For Dolphins bubble players, final preseason game vs. Bengals is a prime auditioning period
By now, Dolphins running back Patrick Laird has experienced the gamut of emotions surrounding the final roster cutdown deadline.
The excitement of the final preseason game, which can make or break a young player’s career. The nervousness of cutdown day, when hundreds of NFL dreams are dashed. And the joy of sticking onto a roster.
With three running backs entrenched above him on the depth chart, the next few days will be a familiar feeling for Laird, a third-year player.
“It’s just what I’ve been used to. I was a walk-on in college, kind of a very similar situation as an undrafted guy,” Laird said Friday. “I knew since I tried out for the NFL that I was probably going to have to fight for a spot every year and that’s the way I like it. It’s challenging but it’s one of the best job interviews you can be a part of. It’s a long job interview process; but I like it, I enjoy it and I’m still loving football. I’m just going to focus on playing the best football I can and hopefully help the Dolphins win this year.”
Laird is among several players on the bubble who will play significant snaps in the Dolphins’ preseason finale against the Cincinnati Bengals as coach Brian Flores rests several starters Sunday.
“I’d say it’s less stressful [this season] because you know how everything goes, what it takes, what an NFL game is like, how long the preseason is,” Laird said. “Obviously last year was different [no preseason games] but I remember my rookie season. You know what the coaches are looking for and you know what you need to do on the field to earn their trust. In that aspect, that part is easier but at the end of the day, it’s still always a challenge. There’s a lot of good NFL players on this team and around the league. You’re always competing against everyone.”
Like Laird, undrafted rookie defensive back Trill Williams finds himself competing with multiple players at his position for likely no more than one or two spots on the 53-man roster. The experience of his first training camp has been “eye-opening,” as he has practiced beside established cornerbacks such as Xavien Howard and Byron Jones and witnessed the intensity with which they approach each drill.
The coming days may be nerve-wracking for Williams but he’s abiding by a piece of advice from defensive backs coach Gerald Alexander.
“He always says, ‘Stay green,’ and that means to always accept learning, no matter how old or young you are,” Williams said. “I see it with Byron and ‘X’ [Howard]. They’re All-Pro guys and to this day, they still want to learn new things; and that pushes me to learn new things as well.”
Flores announced that quarterback Tua Tagovailoa won’t play Sunday, meaning that third-stringer Reid Sinnett is expected to log significant snaps behind backup Jacoby Brissett. The Dolphins signed Sinnett to the practice squad early in the 2020 season and he’s served as the third quarterback throughout training camp. He threw a fourth-quarter touchdown pass to wide receiver Kirk Merritt in the team’s 37-17 home win over the Atlanta Falcons.
“It’s exciting. That’s why we play the position,” Sinnett said. “I’ve gotten a lot of mental reps and a chance to watch and get coached through Tua and Jacoby, but we all play this game to be out on the field. It’s not a position to stand and watch and it’s always exciting to be out there and be the one that’s the center of the offense and making sure that we can operate and get a chance to improve our game which is the best part about playing quarterback.”
Sinnett, like Laird and Williams, came into the league undrafted. The Dolphins are unlikely to keep three quarterbacks on the initial 53-man roster, so Sunday’s game could be a prime auditioning period for the Dolphins — or another team looking for depth, whether it be on the active roster or practice squad.
Sinnett, who attended the University of San Diego, a Football Conference Subdivision program, said every day is a “measuring stick” for a player who had to work at athletic apparel store Lululemon as a college senior and pay his way through school while playing football.
“I joked hopefully I can get a raise and pay off some of my student loans,” Sinnett said, “but it’s amazing that I get paid to come out here every day and go to practice and get to sit in these meetings with some of these guys and I think it’s been a great measuring stick for what I got accomplished at USD. And again, there’s so much room for improvement in seeing all these guys every day. It’s a great chance for me to continue to grow and be a better player.”
While this is an exciting time for Sinnett, Williams and Laird, the player affectionately known as “The Intern” is hoping the “job interview” turns into a full-time gig come next Tuesday at 4 p.m., when rosters are finalized.
“I think the general idea with this coaching staff or the advice they give is don’t be that guy that counts roster spots, so I don’t do that,” Laird said. “I just get the reps I do, do as well as I can and let the chips fall where they may.”
This story was originally published August 27, 2021 at 6:53 PM.
