August 11, 2020
As we move closer to the official start of training camp practices (August 17), the Dolphins are hard are work with the strength and conditioning program. Here's what's happening today in Davie.
Roster Comings and Goings
The Dolphins were awarded tight end Nate Wieting off waivers from Cleveland on Monday.
Wieting, who entered the NFL with the Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2020, was a four-year letterman (2016-2019) at Iowa, where he played in 39 career games with 15 starts. He caught 13 passes for 185 yards in his college career. He was the co-recipient of the 2019 Brett Greenwood Award, given annually to the Iowa walk-on who embodied the core values and behaviors of Greenwood through their persistence, determination, commitment, preparation and actions.
They said it
The Dolphins were active early in free agency making noise on the opening day of the new league year. Pro Bowl cornerback Byron Jones signed with the Dolphins, citing Brian Flores as one of the primary factors to take his talents to South Beach.
"He's got young energy. I hear he's intense and he likes to create competitive scenarios, competitive situations," Jones said back in March. "That's just something that I like and I wanted to be a part of. I've heard a lot of good things about him throughout the league. I spoke to a couple of coaches and players throughout the whole process and they had nothing but good things to say about him. That's exciting for me, just to be on a team that he's leading."
Flores was asked Monday how Jones fits into the defense and which traits attracted the Dolphins to bringing in the durable, talented cornerback.
"He's a smart player. He's a tough player," Flores said Monday. "I think he can tackle, he's got good cover skills, he's got length, he's got some leadership qualities. He's a talented player and we're happy to have him. He's been fun to spend some time with. It's nice to see guys get to know each other – guys from different teams – and just try to pull this whole thing together. I'm very pleased with that addition; but we're still in a very early stage. We don't have pads on, we haven't put a helmet on. We've got a long way to go."
Around the Beat
Byron Jones had a remarkable showing at the 2015 NFL Scouting Combine. For new Dolphins running back Matt Breida, who clocked a 4.39 40-yard dash, speed is the name of the game.
The Athletic's Josh Tolentino detailed Breida's acknowledgement as the fastest timed player in the NFL each of the last two years.
"It's a great honor to be known as one of the fast guys in the league," Breida said
Breida finished with 623 rushing yards, 5.1 yards per carry and one touchdown for San Francisco in 2019. He was slowed by multiple injuries, including an ankle injury that knocked him out of the rotation. However, Breida's season total nearly tripled Fitzpatrick's team-high total of 243.
Stat of the Day
Byron Jones has been stingy against some of the game's top receivers. In matchups with some of the game's best receivers since 2018 (Michael Thomas twice, Stefon Diggs, Odell Beckham Jr., Julio Jones, T.Y. Hilton, John Brown, Alshon Jefferey, Robert Woods and Brandon Cooks) Jones didn't allowed more than two catches or 23 yards to anyone on that list, according to Pro Football Focus.
Dolphins On Social
On this Day in Dolphins History
The Dolphins opened the 2017 preseason with a 23-20 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. The play of the game came late in the fourth quarter when wide receiver Damore'ea Stringfellow went downtown for a 99-yard touchdown to give Miami the lead and the win
Content On Tap
Linebacker Jerome Baker will be doing an 'Ask Me Anything' on Reddit today at 12 p.m. Get your questions in for Jerome here.
The training camp preview series rolls on today with a look the cornerbacks; how do Byron Jones and Xavien Howard pair on the outside for Miami? We'll have that covered on the Drive Time Podcast as well as MiamiDolphins.com.
Today marks the third installment of Dolphins Today. You can find the episode on MiamiDolphins.com, the team YouTube channel and on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
