A Miami Dolphins Camp Primer from A-Z
After the Miami Dolphins veterans reported for training camp, the team’s first practice of the summer will take place Wednesday.
Borrowing from an idea from John Hendrix of SI Fan Nation sister site Saints News Network, we preview and offer our thoughts on what to watch for at Dolphins practice, including the joint practices with the Buccaneers and the Eagles, over the next few weeks
Call it our A-to-Z Miami Dolphins Training Camp Primer:
A is for Terron Armstead: We didn’t get the chance to see Armstead on the field during the offseason program as he continued to recover from offseason knee surgery, but he looks like a go for the start of camp. It’ll be fun to watch perform his craft this summer.
B is for Lynn Bowden Jr.: Ever since he joined the Dolphins, Bowden has been an intriguing player because of his skill set and running ability in the open field. But he needs a strong camp to earn a roster move at a pretty loaded wide receiver position.
C is for Connor Williams and Center: After Williams spent the offseason working at center, the expectation is that he’ll stay there unless some problems develop. So tracking his progress clearly will be important.
D is for the Defense: With Brian Flores no longer around, the defense clearly is Josh Boyer’s show in 2022. While we wouldn’t expect to see too many tweaks during camp practices, we’ll certainly keep our eyes open.
E is for Erik Ezukanma: As a rookie fourth-round pick, Ezukanma pretty much is guaranteed a spot on the 53-man roster, but the bigger question is what kind of role he can carve out for himself on offense as a rookie and camp should provide some clues.
F is for Fans: After all the offseason additions, one would expect fans to be more enthusiastic than usual when they come out for open practices (the first of which will be Saturday).
G is for Mike Gesicki: How Gesicki will fit in the Mike McDaniel offense has been a hot topic since the latter was hired as head coach, and camp should start providing some answers.
H is for Tyreek Hill: Hill was an absolute workhorse in the offseason practices open to the media, and we wouldn’t expect anything different in camp as he looks to set the tone for his teammates on offense.
I is for Melvin Ingram: Like Armstead, Ingram didn’t practice in the offseason, though in his case it was an issue of getting into football shape. But now the time has come for him to show what he could bring to the defense.
J is for Austin Jackson: It’s Year 3 for Jackson, and the 18th overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft gets a fresh start with a new coaching staff, a new position, but more importantly a new scheme that seems to better fit his skill set. Watching his development this summer should be fun.
K is for Solomon Kindley: Kindley also came in that 2020 draft, though he was a fourth-round pick, and he’s also at a crossroads after going from starter to forgotten man on the O-line last year. He’ll have to show something this summer just to make the 53-man roster.
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L is for Hunter Long: After an uneventful rookie season, can the 2021 third-round pick take a step forward, a step toward becoming the player the Dolphins hopes they were getting out of Boston College?
M is for Mike McDaniel: McDaniel got off to a good start as a first-year head coach in quickly establishing a rapport with his players, but that the offseason program. Now, things get (or least should get) more serious and it’s time for him and his staff to hone down and get his team ready for the regular season.
N is for Noah Igbinoghene: With Byron Jones starting camp on PUP, this could (should) be an opportunity for the 2020 first-round pick to get extra reps with the hope that two years of NFL experience and having Sam Madison and Patrick Surtain as his position coaches can unlock his potential. If it doesn’t happen this summer, it might never happen for him in Miami.
O for the Offensive Line: Let’s not kid ourselves, no position group will be under more scrutiny this summer than the offensive line, just as was the case last year. The results weren’t encouraging back then; let’s hope they improve this summer.
P is for (Joint) Practices: There might not be a better gauge for where a team is leading up to the regular season than joint practices — yes, more so than preseason games. And the Dolphins will get two chances to see how they measure up, first against the Bucs and then against the Eagles.
Q is for Quincy Wilson: The Dolphins find themselves in need of a fourth cornerback after the departure of Justin Coleman in the offseason, and if it doesn’t turn out to be Igbinoghene, then watch out for this former second-round pick, who’s looking for a career revival in Miami.
R is for the Running Game: McDaniel is well known for his innovative running game concepts, so it’ll be interesting to see how much he unveils during the summer and how much he keeps under wraps for the regular season.
S is for Skylar Thompson: The rookie seventh-round pick had some good practices (among those open to the media) in the spring, but he’ll need to stack them up if he hopes to make the 53-man roster as a third quarterback. Either way, watching his first rookie camp will be interesting.
T is for Tua Tagovailoa: There wasn’t much doubt about who would be involved here, right? And regardless of where you stand on the Dolphins quarterback, his first two seasons, his future, all of that, everyone can agree it’ll be nice to finally just be able to watch and evaluate his on-field work as opposed to speculating about what he might or might not be able to do.
U is for Undrafted Rookies: There was a time not so long ago when the Dolphins roster offered many possibilities for rookie free agents, but this 2022 edition is a lot deeper and solid from top to bottom, so those rookies who signed after the 2022 draft are going to have to shine brightly and quickly to catch the attention of coaches. We offered in May our take on those UDFAs with the best chances of making the team.
V is for Andrew Van Ginkel: We’ll fess up here and admit we couldn’t come up with anything else for V. It’s not that Van Ginkel isn’t worthy of mention, it’s just that we know by now what he brings (energy, pass-rushing ability), so he’s not really an unknown commodity. He is, however, scheduled to become a UFA next spring, so maybe his contract status (possible extension) is something to keep an eye on.
W is for Wes Welker: We should add Madison and Surtain to this because they represent the three former Dolphins players new to the coaching staff. It’ll be fun to see if their coaching can be as good as their work as players was.
X is for Xavien Howard: We don’t expect much of anything from X this summer, but that’s actually a nice change from last summer when his contract situation was a nasty cloud over the team until it was resolved in early August. From this vantage point, it wouldn’t matter one bit if he just got limited reps in practice and sat out the entire preseason.
Y is for Youth: Of the 89 players on the roster (after the moves involving Mohamed Sanu and Cody Core on Tuesday), 21 are either rookies or first-year players. That includes four rookie draft picks, 13 rookie free agents, and four first-year players. Of all of them, the two who will be under the most scrutiny figure to be top pick Channing Tindall and Skylar Thompson.
Z is for Za’Quandre White: We close out with one of those rookie free agents, the former South Carolina running back. While he’s got his share of supporters and there’s a lot to like about his game, the reality is White is going to have to be awfully impressive to earn a roster spot among a group that features three veteran newcomers — Chase Edmonds, Raheem Mostert and Sony Michel — along with two-time team rushing leader Myles Gaskin.
