The Miami Dolphins completed their second day of training camp on Friday. On Day 2, the team saw mostly positives on the field.
With another day of 2018 training camp in the books, the Miami Dolphins came away optimistic after a strong day of practice. Almost everything we are hearing after Day 2 has been positive with very few exceptions.
The team will have its ups and downs as we get deeper into the summer and preseason starts up.
However, we have very little negative news to report today, so enjoy it while you can.
Quarterbacks
The quarterbacks played well Friday, even Brock Osweiler. As a matter of fact, Osweiler’s deep ball looked good and it was his best day of practice as a Dolphin. With that said, if Osweiler or David Fales ends up starting significant games, this team is in trouble. So let’s focus on the guy everyone actually cares about.
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Ryan Tannehill looked strong on Friday. He was hitting his throws and appears to have an instant rapport with Danny Amendola. Perhaps most importantly, he was moving around well and with confidence. Dolphins fans are going to hold their collective breath for a while every time he takes off from the pocket or takes a shot, but he did take off of Friday and looked good running. It’s a small but much needed step in his progression back to being an NFL starter.
Slot Receivers
This is a situation we are going to continue monitoring throughout the summer. It was all good news on Friday. Amendola looked to have similar chemistry with Tannehill as the departed Jarvis Landry had, and Albert Wilson looked like a game breaking option.
Amendola and Tannehill are on the same page. The two are connecting left and right in a similar fashion to what we saw with Juice. The veteran is currently running with the first team and, as expected, has brought leadership and culture to Miami.
The younger Wilson has been mostly playing with the second team, but he looks dynamic. Day 2 saw him break big plays with runs after the catch, including a long touchdown from David Fales. He’s still learning the playbook and Amendola is getting the respect as veteran and champion. Nonetheless, Wilson appears to be ahead of Jakeem Grant and my money is still on Wilson being the biggest slot contributor on the Dolphins in 2018. I think fans are going to love this guy, similar to what we saw from Kenyan Drake exploding on the scene last season.
Raekwon “The Chef” McMillan
Redshirt rookie Raekwon McMillan is back on the field and looks just as good as he did last year in camp, if not better, after missing all of last season due to a devastating knee injury in the preseason opener. He had already earned a starting job last season and he’s well on his way to securing that job again in 2018.
The team is putting a lot on this kid’s shoulders and he appears to have all the confidence in the world to take it on. I was extremely high on him when the team drafted him and I continue to have confidence that he will be a game-changer in Miami. He will be asked to be the linchpin of the linebacker corps and that’s exactly what he is on pace to do. Fans should anticipate him being a special player, particularly against the run.
Injuries
Of course, it can’t all be good news. However, there didn’t appear to be any major injuries on Day 2. After a deep reception, we saw Isaiah Ford limp off the field with the trainer. The good news is he left under his own power and looked good before getting hurt. Center Jake Brendel wasn’t able to suit up due to a leg injury. He is nursing an injured calf, which isn’t believed to be overly serious but he will be wearing a sleeve on his leg for a bit. Neither player is expected to be a starter in 2018.