Category: Dolphins Training Camp

WR Cedrick Wilson wants to play for Dolphins in 2023

It doesn’t seem like he’s going anywhere.

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Miami Dolphins wide receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr. was signed last offseason to a three-year deal that was expected to make him the second or third receiver behind Jaylen Waddle and potentially DeVante Parker.

Since then, Parker was traded to the New England Patriots, and Miami swung a deal for superstar wideout Tyreek Hill. Wilson entered training camp as the expected third wideout, but when the season came along, it was Trent Sherfield who really took on that role.

Entering the 2023 offseason, there was a lot of talk about Wilson’s future with the Dolphins, as he seemed to not have much of a role. Despite Sherfield signing with the Buffalo Bills, Miami restacked their room with Braxton Berrios and Robbie Chosen (formerly Robbie Anderson).

After Wednesday’s OTA session, Wilson was asked if his mindset and whether or not he expected to be traded.

“I work out every offseason to perform when the game comes,” Wilson said. “I want to be here. I’m here right now. That’s what it’s granted to be. I’m gonna give it my best.”

Wilson’s heading into a new year, the second in Mike McDaniel’s system, with an opportunity to be the third wideout again. There’s a chance that he can be on the field making plays over Berrios and Chosen, but he’ll have to show that he can be a playmaker with the ball in his hands early and often.

Last year, Wilson took on the role of returner with not much experience in the role because he was looking to make himself more valuable to the team, and while that was something that could’ve been considered for 2023 again, Berrios has All-Pro return skills and will likely take those opportunities as well.

If the former Boise State wideout doesn’t turn in a strong performance this season, he probably won’t see the third year of his current contract, as the Dolphins could move on from him next offseason and save $7.3 million while incurring $1 million in dead money.

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Liam Eichenberg taking snaps at center during offseason program

If he plays a snap at center this year it will be his fourth different spot that he’s played.

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Entering his third NFL season, Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Liam Eichenberg hasn’t exactly lived up to his second-round pedigree.

Since trading up to draft the former Fighting Irish, the Dolphins have moved Eichenberg around from left tackle to right tackle back to left tackle and then to left guard.

The coaching situation has been a bit chaotic as well, as he’s going to be working with his third offensive line coach in as many years with Butch Barry’s arrival in 2023.

While Eichenberg hasn’t earned a guaranteed starting spot on the offensive line, he’s learning yet another position to make himself more valuable to the team, as he’s taking snaps at center.

Miami, interestingly, brought in Connor Williams last year, who had been at guard during his time with Dallas, to be their starting center, and he was strong in his first season in South Florida. This offseason, they signed Dan Feeney, who has guard and center versatility as well to compete for the starting left guard job and provide depth at both spots if he didn’t win.

Eichenberg’s opportunities at center could put him in the exact same position. He’s still an inexpensive, young offensive lineman, and even if he hasn’t lived up to expectations, he should probably still be kept around for depth and development purposes.

The additions of Isaiah Wynn and Ryan Hayes, who are both expected to have some guard and tackle versatility, make Eichenberg’s growth that much more needed if he wants to make the roster and play meaningful snaps in the second season under head coach Mike McDaniel.

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Dolphins enter June with recouped Byron Jones cap space ready to spend

It’s a big day for Dolphins fans.

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June 1 is here, and for Miami Dolphins fans, it may as well be Christmas morning or the eighth night of Hanukkah wrapped into one joyous event. The gift list which Dolphins fans have been clamoring for includes a running back, offensive line help and perhaps some depth pieces in areas like linebacker or defensive line.

As of the start of this month, the salary cap money from former Miami cornerback Byron Jones has been recouped, and general manager Chris Grier and his salary cap right-hand-man, Brandon Shore, now have $13.6 million in added funds. They also free up $8.7 million for the 2024 season.

Coinciding with Miami’s salary cap increasing to about $15 million following the Jones savings, the Dolphins could do the equivalent of gifting fans the shiny toy they have been wish-listing for years.

At a press conference on Wednesday, Dolphins’ head coach Mike McDaniel was humorously coy with his knowledge of the added funds when asked.

“We are aware that that’s occurring, and we typically do everything we can to have the best team possible within the guidelines of the salary cap,” he said. “I’m not sure where, but I’d feel confident to say that we’ll make good use of that salary cap room when it comes to the start of the regular season.”

