MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Football is back. In our Miami Dolphins training camp report of the 2023 campaign, we recap a strong day in the trenches for the defense, an encouraging sign from Jaylen Waddle, a slow start for Tyreek Hill, and a growing chemistry between once and current teammates.
And, of course, we’ll get into Tua Tagovailoa talk.
Latest Practice Report From Miami Dolphins Training Camp
Jaylen Waddle’s Splash Play
The highlight of the day from what was a relatively clean but largely uninspiring offensive outing (no interceptions, and the only turnover coming when River Cracraft fumbled the ball on the final rep of the morning) came from Jaylen Waddle.
The third-year receiver beat tight coverage on a go route by batting a slightly underthrown pass from Tagovailoa to himself, pulling it in for a 40-yard completion.
If Waddle can regularly make those types of contested catches this fall, it’ll add yet another dynamic to an offense expected to be, well, dynamic.
Waddle has 179 catches for 2,371 yards and 14 touchdowns in his first two seasons, but he also has 15 drops on 257 targets — which is a 5.8% drop rate. That needs to improve, and Day 1 was a step in the right direction.
Quarterback Recap
That completion was Tagovailoa’s only one to the third level.
He had another attempt deep, but it had no chance of success. Pressure rushed the throw, and Waddle cut off his route.
On the day, Tagovailoa completed 3 of 6 passes in team drills for a very unofficial yardage total of 53.
Meanwhile, the battle for the No. 2 QB spot remains tight.
Skylar Thompson (4 of 6, 44 yards) and Mike White (5 of 5, 64) were both solid. And the mistakes they did make were erased by excellent catches.
Hill (who couldn’t come in with two contested throws earlier in practice) came back for a 20-yard completion from Thompson, while Braxton Berrios hung tough for a late and behind throw from White (his Jets teammate from 2022).
Odds and Ends
- Wide receiver Erik Ezukanma is in a fierce roster battle, but he’s not going down without a fight. He had at least three catches Wednesday.
- The Dolphins’ defense owned the trenches for much of practice. And it went far beyond pressures. Zach Sieler had a sack and batted down a pass. David Long Jr., Raekwon Davis, and Bradley Chubb were active in the backfield in the run game.
- Long was one of at least six Dolphins players who practiced Wednesday after getting parts or all of spring ball off. The others: Trill Williams, Brandon Jones, Connor Williams, DeShon Elliott, and Jaelan Phillips.
- Phillips did appear to tweak his left foot or ankle on the second rep of 7-on-7s, but he never had to go to the locker room for evaluation.
- The punt return competition looks to involve Barrios, Waddle, Cracraft, and Cedrick Wilson Jr.