Category: Dolphins Training Camp

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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Mike McDaniel, Mike Gesicki talk plans for the tight end in 2022

The new system is a challenge for the tight end.

When the Miami Dolphins placed the franchise tag on Mike Gesicki, giving him a one-year, fully-guaranteed contract, the team was essentially saying they want to see him play in this system before they make a long-term investment.

New head coach Mike McDaniel, coming from the Kyle Shanahan coaching tree, uses an in-line tight end a lot more than Miami has in the past, so Gesicki is going to be asked to take on that new challenge in 2022.

If he succeeds, Miami will have to compete to pay him near the top of the market. If he fails, they can simply move on next offseason.

On Saturday, McDaniel shared some insight into his conversations with the former Nittany Lion this offseason and how he’s going about blocking.

“We try day after day to get your game to the best of its ability so at the end of the year, Mike, you make that franchise tag look like a discount. That means you’ve been playing at a level that makes the Dolphins better that also improves your socio-economic status for the longterm…

“Everybody knows his ball skills and range are outstanding. That [helps create] separation. He wants to attack blocking with a different severity than he ever has before. We’re fortunate and he’s fortunate that his position coach, Jon Embree, will settle for nothing less. Those are things he’s embracing. I’m excited to see how it looks.”

After the training camp session, Gesicki spoke to the media and was also asked about playing on the franchise tag and his expectations for the season. The tight end stated that he didn’t think he was going to get a long-term deal this offseason from Miami, so he’s not upset that one didn’t come. He also said he expects to play more in-line, as he didn’t take a single snap as a receiver during the fourth session.

While a lot of eyes will be on Tua Tagovailoa’s performance this season, just as many should be looking at Gesicki’s because it will decide his future with the organization.

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6 takeaways from Dolphins’ training camp Day 4

The atmosphere was different.

The Miami Dolphins took the field on Saturday for their first training camp session under Mike McDaniel where fans were able to watch from the stands at Baptist Health Training Complex just across from Hard Rock Stadium.

Training camp is a great value for fans, as they get close-up looks at up to 90 players learning and tuning their skills before they get to step on the field for a regular season game.

The next time fans will see them on the field is Tuesday, August 2.

Here’s what we learned from Day 4 of camp.

Mike McDaniel provides injury updates on two Dolphins

One player was seen in a walking boot this week.

The Miami Dolphins entered training camp with a few players dealing with injuries that everyone was aware of, as Byron Jones was placed on the PUP list, and Elijah Campbell was placed on the NFI list before camp even started.

Then, there were veterans who were working back from things but would be limited participants like left tackle Terron Armstead and running back Raheem Mostert.

However, there hadn’t been an update on defensive tackle Adam Butler, who hadn’t been practicing, or center Michael Deiter, who was seen in a walking boot this week.

Before Saturday’s camp session, McDaniel provided a bit of an update on Butler and Deiter’s statuses.

Butler “is dealing with a slight injury that he’s trying to work through,” McDaniel said. He also added that Deiter had “a little foot deal first or second day of practice. We’re waiting through weekend to learn more.”

More information will likely come the next time McDaniel speaks to the media next week.

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Dolphins LB Melvin Ingram is just as confident as ever

He’s ready for another challenge.

The Miami Dolphins signed linebacker Melvin Ingram to a one-year deal worth roughly $4 million after a 2021 season that saw the veteran split time between the Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers.

At 33 years old and coming off of a season where he only recorded two sacks, Ingram was itching to get to work in training camp, as he fought with the coaching staff to get work in team drills during the team’s first session.

After their second session on Thursday, Ingram spoke to the media and was asked if he’s entrenched in his new team, and the linebacker displayed some of his patented confidence.

“A thousand percent,” Ingram said. “Man, I’m me – I’m (going to) fit in anywhere. It’s just me, man. I’m different. I’m a special person. So I fit in no matter where I go. I’m going to come in and do whatever they ask me to do, how they want me to do it, when they want me to do it. So I’m going to fit in no matter where I go.”

With his age and production dipping a bit, Ingram was being asked about playing in a rotational role before he cut off the question.

“I’m (going to) still be me,” Ingram said. “Let me cut you off – I’m (going to) still be me.”

While the sack numbers are down, his pressures are still impressive. According to Pro Football Focus, Ingram created pressure on 11% of his pass-rushing snaps in 2021, which is roughly the same as Emmanuel Ogbah, who finished the season with nine sacks before receiving a large extension.

If Ingram is still creating pressure and forcing quarterbacks to make mistakes, that’s just as important as getting sacks. If he’s doing that, he proves that he’s still him.

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6 takeaways from Day 2 of Dolphins training camp

There was a wideout wearing the orange practice jersey.

After returning for their first practice session of the 2022 iteration of training camp, the Miami Dolphins gathered for practice once again on Thursday. Fans, however, won’t be able to see the team take the field until Saturday.

Before the team stepped on the field, new head coach Mike McDaniel took questions from the media that asked about a variety of topics, including his reaction to the first day, Melvin Ingram’s participation, Connor Williams playing center and more.

Here are some of the things we learned during Day 2 of the Dolphins’ training camp from Baptist Health Training Complex across from Hard Rock Stadium.

