Injuries give rookies a shot
Tight ends Gesicki Smythe are getting more practice reps
DAVIE — When Miami Dolphins tight end MarQueis Gray went down to one knee midway through Monday’s practice you figured it was another injury to a veteran tight end. And you figured it was another day the veteran tight ends would fall behind the rookies.
Gray, who has been battling a right leg injury, didn’t return to practice, so it was fortunate for Miami that fellow veteran tight end A.J. Derby returned after an extended layoff due to a foot injury.
But the vets will still have a tough time keeping the starting jobs they’d had since offseason workouts.
The ailments to Gray and Derby have opened the door for rookies Mike Gesicki and Durham Smythe to get valuable reps.
Last year, Miami got just 56 receptions for 525 yards and four touchdowns from its tight ends.
The Dolphins are hoping to improve that total this year but conventional wisdom says either Gray or Derby, or both, will make the roster and will be needed early in the season.
Offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains said Miami can’t wait for the veterans to get healthy.
“We’d love to see everybody,” Loggains said. “We’re going to worry about what we can control and we can’t control injuries. Our mentality is next man up. We can’t control that and we’re not going to spend a whole lot of time worrying about that because it should be a room that we’re getting better every day.
“We drafted two players in that room for a reason. Whoever is in there, and whoever gets that opportunity, better compete because it is a room that there is some competition in.”
Gray and Derby were valued during organized team activities and minicamp because they were veterans, had been with the Dolphins previously and both are former college quarterbacks so they have a deep understanding of offense.
But both are having trouble staying healthy.
Miami’s tight end position, which also includes Gavin Escobar and Thomas Duarte, must be productive for the offense to have its best chance of success.
And so far it appears the position will be largely manned by youngsters. After all, Loggains said the Dolphins know what they have in Derby (two receptions, 20 yards in 2017) and Gray (one reception 10, yards in 2017).
“I was with MarQueis in Cleveland in 2014, and coach [Adam Gase] has been around him,” Loggains said. “We have a good evaluation of him and A.J. He was here last year.
“So the most important thing is that we need to figure out these young guys as well. In the preseason, we’re not ready to make a determination on anyone at this point, but the more reps they can get, the more situations that they can get put in, they need all of it.”