CrunchTime

• It’s too soon to know if the Dolphins’ run defense, which tied for last in the league in yards allowed per carry (4.8), is appreciably better. But early signs in training camp are encouraging.
A bunch of runs have been stopped for short gains, no gains or losses. And though there have been some big runs, there’s a clear difference from a year ago.
“I’ve noticed a difference with the d-line,” coach Adam Gase said. “They’re so sound right now. They are closing things down in the running game very quickly. It’s been very difficult running the football, especially in the edge.”
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/barry-jackson/article164963792.html#storylink=cpy
“They are hammering it good – those second, third groups,” Gase said, noting that some runs are still gaining good yards. It’s all about consistency.”
The unanswered question, of course, is whether the strong play of the run defense is partly a reflection of poor offensive line play, with the Dolphins continuing to hold center Mike Pouncey out of team drills.
“We learned a lot what we needed to improve on schematically,” Gase said of his defense. “There are times everyone was on the same page and sometimes we would be way off and gashed in the running game and passing game. We added some guys with veteran presence.”

• Gase likes what he has seen from second-year running back Kenyan Drake.

Last season “Kenyan had a lot on his plate,” Gase said. “It was probably too much sometimes. Now he’s more comfortable seeing how far we can take him. Speed obviously is something you notice right away. It looks like the defense might have him and he pulls away and that’s hard to do in the NFL. You notice it in the route running too. He’s done a good job, he’s trying to be as detailed as possible. He’s more comfortable with the terminology.”

• Though Jakeem Grant dropped what should have been an easy catch Wednesday, Gase has reiterated that there has been growth as a receiver.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/barry-jackson/article164963792.html#storylink=cpy

Official Florida Gators thread No 28/2/2017

What I like about Corral besides having the best arm in NCAA football ,is his poise and accuracy .

He has a quick delivery although its a little quirky starting from his waist .If he shortens the delivery he will be Marino like .

He is also Marino like in that he senses the pressure and sidesteps it.

In addition he looks like a pro as he he quickly scans the field and goes through his progressions .Watching his highlights I did not see him starring down his receiver at all.

Truly impressive . Its going to be exciting to watch the Gator offense in future years.He has a lot of Favre qualities as well .Expect a lot of quick strikes on long passes.

Official Florida Gators thread No 28/2/2017

Welcome to this sub forum,bro.

This team ended up winning the SEC East championship two years in a row despite having poor QB play.

Feleipe Franks is raw and probably will throw a few intercepts before he gets into rythm .
He is 6ft 6 and has a hell of an arm.....not as good as newly recruited Corral.

His problem is inaccuracy,reading defenses and starring down receivers.
On the plus side the QB will not have to carry the offense this year.

Gators have a much better OL and the RB game should be much better.

BTW Zaire is 6 ft tall.

Training Camp News and Discussion7/31/2017

A six-pack of Dolphins notes on a Monday:

• Ryan Tannehill has thrown at least four interceptions in full team drills through five days of training camp, but Adam Gase isn’t concerned.

“I think every one (of them) has a different story behind it. He had a tipped ball one time,” Gase said. “(Andre) Branch did a good job of getting a hand up. Maybe he could have went somewhere else on a couple of them. I’m alright with it. I want him to be aggressive. I don’t want him to be sitting back there and trying to evaluate stuff. Go through your progression and throw it. If we throw a pick, I have a lot of confidence in our defense to walk out there, go three-and-out and we’ll get the ball back.”

On Monday, Michael Thomas seemed to diagnose Tannehill’s intentions and burst across the middle for a pick. It appeared to be a miscommunication with Jarvis Landry.

• I asked Gase where Brandon Doughty - going into his second season - stands in his growth as a developmental quarterback.

“It’s a little bit frustrating because when we were able to do some of the rookie stuff, being able to work with him one on one and spend a lot of time with him, he’s a very relentless worker,” Gase said.

Pre Camp Discussion Thread7/17/2017

JJ honored to present JT, opines on Dolphins and visitors

The high level of mutual respect between Jimmy Johnson and Jason Taylor has always been obvious, but that was reinforced when Taylor recently announced that he wanted JJ to present him at his Aug. 5 induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

“I told Jason I was honored and happy to do it,” Johnson said by phone earlier this month, adding that the challenge has been writing a speech “where it’s not too long. They tape the speech now, because everyone got so long winded over the years.”

Before his second year coaching the Dolphins, Johnson selected Taylor in the third round, 73rd overall, out of Akron in the 1997 draft.

