It’s preseason football, so it’s important to keep perspective about performance. Well, most of us fell in love with Skylar Thompson in the preseason because he played so well. I feel like I saw the real Skylar Thompson in this game. He’s just so slow to see the rush, he looks like he’s in quicksand and can’t move his legs. I’d say this is more evident when he gets caught looking down the field, it’s like he can’t see both at the same time. This is the good news at QB. Mike White was more like Mike Shite. 4 times in the red zone and Mike sucked it up each and every time. Bad decisions, bad throws equally responsible for ending drives without putting points on the board. I know some if you didn’t like the White signing, but I did. He let me down with a very poor showing but he has plenty of time to do better.
Our 2 rookies looked good. I love De’Von Achane, he’s exciting to watch. He’s just smooth, and he definitely looks like he plays fast. Some guys have speed and don’t play fast. Achane does. He looked great running the ball and just as good receiving. Cam Smith made a couple of plays and looks like he’s the real deal. WR Erik Ezukanma looked very impressive on a couple of runs on end arounds and also made a nice reception. He was very physical running and I would hope he will have some nice run after the catch ability. We’ll see if it translates.
It looked like may have found some depth on the D-line. DT/NT Brandon Pili had a nice game, he was very active. Did I mention our backup QB’s looked like shit? These guys better play a lot better, although I think Skylar Thompson is what he is. He actually had a chance to hit rookie TE Elijah Higgins deep but he stepped up and heaved and it was a wobbly duck that was way short and was intercepted. I don’t see a big arm that some have mentioned. Mike White played well between the 20’s, but really fell apart in the red zone. Not a good sign when virtually no one expects your QB1 to play every game in a season.
GO DOLPHINS!!
Finsmob Unleashed 
First!
When I mocked Skylar to us the year we drafted him, my only knock on him was his arm. Skylar is in a battle for #2 so he is trying to make a play probably making him hang on to it too long.
You’re not wrong. Perspective. That’s what I need. I know it’s preseason but I was disappointed in the outcome.
Go Dolphins!
And thanks Mike E. 🙂
You’re welcome Herd! Thankfully they have time to show better than the last game. 🙃
RIP Mac
It was pre season. The Lions famously went 4-0 one year in preseason then 0-16 in the regular season
I know. I still want to win. I can’t help it. 😂
Me too but I am trying to channel Bruce Banner
Hulk, not concerned with the loss at all. I’m concerned that the 2 QB’s that are likely going to see playing time were turrible. If Tua misses time and either of those QB’s play resembles their play in this game, we won’t win any game Tua doesn’t play.
White has performed well in real games before. He is a solid backup
Yes, but I only care what he does for us. He has to do better
I hope I’m wrong! But White reminded me of Tanny. He played well untill the situational pressure went up, then well we all know the “then”!
White played well but was late on all the throws that counted!
Thank you for another article, Mike E!
What can I say… Case Keenum > Mike White or Skylar Thompson.
Keenum: $2.8M for the Texans
White: $2.8M for our Phins
Keenum knows the WCO like no other backup QB in the league (drafted into it by Kubiak)
White knows the WCO like Judy Garland knew who Humpty Hump was… just sayin’!
I’ve still got high hopes for Skylar, but that Mike White signing left me itching my head.
*scratching my head
Did anyone think that the jerseys looked darker? It could easily have been because it was a night game and not in the sun, but to me they looked darker, closer to the throwback jerseys we love.
M – Mike White is going to have do better than he did in this game, but he’s not done. It was his first action, and as I mentioned, and Wyo elaborated, he was effective between the 20’s, he just broke down in the Red Zone.
Dolphins @ Texans game will be live on NFLN this Saturday.
Joint practices on Wednesday and Thursday with Texans
I’m not concerned about preseason or the game either
Presses is really not a reflection of who we will be in September
We don’t even run out playbook
Especially with the practices between teams
Couple of relevant things:
Filling out the depth chart
Avoid injuries
Couple of things about that depth chart that I think are open:
1 who’s the backup QB – if Skyler Thompson can’t start moving the ball, why even keep him on the roster . I know White didn’t perform well either, but at least he’s done it before
2. Who’s gonna be our 3 and 4 receivers
3. Who’s gonna start the season as our returner
4. Who’s gonna be our starting 5 OL
The performance of the team actually doesn’t matter at all in my opinion
We are shaping the depth chart
I thought it was odd seeing Craycraft back there returning punts. I guess they are trying to find him some additional work as he is not in the top five wide receivers.
After seeing Eazy-E with the ball in his hand on and around, I would like to see him on the punt return team for a chance.
Would also be cool if he worked his way up the depth chart we are loaded though …won’t be easy
I also feel like we have had more consistency on the roster between ‘22 and ‘23 than we have had in a long time
Some of the longest tenured coaches in the nfl care very little about wins in preseason bc the rosters don’t have so much turnover
McDaniel might only be year 2 but it feels like he had the team he wants already
In the past it always felt like coaches were working to becoming the team they wanted to be in the 3-4 year cycle
Need to see more of Robert Jones vs 1’s
Agree
One good thing is we traveled to the Chargers last year so McDaniel and almost the whole defense knows the stadium and their QB well . Hopefully we should be less caught by surprise by their defense.
I agree with piggy above. The best coaches use the preseason strategically to test certain personnel groupings and get some tape on how defenders react to stuff . Plus watch our bubble players to make cuts of course. Victories and stats don’t count except as research.
Know you all know this but it makes me feel better after the sloppy loss.
If that rookie TE plays like that again, he could force his way on the 53.
I think Ryder’s next breakdown is going to be on Higgins.
Hopefully Cam Smith doesn’t miss too much time.
EZ brings a nice element to the offense.
