I got to attend one more training camp practice than I originally thought because of a schedule change at work, but practice was cut short for the fans about halfway through due to a torrential downpour and the big man upstairs moving furniture around. I only got to see about an hour or so of practice so don't expect too much from me today.. I apologize.
Top Performers (before the storm): Lamar Miller #26, Matt Hazel #83
Lamar Miller has looked really good so far this training camp.. he looks just as fast if not faster even with the added weight, he's decisive when hitting the hole (unlike all of his other counterparts), and has made some nice catches out of the backfield (he can hold his own while blocking too). He has zero competition right now for the number one spot amongst the running backs. I predict he'll eclipse the 1,000 yard rushing mark again this season. He had some nice runs early in practice today even if there wasn't any live tackling, and also snagged a couple nice catches. This particular run got the crowd excited..
Matt Hazel is back in the lead for the 6th wide receiver spot ahead of Michael Preston, he just flashes more and has shown up more consistently than Preston. He also holds an advantage on the others from being on the team last season, he has built up a rapport with Tannehill and Moore.. they look his way more times than not when the backups are in. He caught a long bomb right in front of me over Delmas that would've went for a touchdown, then came back his next play with a really impressive catch while in the air battling against Lippett.
1 on 1 Battles:
Jarvis Landry #14 vs Brice McCain #24.. I could seriously watch these two go at it all day. They are constantly jawing back and forth and get really physical with each other. I think it's good that they trade getting the best of each other because it makes the other one go that much harder the next play. I've seen some really incredible catches by Juice, but then not to be outdone some really strong pass breakups by Brice.
Ndamukong Suh #93 vs Billy Turner #77.. I'm not gonna lie, Suh definitely more times than not gets the better of Turner during 1 on 1's. There is times though when you see Turner get his payback. It's a real battle in there going at each other every single day. I think it's gonna pay huge dividends for Billy, but also Pouncey, Douglas, and Thomas this season.
Cameron Wake #91 vs Ja'Wuan James #70.. This battle is hard hitting and violent, Wake definitely gets his but James holds his own more so than the beat writers lead on. We all know how good Wake is but Ja'Wuan is really solid at RT
Injury Update:
Koa Misi #55 was held out of practice again today but I saw him pedaling on the stationary bike like it was for his life. Inbetween his sets on the bike he also did pushups.
DeVante Parker #11 was out and about like he has been, some light jogging around and catching passes from teammates and some assistants. He looks like he has kept himself in really good shape. I don't think he'll need as much time to adjust like some have said.. he's been at practice everyday and after he does his rehab assignments he's watching the WRs and talking to them and the coaching staff during plays (he did participate in all of mini camp before training camp started).
Branden Albert #71 keeps looking better and better every time I've seen him. He's been participating in more and more drills each week, even doing some 1 on 1's against Cameron Wake yesterday. The limping has gone down considerably, you can really tell when he runs from drill to drill.
Will Davis #29 was also sitting out today. He helped the coaches during the CB and Safety drills. To be honest I'm not really a huge fan of his, but he seems like a nice guy.. everyday I've seen him there he always looks to be in a good mood and that he enjoys coming to work. Hope he gets healthy so we can really see what he can do.
Kenny Stills #10 is still continuing to do rehab and conditioning drills. He was running SPRINTS today, which last time I saw him he was just running down the sidelines maybe 75% speed. He did some ladder drills and ran a handful of routes on the far field as well. If this was the regular season I think he'd be good to go, but I'm glad the coaching staff is taking their time right now so the calf doesn't linger throughout the season.
Jordan Tripp #57 was out of his boot and walking with no crutches today! There was a little bit of a limp, but seeing him walking around was so encouraging.. when he gets right, he'll contribute a lot to the team this year and also we desperately need the depth at MLB.
Meeting an NFL Insider:
And no it wasn't Omar again (him an insider, pshhh). I got the chance to meet and talk to ESPN's own Mark Dominik (Dennis Hickey's Tampa Bay buddy). This guy was so nice, like seriously so nice. I figured I'd just ask for a quick picture and then we'd both go about our business, but no.. he shook my hand while he looked me in the eyes, asked what my name was, where I was from, my thoughts about the Dolphins, etc. He was genuinely interested in what I had to say, we ended up chatting for 5 minutes or so. I found out he's originally from North Carolina, really close to where I had just moved from so we had that in common. He said he expects the Dolphins to have a special season this year and I believe him!
Final Thoughts:
Only one more Training Camp practice down here in Davie, Florida to go.. then a couple up in Carolina. I've seen a lot of growth and progression all across the board over the last few weeks to leave me feeling really positive about this upcoming season. It's been an awesome experience to be this close to the players for the first time in my life. Also seeing big Earl catching a couple of passes out of the backfield today was nuts (big man has some moves). I hope y'all enjoyed all of my write ups, I look forward to doing it again next year.. thanks for all of the support!
Day 1: http://www.thephins.com/forums/show...-Camp-2015-Thoughts&highlight=a13oveaverage's
Practice #6: http://www.thephins.com/forums/show...Practice-6-Thoughts&highlight=a13oveaverage's
Practice #7: http://www.thephins.com/forums/show...Practice-7-Thoughts&highlight=a13oveaverage's
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PhinFan1968 To 2020, and BEYOND! Club Member
Thanks again A13OVE...I, for one, enjoy your write-ups. Better than reading Mando, et al, for sure.
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mbsinmisc likes this.
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What a fantastic read. Can't thank you enough for the work you put into to this. Great picture with Dominik! Your takes 0n players has been spot on.
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LI phinfan likes this.
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PhinFan1968 To 2020, and BEYOND! Club Member
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MrClean Inglourious Basterd Club Member
Good good write up CJ. Your stuff is ssssooooooooooooooooooooooo much better than the paid media hacks. :up:
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MrClean Inglourious Basterd Club Member
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Have been looking forward to your write-up, thank you very much. Are you working towards a career in sports journalism? You certainly should be.
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LI phinfan likes this.
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Me, nah.. I'm just obsessed with the Dolphins is all and it's something I can contribute to the forum. -
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