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What is up? Dolphins? And welcome to the Draft Time Podcast, part of the Miami Dolphins Podcast Network, covering your team, your Miami Dolphins. How's it going to everybody? I am your host, Travis Wingfield. And on today's show, part two of our summer Roster Reset series. Here of two parts, we'll talk with ESPN's Marcel Louis Jock about the offense, his Ota takeaways, and much much more. Here from the Baptist Health Studios inside the Baptist Health Training Complex.
This is the Draft Time Podcast.
Heye gaff, Let's go ahead and welcome in my guest today talking all things Miami Dolphins twenty twenty three offense, Marcel Louis Jock and joining me today from ESPN, Marcel Louis Jack. Marcel, thanks for joining us today talking some Dolphins offense, some Dolphins OTAs, and welcome into the podcast for the first time, my friend.
Yeah, man, pleasure to be here squeezing out last bit of football before basically what summer vacation. Yeah, it feels a little told just to call it that, but I mean that's kind of what it is, right.
It's exactly what it is.
My wife is a teacher, so she actually does go on summer break, and so our jobs line up pretty well in that way.
I know you're a big traveler as well.
Man, you got your thing on the docket here coming up for the summer break, as it were.
I might be heading up to New York slash etiquette here in a couple of weeks, Haley.
My girlfriend's birthday is at the end of the month.
I'm going to use up some of those sweet Disney passes and head up to Orlando for a couple of days before hanging out here in Miami for a week or so. I actually got a wedding in Minneapolis or Minnesota that area into July early August as well.
I might miss a couple of days of training camp for that.
But beyond that, man, my big trip was we went to Cabo for Kemp Wolf's thirtieth birthday.
Nice. I think it was into March or beginning of April, one of the two. But that's it. Man. We do a lot of traveling in the year.
So I kind of liked my home time when I get it.
Yeah, absolutely, I always you know, home home was one of the hardest for me. I'm typically kind of a veg out kind of guy, especially being up pairing up to these days, but getting out is nice. I'm heading back up to my stomping grounds in Washington State later this month as well, so I think everybody I've talked to gets out for at least a little bit.
But you doing Cabo and New York makes me a little bit jealous.
There.
I can't lie about that.
Marcel, hey man, look, it's uh, it is what it is. I guess it was a blessing.
It was a blessing. I'm actually I've never been to Washington, man, I've never been. I've always wanted to go to like Seattle. I wanted to catch a game like I went to Arizona State obviously, so I wanted to catch like an as U U Dub game. I know those are the other guys for you that would be like, you're telling me you want to go to Tucson. Yeah, but I do want to. I do want to see Washington at
some point. I've never really I've been there. I think I had a short layover at an airport and that's about it.
Hey, look, man, Pulman's got nothing for you or anybody that's not used to the area. It's it's got nothing for you, man. Like it's it's in the middle of the hills, the rolling police out there in eastern Washington. Just not a lot going on. So I don't blame you, because Seattle in the summertime is one of the most beautiful landscapes I think we have in this country in the entire Pacific Northwest kind of that way, but really up in that upper left corner, you can't beat it.
When it's like seventy five degrees on a nice July day and you.
Talk about going to a game, I would recommend a Maryor's game because those are about his chill vibes as you can.
Get when it comes to the Northwest and kicking it up there.
So that's that's our non football talk here, and we're already, as you can tell, in vacation mode. It sounds like Marcel, let's go ahead and revert back here to what happened on this practice field the last week and really going back to the last month over OTA's five practices observed. Out of how many it was, I forget the number. We saw five of the practices, and we talked to defense on the previous episode with Daniel Oyafusi and he he gave us his defensive takeaways. I'm curious to get your
takeaways on the offensive side of the football. Here for your number two under Mike McDaniel, What did you see what did you like on the Dolphins offense during OTAs well?
Let's start with what everybody wants to know, everybody wants to talk about, right, which is to look like he had more command of this offense. You know, it's been much reported. It's the first time he's ever been in the second year of an offense in his in his career, but he looks the part taking more of a little vocal leadership role. You know, that's been a pretty hot topic of conversation surrounding two over the past we'll call it two three years.
