Latest news with #Dolphins'
Miami Herald
21 hours ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Burns feared to have torn ACL. And insight on Cam Smith, Sheffield, Dolphins' young corners
The Dolphins' began training camp Wednesday in something of an odd predicament: without a proven No. 1 or No. 2 cornerback on the roster. It's a risky place to be in a league where the best teams all have dangerous passing games. Replacing Jalen Ramsey (who was traded) and Kendall Fuller (who was released and remains unsigned) remains a work in progress. And the situation only worsened on Wednesday when Artie Burns, the only 30-year-old corner on the roster, was lost to what is feared to be a torn ACL injury. Burns became entangled with a teammate during back–pedal drills early in practice, threw his helmet down in disgust and walked out on crutches. Per ESPN, Burns is awaiting an MRI to confirm the suspicion that he has a torn ACL. Though Burns was on the bubble to make the roster, his injury only heightens the need to add a veteran cornerback to complement Kader Kohou, journeyman Kendall Sheffield and eight young players who have a fairly limited NFL body of work, or none at all. The Dolphins have spoken to multiple veteran cornerbacks who remain unsigned and have made offers to Rasul Douglas, who started 15 games for the Bills last season. But even with the shortcomings at the position, Miami is not simply handling a starting job to Smith. Though the Dolphins prohibit media from reporting on depth charts until they are announced by the team, it was clear during Wednesday's session that the cornerback spot will be an open competition. Smith, Sheffield and Storm Duck all have a chance for one or two of the top three cornerback jobs. Rookies Jason Marshall Jr. (a fifth-round pick), BJ Adams and Ethan Robinson, third-year corner Ethan Bonner and second-year corners Isaiah Johnson and Ryan Cooper Jr. also will get a long look. All of this means Smith, 24, will have every opportunity to earn significant playing time. But far more is needed. He began last season on injured reserve with a hamstring injury and ended the season on injured reserve with a shoulder injury. In between, he struggled, permitting a 122.4 passer rating in his coverage area, with 16 completions in 19 targets. Kohou, the only Dolphins' cornerback who would be considered a likely starter, said he sees a difference in Smith, who recovered a fumble by tight end Tanner Conner during Wednesday's practice. 'He's way more focused,' Kohou said. 'If we are all being real, he hasn't played up to his standards and he knows that. So he's working every day hard, he's here a little bit earlier. He's more into his playbook. His body looks better. He's taking care of himself more. Being close to him, he has that mentality: this is the year for him.' Strengthening his body was one of his missives this offseason. Late last season, secondary coach Brian Duker said: 'The biggest thing I've talked to Cam about is we would like to see him put on the body armor to play a full shape. He needs to be in shape to do that. Your body has to be in shape to do that.' So is he out of shape? Duker said to ask the team trainer, who's unavailable to reporters. Then, in April, general manager Chris Grier said: 'Cam Smith needs to come through at the end of the day. He's got to stay healthy and be on the field. He has shown some flashes, but this is a very big year. He knows what's expected because we can't hold his hand and wait for him anymore.' The Dolphins also are eager to see what they have in Sheffield, who has played for seven teams but hasn't played a lot of defensive snaps since starting 20 games for the Atlanta Falcons during his first two seasons. Drafted in the fourth round out of Ohio State, Sheffield started 11 games as a rookie, nine in his second season and none in his third season with Atlanta. His defensive snaps for Atlanta dropped from 700 as a rookie, to 525 last season to just 52 in 2021. The Falcons released him the following offseason. Since then, he has suited up for Houston, Dallas, San Francisco, Tennessee and the Jets but has played defensive snaps for only two of those teams: 23 for the 49ers in 2023 and 92 for the Jets last season. The 5-11 Sheffield, who has 423 career special teams snaps, has no interceptions, six passes defended, two forced fumbles and 114 tackles in 49 NFL games. 'He has good feet,' Kohou said of his cornerback skills. 