The 4 Most Pressing Questions for the Miami Dolphins heading into Chicago

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Having gone through 2 full weeks of camp, we can start to identify some of the paramount questions that need answers. Yes, you can get a lot of information from training camp especially when the pads came on, but it is nothing compared to facing another team. Starting Wednesday, the Dolphins will be in Chicago practicing and scrimmaging vs the Bears until Friday and then playing them for the Dolphins’ first preseason game on Saturday at 1 p.m. This will be the first test for many players and even coaches, let’s dive into the 4 most pressing questions that need answering.

Can the OL gel and show growth?

The biggest question mark that needs answering in my opinion is of the entire offensive line. From Austin Jackson at LT, Liam at LG, and Dieter at C, these are all guys that have managed to not lose their jobs instead of outright winning their jobs. Will they be able to handle the Dline of the Bears that includes Akiem Hicks, Mario Edwards Jr, Robert Quinn, and Khalil Mack? 3 days of intense practice vs those names should bring clarity as to if the Dolphins have enough in terms of talent and depth, or if they need to start making some aggressive calls to other teams.

WR health and is there enough depth?

I think we all anticipated that at multiple times this season we would get hit with the injury bug with so many WRs prone to injury, but no one could have expected that during the first 2 weeks of camp we would be without Will Fuller for all but one practice, Devante would be wearing red non-contact jerseys, Preston being on PUP and Albert on “maintenance management”. Even while missing all those names, Tua hasn’t missed a beat against our own DBs, and now it’s time to see what Tua can do against another team’s DBs with the weapons available to him. Will having so many injury-prone WRs end up stalling Tua’s development? We start to find out this week.

Do we have a dominant Defensive Line?

We have two separate questions when it comes to the Oline and Dline. Is our Dline that dominant that they have forced the Oline to struggle in camp or is the Oline so putrid that they have made our Dline look like the Purple People Eaters? I believe the answer is somewhere in the middle because our Dline outside of our DBs is the deepest and will be the most relied upon position group. From Wilkins, Raekwon, Sieler, John Jenkins, Adam Butler and others, we have the potential to make a huge jump in rush Defense and pass Defense if these names can take the next step and find some chemistry to play together.

Can the 1st and 2nd-year players develop?

Lastly, seeing as the bulk of this team is 1st and 2nd-year players, it should go without saying that they are the ones who will make this team a contender or a pretender. You obviously must talk about Tua and the jump that’s expected of him but that could be said for multiple players like Austin Jackson, Solomon Kindley, Liam Eichenberg, Robert Hunt, Jaylen Waddle, Lynn Bowden Jr, Salvon Ahmed, Raekwon Davis, Noah Igbinoghene, Brandon Jones, Jaelan Phillips, and Jevon Holland. If some of these guys can step up and not only become big contributors but also dominant players, the sky is the limit for our 2021 Miami Dolphins. The first real obstacle in their way is the Chicago Bears, let’s see who is up for the challenge.

 

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Miami Hurricanes ranked 16th in USA Today Coaches Poll

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As the hype continues to build around the 2021 Miami Hurricanes football season, that was reflected in a preseason poll on Tuesday. The Hurricanes were ranked 16th the in the country in the USA Today Coaches Poll. They finished the 2020 season 22nd overall.

Several of Miami’s opponents were also in the polls. If anything, that just reflects the difficult schedule Miami has ahead of them. Alabama was ranked as the top team, while North Carolina was ranked ninth overall.

Miami Hurricanes deep  on both sides of the football

The Miami Hurricanes return a deep group offensively , led by quarterback D’Eriq King. A loaded wide receiver group led by Mike Harley and Charleston Rambo should help Miami put together a strong season offensively.

A deep safety group highlighted by Bubba Bolden will be one to watch this season. With key returners on both sides of the football, the Miami Hurricanes look to make some noise in the ACC.

They will be tested immediately as they face a talented Alabama team in the opening week of the season. the Alabama Crimson times lost several starters to the NFL draft last season. Even still, quarterback Bryce Young and wide receiver John Metchie III should provide a challenge to the Miami secondary.

,in any event, Miami has the talent to increase that ranking. The Hurricanes just need to execute. That was a problem last season. Hopefully, they will have ironed things out for 2021. In what is a year filled with high expectations, the Miami Hurricanes have a chance to put themselves firmly back in the national spotlight.