Johnson then coached Taylor in JJ’s final three seasons coaching the Dolphins.

Taylor went on to be a six-time Pro Bowl selection and four-time first- or second-team All-Pro. Taylor was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2006 and also named the Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2007.

He is one of four Dolphins players to be elected to the Hall in their first year of eligibility; Dan Marino, Jim Langer and Paul Warfield are the others.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/barry-jackson/article161735488.html#storylink=cpy

• Johnson, incidentally, believes the Dolphins will again be a playoff contender – “they’re a good team and will only get better” – and likes UM’s chances. “It looks like their recruiting has improved.”

Regarding the Dolphins, JJ said he loves Jarvis Landry and Jay Ajayi, loves the job Adam Gase has done with Ryan Tannehill and believes the defense will be better.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/barry-jackson/article161735488.html#storylink=cpy

more

Pre Camp Discussion Thread7/2/2017

Tannehill: This is best offense I’ve played on; Dolphins QB goes in-depth
This, Tannehill said, is the best offense he’s played on, and that’s one reason why this Dolphins offense, and its quarterback, have a quiet confidence that this could be the year the offense morphs from pretty good to something far better.

“Honestly, I can say it’s definitely the most talent we’ve had with the receiving corps, bringing everyone back, having a second year together in the same offense,” he said. “That’s going to be huge for us. Adding Julius Thomas and Anthony Fasano, veterans who have played a lot of football, is . Bringing back Jay , Kenyan Drake.

“Keeping most of the offensive line together, adding a few pieces. Putting Laremy Tunsil back at his natural position. That’s going to be huge for us.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/barry-jackson/article159291034.html#storylink=cpy

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Pre Camp Discussion Thread6/15/2017

“Let’s not have the peaks and valleys,” Gase said. “Let’s have consistent improvement.”

One key, Gase indicated, is players coming back to training camp in shape and prepared.

“We need to start fast in training camp and not waste time on guys getting in shape,” he said. “Our guys understand how we’re going to do training camp so they can’t go too far away from the playbook. They need to keep up with everything and when they come back, be sure they hit the ground running.”

• Former Arkansas receiver Drew Morgan, among the most impressive of the team’s undrafted rookies, has “put himself on the map,” Gase said. “He has a really good sense of how to play the position we’re asking him to play. Now it’s going to be about making plays when we get into games. He’ll get looks he hasn’t seen before. He’s put himself in a good position to compete. That’s all we can ask for, an undrafted rookie. Nobody knew who he was coming in here.”

Morgan’s college career ended inauspiciously; he was ejected in the fourth quarter for spitting at a Virginia Tech player in a 35-24 Hokies win in the Belk Bowl. Arkansas coach Brett Bielema called it "very embarrassing" for his team.

Morgan declined to discuss that beyond saying “Virginia Tech got in peoples’ heads. It is what it is.”

Operating out of the slot, Morgan consistently got open throughout the offseason program.

“I’m a little bitsy guy out there,” said Morgan, who’s listed at an even six feet. “Most people compare me to Wes Welker, Danny Amendola” among other Caucasian receivers he listed. “I don’t want to be stereotyped. My game speaks for itself.”

Pre Camp Discussion Thread6/8/2017

Chip Kelly drops by Dolphins practice https://t.co/Dd2YUaShof
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) June 8, 2017

Pre Camp Discussion Thread6/7/2017

Instead of players going elsewhere and playing better or coming here and declining – and there are long list of those in the decade before Gase arrived, from Karlos Dansby to Mike Wallace and others – we instead saw admirable player development. Jay Ajayi became appreciably better. Ryan Tannehill was clearly better.

Among non-rookies, Kenny Stills, Damien Williams, Dion Sims, Andre Branch, Isa Abdul Quddus and Tony Lippett all became better than what they were.

Now this staff needs to perform that type of elevation-game with about a half-dozen players, and let’s be clear: The onus falls more on the players than the coaches.

Among critical Dolphins, there’s nobody higher on that list than defensive tackle Jordan Phillips and offensive tackle Ja’Wuan James.

Phillips was essentially the only player defensive coordinator Matt Burke criticized in his press conference a month ago. “He has been inconsistent,” Burke said. “He has had some flashes. Very talented player. We need to be more consistent from that spot.”

James, meanwhile, is being pushed hard by coaches to be something more than a decent starting right tackle.MORE

Pre Camp Discussion Thread6/6/2017

▪ Even as good as Jay Ajayi was last season, Christensen said he might be the most improved player on the team.

