MIAMI GARDENS — Miami Dolphins minicamp is over and training camp starts in six weeks or so. Players and coaches left a vapor trail as they exited the field Thursday and headed off to their summer vacations.
But in the smoke we find some final thoughts from the three days of on-field work:
— Overall, it was a highly productive offseason for the Dolphins, starting with acquiring defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and cornerback Jalen Ramsey, and continuing through minicamp.
Are the Dolphins good enough right now to win a playoff game, which should be the season goal? It’s tough to say. But they haven’t regressed. The AFC is tough, so is the AFC East, but the Dolphins should almost certainly be in the playoffs.
— As I’ve stated previously, the biggest improvement for the Dolphins’ offense must be coach Mike McDaniel and his play-calling. Last season was his first for both roles, and it showed at times. It’s tough to gauge whether McDaniel has improved.
Last year’s offense leaned too heavily on wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle while disregarding tight end Mike Gesicki and running backs Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr.
We’ll get a better idea of McDaniel’s improvement in training camp and preseason, but his improvement, not quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s health, is the No. 1 requirement for the Dolphins’ offense.
— Guard Liam Eichenberg, who is getting a look at center with Connor Williams not present, has seemed to be effective although it’s tough to judge linemen without pads. Still, Eichenberg hasn’t seemed to have any mental busts, pressure hasn’t seemed to come up the middle in 11-on-11 passing plays, and the few inside runs seem to have been effective.
— Williams, who apparently wants to renegotiate his contract that pays him $8.3 million in 2023, the final year of the deal, is attempting to use his leverage to get more money, and I think that’s a good thing. He probably won’t be in this position again.
Yeah, he’ll get fined for missing mandatory minicamp, and perhaps he should have done the hold-in (show up, but feign an ailment so you don’t practice) as opposed to the hold-out. But I support him.
Here’s his leverage: The Dolphins haven’t been good at finding quality offensive linemen, and now they’ve got one in Williams.
My thought? Pay the man.
What’s the alternative?
Despite what I just said about Eichenberg, the offensive line is questionable even with Williams in the lineup. The line would be worse without him, possibly much worse.
You’re close to being a contender, and you have a quarterback that needs maximum protection.
Pay your quality center, put an extra year on his contract, and keep it movin’.
— Speaking of centers, backup center Alama Uluave, the undrafted rookie from San Diego State, seems to be doing good things.
— None of the tight ends has stood out individually, but as a group they’ve been OK. More importantly, they haven’t been a problem in the way of drops, penalties and negative plays, although tight end Tanner Conner lost a fumble Wednesday.
— Anecdotally, quarterback Skylar Thompson had a better minicamp than Mike White. That’s not a surprise considering Thompson knows the system. Thompson has played with confidence and his passes have been fairly accurate. This should be a good battle for No. 2 in training camp.
— Left tackle Kendall Lamm has been OK replacing Terron Armstead, a promising sign for the Dolphins, who seek a backup left tackle.
— Defensive linemen Christian Wilkins and Raekwon Davis were active during minicamp. Every now and then, I saw Josiah Bronson, the third-year player, make a play or two.
— Linebacker Garrett Nelson, the undrafted rookie from Nebraska, caught my eye. I recall him individually making a play or two in 11-on-11, but frequently recall him being around the ball or helping do something good.
— Linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel has seemed to grasp the inside fairly well. Van Ginkel, who is being shifted from the outside, hasn’t made any eye-popping plays but he also hasn’t made any eye-popping errors.
— The secondary seems loaded with talent, and that’s even with cornerbacks Ramsey and Keion Crossen limited, and cornerback Nik Needham (Achilles) and safety Brandon Jones (knee) not participating while recovering. I remain encouraged by the defense.
— Rookie cornerback Cam Smith, the second-round pick from South Carolina who had an impressive pass breakup Thursday, has been low-key during minicamp, but Ramsey spoke highly of him Tuesday.
— Rookie running back De’Von Achane, the third-round pick from Texas A&M, made a couple of impressive plays during minicamp. His speed is obvious.
— Tight end Elijah Higgins, the sixth-round pick from Stanford, hasn’t stood out for any reason, good or bad.
— Offensive tackle Ryan Hayes, the seventh-round pick from Michigan, has seemed to struggle at times.
— Tagovailoa, clearly bulked up, in a good way, had an outstanding round of OTAs and minicamp. He was amazingly accurate, showed advances in leadership, and even demonstrated an elevated level of tolerance and comfort with the dregs of society (us Dolphins writers).
Here’s hoping he stays healthy because he seems poised to have a big year.
