The Miami Dolphins’ return to the Baptist Health Training Complex on Monday brought a little more edge to camp - and a little more bad news on the injury front.
For the first time this training camp, things got chippy during one-on-ones before team periods, while two more players exited practice early. Linebacker Willie Gay Jr. and edge defender Josh Uche both left before the session ended, with Gay walking off accompanied by a trainer.
That added to an injury list that already included edge Clelin Ferrell, guard Jamaree Salyer, wide receiver Kevin Coleman Jr., safety Dante Trader Jr., safety Lonnie Johnson Jr., kicker Zane Gonzalez and tight end Ben Sims. Defensive tackle Zach Sieler also joined the sidelined group, though he did show up for the latter part of practice in sweat pants without pads and did not take part.
The early-session tension started in the one-on-ones. Rookie seventh-round pick Max Llewellyn slapped his hand onto rookie sixth-round pick D.J.
Campbell’s face twice after getting shut down. Later, Chop Robinson and Patrick Paul had a minor flare-up at the end of another rep.
Robinson powered Paul backward on the first try and let him hear it afterward. Paul answered by winning the next rep and staying on Robinson enough that other defenders stepped in to keep things from boiling over.
On the personnel side, cornerback Ahmari Harvey got on the field for the first time after the Dolphins claimed him off waivers from the Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday. Safety Tanner Wall, who arrived the same day, picked off one of the defense’s two interceptions, with Major Burns collecting the other.
The offense didn’t produce any major explosive plays, but Malik Willis again looked steady. By count, he finished 7-for-12, not including a clear defensive pass interference on a day without officials. One of his incompletions came after Robert Beal Jr. got inside Jonah Savaiinaea for what would likely have been a sack in a game.
Willis’ best throw may have come on a naked bootleg, when Jacob Rodriguez got right into his face. Willis escaped, got to the outside and delivered a strike while moving.
Quinn Ewers, on the other hand, had another uneven day. He was not helped by a couple of drops, but the finish still wasn’t there. Burns snagged an interception straight into his hands, and Ewers also missed badly on an underthrow when his target was wide open in the short flat.
A few other notes stood out. Backup tackle Charlie Heck, who has drawn criticism during camp, looked much better, especially in one-on-ones.
Rodriguez kept flashing at linebacker, especially when he was shooting into the backfield against the run. On the play where Willis would have been sacked, Caleb Douglas dropped a throw over the middle, though he later bounced back with a tough contested catch against Ethan Bonner, a good example of the inconsistency he has shown with his hands.
Safety Michael Taaffe covered Greg Dulcich well on a crossing route, but Willis still squeezed the pass in for a completion. Dulcich caught passes for the first time since early last week. Jordyn Brooks also got to Willis quickly on a blitz that might have been a sack.
A.J. Henning made a strong catch on a ball Ewers threw behind him, then later got behind Miles Battle down the right sideline, only for Cam Miller to overthrow him.
Chris Johnson, who has had a relatively quiet camp, made one of the day’s better defensive plays by breaking up a Willis pass to Douglas on third-and-goal from the 6. The coverage was tight throughout, and Johnson went up to knock it away.
Miller also tried another deep sideline shot, this time to Tahj Washington, but Marco Wilson stayed glued to him the whole way and ended up in the best position to make the play. Ethan Robinson, who has seemed to make a play nearly every day lately, knocked down a Ewers throw to rookie tight end Will Kacmarek over the middle, though the ball was behind him. Miller’s day ended with another miss, this one too far inside on a throw to Theo Wease Jr. down the left sideline, allowing Battle to knock it down.
The Dolphins have a closed walk-through Tuesday before traveling to Washington for a joint practice with the Commanders on Wednesday. Their preseason opener comes Friday.
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