As we discussed last week, one of huge offseason acquisitions will be missing lots of playing time, and now it’s relatively official that CB Jalen Ramsey should be out at least until December. The Dolphins immediately picked up veteran CB, former NY Giant, NO Saint, Carolina Panther and Cincinnati Bengal CB Eli Apple. Self proclaimed as “The Silent Assassin”, it’s not clear who the victims are, opposing WR’s or his own team. Over his 7 year career with 4 different teams as a former 1st RD pick in 2016 (#10) to the NY Giants, he’s done a lot of both.
Even more recently, The Dolphins waived FB John Lovett and signed former Detroit Lion and also former Pittsburgh Mauler of USFL. In 2021, Gilbert played in 8 games for the Detroit Lions and then spent 2022 on the Pittsburgh Steelers practice squad. In 2023, in the USFL, Gilbert logged 33 tackles, and the led the USFL with 4 INT’s. After all, he is the cousin of former NY Jet Darrelle Revis. “Gilbert Island” anyone? So what does our depth chart look like at CB? Who starts opposite LCB Xavien Howard is up for grabs. Veteran Eli Apple has played most of his career at LCB, and rookie 2nd RD pick CB Cam Smith, who by the way, at least as far as early returns go, looks fantastic, is listed as 2nd on the depth chart at LCB. Keion Crossen, Justin Bethel and new pickup Mark Gilbert are all RCB’s. Noah Igbinoghene is also listed as depth on the left side. Someone is going to have to change or someone else is going to have to step up and take it.
Just an observation, I was looking at training camp pics, which are available on the official Miami Dolphins website, and I think blocking TE Durham Smythe looks quite a bit on the slender side. To be fair, no one would mistake SF 49ers TE George Kittle with a LB either, so probably much ado about nothing. Maybe TE’s Eric Saubert and Tyler Kroft will do more of the blocking chores in the run game. Also, it’s not the size of the dog in a fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.
It will be interesting to see how things develop at CB. I love Kader Kohou, does he make the jump to starting outside CB? Do they run with the veteran Apple? Does Gilbert leapfrog everyone after a nice season in the USFL? There are often times when you need at least 3 CB’s on the field, and sometimes more. Kohou, Needham and Trill Williams are all mostly on the inside, but one of them may just have to make the move to the outside. Last year our secondary was in a shambles. Byron Jones never played a snap, and Xavien Howard was bothered by groin injuries most of the first half of the season. Iggy didn’t show up, but Kader Kohou made a nice splash. We could have been special with Jalen Ramsey, now I think most of us would just be happy with adequate if or until Ramsey is healthy.
GO DOLPHINS!!!!
Finsmob Unleashed 
White was way late recognizing the open tight end in that pick in the endzone. Tua would have had the TD. Plus it would have been a roll to his “natural side”
Hand is a wide dude
2nd 8:08 – MIA 4th & 2, at ATL 3
Mike White incomplete pass to the left intended for Braxton Berrios
He played into 3rd?
It’s still the 2nd
Can’t watch….thank you.
So 2 major fuck ups?
No, his KO return was moire like this.
I love the devil…lol
EZ with his second good run of the game
2nd 5:14 – MIA 1st & 10, at MIA 19
Erik Ezukanma rushed to the left for 39 yard gain, tackled by Breon Borders
End around? Lol…sorry for asking
The first one was a direct handoff as he came in motion.
I haven’t seen the video of the second one yet?
Not watching it just seeng the plays
second run
Ah…I will leave you alone…lol
Mike White not very good in the red zone tonight!
2nd 0:20 – MIA 4th & 3, at ATL 6
Mike White incomplete pass to the right intended for Tyler Kroft
Not from what’s been reported/heard…thank you…that’s money time.
Guess he lost his wallet…or in today’s time, ATM card…lol
Late to the game/party…
Happy to report that you can still live-stream games through Reddit… at least in this pre-season. It’s anybody’s guess what will happen once the regular season starts.
And I can’t lie… I had to jump through hula-hoops like never before just to get to the game tonight.
What? No political song or politcal comment? Shocker!
You don’t want a link for being dick? SHOCKER!
You crack me up, Krishna… LOL
LOL…
Let’s go SKYLAR!!!
Football! Thank you!
O-Line just sacked Skylar.
We don’t even have a 1st OL ….shocker
I call that holding the ball to long!
Agree, but they came unabated…
Was it 2.5 seconds?
He should have dumped it…they were on him, both sides….
Cam Smith… IMPRESSIVE!!!
Krishna says:
August 11, 2023 at 8:50 pm
Was it 2.5 seconds?
