2023 Preseason Game 2 – Dolphins @ Texans

It appears as if the Dolphins avoided a major disaster, losing LT Terron Armstead for an extended period of time after getting injured in practice, his first snap actually. Armstead left the field barely putting on any weight on the leg that was injured, but he says he’ll be ready for game #1, and there is no major injury requiring surgery. Now that we got that out of the way, there are a few things I want to see in preseason. Most importantly, NO MORE INJURIES!!! I would like to see CB Cam Smith continue to get important reps and show he’s serious about getting plenty of reps in the regular season. Backup QB’s Mike White and Skylar Thompson just have to do better. We know neither of them are going to run this offense as crisply and effectively as Tua, but we need them to be competent enough to put points on the board. I’m really hoping we see better play from both of these guys.

I would really like to see RB Chris Brooks get more carries, and see if we may possibly have something there. He’s not the prototype “big back” like Tennessee’s Derrick Henry, but compared to the stable of RB’s we have here in Miami, Brooks looks huge! I feel like all our RB’s are so close in running style and especially stature, that it would be nice to have a big back like Brooks make the team. Brooks is 6′ 223, while the lot of Mostert (5’10 205), Wilson (6′ 210), Ahmed (5’11 197), Gaskin (5’10 199) and Achane (5’9 188) are all very similar size wise. Yes, we have FB Alec Ingold who’s a load at 6’1 240, but Ingold has only 21 carries in 4 years in the NFL for a reason. Of course, the 4 best guys will make the team, this much I get, but I hope Brooks shows enough to be viewed as a possibilty to make the roster.

I’m curious to see more of LG Lester Cotton. He was great in practice, he had some very dominant reps, so I would love to see that dominance in game play, even if it’s a preseason game. It doesn’t matter what round you were drafted in on the O-line, if you can move people, you’re going to get noticed. Would I love Liam Eichenberg to play like the guy we hoped he could be when we moved up in the 2nd RD of the 2021 NFL at pick #42 to get him, of course, but at this point, I just want someone competent, and hungry for the job. If it’s Lester Cotton, who is actually 3rd string at RG, or Isaiah Wynn who is a veteran as well, I don’t care as long as they play well.

The competition at DT is pretty intense with DT’s Brandon Pili and Jaylen Twyman, Most importantly though, we need to get through the negotiations and sign DT/DE Christian Wilkins to a long term deal and keep him in Miami for another 6 years. He’s been an exemplary player, hard worker who brings it every week. Once Wilkins is signed the next up should be DT/DE Zach Sieler. There are some good battles at LB as well, with guys like Mitchell Agude, Mike Rose, and Aubrey Miller. It’s no given that last year’s 2nd RD pick LB Channing Tindall is a lock to make the roster, how these guys play on special teams could be the key to making the 53. BTW, the pronounced demise of the Mac was a bit premature. It’s slow, and uncooperative at times, and I do need to get a new one, but this article was written on the Mac, so LONG LIVE THE MAC!

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1,790 Responses to 2023 Preseason Game 2 – Dolphins @ Texans

  1. Rockphin's avatar Rockphin says:

    Tanner Conner off of PUP today. Maybe we get to see him this weekend?

    HAPPY BIRTHDAY OLD MAN!!

  2. pheloniusphish's avatar pheloniusphish says:

    Regarding Ogbah from last page – Let’s see how he does in Fangio’s defense. I wasn’t overly impressed with the first game with him playing a stand up LB.

  3. boulderfinfan's avatar boulderfinfan says:

    happy birthday Mike! Hope you have a fantastic day!

  4. The Flying Pig's avatar The Flying Pig says:

    Happy Birthday Mike 🖐️

  5. mf13ss's avatar mf13ss says:

  6. steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

    Are we being read? After game 2 I said Julian Hill would make the 53

    He’s the type of TE that fits perfectly, chip off the line and catch easy wide open passes or just block

  7. naplesfan2010's avatar naplesfan2010 says:

    Happy Birthday, Mike E!

  8. bailbondmike's avatar bailbondmike says:

    Brian in NY says:
    August 22, 2023 at 1:31 pm
    That guy’s voice really grates on me
    ————-
    LOL, same here. I like his little breakdowns though.

  9. Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

    Happy Birthday Mike!!!

  10. son of a son of a shula's avatar son of a son of a shula says:

    Happy Birthday Mike
    This is a big one that ends in a Zero 💥💪👍🐬❤️😉
    You look great and I hope you have an awesome celebration

  11. son of a son of a shula's avatar son of a son of a shula says:

    Mike you share a birthday with Coach Fangio who turns 65 today

  12. Rockphin's avatar Rockphin says:

    Fan Blog Miami Dolphins are betting favorites to land Jonathan Taylor in trade from Indianapolis Colts according to DraftKings [2 hours ago]

    More evidence that the public at large is stupid and why Vegas makes billions off of them.

  13. Rockphin's avatar Rockphin says:

    I heard Peyton Manning might come out of retirement! Dolphins on line one sir….

