Training camp notes

Feel free to post any interesting training camp stuff in this thread.

Here's a few things I've picked up on...

Trying to read through training camp tweets from Miami reporters, and the one thing that stands out is:
Xavien Howard is kicking ass! Sounds like he's been shutting down receivers all week, and today he intercepted Tannehll 3 times! I think our WR corps is weaker than we'd like to beleive and Tannehill is no doubt rusty, but the news about Howard so far is definitely excellent. He's really only looked great in two games in his career so far, but hopefully he's starting to turn the corner and reach his potential.

Sounds like the offense has been struggling, but that's been the case since day one of the Gase era. Tannehill has thrown 5 INTs in 3 days...

William Hayes left the field today with some sort of leg injury...at least one reporter said it looked pretty bad. He's really our only legit run stuffer on the DL, so I hope it's nothing serious. Then again, when you rely on old players coming off injury-riddled seasons...you can't be surprised.

Sounds like the DL has been absolutely destroying the OL overall this week. Too early to say if the DL is really good or the OL is really bad.

Other stuff I'm hearing:

Sounds like Gesicki has looked very good as a receiver and very bad as a blocker...no surprise.

Grant has made some great catches, but has also dropped a few. Again, no surprise...this dude is just too inconsistent, and at his size he can't afford to make so many mistakes. I think Albert Wilson gives us everything Grant does, but he's bigger. I'd prefer to dump Grant...no need to have two small players with the same exact skillset.

CB Torry McTyer seems to be having a great camp, and may be the current front-runner to start opposite Howard. Seems like Tank and Lippett aren't showing much at this point.

Haven't heard much about the LBs, although Alonso would have had a pick 6 on one of Tannehill's INTs. Seems like the starters will be Alonso, McMillan and Chase Allen. Baker has looked strong on STs, but doesn't seem like he's done much at LB yet.

Robert Quinn has been dominant.

DeVante Parker has been DeVante Parker...some good, some bad.

JMP wrote:Xavien Howard is kicking ass!

JMP wrote:DeVante Parker has been DeVante Parker...some good, some bad.

and this is what concerns me about all the Howard news. how much of it is that Howard is really good and how much of it is that Parker just isn't that good?

mercury22nathan wrote:

and this is what concerns me about all the Howard news.  how much of it is that Howard is really good and how much of it is that Parker just isn't that good?

Definitely something to watch, especially when you consider that Howard has been pretty mediocre since entering the league. One of my concerns with Howard is long speed...I'm not convinced he can handle speed receivers, and in fact I've read that Stills has done pretty well against him in TC so far.

Hopefully the new DB coach can at least teach Howard and the other DBs to intercept passes, because that's been a glaring weakness in the secondary.

William Hayes is out with a hamstring injury - no word on how serious it is.

I hope that Miami does really bad this year, maybe Ross will wake up and smell the roses.

Sounds like Tannehill has been sharp today, and the offense looks much better.

I keep hearing that Tannehill and Amendola seem to have great chemistry. My guess is we'll continue to run the short passing game through the slot receiver. Hope Amendola can stay healthy, because IMO he'll be the focal point of the offense like Landry was.

Albert Wilson lining up everywhere, including in the backfield. I'm not really a fan of WRs getting handoffs if you have good RBs, but then again, it seems like Gase is always looking for ways to trick opponents rather than simply beating them.

Gesicki reportedly had en excellent practice today.

I'm expecting Gesicki to be a very good player as a hybrid TE/WR. I just hope he can stay injury free.

I think Ryan Tannehill has great chemistry with anyone that runs a 3-yard slant. It's been the staple play (along with bubble screens) of every coach he's had in the pros.

Degarmo wrote:I'm expecting Gesicki to be a very good player as a hybrid TE/WR.  I just hope he can stay injury free.

Unfortunately, knowing Gase he'll probably keep Gesicki on the bench most of the time because he's not a good blocker.

