Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
A key injury, Tua’s fumbles and other observations from Day 2
The Miami Dolphins will be without an edge rusher who became a fan favorite during his short stint with the team.
Dolphins outside linebacker Vince Biegel suffered a torn left Achilles tendon in practice on Tuesday that will end his chances to play during the 2020 NFL season, a source told the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Biegel was visibly emotion after he sustained the lower leg injury during the final portion of 11-on-11s in practice.
He was consoled by fellow outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy, who kneeled beside him and appeared to say a prayer, before he was carted off the field and into the locker room.
Biegel was beginning his second season with the Dolphins and scheduled to earn $2.13 million on a one-year deal after signing his restricted free-agent tender with Miami in April.
He will become an unrestricted free agent next offseason, meaning his time with the Dolphins may have come to an end unless the team decides to re-sign him.
Biegel started in 10 of 15 games for the Dolphins a season ago after he was acquired from the New Orleans Saints in a trade for former linebacker Kiko Alonso.
Biegel produced in his role as an edge rusher on the Dolphins defense, producing 59 tackles, 2.5 sacks and one interception.
Without Biegel in the mix, the Dolphins will depend on Van Noy, outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, linebacker Elandon Roberts and others to apply pressure from the edge on Brian Flores’ defense.
Tua gets to throw more, but fumbles occur
After easing into the first padded practice Monday with mostly handoffs, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was able to sling the football a little more during the team’s second training camp practice.
During 11-on-11s, Tagovialoa was at least 7 of 7 in the passing game.
But Tagovailoa did account for two fumbled snaps, that you could also blame on second-year offensive lineman Michael
Deiter, who started predominately at left guard last season but is working at center now. Either way, Tagovailoa was pulled after the second fumble.
While Tagovailoa’s stat line was accurate, his accuracy was slightly off on some throws to the outside. He threw two short throws that appeared wide, but were able to be caught on the outside by wide receiver
Mack Hollins, including one pass that needed to be caught one-handed.
Tagovailoa was sharp and decisive when he made passes to receiver Ricardo Louis, a dump off pass to running back Myles Gaskin, a bullet down the middle to tight
end Adam Shaheen, and a crossing route to
Hollins.
Tagovailoa’s action Tuesday was far different than his time on Monday, where he was limited to just two short passes and mostly handoffs to running backs.
Top plays of the day
■ Receiver DeVante Parker caught a
35-yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick over the head of cornerback Byron Jones.
■ Safety Bobby McCain picked off a deep pass from Fitzpatrick for the first interception in camp. McCain also landed a wicked hit into Jakeem Grant’s chest to break up another pass from Fitzpatrick on another sequence.
■ Van Ginkel also appeared to recover a fumble by wide receiver Chester Rogers after a catch from Tagovailoa.
More observations
■ Grant is consistently getting open, but he dropped the one deep pass Fitzpatrick threw his way. Grant’s hands have always been a concern going back to his rookie season. If he gets the dropsies again, it might be hard for him to keep his elevated role.
■ Fitzpatrick’s favorite target early is Isaiah
Ford, who pulled down an 18-yard pass. Ford has consistently been praised for his grasp of NFL offenses.
■ One of quarterback Josh Rosen’s better plays of the day may have been a screen pass to running back Patrick Laird. Rosen saw something at the line of scrimmage, alerted his offensive linemen and was able to deal with defensive pressure to make the pass.
■ Lawson left practice for a short time, perhaps to an apparent injury. He tried to do some work on an exercise bike but returned to action.
■ Wide receiver Preston Williams did not practice Tuesday.
Stock up
Dolphins rookie cornerback Noah Igbinoghene had a solid day of breaking up passes during one-on-one and 11-on-11 drills.
Igbinoghene jumped a route by Grant and nearly had an interception on Fitzpatrick. He also broke up several passes to Parker and Louis during red-zone and goalline drills, but got beat on a slant from Ford.
Igbinoghene appears to be in an early position to own a starting job in camp alongside Jones, with Xavien Howard sidelined.
Stock down
Deiter, a former third-round pick, accounted for two fumbled snaps on offense in his new role after playing left guard for much of his rookie season.
The fumbles also botched two opportunities for Tua Tagovailoa.
With so many new additions on the Dolphins offensive line, through free agency and the draft, Deiter cannot afford further miscues, or he will fall behind in his second season with the team.