  14. Rockphin's avatar Rockphin says:

    Highlights, lowlights and observations from the 16th practice (day 28) of Miami Dolphins training camp Tuesday:

    — The Dolphins practiced inside at the Baptist Health Training Complex when they returned to the field following their 28-3 victory against the Houston Texans on Saturday.

    — Practice was held on defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s 65th birthday.

    — What stood out, perhaps more than anything, was the return of several players to practice as well as some players getting back to doing team drills (although Christian Wilkins was not among the latter).

    — We’ll start off with the attendance check, which included the return of fullback Alec Ingold, running back Myles Gaskin and cornerback Keion Crossen, with the first two even taking reps in 11-on-11 periods.

    — Rookie second-round pick Cam Smith took part in some 11-on-11 work for the first time since sustaining a shoulder injury in the preseason opener against the Atlanta Falcons. Second-year tight end Tanner Conner, who was activated off PUP earlier in the day, also got some snaps in team periods.

    — Among those who did not practice at all were QB Mike White, T Terron Armstead, WR Jaylen Waddle, RB De’Von Achane, CB Justin Bethel, G Robert Jones, G Lester Cotton, TE Eric Saubert and WR Braylon Sanders.

    — White, Armstead, Waddle, Achane, Bethel, Cotton and Sanders all were spotted at practice, and good news with Armstead was that he was not wearing any protective device on his right leg. That was in contrast to Bethel, who had a brace around the left knee in his first media viewing since he was injured toward the end of a joint practice with the Atlanta Falcons two weeks ago.

    — Probably because the Dolphins were coming off a game and not a practice, nobody was wearing an orange jersey at practice.
    GOOD DAY FOR SIELER AND TUA (DESPITE A PICK)

    — While Wilkins continued to skip team periods, fellow defensive lineman Zach Sieler continued to dominate those. He had a couple of would-be sacks in 11-on-11 periods, continuing a really strong summer performance.

    — The highlight on defense, though, probably was DeShon Elliott’s leaping interception when Tua Tagovailoa tried to hit Braxton Berrios on a bomb toward the right-middle of the field.

    — That was one of the only blips for Tua, who overall had a very good practice. It included two great completions to Robbie Chosen, a short one outside the numbers despite tight coverage and an even better one down the seam in the face of pressure. Tua also had a perfect deep pass to Tyreek Hill down the right sideline after Hill got behind rookie cornerback Ethan Bonner, whose coverage actually wasn’t that bad on the play.

    — Tua also had a couple of nice back-shoulder throws, a completion down the middle to Hill and another that Robbie Chosen couldn’t bring down.

    — Neither Skylar Thompson nor James Blackmon, who was re-signed Monday to serve as the third quarterback in practice while White is in the concussion protocol, had any particularly noteworthy throws.

    — Before the team periods, the offensive linemen went against the defensive linemen in one-on-one pass-rushing battles, while the offense went against the defense in 7-on-7 red-zone work at the other end. In the linemen session, Austin Jackson held off Jaelan Phillips on two separate reps, Liam Eichenberg held up rookie Brandon Pili, while Da’Shawn Hand, Sieler and Mitchell Agude had clear wins for the defense.

    — In the 7-on-7 work, Eli Apple had a nice pass breakup with great coverage against Hill in the corner of the end zone, winning that round in their friendly battle.
    BRADLEY CHUBB, MALIK REED ACTIVE IN PASS RUSH

    — Safety Jevon Holland had the first interception of practice after Cedrick Wilson Jr. bobbled a pass from Thompson on a slant (with some help from Xavien Howard).

    — Defensive tackle Jaylen Twyman got to Tua for a sack.

    — Guard Isaiah Wynn, battling for the starting left guard job, had a nice block to spring Salvon Ahmed on a run up the middle.

    — Rookie Randy Charlton got pressure on Tua to force an incompletion on another deep shot. Charlton, a long shot to make the 53-man roster, later batted down a pass at the line of scrimmage.

    — In a red zone period, Howard forced an incompletion with tight coverage against Hill in the end zone.

    — Linebacker Bradley Chubb, who was wearing an elbow pad on his right arm, got a sack against Tua.

    — Emmanuel Ogbah had a tackle for loss on a run by Ahmed when he set the edge and kept him from getting outside.

    — Linebacker Malik Reed had a couple of quarterback pressures.

    — River Cracraft and Myles Gaskin each dropped passes near the goal line in red zone work from Tua and Blackmon, respectively.

    — DB Elijah Campbell had a pass breakup against Blackman in the back of the end zone, but clearly felt he should have come up with the pick because he did some push-ups right after the play.

    — Rookie defensive tackle Brandon Pili also had a sack, against Thompson, near the end of practice.

    Alain Poupart
    3 hours ago

  15. herdfan's avatar herdfan says:

    son of a son of a shula says:
    August 22, 2023 at 4:12 pm (Edit)
    Mike you share a birthday with Coach Fangio who turns 65 today
    Reply
    Rockphin says:
    August 22, 2023 at 4:20 pm (Edit)
    Fangio only has 1,000,005 years to go!