——————-
I almost hit 4 seconds before he went down
Oooh…not good…like I said, he should have dumped it
The new NFL where roster spots 50-90 dominate PS game one
Krishna and Wyoming,
Skylar couldn’t have dumped it or thrown it out of bounds, being he was still in the pocket. The O-Line failed him, plain and simple.
Wrong….a dump is past line…he can’t do that dump?
I didn’t see a dump option… did you?
And WTF would ya do when both Tackles failed, running into you? Reminds me of when Suh and Wake made a sandwich out of the stej QB at the time.
You said he had 4 seconds to get rid of the ball….I’m confused…plenty of time to read, react
And I thought you knew football…lmao
And so following another sack of Skyler, he goes deep to Higgins… for an INT. This O-Line is going to kill our QBs.
Where have I heard this before? 🤔
Lol…late to the party and he admitted such..
Hey you … ya laying fantasy football this year ??
Playing
I am in for fantasy
Thank you councillor 👍👍. 1 league fully confirmed
GOOD! Cam Smith is okay!
Dude hurt himself tackling Achane
Oh no Im watching live. LOL I started 4o minutes behind and have FF through commercials until now.
Got the feed for a few and then it got totally impossible. Depth players and some young guys got good work in from what I saw.
That’s the point…
Good
Well that was an awful minute of football.
Followed by another. 🤦🏼♀️
Well it got worse! 😦
Seems we have NO depth….that’s not good…lol
I haven’t been able to watch, but is it fair to say White failed and Skylar had no chance…I know, I want him to succeed….
Bad decisions by both qb’s and bad penalties on both sides for us, along with scratching my head wifs by the Oline. Well it is preseason and some guys tonight will learn or never see a snap in the NFL in two weeks.
Anyone see any of the points mentioned above? Lol
Was Iggy out there, Pili, Cam?
Or just watching political vids from mf13ss? Lmao…
….didn’t see it, so I should stfu…lol
Achane balling? Or is that nothing yet?
Pili push the pocket? Clog?
How was Iggy? Still looked hopeless? Lol…
Did Atlanta bully us? Wish I could’ve put some eyes on it…lol
M, that song, Rich Men North of Richmond – Oliver Anthony Music, is #1 on itunes in all music genres.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/what-went-well-and-what-didn-t-in-dolphins-first-preseason-game/ar-AA1faFZS?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=f9a6247a4da842728c57d85f5a0ef960&ei=45
https://sports.yahoo.com/dolphins-mike-white-starts-preseason-002300864.html
Recap…
Hard to say we have no depth, when guys not likely to make the team aren’t cutting it
Ogbah played, Jackson, and Eichenberg did too, otherwise I didn’t see much from guys likely to get PT this year, rookies aside
We also don’t know who Atlanta played
It was assumed on here last night, that both Eichenberg and Jackson were terrible
I watched Jackson in the highlights, on one pass play he was pushed back, then while keeping the defender in front of him took back control, the rest of the plays he looked very good
FWIW
A ringing endorsement 🙄
I went ahead and deleted that game!
On to the next practice game!
I should see the starting players for at least a couple of series next week! 🙂
No reason to delete it, just don’t ball watch
Tindall was making plays, based on stats, but how’d he really look
By halftime Achane was 8 carries 20 yards, pretty sure he finished better, was he effective?
Higgins and EZ made some plays too
PS is about individual play
On a team with lots of highly paid players and great players still on rookie contracts, they aren’t exactly built to look great PS1, with most of them not playing
Honestly hoping preseason gets shortened to 2 games and we go to an 18 game regular seasons
It’s feeling kind of pointless
I also hope Tua hardly plays this preseason
Same with Hill Waddle or anyone that secured a starting position
Preseason feels insignificant to me
Ifs really about getting young guys experience and maybe finding a diamond in the rough
Falcons 19 Dolphins 6 Injuries 0 we win
^
Watched the broadcast game this morning. Holy shit were they annoying. Sideline interviews and booth interviews while the game was being played. Nattering on about nothing instead of watching the game and commenting. Painful…going to have to go back and watch the coaches film. From what I did see, no one really jumped out. Maybe Achane on the kick return and a couple runs. The big RB from BYU had some nice runs too. Defense looked like shite as well. Fortunately, most of the guys playing won’t be on the team when the season starts.
He hurt his shoulder hope he’ll be alright he’s got game
Steve I didn’t delete it out of frustration, It’s more about how much value I gave it.
I mostly watched the line play of that game anyway.