Jevon Holland

Dolphins rookie Jevon Holland making instant impact

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Miami Dolphins GM Chris Grier is judged on his ability to draft brand new talent every season. With the amount of high draft picks Miami’s had over the past few seasons, that scrutiny has intensified. Already there are concerns regarding CB Noah Igbinoghene, and several other Grier draft picks are under the microscope based on other players that were available to draft. However, this year’s draft class already seems to be catching the eyes of veterans and coaches, as many of them are being given opportunities to take snaps with the starting units. And not only that, many of them are doing well with those opportunities. Such as safety Jevon Holland.

All throughout training camp, Holland has rotated in and out of the starting lineup with veteran defensive back Jason McCourty. As of late, Holland is getting a lot more shots to practice with the starters while McCourty moves to the boundary corner position. He answered the call by diagnosing plays well, keeping pace with tight ends running routes, and capping things off with interceptions against Tua Tagovailoa.

“I think my interactions with him early on when we first got here, you can see the intelligence.” DB Jason McCourty said on August 4. “I think that’s the toughest thing, especially a rookie, of being able to learn the defense. Because as a safety, you’re the key communicator. You’re the guy who has to get checks out, who have to tell guys what to do. So you have to be able to master the defense. Early on when I first jumped on the Zoom calls, you saw that from him. Whenever a question came his way, he knew the answer. He knew what to anticipate and you can see it out here on the field. As we go on, he’s making more and more plays. He’s a hell of an athlete and he’s a fun guy to be around.”

As the first safety selected in the 2021 NFL Draft, Jevon Holland has lots of expectations attached to him. In fact, his versatility on the field is drawing comparisons to Minkah Fitzpatrick, who the Dolphins hoped would become their Swiss army knife on the field. He’s now a star safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers. There are signs that Holland can do the same.

“I feel like I’m learning the playbook and getting the fundamentals down, really.” Holland said on Saturday. “When you get the fundamentals down and do the little things, then plays come to you. You don’t have to really go find them. That was the result of one of them. But that’s in the past. I’m just looking forward to continuing to execute and capitalize on those things that come to me.”

It’s one thing to have expectations about a player. Many draft pundits considered Jevon Holland the best safety in the entire draft. No Oregon safety has been drafted so high since Patrick Chung in 2009. Which is convenient considering Chung’s history with Brian Flores as a New England Patriot. So far, Holland is showing excellent signs that he can become just as good in Miami.

“I would say he’s doing a lot of good things. He’s smart, he’s tough, it’s important to him. We’re asking a lot of him – multiple positions. I think he’s doing a nice job. But it’s not necessarily the interception – and that’s a good play, one that everybody sees – but it’s getting guys lined up, getting himself lined up, being in the right position, being in good position to make a last line of defense tackle, communication with the corners, with the linebackers, down and distance situation.

“There’s a lot that goes into that position. I think he’s taken on that responsibility and been very – let’s call it forthright and trying to do a good job as far as taking on that leadership or signal-caller spot, which is hard for a rookie. I would say to step in there and tell somebody else what to do – that’s what the position calls for. He’s growing. He’s getting better. There’s still a long way to go.”

Make no mistake, there will be a learning curve. Fans recall that Bobby McCain – now with Washington – was a key facilitator of the defense for years. It will take time for Jevon Holland to gain that comfort level. However, all signs so far point to Holland becoming an excellent NFL safety, a playmaker that the defense can use to rise to the top of the league.

“I think it’s just TNT’s – the ‘takes no talent’ type things.” Holland said. “It’s just about effort and wanting that ball. ‘Coach Camp’ (Anthony Campanile) talked to us about just feeling like the person with the ball is taking your livelihood and to attack the ball every play like that. Nobody has an answer for that – that 100 percent effort to the ball every time. I think that’s one of the main things of trying to play fast is making sure you know what you’re doing so you can react and just go run to the ball.”

Luis Sung has covered the Miami Dolphins for numerous outlets such as Dolphins Wire for seven years. Follow him on Twitter: @LuisDSung

Everything Tradeshows is a one-stop-shop for trade show exhibit rentals and custom exhibit display purchase solutions to companies of all sizes.