What kind of leader is he is? He's not vocal.
He's not a raw rock type of guy.
I don't think you necessarily have to be.
I think you can lead by example, even at the quarterback position, but nobody's going to turn it down if your quarterback is.
Your vocal leader. So there's that behind him.
However, behind him is not as stable as I think the Dolphins wanted it to be after signing Mike White, just because I think Skyler Thompson has outplayed him during the practices that we have been able to watch. And you know that's not to say we don't get to see Mike White in the film room. We don't get to see him in the in the meeting rooms, so we don't get to see that part. But from the five practices we saw, it looked like Styler Thompson might end up being QB too. And when I say not
as stable, it's not knock on that quarterback situation. It's more like it's not decided. You know, when Mike White signed, I think he expected him to be QB two, And I'm not so sure going into training camp, I'm not so sure that that is what's going to happen once training camp is over, switching, you know, staying in the backfield.
Man, I think the entire media.
Corps has fallen in love with Devon Jing and for a good reason. Man Like he looks like an early candidate for Training Camp Darling of the Year. Like the verses to the way he's used, I can't actually say because of the media guidelines, but the way he has been used, the versatility he has displayed, the speed and athleticism that he has displayed, his aptitude is a route runner,
and his agility after the catch. I think they're all going to carve a legitimate role for this guy out as soon as he's comfortable with the speed of the game preseason, in training camp, in practice, that's one thing. But once you once those you know, once the lights are on, once you're in the stadium, it changes a bit. So once he's comfortable with that level of play, with that speed of play, man, I think this guy is gonna have a special role. Uh, this offseason. Uh about Okmed,
I thought looked good as well. Uh, he's a guy who he showed up last year at training camp. You know, didn't get the reps in season, but he made him count when he did. I think scored touchdown in Buffalo late in the season. But you know, I thought Achmed has looked has looked good behind Milton and Wilson. Wilson has looked explosive here his second year in Miami wide receivers. We didn't get to see a lot of Tyreek outside of position drills. Uh. From what he said the other
day yesterday, technically that he's still learning this offense. That last year he was just going off vibes and still was on track to crack the two gay mark at a certain point before before injuries. Like, I think that's that's outstanding. So I'd expect massive things from him this year. Jalen Waddell basically operating as wide receiver one without Tyreek there, he still looked the part man.
He's still one of the best receivers in the NFL.
A lot of talk about wide receiver three and where that's, what direction that's going. After signing Robbie chosen after signing Braxson Verrios. I think that Robbie Chosen has been the lead he's I think he's the leader in the clubhouse for wide receiver three entering training camp. His downfield presence has been notable. There's been a lot of h who are Robbie's down there somewhere type passes that connects and score. I think that I think people forget who Robbie Chosen
really is. Maybe it's because of the name changes, but I think people forget. I think people forget who he is, that this is a guy who's putting up a thousand yards or near a thousand yards with you know, Sam Darnold's of the world and he put up a thousand I think with Teddy Bridgewater. If Panthers and Jets Robbie shows up, then that this is one of the value signings of the off season. Without a doubt, I thought he's been actullently. Brackson Barrios is very shifty. Ericasucama hopefully
making that second year jump. He's a guy who was a training camp Darling last year. Preseason Darling last year didn't necessarily translate in the regular season. If he's ready to take that next step again, that's that's a fourth round pick from a season ago that looks like it is going to pay off. So I mean a lot of a lot of positions. It's a long winded way of saying. You know that even without pads, you know,
we can't see everything. But even without that pads, there were plenty of players who stood out.
No, I appreciate it because you gave me multiple follow ups and takeaways to kind of address to go along the position groups here, and we'll touch on tight end, offensive line as well. But I want to go back to the quarterback spot and you know you mentioned too, and we'll start there because why wouldn't you, you know, I mean you look at his numbers last year. I mean eight point nine yards per pass attempt, a three to three to one, two five touch on interception ratio,
two hundred and seventy two yards per game. He was, you know, one of the top quarterbacks in EPA per dropback, had one of the lowest sack percentage rates, the best passer rating, one of the top total qbrs, best downfield passing rate, like he just led the league in so many important categories or top two or three and so many of those, and you know, you look at the contemporaries that he's measured against in those statistics, and it's like, how do you want to refute this?
