Two better than one
Dolphins pair up with Eagles for workouts.
The Miami Dolphins’ most revealing, and possibly most productive practices in weeks will take place today and Tuesday when they go up against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Dolphins have a new quarterback (Jay Cutler signed Aug. 7) and a new middle linebacker (Rey Maualuga signed Saturday), so things won’t be razor sharp.
Still, these practices against the Eagles, as well as Thursday’s game, during which the starters should play the entire first half and into the third quarter, should provide valuable insight on areas the Dolphins must address before the Sept. 10 opener against Tampa Bay.
“If you can keep your guys focused on what you’re trying to do, it’s great competition,” coach Adam Gase said last week. “It’s fun for guys to go against somebody different instead of hitting their teammates. They’re going against a different team and a different style of ball.”
The biggest concerns are blending Cutler with the offense and Maualuga with the defense.
Cutler is entering his third week with the team and seems to have developed a rapport with wide receiver DeVante Parker. But everything with Cutler is very much in the preliminary stages.
Maualuga, the eight-year veteran who was released by Cincinnati in March for salary cap purposes, will be participating in his first practices with the Dolphins this week.
Beyond that, however, the Dolphins need to set aside their injury concerns with center Mike Pouncey (hip), right tackle Ja’Wuan
James (shoulder) and guardcenter Kraig Urbik (back) and get a glimpse of the starting five on the offensive line.
They also need to make sure the holes in the run defense, the one that ranked 30th in the NFL last season, have been sufficiently patched.
Gase said the Dolphins will follow Eagles coach Doug Pederson’s lead as far as the practice schedule and drills.
“I always kind of looked at it as we’re there, we’re going to do what they do, and it’s easy for us to adjust,” Gase said. “If somebody was coming here, it would probably be more than likely we’d be using our practice schedule.”
Among the key players to watch for Philadelphia are quarterback Carson Wentz, center Jason Kelce, wide receiver Alshon Jeffrey, left tackle Jason Peters, tight end Zach Ertz, running back LeGarrette Blount, cornerback Ronald Darby, safety Malcolm Jenkins, defensive tackle Fletcher Cox, defensive end Derek Barnett, and linebacker Nigel Bradham.
Wentz, the No. 2 pick of last year’s draft, had a good rookie year (16 touchdowns, 14 interceptions) but has struggled this preseason because the offensive line has been shaky. Kelce went to the Pro Bowl last season, and Jeffrey is a big-bodied receiver who should test the Dolphins’ secondary. Peters is a nine-time Pro Bowl selection and likely future Hall of Famer. Ertz had 78 receptions for 816 yards and four touchdowns last season. Blount is usually a battering ram but he’s has been sluggish so far.
Darby, acquired recently from Buffalo, had an interception and two passes broken up last week in his debut. Jenkins went to the Pro Bowl in 2015, and Cox went to the Pro Bowl last year. Barnett, the 14th pick in the draft, has three sacks in the preseason, and Bradham led the team in tackles last season with 102.
The Eagles, who finished 7-9 last year, are projected to finish around that same mark this season. But with their diverse offensive weapons — they also have speedy wide receiver Torrey Smith and shifty running back Darren Sproles — and physical defense, which, such as the Dolphins, goes heavy on the wide-nine alignment, Philadelphia should be a good test on both sides of the ball.
Gase said most teams are working on the same things as they gameplan for the third preseason game, so he’s not concerned about the Dolphins not getting enough work on certain aspects of the game, such as, say run defense.
“If there was something missing, I would just ask, ‘Hey, have you guys done this before or is there any interest in working on this?’ ” he said.
“Usually you can make some kind of compromise there or change something around, but for what [Philadelphia does], it kind of matches up with everything we do.”