    Also with my mom. She’s 86 today.

  16. Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

    Where has Stanger been? Is he traveling or something?

  17. Rockphin's avatar Rockphin says:

    That timing is so important. I remember years ago we got a “speedster” that was quoted that he didn’t run full speed in practice. Hill runs full speed every play every time.

    • Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

      With the amount of speed we have, it’s hard to imagine our offense not scoring a lot of TDs. These guys pick up yards so fast it’s going to be hard for teams to keep us from moving the chains.

  18. Brian in NY's avatar Brian in NY says:

    Rockphin says:
    August 22, 2023 at 4:22 pm
    Fan Blog Miami Dolphins are betting favorites to land Jonathan Taylor in trade from Indianapolis Colts according to DraftKings [2 hours ago]

    More evidence that the public at large is stupid and why Vegas makes billions off of them

    Bingo. We were also the favorites to land Cook.

    • Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

      I’m sure we’re interested but at what cost?

      • Brian in NY's avatar Brian in NY says:

        Yeah. No team has won a SB in the last 11-12 years with a RB that makes more than $3 million a year. He’s going to want at least 4 years $40 million would be my guess

    • Ken's avatar Ken says:

      I am so tired of this nonsense

      • Brian in NY's avatar Brian in NY says:

        Get used to it! We will be rumored to be interested him until he is traded to someone else, the trade deadline passes, or Grier says he’s definitively not interested.

  19. The Flying Pig's avatar The Flying Pig says:

    I tend to think if we weren’t going to overpay for Cook, we aren’t going to do it for Taylor

    But I think Taylor makes us a better team

    Colts appear to be asking for way too much right now
    Our RB room is solid enough to be patient and see what happens

    • Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

      The Colts are fucking with Taylor by giving him permission to seek a trade, while at the same time publicly announcing they want more than what the Panthers got for McCaffrey.

      • The Flying Pig's avatar The Flying Pig says:

        Maybe – it’s not a great way to endear themselves to their own RB

        He’s a free agent next year

      • Brian in NY's avatar Brian in NY says:

        I think they trade him no matter what. They have put themselves in a position where they’ve pissed him off to a point of no return. They could franchise him I guess, but that would just piss him off even further where they’d almost be forced to trade him next year anyway.

    • Brian in NY's avatar Brian in NY says:

      Taylor is four years younger, so a move with him makes more sense . That’s some RB’s entire career

      • Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

        His age is prime and he’s a great back, but I’m worried he could already be breaking down. For my FF team as well. 36 TDs in 3 seasons is hard to ignore though.

      • Brian in NY's avatar Brian in NY says:

        Yeah, and over 4,000 yards in only three seasons. I can’t see him breaking down at 24 though- he’s gotten a lot of carries , and injuries are inevitable.

      • Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

        968 touches in college over 3 seasons as well.

  20. mf13ss's avatar mf13ss says:

    Happy B-Day, Mike E! I hope you are enjoying your day, cat.

    Question: how many hands does it take to count your age now?
    Answer: ONE… just give the middle finger! 😉

    Thanks for all you do and for who you are, friend!

  21. mf13ss's avatar mf13ss says:

    naplesfan2010 says:
    August 21, 2023 at 10:28 pm
    MF13, and I mean no disrespect, but that is a highly modernized version of that passage from the Bible. What version do you favor?
    —————
    No disrespect taken whatsoever, sir. I’m not a Bible scholar and didn’t realize that what I had posted came from the MSG version. Yes, I generally go by the KJV as well.

    I’d actually like to dig deeper in order to decipher the original scripts as they were originally written (Hebrew and Greek, if I’m not mistaken?).

    • mf13ss's avatar mf13ss says:

      Lots of things have been altered and/or omitted over the centuries. Take for example, the omission of ‘The Book of Enoch’.

  22. Brian in NY's avatar Brian in NY says:

    M13,

    I’d love your thoughts on our beloved Nittany Lions for this upcoming season!

    • mf13ss's avatar mf13ss says:

      We’ve got 3 (THREE!) potential 1st round draft picks in the ’24 NFL Draft as it stands right now(!): OT Olu Fashanu, CB Kalen King, and EDGE Chop Robinson.

      I think we’re looking very, very good right now, but only time will tell, ya know? I’m pretty HYPED right now, man!

  23. Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

    Jonathan Taylor has 1,828 touches over the last 6 years of his major football life – Wisconsin 3 and Colts 3. That’s a 305 per season average. Even though he’s still young he has a lot of wear and tear.

  24. pheloniusphish's avatar pheloniusphish says:

    Taylor is looking for $14M/yr+

  25. Brian in NY's avatar Brian in NY says:

    He can loom for $14 million a year all he wants, he ain’t getting it. That on him, and his agent. You have to know what the market is. I don’t think a team will even engage in those talks knowing that.

  26. Brian in NY's avatar Brian in NY says:

    M13,

    Agreed on all three- I was surprised to see King as a pre season – all American. Obviously he’s really good, but I didn’t think he had that National recognition. Chop Robinson is a beast, and Olu probably would have been the first offense of lineman taken off the board and this past draft. It was smart of him to stay because I think he would’ve been 20 years old coming into the season.

