A Ford in their future
Receiver has been a top performer in camp’s first week
DAVIE — The minute Isaiah Ford walked up to his locker and noticed the red practice jersey in it, the Miami Dolphins receiver knew the unorthodox color meant to limit contact would turn him into a target.
Not for hits and collisions like the one Ford had at the end of a 40-yard reception Friday, which injured his shoulder and ended his practice.
But for the jokes he’d be subjected to as long as the red jersey, which is generally worn by quarterbacks or injured players, was mandated by the Dolphins’ medical staff.
How would Ford respond to the ribbing?
He’d keep beating defensive backs on routes, producing big plays, which established him as one of Miami’s top performers in the first week of training camp.
“This is what I expect to do,” said Ford, who left Virginia Tech after his junior season with 210 receptions for 2,967 yards and 27 touchdowns in three seasons. “I’ve been doing this my entire life. I love to compete and that’s what I expect to do.”
Last year, Ford didn’t even make it through training camp because he suffered a knee injury in Week 2 of practice, which required arthroscopic surgery. He spent his entire rookie season rehabbing and serving as Ryan Tannehill’s target during their rehab work.
Since the spring he’s displayed impressive body control, which allows him to contort his body for difficult catches. He tracks the ball well, and despite running a pedestrian 4.64 time in the 40-yard dash, he’s been able to get open deep.
“He’s a talented guy,” Tannehill said Monday. “He’s able to make plays on the ball and he’s doing a good job so far in camp of showing that.”
Miami’s coaches liked the mental aspect of Ford’s game so much they decided to develop him as a slot receiver, making him the understudy to Danny Amendola, who is teaching him the intricacies of being an inside receiver, which requires him to make hot route reads and sight adjustments based on a defense’s coverage.
“He had more knowledge than what he had before, so was able to play faster,” said coach Adam Gase. “He had a better understating of how to get open in that position, how to use the defense’s leverage against him and made a lot of plays in the spring. Now you see him and he’s making plays.”
The biggest challenge Miami’s coaches and trainers have with Ford is making sure he can stay healthy because of his injury history, and slim 6-foot-2, 189-pound frame.
That’s how the red jersey status surfaced, because the staff ’s focus is to get Ford to the exhibition season to see if his playmaking prowess carries over to games. If it does, Ford could force Dolphins management to make some tough decisions come late August.
The Dolphins top-4 receivers — DeVante Parker, Kenny Stills, Danny Amendola and Albert Wilson — are already entrenched, and considering Jakeem Grant has been the first week’s top playmaker, and serves as the team’s primary kick and punt returner, it’s an uphill battle for any other receiver to make it onto Miami’s 53-man regular-season roster unless an injury sidelines someone, or Miami keeps six receivers on the 53-man roster, which is possible.
Leonte Carroo, Miami’s 2016 third-round pick, has had a quiet first week of camp, and it appears that Ford has pushed himself ahead of Drew Morgan, Rashawn Scott and Malcolm Lewis, who were all on Miami’s practice squad last season.
Ford has established himself as both backup quarterbacks Brock Osweiler and David Fales’ goto target.
Nothing about what Ford’s done so far in camp has surprised him, despite his slow start in the NFL, which he entered as a 2017 seventh-round pick.
“It was a long time coming,” Ford said.
“I worked extremely hard trying to get myself healthy, doing the things I need to do to be available and to be out there and just showcase what I can do.”