The Miami Dolphins have long treated defensive tackle like a calling card, and this summer’s group is trying to keep that line moving.
That’s the backdrop Chris Perkins laid out in the South Florida Sun Sentinel, pointing to a position that has historically produced plenty of heavy hitters in Miami. Manny Fernandez, Bob Baumhower, Tim Bowens, Daryl Gardner, Randy Starks, Paul Soliai and Ndamukong Suh all fit that mold. Christian Wilkins was great when he was with Miami, and Calais Campbell was dominant, even if his run with the Dolphins was brief.
Now the current crop is drawing attention in camp, and Perkins says the unit has been one of the more encouraging developments for a team that isn’t carrying huge expectations. He singled out veterans Zach Sieler, along with younger players Jordan Phillips, Zeek Biggers and Kenneth Grant, plus relative unknowns Matthew Butler and Keith Cooper Jr. Butler saw significant playing time last season, while Cooper has also been part of the conversation as the Dolphins try to build depth in the middle.
That’s the upside in a camp where the defensive line has shown up more consistently than the offense at times. Tuesday’s practice brought a rough stretch for Miami’s offense, with Malik Willis throwing two interceptions and the offensive line struggling in pass protection. The team also worked intrasquad 1-on-1s and, for the first time in camp, 2-on-2 drills featuring the offensive line and defensive line.
Barry Jackson, Omar Kelly and C. Isaiah Smalls II reported that Tuesday’s next-to-last training camp practice also included the first two 11-on-11 catches by Chris Bell since he returned from a knee injury, plus more good work from bubble players Jackson Woodard and Keith Cooper Jr.
Perkins also wrote that the defense dominated on a day when the tempo picked up, while another Dolphins camp report noted that Malik Willis has “consistently gotten better,” even as he’s cooled off after a strong stretch before the team’s trip to the greater Washington, D.C. area two weeks ago.
Injuries remain part of the picture, too. Kenneth Grant is still out, and coach Jeff Hafley said before Tuesday’s practice: “Kenneth will not be around this week,” Hafley said ahead of the team’s Tuesday practice.
“I would say doubtful for the following week. I would say he’s week to week.”
Hafley also said rookie linebacker Trey Moore will have surgery on his injured left ankle and will miss an extended stretch. “Hopefully he will be back at some point this season, but it will be awhile,” he said.
There was also a separate note on Chris Bell’s status, with coaches addressing the rookie third-round pick, and the Dolphins are planning for Bell to play in the preseason finale after he tore his ACL last November.
Elsewhere around camp, Udonis Haslem stopped by Monday and spoke to the team, a visit that reportedly resonated with the players. Miami also added a wide receiver and waived Tahj Washington, while Jamaree Salyer was released with an injury settlement.
On the offensive skill side, the concerns keep piling up. Perkins wrote that the Dolphins might have the NFL’s worst collection of hands at tight end, wide receiver and running back, listing Tutu Atwell, Malik Washington, Greg Dulcich, Jalen Tolbert, Jalen Reagor, A.J. Henning, Theo Wease Jr., Seydou Traore, Chris Bell, Caleb Douglas, Kevin Coleman Jr. and Will Kacmarek among the group.
For now, though, the more promising storyline sits in the trenches. Miami’s defensive tackles have a tradition to live up to, and this summer’s group is trying to make sure that history still has some staying power.
In Other News...
Dolphins Suddenly Have A Backfield Squeeze Fans Didn't See Coming
The Dolphins have taken one major piece of uncertainty off the table by signing De'Von Achane to a three-year extension, locking in their top running back and giving the offense a clearer anchor in the backfield. But with that decision made, the rest of the room has suddenly become a crowded evaluation, and Miami is still sorting through a mix of young backs and versatile depth pieces as roster cutdown season approaches.
Jaylen Wright, Ollie Gordon II, Donovan Edwards and Carlos Washington Jr. are all in the mix for the remaining jobs, while some of them may ultimately end up on the practice squad or on the outside looking in. Even D.J. Herman, who brings fullback-tight end flexibility, is part of the discussion depending on how the offense wants to shape itself, which makes this one of the more interesting competition battles left on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Make Surprising Move To Reload Sean McVay's Offense
The Dolphins latest roster shuffle comes with a familiar name heading back to Los Angeles, as the Rams and Miami completed a trade that sent wide receiver Tutu Atwell back to Sean McVays offense in exchange for running back Jarquez Hunter. Atwell, who was originally drafted by the Rams in 2021, now returns to the place where his NFL career began, while Miami adds a young back as it continues to reshape a roster that is still being rebuilt.
For the Dolphins, the move is less about the player leaving and more about what Hunter can bring to a backfield that needs depth as the team works through its reset. Trades like this do not usually dominate the conversation in South Florida, but they matter for a team trying to balance immediate roster needs with a longer-term plan, especially when pieces are being moved around to fit a new phase. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins May Already Have A Rookie Too Important To Risk
The Dolphins are already navigating a familiar summer dilemma: how much to expose a rookie before the games start counting. Jeff Hafleys approach to the 2026 preseason has put wide receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. at the center of that conversation, with Miami weighing the value of live reps against the risk that comes with putting a player with a potentially significant offensive and return-game role out there too often.
Colemans profile makes the decision even trickier because the Dolphins are looking at him as a possible slot receiver and return man, two jobs that can pile up touches and hits in a hurry. Add in the other rookie receivers trying to carve out space on the roster, and Hafley is left balancing development with caution in a way that could shape how Miami handles its young talent all summer. [Read more 🡒]