Training Camp Practice 7 Observations: More Highlights from Willie Gay Jr.

The Miami Dolphins returned to practice Thursday to start their third block of training camp, and weather played a bit of a factor for the first time this summer.

The Dolphins moved inside for a 20-minute stretch after lightning arrived in the area around the Baptist Health Training Complex. By the time the Dolphins returned outside, all the fans who had shown to watch practice, as well as a group of team employees, were gone.

The list of missing players again included tackle Austin Jackson, safety Lonnie Johnson Jr. and guard Jamaree Salyer, but this time they were joined by safety Dante Trader Jr. and wide receiver Kevin Coleman. Tight end Greg Dulcich returned to practice wearing a red jersey, though he participated on a very limited basis and didn't catch any passes after being spotted with some kind of extra padding or protection in the glove on his right hand.

New tight end Jeremiah Franklin also missed practice, but his absence maybe was related to a delay in getting to South Florida after the Dolphins claimed him off waivers from the New England Patriots on Wednesday.

After working in pads the previous two practices, the Dolphins dumped them in their return to work. That meant no one-on-one work before the team periods.

This was a pretty ho-hum practice without many noteworthy plays, though we'd probably have to give the defense the edge for a third consecutive practice.

Among the standouts were linebacker Willie Gay Jr., defensive tackle Matthew Butler and safety Zayne Anderson.

This practice came in at a little bit under 2 hours.

THE WILLIS WATCH

There was nothing that stood out very much about Malik Willis' on this day, whether good or bad.

The issues on offense have extended beyond the quarterback play, particularly with a problem dealing with pressure.

That said, there were no noteworthy throws or plays by Willis, who didn't throw an interception or a touchdown pass.

As for the other QBs, this might have been the first time that rookie free agent Mark Gronowski had the best performance, even if it did include a possible interception (we explain the "possible" a bit later).

PRACTICE HIGHLIGHTS

-- Willis' second pass in team periods was a bomb to Malik Washington, but he was double covered by JuJu Brents and Michael Taaffe and the play was closer to an interception than a completion.

-- Clelin Ferrell did a good job in pursuit after a Willis naked bootleg that prevented him from setting his feet to attempt a pass.

-- Willie Gay Jr. came up with a pretty spectacular interception against Cam Miller when he tipped a pass over his head and came down with the carom.

-- Tackle Charlie Heck held Chop Robinson after getting beat to the outside.

-- Jaylen Wright had a good run up the middle where he made a couple of quick hits at the line.

-- Jacob Rodriguez flew into the backfield on a running play for Ollie Gordon II.

-- Jalen Tolbert made a nice catch over the middle on a high throw from Ewers.

-- Ethan Robinson came in free on Gronowski on a blitz and might have had a sack. The play was allowed to continue and Gronowski sailed a pass right into the waiting arms of safety Louis Moore.

-- Defensive tackle Matthew Butler had two spots against Gordon in a series of two runs in three plays.

-- On an incompletion by Ewers, rookie Seydou Traore did a good job of pass protection against David Ojabo.

-- Gronowski showed nice running ability after getting pressured.

-- Willis had a quick completion to Theo Wease Jr. to beat a blitz.

-- Patrick Paul committed a false start before stonewalling Robinson in pass protection on a play where De'Von Achane made a nifty catch on a pass thrown behind him. He committed another false start on a fourth-and-1 in a two-minute period.

-- Ronnie Harrison looked like he got to Ewers first when the defense collapsed the pocket.

-- Gay got to Ewers almost right off the snap, forcing the QB to throw the ball away.

-- Miller had a nice completion over the middle to Wease on the last play of practice.

-- Robinson got around the edge to force Willis out of the pocket before Tyrel Dodson came up with the tap to end the play.

-- Riley Patterson was wide left from 46 yards out before Gonzalez made it.

-- Ewers had a long completion in a later two-minute period to Tolbert, though it appeared the defense stopped before the pass.

-- Alex Austin had the coverage on a third-down incompletion from Ewers to Traore.

-- Patterson and Gonzalez both were wide on 55-yard field goal attempts.

-- On his first play in the two-minute period, Gronowski overshot Terrace Marshall Jr. deep down the left sideline.

-- Gordon had a very busy; he caught a pass from Gronowski in that two-minute period.

-- Gronowski's best throw of the day was an outside completion to Tahj Washington.

-- Jackson Woodard's blitz forced what looked like a hold from the offense. Woodard's pressure on third-and-8 forced Gronowski to throw early and into an incompletion.

-- On his last kick of the day, Patterson was good from 44 yards out to finish the day 1-for-3. Gonzalez also hit and finished 2-for-3.

Add us as a preferred source on Google