Who lined up with first team at Miami Dolphins’ Saturday practice. There were surprises
Beginning on Saturday, reporters are permitted to report who’s playing with the first team during Miami Dolphins’ practice.
Some notes in our live blog:
▪ For the fourth day in a row, Michael Deiter is the starting center. To this point, he’s clearly ahead of Matt Skura and Cameron Tom in the battle for a starting job. Good for Deiter, whose attitude, intelligence and work ethic impress the staff.
The rest of the first-team offensive line Saturday: Austin Jackson at left tackle, Liam Eichenberg at left guard, Robert Hunt at right guard and Jesse Davis at right tackle.
Davis spent much of the offseason program as the starter at left guard, and then Solomon Kindley played with the starters for three straight days at left guard earlier this week.
So Eichenberg playing left guard -- with the starters no less - on Saturday was new and a surprise. Eichenberg had been the starting right tackle during minicamp and OTAs, though Davis was the starting right tackle on Friday and Saturday.
Eichenberg was Notre Dame’s starting left tackle the past two years. He spoke Friday of adjusting to playing right tackle.
▪ With DeVante Parker, Preston Williams and Will Fuller out with injuries, the first-team receivers on Saturday were Jaylen Waddle and Albert Wilson. Jakeem Grant was the third receiver.
Receiver Lynn Bowden Jr. has had a very quiet camp (and fumbled Saturday), and Mack Hollins and Allen Hurns haven’t done much of note early on. Wilson, Robert Foster and Grant have impressed in the battle for roster spots at receiver. (More on them below. All three continued to shine on Saturday.)
▪ Here was the first team defense: Raekwon Davis, Zach Sieler and Emmanuel Ogbah at defensive end; Jerome Baker and Benadrick McKinney at inside linebacker; Andrew Van Ginkel in an edge/outside linebacker role; Byron Jones and Nik Needham on the boundary at cornerback; Justin Coleman in the slot.
Eric Rowe and Jason McCourty were the starting safeties.
It was interesting that Sieler worked ahead of Christian Wilkins on Saturday. And Needham worked ahead of Noah Igbinoghene in the boundary corner role normally filled by Xavien Howard. McCourty started ahead of Jevon Holland.
▪ Howard, sidelined two days with a minor ankle injury, returned but did only individual drills.
▪ Tight end Mike Gesicki (medical reasons) is not practicing Saturday. Will Fuller and Jaelan Phillips also are out, but Brian Flores said their injuries are day to day, not week to week. Phillips was wearing a compression sleeve on his left leg.
▪ Myles Gaskin was the starting running back and Durham Smythe the starting tight end in Gesicki’s absence.
▪ Waddle, Lynn Bowden Jr., Malcolm Perry and Grant handled returns.
▪ Also notable from Saturday’s session: Jamal Perry intercepted a Tua pass in the end zone but it wasn’t in 11 on 11 drills. Jevon Holland dropped what should have been a Tagovailoa interception.
But Tua also had a bunch of nice throws, including a ball rifled over the middle to Albert Wilson for a 25-yard gain and a 25-yard strike across the middle to Waddle. Then Tua delivered a well thrown deep completion to Adam Shaheen.
Tua then delivered a 63-yard TD to Albert Wilson (who has been the first week MVP) and a deep pass to Robert Foster. Wilson jumped to catch the ball, beating Byron Jones.
This was a very good day for Tua after the slow start. The number of big plays have increased significantly in this camp....
Jacoby Brissett completed a 35-yard pass to Grant, who made a diving catch.
Syracuse rookie cornerback Trill Williams forced the Bowden fumble....
Wilkins batted away a Brissett pass....
Ciornerback Terrell Bonds had an interception...
Brennan Scarlett had two sacks.. Shaquem Griffin, who has looked good, also had a sack...
Foster, who has played well the first week of camp, made two nice catches but came up limping after the second.
This story was originally published July 31, 2021 at 4:26 PM.