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Miami Dolphins Training Camp Notes Day 10 (Xavien Howard, Gaskin, McKinney, more)

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This is day 10 of camp, and it starts with news that Xavien Howard has agreed to a re-structure that has some added guarantees, bonuses, so all is well on that front. On another front, not so good news. Late in practice, in the game sim portion of practice, Jacoby Brissett faced a 3rd and 14 and the Dolphins pass rush as he rifled a corner route to rookie Tight End Hunter Long for a first down. Long then ran out of bounds as he got tripped up, went down, and seemed hurt. Dolphins medical staff could then be seen looking at his left knee as he stayed down for a few minutes. Hunter Long was then helped to a cart, and was then taken into the facility. The optics were not good.

Xavien Howard. So, the deal is done, and so was this half hearted hold out, that never was. On the Three Yards Per Carry Podcast we had been predicting this exact outcome for a while now, and truth be told, it was not any inside info, or anything of the sort. It was common sense. If they wanted to keep him, they would. They did. As for practice, Xavien Howard had a Pass break up that drew loud cheers at the goal line on a Tua Tagovailoa slant to Isaiah Ford. Howard also received a round of applause when lining up for the stretch portion of practice.

Tua Tagovailoa. Some great moments, and general dominance on the goal line and red zone portions. Tua also seems to own the 6v8 portions. Now for the bad. In the 2 minute portion of practice, they start at their own 25 yard line and have 1:30 on the clock to get down field and score a TD or get a FG. Tua ran two plays in this portion of practice. Not on one series, but two series. Two interceptions. On the first play of his 1st 2 minute drill, Tua seemed to be looking for Adam Shaheen on an option route, and Tua threw it to the right of Shaheen, while Shaheen went left. Miscommunication on an option route. Intercepted by Eric Rowe. On the 1st play of the 2nd series,Tua had Jakeem grant streaking down the right sideline on a 9 route, and Tua just let it rip. Jevon Holland was coming off his hash in 2 deep all the way. Gimme Interception. This was not a good set of plays for Tua Tagovailoa.

Jevon Holland. I think it’s a safe bet to declare Jevon Holland a starter. He is playing in several spots on the secondary as well. Gone is the more elementary spots as a safety, and in is a more elaborate role. He had a pass break up on the goal line on a Tua to Mack Hollins slant, and of course, his interception of Tua in the 2 minute drill. Holland is beginning to understand the concepts in the install portions of practice, and it is beginning to show. Once that part is taken care of, his considerable physical skills will take over.

Bernardrick McKinney. The run defense is fixed? Maybe? McKinney has been rolling down hill and filling on over, and under fronts, and quite frankly, the combination of McKinney and Raekwon Davis are too tough to run on inside. Those two have dominated all camp, in 11v11 portions of practice. McKinney is reading his linemen, filling with confidence, and so far, he has been right with every decision based on what he is seeing. McKinney also packs a punch as a tackler, and his size is an obvious and important factor on the defense’s success defending the run this Training Camp.

Myles Gaskin. Myles Gaskin has quietly had a strong camp. Not so much that he is breaking long runs, but that he has become a pass catching weapon in the red zone, and has been a consistent outlet/safety valve for Tua Tagovailoa. On runs, he has finished runs strong, and has not shied from contact. Myles Gaskin has embraced the RB1 role, and has taken a noticeable leadership role on the RB unit. His work on his body int he offseason has also paid off, considering he is putting up a large rep load all camp, while not missing any portion so far.

NOTE: The team closed practice by running 10 gassers (Jaelen Phillips participated in the gassers, but did not practice), in which some coaches participated.
NOTE #2: Solomon Kindley had some good moments as a 2nd team LG, and also received a couple of reps on the 1st team as the LG as well.

Practice MVP: Jevon Holland
Struggled: 2nd team tackles (Brissett faced pressure throughout)

Alfredo Arteaga (@Alf_Arteaga) is one-third of the trio that does the Three Yards Per Carry (@3YardsPerCarry) podcast.

Miami Dolphins Training Camp Notes Day 9 (Tua, Xavien Howard, Shaheen, more)

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This is day 9 of camp, and the pads were on. Started with a heavy emphasis on the run game, but ended with Tua Tagovailoa fireworks. The offense did most of the winning on this day, and save for a few plays by the 2nd team, the defense was off balance for the most part.

Xavien Howard. Howard was a full participant in full uniform, but did sit out 11v11 portions of practice. Xavien Howard was also busy giving instruction to the secondary in the live portions. He participated in 1v1 tackle drills, and got beat by Lynn Bowden on a memorable juke move. Howard was also in the 6v8 portion and looked fluid. When practice was over, Xavien Howard could be seen running gassers with several players, including Jacoby Brissett.