Cam Smith was at practice today not wearing a red jersey. Good news!🙂
Rockphin says:
August 14, 2023 at 11:46 am
After seeing Eazy-E with the ball in his hand on and around, I would like to see him on the punt return team for a chance.
You don’t see many big guys returning punts, because they get beat up and are easier to get your hands on, traditionally they’re small guys like Achane, Grantman…
Deionized at 6’1″ was an exception, but he’s lightning fast and elusive
fwiw…
Miami Dolphins Stock Report (Practice 13)
Dolphins All-Pro receiver Tyreek Hill heats up for thinned-out receiver unit, dominating Monday’s practice
OMAR KELLY1 HOUR AGO
The Miami Dolphins are two joint practices against the Houston Texans, two preseason games, and two weeks of practice away from the start Sept. 10 season opener against the Los Angeles Chargers.
That doesn’t seem like much time to solve the offense’s growing pains, tighten the screws on special teams, find a starting left guard, starting boundary cornerback and strong safety, and nail down the final 10-20 spots on the 53-man roster.
The clock is ticking, and the Dolphins don’t have a practice to waste from this point out.
Here’s a look at the stock report from practice Monday:
Top Performers
Wide receiver Tyreek Hill – The Cheetah is on the prowl. With Jaylen Waddle, Braxton Berrios and Braylon Sanders all sidelined by injuries, the seven-time Pro Bowl selection has been doing double duty to keep the offense moving. During Monday’s practice Hill caught five passes, and none of them were for less than 15 yards. There was one reception Hill pulled in over the middle of the field where he was moving so fast Hill threw up a peace sign in the direction of Miami’s safeties before stopping to restart the play. It was Hill’s way of telling Miami’s defensive backs that he would have outrun them all to the end zone if he hadn’t been preserving his energy. If we were keeping stats Monday, Hill would have produced 100-plus receiving yards.
Cornerback Noah Igbinoghene – Igbinoghene pulled down an interception on a Skylar Thompson pass that probably would have been a Zach Sieler sack if the action were live. This was Igbinoghene’s second interception of the past two days, and served as a reminder of how improved the 2020 first-round pick has been this camp, rebounding from three years of struggles. With rookie cornerback Cam Smith sidelined by the shoulder injury he suffered in Friday night’s 19-3 preseason loss against the Atlanta Falcons, this is Igbinoghene’s window to lock up the starting spot on the boundary opposite Xavien Howard. All he needs to do is remain consistent for the next two weeks and he should be able to hold off Eli Apple.
Pass rusher Jaelan Phillips – Phillips has had a relatively quiet camp for whatever reason — be it the toe injury he suffered on training camp’s first day, or the improvement we’ve seen from starting right tackle Austin Jackson, but the former University of Miami standout was on fire Monday. Phillips was credited with two sacks, two tackles for loss, and at least one additional pressure..
Stock down
Receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr. – Wilson, who is guaranteed $5 million of his $7 million salary this season, has had a quiet camp up to this point. If there was a time for him to step up, proving that he’s deserving of a roster spot, it’s now considering three receivers are sidelined by injuries. But Wilson was sparingly used in Miami’s 11-on-11 period Monday, and the lone pass that went his direction was broken up by cornerback Xavien Howard. At this point it’s clear that Wilson was one of the worst free agent signings of Chris Grier’s tenure as general manager because the team’s sixth or seventh receiver shouldn’t be one of the 10 highest-paid players on the team.
Dolphins 2023 Camp: August 14 Practice Observations
What stood out during the 13th practice of Miami Dolphins training camp
ALAIN POUPART3 HOURS AGO
MIAMI DOLPHINS
Highlights, lowlights and observations from the 13th practice (day 20) of Miami Dolphins training camp Saturday:
— The Dolphins conducted an inside-and-out practice at the Baptist Health Training Complex, with the outside portion conducted in front of a group of high school football players.
— The practice took place before the team was schedule to fly out to Houston for two days of joint practices with the Texans followed by a preseason game at NRG Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
INGOLD, GASKIN STILL OUT
— We’ll start off with the attendance check, which again was highlighted by the absence of WR Jaylen Waddle.
— Others who didn’t practice Monday were FB Alec Ingold, WR Braylon Sanders, RB Myles Gaskin, CB Jalen Ramsey, CB Keion Crossen, S Brandon Jones, CB Justin Bethel, CB Ethan Bonner.
— Veteran tackle Terron Armstead did work with the offensive linemen but again did not participate in team periods. Others who didn’t take part in team periods included CB Kader Kohou, CB Cam Smith, WR Braxton Berrios and G Liam Eichenberg, who spent time on the stationary bike.
— Wide receiver Tyreek Hill wore the orange jersey as the practice player for Sunday’s session.
ANOTHER BIG DAY FOR TYREEK
— Hill deserved the orange jersey for his practice performance Sunday and he again was the best offensive player Monday, making catch after catch, usually in the deep middle area of the field.
— The other standouts were defensive players, including lineman Zach Sieler, edge defender Jaelan Philliips and linebacker Duke Riley.
— Cornerback Noah Igbinoghene had a third interception in the past nine days, though it came on a play that easily could have been described as a sack based on the pass rusher stopping before getting to the quarterback.
— Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa had a much more productive practice than he did Sunday, though the offense didn’t function as smoothly as he did early in training camp.
— Tua’s first pass attempt in 11-on-11s was a deep slant intended for Cedrick Wilson Jr. that was broken up by Xavien Howard.
— Phillips’ big day started with a tackle for loss against Jeff Wilson Jr. and he got close enough to the quarterback that media members were debating whether to award him two or three sacks on the day.
— Sieler also had two or three plays where he got close to the quarterback before stopping as he won battle after battle at the line of scrimmage.
— Linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel beat tackle Cedric Ogbuehi around the corner, prompting Ogbuehi to hold him.
