Flores: ‘I’ve lived’ racial profiling
Coach and players talk about Blake shooting before Friday’s practice
Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores, safety Bobby McCain, cornerback Byron Jones, quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, defensive tackle Brandin Bryant and safety Kavon Frazier were among 16 members of the team who spoke on the field before Friday’s practice in wake of the Jacob Blake shooting in Wisconsin that has sparked national protests.
Although nine NFL teams chose to not practice on Thursday in protest of the Blake incident, the Dolphins decided to continue practicing Friday after a scheduled off day on Thursday.
But take the Dolphins’ decision to work instead of protesting with a grain of salt.
Before practice, Flores said he has experienced racial profiling, and had a gun pointed to him by police at least once during his life.
“I’ve lived this. I grew up in this era. I’ve had guns pointed at me by police offices,” Flores said. “This is not something I take lightly, this team takes lightly.”
“We need change,”
Flores began the discussion before other players chimed into the mix. Fitzpatrick, the Dolphins’ team leader last season, gestured his hands to his heart multiple times during his time speaking.
The Dolphins’ pre-practice chat lasted for nearly 25 minutes before the team began its practice session on Friday.
Among other members of the Dolphins to speak: Offensive lineman Jesse Davis, wide receiver Jakeem Grant, defensive tackle Davon Godchaux, defensive line coach Marion Hobby, center Ted Karras, defensive back coach Gerald Alexander, director of player personnel Kaleb Thornhill and linebacker Raekwon McMillan.
The Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos,
Flores added.
Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Chargers, New York Jets, Tennessee Titans and Washington Football Team decided to cancel practice on Thursday.
The Dolphins have a scrimmage in Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday. Miami begins the season on the road against the New England Patriots on Sept. 13.
Flores, the first NFL or college coach to speak publicly about the deaths of both George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, said he and his players will have another discussion after Friday’s practice about an action the team can take to inspire change.
“We talked about this the other day and I addressed the Jacob Blake situation with you guys and talked about how upsetting and how frustrating it is when these situations come up time after time after time after time,” Flores said.
“We spoke. We decided to practice. But we all know and understand things aren’t where they need to be right now.”
No Dolphins player was made available to media after Friday’s practice.
Observations from Friday’s practice
The Dolphins placed a special emphasis on two scenarios for both sides of the football:
For the offense, it was plays inside the red zone on first-and-goal situations and with their backs against the goal-line inside the 5-yard line. For the defense, it was defending such situations.
It only took four plays before the first highlight of the day: A 25-yard pass down the sideline from Fitzpatrick to receiver Preston Williams with Jones in coverage.
Tua Tagovailoa threw a touchdown pass to tight end Adam Shaheen in the right corner during red-zone work, throwing a pretty ball that landed right between the numbers.
Tagovailoa also had
atouchdown pass over the middle to receiver/running back Malcolm Perry as the two rookie draft picks continue to foster their chemistry on the field.
Concerning absence?
Just as one prominent player joined the team for his first training camp practice, another standout’s absence could be a cause of concern before the 2020 NFL season.
Dolphins receiver DeVante Parker, the team’s leading pass catcher last season, missed his second straight practice Friday.
Parker was out of uniform when he joined the team for its pre-practice chat about the shooting of Jacob Blake before Parker re-entered the facility as the team practices.
While Parker’s injury may not be considered serious, his lingering absence could affect the Dolphins for their Sept. 13 season opener on the road against the New England Patriots.
Parker, Miami’s first-round draft pick in 2015, led the Dolphins with 72 catches for 1,202 yards and nine touchdowns – all career highs – last season.
It was the first season of Parker’s career where he was durable enough to play in every game, a goal he hopes to again achieve this season.
X marks the spot
Flores
Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard practiced for the first time, one day after the team activated him from both the physically unable to play and reserve/COVID-19 lists.
However, Howard’s practice was very limited. He did not work out with teammates during 11-on-11 as he continues to work his way back from knee surgery at the end of last season.
While his teammates were working, Howard worked on his own, running to improve his conditioning.
“He’s got a long way to go form a conditioning standpoint, and communication with his teammates,” Flores said of Howard, the NFL’s co-leader with seven interceptions in 2018.
“This is a first step.”
Stock up
The 25-yard sideline catch by Williams may have affirmed one truth about this Dolphins team: Miami has two, clear-cut first, option receivers. Williams beat Jones to make the play, helping the Dolphins offense escape from inside the 5-yard line. And he later caught another pass from Fitzpatrick
that was a touchdown inside the red zone.
Williams continues to show not only has he fully recovered from his offseason knee surgery, but he’s ready to terrorize opposing defenders when the football is thrown his way this season.
Williams’ resurgence is positive for the Dolphins if Parker’s issue lingers in the leadup to the season opener, and because the Dolphins lack significant depth at the receiver position.
Behind Williams and Parker, the Dolphins are longing for one of their receivers on the roster to solidify themselves as a reliable pass catcher.
Stock down
Rookie offensive lineman Solomon Kindley, a fourth-round draft pick from Georgia, saw his practice work altered on Friday.
The Dolphins offensive line, which welcomes three rookie draft picks, continues to be a work in progress before the season opener.
Due to NFL regulations, media is not permitted from reporting on subjects like first- and secondteam work, or certain packages in all three phases.
Three stars
Perry’s touchdown catch from Tagovailoa showed the former college quarterback from Navy could have a prominent role on the Dolphins offense.
— Receiver Jakeem Grant bobbled but hung onto a 45-yard pass down the seam from Fitzpatrick. It was one of Grant’s first highlight plays during training camp and it was also timely after he missed the past two practices for an undisclosed reason.
— Running backs Jordan Howard, Matt Breida, Myles Gaskin and fullback Chandler Cox each had touchdown runs, showcasing their playmaking abilities and the offensive line’s progress through two weeks of camp.