Since it seems to be the soup de jure around here
Pili…
For the guys who started last night ( I watched the game) the offense went right down the field several times and should have scored four times but White threw ugly passes inside their ten time after time.
The D stuffed them til midway through the second qtr when guys on my level came in lol
They rested most of their guys like we did so it was always a square match.
They returned a punt late after a drive that could have been for the go ahead score but ended with a sack and a couple of penalties. Then after the punt return Skylar threw a pick six which threw the score out of whack.
If White didn’t suck in the red zone we should have won going away.
The second half sucked, Skylar was getting attacked but they were blitzing a lot.
How Dolphins defensive rookies performed vs. Falcons
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August 12, 2023 12:11 pm ET
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Even though the Miami Dolphins lost to the Atlanta Falcons Friday night, 19-3, there were a few silver lining individual performances that were positive indications of some developmental rookies. There are even a few candidates who have a real shot now to make the roster in the undrafted free-agent group.
Former USC defensive lineman Brandon Pili made four total tackles (one for loss) and a quarterback hit. He’s a nose tackle who could be a lead backup candidate to starter Raekwon Davis, who like many veterans, didn’t play in Friday’s preseason opener.
Pili was disruptive and celebrated a fourth-quarter tackle for loss as if it was the crossing of a threshold into a professional job that he now knows he has a true chance at getting hired for.
It’s a great sign that the undrafted free agent is doing well as the interior defensive line for Miami is like an outstanding top shelf at a bar or club, however, below that’s a little bit questionable.
Another undrafted free agent who played rather well was safety Keidron Smith from Kentucky. Credit Smith for rebounding from an earlier preseason practice rep that led to a social media video in which veteran wide receiver Tyreek Hill, for lack of a better term, “burnt” him on a deep route for a touchdown.
Smith took this opportunity against the Falcons to show a short-term memory, which good defensive backs should have, and got himself two tackles against Atlanta. He was also the only Dolphin to have multiple pass breakups Friday night with two.
Both Pili and Smith have certainly spiked their stock following the inaugural preseason game and look to build on that momentum in a week full of joint practices and a Saturday game in Houston against the Texans.
Going deeper into the undrafted free agent class, linebacker Garrett Nelson was among the Dolphins’ tackling leaders Friday night with four and got in on a sack, one of four by Miami as a unit.
Nelson showed some pop at the position, as did fellow UDFA linebackers Mitchell Agude, who also got a sack, and Aubrey Miller Jr. who performed well on special teams, showing some grit and feistiness with some scuffles throughout the game. Miller is a bit undersized in height, but he’s built like a wrecking ball and is certainly a developmental defensive pupil for Vic Fangio.
Although it was a sloppy game for the Miami Dolphins as a team, there were individual signs of positivity. You could look at those undrafted free agents, but a guy you really want to know is doing well is second-round pick cornerback Cam Smith.
Smith showed lockdown, ball-hawking defensive back skills with an excellent third-and-1 pass break-up when he broke and converted on the ball like a seasoned professional. He also got in on a run stop in a big spot and showed he’s truly a corner who could look the part in this league.
Smith did, however, injure his shoulder and his exact status is to be determined at the moment, but it doesn’t seem to be all that serious based on early reports.
The Dolphins will go to the film room, especially the rookies, as there has been enough tape for coaches to circle names, as the inevitable cuts are around the corner.
Ogbah was out there surprisingly enough, he was taking snaps standing up, guess they wanted to evaluate the tape on him.
Apple looked good, at the time he looked like and probably was the most veteran player on the field
No one kills this blog like me 👍
The coaches have plenty of video on guys who are trying to make the team. Some guys helped themselves and others not so much.
Second-Year LB Channing Tindall Takes Center Stage in Miami Dolphins’ Defense
No Miami Dolphins defender logged more snaps than the former third-round pick.
By Jacob Mendel@JMendel94 Aug 12, 2023, 2:38pm EDT 1 Comment / 1 New
JEFF ROMANCE/THE PALM BEACH POST / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Miami Dolphins defense didn’t feature many standout performers on Friday, but a former third-round pick earned the opportunity to pilot the unit for most of the night.
Former Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Channing Tindall was on the field for 40 snaps against the Atlanta Falcons — the most of any defender on the Dolphins. Fellow linebackers Aubrey Miller II (35) and Mike Rose (30), along with defensive linemen Jaylen Twyman (33) and Brandon Pili (30), each played at least 30 snaps.
Tindall and Twyman each logged sacks, but the second-year linebacker was constantly engaged with a team-high 10 tackles while lining up in the box for 38 of his 40 snaps. He missed just one tackle and allowed two of three passes to be caught for 13 yards while in coverage, according to PFF.
