Dolphins’ assistants size up how new players’ skills can help team
Oh, to be a fly on the wall: New Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel and his offensive assistants — blessed to have perhaps the league’s fastest wide receiver tandem (Tyreek Hill and
Jaylen Waddle) — have been brainstorming, jotting down creative ways to get defenses on their heels.
As wide receivers coach
Wes Welker said Wednesday, the coaches have been “coming up with different things we can do utilizing the speed we have. It’s an ongoing process thinking about plays, routes, different schemes that take advantage of their skill sets.”
Welker’s reaction when McDaniel told him the Dolphins were getting six-time Pro Bowl receiver Hill from Kansas City?
“I was super excited,” Welker said. “Anytime you add a player of that caliber, it definitely will make you a better coach. [We’ll] see how far we can take it.”
Welker’s early impression of Hill: “The way he practices is a key to his success because he only knows one speed. He goes hard and he’s fun to be around.”
Dolphins assistant coaches sized up some of their new players on Wednesday:
The Dolphins’ interest in fourth round receiver
Erik Ezukanma intensified after a private workout with Welker in Lubbock, Texas, shortly before the draft.
“There were certain things watching on film you saw glimpses but you didn’t know,” Welker said. “Being able to see it first hand was key. This kid is way more talented than what we initially thought.
“His hands are really, really good. They didn’t have a huge route tree at Texas Tech. The workout showed everything we thought was possible with him. A guy that size [6-2] who can come out of breaks, it’s a unique skill set, of being able to run as fast as you can and break down at that size and have the hands and body strength to make contested catches.
“We filmed the whole thing [and Chris Grier and McDaniel and the scouts] got to see it themselves. We’re fired up to have him.”
Welker said former Cowboys receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr. is a “very smooth route runner” and raved about former 49ers receiver
Trent Sherfield, whom he coached in San Francisco.
I emerged believing Sherfield has a very good chance to stick. “There is so much to like about Trent,” Welker said. “As a coach, he’s almost a security blanket having a guy like that because you know he will do it exactly the way we talked about. First in the building, last to leave.”
Defensive coordinator
Josh Boyer and linebackers coach Anthony Campanile both cited the same skill — speed — when asked the quality that jumped out about linebacker Channing Tindall, Miami’s first draft pick at 102 overall.
“He was able to pursue and get to the ball very well,” Boyer said. “It even showed up in special teams. On kickoff he was the first guy down the field; his ability to chase down sideline to sideline.”
Running backs coach
Eric Studesville, on his three new veteran backs,
Chase Edmonds, Raheem Mostert and Sony Michel:
“Chase and Raheem; that’s a lot of speed that’s been added. Chase brings speed, experience, toughness. … What we have with Raheem is a really, really smart guy who’s been in this system before. He’s had production in this system. He makes good decisions with the ball in his hands…
“[Michel] wanted to be back down here in this area. But I think the main thing is he’s a really, really good football player. He’s demonstrated that and played on very successful teams[Patriots and Super Bowl champion Rams] and I’d like to see that continue here.”
As for Myles Gaskin, who began last season as the starter, his future seems murky. (My words, not Studesville’s.)
“Myles is going to try to under-promise and overdeliver,” Studesville said.
Studesville, retained from last year’s staff, said McDaniel is “very committed” to the run:
“He sees it as an integral part of offensive success. … Our job is to make sure that what he wants, we can get as close to giving it to him as possible.”
One thing that’s clear: “We’ve got guys that can run,” Studesville said. “Myles is fast and Salvon Ahmed is fast. These [new] guys may be faster. Our game is fast all over the place.”
The new quarterbacks coach (Darrell Bevell), offensive line coach
(Matt Applebaum) and cornerbacks coach (Sam Madison) will speak this weekend.
CHATTER
The Heat has held Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid to 19.7 points per game, nearly 11 below his regular season average. “This is a lose-lose situation for me,” Embiid said. “If I don’t play, I’ll probably get called soft. If I played bad, [people] will come up with a bunch of stuff that he’s not good enough . ... I haven’t been myself. Offensively, I haven’t been aggressive.”
Embiid continues to play with a mask to protect an orbital fracture, while also dealing with ligament damage to a finger.
P.J. Tucker’s revelation about playing for
Erik Spoelstra: “It’s crazy because I thought he was going to be more of a dictator than he is. I thought he was, ‘This way or we’re not doing it.’
He’s really not like that.”
The Canes want to add another receiver who will crack their playing rotation, and former UCF receiver Jaylon Robinson began a multi-day visit on UM’s campus on Wednesday. Tennessee, Mississippi and TCU also are in the mix.
The speedy 5-9 receiver spent one season at Oklahoma, then transferred to UCF and had 55 catches for 979 yards in 2020. Last season, he missed five games with a knee injury and had 18 catches for 322 yards in six games. Xavier Restrepo, Key’Shawn Smith and
Jacolby George were UM’s first-team receivers throughout most of spring practice.
Among 183 qualifying MLB hitters, Marlins offseason additions account for three of the worst 23. Avisail Garcia entered Wednesday 161st in batting average at .192,
Jacob Stallings 164th at .183 and Jorge Soler 165th at .177. That’s well below their career averages: .267 for Garcia, .242 for Soler and .248 for Stallings.