What if the Dolphins Were on 'Hard Knocks'?
HBO will debut Tuesday night another new season of its acclaimed docuseries "Hard Knocks," always a fun preseason benchmark for NFL fans with the crew at HBO giving a behind-the-scenes look at one team’s training camp and preparation for the fast-approaching regular season.
The NFL requires one team’s participation, and tthe Detroit Lions volunteered for the spotlight this year as they look to improve on their 3-13-1 season of 2021. Lions head coach Dan Campbell, the Dolphins interim head coach for the final 12 games of the 2015 season, surely will feed eager fans with plenty of noteworthy sound bites and clips.
The Dolphins provided some real unforgettable storylines and highlights when they featured on the series in 2012.
Anyone remember Vontae Davis’ “grandma moment” when the star cornerback was informed he was being traded to the Colts and immediately asked if he could call his grandmother? Or then-coach Joe Philbin meticulously picking up gum wrappers as he walked through the locker room?
It remains to be seen if, or when, the Dolphins may find themselves as the featured team again, but here are some likely storylines we would have seen this summer had it been the Dolphins and not the Lions as the starring team.
-- Mike McDaniel’s first camp as head coach: Aside from his Yeezy sneaker collection, and quirky-yet-captivating press conferences, there likely would be a stroll down memory lane for the sweatsuited rookie head coach. Following McDaniel’s unconventional journey that began as a kid bicycling to Broncos training camp and now embarking on leading one of his own has the makings of the feel-good television audiences love.
-- Tua Tagovailoa’s make-or-break season: Whatever reasons fans and analysts use to describe Tua’s underwhelming start to his career in Miami, have it be coaching or resources or support, they’re all thrown out here in Dolphins Camp 2022. McDaniel’s innovative scheme is the vehicle, the offensive weapons are the gas, and Tua is the conductor of his own destiny in a pivotal season for the young quarterback. Maybe HBO would try to start on lighter note as Tua begins this training camp as a newly married man, but that might have been met with a request that his personal life be kept private based off his comments on the matter last week.
-- The Need for Speed: Despite the excitement of Dolphins owner Stephen Ross launching Formula One’s Miami Grand Prix this past May, the attention has been on what’s blazing around the the Dolphins practice facility. After acquiring Tyreek Hill and Raheem Mostert, the Dolphins may have one of the fastest groups of skill position players ever. Hill and Waddle already have wowed in Dolphins camp with their ability to seemingly always be open, and Mostert has the fastest recorded speed by NextGen Stats over the past five seasons.
-- Tyreek Hill; the personality: For only being 5-10, Tyreek Hill seems to leave a large impression. He’s already made national headlines with his aggressive endorsements of Tua, who he’s called the most accurate quarterback in the NFL. Hill also launched a podcast called "It Needed to be Said," which by the title ironically doesn’t require much more to be said. Past guests already include Tua, and Waddle. Suffice to say, “The Cheetah” wouldn’t have any problems grabbing the attention of the HBO camera crew.
-- Ohhhhh-line: By and large, the Dolphins offensive line served as the overwhelming issue during the 2021 season. To remedy that, Miami added a premier left tackle with Terron Armstead. They also added Connor Williams, and switched him from guard to center, where he has already displayed some struggles snapping the ball. Incumbent young linemen like Austin Jackson and Liam Eichenberg are also major focal points, as both need to make improvements for the Dolphins to be successful. Watching this storyline may give Dolphins fans more anxiety than fulfillment, though.
-- Continuity of the defense: Every defensive starter from last season has returned for 2022. Defensive coordinator Josh Boyer also is back. The Dolphins have stated they’re “close” to being a playoff team and believe they already have the ready-made defense to compete, as long as they fix the offense. The only key piece not returning is the man largely credited with building it, former head coach Brian Flores. The Dolphins are banking on continuity and retaining Boyer to maintain defensive success, but it would be naive to not hold some concern for the upcoming season.
