Dolphins closer to complete offensive personnel for Tua Tagovailoa ahead of preseason finale vs. Bengals

Everything about the Dolphins’ lead-up to the 2021 season has been about getting Tua Tagovailoa comfortable to take the mantle as the team’s starting quarterback, from the coaches to offensive personnel.

Those prospects have taken another step in the right direction the past two practices as the team’s trio of top receivers who have been limited in training camp because of injury — DeVante Parker, William Fuller and Albert Wilson — have all participated to various degrees days ahead of the preseason finale against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.

“It’s good to have all of our guys back out here, to be able to work some timing and to be able to get some work in with them,” Tagovailoa said after practice. “I think just them being able to get back into the huddle, hear calls, get out, know where they’re lining up at and then executing with them, I think that’s very important.”

For the second consecutive day, Parker was in a red, non-contact jersey. He was on the field for the team’s first play of 11-on-11 drills — albeit, a run — and Tagovailoa was unable to connect with Parker later in team drills for what was his only target to the seventh-year wideout. Parker, however, was significantly limited in team drills.

Fuller was limited to individual drills Wednesday, and Wilson wasn’t at practice after participating in Tuesday’s walk-through. While the receivers expected to assist in a Year 2 jump for Tagovailoa have yet to be officially cleared for full participation, it was a welcome sight for Tagovailoa and his teammates.

Fuller said after Tuesday’s practice that the wide receiver room is “probably one of the deepest and talented receiving corps that I’ve been a part of.

“Of course I want to be out here to gain that chemistry,” he added, “but we still have some time here before we break camp to work on those things. ... It’s been fun to watch Tua. He’s a very accurate quarterback. I love that about him. Like I said, I haven’t been out there with him but I’m excited to get out there and get this chemistry going.”

Two months after heavy rain played a role in a five-interception outing for Tagovailoa on the first day of minicamp, another weather condition perhaps bogged down the offense Wednesday. Frantic winds blew dust from the nearby construction site at Hard Rock Stadium onto the outdoor practice fields and in the direction of where the offense was driving for most of the afternoon.

The conditions stonewalled a Michael Palardy punt, pushed a field-goal attempt from Jason Sanders off the left upright for a rare miss and possibly made for a disjointed afternoon for the offense.

An aggressive defense that blitzed often was able to get to Tagovailoa for multiple would-be sacks, and Tagovailoa was intercepted twice by cornerback Xavien Howard in team drills. On the second, the defense showed the makings of an all-out blitz pre-snap with several defenders on the line of scrimmage but dropped back into coverage after the snap. Tagoviloa’s short pass bounced off the hands of wide receiver Mack Hollins and cornerback Nik Needham before falling into the arms of Howard for a likely pick-six.

After the practice, Tagovailoa said communication continues to be a focal point for the offense. “Overall, just the communication, the operation with us offensively, it still needs some cleanup,” he said.

With the latest round of roster cuts Tuesday, the Dolphins’ depth chart at wide receiver is seemingly set, aside from maybe one or two spots. The team will likely enter Week 1 with Parker, Wilson, Preston Williams and first-round pick Jaylen Waddle. Despite speculation he could be traded, Jakeem Grant has spent considerable time with the first team as a result of injuries and Hollins, a special teams standout, has impressed as his time with the first team has increased. Fuller will miss the first game the regular season to complete a six-game suspension from 2020, so he won’t count on the 53-man roster after the final cutdown deadline. The Dolphins could opt to keep an extra receiver, which would potentially open an opportunity for a player such as Kirk Merritt, Malcolm Perry or Khalil McClain.

Dolphins coach Brian Flores has yet to disclose his plan for playing his starters in the final preseason game at Cincinnati. The Bengals announced Tuesday that quarterback Joe Burrow would see a limited number of snaps for the first time since his season-ending ACL injury, setting up a potential pseudo-story line for the first meeting of the top two quarterbacks selected in the 2020 draft.

Whether his next appearance is in Cincinnati or New England for the season opener, Tagovailoa said the implementation of a new offense is still a work in progress.

“I would say we’re still putting in work,” Tagovailoa said. “That’s why we’re all out here competing against each other. Regardless of what happens, we’re just focused right now on taking it a practice at a time, a day at a time. We’re really just focused on the things we need to get right.”

This story was originally published August 25, 2021 at 5:00 PM.