Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel reacted to vast receiver Preston Williams’ tweet about his perceived lack of alternatives in coaching camp.
Williams tweeted on Monday night, “just want opportunity. #smh [shaking my head].”
While McDaniel mentioned he’s not a fan of inner group considerations getting expressed on social media, he did voice empathy for Williams.
“I do prioritize opportunities for players to follow their dreams,” McDaniel mentioned. “For the players, every time they’re on the field, it’s a tremendous opportunity for them, as well as their teammates, who they’re depending on to execute and operate at a high standard.”
Williams, a 6-foot-5 goal, has seen his on-field manufacturing persistently decline since standing out as an undrafted rookie on the Dolphins’ 2019 group that went 5-11. After 32 receptions for 428 yards that yr, he then had 18 catches for 288 yards in 2020 and simply six receptions for 71 yards final season.
Now, Williams is in his first season beneath McDaniel and a brand new offensive teaching employees whereas a part of a deeper receiving corps with Tyreek Hill, Cedrick Wilson, rookie Erik Ezukanma, Trent Sherfield, Mohamed Sanu and River Cracraft amongst new faces within the unit.
With offensive lineman Michael Deiter sidelined early in camp with a foot damage, McDaniel mentioned he doesn’t count on it, at this level, to have an effect on his accessible come the beginning of the common season.
Deiter missed 9 video games in 2021, principally attributable to a foot ailment. He has been supplanted from his earlier beginning middle spot by free-agent addition Connor Williams, who’s transferring over to the brand new place after taking part in guard for 4 years with the Dallas Cowboys.
McDaniel has been impressed with Ezukanma’s strides early in camp.
“The strife of the rookie in the NFL is so often underestimated and understated,” mentioned McDaniel of Ezukanma, who had a 40-yard landing catch from Tua Tagovailoa on Monday. “Grown men who have been playing NFL seasons for an extended period of time that have been making a living for their family and doing so within the confines of a certain scheme. That is a lot of ground to make up when you enter the league as a rookie.”
McDaniel has observed that Ezukanma doesn’t repeat errors. When he makes his subsequent inevitable error, it’s a brand new one which pops up whereas correcting earlier mishaps.
“When you make mistakes, how do you correct them?” McDaniel mentioned. “Are they improving on things? Are they making the same mistakes twice? That’s one exciting thing about Erik, that he is learning a completely new language at a different speed and tempo.”
Tuesday’s apply is the primary one in pads for the Dolphins. McDaniel downplayed the importance of it in coaching camp, largely attributable to how his group has practiced with out pads.
“If you practice the right way without pads, it’s less significant when they come on,” he mentioned. “I’m very happy with how we practiced without pads because we deliberately approached it as if we would have it. You put yourself in position to either block or tackle. … I would’ve been disappointed if I would’ve been really eager for the pads to come on.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com