South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Rookies could have big say in way Dolphins season finishes
DAVIE – Miami Dolphins rookie defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick, a 2018 firstround pick, has shown he is capable of being a franchise cornerstone.
Rookie kicker Jason Sanders, a seventhround pick, has been one of the most accurate in the NFL, making 15 of 16 field goals.
Linebacker Jerome Baker, a third-round selection, has continued to improve each week, and his pick-six interception against the Jets was the catalyst for a season sweep over a division rival.
The Dolphins, who will return to action after this week’s bye for a road game against
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the Indianapolis Colts on Nov. 25, are playing without a significant number of key starters due to various injuries.
Still, the Dolphins have hopes of contending for a playoff spot for the second Miami Dolphins rookie running back Kalen Ballage says he has been able to “learn a whole bunch” from veteran Frank Gore.
time under coach Adam Gase and will need even greater contributions from their rookies.
“It’s been a great few weeks for me, having the Pick 6 and some pretty decent games,” said Baker, who has 52 tackles and two sacks for the Dolphins (5-5).
“It means a lot that all the work I’m putting in is finally paying off. We just have to finish the season strong and get some wins. That’s my main focus.”
The Dolphins have received significant contributions from players like Fitzpatrick, Sanders and Baker during their first seasons in the NFL, but Miami’s rookie class has five more players also making progress.
Tight end Mike Gesicki, running back Kalen Ballage and defensive back Cornell Armstrong have also made the most of their opportunities when called upon, while tight end Durham Smythe has played sparingly and linebacker Quentin Polling is on the practice squad.
Gesicki may not yet be living up to his second-round draft selection, but he has caught 17 of 24 targets for 151 yards and 8.9 yards per catch. He still needs to improve his blocking technique and fill out his 6-foot-6, 245-pound frame. Rookie safety Minkah Fitzpatrick has already shown he can serve as a cornerstone for the Dolphins.
Smythe – a fourth-round pick – has seen his opportunities limited with the addition of tight end Nick O’Leary and A.J. Derby’s return from a foot injury.
“They’ve gotten better,” Gase said of his rookie tight ends. “I know everybody wants to look at stats and that type of thing, but Mike has gotten better in a lot of different areas. I think Durham constantly is improving. … We just know at some point, either this year or down the road, it’s going to be good for us as an organization because I think those two guys can help us for a long time.”
Armstrong, a sixth-round pick from Southern Mississippi, has entered the Dolphins’ secondary rotation, getting some snaps at cornerback while earning significant praise from longtime special teams coach Darren Rizzi.
“I really thought Cornell Armstrong, since the day he walked in, is probably, if not the most improved rookie, certainly one of the most improved guys on the team,” Rizzi said. “I think he did a great job of picking up special teams and just getting better every preseason game, every practice. I’ve really liked his progression.”
Ballage, who has appeared in five games, may have the steepest climb into a playing rotation, sitting behind Frank Gore and Kenyan Drake.
But the Dolphins have given Ballage a few snaps in Wildcat formations.
Ballage has been on the active roster each game since Week 6 after Gase said he regretted not having Ballage available during the Dolphins’ come-from-behind win over the Bears in Week 5.
“Anytime I’m out there, I make the most of it, but I’m definitely not upset at all in the situation I’m in,” said Ballage, a fourth-round pick out of Arizona State. “I’m behind Frank Gore and I get to learn a whole bunch. And Kenyan Drake is a really young, talented running back.
“If I get to get out there on the field, that means I’m doing something right to wiggle in and get some snaps between those guys.”