“He has really been impressive,” Christensen said. “How he works, how he practices. He’s a different guy.”

▪ I asked Christensen who has really impressed him on defense. He mentioned linebacker Lawrence Timmons and safety TJ McDonald. Matt Moore immediately mentioned cornerback Xavien Howard.

Timmons “has a presence in there,” Christensen said. “He whacks anything that moves. He has been an adjustment. He has literally turned some heads. those safeties are making more plays. 22 is a huge addition. He has made huge plays, made a pick in the end zone. Those skill guys are faster and making more plays.”

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/barry-jackson/article154628619.html#storylink=cpy

Pre Camp Discussion Thread6/5/2017

A six-pack of Dolphins nuggets from Monday’s practice:

• Every observation made at every NFL OTA practice comes with this warning: Don’t overstate what you’re seeing. Players, after all, aren’t in pads.

With that caveat out of the way, the early signs from rookie first-round defensive end Charles Harris are encouraging.

Harris has flashed in each of the three practices open to reporters. On Monday, he stopped Kenyan Drake for a loss on a running play and then forced Ryan Tannehill out of the pocket on a throw.

Adam Gase was asked if Harris has been disruptive only in practices open to the media or consistently so.

“It is consistent,” Gase said. “He’s really done a good job of trying to implement the techniques we’re asking him to do and doing everything in the run game (and) passing game exactly what he’s coached to do. It’s hard to predict how far we can take and what’s going to happen when we get in pads.

“That’s going to be a different world just because we’ll be able to do some different things offensively as far as the run game goes and some of the trap game type things. That will be a new world for him with what we’re going to do in training camp. I think it’s just going to be an evolving process for him. He’s just going to keep learning and see how fast he can adjust to the pro game.”

• Drew Morgan remains the most impressive of the Dolphins’ young receivers competing for the fourth, fifth and potentially sixth jobs.

If you think you’ve heard this from me before, it’s because you have. That’s been the case for all three open practices so far.

Morgan, the undrafted rookie from Arkansas, made a bunch of catches again Monday and also had significant yards after catch. On the flip side, he was stripped of the ball after one catch, with undrafted Georgia rookie defensive back Maurice Smith shaking it loose.

As for second-year receiver Leonte Carroo, he made one very good catch down the field from Matt Moore for a touchdown in 7-on-7 drills (beating

League changes celebration rules5/26/2017

DO's and DON'Ts!

What players can (and can't) do under the NFL's new celebration policy. https://t.co/PxBD90PpQt
— NFL (@NFL) May 26, 2017

Pre Camp Discussion Thread5/25/2017

Straight talk from Branch on why Dolphins were so bad against the run

Pre Camp Discussion Thread5/25/2017

Straight talk from Branch on why Dolphins were so bad against the run

Pre Camp Discussion Thread5/9/2017

Miami Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill NFL’s 2nd-best deep ball thrower

Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill completed 61 percent of passes that were in the air for longer than 20 yards, which was second in the NFL in 2016, according to the Deep Ball Project.

Tannehill also completed 64 percent of passes that were in the air longer than 16 yards, fourth in the NFL.

Here is more from the Deep Ball Project:

The progression of Ryan Tannehill has been wonderful to watch for those who look deeper. In the last two seasons, his deep ball has become one of the league’s best, so it should be no surprise he’s become a downfield master under Adam Gase.

With better defined routes, Tannehill’s accuracy soared. His overall accuracy of 64.1% was 4th in 2016, and his accuracy on throws of 20+ was 61.0%, The 2nd highest (only behind Derek Carr).

Despite suffering from some receiver drops, Tannehill’s accuracy and placement were astonishingly good. We’re talking throws that rival the ones Aaron Rodgers makes on a daily basis!

http://dailydolphin.blog.palmbeachpost.com/2017/05/09/miami-dolphins-qb-ryan-tannehill-nfls-2nd-best-deep-ball-thrower-via-deep-ball-project/

Pre Camp Discussion Thread5/8/2017

The secret to picking a great offensive lineman in the NFL draft

College spread offenses are making it harder than ever to evaluate offensive linemen for the NFL draft. Here's how to do it right.

http://www.sbnation.com/2017/4/25/15358566/nfl-draft-offensive-line-prospects-evaluation-geoff-schwartz

Pre Camp Discussion Thread5/6/2017

I do think Parker is the real deal. He will come into his own this year.Great catch radius and he will be a great factor in those red zone catches IMO.