Category: Dolphins Training Camp

Mike McDaniel makes funny comparison with speedy WR duo

He doesn’t want anybody to feel bad for them.

Speed has been the keyword for the Miami Dolphins this offseason, as they brought in a duo of speedsters in running back Raheem Mostert and wide receiver Tyreek Hill.

While Mostert will be getting some opportunities in a group of veterans that includes other free agent additions Chase Edmonds and Sony Michel, Hill will be paired with another blazing fast wideout in Jaylen Waddle.

Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, in his first season with the team, is expected to get the most out of them with Tua Tagovailoa at quarterback in 2022.

Prior to Tuesday’s practice session, McDaniel spoke to the media and was asked if it was difficult to scheme things up with the speed that Waddle and Hill possess. The coach’s answer was everything you’d expect from him.

“It’s kind of like the difficulties – the guy who has three yachts has deciding which yacht to pick,” McDaniel said with a laugh. “No, there’s not difficulties with that. It’s very desirable. We’re very fortunate… those are guys that are competitive that are willing and want to prove it. And regardless of skillset, you have players like that on your team and you feel pretty good about it. You don’t need a shed a tear for our problems with our speed decisions, but, to me… I think that they’re not fast guys, they’re fast football players and that’s the coolest part about them and why we don’t really have issues.”

With all of the yachts that the Dolphins have in their port, their hoping to finally break their postseason victory drought that would be old enough to legally drink.

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6 quick-hit takeaways from Dolphins’ training camp Day 7

It was the second day of pads.

The Miami Dolphins took the fields at Baptist Health Training Complex just across from Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on Wednesday for their third practice of the week and the third in front of fans.

With pads on and fans in attendance, there was clearly a lot of energy from Mike McDaniel’s squad, but some of the players that were absent had their presence dearly missed.

Here’s what we took away from the Dolphins’ seventh day of training camp.

Dolphins activate DB Elijah Campbell off non-football injury list

Byron Jones is now the only Dolphin on a list.

The Miami Dolphins have had some pretty decent luck with injuries through the early parts of training camp.

They entered camp with Elijah Campbell on the non-football injury list and Byron Jones on the physically unable to perform list. Since then, they released defensive tackle Adam Butler with a failed physical, and center Michael Deiter has been dealing with a foot injury that’s kept him sidelined.

On Wednesday, Miami got some good news, as they were able to remove Campbell from the NFI list. He can return to participate in practice, and that will give the defensive backs even more depth and competition.

Campbell has the potential to play both safety and cornerback for the Dolphins, and that versatility could help him earn a spot on the roster or practice squad over another player who can only play one spot.

With Jones still on PUP, that might mean more opportunities for Campbell to compete at cornerback with Noah Igbinoghene and Trill Williams for that fourth cornerback role.

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Preston Williams clarifies tweet about wanting an opportunity

It seems like a split could be coming soon.

After making headlines for his tweet Monday night, Miami Dolphins wide receiver Preston Williams spoke to the media after Tuesday’s practice session to clarify his message.

“I just feel like I’m not getting the opportunities that I deserve, simply scripted-wise, not being on the field-wise,” Williams said. “[I want] opportunities to show that I can beat my man.”

He said he did speak to head coach Mike McDaniel about getting a chance earlier in the offseason.

“We had a conversation during OTAs, and the only specific thing I asked him was ‘I just want my opportunity,'” Williams said. “[McDaniel] said, ‘You’ll get your opportunity.’ I just want him to make him a man of his word, that’s all.”

McDaniel spoke before the practice, and while he said he didn’t really find pressing needs for football in social media, he is aware of Williams’ comments and how these players want to compete.

“I do, however, prioritize opportunities for players to follow their dreams,” McDaniel said. “One of the things that (Wide Receivers Coach) Wes Welker and I strongly connect on from our journeys… is that we hold with a lot of esteem and responsibility preparing people and giving them opportunities. It’s also the – really looking to the players, too, to understand that every time they’re on the field, the way we do things, it’s a tremendous opportunity for them as well as their teammates who they’re depending on to execute and operate at a high standard… People want to do good, so I get that and I don’t really hold much weight to all of that.”

With the acquisitions of veteran wideouts Tyreek Hill and Cedrick Wilson Jr., Williams is really fighting for a depth spot in the receiver room. Most teams tend to keep six players at the position, so he’s battling for two spots with rookies Erik Ezukanma and Braylon Sanders, as well as Mohamed Sanu, Lynn Bowden Jr., Trent Sherfield, River Cracraft and DeVonte Dedmon.

Williams said that he hasn’t asked for a trade yet, but he’ll be in communication with his agent. With all the mouths to feed in the passing game, it’s hard to make everyone happy. Miami may be better off trading him to a receiver-needy team and receiving either a draft pick or a player at a position of need in return.

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6 takeaways from Day 6 of Dolphins’ training camp

Pads are on!

The Miami Dolphins started their second week of training camp strong with a solid showing on Monday, in a practice that was closed to the public.

On Tuesday, they took the field in front of fans for the second time this offseason, and this time, they got to do so wearing pads. This is the start of real training camp, as we can actually begin to assess some real football, despite contact still not being totally the same as a game scenario.

Here’s what we learned from the Dolphins’ Tuesday practice session at Baptist Health Training Complex in Miami Gardens.

Mike McDaniel provides small update on Michael Deiter’s status

It doesn’t seem like they expect it to be a long-term issue.

Miami Dolphins center Michael Deiter has been seen in a walking boot during the last week, and that injury has kept him out of the training camp sessions.