'He doesn't talk much.' Adams, the undrafted rookie from UCF, was 'one of the better undrafted players,' East/West Shrine Bowl director Eric Galko said in an interview in May. Adams, 6-2, had two interceptions and returned one for a touchdown last season; he missed three games with a back injury but finished with a strong 80.9 passer rating in his coverage area: 18 completions in 35 attempts for 262 yards, three TDs allowed and the two interceptions. Timed at 4.53 in the 40-yard dash, Adams had the two picks, 11 pass breakups and 88 tackles (including five for loss) in four seasons at UCF. He has a real chance to make the roster. Kohou said undrafted rookies Adams and Robinson (who played last season at Minnesota) are 'aggressive as hell. BJ is 6-3, can run, has that mentality that you're not going to catch the ball on him or embarrass him on the field. As a DB, that's one thing you've got to kind of have aside from your skill set. He has already as a young guy. I'm excited to see what he can do.' Kohou, who said he's fine playing either in the slot or on the boundary, said the team's young corners are 'confident in themselves. The coaches are too. The vets are too. What they've shown so far from the day they got here, I have no worries that if they have to go in a game, they [will perform].' Coach Mike McDaniel, asked Wednesday if the team wants to add a veteran cornerback, said: 'If you have youth at a position, you have confidence in it [before others do]. We're not closing the door on anything. There are multiple players we talk about every day. Also very excited with some guys who have a lot to prove and are excited about the opportunity.'
Miami Herald
a day ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill's still working on relationship after wideout's ‘I'm out' comment
The vast majority of the NFL world saw Tyreek Hill's infamous tirade at the end of the 2024 season. It produced a myriad of reactions — most of which tended to scold Hill — from pundits and fans alike. What was more so unclear, however, was how the star receiver's purported trade request affected the team as a whole. And while Hill has since recanted his statement — in addition to even publicly apologizing to quarterback Tua Tagovailoa — it appears that the duo's relationship still needs work. 'We're still continuing' to rebuild it, Tagovailoa said Wednesday morning. 'But it's not just with me — it's with a lot of the guys. I'm not the only one who heard that. You guys aren't the only people that heard that.' Added Tagovailoa: 'When you say something like that, you don't just come back from that with 'Hey my bad.' You got to work that relationship up. You got to build everything up again. It's still a work in process.' Following a disappointing 32-20 less to the New York Jets in the Dolphins' 2024 season finale, Hill didn't hold back his feelings. 'There are a lot of things I need to reassess about my career,' Hill said Jan. 5. 'Just see what I need to do to continue to get better as a player so I can continue to reach that 1,000-yard mark. It [stinks] missing QB 1 [Tagovailoa].... I've got to do what's best for me and my family, whether that's here or wherever the case may be. I'm opening the door. I'm out, bro. 'It was great playing here, but at the end of the day, I've got to do what's best for my career. I'm too much of a competitor to be just out there.' Granted, Hill played a full 17-game season with a fractured wrist and had just missed the playoffs for the first time in his career. Tagovailoa, conversely, had missed a total of six games, four due to a concussion and a final two with a hip injury. It was also arguably the worst season of Hill's career since his rookie year in 2016. Hill was admittedly frustrated to say the least. 'It was tough,' Hill said of the incident in late May, adding that he's gone to therapy to help gain a better control of his mental health. 'Obviously, emotions were high then, but at the end of the day I'm just looking to move forward from that.' The eight-time Pro Bowler further explained himself during the first day of training camp. 'I know how to lose but in those moments, I need to be better as a leader and I realized that throughout this whole entire offseason,' Hill said Tuesday, praising the fans and Miami community as a whole for embracing him. 'I feel like I really haven't been giving the best version of Tyreek my whole entire career.' The offseason seemingly gave Hill a bit of perspective. Not only did the nine-year veteran go on an apology tour during Super Bowl week, he made a point to go above and beyond in his training . Hill also had surgery in an effort to be ready in time for training camp. 'As a leader of this team and also a leader of this community, I just need to be better in that sense and just know that there's a ton of little kids who look up to me as a player and as a role model,' Hill said Tuesday, adding that he 'matured a lot.' 'I just got to remind myself of that.' Even Tagovailoa has noticed the changes, praising his star wideout for the introspection. 'He's working on himself,' Tagovailoa said, explaining that he has shown 'a lot more vulnerability,' something that the franchise quarterback believed to be 'the first step to him building true relationships.' 'He's working on the things that he says he wants to get better with and be better on. So that's the first step to me and so I commend him for doing that.'