    Singleton will ball out, and I’m excited to see what Allar will bring as the starter. Clifford didn’t have that “it” factor.

  27. Mike E.'s avatar Mike E. says:

    Happy Birthday to your mom Herd!

    Thank you all for the birthday wishes!! It was a nice day, busy though. I had a game last night so no time to hop on here yesterday. Nice birthday win though!

  28. Rockphin's avatar Rockphin says:

    Brian, even if Grier were to come out and say “we do not like the player, we are not interested in the player, we will not be trading for the player” assholes like Cowturd will still try to make a link.

  29. Rockphin's avatar Rockphin says:

    I’d actually like to dig deeper in order to decipher the original scripts as they were originally written (Hebrew and Greek, if I’m not mistaken?).
    Reply

    Aramaic was the spoken language in the region at the time. (new testament)

  30. Rockphin's avatar Rockphin says:

    Emperor Constantine convened the Council of Nicaea to codify the bible. They removed something like 20 books from the bible of the time, including the book of Enoch. They also removed any mention of Mary as a disciple because of the misogyny of the time.

    I do not want to offend, but the book that people swear was written by god was written by dozens if not 100’s of disparate people and then translated through 3 or 4 languages and altered by the MEN who did the translations due to restrictions of each language as well as their own personal prejudices.

  31. The Flying Pig's avatar The Flying Pig says:

    • Rockphin's avatar Rockphin says:

      No clicks from me Barry because I don’t need to read your article behind the paywall to know you are wrong! The Dolphins ABSOLUTELY WITHOUT EQUIVOCATION DO NOT NEED TO DO THIS THING!!!

    • pheloniusphish's avatar pheloniusphish says:

      “It’s rare to have a chance to acquire a 24-year-old just two years removed from an All-Pro season, a player who has averaged more yards per carry in his first three seasons (5.1) than anyone in NFL history (minimum 750 carries).”

      He forgot “and who is on the PUP still and wants a lot of money that Miami doesn’t have. Whose signing would would keep Miami from re-signing top players already on their team like Wilkins and Seiler.”

  32. Ken's avatar Ken says:

    Colts to Taylor: Your are not worth a big contract.
    Colts to NFL: Taylor is invaluable we must have a number 1 pick for him.

  33. The Flying Pig's avatar The Flying Pig says:

    Along the themes of why pay Taylor when you didn’t pay Cook

    We also haven’t been willing to spend more than a 3rd round for a RB under Grier

    We actually could have drafted him instead of Noah I a few years ago

    So I doubt we give up a high round pick

    I read that Taylor wants between 11-12 mil a year not 14
    He won’t get 11 imo

    It doesn’t matter what he wants. I want 14 million a year for my job but I have to take much less….lol

    Cook contract is 7 million
    Saquan Barkley signed a 1 year deal for a little over 10m

    Taylor is under contract right now
    But I guess a trading team or even the colts can restructure

    My guess is he will do a 1 year deal anyway
    Maybe 2

    And it’s probably around 9m a year

    This is probably why we can’t give up much draft compensation – or reply any team can’t

    He’s gonna be a free agent again soon anyway
    RBs aren’t getting 4 year deals

    He’s better off signing a short deal and trying to get 10mil every time he hits free agency until he cant play anymore

    Maybe that’s the best way for RBs to approach their contracts

    It’s hard for a team to commit to a RB for 4 years on their second contract
    That’s 9 to 10 years in the league – how often do you see RBs play at a high level that long

    So if Taylor is willing to do a short term deal

    And we have close to 14m in cap space for 2023 (I read that,
    Not sure if it’s accurate)

    And the trade is just players (like Jeff Wilson or Cedric Wilson) or low picks

    It can be done

    But I think the real problem is the colts
    My guess is Taylor will follow barkleys lead and take a short deal for less than Barkley

    But Irsay is a jerk

    His comments about the CBA and running backs recently strike at the heart of the problem for Taylor – if he can’t hit free agency until year 5, most of his career at RB might be over and the best he can do are short deals after rookie contract expires

    Irsay publicly attacked propositions to renegotiate the CBA bc of this problem unique to RBs, but he said it wasn’t about Taylor

    Irsay will probably refuse to deal him no matter what

    So sit back and watch the colts preseason game this weekend and watch for an injury at WR making Cedric Wilson a desirable trade asset…lol

  34. Krishna's avatar Krishna says:

    I thought this was amusing….

    Dolphins WR coach Wes Welker calls Erik Ezukanma a ‘freak’

    Mike Masala follow
    August 23, 2023 9:59 am ET

    The Miami Dolphins haven’t had much draft capital over the last two seasons due to penalties following tampering investigations as well as a plethora of trades that have netted the team talented veterans like Tyreek Hill, Bradley Chubb and Jeff Wilson Jr.

    With that, general manager Chris Grier and his collection of scouts need to make sure they hit on the few picks they make. However, from the 2022 class, the only player who played significant snaps as a rookie was quarterback Skylar Thompson.

