Tag: Blake Ferguson

Watch: Blake Ferguson, Salvon Ahmed crash 2021 Dolphins Media Day

Watch: Blake Ferguson, Salvon Ahmed crash 2021 Dolphins Media Day

 

Miami Dolphins Media Day has long since come and gone, with Dolphins players taking the time to enjoy some peace and quiet before the start of training camp at the end of the month. But even after Media Day has passed, the closed door event is a gift that keeps on giving to Miami Dolphins fans everywhere — as we’re getting more and more looks behind the curtain to help bridge the gap between now and the start of camp.

The latest highlight comes from a pair of 2020 rookies — long-snapper Blake Ferguson and running back Salvon Ahmed, who got mic’d up and went undercover at Media Day to attempt to derail the photoshoots of their respective teammates.

Needless to say, it’s worth the watch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJPAHSfEMlQ

Between Ahmed proclaiming his expertise in photography and Ferguson tossing a few balls at the feet of Nik Needham, Dolphins players are likely going to be on high alert for these two once camp rolls around — as you never know when a good prank may just end up being valuable offseason content.

How have Dolphins’ 2020 Day 3 rookies tackled first 4 games?

How have Dolphins’ 2020 Day 3 rookies tackled first 4 games?

The Miami Dolphins’ rookie class of 2020 infused a great deal of talent onto the roster, although the team isn’t necessarily going to fully benefit from all of that added ability this season with the rookie class so young and inexperienced. Watching them grow this season will be of great interest to the team and, with another slew of draft selections awaiting in the fall, the Dolphins will be able to pivot and adjust their strategies at the end of the year once the full 16 game season has been played. But what should they feel about the rookie class through the first four weeks of the 2020 NFL season?

Let’s check in with each of Miami’s rookie Day 3 talents and see how they’ve been doing.

Nov 9, 2019; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs offensive linemen Andrew Thomas (71) and Solomon Kindley (66) react after a Georgia touchdown against the Missouri Tigers during the second half at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

No. 111 overall – OG Solomon Kindley 

The Dolphins should be thrilled with the early returns on Kindley, who has been a starter for each of the first four games and helped serve as a tone-setting player up front. His play is somewhat watered down by the lack of ceiling illustrated by Jesse Davis at right tackle, the duo often gets their combo blocks filtered out late and they certainly need to be more proficient at blocking both defenders. But in one on ones, Kindley has been solid. He’s been arguably the Dolphins’ best OL across all four weeks — proving Miami’s eye for him and justifying their call to trade up for him early on Day 3.

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Dolphins update reserve/COVID-19 list with two new designations

Dolphins update reserve/COVID-19 list with two new designations

The Miami Dolphins have had a steady stream of updates for the league’s new reserve/COVID-19 list over the course of the past week or so. The Dolphins have already seen several players come on and off the list — with such a thorough testing approach this summer to attempt to solidify the locker room as a “safe space” from the ongoing virus, it was inevitable that positive tests — or at the very least, close contact with positive cases that signaled high risk potential — would be found and weeded out.

Miami announced two designations related to the new reserve/COVID-19 list yesterday, with projected starting guard Ereck Flowers being added to the list and rookie long snapper Blake Ferguson being removed from the list.

Ferguson was one of the first three players to be added to the list alongside fellow rookie Benito Jones and cornerback Cordrea Tankersley. Jones was on the list for a few days, whereas the Tankersley remains and is joined by Flowers, LB Jerome Baker and DL Zach Sieler as the current Dolphins players on the list.

The Dolphins will be eligible to remove all four players from the list when they meet the necessary requirements for removal — there should be no long-term impact on the Dolphins’ starting lineup and these designations, with so much time between now and the season opener, should clear up with plenty of time for all four talents to be given the green light for play. That is, of course, assuming there will be no additional close brushes with the virus between now and then.