— Cornerback Eli Apple had a nice play in run support when he came up to the line to meet up Raheem Mostert.
— Mostert was the most impressive of the running backs on this day.
— Wide receiver Robbie Chosen was the second-most productive receiver on this day with three receptions from Tua.
— Rookie edge defender Mitchell Agude had a would-be sack against Tua.
— Wide receiver Erik Ekuzanma failed to come up with a long pass down the left sideline from Mike White after he looked inside when the ball was thrown outside.
— Quarterbacks Skylar Thompson and Mike White each fumbled a snap in a span of four plays.
— Along with a couple of Tua throws in the middle of the field, the other pass that stood out was a pretty Thompson completion to River Cracraft near the left sideline over a defender in a game-ending situation. That was followed by a spike and an incompletion under duress by Thompson on the last play of practice.
—————————————————————————
You don’t see many big guys returning punts, because they get beat up and are easier to get your hands on, traditionally they’re small guys like Achane, Grantman…
Deionized at 6’1″ was an exception, but he’s lightning fast and elusive
———————
Cordarrelle Patterson is another exception at 6’2
Cook signing 1 year with Jets
That sucks. I hope he does this year too. WHAMMY
Yeah, that blows. I fucking hate the Jets.
I expect we will see news on a Wilkins extension in the next week or so. He has been AT practice every day, has been doing individual work but has not practiced. No 11 on 11 stuff.
I want him going into the season fired up so yes pay the man
he’s either injured (no announcement and they have to now that preseason has started) or he is “holding in”
https://dolphinstalk.com/2023/08/money-is-a-hell-of-a-motivator-the-austin-jackson-noah-igbinoghene-story/
Hallelujah and amen
Mike and M13 you might like this video
Should be fun to watch them start the year 1-5
Well, yeah, this is ESPN, so . . .
The AFCE just got way harder to win.
I think the jests were in the mix with or without him
It’s just weird bc he might backup Breece Hall or Hall might back him up
But I’m precutting a very bad start for the jests
And all their fans will freak out
I am not convinced Cook will make that big a difference for the Jets or us for that matter
It would be nice to see a return on some of these draft picks like Tindall and Ezukanma
It’s also not so bad that we have the luxury of not rushing them to start
Now we can move on from the Cook rumors and the RB room is basically set.
Jets have a nice RB room as well.. I actually agree Cook won’t make much difference…
After him they still have Breece Hall, Michael Carter , and guy the drafted this year Israel or something like that
Yeah the Jets do have a good RB room. They have good overall talent and should be in the mix in the AFC for sure.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02RGvLg9i1RB3rDv9kB7mZ7SXVJsRKRUKHHsQeyGru56pJXX5nVQS1uD6UGp6aCrcql&id=100047635757288&mibextid=qC1gEa
I think that is Pats 6’8 370 pound RT Trenton Brown.
So Cook got a one year deal up to $8.6M. We weren’t paying him that.
This headline from the Sun Sentinel:
“Dave Hyde: There’s a better way for Dolphins to improve running game than Dalvin Cook”
Behind a paywall so I can’t read it, but I am sure there is no need. “Fix the O-line” is the answer.
👍
I saw some reports that said Higgins looked slow in practice. He didn’t look slow in the PS game and looks like a TE not a WR.
I agree
I think Higgins can be what they wanted Tanner Conner to be.
Conner is hurt again isn’t he?
He went on PUP but can’t remember for what. Knee maybe.
Tries looking it up and a couple sites just said PUP for “undisclosed injury”.
Conner likely gets cut. Maybe back on the PS.
Yeah the Jets do have a good RB room. They have good overall talent and should be in the mix in the AFC for sure.
————-
Jets have the best RB room in the NFL, IMO. Hall, Cook, Carter, rookie Israel Abanikanda and Knight.
They were saying on the radio today that they think Carter is the odd man out.
I think it is going to be Knight. I just say that because I remember him fumbling in that last game against us. lol
Rip Dale Gribble (Johnny Hardwick)
The Buffalo Bills signed free agent offensive lineman Brandon Shell to a contract this summer with the intention that he could be a contributor to a team with Super Bowl aspirations. However, this happens to be all for naught now, as Shell intends to retire, reports ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg.
Wow!
Anyone else think that Biden and Trump should be made to share a prison cell?
Just Biden and his family
Trump’s mishandling of classified earns him a bunk with Capo Biden.
forgot about that
Lol…sure!
Unless Tanner Conner finally shows up, he just can’t make the 53
I’m in for jailing Trump and Biden in the same cell. They could both endlessly blame each other for their lot.
Lol…it would be epic
I think you could put 3/4 of our government in prison if not more.
We should
Mankind is doomed
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12409621/Voyeur-mauled-FURRIES-caught-filming-fetish-group-Huntington-Beach.html
The future does not look very bright
Achane is definitely going to get a decent amount of overall touches this season. He’s a weapon.
Why are there no practice reports this year?
I know. No live tweets. Just summaries later in the day.
And the summaries aren’t even everyday…SUCKS!
wow AFC east is gonna be tough. I hate the Jets but they’re starting to look like the Broncos when Manning joined them.
They’re still the Jets. They’ll find a way to fuck it all up.
This is kinda cool. The upper room section of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/heres-a-proposed-deion-sanders-upper-room-to-the-hall-of-fame
I may go back and look for what was written about the Jets when they signed Favre.
Favre to the Jets 2008
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/96931-brett-favre-the-main-reason-behind-the-new-york-jets-collapse
https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/quarterback-brett-favre-flourishes-minnesota-vikings-new-york-jets-move-article-1.432574
I don’t think the jests have more talent that we do
If the jests were the least talented team in the league
They aren’t of course
They are much better than last year
But if they were – hypothetically, we would probably still go 1-1 this year vs then with scores like 23-20 winning on a last second FG
The series between the jests and us is going to be tough
Same with the bills
We probably have a better shot at sweeping the patriots than they do
And that’s where the division will be decided – how you play against the patriots
Can the jests dominate outside of the afc east?
