Training camp is supposed to be tough. Players strain through the daily slog – both mental and physical – attempting to sharpen their skills for the start of the season. All NFL teams feel the grind, but this year's Dolphins camp has a more intense feel than any in recent memory. The pendulum swings, not just daily, but seemingly within each period. The offense gets their wins, the defense battles back, and this trend ensues for a couple of hours every day.
Here are the day's highlights:
Practice 14, August 13, 2024
Top Moment
The leader of the defensive charge Tuesday was new linebacker Jordyn Brooks. The soft-spoken playmaker joined Miami this offseason by way of Seattle and has already made an impact on his teammates both on the field and off. Last month, he discussed his leadership style as one of action: "You've got to sit down and have lunch with someone; get to know them," Brooks said.
Those bonds are being forged in the classroom and on the practice field, the two places where Brooks fine-tunes his skill set.
"Just being instinctive and knowing what's going on," Brooks said. "Just doing your pre-snap reads, playing ball and knowing what the offense likes to do in a certain formation or just anticipating. I think that helps you play fast."
Brooks was asked what allows him to play fast following two impact plays he made Tuesday at the Baptist Health Training Complex.
The first explosive rep was a tackle for loss. Brooks identified the flow of the play, read his keys and fired downhill for a big hit behind the line of scrimmage on running back Raheem Mostert. Next, he stepped into the passing lane for a near pick-six going the other way. One problem – he forgot the football.
"I didn't knock it down – I dropped it and so I'm trying to catch it next time," Brooks said. "That's always the emphasis in all my game, to try to get better in each and every phase. So next practice I plan on catching it."
Brooks developed a reputation as one of the rangiest cover linebackers in the league, which pairs well with his ability to play downhill. He's the definition of a modern-day linebacker.
Top Quote
We are now in week three of training camp. But there is still plenty of distance from the finish line, and grit is developed over these next few weeks. Callouses form through repetition and sweat equity.
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa discussed how the theme of this training camp is making each rep as tough as possible in search of progress.
Going against these guys, they’ve seen a lot of the plays, they’ve seen a lot of the tendencies that we have with motions, motion snap points and where we’re trying to beat them with the weakness of their coverages. So that’s what makes it tough, and it makes it good for both of us. Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa
More Top Performers
Wide receiver Tyreek Hill checked in with another explosive play that was arguably a touchdown. Quarterback Mike White uncorked a deep shot in the direction of the Cheetah. Hill pulled it down, made a cut-back and waltzed into the end zone. The defenders thought they tagged off, but given Hill's reputation of making people miss, the judges in the stands called it a 60-yard touchdown.
Jordyn Brooks might've dropped his interception, but safety Marcus Maye did not. On a pass deflection by Siran Neal – who has provided sticky coverage consistently this camp – Maye corralled the ball and followed a convoy into the end zone.
Defensive tackles Zach Sieler and Calais Campbell were dominant from the word go. Their length and strength showed up in the one-on-one pass rush period and carried over to a handful of pressures and run stuffs in the team period.
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