Dolphins place three players on reserve/COVID-19 list

Dolphins place three players on reserve/COVID-19 list

The Miami Dolphins have seen rookies and injured players enter the team facilities on more than one occasion to this point — with the intention behind the reporting of the players to the team facility in Davie to test for COVID-19 and attempt to cutoff any potential infections that could find their way into the team facility.

Part of the new protocols for the 2020 NFL season, as dictated by the amendments to the collective bargaining agreement that were added this past week, includes a COVID-19 reserve list — the purpose being to designate players who must quarantine for either testing positive or being in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19. The exact circumstances are not meant to be discussed in each case out of respect of the privacy of the players.

The Miami Dolphins put this new list to work for the first time yesterday, announcing that the team had placed three players on the reserve/COVID-19 list:

  • Long snapper Blake Ferguson 
  • Defensive tackle Benito Jones
  • Cornerback Cordrea Tankersley

The Dolphins also released a statement in relation to the roster moves. The Dolphins’ statement, which can be read below, was designed to educate fans on this new roster designation:

“This new reserve list category was created for a player who either tests positive for COVID-19 or who has been quarantined after having been in close contact with an infected person or persons. If a player falls into either of these categories, their club is required to immediately place the player on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Per agreed upon NFL-NFLPA policy, clubs are not permitted to comment on a player’s medical status other than referring to roster status. Clubs may not disclose whether a player is in quarantine or positive for COVID-19.”

Dolphins sign rookie long snapper Blake Ferguson

Dolphins sign rookie long snapper Blake Ferguson

The Miami Dolphins’ efforts to lock in their 2020 rookie class continue. The Dolphins have been able to sign a majority of their Day 3 selections from last month’s draft — starting with offensive guard Solomon Kindley, followed quickly thereafter by DL Jason Strowbridge and DE Curtis Weaver and now the addition of long-snapper Blake Ferguson.

Ferguson comes to Miami as an unheralded member of the LSU Tigers’ 2019-2020 National Championship team and has already secured the starting long-snapper position over incumbent Taybor Pepper, who was cut in the immediate aftermath of the 2020 NFL Draft in April.

Pepper was the man who unseated long-time snapper John Denney — but Miami did not hesitate to move on after just one season when the opportunity to draft Ferguson arose late in the 2020 draft’s third and final day. Miami will still need to finalize a deal with Malcolm Perry and the team’s six selections on the draft’s first two days, but with five players signed the Dolphins are on the cusp of the halfway mark in negotiations with their 2020 rookie class.

Bears met with a kicker, punter and long snapper at Senior Bowl

The Bears did their due diligence with special teamers during the Senior Bowl last week, meeting with some well-known prospects.

The Bears did their due diligence with special teamers during the Senior Bowl last week, where they met with some prospects that could be future Bears.

The Bears met with Georgia kicker Rodrigo Blankenship, Texas A&M punter Braden Mann and LSU long snapper Blake Ferguson at the Senior Bowl.

While Bears kicker Eddy Pineiro had a solid rookie season — where he connected on 23-of-28 field goals (82.1%) — it looks like the Bears are still looking at kickers.

And in terms of great college kickers, Blakenship is one of the best. He went 66-for-79 for 83.5% on field goals in his career, including 6-for-8 on kicks from 50 and longer. He also made all 174 extra points in college.

Bears punter Pat O’Donnell signed a two-year extension last March, which leaves him under contract through 2021. O’Donnell averaged 44.8 yards per punt, which ranked 26th in the NFL, including a long of 75 yards. O’Donnell also had 26 punts inside the 20-yard line, which ranked 16th in the league.

If the Bears were looking for a replacement for O’Donnell, Mann is a good prospect to watch. In his career with Texas A&M, Mann averaged 49.1 yards per punt, including a career-long of 82 yards.

Chicago has a decision to make at the long snapper position. Patrick Scales is a pending free agent, which means Ferguson could wind up being the most likely target of the three special teamers they met with last week.

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