Good to see. He was very active.
Cam Smith’s reaction time/recovery/short-speed bursting is absolutely incredible to me. The Force is clearly with him… and he’s only a rook. It’s far too early to speculate on what kind of career is ahead of him, but he’s already showing major positive signs.
Chris Grier may, I say may, have hit the jackpot in drafting Cam. And to have X and Ramsey as mentors — not to mention Sam Madison as his position coach — could do wonders for his early career.
It almost reminds me of some pup named Roland Bailey out of Georgia being drafted by the Redskins back in the day, having Deion Sanders and Darrell Green there to mentor him. And as we all know, Champ is now in the Hall of Fame.
Champ had a gear I don’t think Cam has but a very interesting comparison nonetheless.
Cam Smith is definitely in a good situation. He definitely looks the part.
I would love to see it…
…he makes up for his mistakes with his talent. Just wait until he’s not making mistakes….oh my
The Miami Dolphins’ Left Guard Competition Heats Up in a Disappointing Loss
By George Forder@GeorgeForder3 Aug 12, 2023, 6:00pm EDT 3 Comments / 3 New
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Well, the Miami Dolphins lost their first preseason game of 2023 in a 19-3 snooze fest against the Atlanta Falcons. While plenty of fans woke up this morning feeling frustrated, it’s important to remember that the preseason isn’t about wins and losses. What you really want is to see promising performances from your new additions (especially rookies) and get some clarity on starting positions that are still up for grabs.
One of the most impactful position battles for the Dolphins upcoming season is the one for left guard. You could argue that right tackle is more impactful, but there isn’t really anyone to take Austin Jackson’s spot there. Back to left guard; I came into this game expecting it to be a two horse race between Liam Eichenberg and Isaiah Wynn. After rewatching the Falcons contest a few times, I’m throwing a third name in the ring: Robert Jones.
To gauge whether each player improved or hurt their stock, lets look individually at each players performance last night.
Liam Eichenberg
The coaching staff has clearly given Eichenberg every opportunity to take this job and run with it. The reports out of camp have been mixed for Eichenberg and he only played two series (just 14 plays) in this game.
One of the most impactful position battles for the Dolphins upcoming season is the one for left guard. You could argue that right tackle is more impactful, but there isn’t really anyone to take Austin Jackson’s spot there. Back to left guard; I came into this game expecting it to be a two horse race between Liam Eichenberg and Isaiah Wynn. After rewatching the Falcons contest a few times, I’m throwing a third name in the ring: Robert Jones.
To gauge whether each player improved or hurt their stock, lets look individually at each players performance last night.
It was the first of the three that I watched (as he started the game), and I came away mildly pleased. He had some good snaps and some… ok snaps. There wasn’t anything that is going to hurt him in this race and there isn’t anything that will necessarily help him either. He looks like Liam from last year, with some mild improvements. We need to see him more this preseason to make any serious judgement.
Isaiah Wynn
When the Dolphins added Wynn, there were questions about where he would end up. After training camp and this first preseason game, it seems obvious that the Dolphins see him as a guard. The biggest concern with Wynn remains his ability to stay healthy, but it was still refreshing to see him perform well.
One of the most impactful position battles for the Dolphins upcoming season is the one for left guard. You could argue that right tackle is more impactful, but there isn’t really anyone to take Austin Jackson’s spot there. Back to left guard; I came into this game expecting it to be a two horse race between Liam Eichenberg and Isaiah Wynn. After rewatching the Falcons contest a few times, I’m throwing a third name in the ring: Robert Jones.
To gauge whether each player improved or hurt their stock, lets look individually at each players performance last night.
Liam Eichenberg
The coaching staff has clearly given Eichenberg every opportunity to take this job and run with it. The reports out of camp have been mixed for Eichenberg and he only played two series (just 14 plays) in this game.
It was the first of the three that I watched (as he started the game), and I came away mildly pleased. He had some good snaps and some… ok snaps. There wasn’t anything that is going to hurt him in this race and there isn’t anything that will necessarily help him either. He looks like Liam from last year, with some mild improvements. We need to see him more this preseason to make any serious judgement.
Isaiah Wynn
When the Dolphins added Wynn, there were questions about where he would end up. After training camp and this first preseason game, it seems obvious that the Dolphins see him as a guard. The biggest concern with Wynn remains his ability to stay healthy, but it was still refreshing to see him perform well.
