Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Ex-Lions great Calvin Johnson works with wide receiver; Javis Landry investigated for alleged domestic battery.
Ex-Lions great offers tips to Parker, Grant
Jakeem Grant still remembers the play.
He remembers watching as Calvin Johnson backpedaled, jumped high, reached up with both hands and snagged the touchdown over three Dallas Cowboy defenders.
Several years later, it still makes Grant laugh.
“I was like, ‘Man!’ ” Grant said, smiling. “That always encouraged me to jump higher and do things like Calvin.”
Johnson, a former sixtime Pro Bowl receiver with the Detroit Lions, visited Miami Dolphins’ training camp on Monday. He met and talked with Miami’s receivers, including Grant, and worked with them during individual drills when he wasn’t watching from the sideline.
Johnson also met with third-year receiver DeVante Parker, who stayed with Johnson after practice for about 30 minutes to work on techniques. Johnson and Parker fit roughly the same mold — both are tall red-zone threats at 6-foot-5 and 6-foot-3, respectively.
But Grant, at 5-foot-7, admitted he has a vastly different playing style.
“He’s like a whole football field taller than me,” Grant said. “But it was great having him out here and giving me some pointers and congratulating me on catches and things like that. I just loved it.”
Grant said Johnson gave him tips, like how he can improve his release off the line of scrimmage. Grant said he soaked up everything.
“It was great seeing him out here. A guy like that, a legend,” Grant said. “Just to be able to meet him and have him out here on the practice field, that means a lot to me.”
Grant served mostly as a punt returner last season but hopes to make a jump into the Dolphins receiving rotation this year. Coaches have even moved him to the outside during practice instead of his usual place in the slot.
“I’m just putting in the work and just trying to make plays so the coaches will be able to trust me and the quarterbacks will be able to trust me,” Grant said. “I’m comfortable with what I’m doing and they can trust me to do the right thing.”
Drake gets an opportunity
Jay Ajayi, who entered the NFL’s concussion protocol last week after sustaining a hit during training camp on July 31, hasn’t been able to practice since.
Kenyan Drake is taking advantage of it.
“Any chance I get to step out here and perform is an opportunity,” Drake said.
The second-year running back is listed third on Miami’s depth chart behind Ajayi and Damien
Williams, but he received some first-team snaps on Monday, catching some passes out of the backfield.
“Just trying to come up here every day and get better,” Drake said. “That’s the plan.”
Drake had 179 rushing yards last season and two rushing touchdowns to go along with nine catches for 46 yards. Offensive coordinator
Clyde Christensen sees more in store for Drake this season.
“I think Kenyan continues to push forward and get better. He has a chance to be a really, really good back in this league,” Christensen said on Thursday. “He’s explosive.”
While Drake is taking advantage of his first-team reps, he said he isn’t thinking about Ajayi being out.
“Regardless of who’s in, who’s not, it’s an opportunity to get better,” Drake said. “So I take every rep as serious as possible.” ...
The Dolphins waived defensive end Arthur Miley to make room for quarterback Jay Cutler on the roster.