Tua Tagovailoa is hard on himself but doesn’t feel outside pressure

Pressure comes with the position.

When someone is at the top of their craft, it’s the work and dedication that keeps them there and drives them to continue improving.

For Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa he is never fully happy with the work that he puts in. In the past, he’s stated that those traits come from his family, who pushed him to get better and be the best that he can be.

Before practice on Wednesday, Tagovailoa’s head coach, Mike McDaniel, said that Tagovailoa is hard on himself because he expects more. Then, after practice, the quarterback went a little deeper into that.

“I would say that being hard on myself has always been a trait,” Tagovailoa said. “And, I think for any competitor, that’s the way we’ve kinda grown to become as professional athletes. I think everyone’s hard on themselves to a certain extent, but for me, I know my capabilities, and so when I’m not playing up to it or living up to it, it gets frustrating. I think everyone on the team feels the same way when they don’t do their job the way they’re supposed to do it because overall, it either benefits the team or it doesn’t.”

While he’s hard on himself, he doesn’t see it as putting pressure on himself.

“I would say I never put pressure on myself, but it comes with the position,” Tagovailoa said. “Pressure’s always there playing this position and playing in the NFL. For any professional athlete, anyone can attest that it’s unadded pressure. We put that pressure on ourselves to compete every day, to be our best, to do things the right way consistently.”

Entering 2022, there may not be a player in the league with more to gain or lose than Tagovailoa. He’s heard the outside comments from talking heads, but they don’t seem to phase him.

“I don’t know any of those guys,” Tagovailoa said. “It’s that, what they have to say, good for them. That’s probably a good thing for them to say. They draw people for clickbait or, I don’t know, whatever that is.

“To me, if I can’t hear you, then you’re not that important to me. If you’re in my circle and I can hear you, what you’re saying, then obviously, you’ve got to be extremely important to me. If I can’t hear it, then it’s probably not important.”

Keeping distractions to a minimum is important. We all a little spark in Tagovailoa’s play last season after the trade deadline passed and there were no more conversations about Deshaun Watson taking his job.

With an improved offensive unit, Tagovailoa will do his best to silence his critics, even if he doesn’t hear them.

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Dolphins LB Melvin Ingram fought to practice on Wednesday

The plan wasn’t to have him participate to the level that he did.

The Miami Dolphins didn’t add much to their defense this offseason, but one player they did bring in was veteran linebacker Melvin Ingram.

Ingram joined the Dolphins on a team-friendly one-year deal after a 2021 season split between the Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers that saw him record just two sacks, his lowest total since 2013 when he played in just four games.

However, he still brings the ability to create pressure and veteran leadership that any team can always use more of.

On Wednesday, members of the media got to see him practice for the first time in aqua and orange, and he actually got reps in team drills, despite head coach Mike McDaniel and his staff wanting the linebacker to take it easy.

“It was really cool to see him yesterday because his plan was, where he was practicing for the first time, but he wasn’t scheduled,” McDaniel said. “We had planned to not have him in team periods, just so we don’t rush the process and make sure that we don’t put him in harm’s way. And, he was fighting tooth and nail with the defensive coaches, in general, and they let the guy in for a couple plays which I immediately saw and made sure it was on his agenda, which it was. That’s what you want as a leader on the team or a veteran player that’s had production. You want to be on the field. You want younger players to understand it’s a privilege to be on the field.”

While Ingram might not have been working in minicamp or OTA sessions earlier this offseason, he’s continued to help a young linebacker like Jaelan Phillips develop his game.

“He’s been mentoring me some, taking me under his wing,” Phillips said about Ingram.

That’s where the veteran’s addition is invaluable. If he can teach the second-year former Hurricane some tricks of the trade, Phillips could see his both his pressure and sack numbers rise in 2022.

Add that to the intensity and drive that Ingram’s bringing, and this signing’s looking like a great one earlier on.

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WATCH: Dolphins’ Christian Wilkins mic’d up for training camp Day 1

It went about how you’d expect.

For the Miami Dolphins, there are a few guys that they can rely on to bring the energy every time they step on the field. One of those guys is defensive lineman Christian Wilkins.

Wilkins keeps things light in his conversations and interactions with his teammates, but he’s as ferocious as they come in competition.

During the first practice session of Miami’s training camp, Wilkins was disruptive against the run, pushing the opposing offensive linemen around. And, when he wasn’t participating in a drill, he was supporting his teammates and keeping the energy high.

All of that was evident in the video the team released after practice that had Wilkins on the mic.

Every team needs a guy like him.

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Dolphins’ stats to remember as 2022 training camp begins

These are some building blocks for 2022.

The Miami Dolphins officially open their training camp, and Wednesday was packed with early action starting with a fun-filled media session that included a group selfie, believe it or not.

Coach Mike McDaniel has started his tenure and opened his first camp, and showed the hospitable ways of the Dolphins franchise by participating in a group photo with him and the South Florida press, reminiscent of that Oscar’s selfie from a few years back.

Nevertheless, football is here, and before truly looking ahead to the 2022 season, let’s close the books on some numbers and accomplishments from the Dolphins last season, as well as some historical numbers.