How do the Phins look after camp and two preseason games?
This preseason is unlike any preseason before it with zero continuity between teams usage of starters and backups. Without the long standing tradition of teams playing half of a game with starters on both sides scrapped, this is the most difficult preseason to gauge where a NFL team really is at. Still, somethings are clear even with this extra ‘fog of war’, so let’s dial in on what is fundamentally clear at this stage.
Let’s start with the good
Tua looked comfortable and made some quality passes and reads in the pocket and on the ground. He looks to have had his best camp so far. He clearly is the #1 QB, but how high can Tua fly with all this fire power?
New Phins RB Chase Edmonds has flashed and showed he has some real talent in his limited showing. Question is will he be able to carry the load and stay healthy?
Miami has looked like they are loaded on defense with pas rushers and Phillips, Seiler, Ogbah, Wilkens, Baker, and Van Ginkel flashed and will be a handful for opposing defenses on passing downs.
Safety Javon Holland has been a terror through camp and looks like he’s prepped to beat the sophomore slump!
As Jimmy Bourbon hope for, Jason Sanders has been excellent… not perfect, but excellent.
7th Round pick Skylar Thompson has impressed as has 4th RD pick receiver Erik Ezukanma. With little firepower, the Phins seem to have made the most of the draft.
Now let’s hit the uncertain?
Mike Gesicki will always struggle to block. Durham Smythe is decent. Cethan Carter is underwhelming. Tanner Conner showed a little something, something…but, where is 3rd Round Pick Hunter Long? He looks another top pick that’s a very slow developer. Who will lead the tight end group as both an inline blocker AND pass catcher?
How long before Byron Jones returns to man the corner spot opposite Xavien Howard? It better be soon because there a big question mark over who can fill in for him.
What will this struggle Dolphins O-line look like with All-World talent Terron Armstead? Can he bring enough magic to lift this struggling unit?
What will Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill look like with both on the field? This will determine a big chunk of the season. Waddle has been limited of a few days with some injury. How long will it keep him out?
The cornerback group is ultra thin on depth and an injury to Howard, Needham, or Jones (whenever he gets back) would be a crippling blow if they have to leave the lineup long term.
The offensive line is very concerning in starting talent and depth. Both high priced rookies Liam Eichenberg and Austin Jackson are struggling. Michael Dieter is playing poorly along with most of the Oline. Only Robert Hunt, Connor Williams (sans some snapping issues), Robert Jones in spirts, and Terron Armstead when he is in are productive player on the line up until this point. Things can change of course, but the offensive line will be the foundation of success or failure for this season.
No run game again. See above for why the Dolphins are again struggling to run the football. It’s still early, but them must break this long standing failure at rushing the football if they want to equal the hype around them heading into the season.
It’s hard to gauge what all this means with the crazy preseason we are having. Will Miami flip the switch Week 1 against the Patriots? That’s such a critical game for so many reasons. Let’s hope they do because they have a Murderers’ Row the next three weeks. Given the Bills are in the division and the AFC is so strong, the Dolphins must come out at least lukewarm over the 1st Quarter of the season. If not, you can bet with the best pay per head that it will be very tough to get into the playoffs and prove they’ve finally turned the corner. Fingers crossed. Go Phins!!!
Great article! Could not agree more! I have said all along I don’t believe our O-Line even with the addtions we added is there yet. We need a solid center. JT Treiter with Cleveland last I saw was available. Not sure if he has had injury issues lately, but he was a top 4-5 center in the league a few years ago. If he is healthy, we should maybe explore this? He will be better than anything we have now! Then Williams can go to LG and Liam to the bench. I still have real questions about Jackson at RG. I know their thinking was that at RT he won’t get the opposing defenses’ best DE/rusher, but teams will move people around and you can bet that DE’s would rather go up against Jackson vs. Aremstead!
