MIAMI GARDENS - The Miami Dolphins are still in the early, no-pads stretch of training camp, but Friday’s third practice already offered a few clear signs of what this group is trying to become.
The team worked in T-shirts and shorts on Friday, July 31, with pads still a day away in the Jeff Hafley era. Miami is off Saturday, then returns Sunday for the first practice fans can watch. The next day will be the first in pads.
Even before that physical stage arrives, the Dolphins have been getting results from a defense that keeps hunting the ball and from a rookie receiver who made a noticeable jump.
Caleb Douglas was one of the day’s most encouraging offensive performers. The third-round pick out of Texas Tech caught three passes and had one drop, but the bigger story was how he handled the football.
On the first play of 11-on-11 work, Douglas came back to the ball to make sure it ended up in his hands instead of the defense’s. He later connected with Malik Willis on a back-shoulder throw on Willis’ second pass, then finished with a one-handed grab in the corner of the end zone.
Willis also stood out for a different reason: his legs. He showed that running ability twice during practice No. 3, including one play that ended with a touchdown up the middle. That kind of movement changes the way a defense has to play him, and safety Dante Trader made that point clear.
"When you have the threat of a quarterback, you extend plays," safety Dante Trader said. "Covering for three seconds is hard, so imagine covering for six seconds with Malik being able to run and gun it."
That element separates Willis from Tua Tagovailoa, who is not the same kind of rushing threat.
The other major theme of the first three days has been turnovers. The Dolphins’ coaches have made takeaways a point of emphasis, and it has shown up fast. Through the first three practices, the defense has come away with about 10 takeaways, a number that includes an Alex Austin interception after tight end Will Kacmarek juggled a pass in the third practice.
Trader said the defense is getting the kind of results that usually follow that kind of focus.
"When you're competitive near or in the right windows, you're going to get takeaways," Trader said. "What you emphasize shows up and it's been showing up."
In Other News...
Ollie Gordon II Is Already Testing Dolphins Patience In Camp
The Dolphins came into camp with their backfield largely set, still built around DeVon Achane and Jaylen Wright, with Ollie Gordon II trying to carve out a role in a crowded room. Miami also has Donovan Edwards, Carlos Washington Jr. and Anthony Hankerson in the mix for depth spots, so every rep matters for a group that has little room for sloppiness while the roster starts to take shape.
Gordon has already given the staff a little bit of everything in the first two days. He has flashed the kind of burst that can change a practice period in a hurry, but he has also put the ball on the ground twice, the sort of early camp issue that can quickly shift attention from upside to trust. For a player trying to secure his place behind the top of the depth chart, the next stretch of practices should say plenty about whether the early noise is just that or something more lasting. [Read more 🡒]
Caleb Douglas Is Suddenly Changing The Dolphins Conversation
After the Dolphins moved on from Tyreek Hill and traded Jaylen Waddle, the receiver room suddenly looked a lot thinner, and that is why Caleb Douglas has started drawing so much attention in camp. The third-round pick has spent just three days on the field, but he has already flashed the kind of hands and body control Miami needs, coming down with contested catches and finding the end zone in red-zone work.
Douglas has also begun to look like more than just depth, which is the part that could change the conversation in Miami if this keeps going. His early work has been strong enough to put him in the mix for a bigger role, and the Dolphins will be watching closely to see whether the rookie can keep stacking days and stay near the top of the camp performance chart. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Fans Know One Roster Shock Could Be Coming Again
With the Dolphins still sorting through the edges of the roster picture, the conversation around the final 53 has already started to drift toward the kind of surprise moves that tend to surface late in the summer. Fans and media alike are kicking around a familiar mix of names, from Trey Moore to Tyrel Dodson and Matthew Butler, while also weighing how the new coaching staff and a crowded receiver room could shape the decisions ahead.
Malik Washington has become one of the more intriguing names in that discussion, not because anyone is reporting a decision, but because the numbers game at receiver can make even a player with momentum feel vulnerable. Trey Moores status could also ripple through the linebacker and edge groups, which is exactly why this roster watch feels so unsettled right now, with more than one possible cut or trade still hanging out there as camp approaches. [Read more 🡒]