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Go To: FlashUpdate / August Update Main Page
| Miami Dolphins | ||||||||||
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Go To: Off-season Team Review
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| Most Recent News Updates: | ||||||||||
| MIA -- Rosenhaus: Wilson Should Return For Week 5 (9/01/11:54 CT) | ||||||||||
| MIA -- McDaniel Praises Mostert, Who Opens Season As Team's Undisputed RB1 (9/01/09:08 CT) | ||||||||||
| MIA -- Wilson On IR WIth Midsection, Finger Injuries; Ingold Highest-Paid FB (8/31/20:03 CT) | ||||||||||
| MIA -- League Spokesman Says No Action Against Hill For Offseason Incident (8/31/13:08 CT) | ||||||||||
| MIA -- With Wilson On IR And Achane Uncertain For Week 1, Dolphins Thin At RB (8/31/10:28 CT) | ||||||||||
| MIA -- Dolphins Place RB Wilson On IR To Open The Season (8/31/09:37 CT) | ||||||||||
| MIA -- Contract Extension For Tua Won't Come This Year (8/31/00:05 CT) | ||||||||||
| MIA -- Grier: Taylor Talks Were Exploratory; Waddle Never Available (8/30/14:49 CT) | ||||||||||
| MIA -- Dolphins Free Cap Space By Reworking WR Wilson's Contract (8/29/12:34 CT) | ||||||||||
| MIA -- Dolphins Release RB Gaskin (8/29/09:36 CT) | ||||||||||
| MIA -- Looking More Like Status Quo At RB... With A Touch Of Achance (8/27/19:29 CT) | ||||||||||
| MIA -- Davis In The Concussion Protocol (8/27/14:48 CT) | ||||||||||
| MIA -- Davis Released From Hospital; Will Return To Miami Today (8/27/09:56 CT) | ||||||||||
| MIA -- More On Davis Injury; Starters Saw Limited Action In Suspended Game (8/27/00:06 CT) | ||||||||||
| MIA -- Dolphins-Jaguars Canceled After Injury To Dolphins WR Davis (8/26/20:55 CT) | ||||||||||
| MIA -- McDaniel Addresses Criticism Of Tagovailoa (8/24/21:12 CT) | ||||||||||
| MIA -- McDaniel: Leaving Discussions About Jonathan Taylor To GM Grier (8/24/12:04 CT) | ||||||||||
| MIA -- White Still Not Cleared To Return From Concussion (8/24/11:07 CT) | ||||||||||
| MIA -- Reports: Dolphins Inquired About Jacobs; Still Interested In Taylor (8/24/09:20 CT) | ||||||||||
| MIA -- Tua Takes Critics To Task (8/23/21:04 CT) | ||||||||||
| MIA -- Mostert Not Worried About Dolphins' Possible Interest In Taylor (8/22/16:15 CT) | ||||||||||
| MIA -- More On Achane; Still Not Clear He'll Be Ready Week 1 (8/21/19:14 CT) | ||||||||||
| MIA -- Report: Dolphins Will Explore Trading For Colts RB Taylor (8/21/17:28 CT) | ||||||||||
| MIA -- Achane Week To Week With Shoulder Injury; White Concussed (8/21/11:34 CT) | ||||||||||
| MIA -- Tua, McDaniel Happy Withy QB's Play (8/21/01:07 CT) | ||||||||||
| MIA -- Tua Gets On Track Vs. Texans After Initial INT (8/19/21:08 CT) | ||||||||||
| MIA -- Achane Schedule To Have MRI On Shoulder Sunday (8/19/20:26 CT) | ||||||||||
| MIA -- Achane Carted To Lockerroom With Upper Body Injury (8/19/17:21 CT) | ||||||||||
| MIA -- McDaniel Happy With His Current RB Room (8/18/00:28 CT) | ||||||||||
| MIA -- LT Armstead Says he Should Be Good After Injury Scare (8/17/12:46 CT) | ||||||||||
| MIA -- McDaniels Coy When Asked If Tua Will See Exhibition Action (8/17/12:18 CT) | ||||||||||
| MIA -- Achane Shows He Can Battle For Yards If Need Be(8/15/00:29 CT) | ||||||||||
| MIA -- Dolphins Sign WR Coutee (8/13/17:10 CT) | ||||||||||
| MIA -- Waddle Suffers Midsection Injury, Not Considered Long-Term Issue (8/12/17:20 CT) | ||||||||||
| MIA -- Waddle's Injury Isn't A Long-Term Concern (8/11/22:47 CT) | ||||||||||
| MIA -- Tagovailoa Not Expected To Play In Opener (8/11/17:45 CT) | ||||||||||
| MIA -- Waddle Leaves Joint Practice With Falcons Early Due To Injury (8/09/10:38 CT) | ||||||||||
| MIA -- Teammates Impressed With Achane,Call Rookie RB The Total Package (8/09/09:01 CT) | ||||||||||
| MIA -- Backup QB Battle Close; TE Depth Shaking Out; Hill, Waddle Making Hay (8/08/00:45 CT) | ||||||||||
| MIA -- Initial Issues And Injuries Of Note (8/08/00:00 CT) | ||||||||||
Current News Updates
9/01 Following up on the ongoing story. ... Acccording to Miami-based sportscaster Josh Moser, Jeff Wilson Jr’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, says Wilson should not be on IR for long after the four week mandatory window. Wilson missed the preseason dealing with a rib and a pinky injury. The hope is that he returns Week 5 against the Giants on Oct. 8th.9/01 Starting running back Raheem Mostert spent much of the offseason hearing talk that the team was going to bring in another running back to supplant him on the depth chart. There was talk of a trade for Josh Jacobs, signing Dalvin Cook, and most recently trading for Jonathan Taylor. Mostert ignored it all. So when Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel was asked what he has seen from Mostert as he prepares for this season, he praised Mostert for not letting anything distract him. “Outstanding focus,” McDaniel said of Mostert. “I couldn’t highlight a guy in a better light. He’s someone that’s directly heard a ton of noise for months and months and months. It’s almost like every day that it’s loud, you see extra focus, and that epitomizes the journey of an NFL player. We’re in a very fortunate business to be able to do the things we do on the stage we do and be compensated the way we are. However, it comes at a cost, and that’s a lot of people having opinions that directly or indirectly relate to you, and you can’t control that at all. I think the sooner that you open your eyes to that, the better. So to have a guy like Raheem, who I’ve had such a cool journey with, and to watch him work, is the exact thing that you have to do in this business at some point in time. Look, we’re all earning our day to day and not entitled to anything, and he shows exactly that with how he carries himself. I’m so proud of him as a professional. Just another reason why I have such a strong human connection with that player. ...” Mostert is coming off a season in which he gained a career-high 891 rushing yards for the Dolphins last season. Now that they know he’s the No. 1 running back, the Dolphins are hoping for even more from Mostert this season -- espeically with Jeff Wilson Jr. opening the season on IR and rookie Devon Achane uncertain for Week 1 due to a shoulder injury. 