Head coach Mike McDaniel said on Saturday that the injury was to the foot, and it was something that had happened during one of the first days of practice.

Before Tuesday’s camp session, McDaniel spoke to the media again and was asked if there was any concern for this injury when it comes to Week 1, and McDaniel didn’t seem to be too worried.

“[I] don’t have concern, right now, with the information that we have, about the regular season,” McDaniel said. “We’ll just let the week play out and see where he’s at, at the beginning of next week.”

With Connor Williams expecting to move to center for the 2022 season, Deiter is likely the main backup for the position, and he also provides versatility on the line with his experience playing guard as well.

It seems like the Dolphins are hoping that he can return healthy before the start of the regular season, fulfill his role as the backup and step up into the starting role if needed.

If he’s not able to go, the only other true center on the roster, at this point, is Cole Banwart, who was signed by Miami this offseason after undrafted free agent Ty Clary failed his physical.

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Dolphins WR Preston Williams posts ambiguous tweet about opportunity

He’s in a battle for a depth receiver spot.

After acquiring wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Cedrick Wilson Jr. this offseason through trade and free agency, respectively, the Miami Dolphins are the deepest they’ve been at the position in a while.

Hill, Wilson and Jaylen Waddle round out the top three spots, and most teams tend to keep roughly six wideouts in a season, with a couple on the practice squad as well. That means that Preston Williams, Mohamed Sanu, Lynn Bowden Jr., Trent Sherfield, River Cracraft, Braylon Sanders, DeVonte Dedmon and  Erik Ezukanma will be fighting for those last spots.

Considering Miami spent a fourth-round pick on Ezukanma this year, it seems likely that he’ll earn one of those, so there are really only two open spots.

Williams, who was originally brought in as an undrafted free agent in 2019, was a restricted free agent this offseason, and the Dolphins opted to bring him back on a tender.

After the fifth day of training camp, Williams took to Twitter and shared a tweet that could be referencing his lack of opportunities in camp.

It’s not clear whether or not this tweet has anything to do with football, but let’s just pretend that it does for a second. With all of the mouths to feed at training camp, including tight ends and running backs, it’s hard to keep everyone happy.

Williams has been with Miami for three seasons and has never played more than eight games. Other players are coming in for their first year, like Sanders and Ezukanma, and the Dolphins may be interested in seeing what they can offer.

Then there’s Sherfield, Cracraft and Sanu who have experience working with head coach Mike McDaniel. That gives them an advantage when a lot of players are learning a new system.

Maybe this is all nothing, and Williams is referencing something completely unrelated, but using context clues, it’s not hard to make the leap to his unhappiness with his usage to this point.

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Dolphins assistant coach Patrick Surtain is in learning mode

He had been a high school head coach in recent years.

While the Miami Dolphins kept defensive coordinator Josh Boyer in his role after Brian Flores’ firing this offseason, they made some other changes to the coaching staff, including hiring former Dolphins cornerback Patrick Surtain to be a defensive assistant.

Surtain spent seven seasons in Miami, making three Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams before he was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs ahead of the 2005 season.

When his playing career ended in 2008, he took some time off, but eventually found his way back into football, coaching American Heritage High School which is less than 20 miles from Hard Rock Stadium.

Now, working in the NFL, Surtain is learning in his first training camp just as his players are. He spoke to the media about his approach to his new job.

“I’m learning myself,” Surtain said. “I had to come in in a different role from being a head coach to now be an assistant, and I just want to help any way I can. I had to learn the defense because it’s a different defense, so I’m in learning mode, but at the same time, I just want to give these guys tidbits and lessons that I’ve learned throughout my years to pass them on to possibly help them with their games. I’m just moving around, trying to help any place I can.”

Luckily for Surtain, he has experienced veterans like Xavien Howard and Jerome Baker to tell him to get adjusted to the Dolphins’ defense. He can lean on them and also recall some of his own experiences because, while the game is not the same as it was when he played roughly 15 years ago, there are still aspects of his game that made him great that can be shared.

Having experienced guys like Surtain and cornerbacks coach/pass-game specialist Sam Madison can only help this defense that was already on a great path to end the season in 2021.

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5 takeaways from Day 5 of Dolphins’ training camp

Back to work.

The Miami Dolphins thrilled fans in attendance for Saturday’s practice, as the offense was humming, and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was making plays left and right.

There was a scheduled day off on Sunday, and the Dolphins hit the field on Monday morning to get back to work. Fans will get a chance to view a training camp session again on Tuesday.

While it was amazing to have the atmosphere that Saturday brought, Monday was about learning and getting back for the players who participated.

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

Dolphins’ safeties share support for Tua Tagovailoa on Twitter

The quarterback has a lot of teammates backing him up.

This offseason, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has been receiving a lot of positive words from his head coach, Mike McDaniel, and his teammates.

The most vocal of the Dolphins has been wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who’s taken every opportunity to let fans and the media know that he believes in Tagovailoa being the right choice to lead Miami in 2022 and beyond.

During Saturday’s training camp session, the first that was able to be viewed by the public, Tagovailoa made some really great passes, including a 65-yard touchdown to Hill.

After the practice had ended, Dolphins safeties Jevon Holland and Brandon Jones both took to Twitter to share their support for their quarterback as well.

Linebacker Jaelan Phillips also retweeted Holland’s tweet, and cornerback Trill Williams shared his agreement as well.

Tagovailoa may have already had the respect of his defensive teammates, but his performance on Saturday earned him some public words of praise and appreciation.

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