The Dolphins are betting on competition up front, and defensive end Clelin Ferrell is right in the middle of it.
Miami added Ferrell this offseason, and head coach Jeff Hafley said the move gives the team another body with real ability in a crowded defensive end room. Hafley pointed to Ferrell’s effort, draft pedigree and power as reasons the Dolphins wanted him in the mix.
“Just we watched him on film and talking to Sully, a guy who plays really hard. Obviously he was a high draft pick.
I think it brings competition to that room. He’s got good strength.
He’s got some good clips on tape and hopefully we can get everything out of him. The more competition that we can bring in, I think you’re going to see a lot of that as we turn through things and just see what we can get in him, but I’m excited to work with them.
I’ve really only talked to him briefly because it just happened, but I’m glad that he’s here,” Hafley said, via the team’s site.
On the offensive side, Malik Willis is walking into his first season as Miami’s starting quarterback with questions hanging over the unit around him. The conversation has centered on whether the Dolphins have enough weapons, but Willis isn’t buying into the idea that talent is the only thing that matters. For him, the job is about putting players in position to make plays.
“We all play football at a high level or we wouldn’t be in the NFL. Every team has good players, it’s just putting them in position to be successful.
All the guys that have big names at one point didn’t have a big name, and I think that’s how it goes. You just got to prove it and that’s where we’re at right now,” Willis said, via the team’s site.
Willis also made it clear that taking on a leadership role for the first time hasn’t changed his approach. He said the title means less than the daily grind and the trust he has to earn from the locker room.
“No, I’m just trying to do whatever I can to earn that role every day. Put the work in, put the time in and earn the respect from my teammates - I think that’s what’s most vital and most important, more than a paycheck or more than a position that other people say you’re in. I just try to focus on that and continue to get better.”
He said the time away from game action wasn’t wasted, either. Willis described his preparation as heavily mental, using those reps to sharpen how he sees coverages and how he’d respond in different situations as a starter.
“I mean, just more than anything, it’s mental reps and focusing on, okay, if I was in this position like I’m throwing with the guys up there, I’m like, okay, this position and they like bring cloud or something, I could try to stop them with the ball and make a different type of throw. Just understanding that when you’re working, you’re working for a reason and not just out there throwing the ball around.
Obviously, that would be a little pointless. It’s never as easy as it is out there.”
Elsewhere in the AFC, Patriots wide receiver Mack Hollins says he’s ready to do whatever the team asks, including a possible move to tight end. Hollins isn’t interested in labels if the assignment helps New England win.
“I’m just a ballplayer. I just want to win games.
If you put me in the backfield, I’ll run the ball if that’s what it’s going to be,” Hollins said, via Mass Live. “I think people say I’m like a hybrid tight end because I put my hands on D-Ends and they don’t move as well.
I got muscles and I can block.”
In Other News...
Dolphins First Padded Practice Raised Real Questions Up Front
The Dolphins got into pads for the first time in training camp, and the session had the feel of an early measuring stick for both sides of the ball. Miami worked through one-on-one drills but skipped 7-on-7 periods, giving the first real glimpse of how the lines would hold up once contact picked up. Cornerback Ethan Bonner stood out with an interception and tight coverage, while Malik Willis put together a strong passing day as the team sorted through the opening physical tests.
Up front, the review was less tidy. The offensive line showed mixed results, which is exactly the kind of thing that gets more attention once the pads come on, and the absences also mattered with Greg Dulcich and Jamaree Salyer out. Austin Jackson was limited because of injury, leaving the Dolphins with more questions than answers about how settled they are across the front as camp begins to turn from installation to evaluation. [Read more 🡒]
Christian Wilkins Still Looms Over A Bigger Dolphins Question
Clelin Ferrells arrival in Miami brought an immediate reminder of how much Christian Wilkins meant to some of the players who passed through the locker room with him. Ferrell pointed to his former college teammate as a positive influence in his own decision to join the Dolphins, a small but telling note about the kind of presence Wilkins had during his five seasons in Miami before heading to Las Vegas.
Now Wilkins is back on the market, though the conversation around him is much bigger than simple free agency. He has not played in nearly two years, and after a contract dispute with the Raiders, his NFL future is far from settled. Ferrell said he hopes Wilkins draws interest somewhere, but for now the more important question is whether a player who once felt like a foundational piece can actually find his way back onto a field. [Read more 🡒]
Malik Willis Gives Dolphins Fans An Early Reason To Stay Patient
Malik Willis is still in the early stages of settling in with the Dolphins, and the first four practices of training camp have offered a little bit of everything. The new quarterback has flashed enough to show why Miami wanted to take a look, but the staff has kept the emphasis on his passing fundamentals while he gets accustomed to the playbook, the timing and the new faces around him.
For now, the job is less about highlight plays and more about steady progress, which is why the coming weeks matter so much. Willis is still working through that pocket-passing focus as he develops chemistry with teammates, including rookie Caleb Douglas, and the sense around camp is that he is improving without quite being where the Dolphins want him yet. The preseason should provide a better read on how far he can come. [Read more 🡒]