Day 1 should be taken with a huge grain of salt…
Phins news is back in full swing with Day 1 of the Miami Dolphins 2019 Training Camp in the books. Here is an aggregation of the reports with a slice of my take on the info.
It’s early folks, the shaking off the rust over the next couple of days will blur what is really what. So, the bulk of what we ‘see’ today shouldn’t be banked on… pretty and ugly. Around the week mark, we’ll have a much better bead on the situation. But, for those fans who want to follow this new regime every step of the way, here is what happened today.
Day 1 of Training Camp of the 2019 Miami Dolphins has come and gone
- First Team O-line: LT Laremy Tunsil, LG Chris Reed, C Daniel Kilgore, RG Jesse Davis, RT Jordan Mills
- Eric Rowe and Jomal Wiltz received the bulk of the early snap paired with Xavien Howard
- Jomal Wiltz didn’t have a good showing
- Bobby McCain continues to work and start at free safety for the Dolphins… as we reported way back, this is a big story
- Starting D-Line: Jonathan Woodward, Davon Godchaux, Christian Wilkins and Charles Harris
- Raekwon McMillan was NOT in the first-team defensive lineup
- Jake Rudock came out of the gate playing himself out of a job with a poor day
- Josh Rosen made had several errors with a poor handoff, interception, and near interceptions. Had a couple of nice pays mixed in though as well.
- Ryan Fitzpatrick took a commanding lead with many big plays and zero big mistakes
- Mike Gesicki is bigger and made some plays
Ryan Fitzpatrick has a commanding lead in the QB race
“He’s a leader for sure,” Laremy Tunsil said of Ryan Fitzpatrick on the 1st day of Training Camp.
Now, don’t take this as an indictment of Rosen, but folks this isn’t Madden football. Fitzpatrick has talent, charisma, and his experience dwarfs Rosen’s. You can bet with the best bookie software if it wasn’t for the occasional meltdown through mental errors, Fitzpatrick would be a long term starter somewhere.
Experience is a huge factor when the talent level is relatively close.
Whether fans like it or not, Fitzpatrick will keep the starting role until he melts down. If it does happen (and don’t bank on that it will) it won’t happen until the Regular Season.
Despite all the blaring that Fitzpatrick sucks from the media and fans, if he simply eliminated half of his big mistakes, there’s not one QB that has played the Dolphins since Marino and Pennington who is better.
This Fitzpatrick quote gives me a slight hope he could have a renaissance, “I’m just trying to be the best version of me I can be….knowing who I am as a player and working on my deficiencies.”
As Shakespeare and Sun Tzu wrote, ‘Know Thyself’.
I am not saying bank on a Cinderella story with Fitzpatrick, but far stranger things have happened in the NFL.
Fans want high draft picks and Rosen to start, But…
… Flores is building a team. He can lose games and even lose out on the 1st overall pick and get this franchise turned around. What Flores can’t lose is the team and that commandment that competition determines everything.
Now, having the 1st Overall Pick in 2020 and getting Rosen his reps to see if he is the answer would be great… if it’s a byproduct of competition. Ultimately, these would be excellent scenarios in helping the future… But not if the price is Flores reputation and integrity with the players.
This is a bitter pill to swallow for many fans… I know. I understand the logic. But, this is the reality of the situation. If the players don’t believe their Head Coach is legit, then they quit. You can’t win with even the best players if they quit.
This regime must be proven right or otherwise by following the right process. The Miami Dolphins have tried to take a shortcut to success for decades… to no avail.
Another hard truth… the right path isn’t easy or filled with shortcuts.
My only concern with Rosen
My only concern is his inconsistency short left. I reported on this in my film study Finding The Real Josh Rosen Part I and Part 2. Throwing the football short left has been his kryptonite… and it continued in practice. Very strange and very ugly. This will put Rosen behind the eight ball unless he gets this inconsistency right.
I have said from his acquisition that Chris Grier needs to draft the best QB he can get his hands on in 2020 even if Rosen performs well. A quality quarterback is a valuable commodity on the field and in a trade. Get ’em, develop them, and then use them for more picks or to win games. You can never have enough good quarterbacks if your goal is long term success.
Rosen is at least a cheap quality backup had for a song and a dance. But, given his injury concerns and the value at the position, Dolphins need to building the position however you slice it.
The Patriots had Brady and drafted Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett and received upgraded returns for the purchase price. We need to learn from this wisdom and not repeat the Tannehill years of banking it all on one player… unless that player elite.
Plenty of time in Training Camp left to see how this thing shakes out
It feels good to have some quality news to digest… and the news will keep coming. Buckle up, throw a prayer in that Flores and Co. are legit and before you know it the Regular Season will be here. Go Phins!!!