    Now, Miami is hoping that this is the year that fourth-round pick Erik Ezukanma starts carving out a role for himself in the offense. It’s tough in a room that’s filled with talent like Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Braxton Berrios, Robbie Chosen and Cedrick Wilson Jr., but he has the skill set to get it done.

    Dolphins wide receivers coach Wes Welker believes in Ezukanma’s talent, but there’s one clear area that he needs to work on, and it may not be all his fault.

    “Erik is a freak,” Welker said. “I mean, he’s got a lot of ability, and you see the flashes everywhere. He’s definitely doing some great things out there. It’s just the consistency of everything that we’re talking about and being able to do it exactly how we’re saying and continuing to work on that. Young receiver in this league nowadays, it’s a different deal. They came from an offense in college that they didn’t really run routes. They ran a slant and a go. It is more of a process than it’s ever been from college to the NFL for that position.”

    As a rookie, Ezukanma played in just one game – Miami’s regular-season finale against the New England Patriots. He recorded one catch for three yards in his 10 offensive snaps.

    Through two preseason contests, the former Red Raider has shown a few flashes, as he’s rushed twice for 52 yards and has brought in six receptions for another 39 yards.

    With how deep the room is again in his second season, Ezukanma will have to be ready when his number is called because there may not be as many opportunities as he may like if everyone is healthy. However, as in any NFL season, it’s unlikely that the Dolphins make it through a full season without injuries at wide receiver.

    The 23-year-old just needs to show his coaches that those flashes are more than just that.

  35. Krishna's avatar Krishna says:

    Not much, but something….

    News, notes from Day 17 of Dolphins’ training camp

    Mike Masala follow
    August 23, 2023 1:05 pm ET

    On Wednesday, the Miami Dolphins once again were on the practice field for another training camp session at their Baptist Health Training Complex which was only open to the media.

    With a couple of preseason games already in the books, there’s a lot more to see and evaluate, which is a great opportunity for coaches and players to see what they’re doing well.

    Here’s a bit of what was seen by the media members in attendance in Miami Gardens this morning:

    Attendance
    The following players were not participating:

    CB Jalen Ramsey
    CB Nik Needham (active/PUP)
    LT Terron Armstead
    WR Jaylen Waddle
    RB De’Von Achane
    WR Tyreek Hill
    WR Braylon Sanders
    TE Eric Saubert
    OL Robert Jones
    LB Mike Rose
    CB Justin Bethel
    DL Christian Wilkins (individual drills only)

    Other notes

    David Furones
    @DavidFurones_
    Zach Sieler had an injury scare at Dolphins’ Wednesday practice. He was down for several minutes but returned to participate in team drills. During breaks, though, he would keep stretching and flexing his left leg while talking to trainers.
    11:39 AM · Aug 23, 2023

    David Furones
    @DavidFurones_
    Mike White advanced in concussion protocol to participate in team drills. He threw an interception to Xavien Howard that would’ve been taken back.

    David Furones
    @DavidFurones_
    Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips had monster practices. AVG too. Edge rushers dub over offensive tackles.
    11:39 AM · Aug 23, 2023

    Marcel Louis-Jacques
    Aug 23, 2023
    @Marcel_LJ

    Big day for Robbie Chosen at Dolphins practice. Made several plays over the middle of the field.

    I think he’s a release-and-re-sign candidate but this was for sure a good day for him

    Marcel Louis-Jacques
    @Marcel_LJ
    Cam Smith participated in team drills with no red jersey on, once again. Promising after he was hurt in Miami’s first preseason game
    11:39 AM · Aug 23, 2023

    According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, Tua Tagovailoa was intercepted by Jevon Holland on a pass that was deflected.

    Mike White, who returned to practice, threw an interception to Xavien Howard and was sacked by linebacker Jaelan Phillips. He also had a couple of passes that were broken up – one by Howard and one that was batted down by Phillips.

    Jackson also noted that Tanner Conner, who just returned from the active/PUP list, made an impressive catch on a ball thrown by James Blackman that resulted in a 40-yard touchdown.

    What’s next?
    Miami will practice again on Thursday at 10:45 a.m. ET. They’ll then have Friday off before playing the Jacksonville Jaguars at 7:00 p.m. ET at TIAA Bank Field.

  36. Krishna's avatar Krishna says:

    Cam Smith Making Progress
    Dolphins cornerback Cam Smith has been cleared for contract work, but now must earn Vic Fangio’s trust
    OMAR KELLY2 HOURS AGO

    MIAMI DOLPHINS
    Cam Smith has his sights set on being a rookie starter for the Miami Dolphins, and the cornerback knows he’s got some work to do to achieve his goal.

    Smith’s involved in a three player battle with veteran Eli Apple and former first-round pick Noah Igbinoghene for the boundary spot opposite Xavien Howard when Miami’s in its nickel package, defending three receivers sets.

    In that package Kader Kohou goes inside, and a third cornerback comes on the field. Smith’s pushing to earn that role, and he’s got three weeks left to put his best foot forward.