8/31 RB Jeff Wilson Jr. (hand) was placed on injured reserve and will miss at least the first four games of 2023. HC Mike McDaniel on Thursday said Wilson has a midsection injury and is dealing with some finger issues, though he wouldn't be surprised if the RB returns this season. ... Meanwhile, FB Alec Ingold has agreed to terms on a three-year extension worth up to $17.2 million, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reports, per a source. Ingold passes Pat Ricard as the AFC’s highest-paid fullback on a deal that ties the versatile weapon and team leader to Miami through 2026, per Pelissero. Miami has since announced the news. 8/31 On WR Tyreek Hill and his off-the-field issues this offseason: NFL Network is reporting a league spokesman says there will be no action taken by the league. 8/31 Following up on the previous item. ... The Dolphins have moved running back Jeff Wilson Jr., defensive back Jalen Ramsey, and offensive lineman Robert Jones to IR. All three will be out for at least the first four games of the season, but can be designated to return at any point after that. While Ramsey and Jones were expected to go on IR with their respective injuries that will take some time to heal, Wilson landing on the list was more of a surprise. He was absent from practice earlier this week with an undisclosed injury. The Dolphins are also dealing with injuries to Salvon Ahmed and De’Von Achane at running back with Week 1 approaching. 8/31 The Dolphins placed CB Jalen Ramsey, OL Robert Jones and RB Jeff Wilson Jr. on injured reserve. This is the first we've heard that Wilson is injured. All three are out at least four games; Ramsey is expected back in December. 8/31 The Dolphins displayed a level of commitment to quarterback Tua Tagovailoa earlier in the offseason when they exercised the fifth-year option on his contract for 2024. But the team hasn’t reached a long-term agreement with Tagovailoa, the No. 5 overall pick of the 2020 draft. As the Dolphins get ready to open the season against the Chargers in Los Angeles, GM Chris Grier said on Wednesday that Miami is putting contract talks with Tagovailoa’s representation on hold until after the season. “I think just think for him, it’s just to let Tua play again,” Grier said, via Alain Poupart of SI.com. “Those things can be a big distraction, family, friends, you guys [the media], everyone constantly asking him about it. His agents and I have had discussions just general but not really about that and just kind of agreed, like, let’s just let him play out the season, and then we’ll attack that in the offseason. ...” Tagovailoa put together his best season in 2022, completing 64.8 percent of his passes for 3,548 yards with 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He led the league among qualified players in passer rating (105.5), yards per attempt (8.9), and yards per completion (13.7). But the biggest question with Tagovailoa remains whether or not the quarterback will stay healthy. He missed four games last season — plus the playoff loss to Buffalo — and has never played more than 13 games in a season. 8/30 A report on Wednesday indicated that the Colts asked the Dolphins for wide receiver Jaylen Waddle as they discussed a trade that would send running back Jonathan Taylor to Miami. GM Chris Grier didn’t confirm that those conversations went on during what he called “exploratory talks” with the Colts about Taylor, but he said it wouldn’t have been a lengthy conversation if the Dolphins did broach the subject. “Jaylen Waddle would not be available, no matter who they’re calling to talk about,” Grier said, via Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN.com. 8/29 The Dolphins have freed up some more cap space ahead of the start of the regular season. Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reports that they have reworked the contract of wide receiver Cedrick Wilson. They converted $3 million of his $5 million guaranteed salary and voided the final year of his deal so he becomes a free agent after the 2023 season. There are also $2.5 million in incentives available. Wilson had 12 catches for 136 yards during the 2022 season. The move opens around $3 million in cap space for the Dolphins. They were linked to running back Dalvin Cook before he signed with the Jets and have been mentioned as possible suitors in a trade for Jonathan Taylor, so they may have some ideas about what they’d like to do with that extra room. Remember, they have reportedly released RB Myles Gaskin, adding to teh intrigue. 8/29 According to Adam Schefter, the Dolphins have released RB Myles Gaskin. ... We'll be posting complete moves as they're reported through today's 4 p.m. ET deadline on our NFL Roster Cuts page. 8/27 According to ESPN.com's Marcel Louis-Jacques, despite serious conversations about interest in Dalvin Cook and Jonathan Taylor, the Dolphins enter the season with virtually the same running backs room as last year. Devon Achane, currently dealing with a shoulder injury figures to carve out a prominent role alongside Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. at some point in 2023. 