From Ezukanma to Tindall to guard to Trill Williams, Dolphins coaches discuss key topics
Ten questions with Dolphins assistant coaches:
▪ There seems to be competition at left guard. Is Liam Eichenberg the starter or is that job open?
“There is competition throughout the whole group,” offensive line coach Butch Barry said. “Of course I knew that was something people would want to talk about. By the time we have to play regular-season games, at that point we have to [decide] who those guys are.”
▪ Isaiah Wynn hasn’t played guard since college five years ago. He was a tackle the past four years at the Patriots. Is he a guard or tackle here? (Reporters aren’t permitted to say where players are working unless a coach or player says it.)
“He does have great versatility,” Barry said. “We want to see him in as many situations and positions to see what’s a fit for us to make sure we have the five best on the field. He’s very impressive all the way around everywhere we’ve put him. Foundationally, what we’re trying to get done is different for him. There’s the rust of that. Has nothing to do whether he’s inside or outside right now. If he has any rust, that’s where it’s from.”
▪ Can second-year wide receiver Erik Ezukanma help you this year (after just playing 10 snaps last season) or is it too early to know?
“No, Erik can definitely help us this year,” receivers coach Wes Welker said. “I mean, last year it was just hard getting him lined up. And now this year we’re able to, we’re lined up and now we can start to get into the details of the offense and how we need to do everything.
“There’s still a lot of work to be done. But the fact that he’s lining up right and doing the right things and listening to the coaching and all those different things, he’s progressing really well and leaps and bounds better than what he was last year.”
▪ Why does Robbie Chosen seem to not be getting as many snaps as some of the other receivers?
“I think the opportunities will present itself as camp kind of goes on,” Welker said. “You know, it’s always tough when you’re talking about reps and ‘All right, we got to get Jaylen [Waddle] on this and we got to get Braylon Sanders on that,’ or you know, whoever it is as far as those deep threats.
“So he’s actually been going deep. We just haven’t thrown it yet. I know you’re looking for the flash plays of getting it, but he’s been doing some really good things, and when he’s gotten his opportunities, he’s done a nice job.”
Chosen caught two passes for sizable gains after Welker spoke, including a 50-yarder from Tua Tagovailoa.
▪ Channing Tindall, the second-year linebacker, has made a few notable plays the past week. Has he improved?
“He has a better feel for the entire system,” linebackers coach Anthony Campanile said. “And obviously, first year in a defense for everybody, there’s a learning curve, going through OTAs and then obviously getting out here in camp. I just think you see a little incremental progress every day.”
▪ Does Southern Cal rookie Brandon Pili - who has made several run stuffs - seem ready to be a backup NFL nose tackle?
“You see a guy that’s quick and athletic,” defensive line coach Austin Clark said. “Got to work on playing square to the line of scrimmage. Little too early to tell. The joint practices, preseason games is where you can see. He’s done a pretty good job so far. When you go from Raekwon [Davis] to Pili, it’s unrealistic to think you’re going to get that just yet.”
Clark noted that Zach Sieler can play nose tackle if needed.
“Coach [Vic] Fangio is a friggin’ mastermind,” Clark said. “He’s got a lot of different groupings, lot of different fronts.”
▪ How is Andrew Van Ginkel doing as he transitions from being exclusively an outside linebacker to playing inside and outside and where is he playing more?
“Andrew has such a unique skill set,” outside linebackers coach Ryan Slowik said. “He’s been a little bit of everywhere. It’s not something like we’re trying to make sure he gets X number of [inside snaps] and X number of [outside snaps].”
▪ How has cornerback Trill Williams done at safety, where he is cross-training (per the team)?
Safeties coach Joe Kasper said the more positions he can play, the better it is.
“He’s big, he’s strong, he’s long and he loves contact,” Kasper said. “Being contact-averse is not a skill set I’m looking for at safety. He likes contact, welcomes it, is an aggressive player. We’ll see if we can use those skills in a different way for us.”
▪ How is rookie sixth-rounder Elijah Higgins doing in his transition from Stanford receiver to NFL tight end?
“He’s doing good, making the transition pretty well,” tight ends coach John Embree said. “He’s done a good job in all phases. His blocking is coming along. He’s getting better every time that he’s getting reps. It’s more about him getting reps.
“He’s putting a lot of good stuff on tape as far as route-running in the pass game. Hasn’t had a lot of ops as far as catching in practice. He’s doing a lot of good stuff. He has a good grasp of the offensive system. He’s able to move around to some of the different spots. I’m pleased with him.”
Higgins has a couple of drops in camp, but you can see the athleticism.
▪ Has tight end Tanner Conner’s absence all of camp - with an unspecified injury - doomed his chances of making the team?
“I’m not worried at all,” Embree said. “Tanner does a lot of work with us from the mental aspect of it; he’s dialed in on it. In year 2, he’s a lot more comfortable with everything. I’m excited for him to come back because some of the things he’s done in the offseason and how he was trending toward the end of the season, he can be a contributor for us.”
This story was originally published August 4, 2023 at 2:37 PM.
