We have reached the “I’m happy to get to hit guys in a different colored jersey” a part of the NFL calendar.
The Miami Dolphins have gone by two weeks of coaching camp the place all they’ve seen and practiced in opposition to is themselves. This week, the Dolphins are in Tampa for joint practices with the Buccaneers on Wednesday and Thursday forward of Saturday evening’s preseason opener at Raymond James Stadium.
Although some veterans could also be nursing accidents or in any other case taking upkeep days, quite a few attention-grabbing matchups needs to be seen. For one, Dolphins defenders, who largely all return from final season, get one other shot at quarterback Tom Brady and the Buccaneers offense that embarrassed them in final season’s 45-17 loss on Oct. 10. On the opposite facet, it provides the Dolphins’ new-look offense behind coach Mike McDaniel a primary look in opposition to an opponent in Tampa’s aggressive protection.
New Dolphins star receiver Tyreek Hill is happy to face an opponent for the primary time in a Miami uniform after feasting in opposition to Dolphins cornerback Noah Igbinoghene for 2 weeks, however having Xavien Howard get the very best of him in a small pattern dimension of 1-on-1 pairings.
“I’m really sick of going against X, man. He’s been locking me up in practice,” Hill mentioned final Saturday. “I’m really eager to go against somebody else.”
Of course, Brady and the Dolphins have been related lots all through the offseason and in latest information of Miami’s tampering violations revealed by an NFL investigation final week. Brady retired after which unretired this offseason earlier than returning with the Buccaneers to play one other season at age 45. Multiple experiences, together with from the South Florida Sun Sentinel, revealed the Dolphins had been in talks with Brady over a twin enjoying and entrance workplace function in Miami. The NFL’s investigation discovered the Dolphins tampered with Brady each in 2019 whereas he was a member of the New England Patriots and final season with the Bucs.
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who will get this third NFL season to show himself in Miami regardless of the staff trying into Brady and Deshaun Watson since he was drafted with the No. 5 decide in 2020, has impressed in coaching camp.
The Dolphins protection began off vanilla with its coverages, however Tagovailoa has since adjusted to going through coordinator Josh Boyer’s aggressive blitzing scheme deeper into camp. That’s extra just like the appears he ought to face in opposition to Tampa coach Todd Bowles and defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers. The Buccaneers, blitzing 40.8 % of the time in 2021, based on Pro Football Reference, had been the one staff to carry further move rushers extra usually than the Dolphins (39.6 %).
Miami’s restructured offensive line will go in opposition to a stout Bucs defensive entrance. With prized free-agent left deal with Terron Armstead anchoring his facet, three others are working at a brand new place between left guard Liam Eichenberg, heart Connor Williams and proper deal with Austin Jackson. That grouping has to indicate progress in run and move blocking whereas Williams must safe his snap accuracy, which has been problematic early in camp after enjoying guard 4 seasons in Dallas.
Armstead, who had a knee process carried out within the offseason, has been on and off the apply area in a upkeep program. He could stay restricted because the Dolphins have additionally progressively introduced again working again Raheem Mostert and fullback Alec Ingold from knee accidents with the 49ers and Raiders, respectively. While cornerback Byron Jones stays on the physically-unable-to-perform record, McDaniel known as it “case by case” with how he’ll deal with totally different veterans’ workloads.
“There are a couple of veterans where, for them to be able to practice with the known intensity that comes with practicing against an opponent for the first time since January, there are some guys that we kind of have to monitor and we’re resting on the front end of it,” McDaniel mentioned on Sunday, the final time Miami practiced earlier than departing for Tampa. “Then, there are other guys that we’ll just have to, for us to get through the whole practice and for them to get the work they need, they may sit out individual [drills].”
Hill, Jaylen Waddle and Cedrick Wilson Jr. will go in opposition to a Bucs secondary led by security Antoine Winfield Jr. and cornerback and Miami Norland High grad Carlton Davis. Howard and the Dolphins secondary could match up in opposition to new Tampa receivers Julio Jones and Russell Gage, whereas Chris Godwin slowly works again from an ACL tear and Mike Evans works by some coaching camp tweaks.
The Dolphins’ attacking defensive entrance will see if it could actually get to Brady in opposition to a Bucs offensive line that had heart Ryan Jensen maintain a knee harm final week.
“Being at this point in my career, four years in, I have a little bit of a different mindset when I go into the joint practices,” mentioned Miami defensive lineman Christian Wilkins. “As a young guy, you’re still like trying to figure it out. ‘Am I good enough? Am I not?’ Now you just have a different mindset and different things you want to attack and work on when you go to those joint practices.”
The Dolphins may have their subsequent younger, upstart roster longshot make his mark towards finally attaining a roster spot on this setting.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com