In the practice before signed his lucrative multi-year extension, before the four-year, $212 million extension got finalized quarterback surprisingly participated in all of the team’s 11-on-11 drills, and his involved too everyone by surprise, especially the defense. Tagovailoa, who handled two hand offs in 11-on-11 work on Wednesday, a day before sitting out all of Thursday’s work while his agents advocate for a contract extension, faked a hand off to tailback , and when the defense bit on the run got 20-yards behind the entire defense, pulling down an uncovered 70-yard touchdown. His first throw during team drills of training camp was majestic, going 50-yards downfield to Hill, who celebrated once he crossed the end zone with head coach Mike McDaniel.
It was the play that lit a match for an offensive explosion, capping off a week that had previously been dominated by the defense. “It’s different when you get to see somebody on a day to day basis. The mental, how they process information, how they process defenses,” cornerback said of Tagovailoa, whom he faced last season while a member of the .
“You can just tell there is intent with every snap he takes. It’s been fun to see [Tua], learn from him, and watch him compete.” Tagovailoa, who threw passes in 1-on-1, 7-on-7 and 11-on-11s, was sharp for most of the two-hour practice, which concluded the work week for the Dolphins, which will open up training camp to fans on Sunday.
That practice will likely turn into a celebration now that the extension has gotten done, and no limitations will be put on the offense. TOP PERFORMER Hill’s participation is seemingly on a snap count considering he showed up for field work when the Dolphins began 7-on-7 reps, which was roughly an hour into Friday’s session. But that 70-yard touchdown reception from Tagovailoa was a thing of beauty, and proves that Hill’s just as fast as he was when he was healthy in 2023.
Edge rusher , who spent most of last season on Miami’s practice squad, has flashed consistently for the past three days, and it’s not as if he’s going against third-team players. Bell’s been working against and Austin Jackson consistently. Based on his movement skills this former college receiver might be Miami’s second most athletic, healthy edge player, behind first-round pick .
If this former Prairie View A&M standout excels on special teams the 6-foot-4, 255-pounder might just make it onto the 53-man roster. Receiver ran the wrong route for Tagovailoa and then failed to bring in a ball for Mike White on back-to-back reps in the first 1-on-1 period. of camp.
When Ezukanma ran the wrong route, Tagovailoa threw up his arms in confusion. Ezukanma, a 2022 fourth-round pick, has had a quiet camp so far. If he falls behind rookie Malik Wahsington on the depth chart there’s a slim chance he’ll make it onto Miami’s 53-man roster unless injuries ravage the receiver unit.
Center-to-quarterback exchanges are usually an issue during the early days of training camp, so it’s not surprising that and Tagovailoa had at least two mishaps. Clearly that’s one of the reasons Tagovailoa has been working in 11-on-11, and it might benefit those two to spend a couple extra minutes together before or after practice. Fortunately for Brewer, he’s better at snapping than his predecessor, , was.
TAKEAWAY FROM THE DAY The Dolphins are seemingly running thin at inside linebacker one week into training camp. During the first 50 minutes of practice, when Anthony Walker was sitting out the individual drills as part of a maintenance program he’s on, Miami only had four inside linebackers - , Duke Riley, and Ezekiel Vandenburgh - on the field. Typically, the Dolphins carry five or six into every practice, but , who is on the PUP with an unknown injury that has him wearing a compression sleeve on his left leg, being sidelined might motivate Miami to add one in the second week of training camp.
Former Hurricanes inside linebacker Shaq Quarterman will work out for the Dolphins on Friday. “I think it’s , me and [De’Von] Achane, Tyreek [Hill], [Jaylen] Waddle and then Raheem [Mostert], if he’s still got it,” receiver said when asked who was the fasted Dolphin on the team. “I have the top speed in the offseason, but I have to prove it again in training camp,” said Schwartz, a third-year receiver who said he posted the fastest miles per hour speed in the offseason program, running 22.
8 mph speed in practice..