Because I'm looking at this list.
And it's Patrick Mahomes, it's Josh Allen, it's Jalen Hurts, it's Joe Burrow, It's two a tongue of by low Like, if he's among those peers, then he's probably playing at a pretty high level. And I wanted to kind of bounce this idea off you, Marcel, because I did the podcast by myself most of the time, and so I'm
talking to myself and convincing myself. I guess of things, but it's nice to have a guest on here, because what I thought I saw during these OTAs was a guy that, again we know, he can push the ball to these receivers and you know, they they're landmarks, tend to be a little bit deeper than most teams because they have that speed, and he hits them with good anticipation down the field and it generates a lot of explosive plays, you know, fifteen twenty yard and bigger chunk plays.
But I thought we saw a more measured approach from Tua during these practices where he was finding quicker outlets and getting the ball to his backs and tight ends. Does that excite you the way it excites me, because obviously not great for like the you know, the explosive big plays everyone gets excited about. But to me, I think I can keep the offense more on schedule, get a better third down conversion rate, and just overall make your offense more efficient. Yeah.
I think for as a coach, offensive coordinator, oftensive play card, anytime you see your quarterback willing to hit.
His layups, I think it's a I think it's a positive sign.
And it's kind of ironic that we're talking about this at this stage because remember two years ago, it was a narrative that those are the only passes that hit like that was It's funny, But I think that it all goes, It all works toward the goal of self preservation.
For Tua.
The concussions he sustained last year, they were mainly the result of him trying to extend to play for a little bit too long instead of taking something that's right there, possibly taking something that's right.
There or getting rid of the ball.
So working on that short timing, those short passes, intermediate routes, those quick hit routes.
I hopefully it trains his his.
His instincts to know when to say die essentially in a play, to know when to say, Okay, we don't need the ninety yard play. We don't need a massive play here. We don't need it's definite need a Tyree. My fantasy team might need it, but we as the Dolphins do not need that. So I think that's uh, you know, they're working on that. Plus without like without Tyreek on the field, Like, it's just not really the same.
It's not really the same offense. It's not the same offense. And you don't it can't be.
He demands such so much attention from an opposing defense that it's just not the same With Jim Ladel and Roberts out there. Those are two good receivers, but like, let's let's not play ourselves here.
Let's not play ourselves here.
Yeah, Diary, he's he's a different beasts, a different animal.
And uh, you know, I thought that the addition of chosen speed with what it can do to create more space in terms of clear outs that you know, free up some of the other routes that this offense likes to run is intriguing because I don't think last year they had that third speed element, you know between you know, even a Micah sick, Pia trent Sherfield, River Craycraft good receivers in their own right, but didn't have that you know, top end four to three speed that Robbie possesses and
like you mentioned, was able to help him produce big plays and thousand yard seasons with the Jets and Panthers alike. And a guy that if he can get back to that form, gosh, watch out man. We'll get back to that here in a second. But I want to go back to the quarterback position to finish up here, because you talked about something that I think was really poignant in regards to the stability of that backup quarterback position.
It almost kind of goes in line with what Mike McDaniel mentioned, you know, heading into the offseason, they didn't feel like they needed, you know, a Teddy Bridge Water Jacoby Brissette level veteran to kind of help Tua along to it has become that guy, uh, you know, the the unquestioned leader of the quarterback room of the offense of the team. And so you get a guy that, in my opinion Arcel has more like high end upside,
uh than maybe your previous backup quarterbacks did. With Mike White, you haven't seen as much of his play because he's going into your number five here. But then also Scalart Thompson in the second year of the offense showing some strides here in mini camp. I'm just curious how you think that approached the backup quarterback position like and the fact that those guys are battling it out, is that
ultimately a good thing for this Dolphins offense. There's competition there at that backup quarterback position.
Oh yeah, Competition is always good.
You know, there's that's one of those Coach Speek Hall of Fame quotes, the coach sweet Mount Rushmore quotes, where.