8/27 HC Mike McDaniel said rookie WR Daewood Davis just got into team facility. He’s in the concussion protocol. McDaniel said he’s doing a lot better than last night. “There’s a lot of guys that are very, very happy to see him.” 8/27 WR Daewood Davis has been released from the hospital. He will travel home to Miami today with team personnel. 8/27 Following up on the previous item. ... WR Daewood Davis was carted off the field in an immobilized position after a collision in the fourth quarter of a preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday night. Davis was taken to a hospital for evaluation, the Dolphins announced, adding that he was conscious and had movement in all his extremities. Davis ran a slant route and was trying to catch a pass from James Blackman when he took a hard hit from Jacksonville’s Dequan Jackson, who was flagged for unnecessary roughness. The entire Miami bench emptied, and Jaguars players also came onto the field as Davis laid face-down on the turf for several minutes. “For Daewood, I don’t think he woke up this morning understanding that there are repercussions playing this sport, that this was going to happen,” said quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who suffered two high-profile concussions last season. “I don’t think anyone wakes up thinking things like that are going to happen. ...” After he was carted off, Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel and Jaguars coach Doug Pederson spoke on the field and agreed to stop the game with 8:32 remaining in the fourth quarter and the Jaguars leading 31-18. “I think it would have been extremely hard for the guys to have gone out and continued to play. The kind of person that Daewood is, a lot of guys respect him,” Tagovailoa said. “He’s very well respected in the locker room. He’s a great player. He’s a great teammate. He’s a great person. It just would have been hard to have gone back out after seeing something like that.” Said McDaniel: “The two teams agreed that football shouldn’t be played anymore tonight. Without a shadow of a doubt it was the right call. ...” Tagovailoa also played two series, going 4 of 6 for 67 yards. The Dolphins started strong with Tagovailoa finding Tyreek Hill for 32 yards on the opening play. But on the next play, center Connor Williams snapped the ball over Tagovailoa’s head and forced the Dolphins backwards. After an incompletion and a short pass to Raheem Mostert, Miami was forced to punt. Skylar Thompson took over for Tagovailoa and played until the fourth quarter, completing 15 of 24 passes for 135 yards and two interceptions. With Mike White still sidelined in the concussion protocol, Thompson has been more good than bad this preseason, but with Tagovailoa's health worries and White's unknown status, it's possible that Thompson could be the QB2 in Week 1. As NFL.com suggests, the worry is consistency. He made the team as a camp feel-good story a year ago but struggled in two of his three starts as a rookie. There's still some trust lacking despite Thompson looking like a better football player than he was a year ago. ... Chris Brooks had two rushing TDs for the Dolphins in the second half, each from 4 yards. Jason Sanders kicked two field goals for Miami, who open their regular season in Los Angeles against the Chargers on Sept. 10, the first of two straight road games to start the season. ... You can access complete stats for Saturday's Week 3 exhibition finale via our exclusive Fantasy BoxScore. 8/26 The Dolphins and Jaguars suspended the rest of tonight’s game after Miami WR Daewood Davis was carted off the field on a stretcher with just over eight minutes to play in the fourth quarter. Davis was taken to Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville for further evaluation. He is conscious and has movement in all extremities. ... We'll have more as further details come to light. 8/24 Following up on a previous item. ... On Wednesday, Tua Tagovailoa had a chance to respond to recent criticism from ESPN’s Ryan Clark regarding Tua’s physique. On Thursday, HC Mike McDaniel was asked about Tua’s decision to come to his own defense. McDaniel was happy to get the question — because he wasn’t happy about the narrative. “I was starting to get annoyed, I was hoping for the opportunity to talk about, if I understand your question correctly, how Tua’s offseason has been,” McDaniel told reporters. “I can say hard facts that I’ve seen with my own eyes. And its top five on the team in terms of, we’ve had a lot of guys really stepped their game up. If you want to talk about somebody that’s committed to doing what he’s doing for the right reasons, he was already invested before this year, but then taking a bunch of things that have happened, he really put an onus on controlling what he can control. So you want to talk about every metric that [strength and conditioning coach] Dave Puloka and his strength staff really track, which is pretty much everything to the degree of blinks, every metric of strength that is measured, he’s shattered his previous highs. And in some instances, he’s almost twice as strong with things and that’s been a daily commitment that he hasn’t wavered from. He’s taken his nutrition to another level. He’s taken his commitment to what he’s trying to do and really thought outside the box and really, really worked at it, so I couldn’t be happier with the work that he’s put in and what I’ve factually viewed from my own