Dolphins hoping for growth from Gesicki and Smythe. Here’s what they have changed

The Dolphins know second-year tight ends Mike Gesicki and Durham Smythe are bigger. What’s not yet clear is whether they’re significantly better.

In an effort to improve their blocking, Gesicki boosted his weight from the low 240s at the starting of his rookie training camp to the low 250s now. Smythe’s jump was even bigger, from 243 to 261.

Both know that playing time won’t be gifted with a new coaching staff, not with three other veteran tight ends on the roster in potential starter Dwayne Allen, Nick O’Leary and Clive Walford. O’Leary might have been the best tight end through four days of camp. And Allen, who has missed all four days of camp recovering from an injury, likely will eat into both of the 2018 draft picks’ playing time — more so Smythe’s.

Gesicki must prove not only that he’s a better blocker but able to more consistently shake defenders. When Gesicki got open last season, he was usually reliable; per Pro Football Focus, he caught all 22 catchable balls thrown in his direction. The other nine balls (all incomplete passes) thrown in his direction were deemed by PFF to be not Gesicki’s fault.

Shane Day, the Dolphins’ tight end coach last year, praised Gesicki but said he must become more consistent in shaking free when single-covered. And former coach Adam Gase said Gesicki was double-covered more than expected.

Gesicki, who played 45 percent of Miami’s offensive snaps last season, insists the modest production (22 catches, 202 yards, no touchdowns) didn’t shake his confidence, even though more was expected for a player expected to be the Dolphins’ most dangerous downfield receiving threat in years.

“Last year was a lot about learning and a lot about growing and fitting myself into the NFL and what this position entails,” he said. “I got plenty of years ahead of me to go out and make good plays and catches. I want to come out this year and take that next step.”

And he knows the blocking must improve to be viewed as more than a one-dimensional tight end. Though he struggled in 1-on-1 blocking drills Sunday, he believes the increase in girth will help him with “the physical aspect of the game... when you’re asked to go in and block, be physical on safeties and corners that are covering you and linebackers that are trying to get a jam on you.”

New Dolphins tight ends coach George Godsey said he wants to use tight ends to their strengths, so it’s unclear how much Gesicki will be asked to block. Per Dolphins blogger Chris Kouffman, Gesicki pass blocked on 19 percent of his snaps last season. When Godsey was in New England in 2011 and 2012, deceased former Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez pass blocked only 4 percent of the time.

Safety Reshad Jones gave Gesicki a firm reminder on the first day of camp that much is expected from him.

“Reshad, he got after me a little bit on Day One,” Gesicki said. “That was something that alerted me that I’ve got to bring my game every day…. I’m not worried about catching balls in practice. The only thing I’m worried about is getting better, whether that’s in the run game, whether that’s blocking somebody, whether that’s being physical on my release. Even if I don’t get the ball, if I run a good route, that’s a check for me right now.”

Godsey on Sunday was reluctant to assess Gesicki this early in camp, noting: “Everybody has done good at some point, poorly at others. I would say he falls in the same mix as everybody else in that group.”

Smythe, meanwhile, said he wasn’t bothered by the Dolphins signing Allen, a veteran former Patriots and Colts starter, even though their strengths and games are similar.

“As a competitor you don’t think much of it, especially with a guy like Dwayne where he comes in and he’s so helpful to the younger guys in the room,” said Smythe, who played 176 offensive snaps compared with 400 for Gesicki and 373 for O’Leary.

“It could go the other direction if a guy comes in and thinks he can run the show immediately,” Smythe said. “But Dwyane has been so helpful. He knows this offense pretty well [from working with several of these coaches in New England the past two seasons]. He’s been a big asset for all of us so far. To have a guy who plays a similar position to me is very helpful.”

Smythe — considered a very good blocker and a capable but underutilized receiver at Notre Dame — believed he needed to add substantial weight to be more effective NFL blocker.

“My strength coming out of college was being able to move people in the run and being an asset in the pass game in terms of pass protection,” he said. “Throughout the spring, and our three practices thus far, [the weight gain] has been a big [helpful] difference for me.”

This story was originally published July 29, 2019 at 3:33 PM.