Last year’s sloppiness hasn’t quite subsided
DAVIE — One of the most maddening things about the Dolphins last season — there were plenty of frustrating elements from which to choose — was the general sloppiness of one of the most penalized teams in the NFL.
Some penalties are bound to happen, but the pre-snap and procedural ones drove coach Adam Gase nuts. Delay of game flags, false starts, offsides and lining up in an illegal formation are avoidable setbacks, and the Dolphins made those mistakes too many times.
They finished secon d-worst in the league in penalties assessed (137) and total yardage penalized (1,154). Over Gase’s two seasons as coach, they’ve had eight games of double-digit penalty flags.
So even as his offense has shown encouraging signs in the first week of training camp, it’s hard to be happy when the Dolphins remain inconsistent in that department.
“We just have to stay clean on those types of things,” Gase said after Wednesday morning’s practice. “There can’t be any lackadaisical moments for either side of the ball. Us being in the back half, really the worst team in the league (in penalties) the last two years, that’s embarrassing. That (can’t be) part of our storyline anymore. I think that’s the biggest thing we’re always looking for: Let’s have a clean practice to where we don’t have those kinds of issues.”
Gase can emphasize that all he wants, but it’s up to the players to cut down on those issues. With the preseason games a week away, the Dolphins have had some clean days, but also some practices where “it’s beyond frustrating” on both sides of the ball.
That kind of inconsistency is never a good sign, regardless of how early it is, and Gase has seen firsthand how much of a problem it can cause if it lingers into the season.
“You want to put that kind of pressure on those guys and you want them to feel that because when we get into a real game, that’s what it is,” Gase said. “If you’re feeling it and you start to make those mistakes and it’s too big for you, then we’ve got to get somebody else in there.”
Young CB ready to ‘duke it out’ for starting job: Very little has come easily to Dolphins cornerback Cordrea Tankerlsey, who was inactive coming out of training camp last season. And he’s prepared to fight for his spot again this year.
Tankersley is one of several legitimate contenders for a starting job opposite X avie nH ow a rd and he knows his pedigree of being last year’s third-round pick means nothing in that competition. He’s been with the first string for part of the opening week of training camp, but he’s also sat behind veteran Tony Lippett and upstart Torry McTyer.
“They’re all well-deserved reps ,” Tankers ley said. “Everybody is just going in there and competing, trying to get better. As far as Torry getting first-team reps, it’s well-deserved.
“It doesn’t surprise me at all. I’ve been battling all my life. This is just another day in the office. It is what it is. We’re just going to compete. We’re just going to duke it out.”
Miami believes it has an abundance of talent in the secondary, but the only sure starters are Howard and safety Res had Jones. Bobby McCain, who technically isn’t a starter, is locked in as the slot corner.
Tankersley was buried on the depth chart last September, but climbed when the team had problems with Byron Maxwell. After sitting out the first two games, he started against the Saints in London and held his own.
He ended up starting 11 games, only missing time when he was injured, and finished his rookie season with seven pass break-ups and 31 tackles. Regardless of who else is challenging for the job, Tankersley came into camp looking to make a big jump in Year 2.
“You shouldn’t need more competition for you to come out here and do your job,” he said. “But it’s just extra motivation to know that they want competition and they want everybody to come out here and compete.”
As Tankersley made his ascent last year, Lippett was out for the season with a torn Achilles tendon he suffered in training camp, and McTyer spent most of the year on special teams. With McTyer improving this offseason and Lippett, a 2016 starter, fully recovered, the Dolphins could have a surplus of quality cornerbacks.
“I think we can be very special,” Tankersley said. “I think we can be one of the top ones in the league. We just have to keep competing.”