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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