Baker shows promise, veteran Mills demoted
DAVIE — The Dolphins began the second week of training camp with a physical padded practice, which featured plenty of special teams work as the team gears up for Saturday’s 1 p.m. scrimmage at Hard Rock Stadium.
Stock Up
Jerome Baker, who had a promising rookie season, contributing 79 tackles, three sacks and one interception, seems to be picking up where he left off last year. Baker has been responsible for most of Miami’s sacks during training camp, effectively hunting down quarterbacks on blitzes. He produced a couple of wouldbe sacks on blitzes during Tuesday’s practice. Baker also gave fullback Chandler Cox a good hit, stopping the rookie for a reception at the line of scrimmage by putting him on his backside.
Stock Down
Jordan Mills held the starting right tackle spot the first week of training camp, but Tuesday’s offensive line shuffling saw him demoted to the second and third team. Mills, a six-year veteran, who is viewed as a run-blocking specialist, needs to work his way back up the depth chart to safely make it onto Miami’s 53-man regular-season roster because he’s viewed exclusively as a right tackle.
Observations
DE Tank Carradine spent the first practice of the second week with the starting defensive line, replacing Jonathan Woodard. Carradine spent most of the offseason program as one of Miami’s starting defensive ends, but began training camp playing behind Woodard. …
DE Charles Harris, who had been struggling against left tackle Laremy Tunsil all camp, was moved to left defensive end. It’s possible that Miami’s cross training the 2017 first-round pick to pass rush from both sides. …
TE Nick O’Leary, a three-year veteran who started a handful of games last season, got significant work with the starting unit. The Dolphins are searching for an inline tight end while Dwayne Allen is sidelined by a knee injury he has been dealing with since the offseason program. …
CB Xavien Howard picked off Jake Rudolph during tandem half-field drills. …
WR DeVante Parker caught
anice floater from Ryan Fitzpatrick because of a breakdown in Miami’s coverage, which left Parker wide open. The only reason he didn’t score on the 11-on-11 play was because Fitzpatrick’s pass led him out of bounds. …
New signee Allen Hurns is being brought along slowly in Miami’s offense. He’s been spotted working with the third-team offense.
Injury News
Tailback Kalen Ballage left the practice field early because of an undisclosed injury. …
Linebacker Kiko Alonso and Chase Allen, and tight end Clive Walford sat out Tuesday’s practice with undisclosed injuries. …
Albert Wilson, who continued to rehab a serious hip injury he suffered last October, only participated in position drills.
Quote of Day
“We rent these lockers, coaches and players,” center Daniel Kilgore said when discussing everyone’s job security in the NFL the day after Pat Flaherty was fired and replaced as Miami’s offensive line coach. “There is no gray area. You’re either getting your job done or you’re not.”