QB David Fales happy with chance to compete for job.
David Fales has been signed, released and then re-signed by every NFL team he’s played for since 2014.
That means the Chicago Bears, Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins have all had a level of respect for Fales’ quarterback skills, but something prevented each franchise from buying in.
Each team has liked Fales’ accuracy, and the Chad Pennington-like touch he puts on his passes. But there’s always been skepticism, if not criticism about his arm strength, and that has kept teams from investing more in him.
But for the first time in his career Fales has begun training camp as an NFL team’s top reserve. He’s rotating with Brock Osweiler to determine who serves as Ryan Tannehill’s backup in 2018, and for once Fales believes he’s being given a legitimate opportunity to excel.
“It’s awesome,” Fales said of the open competition with Osweiler, a sixth-year veteran who has started 25 games. “This is the first year I’ve ever been in this opportunity. I get to come out here every day and know I’m going to get a chance to make a play.
“When you’re a bubble guy, you get two reps in practice, maybe. And with those two reps you’re thinking, ‘I’ve got to do something with it,’ ” Fales explained, referring to throws he might get during an 11-on-11 series. “When you start thinking like that, now instead of taking your completions you’re trying to throw something down the field.”
This is Fales’ third camp running Adam Gase’s system as they were together in Chicago in 2015 and Miami in 2017, so he’s “settled in” with this offense, and Fales says that allows him to play to his strengths.
Gase says he recognizes growth from Fales, who lost a position
battle to Colin Kaepernick at the University of Nevada, then transferred to Monterey Peninsula Community College for one season before becoming a two-year starter at San Jose State, where he owns 25 school records.
Arm strength is one aspect of improvement Gase noticed from Fales when he returned to the Dolphins in 2017 after being resigned in week eight because of Jay Cutler’s rib injury. Gase said
the core work Fales has done helped him with his velocity.
“He has a very good presence about him, whether it be in the pocket or moving around,” Gase said. “He sees things some other quarterbacks can’t see and that’s something that’s caught our eye.”
Miami’s coaches plan to have Fales and Osweiler rotate between the second and third unit, equally working with the same linemen and playmakers and hoping that it has will balance out the sample size.
“When we get into the preseason it will be interesting to see if someone separates themselves,” Gase said.
Last year Fales started to impress Miami’s coaches and his teammates late in camp as he battled with Brandon Doughty for the No. 3 role. Then he excelled in the preseason, producing a 99.6 passer rating while throwing five touchdowns in 54 attempts. However, that showing didn’t earn him a spot on Miami’s 53-man roster because the Dolphins were only carrying two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster, and Matt Moore was entrenched as the top backup.
When he got re-signed, Fales practiced so well he eventually unseated an injured Moore as the team’s top backup. He played all but one series in the season finale as Cutler removed himself early in the 22-16 loss to Buffalo.
Fales completed 29 of 42 passes for 265 yards and one touchdown in that game, but threw a gamesealing interception in the fourthquarter loss, which allowed the Bills to qualify for the playoffs.
Fales said he intends to build on his third NFL game, extinguishing all doubt that he belongs in the NFL.
“This year everything is starting to come together a little bit more. I’m more relaxed,” Fales said. “You don’t always have to make a play with your two reps so I can settle in and not feel like I have to make a big play with every rep I get.”