a bit of a red flag, Melifonwu said regarding his numerous injuries early in his NFL career that early on maybe he "didn't do as much I should have." He added that some of his issues also have been the simple result of bad luck.

-- Melifonwu says being a starter is "very important" to him but said he didn't want to say too much about what the Dolphins told him about his potential role. The truth is it's very likely he'll wind up being a starter in 2025 given the departure of Jevon Holland already and the highly unlikely return of Jordan Poyer.

-- Melifonwu was a cornerback at Syracuse before he was switched to safety and the coach who helped him make that transition in Detroit is current Dolphins DB coach Brian Duker.

LINEBACKER WILLIE GAY JR.

-- This might have been the most entertaining session of all, starting with Gay sitting on the front porch of his new home in Mississippi on 87 acres of land. Gay says he plans to start farming, already has chickens and will bring in cows over the summer.

-- On the field, Gay says he can play anywhere at linebacker and do all the roles, whether it be rush the passer or drop back in coverage.

-- In Miami, Gay will be reunited with Tyreek Hill, who he first met as a rookie with the Chiefs. Gay called Hill "down to earth" and one player who helped him early on, adding he's happy to be teammates again.

-- Gay called the cold playoff game between the Dolphins and Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium two seasons ago "horrible," adding he never wants to do it again.

-- Finally, Gay said the Dolphins chose him and not the other way around, indicating he didn't have other offers in free agency. This is not an admission you hear very often.

TIGHT END PHARAOH BROWN

-- But yet we heard it again right away because Brown said "beggars can't be choosers."

-- Brown did like the appeal as a tight end for playing for an offensive coach after playing last season for defensive mind Mike Macdonald with the Seattle Seahawks.

-- Brown understands the emphasis on running the ball, saying, "Everybody around the league wants to run the ball after the show Saquon Barkley put on."

-- Known as a blocking tight end in the NFL, Brown said that wasn't the case when he was at Oregon but after going undrafted he had to adjust to make himself a career.

-- While he understands the talk of the Dolphins needing to be more physical, Brown said, "I'm not setting out to make this team more physical. Energy feeds off energy." The point is that he'll lead by example.

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