You know, control, we can control. Competition is always good.
But it's one that you can actually believe that competition is always good at that position. And you know, the thing that I will say about Mike White, while I think Scallet Thompson has been the more efficient pass or in the practices that we have seen, we know what Mike White is capable of in game. We have seen the three hundred yard, the four hundred yard performances. We've seen lightning in a bottle, and I think that's what that's ultimately what this signing was about.
They don't. You don't sign a backup quarterback hoping that he plays. You don't do that.
So like what they hope for is that, Hey, if Tua has to miss time one, hopefully it's short, so we're talking to game or two and two. Let's have a guy who can capture that lightning in a bottle, who can come and be explosive for a game or two until you know, defense figures it out or defensive make adjustments and then we get our starter back.
And that is what Mike White can do.
So you know, I'm not sitting here disappointed with his with his play or anything like that. I think that we have seen what his tape. His tape has shown what he can do. We know what Mike White will bring whenever he enters the field. But I don't think anybody should write off Skylar Thompson. Last year, I thought that if Skyler was not a seventh round rookie, that he would seriously push Teddy Bridgewater for that number two spot behind Tua. After the training camp, we saw, yeah,
this is not last year. He has game experience, he has playoff experience, he has playoff road game experience. He is a different kind of guy, and he is just simply consistent every practice that we've seen from him. I just you know, this is less about Mike White and more about praising what Skyler Thompson.
Has been able to accomplish over the past year.
That's exactly how I was going to kind of wrap it up there, but you did it perfectly there saying that it's more of a you know, a I guess, not an indictment of Mike wipe a, rather appraising of Skylar Thompson the work he's done here because ultimately it
just makes the Dolphins better. And I think you mentioned Mike White's tape, like I go back to a couple of my favorite backup quarterbacks of all time are Ryan Fitzpatrick obviously because you know he has that like you mentioned that spark off the bench, and then my guy from Washington State, Gardner Minshew, I think is really well equipped to be a guy that, like you mentioned that lightning in a bottle and we saw it from Mike White and his tape with the Jets.
There are some really good, you know, throws on that tape as well.
So I think the Dolphins just benefited from in general, that entire quarterback room coming together, and not to mention that James Blackman as well getting some reps here in training camp or I should say mini camp so far, a lot of talent from that player coming out of Arkansas State previously with Florida State as well. That's the quarterback room you all touched on, the running backs and the receivers. We're gonna go ahead to take our first break right there and come back on the other side
and talk about those groups. That's the next My guest today Marcelle Luis Jocks from ESPN your host, Travis Wingfield Drive Time podcast brought to you by Auto Nation. So you left off your first takeaway piece talking about the running back position and you went into the devon a chain hype train here as it were among the media group. But you know, he's he's made all the tweets, all the practice reports, and why not when you have explosive
plays both in the run game and pass game. But I just want to kind of look at this running back room, you know from a bird's eye view, because you mentioned Savon Ahmed Marcella, You're not going to find a bigger Savan Akhmed fan the mea.
I've been talking about him really since his first year here.
How explosive I thought he looked Raheem most It is a guy that I think doesn't get enough credit for what he does in terms of not just the production, but the way he I think complements the passing game
because of his speed to the perimeter. I think, you know, a Chane fits that mold as well obviously too, and then the fullback position with alec Ingold and kind of how he opens up different thanks for this offense that really a lot of teams can't get to because there just aren't that many alec Ingolds in the world anymore.
This running back room and fullbacks.
Included your bird's eye view of it when you incorporate you know Ingold Moster on top of your comments with a Chane and Akmed.