Well they are faxing the nfc east and the afc west just like we are
They need to come together with a lot of new faces against a very hard early schedule
Buffalo
@ Dallas
Patriots
Chiefs
@ Denver
Philadelphia
That’s their first 6 games
That’s 1-5 or 2-4
Their schedule softens up after that
And you know what the real highlight is
Their OL is worse than ours
I know some of you find this hard to believe
But their OL is their Achilles heal
You know who their backup is? Zach Wilson that’s who
What’s going to happen to this team of Rogers has to miss a game
When people talk about our talent – we get an *
* if Tua’s healthy
What about the jests?
We have the guy that took Zach Wilson’s job as our backup
New faces, new system, dud for a backup who’s heart you ripped out this off-season, front loaded schedule
Everyone sit back and watch it implode
This has been a Piggy report from behind enemy lines…
😂
Their OL had injuries as well last year. All back healthy. Their OL is good, IMO.
Becton isn’t going to be ready for the season
Same thing with Duane Brown although he might be ready – he’s still on PUP
Their starting tackles might be Billy Turner and Max Mitchell
Becton has actually never been healthy
Yeah they weren’t counting on Becton but I didn’t know that about Duane Brown.
He does move well for a big man. If he can clean up his technique he’s got a chance to be a good player.
guys, there are still live tweets going out. Only X has changed the rules. They make you have an account to see all of someones tweets. So, I used to go to Phins. com and they would have ALL the tweets from all the associated writers in the right hand column. The box is still there, but no links to the tweets because Musk had the repost blocked to force non-account holders to get an account. Guess what? FUCK HIM! I will just go back to living my life like it was before twitter dropped our collective IQ’s 50 points.
The guys from SI collect them and do a “lazy recap” of the day’s action by posting all the tweets later after copying them.
“He is the perfect prototype 3-4 outside backer. He’s got power. He’s got speed. He can rush from the 3-technique over a guard. He can line up as a defensive end with his hand down, in a two-point stance. He can play linebacker. This guy could play safety. He’s one of the best players in the league regardless of position.
— ESPN NFL Analyst Louis Riddick on Dolphins LB Jaelan Phillips
It’s time for him to have the season that matches the hype and expectations though
Other than the sack numbers he’s already really good. Like Steve has said, in Fangio’s system the defensive front should get more sacks because of less blitzing and more coverage.
Dolphins 2023 Camp: August 16 Joint Practice Offense Observations
What stood out on offense during the first joint practice for Miami Dolphins with the Houston Texans
ALAIN POUPART1 HOUR AGO
HOUSTON — Highlights, lowlights and observations from the 14th practice (day 22) of Miami Dolphins training camp Wednesday, better known as the first joint practice with the Houston Texans at the Houston Methodist Training Center.
— While it was hot in Houston on Wednesday morning, the weather didn’t feel quite as bad as what we usually encounter at the Baptist Health Training Complex, though we should point out the practice started about an hour than the Dolphins’ usual starting time.
— As would expect, the Houston offense faced the Dolphins defense on the field closest to the stands, where fans could see 2023 second overall pick C.J. Stroud lead the Texans offense. The Dolphins offense went against the Texans defense on the middle of the three fields, while the third field was used for some stretching and conditioning work.
— We can start by pointing out that it didn’t appear there were any significant injuries sustained by either team on this day, as we move forward to the Dolphins offensive observations (Omar Kelly has the defensive observations).
ATTENDANCE REPORT
— The same cast of characters again sat out practice Wednesday, starting with CB Jalen Ramsey, along with WR Jaylen Waddle, RB Myles Gaskin, WR Braylon Sanders, FB Alec Ingold, CB Justin Bethel, CB Keion Crossen and DB Brandon Jones. Guard Liam Eichenberg was dressed but didn’t practice.
— CB Cam Smith joined the quarterbacks in wearing a red (no-contact jersey) and there was nobody in an orange jersey because the practice was not in Miami Gardens.
— Before the series of team periods, which including work in the red zone and two-minute drills, was a session of one-on-one battles between OL vs. DL, and the big winner in that period (the start of which the media was allowed to watch up close and film) was guard Lester Cotton, who’s vying to win the left guard starting job. Cotton won all three of his reps, and easily.
— The Dolphins overall did very well in that drill, including clear wins by Robert Hunt and Robert Jones and Austin Jackson holding firm against rookie edge defender Will Anderson, the third overall pick in the 2023 draft.
— Center Connor Williams did have a very interesting rep when he was pushed backward very quickly before dragging the defender to the ground — yep, probably would have been a penalty.
AN UNEVEN DAY FOR THE DOLPHINS OFFENSE
— The offense probably was sharper overall than it has been in the past several days, though it’s difficult to overlook the fact the two biggest plays in that battle were produced by the Houston defense, specifically pick-sixes against Tua Tagovailoa by linebacker Christian Harris and safety Jalen Pitre.
— Tagovailoa was asked about the interceptions after practice and tipped his hat to Harris for the first interception while explaining there was some sort of mix-up between him and his intended receiver on the second, which came in a two-minute drill on the very last play of practice.
— The biggest play on offense was a long completion from Skylar Thompson to Braxton Berrios for about 50 yards and a touchdown on a play where Berrios was so wide open he was able to slow down for an underthrown ball.
— Berrios was back in team work for the first time since suffering a cut on his forehead in the preseason opener against the Atlanta Falcons and a handful of catches, including a low grab on a Mike White throw and a short touchdown catch from Tua in red zone work.