    Smith cleared to resume contact work

    Problem is, a shoulder injury got the former South Carolina standout shelved from contract drills for a week, which means he’s lost some on the field time, and the instruction that comes with it.

    Smith was cleared to participate in contract work during 11-on-11s on Tuesday, and the 2023 second-round pick hopes to show he’s Miami’s best choice to replace Jalen Ramsey, who is likely sidelined till December because of a knee injury he suffered the first week of camp.

    “This was my first time getting back into contact, jamming, getting on the sled. It felt good,” Smith said, addressing the right shoulder injury he suffered in Miami’s 19-3 preseason loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Aug. 11. “I’m not promising anything. But it felt good today.”

    When asked if he’s on track for the Sept. 10 season opener against the Los Angeles Chargers, Smith’s response was an emphatic “for sure.”

    Players are always optimistic about their recoveries, and want to speed the healing timeline. The true test will come from how he handles physical contact in practice, and how his body feels afterwards.

    Will Smith play against the Jaguars?

    We’ll know more based on whether he’s cleared to play in Saturday’s preseason finale against Jacksonville.

    Apple, who has started 78 NFL games in his eight seasons, and Igbinoghene, who has started five of the 32 games he’s played in the past three seasons, got the bulk of the playing time in Saturday’s 28-3 win over the Houston Texans.

    The Dolphins know what both players bring to the defense, and don’t seem sold on either.

    Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio openly admitted he needs to see more from Smith to know if he can trust the rookie.

    “Cam just hasn’t been out there enough,” Fangio said. “The biggest thing with Cam is we got to feel like we can trust him to do the right thing….

    “We’re all going to get beat some, but we don’t want to get beat by self-inflicted wounds.”

    Fangio’s referring to the rookie’s mastery and understanding of his zone system, which has more rules than most NFL and college secondaries. In a zone if one player reads a play incorrectly it can leave a receiver, or a zone wide open, and upper echelon quarterbacks can often exploit those mistakes.

    “I feel like I’m getting better every day. A lot of the stuff that’s not coming to me when I first got here is coming to me now. I feel like I’m progressing,” said Smith, who has a knack for producing pass breakups. “I’m staying in my peddle a lot longer and not sitting on routes. I’m making sure I can transition. I’m being patient with my eyes.”

  37. Rockphin's avatar Rockphin says:

    HEY KEN!

  38. Rockphin's avatar Rockphin says:

    Two really nice run stops by Long

  39. Rockphin's avatar Rockphin says:

    So, our highest rated player by PFF last week against Hou was

    Miami Dolphins: CB Parry Nickerson (88.9, 21 snaps)

    Eighty-one players faced at least four targets in coverage in preseason Week 2, Nickerson among them. Only one allowed no catches, Nickerson among them. Granted, two of those passes were uncatchable, but he forced incompletions on the other pair.

    WHO THE F IS PARRY NICKERSON!? Will he even be on the team next week?

  40. The Flying Pig's avatar The Flying Pig says:

    That tape on Austin seems kind of mediocre to me

    I guess that’s better than where he was a couple of years ago

  41. mf13ss's avatar mf13ss says:

  42. mf13ss's avatar mf13ss says:

    I’d be pissed off if I was Tua… to have my work ethic publicly challenged like this…

    • mf13ss's avatar mf13ss says:

      You can hear how pissed Tua is with his natural accent coming out.

    • Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

      For some reason people can’t stop getting on him for one reason or another.

      • mf13ss's avatar mf13ss says:

        There is a stereotype out there that Samoans are lazy people. Not only is that not true, it’s racist. I think Ryan Clark better walk his comments back before he gets in over his head.

  43. mf13ss's avatar mf13ss says:

    Rockphin says:
    August 23, 2023 at 8:21 am
    …Aramaic was the spoken language in the region at the time. (new testament)
    ————-
    Yessir. 100% correct, as I learned that for the first time about two weeks ago. Thank you.

  44. mf13ss's avatar mf13ss says:

    Rockphin says:
    August 23, 2023 at 8:33 am
    Emperor Constantine convened the Council of Nicaea to codify the bible. They removed something like 20 books from the bible of the time, including the book of Enoch. They also removed any mention of Mary as a disciple because of the misogyny of the time.

    I do not want to offend, but the book that people swear was written by god was written by dozens if not 100’s of disparate people and then translated through 3 or 4 languages and altered by the MEN who did the translations due to restrictions of each language as well as their own personal prejudices.
    —————-
    I agree with you 100%, man. And THAT is why I’d like to learn the original writings… before the power brokers over the last 2,000 years translated the work into their own version to serve THEM. I want the OG version, my guy.

    Thank you!

  45. bailbondmike's avatar bailbondmike says:

    M13/Bryan, Did Drew Allar win the starting QB job at PSU? I think he will be one to keep an eye on this year and next.

  46. stangerx's avatar stangerx says:

    FEST UPDATE

    Hey folks. Gotta put the final payment in for the seats on Friday. Let me know if you have any changes (and if you said before have not been following the board).

