A more assertive Tannehill holding rookie accountable
DAVIE — Ryan Tannehill speaks often about how he needs to be who he is, that his personality is his personality and his demeanor is his demeanor.
Well, the Dolphins quarterback showed an assertive side in Sunday’s training camp practice, sending rookie running back Kalen Ballage out of the huddle after he made a mistake that would have led to a sack.
Tannehill then took it up with Ballage even further on the sideline.
“He was right today with what he did,” Miami coach Adam Gase said. “I would have been upset if I was him. Because he knows what the result in a game would have been. And that would have been painful for him, for sure. So I think he was in the right. Kind of making an example there. When he does things like that, for our offense, that’s a good thing.”
Ballage has acknowledged it’s going to take some time for him to get the Dolphins offense down. He’s said it’s much more complex that what he did at Arizona State.
Tannehill is about to begin his seventh season in Miami, sixth as starter. It would make sense if he feels he is running out of time to have patience for significant mistakes, particularly costly mental errors.
Gase liked what he saw. “I think it can be difficult because you’re trying to keep the tempo of practice,” Gase said. “And you can’t kick a guy out of the huddle all the time. You can’t shut it down all the time. And have big discussions. I think it’s a feel. Timing. When (it’s) the right time to be like, ‘You know what? We’re not right here. We need somebody else in here.’”
Fitzpatrick getting look at CB: Minkah Fitzpatrick made a few positive plays in his NFL debut as a safety during Thursday’s preseason opener against the Bucs. When practice began Sunday, Fitzpatrick was told to line up at slot corner, with Bobby McCain shifting to the outside.
“You’ve just got to know what everybody is doing around you,” Fitzpatrick said. “It’s a difficult position to play because at corner, you kind of have the sideline as a friend. At the nickel spot, you have nothing out there. You’re living on an island out there in the middle of the field, so you’ve got to know where your help is at and who’s doing what assignment.
“You’ve just got to know the concept of the defense rather than just your position. Since I was playing safety and a little bit of dime, I kind of understand what everybody is doing around me, so it helps me when I play that nickel spot.”
The Dolphins had hoped Cordrea Tankersley or Tony Lippett would emerge as the clear starter at outside cornerback, opposite Xavien Howard.
But it hasn’t happened. Lippett hasn’t fully recovered from an Achilles injury and Tankersley has had ups and downs, as Gase confirmed Sunday.
Gesicki says he can block: Rookie tight end Mike Gesicki had a few good blocks against the Buccaneers.
“That’s the expectation,” Gesicki said Sunday. “It’s not like, ‘Oh my God, you know, Mike blocked somebody.’ I mean, I know that’s what everybody thinks. But that’s not what it is.”
Gesicki nearly caught a one-handed touchdown pass in his pro debut, leaping high in the end zone. But the pass from David Fales was a bit off target.
“Almost, man,” Gesicki said. “I have to go back to work and do whatever I can to make that catch. Because to me that’s a play that I have to be able to make.”
But much of the focus of Gesicki’s training camp has been on his desire to continue to improve as a blocker. It was not his strength in college. But he looked quite decent against the likes of defensive end Jason PierrePaul.
“Trusting in myself,” Gesicki said. “Believing in myself. Nobody believes in me in being able to block outside of the guys in this locker room. That’s all I need is the guys in this locker room and those coaches to believe in me. And they do each and every day.”
Gase reiterated on Sunday that Gesicki does not want to be purely a receiver. And that he’s putting in the work.
“A lot of it is technique,” Gesicki said. “If you have the right mindset. The right mentality. And just getting the reps in. Getting your hands inside. Punch. Get off the ball . ... It’s just technique and the want-to.”