In camp, Parker shows hustle Dolphins want
With all physical traits, Miami receiver now must show attitude.
The receiver made a tough catch from Ryan Tannehill on Friday, suggesting this may be season he shows what he’s truly capable of.
DAVIE — Just get me the damn ball.
Keyshawn Johnson said that once. And it sounds like Dolphins coach Adam Gase would like to hear wide receiver DeVante Parker say it more.
And then Gase would like to see Parker go and get it.
It’s something Gase saw at training camp Friday. Parker was in the back of the end zone and there were two well-positioned defenders. But quarterback Ryan Tannehill put it up anyway and Parker jumped.
And snatched it.
It’s something we haven’t seen enough of, really. Parker has the size and athleticism to go get those balls. All over the field, but in particular in the red zone.
“I think it’s just the timing, fighting through the holds,” Gase said Friday. “Everything’s not going to be seen. When it gets to tight quarters and you get a bunch of bodies around him, you have to time it out right, you have to be strong going to attack the ball and use his length, use his vertical. He has all of those.”
Fight. That’s a word Parker has used to describe what he plans to do this season, more often.
Just get the damn ball.
There was all this talk in the last
preseason about 50-50 balls, and too often it didn’t work out at all. There’s a different level of comfort and trust between Parker and Tannehill than there was with Jay Cutler.
So, really, this has to be the year that Parker shows more of what he can do.
“On paper, you have all those traits,” Gase said of Parker. “Just keep repping it and put him in position as much as possible. I think we had one a couple days ago. It didn’t work out. This one, it was good to see him really have a tough catch because there were more defenders than the last time we had one of those. To see him go up and get it, that was good to see.”
Earlier in the week, Dolphins receivers coach Ben Johnson was candid. It’s one day at a time with Parker, he said.
“We’re going to have some bad days in there, but we’re just looking to keep stacking as many good ones in a row as possible,” Johnson said. “He’s trending in the right direction right now. We’ve got to keep developing him and get him going, but we’re really, really excited about him as well.”
On paper, Parker has everything. In theory, Parker is still developing.
Rookie tight end Mike Gesicki, meanwhile, showed what he can do while working with the first-team offense on red-zone plays Friday.
As Gesicki went up for a catch, linebacker Stephone Anthony had him blanketed, but it didn’t matter. Gesicki fought off Anthony to secure the ball for the touchdown.
That could bode well for the Miami offense, which hasn’t had a serious threat at tight end since 2014.
“The kid’s got some special abilities, no doubt about it,” Anthony said. “He can jump. His ball skills are off the charts. That’s what makes him special. He’s a good player.”
The Dolphins drafted Gesicki at No. 42 overall, the third-highest-selected tight end in franchise history, after a promising career at Penn State. Over his junior and senior seasons, he caught 105 passes for 1,242 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Since coming to the Dolphins, it’s been all progress for Gesicki. He’s maximizing his basketball-style athleticism by putting in extra hours studying the playbook and that’s helping him climb the depth chart.
Veterans A.J. Derby and MarQueis Gray have missed time with injuries, but Gesicki might have bypassed them anyway. He continues to get more first-team reps, especially in red-zone and thirddown situations.
“The kid’s a sponge and everybody knows it,” Anthony said. “Once he catches on and really gets it, he’s going to flourish. It’s easy to see.”