South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Tagovailoa’s deep TD to Hill highlights offensive variety
Tyreek Hill kicked off the Miami Dolphins’ first training camp practice open to fans by hyping up the crowd, landing a backflip and grabbing the microphone.
Following an enthusiastic message where he, in part, channeled Hall of Fame wide receiver Terrell Owens’ favorite catch phrase, “Get your popcorn ready,” he then delivered an impressive day’s work highlighted by a deep touchdown catch over the middle on a beautifully thrown ball from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
The fans then were treated to a display of how wide-ranging new coach Mike McDaniel’s offense with Miami’s offseason haul of playmakers can be — from the 65-yard bomb to the variety in the run game.
Team periods started with a pair of runs by Chase Edmonds that exhibited what McDaniel’s wide-zone scheme in the ground game can produce. While standout offseason signing at left tackle, Terron Armstead, sat out Saturday’s practice on a veteran maintenance program, the right side of the offensive line sprung some of the session’s big runs.
Edmonds ran with a purpose, flashed his vision finding gaps on his cuts. The tailbacks took both outside and inside runs, and, although defenders are not tackling to the ground yet in camp, the backs appeared primed to finish runs.
The ground game then opened up the play action, which was used when Tagovailoa threw the deep touchdown to Hill and another big gain where Hill was wide open on the sideline with room to run after the catch.
Members of the 1972 undefeated Dolphins on hand for alumni day at practice included Larry Csonka, Larry Little and Dick Anderson.
Observations
Andrew Van Ginkel was a Saturday practice standout with a pair of sacks and finishing the day with a pass breakup on a Tagovailoa throw. …
Xavien Howard has gotten the best of Tyreek Hill on back-to-back days in a 1-on-1 setting. Following Friday’s pass deflection in tight coverage on Hill, Howard again was on him Saturday, forcing a Tagovailoa overthrow with his coverage. …
Jevon Holland, wearing the orange jersey as the previous practice’s player of the day, had one play where he rushed over from the safety position to get to a pass catcher in the flat, displaying his range and instincts. …
Curtailing the run game working well to the outside, linebacker Jerome Baker flashed his sideline-to-sideline speed by getting out there to stop one. …
Emmanuel Ogbah and Melvin Ingram were the closest defenders to split a would-be sack of Tagovailoa. …
Backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater held onto the ball for multiple coverage sacks. He had Jaylen Waddle on one fairly deep pass that he just missed off the diving Waddle’s fingertips and had linebacker Duke Riley rush him for a throwaway deep. …
Big nose tackle Raekwon Davis had a 1-on-1 rep against center/guard Connor Williams where Williams ended up on the ground. …
Braylon Sanders, already with his stock up after catching a long touchdown in Friday’s session, made a highlight-reel one-handed catch on a 1-on-1 back-shoulder throw. …
Defensive tackle Benito Jones stuffed an up-the-middle run . ...
Dolphins camp had its first dust-up between players as running back ZaQuandre White and defensive back Quincy Wilson had to be separated.
Stock up
Tagovailoa had his best practice of the four thus far. There was the highlight deep connection to Hill and an otherwise efficient performance throwing the football with a number of sizable gains, including another to a wide-open Hill streaking across the field to the opposite sideline, back-to-back shorter throws to Cedrick Wilson Jr. and one for about 20 yards to River Cracraft. Van Ginkel stepped up in the pass rush.
Stock down
It’s a tough matchup for third-year cornerback Noah Igbinoghene to have to cover Hill when the Dolphins are going to feature him to the fans, but he was torched again and again. Miami doesn’t have Howard or Byron Jones in 11-on-11 work at practice, but it’s discouraging if Igbinoghene ever ends up in a situation like last season where he had to start in the loss in London to the Jaguars. Igbinoghene did, however, have a 1-on-1 breakup against receiver Preston Williams. Running back Gerrid Doaks, a seventh-round pick in 2021, dropped an open pass to the flat and it’s starting to appear like he will not survive in this running back room.
Injury update
Armstead rested as part of his veteran maintenance program. Offensive lineman Michael Deiter (foot) and defensive lineman Adam Butler (undisclosed) remained sidelined for Saturday’s drills.
Fullback Alec Ingold was in a red jersey, and running back Raheem Mostert didn’t do team drills while on a maintenance plan that has him alternating days he’s in through four practices.