GOOD RESULTS IN RED ZONE WORK
— That was one of four touchdown passes for Tua in red zone work, the others going to Raheem Mostert, River Cracraft and Tyreek Hill.
— Prior to his second pick, Tua has his best completion of the day when he hit tight end Durham Smythe down the middle for about 40 yards after Houston appeared to take away his first options on the play.
— It was part of a big day for Smythe, who might have had as many catches on this day as he had in all the previous practices combined.
— Tackle Terron Armstead did some work in team drills and said after practice the time had come for him to ramp up his work.
— The pass protection was a bit spotty in practice, starting with Tua being flushed out in a hurry the first time he attempted a pass in 11-on-11 work.
— Mike White had a nifty completion downfield (maybe 20 yards) to Robbie Chosen on his first 11-on-11 series.
— Tua followed that with a nice completion to Tyreek Hill down the left sideline that also looked good for about 20 yards.
— The highlight of Thompson’s first series was a completion to Cedrick Wilson Jr. on a rollout.
— On the series that featured Thompson’s long pass to Berrios, he had completions to Chosen and Hill, though each receiver bobbled the ball before securing it.
— Wide receiver Erik Ezukanma was active in the second half of practice with several catches in red zone or regular 11-on-11 work.
— One of those completions came after Tua had to dig up a low shotgun snap from Williams.
—————————————————————————
Why can’t we have a Center that can snap the ball? Lol…oh my.
Dolphins-Texans Joint Practice: Defensive Observations (Aug. 16)
Jaelan Phillips and Andrew Van Ginkel thrived as Dolphins playmakers during the first day of joint practices against the Houston Texans
OMAR KELLY31 MINUTES AGO
It appears that the Miami Dolphins are experimenting with defensive packages against the Houston Texans, looking to fine-tune what the team potentially could use as a base defense.
Two starting spots — strong safety and boundary cornerback — have yet to be settled, and it appears that defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is experimenting with a three-defensive lineman front with Christian Wilkins absent from practice, beginning his second week of a hold-in.
Da’Shawn Hand, who was signed last week, is being thrown into the deep end of the pool in week two, working as an edge setter on a line that did well against the Texans first-team offensive line, which featured Laremy Tunsil as a pillar of granite at left tackle.
Safety battle ongoing
Miami continues to experiment with the safety paired with Jevon Holland, and I found it interesting that Trill Williams, who is suffered his ACL injury about this time las year, wasn’t taking any work with the base defense.
However, Williams was working on most of Miami’s special teams units, which was a good sign.
Brandon Jones also sat out his third straight day of practice, which indicates he potentially suffered a setback on the rehab of the knee he injured and had surgically replaced last October.
That leaves DeShon Elliott competing with Elijah Campbell to be Holland’s tag team partner unless someone else enters the competition in the final two weeks of training camp.
Here’s what happened on defense during Miami’s first day of joint practices against the Texans.
Dolphins Defense Pressures Rookie QB
Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud was under consistent pressure when he was going against Miami’s first-team defense.
He had his greatest success in the passing game while targeting tight ends, which caught my attention because this was the first time all training camp I’ve noticed Miami’s linebackers and safeties struggle covering tight ends.
Texans tight end Dalton Schultz, one of Houston’s top free agent acquisitions, scored a touchdown during red zone work on a play where Emmanuel Ogbah pressured the pocket. Couldn’t see who allowed the score because of how far they were working away from the media’s section.
Zach Sieler shined against the run early during the first 11-on-11 period. He also had a pass breakup at the line of scrimmage. Raekwon Davis produced a sack of Stroud, the Texans first-round pick.
Texans starting tailback Dameon Pierce had a nice run up the gut of Miami’s second team defense. Duke Riley was in on the stop.
Devin Singletary, a former FAU standout, produced a nice right side run that David Long had a stop on near the first-down marker.
Jaelan Phillips worked Texans starting right tackle George Fant all practice, recording at least two sacks and two pressures during the 11-on-11 periods.
His presence was felt in Houston’s backfield all practice, which reinforces that his quiet start to camp has more to do with Austin Jackson’s emergence than Phillips’ regression.
Andrew Van Ginkel thrives in new role
Andrew Van Ginkel rivaled Phillips for the day’s top performer honors on defense.
The versatile linebacker, who was mostly working on the inside during Wednesday’s practice, pulled down an interception of a pass from Davis Mills. Van Ginkel had a decent return on the interception but would have been stopped in scoring territory. Van Ginkel also broke up two passes in coverage, and one of them prevented a touchdown during a red zone period.
“He makes plays no matter where he’s at,” cornerback Xavien Howard said when asked to evaluate the defense’s performance Wednesday.
One of the biggest concerns I had watching the defense was how many completions the Texans made on the left side of the field, attacking Noah Igbinoghene’s zone.
Robert Woods had the most productive day out of all of Houston’s receivers, and it appeared he was just attacking open zones on option routes.
I’m not saying Igbinoghene was getting beat, because it was al in zone.
Obviously most teams are going to stay away from Howard, and that seemed to be the case Wednesday, with the exception of one pass interference call Howard drew.
Elijah Campbell had a pass deflection on a throw from Stroud.
And Riley and Jerome Baker each produced a sack on linebacker blitzes during the second 11-on-11 period.
he potentially suffered a setback on the rehab of the knee he injured and had surgically replaced last October.
————
WTF Omar, he didn’t have his knee surgically replaced
I saw an article the other day where Jones said the coaches are protecting me from myself because I want to be out there. He said it’s irritating but he understands.
Thanks for posting these Krishna!
Christian Wilkins reportedly is no longer practice snaps in an effort to facilitate a new Miami Dolphins contract
Christian Wilkins believes he deserves a new contract, the Miami Dolphins think so too but nothing is being done to get one done. Now, he is taking matters into his own hands.