eyes. ... We are getting the absolute best version of Tua that’s existed.” Last year, Tua showed a much greater level of commitment and focus that he had before, illustrated most clearly by his decision to work extensively on the field before games. And if he had played all 17 regular-season games and been available for the playoffs, who knows how far they would have gone? As Profootballtalk.com suggests, if he’s healthy this year — and if he has improved as much as McDaniel says — the Dolphins could be unstoppable. It all comes down to that first “if.” 8/24 The Dolphins are one of the teams with reported interest in running back Jonathan Taylor, who was granted permission to seek a trade earlier this week. HCMike McDaniel was asked about that interest during his Thursday press conference and successfully avoided tampering with his answer, at first joking that his two-year-old daughter “just tweeted a report.” McDaniel added: “I’ve said this before: I’m not going to speak about other players. And how many times do I have to explain, Chris Grier’s job is to work. He works at it a lot and keeps me abreast when they’re real. Generally when things are real, I don’t have questions about them. There’s been kind of a consistent pattern where we’ve talked about all sorts of players. So reports, whatever, that’s kind of the — it seems like the noise that is around the business.” McDaniel added that he’d be doing a “terrible job” as a head coach if he were focused on the rumors instead of the 90 players he’s leading in Thursday’s practice. But, it’s been clear that Miami has been looking to add to its run game. The club was interested in Dalvin Cook before he signed with the Jets and reportedly checked in with the Raiders about Josh Jacobs. While the Dolphins have a solid stable of backs, McDaniel noted he’s always valued the position. “Let’s say on an average season with 17 games now, you have 1,200 plays on each side of the ball. And how many of those plays are the running backs touching it? It’s a valuable position that you have to have depth at,” McDaniel said. “It’s a big portion of your touches and you understand that in that process, that you have to have a good solid group for the team and for your offense for the whole year. And I got my feet wet, really, in NFL game planning in the run game. So it’s near and dear to my heart. ...” As Profootballtalk.com suggests, if the Dolphins were to add Taylor, that could take the offense to another level. But Miami will have to examine if the cost of acquiring Taylor plus the cost of making him happy with a new, lucrative contract is worth it. 8/24 As Profootballtalk.com notes, Mike White won’t be able to make a final case to be the Dolphins backup quarterback in the team’s final preseason game. White went into the concussion protocol earlier this week and head coach Mike McDaniel said at his Thursday press conference that White has not been cleared to return to action. McDaniel said he didn’t know when that would change, but that White will not play in Saturday’s game against the Jaguars. Tua Tagovailoa is expected to play against the Jaguars and White’s absence means Skylar Thompson will be the next quarterback into the game for Miami. McDaniel said White and Thompson have been competing to be the backup this summer, so Thompson will get one last chance to show why he should be the choice. Regardless of how Thompson and White stack up, Tagovailoa’s injury history would seem to make it likely that all three quarterbacks will remain on the roster through next week’s cut to 53 players. 8/24 The Miami Dolphins inquired about the availability of running back Josh Jacobs but were told by the Las Vegas Raiders that he is not available, league sources tell The Athletic's Vic Tafur. NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe reports the same, noting the Dolphins' exploratory call odidn’t go far. Miami has some interest in elite RB trade market -- Jonathan Taylor, Jacobs -- but only up to a certain price, Wolfe is told. 8/22 Tua Tagovailoa was asked on Wednesday about criticism from ESPN analyst Ryan Clark, who apparently called Tua out for his time in the gym and his nutritional habits. Tua, reserved and polite most of the time, had a response for Clark that eventually was neither. “He probably knows more about me than I know about myself,”. Tua said when asked about the remarks. “I don’t know. Ryan’s been out of the league for a long time. I don’t know. It’s a little weird when other people are talking about other people, when they’re not that person. ..." Tua has faced plenty of criticism in recent years. It hasn’t helped that the Dolphins seemed to be hellbent on supplanting him, starting with an obsession to trade for Deshaun Watson early in the 2021 season and continuing with a crackpot scheme to land Tom Brady and Sean Payton after the 2021 season. Still, it’s clear that Tua has a limit. “I come from a Samoan family, like, respect is everything,” he said. “But, you know, it does get to a point where, ‘Hey, a little easy on that buddy.’ I think we’re pretty tough-minded people, but if we need to get scrappy, we can get scrappy. Just saying.” Most of the criticism of Tua relates to his inability to stay healthy. This year, he can change the narrative. As Profootballtalk.com suggests, if he does, he’ll likely secure the long-term QB1 job in Miami, and the contract that goes with it. If he doesn’t, 2024 could be his last year in Miami. 