Dolphins’ McDaniel addresses Connor Williams center situation, Melvin Ingram, more
Instead of signing a veteran center, the Dolphins opted instead to sign an accomplished guard, Connor Williams, and move him to center.
Coach Mike McDaniel clarified the situation on Thursday morning, indicating that while Williams is a center at this time, the Dolphins didn’t sign him with the intent of making him a center. Williams played left guard primarily for the Dallas Cowboys, though he did take snaps at center during Cowboys training camp and preseason.
“We weren’t signing him to be a center,” McDaniel said. “We were signing offensive linemen. We thought his skill would best be utilized at the center position. With him only having limited reps at it [in the past], we wanted to give him a full opportunity. We weren’t going after Connor because this guy is a center.
“We think this is a good offensive linemen who can play multiple positions. That’s why those type of signings are intriguing. He will do everything to do the best he can at that position. But if team is better off [with him] at another position, he’s learning the offense from inside out from the best position to do that, which is the center position.”
What is he looking for from a center?
“You want someone that can really move. In an ideal world, you can do the best job attacking the defense if you have some athleticism at the position and some strength. It’s close quarters; it’s as close to the ball as any player on the line of scrimmage. They have to make line calls that four other players are depending on, so we’re all on the same page. That’s why Connor was to attractive to us. He’s house money - an NFL guard or center.”
The Dolphins have stuck with the same starting offensive line as they used in OTAs. The team won’t permit that line to be reported.
McDaniel addressed other issues on Thursday morning:
▪ McDaniel will relay plays directly to Tua Tagovailoa (into his headset) this season. He has been using a walkie-talkie to do it during training camp.
▪ McDaniel on outside linebacker Melvin Ingram, who looks positioned to have a major role: “It was cool to see him yesterday. He was practicing for the first time but we had planned not to have him in team periods to make sure we didn’t put him in harm’s way. He was fighting tooth and nail with defensive coaches.
“They let him in [11 on 11 work] for a couple of plays. That’s what you want from a veteran leader that has had production. I don’t know how many sacks he had [last year - two in 15 games]. He had a lot of impact.
“He was a better run defender than I remember him. He’s really grown in that. As a pass rusher, he has a lot of activity in and around the quarterback [last year]. He was producing a little more than people realize in terms of quarterback pressures [in Pittsburgh and Kansas City last season]. I’m pumped about where he’s at.”
▪ On having shorter practices with a fast tempo: “It’s challenging. We have to be forthright with the players so they understand where we are making concessions in reps that have to be made up in walk through setting. Time has proven if you want to be elite at something you have to deliberately practice it. And practicing it at full speed” is the best way to do it.
McDaniel said: “if players are treating practice reps closer to game reps, it’s an overall benefit to them. As long as they understand we need to make reps up somehow.”
He said: “I was very happy with Day 1 because it was a purposeful practice. Both sides of the ball had their best intent so you got an actual physiological rep in the process. You won’t have to learn that lesson in a game when you’re running full speed.”
This story was originally published July 28, 2022 at 10:01 AM.
