Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
The kids can play
Rookie class providing building blocks after career days for Waddle, Phillips
MIAMI GARDENS — For all the grief the Miami Dolphins (5-7) have received for their 2020 firstround draft picks, they appear to really have hit on their early 2021 selections.
There was no greater example than Sunday’s 33-10 win over the Carolina Panthers where receiver Jaylen Waddle and outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips had careerbest performances and safety Jevon Holland came up with an
interception.
For as much criticism as has been dished to general manager Chris Grier, coach Brian Flores and the Dolphins’ brass for draft picks and roster decisions, their two first-round picks and early second-round choice in this year’s draft are all paying dividends.
“They work hard,” said Flores in a Monday web conference. “Football’s important to them. They’re team-first. Those guys are tough. They’re competitive. They enjoy playing with one another, support each other.
“I’m confident that they’ll continue to get better because they’ll continue to put the work in, and they’re all sponges. They want to get better. They want to learn. They want to improve. They want to help our team.”
After Waddle’s nine receptions for a career-high 137 yards and a touchdown, he ranks fifth in the NFL in receptions (77). With some bigger plays in the passing game in recent weeks, he has increased his yards per catch to a respectable 9.8.
Waddle, the No. 6 pick in April, and his former Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa connected on a deep slant that, with the yards after the catch, resulted in a career-long 57-yard reception for him. Surpassing 100 yards in the first half on Sunday, he became Miami’s first rookie in team history with triple-digit receiv
ing yards in the first half of a game.
“I wouldn’t say I’ve been waiting,” Waddle said of getting more downfield looks in recent weeks. “Honestly, I just go out there and try to do my job. Whatever it is that they want me to do, I try to go out there and execute.”
Phillips, drafted No. 18, had the first three-sack outing by an NFL rookie since the Raiders’ Maxx Crosby had four in a game in 2019. He was the first Dolphins rookie with multiple sacks in a game since linebacker Jerome Baker did it in 2018.
“We’ve just been playing more aggressively and looser,” said Phillips, who credited other pass rushers flushing Panthers quarterbacks Cam Newton and PJ Walker toward him. “We’ve been working better as a team in terms of our coordination on rush stunts and games that we’re running, and just playing freer and having genuine joy out there and having a great time playing together and just flying around and making plays.”
The three sacks catapulted Phillips to the team lead in that category, with 6 ½ on the season.
Holland came up with his second interception in a first professional season where he has shown versatility with seven pass deflections, two sacks, activity on fumble recoveries and 46 tackles.
“It’s been everything I’ve ever imaged. It’s super fun. It’s the most fun I’ve had,” Holland said. “At first, it was fast, like it was guys flying around, bigger bodies, but just understanding myself and how I play and trying to take the next step in preparation so that I can just play free and kind of let things just flow to me. When preparation meets hard work and execution, then the splash plays happen.”
The “Waddle Waddle” dance move Waddle did after scoring his first-half touchdown against the Panthers was something Phillips said he and defensive tackle Christian Wilkins have been trying to get Waddle to do in a game for some time this year.
The group has fun together on and off the field but also knows when it’s time to focus.
“Winning football games is our common interest,” Phillips said. “I think the chemistry that we have in the locker room is incredible. Whether it’s the rookies or the older guys, what I’ve found is that this team isn’t very cliquey. We kind of all hang out with each other and all really enjoy each other’s time.”
The Dolphins’ other secondround pick after Holland, offensive lineman Liam Eichenberg, has seen his struggles this season but is starting at left tackle as a rookie and has cut down on his mistakes in recent weeks.
Flores makes sure to keep the rookies humble, and cautions that this latter portion of the NFL season is where it gets tough on rookies.
“They still got a long way to go, a lot to learn,” Flores said. “This is really the point where it gets really different for them. College seasons are really over right now.
“The season’s longer. It’s a more physical game. It’s more taxing in a lot of ways, mentally, physically, emotionally. … This is kind of where the length of the NFL season differs from anything they’ve dealt with.”
Regarding the highly criticized 2020 first round, Tagovailoa has strung together a series of impressive performances after Sunday’s 27-of-31 outing. But Austin Jackson was pushed inside to left guard from left tackle after allowing constant pressure at the position he was drafted to play, and cornerback Noah Igbinoghene has been a healthy inactive for half the team’s 12 games this season.
The Dolphins could get center Michael Deiter back this week after missing the past eight games with a foot injury. Deiter went through the past week of practice, but Miami did not activate him off on injured reserve.
“He did some good things last week in practice,” Flores said. “He wasn’t ready for us to call him up, but we’ll take this one day at a time and see how he practices this week.”
Receivers Will Fuller (finger) and DeVante Parker (hamstring) have been nearing returns but did not practice last week.
“It’s no different than where we were at this time last week. We’ll see on Wednesday,” Flores said. “Both are obviously getting better and getting closer. They’ll work out [Monday] and [Tuesday], which will tell us a little bit more and kind of if we’re there yet.”