By Brian Miller | 12:00 PM EDT
Mike McDaniel told reporters today that they are in negotiations with Christian Wilkins but those are not going the way Wilkins wants and there are rumors that the sides are quite far apart. So Wilkins, apparently is holding his own hold-out.
Wilkins doesn’t need the practice but the question is will this force the hand of Chris Grier? My first thought is no, it won’t. Grier has no one to blame but himself. When Xavien Howard felt disrespected, he showed up for camp and got “injured” in the first couple of days. He got his contract reworked. Why? Because Grier paid Byron Jones more money.
Now, Grier is facing a problem. His best player on defense, at least on the defensive line, is not happy and let’s be honest, Wilkins is a pretty happy guy. He deserves to be paid and the Dolphins are making this much harder than it needs to be.
If the Miami Dolphins want Christian Wilkins for the next three or four years they need to get a deal done. Period.
McDaniel said that when and if he returns is up to him but Wilkins isn’t going to risk injury in training camp. Why should he? If they are truly in negotiations then he should be sitting out to not take any chances of getting hurt.
Wilkins told the media that he believes he has done enough to warrant a new deal, and he has. Now it’s time for the Dolphins to give him that deal.
It’s a bad signal to other players that have been drafted and are playing well, not just well but in Wilkins’ case, top 10 at his position. If I were Jaylen Waddle and Jaelan Phillips, I would be keeping a close eye on this process because both of them will be going through this in another year or two.
Pay the man!
I’m confident Wilkins will get a new deal. It’s typical NFL business and Brian Miller is doing a lot of negative speculation here.
Thanks Krishna
He’s definitely better than Eichenberg and it seems some other guys are too. Not only do I think Eichenberg won’t start I’m not sure he makes the team. He never seems to get better and he hasn’t been good enough.
Thanks for the reports, Krishna.
Thanks, Krishna!
Ya’ll are quite welcome….lol
Dolphins Stars, Coach Tackle Wilkins Situation
Defensive tackle Christian Wilkins has the support of his teammates and head coach as he looks for a new contract
ALAIN POUPART18 MINUTES AGO
HOUSTON — Xavien Howard couldn’t help but laugh when he was asked about Christian Wilkins’ hold-in as his Miami Dolphins teammate looks for a new contract.
After all, it wasn’t that long ago that Howard was in the same situation.
“I knew you were going to ask me this,” Howard said with a smile.
Then asked for his advice, Howard simply said: “Get your money. Get your money. I can’t say anything else, man.”
Howard eventually did get his money after a turbulent 2021 summer, one that reached the point where he requested a trade via Instagram before getting his contract adjusted with a promise to revisit it the next offseason, at which time the Dolphins gave him a new deal.
Howard was asked about the importance of taking care of the business side of things.
“At the end of the day, you’ve got to make sure you’re ready to play football also, though — no matter what you’re going through — because there’s like, some guys just focus on getting paid and stuff like that,” Howard said. “Then they forget that you’ve still got to play football if you get paid or if you don’t. You’ve still got to perform. So it’s like, you’ve just got to take care of it and just be a pro. And I’m sure he’s going to do that because he’s a pro.”
ARMSTEAD CONFIDENT
Pro Bowl tackle Terron Armstead also was asked about Wilkins’ hold-in after the joint practice with the Houston Texans on Wednesday.
“Christian is a dawg,” Armstead said. “We need him. We need him to win. There’s no question. So he knows what he needs to be ready, to be prepared. He practices and plays harder than anybody I’ve ever seen. You never worry about a guy like him.
“We need him. The organization knows we need him. I’m pretty sure they’ll figure out something whether it’s stock options or whatever to get the job done.”
MIKE McDANIEL COMFORTABLE
Wilkins hasn’t taken part in team periods since he took the first snap of the first joint practice with the Atlanta Falcons last week after getting off to a tremendous start in training camp.
He also didn’t miss any of the offseason program despite his clear desire to land the kind of contract so many other high-end defensive tackles around the NFL have gotten in 2023.
As it stands now, Wilkins is scheduled to earn $10.7 million on the fifth-year option of the rookie contract he signed as a first-round pick in the 2019 NFL draft.
McDaniel has sung Wilkins’ praises as a player and a leader on numerous occasions and it’s pretty clear he views Wilkins as a foundational piece for the Dolphins defense.
“Christian is such a good player, such an important person in the locker room, who has made it clear that he feels that his play is deserving of a contract,” McDaniel said before practice Wednesday. “We would agree, as the Miami Dolphins organization, henceforth we are in negotiations. As a result, he’s hasn’t been participating in team (drills). When he next participates, that will be up to him.”
McDaniel then was asked whether he was comfortable with where things stand.
“Every player is like a snowflake, I would say, unique to itself,” he replied. “So I’m comfortable with the situation as it stands. Christian and I are in constant communication, and this is part of the business that a lot of teams are dealing with.”
McDaniel understands the business. The Wilkins deal will get done.🙂
LT Armstead
LG Wynn
C Williams
RG Hunt
RT Jackson
We get to see the Texans game live on NFLN. I think we see our starters for however long, and because Ryans and McDaniel have a good relationship they will have an arrangement for how the game is played. That’s what they do now in the preseason, work on game situations and get reps with basic fundamentals. It’s not about winning as much as getting important reps for when it’s the real deal.
Yeah yeah. I still want to win the getting the important reps thing. 😂
Go Dolphins!
Holy shit! A an old dude got killed down here when his gurney fell out of the back of an ambulance while going down I95. The dude was hit by multiple cars that couldn’t swerve in time. The parametric fell out trying to stop it from happening and was hit multiple times as well and went to the hospital with life threatening injuries.
