Category: Dolphins Training Camp

Takeaways from Day 13 of Dolphins’ training camp

What did we learn from the day of practice?

After two practices outside at the Baptist Health Training Complex, the Miami Dolphins moved inside for the final practice of the week before their preseason matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders.

With head coach Mike McDaniel not revealing who’s going to play on Saturday night at Hard Rock Stadium, the players needed to take advantage of the opportunities they got because they might not step onto the field again for another six days when the Dolphins hold joint practices with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Here’s what we learned from the team’s third training camp session this week.

Notes from Day 12 of Dolphins’ training camp

Here’s what we learned.

The Miami Dolphins have returned to the Baptist Health Training Complex across from Hard Rock Stadium, and on Wednesday, they held their second training camp session of the week.

With head coach Mike McDaniel not ready to make any claims on which veterans are going to be playing this weekend against the Las Vegas Raiders, including quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, these practices will be extremely important for the evaluation process.

Here’s what we learned from the team’s Wednesday practice.

Notes from Day 11 of Dolphins’ training camp

Here’s what was seen in Tuesday’s practice.

After two training camp sessions and a preseason game competing against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Miami Dolphins returned to Miami Gardens for normal practices at the Baptist Health Training Complex on Tuesday.

Mike McDaniel’s team has made seven roster moves in the last 24 hours, as they signed cornerback Mackensie Alexander and defensive tackle Niles Scott on Monday before making moves to get down to 85 players on Tuesday morning.

As the Dolphins prepare for this week’s preseason matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders, here’s what was seen from the first practice of the week.

Three areas of intrigue for Dolphins vs. Buccaneers preseason opener

A few things that might pique Dolphins fans’ interest.

The Miami Dolphins kick off their preseason slate Saturday night in Tampa Bay against the Buccaneers. It will be Mike McDaniel’s inaugural in-game action as head coach, as he officially becomes the 11th (14th including interims) coach in franchise history.

While this is his 16th season as a coach in this league, McDaniel is a rookie as head coach and enters 2022 with a Dolphins team on a two-year winning record streak, despite missing the postseason both years. The Dolphins are looking for their first appearance in the playoffs since 2016 and seeking a victory in the tournament for the first time since the 2000 season.

In the 10 seasons Miami has played under a new coach, the franchise is 75-81 with four coaches leading the Dolphins to the playoffs in their first season – Don Shula in 1970, Dave Wannstedt in 2000, Tony Sparano in 2008 and Adam Gase in 2016.

McDaniel and the Dolphins will face a Buccaneers team just two seasons removed from a Super Bowl victory, and while they may be without Tom Brady because of personal reasons, this is still a strong litmus test for this Miami – a team that enters 2022 with their highest expectations in nearly two decades.

Here are a few things to be focused on during the contest.

Jevon Holland gives insight into Dolphins’ defensive play-calling plans

Nothing is fully set in stone yet.

Despite head coach Brian Flores’ firing this offseason, defensive coordinator Josh Boyer was kept on in his role under new Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel.

Beyond that, Miami made a concerted effort to keep most of their defense together from 2021, allowing them to continue building upon what they did during the second half of the season.

On Thursday, second-year safety Jevon Holland gave an inside look at how the Dolphins’ play-calling may go in 2022, as he was asked which players were calling the defense.

“We’re switching it up between me and ‘Bake’ (Jerome Baker),” Holland said. “It’s not really set in stone right now. There’s more than one green dot, so we’re just going throughout trying different people.”

Baker has worn the dot in the past, with Sam Eguavoen taking it when the former Ohio State Buckeye is unable to go. However, many NFL teams prefer to have their safeties making the communications, as they typically have more of the field to view.

Holland’s rise in Miami’s defensive system has been extremely impressive. To see him take on the starting role just a few weeks after debuting in the league, and now, potentially taking on play-calling duties, the sky is the limit for the Dolphins’ 2021 second-round selection.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbwhebtqp7ahdjt player_id=none image=https://dolphinswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[listicle id=451916]

Mike McDaniel shares what Xavien Howard means to the Dolphins

He allows the defense to do so much.

Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard is entering his seventh season in South Florida, and he’s had some great personal success, earning All-Pro honors once and Pro Bowl honors thrice.

However, while Howard is a great player and has been rewarded for that with a contract that’s among the largest of any cornerback in the league, it’s more than just his play that makes him important to this team.

On Saturday, new head coach Mike McDaniel explained the significance of having a guy like Howard wearing aqua and orange.

“I had never met ‘X’ (Xavien Howard) before I got this job,” McDaniel said. “We had played against him once or twice, but it didn’t take me long being here to understand what he means to the rest of the players. There’s something to be said about when you do something at an elite level, you get notoriety from it. And then you continue to do it, people don’t really do that justice where they don’t have the option to show up and (say), ‘Maybe I don’t feel like being good today.’ So I think he possesses that. I think one of the interesting things is I think he plays off Tyreek (Hill) as well. Two great competitors that are prideful, that know that every day, they can’t afford to be, ‘Oh, I’m just not on,’ because of the consequences and ramifications for the rest of the team and what we count on them to do on a day-in, day-out basis.”