Tua Tagovailoa. Another strong practice. Tua seems to have settled on punishing the Dolphins defense deep whenever they bring pressures. He had several hook ups with Jakeem Grant, and had a memorable jump ball 50 yard TD throw to Mack Hollins (Mack Hollins beat Byron Jones on it). His best play of the day came from the 25 yard line going in, where he recognized cover 2, and he dropped a throw behind Byron Jones, and in front of Eric Rowe for the Touchdown to DeVante Parker. On another play to Parker, the Dolphins dialed up a blitz, and Tua responded by throwing a deep fade to Parker on Jones, where Jones made the play. In my opinion, it was 50/50 on whether pass interference could have been called on that play. The Referee waved it incomplete. So good play by Byron Jones.

Jevon Holland. He had a miscommunication on a coverage, and allowed a big post completion to Albert Wilson. He was also a bit late on a 20 yard curl to Jakeem Grant, and those alone were a cause for further instruction, which he did receive from several players. It is not clear however, what exactly was the issue, although my best guess is that he failed to recognize route combinations that would allow him to come off routes and get a better break on the ball.

Adam Shaheen. Adam Shaheen is now the 1st team Tight End in 11 personnel in the absence of Mike Gesicki. Shaheen had a strong day, and considering the places he lined up at, and the plays he ran, you can tell he was in direct competition with Rookie Hunter Long on this day. Shaheen had a good day. After practice he also clarified (from a question asked by Joe Schad of The Palm Beach Post) that the “I will not comply” in his Twitter Bio has nothing to do with Covid, and everything to do with his strong belief in the 2nd amendment.

Jerome Baker. Jerome Baker and Bernardrick McKinney have gotten into a rhythm against the run, and Baker especially has had good moments in coverage this camp. His A gap blitzes are always there, but we are beginning to see him rush wide on passing situations, and he really looks the part as an edge rusher. Jerome Baker has consistently been a top camp performer and this season is no different. Andrew Van Ginkel was not in pads today, but was rather busy coaching up Jaelen Phillips in the install portions of practice.

Practice MVP: Tua Tagovailoa
Struggled: Byron Jones

Alfredo Arteaga (@Alf_Arteaga) is one-third of the trio that does the Three Yards Per Carry (@3YardsPerCarry) podcast.

Miami Dolphins Training Camp Notes Day 8 (Walk Through, Xavien Howard,more)

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This is day 8 of camp, and walk-through day. So, I won’t be posting formations, personnel packages, and plays here as that is frowned upon by the Dolphins and the NFL. So it was a lite day, so these will be lite camp notes.

Xavien Howard. Let’s not bury the lede. Xavien Howard was a full participant in the defensive walk through for base, Nickel, Dime, and other packages. He was preparing “to play”. So if today is any indication, he is preparing to return to practice/action after sitting out most of the start of camp with a reported ankle injury. Head Coach Brian Flores also spoke to the media before practice, and said he does not want to trade Xavien Howard. So Flores continues to make news/noise on the situation, with continued optimistic sounding quotes.

Jesse Davis. Jesse Davis is wearing a sleeve on his right leg, but he says he has no pain and is “ready to go”. He was also back to his 1st team duties at RT, and was spelled rarely. Jesse Davis when asked “what position” he actually plays (By Hal Habib of the Palm Beach Post),said he plays “Offensive Line for the Miami Dolphins. It will be interesting to see how the OL shakes out in the coming days.

Jevon Holland. There he was once again, on the 1st team, and he seemed to have a good grasp of what the team is trying to do with their coverages. Holland has not had the work load of let’s say a Jason McCourty (different positions), but he has had a very high rep count.

Larnel Coleman. This could be the story of camp. The 7th round draft pick out of Umass is firmly entrenched as what seems like the “swing tackle” on this team as he has seen 1st and 2nd team duty. The prototypical size, large frame, and obvious athleticism is worth an extended look. If Coleman pans out, the OL suddenly gets an injection of depth. On this day, Solomon Kindley seemed to get a promotion to the 2nd team, so things are beginning to look up a little bit for the OL unit.

Michael Palardy. Ok. This is now multiple times Michael Palardy has gotten his name into my notes. This time for a trick. I wasn’t going to offer a “Practice MVP” for this day since it was a walk through, but Michael Palardy was putting on a display that was rather entertaining. I’ll allow Travis Wingfield of MiamiDolphins.com fill you in, and yes, I have never seen anything like it either.