June 1 is also the date in which the Minnesota Vikings can trade or cut running back Dalvin Cook while creating their own salary cap savings. Here are the financial parameters in the difference between a trade or a cut for Minnesota.

According to Over the Cap, cutting Cook pre-June 1 would’ve left roughly $8.2 million in dead cap for Minnesota, with a savings of about $5.9 million this year. A trade, however, would’ve created $6.2 million in dead cap and savings of $7.9 million.

Now, if Cook is cut post-June 1, Minnesota would be left with a dead cap hit of $5.1 million and cap savings of $9 million. Even more intriguing financially, a post-June 1 trade would mean a dead-cap figure of just $3.1 million with savings of $11 million.

It should be noted that Miami could wait it out, and should the Vikings not find a trade suitor, and simply cut Cook, the Dolphins could sign him to a new deal. A trade to Miami would likely have to match with a reworked deal for Cook to make it economically sound for Grier and the Dolphins.

Before getting ahead of the situation the Vikings brass will decide how to handle this, and the league and fan bases will have to wait to see where the smoke clears. Yet the waiting could be hours and not days, now that we’re in June.

The table is set for Grier and Shore to scramble the books and make way for a potential new dish or two. In addition to Cook, there are a few free-agent offensive linemen out there like Dalton Risner, who played four years of left guard for the Denver Broncos to start his NFL career. Entering his fifth season, Risner once played for Miami defensive coordinator Vic Fangio when he was head coach of the Broncos just two seasons ago.

Other names on the free agent market to look for over the next few days include George Fant and D.J. Fluker, who’s looking at a potential comeback tour, having last played in the league in 2020, yet looks to be in fine physical condition.

Adding other ingredients to this mix, the Dolphins are loaded with talent, so any importing of players may simply have to match with exporting, as there are a number of “expendable” candidates on the current roster. While nothing is a guarantee regarding the potential of acquiring Cook one way or another, it wouldn’t be shocking at all to see other moves in order to make way for him and/or other additions.

Grier has been known to make a minor move prior to a bigger move, and at times, he moves swiftly with multiple deals days or even hours apart in his history as head front office executive in Miami.

Of course, the Dolphins could start utilizing the money to help in the long-term extension process with their defensive linemen duo of Christian Wilkins and Zach Sieler. Nevertheless, the money is extremely important to get back into their capital ledger, and when looking at the absence of Jones, you can simply add in replacements like the newly acquired Jalen Ramsey and rookie Cam Smith as the cornerback cherries on top of the salary cap savings.

Thursday, June 1 is here, and many Dolphins fans will be rushing to social media and news outlets to see when, or if, their shiny new gift has been purchased…or if it’s simply another home-knit sweater from your favorite aunt.

Regardless, this Miami team is already one of the most talented groups seen in South Florida since the early 1990s on both sides of the ball. The current Dolphins aren’t on the field today, but they’re back at it with OTAs on Friday, June 2.

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Notes from Dolphins second open OTA session of 2023

Practice player of the day and some notes from those in attendance.

The Miami Dolphins, for the second time this offseason, welcomed the media in for their organized team activity session on Wednesday at the Baptist Health Training Complex.

Head coach Mike McDaniel has opted to run with just six OTA sessions instead of the 10 that teams are allowed, as he explained in 2022 that it’s about the quality of the work rather than the quantity of it.

With the fifth day of practice wrapping up on Wednesday afternoon, here’s what those in attendance saw from the aqua and orange on the practice field.

Jevon Holland sports orange ‘Practice Player of the Day’ jersey at fourth OTA

Safety is primed for a big year.

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The Miami Dolphins, after a holiday weekend off, hit the practice fields again on Tuesday for the fourth organized team activity session of their offseason program.

While media attendance was prohibited, the Dolphins’ social media team did us all a favor, sharing that third-year safety Jevon Holland donned the orange jersey awarded for “Practice Player of the Day.”

In his first two seasons, Holland has quickly ascended to borderline star status. Playing in 33 games, he’s recorded 165 tackles, 17 passes defended, four interceptions, four sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

The do-it-all former Duck plays with an energy that’s unmatched. He can be calm and reserved one minute before letting out all of his frustration or excitement with a yell the next.