I think it's versatile. I think it's deep, especially considering where it's come from over the past past few years, how it's developed over the past few years. I think they go a little under the radar because of the star power outside the position, because of the the TuS on the offense and the Tyreeks and the Jalen Want
on the offense Toron's, they go a little unheralded. But Raheem Mostert was one of the more efficient runners in the NFL once he started getting carries once he took over midway through the seasons, as did the facto lead back. But while he is obviously one of the fastest players in the NFL, fastest players on the team, at the very least, I see he's like that, like that Arian Foster type style of type of run. You know, that one cut and I'm gone, like once I get that space,
hitting it hard. Devon a Chain adds a different element, like that Barry Sanders type element where I'm gonna dance and shift and duke and I'm gonna get my yards that way. Disclaimer, this was not Marcel Luisjacques calling Devon h in the next Barry Sanders. I know how y'all do. Don't do me like that. It's just it's simply a style. You know, if you watch his text A and M tape, you watch what he's been able to do on the practice field.
You kind of see, you see the you see the influence there.
So I thought, you know, while running back wasn't a huge draft need for this team, you know, it's usually kind of a luxury pick, but I thought that in that third round range, considering the type of.
Player he was he is, that this is a perfect it's a perfect fit.
Not to mention he is being I gotta be careful here because I don't want to get my past suspended before we even go to training camp.
But his ability as a.
Pass catcher is more advanced than I expected it to be coming into mini camp. I think he's more advanced as a runner and more advanced after the catch. Now, you got to take everything we see with the grain of salt here in ot is in mini camp, because I mean, they're not even playing thud right now. There's no pads, so you can kind of run forever, and plays tend to players are are allowed to run longer
than they generally should. But I think the early signs I've been promised and then an alec Ingold, like you said there is it's hard to compare because there is no other alec Ingold in the league. It's hard to compare the impact and the value of a of a full back.
Black Ingle, a guy.
Who does so much downfield and does so much to move a defense and distorted defense and paid ways for his runners that you know, easy, He's an invaluable piece. He's an invaluable piece. There's a reason he's still on this team in an era where fullbacks.
Have kind of gone by the wayside.
You mentioned the comparison, you know, and I always get you know, my my radio co host Seth levit gets on me for comparing, you know, players, and hey, you know what, scouts do it all the time. Like every single player that scouts talk about has a pro comp because they want to kind of give you an idea of what their skill set looks like. You know, I think that alec ingole in a lot of ways is Mike McDaniels, Kyle used check that Kyle Shanahan has out
there by the bay in San Francisco. And the way it kind of you know, creates matchup problems because that twenty one personnel grouping, you better come with your base defense and then from there you can throw the football into some advantageous matchups.
That way, as well, so.
That's why I think this running back room kind of generates is his some matchup issues. And you talk about a chain and his receiving skill set, I mean, have mercy. Man, if you can get that speed and that route running ability acclimated quickly, that could just add another element to the offense.
And then a guy we don't talk about enough, I think also is.
Jeff Wilson, who to me is a little bit of the change up to the rest of us running back room that has so much speed and explosiveness. How do you see Jeff Wilson's role kind of fitting here with Dolphins backfield because he has like an edge to him. Marshall, the way he runs the ball is not nice to put it, I guess frankly.
Yeah, it's not kind. It's not considerate of defenders. I would say that he brings a certain kind of juice and his role is solidified, and that he's a he is more of.
A thumper than a chain and moster it are.
He's going to get tough yards, He's going to grind out those dirty three read a five yard short yarded situation carries. But he's looked pretty explosive. This this offseason as well. Like that's not to say he can't run, like he's been hitting the holes pretty quickly. He's been getting downfield and finishing his runs off. But I think his role, his defined role, will be that energizer, the guy who when he lowers his shoulder, it's the whole sidelines and stuff.
I thought he was a nice little shot in the arm to the offense last year when he arrived. I think he had touchdowns some back to back games, but I had like one hundred yard game in there as well. So a guy that hopefully in his second year, you know, with this team, I know it's a similar system, but second year with its exact team maybe gets even more production of more looks.
That way, let's go.
Ahead and pivot to the group that really I think kind of took the NFL by storm last year, and the wide receivers. You talked about Tyreek off the top, So I don't I don't expect you to, you know, do your whole, your whole slung and dance on him again because we know what he is. Jalen Waddell, I've been beating that drum for a long time now, just saying how I think this guy's one of the best in the NFL. He's certainly proved that last year, just
in a second season. But you know, Jackson Barrios, Robbie Chose, and Tyreek Hill, Cedric Wilson, Jillian Waddell, Eric Azukama, Chris Coleman, River Craycraft, Brulan standers day.