    So if you wanta back out….. now is the time. After Friday your ticket or tickets are yours.

    ——————————-

    Seats

    Section 351 / row 28 / seats 1-15
    Section 351 / 29 / 1-15
    Section 351 / 30 / 1-10
    —————————-

    FEST – Oct 15 @ 1 pm against the Panthers.

    D&Bs get together Sat eve. Tunes with the Dog up to the dog, but a bunch of people will be getting in Fri regardless. Seats are $75 each (pay Fest weekend). And yeah we’ll have a tailgate.

    IN

    Herd!!!!
    Mike E (+2)
    Toba (+1)
    Ken
    Rock
    Krishna (+5)
    Son (+6)
    Phelon (with the crew))
    Cav (+1)
    Chef Wa (+1)
    Stanger
    Boulder
    Twice (+1)
    Dog (+2)
    Krishna (+5)

  47. Rockphin's avatar Rockphin says:

    ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALRIGHT

    Just booked my room at Margaritaville for Friday and Saturday nights! Not just doing D&B this year. I’m going to inflict my ass on you guys Friday too!

  48. Rockphin's avatar Rockphin says:

    I would like to throw out there that I am in for an “Bus” this year too.

  49. Rockphin's avatar Rockphin says:

    I AM STANDING THE FUCK UP

  50. Rockphin's avatar Rockphin says:

    Watching BBC news and it dawned on me for the first time how bizzare that Wagner group even exists. How do governments allow private armies to form and continue to exist?

  51. Rockphin's avatar Rockphin says:

    Context – Yevgeny Prigozhin MAY have been killed. A plane crashed and he was listed as a passenger. 8 bodies found. No confirmation he was actually on the plane. But he was hours from moscow with his tanks threatening Putin not more than a few months ago

  52. Rockphin's avatar Rockphin says:

    Boy Margaritaville is like the honey badger

    Margaritaville don’t give a shit

    They be like Yeah, your deposit is full payment up front, no refunds.
    Parking? Yeah more per day
    That coffee in the room you won’t drink yeah extra, but not optional
    When you book, they MAKE YOU agree to receive spam from them. It’s not an option, but they MAKE YOU FUCKING SUBMIT AND CHECK THE BOX THAT YOU WANT IT (kind of like what happened to Jaime in Outlander in the season finale of season 1) before you can go forward with the non-refundable all up front charged reservation.

    You have the option to uncheck the box, but it locks the checkout button why even make it an option you sadistic fuckers! Just hide it from me and do it if that is the only choice!!

    Rant over

    Reminds me of the Human Centipede Episode of South Park. (You didn’t read the disclaimer!? Everyone reads it!)

  53. herdfan's avatar herdfan says:

    Hey Stanger! Good to see you!

  54. Rockphin's avatar Rockphin says:

    Yes, Please. PLEASE MARGARITAVILLE PLEASE! PLEASE SEND ME SPAM

  55. Rockphin's avatar Rockphin says:

    WOW In the video that jet is straight nose down, not any angle at all straight down

  56. steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

    Anyone watching the Little League World Series?

    Umpired by guys that have no clue what a strike is, for kids with drivers licenses

    If some of these kids didn’t shave twice a day they’d have full beards

  57. ElephantRider's avatar ElephantRider says:

    That’s my quarterback!
    Part of me wishes he just said, “Who?” and went on to say the usual about only the people in the building matter.
    The other part of me is loving his response

  58. steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

    Hour and a half away from Ramaswamy going viral

  59. The Flying Pig's avatar The Flying Pig says:

  60. mf13ss's avatar mf13ss says:

    This was the clip that started it all…

  61. mf13ss's avatar mf13ss says:

    Oh!

    Disney is collapsing.

    • mf13ss's avatar mf13ss says:

      BTW, I saw the premiere for the Ahsoka series last night (2 episode premiere)… men are treated like a mere afterthought in this series, and it was very loud and clear. SMH

      Kathleen Kennedy has now compromised Dave Filoni.

  62. mf13ss's avatar mf13ss says:

    pheloniusphish says:
    August 23, 2023 at 7:40 pm
    Yeah, he could govern while Trump tries to overthrow the Constitution from behind bars!
    ————
    LOL! We may not agree on politics, but I think ‘ObIden’ has already done as much and to the nth degree.

  63. steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

    Ramaswamy isn’t playing 2nd fiddle, we’ll find out tonight, if he makes the cut

    Not sure when anyone that likes Trump, doesn’t want Trump 2.0 without the BS

  64. Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

    The far left think they’re ahead of every curve and the far right still abides by documents written thousands of years ago. Yeah… God help us.

    • steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

      There is no far right in politics, the far right is white supremacy

      Far left is socialism, climate change, wokeness

  65. steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

    DeSantis’ campaign will be over after one word tonight

    Superpac

  66. Wyoming85's avatar Wyoming85 says:

  67. The Flying Pig's avatar The Flying Pig says:

    What is the site we use for our fantasy league?