Practice MVP: Michael Palardy
Struggled: Nobody (walk through)

Alfredo Arteaga (@Alf_Arteaga) is one-third of the trio that does the Three Yards Per Carry (@3YardsPerCarry) podcast.

Miami Dolphins Training Camp Notes Day 7 (Tua, B. Scarlett, Holland, more)

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This is day 7 of camp, and day 2 of pads. A much more balanced approach on offense saw 2nd year QB Tua Tagovailoa shine once again. Some interesting shuffling in the secondary, highlighted what they are trying to do on defense, and the tight end unit had a good day despite being short-handed.

Tua Tagovailoa. No other way to put it. This was an impressive day. First, the bad. Tua did have some throwaways on the goal line facing pressure. And he had pressure in his face, as he locked in on a deep over route to Waddle. On that play, Hunter Long was on the slant underneath as rookie Jevon Holland came off the hash to get wide and intercept the too wide, overthrown pass from Tua. Other than that, Tua was really sharp on RPO. He had a few escapes that led to big plays, and was generally in command as he had a great day throwing the football.

Brennan Scarlett. Brennan Scarlett played everywhere. First team, 2nd team, 3rd team, played buck linebacker (weakside), played end, rushed as a wide-9 specialist. Brennan Scarlett showed a motor today, and had at least one confirmed sack against Austin Jackson. When he was on 2nd team, he did a number on 2nd team LT, Timon Parris. You can see what they are thinking as far as depth with Scarlett. Both he and Shaquem Griffin are gobbling up special teams reps and being played essentially the same on 2nd and 3rd teams. Both players figure as roster players so far, as the reps are being evenly divided on defense, but are near 100% participation on punt/kickoff teams.

Larnel Coleman. Jesse Davis played a couple snaps, then sat out practice. Larnel Coleman came in, and acquitted himself well early on. Then Vince Biegel beat him for a late practice sack. At 6’6″, 315 pounds, Coleman is a noticeable athlete, with prototypical size. The 7th round pick out of Umass is one to watch in the preseason as he figures to play plenty with the 2nd unit. On this day, this was not a bad debut versus the 1st unit. Color me interested to see him play versus Chicago in a week’s time.

Jevon Holland. It took him a little while, but Jevon Holland saw first team snaps on this day, and made a few plays, including the interception mentioned above. He also participated in the install portion as Byron Jones watched it with Xavien Howard and Nik Needham. Holland is a long, lean, fast athlete, who was diagnosing plays well on this day. Holland also matched up with Hunter Long, several times, and was good to turn and run with the BC tight end. This was a bit of a coming out party for Holland, and if today is any indication, you can pencil in the rookie as a starter/top snap getter.

Noah Igbinoghene. This was not a good day for the 2nd year DB. Igbinoghene got beat badly by Isaiah Ford on a go route, then got beat again on a deep in-cut by Bowden. Then gives up a big play to Hurns. It was hard to put a finger on what was wrong with him today, other than his technique being sloppy, a bit choppy, and being a bit slow to get out of his backpedal. He worked on install, while a few veterans from last year did not, so that is anecdotal evidence that he might not have a full grasp of the coverages the Dolphins want to play. I am looking forward to seeing Igbinoghene bounce back on Friday when the team returns to practice.

Practice MVP: Tua Tagovailoa, Brennan Scarlett
Struggled: Noah Igbinoghene

Alfredo Arteaga (@Alf_Arteaga) is one-third of the trio that does the Three Yards Per Carry (@3YardsPerCarry) podcast.

Miami Dolphins Camp Notes Day 6 (McKinney, Goal Line, Eichenberg, more)

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This is day 6 of camp, and the pads came on. Some Red Zone Install, and plenty of work on the run game as the Defense has a dominant day.

Bernardrick McKinney. Over front, under front, didn’t matter. McKinney was rolling downhill day and making plays on the run game. No missed tackles, one good hit on Myles Gaskin, but most importantly, Bernardrick McKinney was flowing to the ball, and making good decisions, with good angles. McKinney reading off of Raekwon Davis was almost not fair. The activity of Christian Wilkins/Zach Sieler won the day and McKinney was the big beneficiary. Practice MVP on this day.