Now, with Vic Fangio coaching him and Jalen Ramsey joining the secondary, Holland’s role be a bit different for 2023. He may be allowed to play more freely and make more of an impact knowing the group is well coached and there’s another potential All-Pro cornerback on the other side of Xavien Howard.

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Dolphins UDFA making Jaelan Phillips his role model

He’s setting a pretty solid example for the rookie.

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Following the conclusion of the 2023 NFL draft, the Miami Dolphins brought in over 20 undrafted free agents for opportunities to impress coaches and make the team at the end of training camp.

One undrafted free agent, linebacker Mitchell Agude, is ready to make an impact and earn a spot on the practice squad or active roster for the regular season.

Agude’s collegiate journey saw him transfer from UCLA to Miami for his final season before signing with the Dolphins post-draft. That path probably sounds pretty familiar to Dolphins fans, as Jaelan Phillips did the exact same thing.

In fact, Phillips is someone that Agude is going to be following as he makes his transition to the NFL.

“I’m just going to have [Phillips] as my role model,” Agude said earlier in the month (transcribed by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel). “Just make sure that everything he’s doing I’m doing times two, just to make sure I’m on his level, trying to be one of the greats.”

That’s not a bad idea for an undrafted rookie. Phillips, the 18th overall pick in 2021, set the franchise record for sacks by a rookie (8.5) and followed that up with a strong second season where he saw a big jump in snaps from 54% to 73%.

While Phillips has a good mix of strength and speed, Agude seems to rely on his aggression.

“My physicality is one thing that I harp on, that I think coaches really like about me,” Agude said. “Just being able to be aggressive coming off the ball, smack someone if the pull is coming, dent in his facemask. Just being able to make someone not want to play. I want to put fear in someone’s head. When the ball is snapped, he knows he has to go against Mitchell Agude.”

With all of the talent that Miami has on the edge this season, it will be tough for Agude to crack a roster spot, but he may be able to snag a practice squad spot from someone like fellow linebacker Cameron Goode, last year’s seventh-round selection.

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Dolphins open OTAs with two strong sessions

Back to work.

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The Miami Dolphins are on the field and football action is back… sort of. The pads aren’t on yet, and not all players are present in the early days of Organized Team Activities. The Dolphins will have a few more scattered OTAs before a mandatory minicamp from June 6-8.

Until then, some veterans like Tyreek Hill, Connor Williams, Zach Sieler and Terron Armstead, to name a few, haven’t been on the field on Monday or Tuesday, but these are voluntary workouts. Sure, it’s nice to see closer to the full team, but there’s no worry whatsoever when it comes to attendance here.

Before we get into what can be said from the on-field action, which was opened to the media for the first time on Tuesday, news hit early on a player’s expansion of his role. Outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, who was re-signed to a one-year deal in the offseason, got a call from new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio a week or so before OTAs and was approached with the idea of adding the inside area of linebacking to his game.

As confirmed by head coach Mike McDaniel on Tuesday, the move is in addition to his current job and not in place of.

“Position flexibility allows you to have an extra human available on game day,” McDaniel said about the concept to add to Van Ginkel’s plate. “It’s advantageous for us, and tough on opponents.”

As for the consensus of McDaniel’s assistants, the move is welcomed.

“The entire defensive staff thought he’s at the position he can handle that,” he stated.

The flexibility that Van Ginkel can bring to both the outside and inside linebacker groups would allow a rotation on the outside with fellow pass-rushers Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips. On the interior, Van Ginkel could give breaks here and there to either Jerome Baker and/or new free agent David Long Jr.

Duke Riley will also help spell Long and Baker on the inside, but with the outside and inside ability, the goal will be to keep Van Ginkel on the field a whole lot more than last season. Unbelievably, at times, Van Ginkel’s 2022 seasonal usage was limited to just 29% of the year’s defensive snaps, which was a far cry from 2021’s 71%.

This plan should keep him more at that 70%-plus range, which would make him a key member of this linebacking group and could open up the potential Van Ginkel has shown in his role-playing thus far in Miami. It’s also to be noted, that Van Ginkel was the Dolphins’ leader in special team tackles last year with 12.

On the offensive side of things, penciled-in right tackle Austin Jackson showed up looking to be in phenomenal shape. How that translates on the field remains to be seen until pads come on in the summer, as well as hitting some opponents other than teammates.

