Most starters will sit for last preseason game
Tagovailoa won’t play against Bengals
MIAMI GARDENS — The Miami Dolphins won’t go into their preseason finale at the Cincinnati Bengals with mystery surrounding what their plan is for starters, including quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
“Tua won’t play on Sunday,” Dolphins coach Brian Flores said ahead of Thursday’s practice. “We’ll probably rest most of the starters. We’re still going through that as a staff. We’ve got to play the game, so we can’t rest everybody.”
Flores said the decision to rest Tagovailoa in Cincinnati was made before his standout exhibition play against the Atlanta Falcons in Saturday’s preseason win.
Whether the receivers who have missed the first two preseason games — DeVante Parker, Will Fuller, Albert Wilson and Preston Williams — will see game action in Sunday’s exhibition is still being determined.
“Reps are important,” Flores said. “We’ve got to determine whether or not we want them to get those game reps versus continuing to build and improve on a daily basis from a rehab standpoint. All four of those guys, we’ve talked about them, haven’t made a final decision on that yet.”
Either way, if Tagovailoa is resting, Parker, Fuller, Wilson and Williams will not be getting in-game reps with Tagovailoa in the exhibition slate before the regular season begins. Fuller is also suspended for Week 1, stemming from a violation of the league’s performance-enhancing drugs policy last season with the Houston Texans.
Competition continues on the offensive
line going into the preseason’s final week, so that may be a unit where most in the top group still play.
“We’re definitely trying to evaluate that,” Flores said. “We may or may not rest a couple of those guys. A guy like Jesse Davis, we probably will sit him. The other guys are young, so we’re still talking through that.”
With NFL rules benefiting players vaccinated against COVID-19, Flores indicated vaccination status will not play into roster decisions.
“We’re going to keep the best players, vaccinated or unvaccinated,” Flores said. “I understand
the question. I understand some of the issues that can arise, but at the end of the day, I think we try to assume that guys are healthy, guys are going to be out there, what group of guys are going to help our team perform the best we can, whether they’re vaccinated or not
Flores will use the final preseason exhibition to get a better look at players on the bubble to make the Dolphins’ 53-man roster, as well as others that won’t make the team but he can evaluate for a potential future move.
“There will be some guys in there that will get an opportunity to showcase or apply their fundamentals, their techniques, the things we’ve been talking about — guys who haven’t had as many reps in games, but there will also be some guys who have played the previous two games,” Flores said.
Players on the bubble that may fall off the 53-man roster by Tuesday’s deadline will have to prepare for the rollercoaster of whether they then end up on the Dolphins’ practice squad or possibly picked up by another team.
Outside linebacker Shaquem Griffin and his inspirational story get their final preseason go-around before a decision is made in a position group where the Dolphins would like to keep as many linebackers as possible, both inside and outside.
“This has been my best camp since I’ve been in the league,” said Griffin, who didn’t get a defensive snap against the Falcons, but should see more action against Cincinnati.
The Dolphins’ wide receivers have gotten to work up and down different units, with how many top receivers have missed time in training camp with injuries. Kirk Merritt is an interesting case as someone who has flashed talent working with starter Tua Tagovailoa and second- and third-team quarterbacks Jacoby Brissett and Reid Sinnett.
“It’s been great,” Merritt said. “I’ve been throwing, catching with Tua, Jacoby and Reid. It’s a great opportunity, and for me, it’s just take advantage of my opportunities . ... When the time comes, the time comes.”
And special teams play will factor in.
“That’s a big part of the final decisions that we make,” Flores said. “The kicking game’s obviously a big part of football, and we want to be good in the kicking game.”