Dolphins 2025 Camp Day 1: McDaniel Media Session Highlights

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel spoke to the media ahead of the first practice of training camp for 2025.

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel met with the media before his team hit the field for the first practice of training camp this year.

Here were the highlights of McDaniel's media session:

INJURY AND STATUS UPDATES

-- Liam Eichenberg is weeks away from being ready, but McDaniel says he's not putting a timeline on it. McDaniel adds it's not a season-ender.

-- The injury to new DB Ifeatu Melifonwu is not significant.

-- McDaniel, as expected, didn't want to touch on the topic of whether Zach Sieler would be practicing as he looks for a new contract.

-- Darren Waller was placed on PUP because, as McDaniel says, it's standard procedure for players coming out of retirement. While he says Waller is in great shape, there's a "0 to 60 element" that he tries to avoid.

THOUGHTS ON THE STEELERS TRADE, TYREEK

-- McDaniel says Minkah Fitzpatrick is a "real good fit" schematically and has elite ball skills and leadership. "He couldn't get in the 29 jersey fast enough."

-- Related to Tyreek Hill's comments Tuesday that he's taken a new approach this year, McDaniel says he's always looking for growth. "My expectation for myself is that I'm never a finished product," McDaniel says he can't expect players to develop if he's not developing himself.

-- McDaniel clearly still isn't interested in talking about Jalen Ramsey. When asked how the trade with the Steelers will change the dynamics of the secondary, McDaniel just talks about what he likes about Fitzpatrick and the only comment regarding Ramsey was that "he's a Steeler."

-- McDaniel relayed that Tua told him his first interaction with Fitzpatrick at Alabama involved conditioning work and how crazy the normally low-key Minkah was.

CORNERBACK QUESTION

-- The question of adding a cornerback came up and McDaniel mentions that one way to get better is through player improvement. This is nothing new in the Dolphins approach, though we easily can question how well that has worked out in the past.

-- The Dolphins are starting practices much earlier this summer, and McDaniel said the adjustment was made because of the weather and keeping in mind the players' bodies (and soft-tissue injuries). Also mentioned the joint practices coming up and wanting to have "all hands on deck" for that work with the Bears and Lions. "It was very thought out, and I'm excited for the lack of traffic. You're welcome."

-- Regarding newcomer Daniel Brunskill, whom he coached as an assistant in San Francisco, McDaniel said he's always enjoying keeping track of players' journeys and development. "I know one thing about the dude: he's going to be overprepared."

-- Tyreek said Tuesday he's planning on giving the Dolphins the best version of himself in 2025, and McDaniel says that his offseason work has exemplified that. "Humble, accountable, deliberate, intentional daily focus, that's what we're looking for."

-- Regarding the addition of Darren Waller, McDaniel says he knows a lot more about him based on his relationship with OC Frank Smith, who coached Waller with the Raiders and who Waller mentioned as a favorite of his.