He looked good against the Falcons here. He got a long look at left guard and was a clear notch above what we saw (and have seen) from Eichenberg. I think there is a good chance that this game gave him a small bump in the left guard competition and I could see him come out to start next week against the Texans.
Robert Jones
I had no intention of specifically watching Jones, as I expected there to be only two guys battling for this one spot. Jones kept popping out though, so I went back and watched all of his snaps from this contest. I can unequivocally say that Jones was their best lineman last night and I think he may have just played his way into the conversation for this left guard spot.
It’s important to remember that Jones played over 400 snaps for the Dolphins last year, mostly at left guard. He was better than Eichenberg last season, but was just solid-not anything spectacular. Well, this is the best he’s looked on tape since joining the Dolphins as a UDFA back in 2021. His pass sets are totally clean and he moved guys off the ball all game long. I think it would be coaching malpractice to not give him a closer look after a performance like this.
Where Does the LG Competition Stand Now?
Well, this is a tricky one. If it were up to me, Jones would be getting some first team reps immediately. We have to keep in mind though that these coaches get to watch these guys compete everyday, their opinion wont be as swayed by a good (or bad) performance in game action. For that reason, I think the competition is probably shaping up like this:
Wynn
Eichenberg
Jones
It’s still anyone’s spot at this point and it should remain a competition throughout the preseason. Wynn’s experience and history of high-level play should give him the edge here. Though I would expect for both Eichenberg and Jones to make the 53 man roster (I’ll be highly disappointed if they cut Jones at this point).
Other Bright Spots
While the team squandered opportunities, there were some really encouraging performances from up and coming players on the roster. We saw De’Von Achane for the first time in game action and that dude is going to be a problem for defensive coordinators. I would expect him to be heavily involved in the offense this upcoming season.
Son, Tim, and Krishna,
Thanks, all. The only thing I don’t like about Cam Smith right now? He wears the #24 jersey. The last CB named Smith who wore #24 for us was Seanathan Smith. 😉
With any fortune, Cam Smith will make all of us forget about #24, Seanathan Smith. 😀
And I suppose if anybody still has a Seanathan Smith jersey from back in the day, NOW is the time to break it out… unless you are the Pigster, of course! 😀
FYI, Pigster…
I, for the same reason as you, have a Dolphins jersey curse. I’m only buying college jerseys of my favorite current Phins from now on. Hope it works!
Wasn’t he on the team last year?
yep
HC Mike McDaniel Sunday August 13 media availability coverage thread
11:00 AM · Aug 13, 2023
Travis Wingfield
@WingfieldNFL
·
1h
Coach says Cam Smith’s injury doesn’t figure to be long-term. It’s a little grey right now but the timeline will have to do with how his body responds to treatment.
Travis Wingfield
@WingfieldNFL
·
1h
Braxton Berrios got stitches on his forehead. He’ll be back when those heel so he’s not getting them opened by the helmet come on and off.
Travis Wingfield
@WingfieldNFL
·
48m
Monumental is the term Coach used when asked about what the production of Ezukanma and Tindall meant about their Y2 growth.
Travis Wingfield
@WingfieldNFL
·
1h
McDaniel says they’re protecting Waddle from himself more than anything. Waddle is already moving around, Coach says. Exact timeline unclear.
Travis Wingfield
@WingfieldNFL
·
54m
Coach says the locker room is a great litmus test to decided starting jobs. Says you can get the pulse verbal and non-verbal of how guys feel and that can often tell you who the best man for the job will be.
Travis Wingfield
@WingfieldNFL
·
56m
Coach praises the way Austin Jackson responded to adversity Friday night. Says he was very pleased by his performances.
So where is Feeney in the mix, backup at all interior positions?
IMHO
I’d say they really want Ike to take the Job.
Wynn is probably the best option today.
Feeny is a vet back-up, incase Ike doesn’t pan out and they have to move Wynn elsewhere.
Another ringing endorsement
I liked Keke Coutee coming out in the draft. I had him in a couple mocks from what I remember as a later round pick back then. Surprised he is bouncing around and not making a roster. He’s got some speed and returner ability. At this point, I don’t see him making an impact to make the roster. Maybe PS.
So we have a cheetah, a penguin, and a snowman.. is keke coutee the walrus ??
Or (more likely) he is another of of the Blown Conc bunch
Conch
I am the walrus cuckoo cuchoo
Exactly 😊
9ers kicker Moody 0-2. We’ll be okay Rock 👍
NEW BLOG UP!!!! Sad news, I think my Mac may have kicked the bucket. It has been a faithful servant for almost 13 years, so I think it did its job well