Nik Needham. It’s official. Needham is first team in base, and was the LCB in a Nickel install that saw Needham and Byron Jones at corner, and Jason McCourty, Eric Rowe and Brandon Jones as Safeties. Jevon Holland, Noah Igbinoghene, Jamal Perry are the top performers on 2nd team, and are pushing for spots in the many groupings the Dolphins have for the secondary. Once or if Xavien Howard returns, (he watched practice from the end zone), the secondary will be very deep and talented. Nik Needham has made a statement in my estimation, and has been the top performer in the secondary this camp.

Liam Eichenberg. It was early when Liam Eichenberg had a “welcome to the NFL” moment with Zach Sieler. Early 1v1 rep, where Sieler blasted past Eichenberg and used a swim move to leave Eichenberg defeated, soundly on a very noticeable rep. Then a personal war developed and the rookie acquitted himself very well, engaging in physical play with all of the usual suspects (Davis, Sieler, Wilkins). The opening offensive line from left to right was Jackson, Eichenberg, Dieter, Hunt, Davis. Solomon Kindley was on 3rd team duty, and Matt Skura served as the 2nd team center. Larnel Coleman was off the Covid 19 list, and in full uniform. Coleman had a solid day in pass pro (2nd team) and had a couple of decent double teams with Hunter Long.

Durham Smythe. The defense may have beat the hell out of the Dolphins offensive line on this day, but Durham Smythe continues to show his value as a blocking specialist. His doubles, and combos with Austin Jackson and Jesse Davis were effective on this day. Problem was that the backs couldn’t get to landmarks to make decisions off his/the tackles’ blocks. Of the healthy TEs (Shaheen, Gesicki, Carter are on the Covid list) on this day, Smythe was the clear cut standout as a blocker, in a goal line/run heavy practice.

Myles Gaskin. What can you say for Myles Gaskin? Not his fault, the offense took a beating on goal line runs. What is apparent, is that they are exploring many options for goal line runners, and Malcolm Brown is the leader in the clubhouse. On this day, they used Carl Tucker, Durval Queiroz Neto, Solomon Kindley as lead blockers/fullbacks and of the three, I must say, Neto had a feel for it. Other than that, the Offense was completely dominated on the Goal line, save for a couple of 2nd team play action passes, and a Tua run. FAIR WARNING: This was a run heavy day, and Goal Line 2-3 Personnel packages essentially tell you what is coming. So, the defense had an advantage, but what a beating they laid upon the offense.

Practice MVP: Bernardrick McKinney
Struggled: Offensive Line

Alfredo Arteaga (@Alf_Arteaga) is one-third of the trio that does the Three Yards Per Carry (@3YardsPerCarry) podcast.

Dolphins training camp

Miami Dolphins Training Camp Notes: Day 4 – Linebackers, big plays, Albert Wilson, more

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As the Miami Dolphins training camp welcomed fans back, debuting their brand new facility, the audience was treated to a performance which saw both sides of the ball make plays. Now, here are some of the big highlights to take away from Day 4 of training camp.

Linebackers

The linebacker corps for the Miami Dolphins is proving to be incredible facing off against the offensive line. Now, it remains to be seen if this will remain the case when the pads come on, presumably on Tuesday, but for now it seems like Miami’s pass rush is a lot better than anyone assumes. Brennan Scarlett, Shaquem Griffin, Jerome Baker, Vince Biegel, even Calvin Munson. All of these linebackers made at least one notable appearance during Saturday’s practice.

It should be noted that Jaelen Phillips was held out of practice due to a minor injury. So his name being omitted is not a cause for alarm. But the linebacker spot is going to be loaded, particularly with Scarlett making a serious push. Of all the linebackers who practiced today, Scarlett made more plays than any of them. If that continues, Brian Flores will have some seriously difficult decisions to make.

Christian Wilkins

Speaking of players standing out above the crowd. Former first round pick Christian Wilkins spent most of his afternoon playing against the second team unit. Now, this is not a detriment towards Wilkins. If anything, it just shows what kind of depth is available along the defensive line that Wilkins is relegated to second team duty. To really emphasize the mismatch, there were several occasions throughout the day where Wilkins had to either be double teamed, or he burst through the offensive line the moment the ball was snapped.

There’s no question Wilkins is more than good enough to play with the starters, and he’s certainly a lock to make the team. All this proves is that the defensive line will almost always be fresh, barring an outbreak of injuries.