    I think I’ll actually make a few visits to set my lineups this year

  68. steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

    And there it is Superpac

  69. Mike E.'s avatar Mike E. says:

    Pence continues to mispronounce Vivek’s first name, I find that disrespectful. It’s Vi-vake, not Vivik.

  70. son of a son of a shula's avatar son of a son of a shula says:

    “If we need to get scrappy we can…”

    Tua if you have to do this you’ll have to travel out of state, his wife won’t let him come to Miami.

    You might have to smack the little bitch out of him.

    • son of a son of a shula's avatar son of a son of a shula says:

      After rereading I in no way mean his wife I mean Clark himself is a little bitch just so that’s clear.

  71. pheloniusphish's avatar pheloniusphish says:

    Fuck Asa Hutchinson. Architect of DHS.

  72. pheloniusphish's avatar pheloniusphish says:

    Pence is hollow

  73. pheloniusphish's avatar pheloniusphish says:

    Christie mostly seems afraid of Ramaswamy

  74. Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

    Voting for Pence is like voting for an evangelist.

  75. pheloniusphish's avatar pheloniusphish says:

    Pence reminds me of Ben Stiller

  76. steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

    That debate sucked, no one stood out, no one schat the bed, Trump will be the nominee

  77. pheloniusphish's avatar pheloniusphish says:

    DeSantis is still awkward

    • son of a son of a shula's avatar son of a son of a shula says:

      He’s wired tight man, not the worst thing
      Look at the bridge to Sanibel in two weeks whatever it was it’s because he stood there till it was done.
      Good baseball player, that says something.

  78. son of a son of a shula's avatar son of a son of a shula says:

    Nikki is a badass, I like her wish she had a chance
    Vivek, coming from an old guy, just seems a little whet behind the ears, I don’t know, I still like him but…
    I thought Ron did good
    Bergum has no chance but he’s a bright guy

  79. steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

    We can’t afford another democratic puppet, that just does whatever the far left wants

  80. son of a son of a shula's avatar son of a son of a shula says:

    Nikki shouldn’t have worn wool
    Sundress Nikki you could’ve pulled it off 😁

  81. Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

    MAGAs are a cult and Trump is their leader. Whatever you say master.🙄

  82. Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

    Look at the crowds he gets. It must be the Messiah!!!!

  83. son of a son of a shula's avatar son of a son of a shula says:

    Tim Scott is this rounds Ben Carson. Great guy, accomplished yada yada just doesn’t have the juice

  84. Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

    Even if I lie, you believe me, right?

  85. pheloniusphish's avatar pheloniusphish says:

    I liked DeSantis saying he’d leave the cartels dead on border

  86. pheloniusphish's avatar pheloniusphish says:

    Ramaswamy seems kinda schmarmy

  87. Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

    One can call out Trump at the same time saying Biden is a hack. The two major parties are criminal and people keep saying the lesser of two evils. How fucking stupid is that?

    • Rockphin's avatar Rockphin says:

      THIS^^^

      Whataboutism needs to stop. Clean up you own house first. THEN and ONLY THEN can you take the moral high ground argument.

  88. manitobafinfan's avatar manitobafinfan says:

    For Piggy Et Al:
    Yes NFLcom.
    Live Draft: Your draft is on Wednesday, Sep 6, 2023 at 8:30pm EDT.

  89. manitobafinfan's avatar manitobafinfan says:

    Good to see ya Stanger.. yes we are still 2…

    Thank you

  90. Mike E.'s avatar Mike E. says:

    I saw most of the debate, Pence is dried up, and he comes off like a TV Evangelist. DeSantis did much better than I expected. I think it’s going to be a fight between him and Ramaswamy. I do think Ramaswamy needs some new taglines other than “bought and paid for by Superpacs”. While it’s true, and it was a good way to differentiate himself from the crowd, it’s not going to have staying power and he’s going to have to do better in the newt debates.

  91. Rockphin's avatar Rockphin says:

    steveccnv says:
    August 23, 2023 at 11:08 pm

    We can’t afford another democratic puppet, that just does whatever the far left wants
    Reply

    Then I STRONGLY suggest that you pick another candidate than a twice impeached four time indicted con man who was a registered Democrat up until he decided to run for office. The only reason that we have the doddering, senile, old, life long politician in office is because of the stubborn irrational support for a conman by the right. It literally drove people who otherwise would have voted for the Republican candidate or not voted at all to the polls. Trump received more votes for president than any other candidate in history save ONE, the lesser of the two evils.

  92. Phindog's avatar Phindog says:

    Stanger,
    Great to see you man !! The Phindog family will have to bow out of this years fest. Sorry for the bad news but hopefully we can attend next years fest. We love seeing all you folks and are sad we can’t make it this year. ☹️

  93. Wyoming85's avatar Wyoming85 says:

    LMAO

  94. Wyoming85's avatar Wyoming85 says:

  95. pheloniusphish's avatar pheloniusphish says:

    I would trade Ogbah and a 4th for Taylor. Save $15M off the cap this year, add whatever you pay Taylor.

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