Until then we can only go off history, which has been a lackluster start to his career since being drafted in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft. Without the fifth year of his rookie deal picked up by Miami, this is a contract season for Jackson, and should he impress and improve, he could add to his time with the team or simply make himself marketable as a 2024 free agent.

However, a spike in production and ability is far from a certainty, and general manager Chris Grier has hedged his right tackle bet slightly, with some scrap-heap free agent signings of more former first-round picks in Cedric Ogbuehi and Isaiah Wynn, who could be said to be under-achievers so far in the NFL as well.

The Dolphins also drafted Michigan tackle Ryan Hayes, who could even work at guard, and still have undrafted rookie free agent tackle James Tunstall, who could all provide a little competition in camp for Jackson.

With other tackles fighting for spots like Robert Jones, Kion Smith, Kendall Lamm and Geron Christian, at least entering the process, Jackson is seemingly locked-in to work. Like the Van Ginkel experiment, the conclusion remains to be seen, but at the very least, positive encouragement and momentum on both fronts are good ways to start 2023’s offseason.

What has been seen the last two days, has been the blazing speed of rookie running back De’Von Achane. A third-round pick in this April’s draft, and one that was much to the immediate delight of McDaniel upon his selection, Achane could factor heavily in total yardage for the Dolphins right away.

With his speed and shiftiness, Achane will be utilized as a runner, receiver and return man, making him a candidate to potentially challenge a rookie record. That belongs to Ted Ginn Jr, who holds the Dolphins’ seasonal all-purpose yardage record for a rookie (2,086).

In 2007, Ginn returned kicks and punts for 1,663 yards and added 420 receiving yards and three rushing yards. With Achane’s speed and versatility, it’s becoming more likely with each OTA rep that he could challenge this record. The overall total yardage record for Miami is currently held by Ricky Williams, who recorded 2,216 yards in his epic 2002 season.

Achane turned heads and impressed the media Tuesday. As beat writer Omar Kelly reported, the rookie made a great sideline catch which was placed beautifully by quarterback Tua Tagovailoa just out of the reach of a linebacker. That’s music to the ears of Dolphins fans.

Another worthy bullet point was the on-field attendance of defensive backs Nik Needham and Brandon Jones. Injured in consecutive weeks last season, the pair were seen doing some light jogging, but each is progressing well with their individual rehabs and could even avoid significant missed time, if any.

The Dolphins aren’t working on-field for OTA’s today, as they’ll resume Thursday, the 25th.

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Notes from Day 2 of Dolphins’ 2023 OTAs

A quick look at what happened.

After free agency, the NFL draft and rookie minicamp, the Miami Dolphins, along with their 31 counterparts, have flipped the calendar to their organized team activities.

Miami began hosting their OTAs, which are voluntarily attended by players, on Monday, but Tuesday was the first day that the session was open for media viewing.

Let’s take some time to look quickly at what happen during the second day of Dolphins’ OTAs at their Baptist Health Training Complex.

Mike McDaniel provides updates on Brandon Jones, Nik Needham

They both suffered season-ending injuries midway through the season.

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The Miami Dolphins are holding their second organized team activity (OTA) session on Tuesday, and it’s the first that’s open to media viewing.

Prior to the start of the session, head coach Mike McDaniel took some time to speak with the local media, and one of the first things he was asked about was the recovery processes for both safety Brandon Jones and cornerback Nik Needham.

“I see Brandon and Nik every day,” McDaniel said. “When I say diligent, that’s what their days are. I feel good about where they’re at right now. What does that mean down the road? I try not to get consumed with like ‘alright you’re going to be ready down,’ so that you’re wearing that anxiety. We just want to stay on schedule and/or ahead and all reports have been just that because of the way our medical staff goes about their business and the way they attack their whole rehab. [I’m] excited about them.”

Needham’s 2022 season ended prematurely as a result of an Achilles tear during the team’s Week 6 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings, and Jones tore his ACL the following week, finishing his year as well.

If both players come back for the start of the regular season, they’re expected to have some important roles in Vic Fangio’s defense. Needham will likely be in the mix for the nickel cornerback spot, while Jones could end up starting at safety again or in a big nickel role.

While both players have been active in showing their progress on social media, we’ll have to keep an eye out to see when they practice for the first time this offseason.