CAN YOU IMAGINE!? Doo doo doooooo driving along in traffic…change the station, I hate this commercial…WTF!?!? OMG OMG OMG THAT WAS A MAN! A MAN FELL OUT OF THAT AMBULANCE AND I RAN HIM OVER!! OMG OMG
I hate that the NFL thinks Palm Beach County is outside the viewing area for Miami. My local WPB affiliate will not get the game or any NFL network games or Amazon games. They will all be played in Miami Dade and Broward counties but not 15 miles north of there. Have to go to a bar or do the acrobatics that you guys do to watch it on your computers. More season ticket holders have WPB addresses than any other county. ASSHOLES
Dude…Spring for NFL+. You can watch the game 10 minutes after the end.
As I mentioned last week, I watched the game live. Changed my location on my VPN to Miami, streamed the local broadcast.
It’s not that hard to do. If I can do it….
Uhhhh, I guess I fall in the “…” category. lol
Yeah, but I have to re-cast it to my TV which keeps fn with me. I can watch it on my little 15″ laptop but I want it on my 75″ UHD. I just can’t get my new laptop and my TV to sync. It was easy on my old lap top. It did it almost by mistake. LOL
Connect a hdmi cable from the laptop to the tv. Do I have to explain everything?!?! 😂 😂😂
BUT I COULD DO IT WIRELESS BEFORE 😒😒
and I “upgraded” SMMFH
Yes. That is true. I’m only providing information I know will work because I did it. I’m not sure that will work with the game this Saturday since it’s on NFLN. I’m not understanding why you can’t see the broadcast on NFLN? Can’t everyone? 🤔
Terron Armstead got some team reps today. He wants more team reps. He’s not quite ready for regular season yet.
Terron Armstead said there are a lot of details in this offense and he felt like they were more like they’re supposed to look in today’s practice.
Lester Cotton is a road grader and Isaiah Wynn is athletic according to Terron Armstead, who is complimentary of both guard candidates
“We run the team. This is a player-driven team. The best teams I’ve been a part of were player-led teams. You have to have leaders.” – Terron Armstead
Terron Armstead: Christian (Wilkins) is a dawg. We need him to win. He knows what he needs to do to be ready. We’re not worried. The organization knows we need him. I’m pretty sure the organization will figure things out. Maybe stock options or something.
I am watching NFL live and they keep saying before the commercial “Coming up, why the Miami Dolphins running is going to be much better this season’ of some crap like that, (yeah ignore the quotes you purist) but when they come back they talk about 1. the jets, 2 Tampa 3 life saving training, anything but the Dolphins running game.
😂
The combined teasers were longer than the actual segment. 😣
Herd, my homeowner’s association signed with a certain cable company and I get “free” high speed fiber-optic internet and the “Basic” package of 150 channels including HBO and Showtime, but the carrier has a lawsuit going on with NFLN and pulled them from the lineup. The NFL allows the local CBS affiliate to simulcast in the “ticket area” which because of the way SF is broken up by the feds is only Dade / Broward counties. I’m 10 miles north so MY channels all come from “north county”
If we still had old style rabbit ears I would get the Miami signal better than the WPB signal, but alas
You’ll probably enjoy watching at a bar anyway. 😂
It is a sore spot for me. 😂
So who do think will be our starting 5 on the OL?
LT Armstead
LG Wynn
C Williams
RG Hunt
RT Jackson
Actually, I think either Eichenberg or Lester Cotton
LG
Hmmm… I feel like Eichenberg is on the bubble.
Eichenberg isn’t on the bubble, because of his contract he makes the 53
Toileyo
Lol…oh my
Thanks for the updates Krishna
And of course always to Mike for keeping it going 👍👍
Little something for the climate alarmists
I can post a video of flat Earthers arguing their theories too. YOU might like those. Would you like the link?
Duh…Everybody knows that earth is just a mote in a God’s eye….
Sorry to being up your blood pressure
Time to trade fro get Tunsil back…:lol
DAMNIT I just posted “don’t worry” about Jones and saw this when the page refreshed.
Carted off
But no one overreact yet
Let’s see what happens
I can’t
This blog having a meltdown along with Twitter
Well good news here:
Coach says Jones has not had a set back on his rehab. They have just been holding him back in practice because of normal bumps and bruises not anything to do with is injury last year!
This is what I referred to yesterday
And Saleh said that Mechti wouldn’t be in the running for a starter position until he could finish a whole game without being spelled. sounds like he is out of shape.
Not supposed to be a reply
Armstead carted off? Fuck!
The free agent market for OT sucks.
The free agent market for OT anytime after May always sucks
Not gonna be able to replace a player like that now with free agency
Let’s hope it’s not bad
I would rather have I hired in preseason than in the reg season
We will see
If anything we will need to trade for a replacement and that won’t be easy either
Ugh!!!
This team gives me anxiety. 😬
Signing our best Olineman was the worst decision Grief has made. Cannot depend on him. He has NEVER played a whole season. “Injury prone” IS really a thing.
I HOPE he is ready for the season start, but what does that matter when we know he will not play the entire season. This is going to cost us 3-4 games.
SHIT! The hits keep on coming. At least Pili is a backup.
If this headline doesn’t make you taste vomit in the back of your mouth then you are truly more of a homer than I ever was.
https://dolphinstalk.com/2023/08/the-miami-dolphins-offensive-line-hinges-on-austin-jackson/
I read this already and decided NOT to post it….lol.
Choking….lol
Well Wynn has played a lot of LT at a high level
Now this
Cameron Wolfe
@CameronWolfe
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Dolphins LT Terron Armstead texted me “I’ll be good” a few minutes ago.
Armstead will get a MRI to be 100% certain. But it sounds like good news for Armstead, one of Miami’s best players, after practice injury scare.
