Mixed news on Fins’ veteran player signings
Dolphins notes and observations with one day left in the offseason program:
Because the Dolphins went shopping mostly in the bargain bin of free agency, expectations for these veteran player signings were modest. So far, results have been mixed.
On the negative side, former Bills starter Jordan Mills has disappointed to the point where he lost his first-team right tackle position after a week, replaced by guard Jesse Davis the past two days. Nate Orchard abused Mills for two sacks on Tuesday.
Though it appears the Dolphins would love for Eric Rowe to win the cornerback job opposite Xavien Howard — he has being given every chance — Rowe has been beaten on deep and intermediate routes a bunch of times in practices open to the media.
On Wednesday, he was toasted on a 70-plus yard TD pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick to DeVante Parker. If Rowe isn’t better in August, the Dolphins will need to play Minkah Fitzpatrick full time at boundary corner, which they seem reluctant to do.
Tight end Dwyane Allen has been sidelined for several weeks, but the Dolphins know what they’re getting there — a good leader and skilled blocker.
On the plus side, Ryan Fitzpatrick has been very good, and edge rusher Orchard — cut by four teams in the past 10 months — has shown the skills that prompted Cleveland to draft him in the second round four years ago, after an 18 senior season at Utah. Orchard (five sacks in 38 NFL games) has displayed good speed and polished moves as a pass rusher the past two weeks.
Running back Mark Walton might be Miami’s best receiver out of the backfield, and tight end Clive Walford has made several catches.
And finally, there’s Tank Carradine, who has 5 sacks in 45 NFL games (44 of those for San Francisco).
He’s going to get a lot of work at defensive end on this team, and he’s made several plays in practices open to reporters.
Carradine, a former second-round pick of the 49ers in 2013, played just one game in the league last year (for Oakland) before being cut Oct. 6. What happened?
“I was starting and me and the defensive coordinator got into a disagreement about stuff and he decided to not let me play. I didn’t think it was fair. After that disagreement, they told me to go sit and see how things go. I asked for a release and said, ‘I’m not about to sit, I’m getting older and I earned the right to play.’ I asked them to release me.”
The GM who granted that request, Reggie McKenzie, now is a senior personnel executive for Miami.
“He knows it wasn’t fair; I don’t know if it was his call or not,” Carradine said.
Carradine, down to his lowest weight since college (260), said this system — which uses him in multiple ways — “fits me really good. I am grateful they gave me this opportunity to redeem my career.”
Based on how he’s being used, it looks like the Dolphins think very highly of former Iowa State and Patriots practice squad corner Jomal Wiltz .… Young corners Jalen Davis, Monte Hartage and Cornell Armstrong have all had some very good moments. … Parker (two more touchdowns Wednesday) has been Miami’s best player the past month.
Running back Kalen Ballage has had trouble as a receiver out of the backfield. … Undrafted receiver Preston Williams continues to mix great catches with missteps, including an easy drop of a TD pass. He’s got size (6-4) and decent speed but must be more consistent.
Coach Brian Flores told tight end Mike Gesicki on Wednesday that “one drop is one too many, one penalty is one too many. I’m hard on Mike because I see a lot of potential in him.”
CHATTER
An associate said Heat veteran Udonis Haslem is training hard three to four days a week, with the intensity of someone who wants to play next season. Haslem said during the season that he was leaning toward playing another season. … Kentucky power forward P.J. Washington and swingman Keldon Johnson — both strong candidates for the Heat’s pick at No. 13 — booked pre-draft workouts and visits with the Heat.
With 27 hits in his first 19 games, Harold Ramirez (.370) has become the Marlins’ best offensive story this season. Ramirez, who hit .303 in eight minor-league seasons, admits he’s “surprised” by his success. Mets second baseman Robinson Cano approached Ramirez and cracked: “I don’t know how every Ramirez hits the ball.”
Ramirez, who was left off the Blue Jays’ 40-man roster, opted for free agency last November and chose the Marlins over the Giants, Yankees and others.
“He’s pretty stubborn in the way he hits,” manager Don Mattingly said. “No matter what they try to do to him, he stays with what he’s trying to do. He’s [faced] [Jacob] deGrom, [Max] Scherzer ,[ Patrick] Corbin. Some qualify stuff he’s seen and nothing seems to faze him.”
Through 10 rounds of the draft, the Marlins snagged three of the players who rank in the top 43 in RBI in college baseball this season (Wright State’s Peyton Burdick, Vanderbilt’s JJ Bleday and North Carolina State’s Evan Edwards), plus three of the top 51 in home runs (with Bleday first nationally with 26) as well as the NCAA’s 2019 stolen base leader (Wright State’s J.D. Orr with 60).
A UM player says football coach Manny Diaz’s new disciplinary tactics — including having veteran players watch over small groups of teammates — are working and having better results than former coach Mark Richt’s approach.