Tua camp pushes back on injury report. And Miami Dolphins reach out to several tight ends
A six-pack of Miami Dolphins notes on a Thursday:
▪ The Dolphins would be OK at tight end if they simply began the season with what they have: Mike Gesicki, backed up by Durham Smythe or former Lions player Michael Roberts (five NFL starts) and perhaps developmental player Chris Myrarick, who flashed last spring.
But they’ve nevertheless been poking around on several tight ends in this draft, according to multiple league sources.
They did a video-conferencing sessions with Dayton’s Adam Trautman, a potential third-round pick and considered one of the top five tight ends in this class.
The 6-5 Trautman was a first-team Associated Press FCS All-American and the Pioneer League Offensive Player of the Year after producing 70 receptions for 916 yards (13.1 per) and 14 touchdowns (ranked fifth in the FCS) in 11 starts.
“Right now, Trautman is a big, pass-catching tight end who needs to prove he can transition from his level of competition and handle bigger, more physical coverage dogging him around the field,” NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein said. “He has a solid athletic profile, but his technique as a blocker will need to be upgraded as teams will likely expect him to play in-line due to his size. He’s a talented pass-catcher with Day 3 potential, and good upside to work with.”
Also, Dolphins tight ends coach George Godsey interviewed Washington tight end Hunter Bryant, who was first-team All-Pac 12 last season after finishing with 52 receptions for 825 yards.
And Miami reached out to Virginia Tech’s Dalton Keene, a skilled blocker who caught 59 passes for 748 yards and eight touchdowns in his college career.
And at Michigan’s Pro Day, the Dolphins met with tight end Sean McKeon, who was a third-team honorable mention in the Big 10 after playing in 10 games (seven starts) and making 13 catches for 235 yards (18.1 per) and two scores.
“He plays with good catch focus when working the soft spots of zones,” Zierlein said. “McKeon might find a roster spot or a practice squad as a late-round, developmental “Y” tight end.
The Dolphins lost their ability to work out FAU’s Harrison Bryant - one of the draft’s top tight ends - because the coronavirus resulted in the NFL-required cancelation of the Dolphins’ local pro day, which was supposed to be this week.
▪Tua Tagovailoa’s agent Leigh Steinberg went on 790 The Ticket’s Hochman and Crowder program Thursday and insisted that “these health concerns are overblown” and that Tagovailoa “will be a very high draft pick.”
“We’re not playing croquet here. ... He checks out fine with the doctors who have spent time with him since the Combine.”
Steinberg later added: “If he was not healthy, I would not be saying this. You’ll remember this interview. I didn’t build credibility over 46 years by trying to spin. ... He is healthy. The doctors who are spending time with him say he’s healthy.”
Asked directly about Michael Lombardi’s report that two teams flunked Tagovailoa’s physical, Steinberg scoffed.
“You can bet that no team is telling press people what they’re going to do,” Steinberg said. “... If two teams say that Tua flunked their physicals, then who are those two teams? I doubt they would be telling a writer that.”
Tagovailoa has undergone at least three surgeries in the last two years, the most serious of which was to his right hip. His college career ended when he cracked and dislocated the hip five months ago.
Lyle Cain, the orthopedic surgeon who repaired Tagovailoa’s hip, says Tagovailoa has been cleared for football activities. Steinberg said on Thursday that “there’s no recurrence that’s going to happen here.”
David Chao, a California-based orthopedist who was the Chargers’ team physician for years, backed Steinberg’s remarks on Twitter.
“With the surgery, hip dislocation recurrence is indeed unlikely,” Chao said. “Assuming no AVN (loss of blood flow), the biggest risk is long term arthritis and some loss of motion. Still believe Tua will be at top of first round.”
Meanwhile, Tagovailoa held a virtual Pro Day on Thursday and his reps sent film to all 32 teams, according to NFL Network. Tagovailoa participated in an one-hour long workout with 55 scripted throws and another 20 throws at a local private gym, with fewer than 10 people in attendance.
Per NFL Network, Alabama receiver Jerry Jeudy and Vanderbilt receiver Kalija Lipscomb caught passes from him.
▪According to an Auburn source, the Dolphins like offensive tackle Prince Tega Wanoghu and have arranged an interview with him. There’s a real possibility the Dolphins could draft two offensive tackles in the first three rounds of the draft. If both perform well in the spring, that would allow Miami to move Jesse Davis to right guard.
Wanoghu started at left tackle last season and was second-team All Southeastern Conference.
Zierlein said “Wanogho’s NFL play may be inconsistent, but his talent and ability to keep rushers off his quarterback is what matters most, and it should make him a long-time starter with development. Very late-comer to the sport, but possesses excellent athletic ability and improving skill-set to handle NFL pass protection on the left side. His issues are more technical and experience-based than physical.”
▪ The Dolphins have scheduled a call with Boise State tackle Ezra Cleveland, who ESPN’s Mel Kiper projects to go late in the first round and some others have going in the second. We’re told the Dolphins like him.
Cleveland, who can also play guard, started 13 games at left tackle last season and was All Mountain West Conference.
“Tape work can be tricky as Cleveland suffered a turf toe injury in his second game of the 2019 season and was unable to practice for much of the year,” Zierlein said. “Cleveland has the athleticism to play swing tackle for a zone-based offense but needs to get much stronger to hold up as a starter.”
▪ The Dolphins arranged a video-conference session with Mississippi State edge defender Chauncey Rivers. He had 17 tackles for loss and four sacks in 30 career games. Rivers led the Bulldogs last season with eight tackles for loss and five sacks.
Of Rivers, Zierlein said: “Rivers’ issues at Georgia were documented in Season 2 of the Netflix documentary series Last Chance U, but the reset at Mississippi State offered consistent production and play over two seasons. Look for teams to consider him as a 3-4 SAM ‘backer with enough short-area athleticism to handle the transition.”
▪ We mentioned Dolphins interest in first-or-second round running backs JK Dobbins (took a 30 team to team headquarters) and D’Andre Swift (was invited to a 30 visit which was canceled due to coronavirus) and some mid-round prospects such as UCLA’s Joshua Kelley.
Among other mid-round options that have drawn Dolphins interest: Washington’s Salvon Ahmed, who did a video-conference with Dolphins officials, and Vanderbilt’s Ke’Shawn Vaughn.
With veteran Myles Gaskin moving onto the Dolphins, Ahmed earned honorable mention All-Pac-12 honors as a 12-game starter, rushing 188 times for 1,020 yards (5.4 per) and scoring 11 times (16-84-5.3 receiving; 5-116-23.2 kick returns).
Vaughn last year ran 198 times for 1028 yards, on 5.2 per carry, and nine touchdowns; with 28 receptions for 270 yards - a 9.6 average - one touchdown in 12 starts.
Here’s Barry’s Thursday piece with feedback on the second tier of quarterbacks available in the draft.
Here’s Adam piece with permutations for the Dolphins to move up in the NFL Draft, and the wisdom of those permutations.
Here’s Barry’s Thursday Miami Heat 6-pack.
Here’s Armando’s interview with Mario Cristobal about Justin Herbert.
This story was originally published April 9, 2020 at 6:05 PM.
