Karras Taking On Leadership Role Quickly

Offensive lineman Ted Karras has yet to play a down for the Miami Dolphins, but he's already taking on a leadership role of sorts.

While the team facilities around the NFL have remained closed to players (other than those rehabilitating injuries) because of the coronavirus pandemic, Karras has led a series of workouts at his home in South Florida.

It's a solid move by Karras, one of two veteran newcomers on the offensive line along with Ereck Flowers, not to mention rookie draft picks Austin Jackson, Robert Hunt and Solomon Kindley as well as rookie free agents Donell Stanley, Jonathan Hubbard and Nick Kaltmayer.

Karras was asked during a Zoom media session Thursday how he's gone about trying to established his presence as a newcomer.

“I think just being prepared every day, coming to work every day ready to work," he said. "I think that maybe sometimes – especially Zoom – I’m really not usually this serious all the time, like I come off pretty serious in meetings. Football time is serious time, and I think one thing that kind of stinks about this spring not being in the building is that now sometimes your teammates only see the serious side. You don’t get that hour in the locker room after to connect.

"But as guys are trickling down here, we’ve started to lift together a little bit, run together and just whoever can make it and it’s been nice to meet people and start developing a personal relationship because that’s one of my favorite parts of the game.”

Karras then explained that the workouts have taken place at his house.

"I’ve got a gym in my garage that a couple guys have come over and lifted at," he said. "(I am) lucky, too. I know a lot of guys on this team already, which has been great. A lot of guys are trickling down as it kind of ramps up toward the season and I think it’s going to be a really, really productive summer.”

Karras said the workouts have been pretty simple, nothing like pushing trucks or something like that.

“Oh, I haven’t pushed any trucks, no," he said, laughing. "I've got a rack and a bench. Just when all the corona(virus) stuff happened, I didn’t have anywhere to work out and so we kind of put together a weight room and got it going, brought it down here and, yeah, it’s been good. Really good, and I just like to start relationships. Obviously we’ve been working together for nine weeks now, so we’re trying to just cram in and kind of still follow the rules as much you’re supposed to with the distancing stuff.”

While it may not seem like much and might not make much difference on the field, it's still a positive sign to see Karras reach out to start building that rapport with his new teammates.

Karras, who was signed as a free agent in the offseason after he spent four years with the New England Patriots, is the front-runner to start at center for the Dolphins in 2020.

He's looking forward to start working with his teammates — on the field.

“I’m excited to get in with them," Karras said. "There’s some big dudes coming in, yeah. We’re going to have a pretty big O-line and that’s exciting, and everyone’s been working hard. I’m really excited just to get together whenever that may be, but I think it’s going to be a really good competitive camp. Everything is going to be competition and we’re going to have the five best guys out there Week 1 and start putting it together.”

Add us as a preferred source on Google