Six takeaways from Dolphins offseason practices
Six takeaways from the Dolphins’ offseason program, which concludes this week:
The Dolphins’ offense, while obviously improved, remains a work in progress, understandable considering a new system is being installed. The speed is impressive, and “it’s hard to tell their tendencies,” Emmanuel Ogbah said.
But the line remains a question, particularly if
Terron Armstead has durability issues.
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was under constant pressure one day last week and under some pressure the following day. He was forced to throw early a couple of times in a short, light session on Tuesday.
Keep in mind that Armstead — the Pro Bowl centerpiece of the line — wasn’t participating as he heals from a minor knee procedure. But it would be a concern if Larnel Coleman, Greg Little or Kellen Diesch lines up at the position in a game next season, something that’s quite possible because Armstead has never played a full season and missed nine games in 2021.
Connor Williams, a left guard for the Cowboys, needs to prove he can play center, though he has the skill set to excel there provided he doesn’t have issues with snapping. “He’s been great,” said defensive tackle Raekwon Davis of Williams at center. “It’s a fair match” with those competing in practice.
But much depends on whether Liam Eichenberg (left guard) and
Austin Jackson (right tackle) take the step from poor to at least decent, and whether Robert Hunt evolves from good to very good.
Former Dolphins receiver OJ McDuffie, co-host of The Fish Tank podcast and the Dolphins radio postgame show, put it this way to me about the offensive line: “I can’t believe our guys we’ve drafted are that bad. It comes down to how they’re being coached. The best thing they’ve done is all the offensive coaches all have O-line experience.”
Tagovailoa has impressed teammates, who see real improvement in arm strength and leadership. He made one big mistake on Tuesday — an interception that Duke Riley returned 62 yards for a touchdown. That was his only pick thrown in the five practices open to the media this offseason.
He also displayed perfect touch on a wheel route to Salvon Ahmed.
“I just want people to understand I went for 150 with Matt Moore as my QB,” Tyreek Hill told NFL Network this week. “If you don’t remember that game [against Minnesota] 150 and one touchdown with Matt Moore as my QB. … And Tua is 10 [times better than] Matt Moore.”
Hill, who didn’t participate Tuesday (veteran’s day off) looks as great in practice as he does in games.
“He does something on the field every day that has you shaking your head,” Dolphins general manager Chris Grier told Sirius XM Radio.
“Everyone knows the speed and what he does. A phenomenal athlete. Multiple people in Kansas City told me just wait until you watch him in practice and watch the things he does. That’s what gets you excited.”
Ogbah said the Dolphins’ speed “is kind of similar to Kansas City, but we have way more speed now.”
Jaelan Phillips and
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Andrew Van Ginkel
need to take the next step as the Dolphins’ starting outside linebacker duo, and they looked good the past few weeks.
Both were very disruptive, generating considerable pressure on the quarterback. Whether Phillips can improve against the run must play out in preseason games and padded practices.
Though Phillips had 8.5 sacks as a rookie, PFF rated him just 102nd as a run defender among 113 qualifying edge players. Ogbah said it’s clear that Phillips is bigger and stronger.
Van Ginkel ranked fifth among all NFL edge players with 16 quarterback hits, sandwiched between
Pro Bowlers T.J. Watt and Myles Garrett. He also had 45 pressures.
But he had only four sacks, and that — combined with subpar coverage metric grades — accounted for his low overall grade from PFF, despite the fact that the metrics site rated him the 19th-best run defender among edge players.
The rookies have flashed, but don’t necessarily expect big immediate contributions.
Third-rounder Channing Tindall deflected one pass from Skylar Thompson but was beaten on that Ahmed wheel route on Tuesday. He has a ways to go to beat out Duke Riley for the No. 3
inside linebacker job;
Riley has looked very good.
Seventh-round edge player Cameron Goode got pressure on the quarterback on at least one play, but expectations are modest for seventh-round picks.
Seventh-rounder Thompson shows the skills to be a practicesquad developmental QB but holds onto the ball too long at times. Fourthround receiver Erik Ezukamna caught two passes, including a 20-yarder, on Tuesday.
ZaQuandre White has displayed a burst that made it easy to understand why he averaged 6.2 yards per carry (on 102 attempts) for South Carolina in the SEC, America’s toughest conference.
Everybody loves Mike McDaniel, but he is pushing them hard. “We all get Mike,” guard Hunt said. “You can tell he has our back. He’s younger. We can relate to him.”
CHATTER
UM, still looking to upgrade its receiver group for this season, will host Scranton (Pennsylvania) Lackawanna Junior College player Colbie Young
on a visit this month. He’s also considering Pittsburgh and Tennessee, among others. The 6-4 Young had 24 catches for 472 yards and nine TDs in nine games last season.
The Heat is very much open to using the 27th overall pick in this month’s draft as a trade chip.
“Where we are drafting late at 27, it’s sort of a crapshoot when you’re looking for talent,” Pat Riley said, noting something could present “itself that causes you to say I’ll do this [trade] that would transcend drafting someone.”
Top Marlins pitching prospect Max Meyer is close to a return after missing three weeks with ulnar nerve irritation. … One of the Marlins’ other topic pitching prospects, Jake Eder, is nearly recovered from Tommy John surgery and will be a fullgo by next spring.
The Marlins are attending a Tuesday workout for veteran big-league closer Trevor Rosenthal,
according to a source. Rosenthal has 132 career saves, including 11 in
2020 for San Diego and Kansas City, when he posted a 1.90 ERA.
Rosenthal, 32, signed a one-year, $11 million deal with Oakland before the 2021 season but didn’t pitch at all because of thoracic outlet surgery and a torn labrum in his hip. He had consecutive seasons of 45 and 48 saves in 2014 and 2015 for the Cardinals.