LMAO @Degarmo's last two posts. He's still got it

Read some tweets about tosday's scrimmage. The offense looked good in 7-on-7s (40-yard TD Tannehill to Gesicki), but did nothing in 11-on-11s. Tons of pre-snap penalties, no blocking for the run game, throwing passes short of the first on third down...ugh. A lot to work on, as expected this time of year...but what's troubling is it seems like the same problems as last year and the year before that and the year before that, etc.

DolFan 316 wrote:LMAO @Degarmo's last two posts. He's still got it  

Trying to bring the funny as the city nearly burns down here in Redding

Monday’s practice included drops by Kalen Ballage, Kenny Stills, Ford and Thomas Duarte and a long Ryan Tannehill pass that fell to the turf because Stills – who was wide open - didn’t run hard on the route.

https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/barry-jackson/article215846805.html

didn't run hard, WTF?

Can we please end the Thomas Duarte experiment? The guy has never been NFL-worthy, and I can't understand why the Phins keep wasting their time with him.

Sounds like the offense has struggled quite a bit throughout training camp. Not time to worry yet, but Gase better figure it out soon.

I’d like to say I’m worried but I have no expectations so I don’t really care. I’ll judge how we’re doing after week 4. Regular season.

just get madden and it will make you feel better....that my justification of not watching

CB Cordrea Tankersley had another shot at the starting job during Tuesday’s practice and fared pretty well. For those keeping score through Day 11, Tankersley and Torry McTyer have five starts apiece followed by Tony Lippett (one start).

CB Tony Lippett, who seems to be falling behind McTyer and Tankersley in the battle to start opposite Xavien Howard, missed the second half of practice after an apparent right ankle injury.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-dolphins/fl-sp-dolphins-stock-report-20180807-story.html

seems like they want Tankersley to take the spot, but he just doesn't seem to be able to separate himself from the pack. looking like Lippett is fading fast.

seems like they want Tankersley to take the spot, but he just doesn't seem to be able to separate himself from the pack. looking like Lippett is fading fast.

I like hearing about players like McTyer. He's not "on scholarship" due to draft status or a big money contract. If he's getting reps with the 1s it's because he has earned it with his play. Just like Zach Thomas did it.

Can we please end the Thomas Duarte experiment? The guy has never been NFL-worthy, and I can't understand why the Phins keep wasting their time with him.

I think Duarte is a long shot to stick this year. Gesicki has developed real chemistry with Tannehill and is catching red zone TDs in almost every practice, from what I'm reading. The coaches really like Gray. Then we've got the blocking TE we drafted as well as Derby. That's four right there that will easily beat out Duarte. I just don't see the roster numbers working out for him to stay.

McTyer looked good last preseason as well, as I recall. Hopefully he continues to play well, because from my vantage point CB is a much weaker position than a lot of Dolfans seem to think.

As for TE, Derby is another waste...always hurt and does nothing when he plays. If we keep 4, I think I'd have Escobar as the #4. He has real game experience and has made some red zone plays in his career. Not a good player overall, but an experienced body if the rookies need more time.

Scumbags Stills and Wilson knelling.

JEGnj wrote:Scumbags Stills and Wilson knelling.

Stills isn’t giving effort on the practice field. Maybe he should practice the game instead of being a distraction?

CarsonChris wrote:

JEGnj wrote:Scumbags Stills and Wilson knelling.

Stills isn’t giving effort on the practice field. Maybe he should practice the game instead of being a distraction?

At this point the anthem kneelers are just trolling. It's not about "poiice brutality" a all, and hasn't been for a while now. Not that pro athletes would know anything about that regardless Now it's just millennials being all narcissistic, as usual.

Even if their protest was valid, I have never understood what the anthem had to do with it, nor have I ever had it explained to me. I suspect even the kneelers themselves have no idea.

Did Stills use his power/money or fame to do anything at all in the off season for the downtrodden that he says he’s protesting for? 70 shootings in Chicago last weekend. What did the NFL players do to help?