Miami Dolphins Head Coach Tony Sparano Friday Press Conference

The Miami Dolphins' Head Coach, Tony Sparano, meet with the press on Friday, ahead of the team's meeting with the Kansas City Chiefs this Sunday.  Below you can find the transcript of his press conference:

(Is there anything Clyde Gates can do to get on the field more, once he's healthy): "No, I mean I think he's been getting better and better at practice...just getting him up to full speed. Depending on the game plan has a lot to do with how much we can get him involved. We're hoping we can get him involved a lot more." 

(Is it a tough call to put Gates back returning kickoffs): "It depends on the formula that's at the game at the time. We'll see, we'll see how we go. Can't answer that one right now." 

(Where Daniel Thomas is after sitting out last week): "I think he's done a good job this week in practice. They've all practiced, some more than others. But they've all practiced. I've been pleased with what he's done so far." 

(What role the lockout played in the league wide hamstring problem): "Yeah I think so. I think the lockout and the amount of time you had to get ready to play the first game and all those things and then all of a sudden going from... I really, not being critical whatever went on during the lockout or any of those things, in other words I don't know how guys trained. I have no really idea how they trained so some people may have lifted one day and ran the next day. And all of a sudden when you come into this environment you're lifting and running in the same day. I think those things combined with practice, all those things, I think probably had something to do with that. I'm not sure you can ever simulate out there on your own what it's like when you're out here in practice as you guys know in our heat. Anywhere it seems high across the league when I look at injury reports." 

(Is Kendall Langford at the level he was playing last year): "He's playing good. I couldn't tell you his numbers last year or his numbers this year at this particular time. Doesn't seem like he's had a lot of chances in games at different times. It depends on who you're playing and if it's the hard ball running team, those type of things. I've been pleased with what Kendall and the front has done particularly as of late." 

(How Jared Odrick is progressing): "I think he's progressing really well, I do. He's factored in a few games at a few different times. Again, then there's been some games where he hasn't had opportunities. He's not different than, I mean he's not really different than Charles Clay or any of those guys and that he's kind of a work in progress right now. There's some things that he learns every single game on how people are attacking him and blocking schemes and where the quarterback might be and where he needs to be within the rush, those type of things. But Jared is a really curious player and a conscientious player. He really wants to get it right. That with his motor and the way that he plays is a good combination." 

(How teams are protecting against Cameron Wake this year): "They are completely different right now than they were at this point last year. At this point last year he was kind of just getting into I think where people were all of a sudden paying attention to him. Maybe not even this point last year. Kind of in the middle of the thing towards the three-quarter mark I think people started to say hey, wait a minute here, we can't let this guy wreck the game. That's what you do when you're watching some of these players. We play one this week in this Tamba Hali. Those guys can ruin the game for you if you don't pay attention to where they're going to be and all those things. With Cam he's figuring out that protection comes in a lot of different ways. I mean it comes in sliding protection to him. It comes in the tight end being in his side, shrunken splits that have to do with receivers that can kind of keep you in a phone booth at times, all and any of those things... the running back chipping him. He's getting better and better at it and he's got a couple good teachers in (Bryan) Cox and Jason Taylor." 

(How does he feel about Jason Taylor's comments about closing games and is there anything than can be done differently): "No, nothing different, the opportunities are there, the plays are there to be made, bad situations that have gone our way and not gone our way at those times. In other words, we have capitalized and continued to move the ball and still haven't finished or stopped them on defense and maybe didn't finish on offense. Situations where negative plays occurred this week we had a 36 yard negative play call against us on that play Brandon (Marshall) makes down the field. That was a heck of a play the guy makes. I think that there's a lot of circumstances that go into finishing games, but your team got to finish them. I agree 100 percent with Jason in that situation. You want to give yourself a chance to win in this league. Give yourself a chance to win every week. I think that we've given ourselves a chance to win in a lot of games so far this year and we just have to figure out how to win in those situations." 

(Besides Brandon Flowers and Derrick Johnson, what stands out with Kansas City's defense ): "[Tamba Hali], Kelly Gregg, and there's a long list. This [Kendrick Lewis] kid they got running around back there. They got some really good players on that defense. [Tyson Jackson] the defensive linemen, very active, really active, powerful, high draft pick guy. I mean, these guys get after you, they're physical. This Kelly Gregg, the first time we played him he was in Baltimore. We had some run in with him. I remember him a couple different times there, really strong physical guy there. So they have a good defense. They get after you. Romeo (Crennel) does a nice job with those guys getting them to prepare, but they have a good defense. And so those two edge rushers with [Justin Houston] and with Tamba, they create some pressure." 

(The starting free safety position and Chris Clemons and Reshad Jones competing): "Obviously, what happened here is we've had a different couple of injuries in different times with Clemons and Reshad. And [Tyrone Culver] has stepped in so in different points we've had several guys playing back there. The only constant back there is Y.B. [Yeremiah Bell]. And he's a good soldier. So I just think that when you're looking at that position as far as Chris getting an opportunity to compete there, it's really predicated on practice and how these guys are feeling. And I think this week is the first week in the last couple weeks where all of them have been out there at one time and get some work done." 

(Is the free safety position a close race): "No, not really, I think once we get them going I'm going to try to get them involved in some of these games in different ways and see whether or not we can sort some out and sort it out through practice, but that's about it." 

(Compare Tamba Hali to Cameron Wake): "All the physical things that like these guys have Cameron (Wake) and Tamba (Hali), the DeMarcus Wares and those people that are the pass rushers. That aside, it's the motor, the relentless motor that they have and this guy plays with a high motor. It's like Cam (Cameron Wake). Like I said this before about Cam to me, he gets chipped, he gets banged, he gets bumped, and he still finds a way to hit the quarterback somehow. I mean, some guys would stop playing in those situations, but he makes the quarterback come to him. And I think this Tamba is the same kind of guy. He plays with a high motor all the time and I think that when you get those kind of players, that's probably the biggest similarity. It's a high compliment to them too because they have a hard job, they really do. Because everybody knows where they are and you're going to go after them. And you got to address them and protect them. And sometimes you just got to block them regularly. You can't keep 10 guys in and try to block them all the time. That's a problem too so that's when I think those kind of guys with those kind of motors can hurt you."