Kelly: Questions That Need Answers During Dolphins minicamp
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At the end of the week school's out for summer.
The Miami Dolphins have labored in the classroom, the weight room and on the field for weeks, and Tuesday is the start of the player's final work week with the team, as the team hold its three-day mandatory minicamp, which wraps up the offseason program.
After this week, the next time the team fully assembles will be training camp, which starts in late July, so there's no better time than now to get a verdict on some lingering questions about the 2023 team.
Here's a look at 10 questions we hope minicamp will answer.
Is Tua Tagovailoa practicing like he’s an elite QB?
I saw Dan Marino practice as an intern in 1996 and it set a tone for pocket presence from a quarterback. Nobody ever got close to Marino before the ball was out of his hands. Chad Pennington was a magician when it came to converting third downs. If the team needed it, the quarterback with elite accuracy was on the money. Ryan Fitzpatrick would see an open receiver and let it fly, often delivering a big passing play. He played without fear, sometimes to his detriment. Interestingly, Tua Tagovailoa embodies all those traits, and the hope is that he’ll transcend this season and become one of the NFL’s upper-echelon quarterbacks. But that journey starts with practices, which need to continue to be efficient. Tagovailoa needs to be sharp during team periods, converting third downs and scoring touchdowns in red zone work.
Does Miami have a backup quarterback who can win the Dolphins games?
Miami signed Mike White to replace Teddy Bridgewater as Tagovailoa’s top backup, but his arm strength is underwhelming and could create an opening for Skylar Thompson to leapfrog him on the depth chart if the second-year quarterback can execute the offense at a higher level when working with the second- and third-team units. Neither quarterback has accomplished much during their NFL career, so this battle should come down to who grasps and executes the offense the best.
Does Vic Fangio have all the pieces he needs to make the Dolphins a top 5 defense?
At this point it’s hard to tell because the players aren’t in pads, and nobody is being tackled to the ground. Fangio also hasn’t added sprinkles and special sauce to the vanilla practices the media has watched. A better sampling of Fangio’s defense probably will occur in training camp when the team can’t hide what they show the media. At this stage, until injured players return, the Dolphins appear one player short in each unit on defense. They need a backup nose tackle, an inside linebacker with the coverage skills needed to work in the nickel package, and a safety who can get physical in the box. Miami doesn’t have to add those pieces now. They can wait until training camp arrives, or until the regular season begins and better veterans become dislodged.
Dolphins must find a starting strong safety
Brandon Jones continues to rehab the knee (ACL) injury he suffered last October, and there’s a possibility he could open training camp on the PUP list. That means DeShon Elliott, Elijah Campbell, Verone McKinley III or Trill Williams (when he’s cleared to practice from the ACL injury he suffered last August) will have an opportunity to showcase their skills as Jevon Holland’s partner for minicamp and the first couple weeks of training camp. Miami needs someone to co-pilot the secondary serving as a communication leader.
Do Liam Eichenberg and Austin Jackson have legitimate competition for their starting spots?
Eichenberg is penciled in as the Dolphins’ starting left guard and Jackson is penciled in as Miami’s starting right tackle. But their practices in training camp and performance in the exhibition season will determine if they keep those jobs. I view Isaiah Wynn as Miami’s sixth man on the offensive line, so that makes this 40-game starter the primary backup at every position but center. And Cedric Ogbuehi views right tackle as his ideal spot. Will his 35 NFL starts allow him to push Jackson?
Who is the backup left tackle?
The chances of Terron Armstead, who is sitting out the entire offseason program while he rehabs his foot injury, participating in more than a handful of team drills and preseason games are slim, so the Dolphins need to make sure they have a capable backup who can hold the line down if something happens to the team's Pro Bowl left tackle. It would be ideal to clarify early whether that’s going to be Wynn, who also plays guard, Kendall Lamm, Geron Christian, Ryan Hayes or Kion Smith.
Is there a quality backup for Connor Williams?
That player is supposed to be Dan Feeney, the former NFL starter who was signed this offseason to a one-year, fully guaranteed deal worth $3.25 million. But for unknown reasons others such as Liam Eichenberg have been taking snaps at center, getting cross-trained in case something happens to Williams, who in my opinion is Miami’s second-best offensive lineman. Williams earns $7 million this season and is lobbying for a contract extension. Miami should work something out now before the price continues to increase. It definitely will if his second season at center is better than his first.
Is Channing Tindall ready to be a contributor?
The Dolphins want to sell Tindall’s struggles as growing pains, which happens sometimes with rookies. But if the Dolphins’ 2022 third-round pick can’t contribute in year 2 in this defense, which leans heavily on inside linebackers, there is a problem. Tindall has the size, speed and athleticism to become a decent NFL player. But how long will it take for the game to slow down for the former Georgia starter? If he’s not ready to contribute this season, the Dolphins could be in trouble and might need to add one more veteran linebacker to the training camp roster. That's why it would be nice to see Tindall make a couple of plays during this three-day minicamp.
Who will step up and become the third receiver?
Robbie Anderson has more playing experience than every receiver on the roster except Tyreek Hill, and his speed and versatility could make Miami’s passing game even more dangerous. Braxton Berrios is a shifty slot receiver who has the awareness needed to become quarterback-friendly regularly dropping into zones. And Erik Ezukanma and Cedrick Wilson Jr. have the size Miami’s receiving corps lacks. Miami needs to discover which of these four receivers complements Hill and Jaylen Waddle the best to make him the offense’s third weapon in the passing game.
What tight end will complement Durham Smythe the best?
By now we all know who Smythe is. He’s a blocking specialist who is a reliable pass catcher when passes come his way. But he’s not going to threaten seams and juke defenders anytime soon. The Dolphins need to find a tight end who can for third-down situations, and the hurry-up offense. Tyler Kroft, Eric Saubert, Tanner Conner and rookie Elijah Higgins all will have a chance to prove they can shake-and-bake linebackers and safeties in the pass game, and the winner gets job security and NFL status.