It’s that ownership of his play and compete level that really takes him to the next level. He wants to be the guy who gets it started and sets the standard for the players behind him.

“I feel like it starts with me. I feel like I have to set the tone for the guys,” Howard said after Miami’s first joint practice with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. “The guys are getting better — I feel like everybody is getting better each week. I feel like we just have to keep striving. I have to take that leadership role in the cornerback room and set the tone.”

With guys like Howard as the veteran leader, the Dolphins’ younger defensive backs like Jevon Holland, Brandon Jones, Trill Williams and Noah Igbinoghene have someone to lean on and learn from.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbwhebtqp7ahdjt player_id=none image=https://dolphinswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[listicle id=451916]

WATCH: Dolphins first week of training camp mic’d up

This team has some unmatched energy.

While the Miami Dolphins have spent the last two days practicing against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the AdventHealth Training Center, Mike McDaniel’s team has been working hard to prepare for the season with practices over the last two weeks.

During those sessions back at the Baptist Health Training Complex in Miami Gardens, there were a number of players who were mic’d up for each practice. Luckily, the Dolphins’ social team put out a supercut of all mic’d up clips from the first two weeks, allowing fans a look at some of the wildly entertaining personalities that this team has to offer.

No matter the day, there will always be someone wearing aqua and orange ready to bring the energy.

[listicle id=451889]

Notes from Day 2 of Dolphins-Buccaneers joint practices

Tom Brady was absent from the session.

After a successful, entertaining joint practice session on Wednesday, the Miami Dolphins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers took the field again on Thursday at the AdventHealth Training Center to delight Buccaneers Season Pass members as well as members of both the local and national media.

Miami’s head coach Mike McDaniel, like many other coaches, appears to be using these practices as the real test against another team rather than have everyone play and go 100% in the preseason games, as during his media availability he spoke about the possibility of Tua Tagovailoa and other veterans not participating.

That’s what makes these joint practices all the more exciting. Here’s what we learned from the Dolphins’ second joint session of the week.

Dolphins may not play Tua Tagovailoa in preseason opener vs. Buccaneers

Mike McDaniel didn’t fully commit to an answer.

Miami Dolphins fans may not get a chance to see the team at their full potential on Saturday.

During head coach Mike McDaniel’s media availability prior to the start of Thursday’s joint practice with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the coach said that he is “encouraged about the idea” of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa not playing in the preseason opener.

Tagovailoa will be going against Tampa Bay’s first-team defense for two days of practice sessions before the two teams square off Saturday night, so McDaniel may feel comfortable enough with the quarterback’s performance that he doesn’t need to see more in that game and risk injury.

The coach didn’t fully commit to a decision prior to the game, but he did that some veterans would not play in the opener, and he’d be “surprised” if Tagovailoa didn’t play at some point during the three preseason games.

Keeping quarterbacks out of the preseason is becoming more and more common. We’ve already heard that Tom Brady, who would normally be leading the Buccaneers out of the tunnels on gameday, won’t be playing against Miami in the game.

If Miami were to go this route, fans would get extended looks at backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and rookie Skylar Thompson leading the offense.

[listicle id=451889]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbwhebtqp7ahdjt player_id=none image=https://dolphinswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Tua Tagovailoa, Connor Williams talk importance of their relationship

The center compared their relationship to the movie “Avatar.”

Entering his third year, eyes were going to be on Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa this season no matter what, as 2022 could very well decide if he’s the future at the position for this team.

However, with Connor Williams moving from left guard to center this offseason, there’s just as much attention on him, as he is the only player that touches the ball on every play. And, with Tagovailoa, hopefully, on the receiving end of nearly all of those snaps, their familiarity with each other is of the utmost importance.

Tagovailoa told the media on Wednesday that they’ve been spending time together and working on the things they need to work on.

“Yeah, it’s been really good,” he said. “Every time we see each other – I mean, I sit by him in our team meetings and we’re talking about getting the guys going for the day and then just snap locations on certain plays that will help us execute the play that much better. And then just our timing with everything. He’s taking care of the front, I’m taking care of the back end with things and just us being in sync will help this offense go.”

Snap locations have been a topic of discussion during the early parts of training camp, as Williams, and other centers on the team, have struggled to find consistency in that department. Williams has used that learning opportunity to speak to offensive coordinator Frank Smith, who was Ben Roethlisberger’s center in college, to get some advice.

“The biggest thing he’s said to me was like Avatar, like that connection to riding that horse,” Williams said. “That’s what me and Tua (Tagoavailoa) have to have. That’s what we’ve been forming and filling that. He’s a great coach, a great resource. You can go tell him whatever you need and he’s there for you.”

With all that time spent together, he believes their connection getting there.

“Tremendously,” he said about their growth. “Being able to know the guy you’re playing with, and definitely when you’re under center, you’ve got to have that connection so you know where to put the laces and everything. I think we’re getting that and growing that.”

Head coach Mike McDaniel said last week that he’s not concerned with the snapping issues, and he’s right to say that it’s early. However, that part of the game is so important that Williams and Tagovailoa have to keep working. Maybe they’ll put them into those pods and get them to Pandora.

[listicle id=451889]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbwhebtqp7ahdjt player_id=none image=https://dolphinswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]