Noah I. is a bust and does need to be released, and most likely will be. Grier did a pretty good job with the recent draft considering what he had to work with. Tindal, Goode, and Ezukuma, have all looked good in camp and in pre-season. He has done a pretty good job overall the past (4) drafts, but the two (2) first round draft busts, Noah I. and I will still include Jackson loom large still. I think the team will bring in after pre-season 2-4 veteran players. OL and CB are the biggest needs. Hopefully we can land a couple of guys that can add some decent quality veteran play and leadership. We need to come out of the gate during the first four (4) games at least 2-2, and around mid-season be at least a 500 team or the playoffs could be out of reach. The defense may need to carry the team for the first half of the season till the offense settles in. You are right, we really need a TE who can be a threat in the passing game and be a good blocker too! Thank you!
Hey, sorry Stephen for the late reply… been battling Covid for a week plus now. Tretter retired… think his knee issue kept him from playing. No team was a taker. TB would have snagged him if he had anything left. He didn’t practice all last year… think it’s a degenerative thing. This is the OL, brother.. nothing will come to boost it. Jackson is a liability… Eich might be a liability… we’ll see. I thought we should have drafted Zach Tom… he is playing awesome and would have been a steal. To me, Grier can’t draft an OL to save his life unless a top notch player falls to him and even then he screws it up most of the time. He has talents in eval, but his OL evals are someof the worst in the league. We’ll see if all the WR talent can lift a meh OL to success. I’m not sure… really. I do think the poor OL and thin CB group will limit our success… we’ll see. This Pats game is a BIG test for us. I’dsay if we can beat the Pats at least it puts us in line for 2nd in the Div and a WC spot… even if we lose the next 3… we really need this win WK 1!!!!! 2-2 would be awesome though. Hope all is well with you and your brother.
MJ,
Great article! Could not agree more! I have said all along I don’t believe our O-Line even with the addtions we added is there yet. We need a solid center. JT Treiter with Cleveland last I saw was available. Not sure if he has had injury issues lately, but he was a top 4-5 center in the league a few years ago. If he is healthy, we should maybe explore this? He will be better than anything we have now! Then Williams can go to LG and Liam to the bench. I still have real questions about Jackson at RG. I know their thinking was that at RT he won’t get the opposing defenses’ best DE/rusher, but teams will move people around and you can bet that DE’s would rather go up against Jackson vs. Aremstead!
Noah I. is a bust and does need to be released, and most likely will be. Grier did a pretty good job with the recent draft considering what he had to work with. Tindal, Goode, and Ezukuma, have all looked good in camp and in pre-season. He has done a pretty good job overall the past (4) drafts, but the two (2) first round draft busts, Noah I. and I will still include Jackson loom large still. I think the team will bring in after pre-season 2-4 veteran players. OL and CB are the biggest needs. Hopefully we can land a couple of guys that can add some decent quality veteran play and leadership. We need to come out of the gate during the first four (4) games at least 2-2, and around mid-season be at least a 500 team or the playoffs could be out of reach. The defense may need to carry the team for the first half of the season till the offense settles in. You are right, we really need a TE who can be a threat in the passing game and be a good blocker too! Thank you!
Stephen Fabrizio
Hey, sorry Stephen for the late reply… been battling Covid for a week plus now. Tretter retired… think his knee issue kept him from playing. No team was a taker. TB would have snagged him if he had anything left. He didn’t practice all last year… think it’s a degenerative thing. This is the OL, brother.. nothing will come to boost it. Jackson is a liability… Eich might be a liability… we’ll see. I thought we should have drafted Zach Tom… he is playing awesome and would have been a steal. To me, Grier can’t draft an OL to save his life unless a top notch player falls to him and even then he screws it up most of the time. He has talents in eval, but his OL evals are someof the worst in the league. We’ll see if all the WR talent can lift a meh OL to success. I’m not sure… really. I do think the poor OL and thin CB group will limit our success… we’ll see. This Pats game is a BIG test for us. I’dsay if we can beat the Pats at least it puts us in line for 2nd in the Div and a WC spot… even if we lose the next 3… we really need this win WK 1!!!!! 2-2 would be awesome though. Hope all is well with you and your brother.