Chris Brooks was looking like a diamond in the rough last week. We have a deep room of returning guys. I hope he keeps the pedal to the metal and beats out one of the other “clones” He is a bigger type back but still looked fast in space.
He did
He did look good.
So glad we invested in the OL this offseason 😡
Wynn was an important addition.
Ham and egger. Nothing special
I think he’s going to start.
that’s funny! they all call him “OG” ……… for “Old Guy”
Dolphins 2023 Camp: August 17 Joint Practice Offense Observations
What stood out on offense during the second joint practice for Miami Dolphins with the Houston Texans
ALAIN POUPART16 MINUTES AGO
HOUSTON — Highlights, lowlights and observations from the 15th practice (day 23) of Miami Dolphins training camp Thursday, better known as the second joint practice with the Houston Texans at the Houston Methodist Training Center.
— After we caught a break with the weather in the first joint practice, it was brutally hot and humid on this day.
— The Houston offense again faced the Dolphins defense on the field closest to the stands, where fans could see 2023 second overall pick C.J. Stroud lead the Texans offense. The Dolphins offense went against the Texans defense on the middle of the three fields, while the third field was used for some stretching and conditioning work.
— Former Dolphins Pro Bowl tackle (and Hall of Fame candidate) Richmond Webb visited practice for a second consecutive day, though there were not repeat appearances by former Dolphins great wide receiver Mark Clayton and baseball pitching legend Roger Clemens.
— The big story of the day on offense (or defense, for that matter) was the injury sustained by Pro Bowl tackle Terron Armstead, who eventually was carted off the field, though there were plenty other developments for the Miami offense on this day.
ATTENDANCE REPORT
— The same cast of characters again sat out practice Wednesday, starting with CB Jalen Ramsey, along with WR Jaylen Waddle, RB Myles Gaskin, WR Braylon Sanders, FB Alec Ingold, CB Justin Bethel, CB Keion Crossen and DB Brandon Jones. Guard Liam Eichenberg did not take part in team periods and we didn’t spot tackle Austin Jackson, either, though it must be point that the media view of the team periods for the Dolphins offense as obstructed by players not involved in the particular play.
— CB Cam Smith joined the quarterbacks in wearing a red (no-contact jersey) for a second consecutive day and there again was nobody in an orange jersey for the Dolphins.
— Before the series of team periods, which including work in the red zone and two-minute drills, was a session of one-on-one battles between OL vs. DL, as well as backs-on-backers in coverage and WRs vs. DBs.
— While we paid more attention on this day to the wide receivers against defensive backs, we can tell you that Robert Hunt and Isaiah Wynn appeared to do well in the pass-protection drills. There was a minor skirmish in that drill involving Dolphins lineman Isaiah Wynn and Texans D-lineman Kurt Hinish, after Hinish unsuccessfully tried to get by him by swinging his arms at Wynn.
— With the passing work, the Houston DBs clearly had the best of the Dolphins WRs, though Tyreek Hill (and obviously Waddle) did not take part in that session.
— Plays that stood out in that session for the Dolphins were a nice back-shoulder pass from Tua Tagovailoa to Erik Ezukanma and Chris Coleman making a great move on a defender but then dropping the pass.
HILL’S COOL AND UNUSUAL PLAY
— Following the one-on-ones, the Dolphins offense did 7-on-7 work in the red zone, and the highlight was a touchdown pass over the middle from Mike White to Julian Hill, who leaped to make a nice catch in the back of the end zone but then bumped into head coach Mike McDaniel near the goal post and knocked away his glasses in the process. So after making the catch, Hill quickly reached down to pick up the glasses.
— Skylar Thompson also had a touchdown pass in that session, a nice over-the-middle throw to rookie Elijah Higgins.
— Thompson’s last throw, though, was picked off after Ezukanma fell.
— White also connected for a touchdown in this session with Tyreek Hill, who said after practice he wasn’t supposed to practice (day off) but ended up working anyway.
— Tua’s work in the red-zone 7-on-7 included two incompletions and completions underneath to running backs Jeff Wilson Jr. and Raheem Mostert.
BERRIOS SHOWS UP AGAIN
— Armstead’s injury occurred on the very first snap of 11-on-11 work for the Dolphins offense, which again featured a lot of Hill and Braxton Berrios.
— Hill had two receptions shortly after Armstead went down, a short crosser from Tua followed by a deep out from Thompson.
— On the first play of his second offensive series in team work, Tua hit Berrios deep down the middle with a beautiful throw and followed it not long after with another deep outside shot to Hill.
— An 11-on-11 red-zone session was tough on the media to see, but we did notice White hitting Ezukanma in the back of the end zone for a touchdown.
— The pass protection was decent for most of the practice, but there were back-to-back sacks against Thompson and Tua, sandwiched around a Tua throw-away in the face of pressure.
— Mike White’s last pass of practice was a nice completion over the middle to rookie Chris Coleman.
— As they did Wednesday, the Dolphins offensive players went to the field closest to the fans for a final two-minute drive and it featured a whole bunch of dump-offs, with Mostert targeted on five of Tua’s six passes.
— Mostert had two drops on that drive, though one came when he was hit immediately after getting his hands on the ball.
— Tua also had a nice completion to River Cracraft on that drive, which mysteriously ended with 3 seconds left on the clock after a completion to Mostert.
— While the Dolphins defense was on the field for Houston’s own last two-minute drive, Berrios walked off the practice field accompanied by a trainer.
—————————————————————————
Okay sounds like Armstead is not seriously hurt.🙂
I can’t tell by the news from this year’s Training Camp
whether we suck or not.
We are having lots of injuries though.
That’s happening throughout the league. I see injuries being reported daily on NFLN. It’s that time of year.