Falcons-Dolphins joint practices will ramp up Jaylen Waddle vs. Kyle Pitts debate
The Kyle Pitts vs. Jaylen Waddle debate will be a big part of the NFL narrative, particularly in these parts, over the next decade.
But that story’s opening chapter will be written a little earlier than anyone expected.
The Dolphins will host Pitts’ Falcons for joint practices in their new Miami Gardens training facility in the days leading up to the teams’ Aug. 21 preseason game at Hard Rock Stadium, Atlanta coach Arthur Smith announced Tuesday.
The details were not immediately disclosed, but in past years teams have practiced together for two days and then had a day off ahead of the game. If that’s the case here, the Falcons and Dolphins will work together Aug. 18 and 19.
It’s the first time in recent memory the Dolphins have hosted joint practices. The last three times they’ve worked with another team in the preseason, they’ve been on the road — visiting the training facilities of the Panthers in 2015, Eagles in 2017 and Buccaneers in 2019.
But none of those weeks had the instant intrigue that this one will. The Dolphins had a chance to take Pitts, the dynamic tight end out of Florida, with the third overall pick but instead traded down to six, where they selected Waddle, the speedy Alabama wide receiver. Pitts went fourth to Atlanta.
In a little over two months, the two rising stars and former collegiate rivals will share a practice field for the first time.
“I’m always in favor of doing joint practices,” Dolphins coach Brian Flores said last week. “I think they bring a lot from a camaraderie standpoint, from a competitive standpoint. I think you can get a lot out of those. I know we did with Tampa a couple of years ago, and my experience is you get a lot out of those and it kind of breaks up training camp in a good way, in a positive way.”
This story was originally published June 8, 2021 at 12:27 PM.