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Will Zach Sieler hold out from Dolphins training camp?
Zach Sieler still has two years left on the contract extension he signed with the Miami Dolphins in 2023, but the defensive lineman has clearly outplayed that deal. After he was voted MVP of the Dolphins at the end of the 2024 season, the defensive lineman could be in line for another bump in pay that keeps him in Miami for the foreseeable future. So will Sieler be a full participant at training camp when veterans report Tuesday? His agent Drew Rosenhaus isn't making any promises. While the Dolphins don't have much salary cap space to work with -- less than $2 million, according to Over The Cap -- an extension for Sieler could actually be mutually beneficial. Not only would Miami secure a defensive leader for more years in the future, the team could also work to lower Sieler's cap hit for the 2025 season. After counting just $3.36 million and $6.31 million against the Dolphins' 2023 and 2024 salary caps, respectively, Sieler is due to count $12.45 million in 2025 and $11.5 million in 2026. An extension could potentially lower those 2025 and 2026 numbers by upwards of $5 million each year. On the field, Sieler has been an impactful cornerstone up front with exactly 10 sacks in each of the last two seasons. He's the first Dolphins player to reach double-digit sacks in consecutive seasons since Cameron Wake did so nearly a decade ago. The 300-pound lineman is also among Miami's best run defenders, finishing last season with a career-best 13 tackles for loss. Last year, no Dolphins player was absent from training camp due to contract demands, although quarterback Tua Tagovailoa staged a "hold in" with limited reps through the first few days of practices. But after just a few days of camp, Tagovailoa received a record-breaking deal from the Dolphins.
NBC Sports
3 days ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Dolphins' Jaylen Wright: "I know I can be a top back in this league"
The Dolphins drafted running back Jaylen Wright last year and got a strong start from the rookie, who averaged 5.3 yards per carry over his first six games. And then they got nothing from him for the rest of the season, as he averaged just 1.8 yards per carry over the remainder of 2024. So which version of Wright will show up in 2025? Wright said on Up & Adams that he is very confident he has what it takes to make an impact in the Dolphins' offense, for the full year this time. 'I know I can be a top back in this league,' Wright said. 'I feel like just my skill set, my ability and the system I'm in, it sets me up to be great. It's God's plan, staying the course. It's a long season, staying the course, doing what I got to do every time I touch that rock, every time the ball comes to me just make a play with the ball. I'm very excited. I'm very blessed to be in this position. It's going to be a very great year this year.' Wright is part of a running back room in Miami that also includes De'Von Achane, Alexander Mattison and rookie Ollie Gordon, and he'll have to compete for carries. Wright has said he's in better shape this year and the Dolphins hope they see Wright produce for 17 games this year like he produced for six games last year.