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OTAs start for Miami Dolphins with at least one player expanding his role

One linebacker could be getting a new role in 2023.

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We’re entering the back end of May, and from a football standpoint, that means that the pads aren’t necessarily on yet, but cleats and really awesome practice jerseys certainly are.

Monday morning officially started the Miami Dolphins organized team activity schedule for the 2023 offseason.

Monday, Tuesday and Thursday kick off OTAs, how they’re mainly referred to across football. They continue next week on the 30th and 31st and there’s one last session on June 2.

June 1 is a rather significant date for the Dolphins, as well as the brain trust of general manager Chris Grier and his partner in salary cap crime, er, construction, Brandon Shore. They’ll get $13.6 million dollars back on their side of the felt when cornerback Byron Jones officially comes off the books.

In addition, and potentially interestingly enough, there just may be a new participant or two for the last session in South Florida, before the entire team checks in for a mandatory minicamp from June 6-8. So, if Miami releases a pair of players or more this week or next, additions are all but a certainty post-June 1.

Shifting to the on-field activities, the Dolphins were back at it Monday morning and inside their Baptist Health Training Complex. As captured on social media and in continuation from last season, the orange practice jersey returned. Used to reward a player from the previous day’s work, wide receiver Jaylen Waddle repped the marvelous mesh in the opening OTA, which indicates nothing other than the third-year wideout is locked in and focused on 2023.

Before the Dolphins hit the field, the news of the day was tweeted by NFL Network reporter, and bonafide Dolphins insider, Cameron Wolfe.

Building on Wolfe’s Tweet, new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio in fact did bring the idea to Andrew Van Ginkel in the days leading into camp.

The specifics of the usage and whether it’s a full move to the inside or more a hybrid role with his outside duties remain to be seen. What’s for sure is that Van Ginkel needs a path to more than 29% of the defensive snaps, which was his rate last season under then-coordinator Josh Boyer.

A testament to the player he is, he supplemented this with top-end special teams play, participating in 68% of the snaps in the third phase of the game, even leading the team in special team tackles with 12.

Adding to this thread of preseason intrigue, Van Ginkel was literally inches from other opportunities, at least five, until a conversation was had when Fangio reached out to the fifth-year linebacker from Wisconsin.

One of the main reasons why Van Ginkel is still in Miami, Fangio could unlock his full potential, and a hybrid usage of inside and outside play could spike that snap count back up to over 70%, as it was in 2021. Should the inside experiment with Van Ginkel progress, it’d indicate a depth role behind ready-made inside linebackers, Jerome Baker and the newly signed free agent David Long.

Van Ginkel could, of course, also be within an outside linebacker rotation as well, that won’t feature a veteran from last season in Melvin Ingram. Playing in his 11th season, Ingram had a solid campaign for Miami as a one-year signed player, but he’s no longer with the team. Ingram played 512 snaps last season for 45% of the plays, and these downs could shift back to Van Ginkel.

Miami also said goodbye to inside linebacker Elandon Roberts, and with those 680 snaps at 59% of the defensive plays, you’d imagine Long is all but owning those downs on the interior of this unit. While Long and Baker could be the stalwarts, Van Ginkel and Duke Riley will add the ability to spell those “starters,” and each could see ample time on the inside of the second unit of the defense.

As for that snap count for Van Ginkel, in his career, it’s a statistically proven fact that when he plays often and is utilized right, Miami simply wins. When Van Ginkel blitzes eight or more times in a game the Dolphins are remarkably 10-1. He did this twice in 2022, and Miami was 1-1 with the loss coming against the Green Bay Packers game in Week 16.

When he blitzes nine or more times, Miami is 7-0 in his career. He was credited with a quarterback hit in six of those games, including 3.5 sacks. Furthermore, of those 10 wins, just one of them came last year when he was criminally under-utilized at under 30% of the defensive snaps on the season.

When Van Ginkel plays more than 70% of the snaps in a professional game, the Dolphins are 13-5. In those 18 games with that usage, his basic full season plus one game would read 74 tackles, 7.5 sacks, 14 tackles for loss and a whopping 23 quarterback hits.

If given the time on the field, the proof is in the production with Van Ginkel. With the coaching and faith clearly heading in his direction from Fangio, the former Badger could be one of, if not the most benefited from the addition of the veteran defensive mastermind.

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