Albert Wilson

Miami Dolphins training camp is making one thing very apparent. Albert Wilson is still an excellent wide receiver in the NFL, and he’s proving it beyond the shadow of a doubt in training camp right now. He and Tua Tagovailoa are building a remarkable rapport, connecting on huge plays throughout the last several days, including today. This time, it was a 63-yard touchdown on a slant that was threaded between two defenders, one of which was Byron Jones. Not only that, he made a diving catch in the endzone during goal line drills to bail Tagovailoa out of trouble.

If there was any question as to whether or not Wilson was going to make the roster, it’s rapidly disappearing. No other wide receiver on the entire team has made as much of an impact as Wilson so far. It’s not even close. Even Tagovailoa’s Alabama teammate, Jaylen Waddle, has not proven to be so effective at navigating the defense. Wilson is always open and making big catches. If they continue building chemistry at this rate, Wilson may have himself a career year. That will undoubtedly lead to a big contract in the offseason.

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Big plays galore

The big plays did not stop with Wilson. All day long, on both sides of the ball, plays were made that if they were in-game, would turn the tide instantly. Going back to Brennan Scarlett, not only was he harassing Tagovailoa all day long, but he even forced a fumble out of Lynn Bowden Jr.

Zach Sieler dominated Robert Hunt and got a sack against Tagovailoa almost as soon as the ball was snapped. He also got in the way of a lot of runs throughout the afternoon.

Jakeem Grant leaped up and made a turnaround catch in midair in tight coverage, continuing from yesterday’s stellar performance.

Cornerback Terrell Bonds intercepted Reid Sinnett in the endzone, and then Jamal Perry did the same thing during the same drill against Tagovailoa.

Later, Tagovailoa weaved through pressure, kept his eyes downfield, and lobbed it up to Adam Shaheen who caught the jump ball in midair for a big gain.

All this to say, the Miami Dolphins are certainly going to be an exciting team to watch in 2021.

Michael Palardy

One final note before wrapping up these Miami Dolphins training camp notes. The team seems to have made a huge upgrade at punter. With Matt Haack now in Buffalo, Michael Palardy has come in and shown an incredible ability to punt the ball exactly where it needs to be for the perfect trajectory.

Gone are the days of 50/50 chances of either a booming punt or a shanked punt. Palardy is offering something the Miami Dolphins haven’t had for quite some time. Consistency.

Practice MVP: Albert Wilson

Struggled: Noah Igbinoghene

Luis Sung has covered the Miami Dolphins for numerous outlets such as Dolphins Wire for seven years. Follow him on Twitter: @LuisDSung

Everything Tradeshows is a one-stop-shop for trade show exhibit rentals and custom exhibit display purchase solutions to companies of all sizes.

Visit them at everythingtradeshows.com or call 954-791-8882

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A look at the Miami Dolphins ratings in Madden 22

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Yesterday, EA Sports released their player and team ratings for the upcoming installment of Madden. Here’s everything we learned about our beloved Miami Dolphins in Madden 22.

Now let me first start by saying, Madden is a flawed game. But we all have flaws, and despite its issues, most of us still decide to give the game a chance every year. This year will be no different for me, especially considering the Miami Dolphins have one of the most explosive teams in, well, forever? Of course, the game is also #good, but unless you played the Next-Gen version AND had the opportunity to play the beta, you probably still won’t believe me until next month.

Nevertheless, with a good game and a good Miami Dolphins team that just finished 10-6, certainly, the ratings would reflect this. WRONG.

Brian Flores borderline ELITE defense received a 79. Miami’s offense, despite all of its speed and young weapons, is rated a 70.

The Miami Dolphins official team rating is 79 overall. 

Personally, I think the overall rating is close. Especially after you see what some of the other teams are rated. But I still expected more, especially after all the new additions the team made this offseason. For those of you upset, don’t fret; EA will update their ratings throughout the season. So, if the Dolphins are the team we think they are. Their overall rating will skyrocket sooner than later. Then again, maybe it won’t.

But enough about the team ratings, most of you want to know how the Miami Dolphins roster looks compared to the other 31 NFL teams. I won’t sit here and show you every rating from every team. If you’re interested in that, you can click HERE.

Here’s a look at the Miami Dolphins player ratings from Madden 22.

Some of the most noticeable snubs (IMO) are Jerome Baker (78), Raekwon Davis (74), Zach Sieler (68), Austin Jackson (65), and of course, poor Blake Ferguson (27), who Madden lists as a tight end rather than adding a long-snapper position.

What are your thoughts on the Miami Dolphins team rating? Which player ratings are too low? Too high? Will you be buying this year’s game? Let us know in the comments section below!

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