Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
All part of the game
Dave Hyde: Dolphins scuffle fun to watch as intensity grows.
Danny Amendola came to the line in his slot receiver position at Dolphins training camp on Monday.
“I’m going to bring it every play,’’ he said.
Bobby McCain stood opposite him at cornerback with vengeful intent. “He got the better of me [Sunday], and I thought about it all day,’’ McCain said. “One-on-ones, he got me. That bothered me all day. I got my head right, my game tight. I was ready.”
One day. One play. One, one-on-one matchup on the fifth day of camp that is less a snapshot of the larger season than a peek through the keyhole of what every training camp hopes to be.
“I know he’s a great defender,’’ Amendola said.
“I know how quick and smart he is,’’ McCain said.
For the previous three years, Amendola and McCain often battled across three hours on two Sundays each year. Amendola was a good target for New England quarterback Tom Brady. McCain defended the slot receiver.
Their public relationship was defined last November by a simple, 2-yard run up the middle. Amendola blocked McCain. McCain punched Amendola. It’s not that Amendola had a big day that caused frus-
tration. He had one catch that day.
It’s that, in some respects, they’re the same idea of a player who clawed their way up. Amendola was undrafted. McCain was a fifth-round pick.
“That’s pretty close to undrafted,’’ he said.
Amendola became an intricate part of the Patriots, his fourth team, and got two-year, $12 million deal with the Dolphins this offseason at age 32. McCain elevated his play and importance each year so entering this fourth season, he signed a fouryear, $27 million deal.
Now Amendola broke hard downfield inside the Dolphins practice bubble with his first steps. McCain shadowed him, trying to make the receiver feel his presence as they moved.
“I was ready for anything,’’ McCain said.
About 5 yards downfield, Amendola broke into a curl. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill’s fastball arrived on target.
“I broke on it,’’ McCain said. He broke up the pass. “He made a good play,’’ Amendola said.
That’s when emotions took over. Their arms tangled. Something was said. They pushed and wrestled. The defensive backs are known for yapping. McCain said they taken to calling 5-foot-7 Jakeem Grant “Mighty Mite” just to bug him.
McCain said last year’s fight in November included some trash-talking that, “I’ll keep to myself.” Getting under the skin is part of the process, even in practice.
As suddenly as the scrum started, it ended. Players separated. The offense went back to its huddle. Defense, too. That’s typical trainingcamp stuff. Amendola jogged back over to McCain and slapped palms recognize the moment for
“He may get a little feisty at times, but he’s got a lot of dog in him, and I do, too,’’ Bobby McCain, on Danny Amendola
what it was.
“I’ve always been that type of player on the field — not really like that off the field,’’ Amendola said, chuckling. “[McCain] is a great. He’s instinctive. He’s smart. I’ve got a lot of respect for him. He gets me better every day, and I try to give him all I got every day.”
“He may get a little feisty at times, but he’s got a lot of dog in him, and I do, too,’’ McCain said.
It was just one moment. Just one play in a long training camp. But standing to the side, watching it play out, coach Adam Gase appreciated it all.
“That’s fun to watch,’’ he said. “They’re making each other better, because they compete every snap. Really, that’s what we’re looking for [with] those outside guys and the inside guys. We’re looking for those guys to compete.
“One guy might have a really good day one day. Bobby is going to come back the next day if Danny had a good day. We just keep seeing a back and forth there.”
One day. One play in a long training camp. There remain lots of questions about this team, from a starting cornerback to overall talent. But this one moment showed what they want out of training camp as they head into an off day.
“What’s today, Monday?” McCain said. “We’ll probably come back out on Wednesday and fight again.”