8/22 The report that the Dolphins might trade for Colts RB Jonathan Taylor didn’t faze Miami’s current starting running back, Raheem Mostert. Mostert said today that he’s only focused on what he can do to help the team, not any other potential moves the team might make. “I’m not worried about another man coming in. I’m worried about perfecting my craft,” Mostert said, via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Mostert said he has good communications with head coach Mike McDaniel and thinks the team will tell him if there are serious trade talks with the Colts for Taylor. But for now, Mostert is the No. 1 running back on the depth chart, and he’s not concerned about that changing. 8/21 As previously noted, RB Devon Achane is considered "week-to-week" after leaving Saturday's preseason win over the Houston Texans with a shoulder injury. HC Mike McDaniel said the rookie avoided "anything severe" with the injury. The 2023 third-round draft pick had a Texans defensive lineman fall on him toward the end of a play in the third quarter but was able to return to the sideline under his own power. After a few minutes, he was taken back to the locker room on a cart. It has yet to be determined whether the shoulder injury will keep him out of the team's regular-season opener against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sept. 10. ... Quarterback Mike White was also injured in Saturday's game, McDaniel said, and is in the concussion protocol. White suffered the injury while filling in for Skylar Thompson, who at the time was being a evaluated for a concussion on the sideline. There is no timetable for White's return, but the team is expected to sign quarterback James Blackman two weeks after releasing him. 8/21 There is at least one team that has a potential interest in trading for Colts running back Jonathan Taylor. According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the Dolphins are expected to explore a deal for Taylor. Indianapolis granted Taylor permission to seek a trade on Monday, according to multiple reports. The Dolphins reportedly had an interest in running back Dalvin Cook before he signed with the Jets. But Miami, who has several effective RBs, was not interested enough to outbid New York. Jackson notes that he’s not sure what the Dolphins would offer the Colts for Taylor. But Miami does like that Taylor is young and in his prime. Presumably, Taylor would want a new contract from any team he’s traded to. He’s about to enter the last year of his rookie deal after the Colts selected him in the second round of the 2020 draft. Dealing with an ankle injury last season, Taylor rushed for 861 yards with four touchdowns in 11 games. Back in 2021, Taylor was a first-team All-Pro when he led the league with 1,811 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns along with 2,171 yards from scrimmage and 20 total TDs. 8/21 RB Devon Achane (shoulder) is considered week-to-week but avoided a severe injury after having defensive lineman fall on him, per head coach Mike McDaniel. ... QB Mike White is in the concussion protocol and won't play this week, McDaniel announced. ... Stay tuned. We'll be looking for more details on Achane as they come to light. 8/21 Following up on the previous item. ... Tua Tagovailoa saw his first preseason action on Saturday in the Dolphins' 28-3 win over the Texans, and though he got off to a shaky start the quarterback was able to bounce back for what eventually amounted to be a strong first showing back from an injury-hampered 2022 season. "You know, I told him before the game, I did not expect him to play that long but if adversity comes our way, to seize it, and he took it extremely literal. To me, it's like, 'Alright, perfect. What are you going to do?'" head coach Mike McDaniel said after the game, via team transcript. "That is exactly what preseason is for, that's why you want somebody to play. I'm glad he got it out of the way. But more importantly, the team didn't blink. The team had a pretty short field to defend, and what a momentum swing that is when your defense can come up and not bat an eye, hold a team to not have points and then progress from there. I was happy with the way the team responded to that." Along with the excitement of seeing Tagovailoa make the in-game adjustments, it was also good to see the quarterback come away from the game without injury, despite taking a few big hits. Tagovailoa has added new elements to his offseason workout program in light of last season's concussions, specifically practicing jiu jitsu techniques which teach one to safely fall while protecting the body, a key skill when getting tackled a dozen times a game. And Tagovailoa put that preparation to use in a game for the first time Saturday, with what he described as positive results. "It's how you react to it," he said. "It's a physical sport. It's tough. But yeah, went out there and was expecting to get hit, was expecting to go to the ground, all of that." If Tagovailoa can stay healthy the Dolphins' offensive potential skyrockets. While he was on the field last season the unit was one of the most potent in the league. That chemistry and big-play ability was on display Saturday, as even after Tagovailoa's night ended the offense continued to put up points with backup Skylar Thompson at the helm, totaling 398 net yards by the end of the game. "It was awesome. You get all the feelings that you normally feel of getting back out there again. Butterflies, anxious to get out there, all these thoughts going through your head," Tagovailoa said. "But I thought it felt really good being able to go out there, call plays with the guys, the camaraderie in the huddle. Things didn't go our way, adversity hit, and it was cool to see the guys respond." 