Miami Herald
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Pundits skeptical of, or fed up, with Dolphins, challenge McDaniel. And personnel notes
A six-pack of Dolphins notes on a Wednesday: ▪ Among on-air pundits, there's little conviction about this team heading into the start of training camp next Wednesday. Some are fed up after 25 years of mediocrity. ESPN's Damien Woody described the Dolphins' offense as 'empty calories. They do a lot of eye candy, but ultimately it means nothing, nothing. When was the last time the Dolphins won a meaningful game? When was the last time Tua Tagovailoa made plays out of the structure? They don't have any of that. They don't play physical. They don't capture the line of scrimmage. When I look at this team, captains no longer on the roster. They need to play the game the way it's supposed to be played.' ESPN's Field Yates lamented that 'this is a team whose football business is often mediocre.' ESPN's Mina Kimes said the defensive backfield is among the worst in the league and the cornerback group is probably the worst in the league. Former NFL executive Louis Riddick said on X: 'The Dolphins [are] the very definition of uncertainty going into 2025. Have zero idea what this team will look like, play like, come together like chemistry wise. Zero. Fascinating to me.' He added, on 'NFL Live,' that 'Mike McDaniel has got to make some adjustments. This team was not good enough. Bottom quarter of the league, pass block win rate, run block win rate.' ESPN's Booger McFarland also continues to put pressure on McDaniel. 'This offense is not the same,' he said. '… I'm going to start at the top with Mike McDaniel. We give him a lot of the credit when the offense hit the scene, 'boy genius.' He came out and was new and innovative. Now that the league has started to catch up with you, what exactly are you going to do? They've got to become more physical, need a bigger back — nothing against De'Von Achane... It's not just Tua Tagovailoa. Mike McDaniel has to become more innovative as a play-caller and head coach.' ESPN's Ryan Clark said the issue is that even though the Dolphins dress up plays with presnap motion, other teams have figured out that 'once they snap the ball, they always end up in the same spot. What is that adjustment going to be to give me something different post-snaps than I've seen throughout your tenure, Mike McDaniel? This offense has to evolve.' ▪ The Dolphins likely will add a veteran starting cornerback at some point in the weeks ahead, with Rasul Douglas, Asante Samuel Jr., Stephon Gilmore, James Bradberry and Mike Hilton the top options. (They have maintained dialogue with Douglas.) For now, Artie Burns and Kendall Sheffield remain the only additions who have played in the league. Some notes on Burns: The former Miami Hurricanes and Miami Northwestern standout had four interceptions in his four years and 32 starts for Pittsburgh but struggled badly at times with the Steelers after being drafted 26th overall in 2016.... But after a year with Seattle, the 6-0 Burns has been pretty good in pass coverage in a limited role in three years with Seattle, which included some time on the Seahawks' practice squad. In 2022, he played just 16 defensive snaps for the Seahawks and didn't allow a catch in one target. In 231 defensive snaps for Seattle in 2023, he allowed a decent 89.4 passer rating in his coverage area (13 for 20 for 159 yards and no TDs). In just 51 defensive snaps last season for Seattle, he yielded three completions in seven targets for 29 yards and no TDs, equal to a strong 55.1 passer rating in his coverage area. When he's active for games, Burns is helpful on special teams. He has played at least 181 special teams snaps three times in his career. ▪ If you missed it, NFL analytics guru Warren Sharp made a strong defense of Tagovailoa, based on data, on X in recent weeks. Among his points: Tagovailoa has been the league's eighth-best quarterback when trailing in the second half; is the NFL's only QB to rank in the top five in EPA (expected points added) and success rate each of the past three seasons; ranks second in yards per completion and completion rate over the past three seasons; and is second in completion rate on passes of 15-plus air yards. He noted that Tagovailoa, Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson are the only quarterbacks with winning records each of the past five years (counting only games they started). ▪ Per the Dolphins have the NFL's fifth-easiest schedule this season, with a combined opponent win percentage of 47.4 last season and an average projected opponent win total of 8.24. ESPN, BetMGM and other websites have the Dolphins ranked between 21st and 26th in Super Bowl odds. ▪ There has been clear progress in eliminating the tardiness and lack of discipline that were an issue last season. McDaniel has made clear it won't be tolerated. Asked about McDaniel's message, cornerback Kader Kohou said: 'We kind of need to get a new identity. There's not going to be a lot of slack. Everyone has to be on their [bleep].' And what about the soft label that has stuck to the team? 'We're not soft,' Kohou said. 'We just have to win more games and win the big ones.' ▪ Quick stuff from new guard James Daniels: He has been impressed watching second-year linebacker Chop Robinson: 'Chop has a lot of stuff in his bag.'... The biggest difference in the culture between Pittsburgh (where he played the last three seasons) and Miami? 'Music is always played in the building here,' he said... He said rookie guard Jonah Savaiinaea 'is always texting me, always texting other players asking for advice. It's not an easy offense. I'm proud of his development.' But he also remains unsigned, because second-round picks are taking a stand in a demand for guaranteed money in the fourth year of their rookie deals. If this doesn't get resolved in the next several weeks, then Liam Eichenberg would become the favorite to start at guard opening day opposite Daniels, presuming he's ready after last season's Achilles tear.