8/19 According to NFL.com's Nick Shook, "Miami's offense is primed for the regular season. ..." Tua Tagovailoa's first pass attempt in Saturday's game against the Texans was a mistake, resulting in a Denzel Perryman interception. It was the only mistake he'd make all day. Tagovailoa followed up his turnover by engineering an excellent 14-play, 93-yard drive that included multiple key completions and ended in a ?Raheem Mostert? touchdown run. The methodical march was so impressive, Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel sent Tagovailoa to the bench for the rest of the afternoon, handing the keys to Skylar Thompson, who continued Miami's offensive momentum by leading three scoring drives of 80-plus yards. The Dolphins excelled through the air (especially on third down) and on the ground, and no matter what Houston presented Miami, McDaniel had an answer for it. 8/19 RB Devon Achane, who left Saturday’s game on a cart, has a shoulder injury, HC Mike McDaniel said after the team’s 28-3 win at Houston. Achane, a third-round pick, will undergo an MRI on Sunday to determine the severity. He might have initially injured the shoulder on his 20-yard run in the second quarter when Texans safety Eric Murray slammed Achane to the ground. Achane left on the cart in the third quarter. He had 27 yards on six carries before leaving. ... We'll be watching for more. 8/19 Devon Achane was carted to the locker room after being examined in the blue medical tent on the sideline of today's game against the Texans, according to multiple reporters on the scene. Achane, a rookie third-round pick, exited the game in the third quarter with what some have speculated is a shoulder injury. In the first half, Achane had an impressive 20-yard carry on third-and-14 to move the chains. His last play in the third quarter was a 6-yard run. In all, Achane has 27 yards on six carries in Saturday’s game against the Texans. Last week, he had 10 carries for 25 yards against the Falcons. ... We'll continue watching for more. 8/18 The Miami Dolphins lost out on adding Dalvin Cook, with the veteran inking a deal with the rival New York Jets, but head coach Mike McDaniel likes the current crew in his running backs room. "I'm very happy with our running back group," he said Wednesday, via the team's official transcript. "There's been a ton of development since camp started for already talented guys that I very much believe in. So overall, I'm really pumped with the running back group. As far as other team's transactions, really, I haven't even paid that much attention other than to what is today? Today is practice. The 16th of August. And I'm very happy with the crew that we're going to compete with and pumped to compete against this unit, too." The Dolphins re-signed four players from last year's backfield -- Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson Jr., Salvon Ahmed, Myles Gaskin -- and added third-round speedster Devon Achane. Despite bringing back their top two options, Miami became a destination linked to Cook. However, it always seemed like a luxury item. The Dolphins would gladly add a player of Cook's caliber, but they wouldn't pony up a lot of dough. NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe reported that the club's talks with Cook didn't get close to the money he received from the Jets -- up to $8.6 million for one year. As NFL.com noted, Miami's rushing attack struggled early last year before trading for Wilson midway through the campaign. Mostert, who led the Dolphins with 891 yards in 16 games last season, and Wilson project to split carries early in the season. Achane should play the pass-catching role out of the gate and could siphon off carries as the year progresses. With the trio healthy, it makes sense that the Dolphins weren't willing to match the Jets' offer for Cook. Now, however, Miami must face the South Florida native twice this season, with the first matchup coming Friday, Nov. 24, at MetLife Stadium. 8/17 LT Terron Armstead texted NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe that he should be "good" following an injury scare in which he was carted off the field after suffering an apparently leg injury. Armstead added that he will undergo an MRI exam to be 100 percent certain that he's OK. 8/17 Tua Tagovailoa didn’t play in the team’s first preseason game this summer and head coach Mike McDaniel isn’t ready to say if he’s going to play against the Texans this weekend. As Profootballtalk.com notes, McDaniel opened his Thursday press conference by saying that the team’s second joint practice with Houston would help him make “some decisions this afternoon regarding who, where and why” for this weekend’s game. McDaniel was then asked specifically about quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and whether he’d feel comfortable with Tagovailoa going into the regular season without any preseason playing time. “I would probably hesitate to say that,” McDaniel said. “I would expect to see him in the preseason. However, you know me. I’m a wild card. I do think game reps are valuable depending on where you’re at in your journey from preseason setting up the regular season. I would expect him to play. ...” The Dolphins close out the preseason in Jacksonville and they open the regular season in Los Angeles against the Chargers. 8/15 As NFL.com acknowledged, there's speed to burn throughout the Dolphins' offense. Rookie running back Devon Achane seemed to offer an embarrassment in fleet-footed riches in that department when he was taken in the third round this spring. However, in Friday's exhibition opener against the Dolphins, Achane's toughness was on display more than anything. Doing his best behind a struggling Dolphins offensive line playing only two starters, Achane, who did show off his afterburners on a 38-yard kick return, had 10 carries for 25 yards. Hardly impressive, but he earned all those yards and battled for every inch. He added 41 yards on four receptions, including one grab over the middle in which he took a major hit to the breadbasket. Achane's speed has been measured and lauded, but the rookie's fortitude was impressive on Friday. 8/13 According to Pro Football Talk, the Dolphins have signed WR Keke Coutee. 8/12 According to Around the NFL, Dolphins WR Jaylen Waddle suffered a midsection injury this week, but is reportedly "fine" and there is not long-term concern. 8/11 WR Jaylen Waddle suffered an injury to his midsection this week, but is "fine" and there is not long-term concern, HC Mike McDaniel said. 8/11 According to Pro Football Talk, Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa is not expected to play in the preseason opener this weekend. 8/09 According to multiple reporters on the scene (via Profootballtalk.com), receiver Jaylen Waddle exited Miami’s joint practice with Atlanta on Wednesday with an apparent injury to his right midsection. Waddle stayed down after making a catch during team drills. While he was able to walk off the field under his own power, he was holding his right side while heading to the locker room with trainers. The No. 6 overall pick of the 2021 draft, Waddle led the league with 18.1 yards per reception in 2022. He caught 75 passes for 1,356 yards with eight touchdowns. As PFT noted, head coach Mike McDaniel addressed the media before practice, so there may not be an official update from the team on Waddle immediately after the joint session ends. 8/09 When asked about the possibility of signing running back Dalvin Cook recently, General Manager Chris Grier said he likes the team’s current group of backs. Third-round pick De’Von Achane is one of those backs. Achane showed off a ton of speed at the Combine, but some wondered if a player his size -- 5-9 and 188 pounds -- could do all that’s asked of him in the NFL. His teammates don’t seem to have that concern. Quarterback Mike White complimented Achane’s ability to pass protect after a joint practice with the Falcons and safety Brandon Jones calls Achane the “total package.” Wide receiver Jaylen Waddle is another one who has been impressed by the rookie. “I’ve seen him running between tackles and break tackles and stay on his feet and do a lot of amazing stuff this camp,” Waddle told Hal Habib of the Palm Beach Post. “I’m like, ‘Man, he’s going to be good. ...’” The Dolphins have several other running backs to go with the lingering possibility that Cook could join the group, so it remains to be seen how much Achane will be on the field. If the reviews keep sounding as good as this round, it’s a good bet that the rookie will have a big role right away. 8/08 As USA Today reminded readers, head coach Mike McDaniel and general manager Chris Grier brought in Mike White from the New York Jets to be the backup to Tua Tagovailoa. And, that’s an extremely important role in Miami, considering Tagovailoa’s injury history. So far, however, there doesn’t appear to be much of a difference between White and Skylar Thompson, Miami’s seventh-round pick from last year. It would be nice for someone to show that they want the job, but if both play well, it’s not bad a thing. ... Meanwhile, Durham Smythe and Tanner Conner entered camp as the only two returning tight ends from 2022, and the latter has been on the sidelines with an injury. Veterans Eric Saubert and Tyler Kroft have yet to stand out, and sixth-round pick Elijah Higgins could fall into the same category. If Miami’s expecting to replace the production, especially in the red zone, of Mike Gesicki, it might not be coming from the tight end position in 2023, unless something changes. ... What about the front line players? In Saturday's (8/5) practice, Tagovailoa found wide receiver Tyreek Hill for a 58-yard touchdown strike. According to USA Todays' Mike Masala, the route from Hill was another example of the prowess he and fellow wide out Jaylen Waddle display in their route running. The speed gets the marquee, but their attention to detail creates constant openings for the quarterback. This trio of passing game pros collected yards throughout the day. 8/08 Every 2023 scouting report and fantasy forecast for Tua Tagovailoa includes the same four words: "if he stays healthy." He missed four games in the regular season plus the playoff loss at Buffalo last year due to concussion complications, and the 2020 first-round pick (fifth overall) has yet to play more than 13 games in a season. He spent the offseason practicing jiu-jitsu and gaining muscle to help fight off the injury bug. "How do I feel now compared to a year ago? I'm smiling a lot more, so I would say good," Tagovailoa said. That smile stretches ear-to-ear when he looks at a WR depth chart featuring All-Pro Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. The Dolphins added more track-star speed in the draft, picking Texas A&M RB Devon Achane in Round 3. They are still in the mix for free agent running back Dalvin Cook as well. ... When he was healthy last season, Tua was terrific -- leading the NFL in TD percentage, yards per attempt and yards per completion and earning a spot in the fantasy HOF with a 469-yard, six-TD beauty to beat Baltimore. That upside remains. So does the risk.
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 Team Review
Fantasy Grade: B+
There were times last year when the Miami Dolphins appeared as prolific offensively as any team in the league under first-year head coach Mike McDaniel. Whether the team can repeat that success in 2023 (or build on it) will depend largely on one factor — the health of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Tagovailoa's biggest issue last year was concussions, and as head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters Tagovailoa 2021 an the way to Offensive Player of the Year honors. Kupp missed almost half the 2022 season, but he still averaged over 90 receiving yards a game, scored six touchdowns and ranked second among wideouts in PPR points per game. As Mike Faneli wrote at Fantasy Pros, when healthy Kupp is a fantasy machine. "Kupp averaged 18.2 half-point PPR fantasy points per genre last year and would have been the WR1 if not for a high ankle sprain despite Matthew Stafford's struggles," he said. "Furthermore, the superstar has been the most consistent fantasy wide receiver over the past two years. He scored 12.7 or more fantasy points in all but one game over the past two seasons, remov-ing the Week 10 matchup last year when he suffered the ankle injury, Meanwhile, Ku pp scored 20 or more fantasy points in 14 of those 26 games." Quarterback Matthew Stafford also struggled with injuries last year, putting the 35-year-old's future in jeop-ardy. However, Stafford assured reporters that he's fully healthy and confident that he will rebound in 2023. "It'll be a process as it always is to try and stay as healthy as you possibly can at all times,' Stafford said. "But I definitely feel like I can go out there and compete and do everything I want to do, which is fun and exciting for me: The Rams' backfield will be led by Cam Akers, who struggled to open the 2022 season as he recovered from a torn Achilles but came on strong down the stretch. Head coach Sean McVay told reporters that he expects Akers to build on last year's strong finish. "Confidence is a powerful thing that can compound in the right ways, and he certainly has taken the steps to actually spent time training with masters in jiu jitsu in an effort to learn how to fall without impacting his head. "It's a lot of strategic falling that is patterned after things that happened to our quarterbacks during the season," McDaniel said. "The master of Jujitsu had to study some game tape to understand how he is falling, where the impact points were and what we can do to help correct it." If Tagovailoa can indeed stay on the field, he could have considerable fantasy value in 2023 — largely because he has a pair of absolutely lethal wide receivers at his disposal in Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Riley Baines of SOG Sports went so far as to call Hill and Waddle the best one-two punch at the position in the league. "These are two of the fastest players in the NFL that also combine to create the best wide receiver duo in the NFL° he said. "When you combine two of the top 10 best Wide Receivers today, you get what you expect. This duo combined for the most receiving yards of any WR duo in the NFL. While I had my questions about Tua, a Mike McDaniel offense is a dream scenario for any skill position players. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle were given deep shots, given The bail in space, and the production followed. What's even crazier is the amount of times they were underthrown. It's almost like they're too fast for their own good. With another full offseason in this offense, I believe that their 3000+ combined yards can rise even further ." The Miami receiving corps may be loaded with high-end talent, but the Dolphins' ground game is loaded with high-end uncertainty. Despite ranking just 25th in the league in rushing last year, the team kept the band together, re-upping both Raheem Mostert and Jeffrey be able to do that and that's a big deal." McVay said. "I'm really looking forward to watching him shine from start to finish this year." From Week 12 on last year, Akers was quietly a top-10 PPR option at running back. An R61 season isn't espe-daily likely, but given his relatively modest ADP Akers could be an interesting target for fantasy managers who eschew running backs early in favor of hammering Kupp and other high-end receivers. Fantasy Grade: C- MIAMI DOLPHINS Wilson. There was a new face brought in on draft day in speedster Devon Achane, but BJ Rudell of Pro Football Network wrote that Achane's role as a rookie could be minimal. "(Achane) combines blazing speed with a small frame,' he said, in other words, his first season could be spent as a kick returner and little-used gadget player. The Dolphins have two wideouts who excel after the catch. Achane could be yet another after-the-catch threat, albeit a sparsely used one." | ||||||||||
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2023 Off-Season News & Views
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