With Davis and Freddie Swain.
So I think we're the conversation here starts and almost ends Marcel because again we know we have in ten and seventeen is that number three role? And you talked about, you know, Robbie Chosen, and I would agree with you that he really stood out in a way that kind of you know, gave him I guess front runner going
in training camp for that role. But I'm curious how you think about this because I'm looking at that role and you know, this is a group that only played forty five percent in eleven personnel last year, so that it was like the fourth lowest NFL using three receiver sets and alec Ingolds big part of that was two
back sets in the running game. But I look at this group and I'm looking at you know, Robbie Chosen is way different than Cedric Wilson is way different than Braxon, Barrios is way different than Eric Azukama and River Craycraft. They're all unique in their skills and what they offer. So I kind of look at it like, is this a group that we shouldn't think about as who is three, four, five,
six and so on? Is it more of a group that we should look at and say they have different matchup pieces and they can attack that defense that week accordingly with these varied skill sets.
Yeah.
Absolutely, I think wide receiver three is going to be more of a construct than.
An actual position.
Uh, it's more of an idea, right like who is our who is the who's our non Tyreek and Jalen receiver right now? But yeah, if you need you want short yardage separation, you can go Barrios. You want somebody who can stretch the field, you can throw Chosen in there. If you want, uh, you know, a bigger body, more physical receiver, you can throw Cedric Wilson or Eric Zukama, and like there's a lot of or even you don't even have to use the receiver per se Travis.
Like you can throw.
You can put h Soberd out wide, you can put Higgins or turn O'Connor out wide. You can put devon Ah Chain out wide, you know there. Like I said, I think it's gonna be it's more of a construct than an actual than an actual position. But it, like I like what you said, it's a versatile wide receiver room. These guys all offer something different and uh, you know there's not really there's not really any redundancies on this team, and uh it's they've been exciting, they've been exciting to watch.
I can't wait until.
We can see you know, full good on good and obviously Jaalen Ramsey rehabbing that shoulder injury wasn't playing in team drills. So again with no Tyreek and no Jalen Ramsey, you gotta kind of take these these team eleven on eleven, seven on the sevens with a grain of salt. But man, once training camp starts, that is gonna be. I'm excited for fans to see it too, because it's gonna be. It's gonna be quite an environment there at Baptists Health.
That's exactly what I was going to get to is how excited these fans have to be to come out and watch a roster that just has matchups on top of matchup on top of matchups, and the one on one ones are gonna be fun. You know, they lose aws that go on during those drills. Then on the
team drills obviously, and the joint practices. Lots to look forward to before our last break here, and we'll do the offensive line last because it's the biggest group here, and we'll get to that for a full third segment.
Let's talk about tight ends.
You mentioned Eric Sabert there a little bit. He's made some plays out here in camp. We know about Durham Smyth. Let's just been on the list actually, Tyler Croft, Tanner, Connor Durham Smith, Eric Sobert, Elijah Higgins, Julian Hill. It's it's an interesting group, Marcel, because you don't really have that, like you know, where's your George kid.
You don't have that, But you have a bunch of guys kind of like that.
Third receiver role where it's like different skill sets, different types of players and stylistic you know, approaches to the game. I'm curious how you view this tight end group because not the marquee name, star power, but a group that I think is deeper than it's.
Been in a while.
Yeah, there is no there's no more Mica Sicky. There's no more you know, kind of name brand, household, name brand recognition on this roster anymore. But they all they're all so well rounded, Like I don't think you can key what they're doing based on who's on the field, you know, obviously, unless like you know, if Tanner Connor is active on game day, Tanner cron is on the field, you probably guess it's a passing situation because he's not
known as a blocker. But the other guys, Tyler Kraft, Durham's Smith, Eric Salbert, these are guys who efficiently can do both tasks that a tight end is traditionally asked to accomplish. Obviously, the team is very high on on Durham's. My Heed essentially was taken over as a starter throughout the middle of last training camp and it hasn't really relinquished that role. There is no like you said, there's no George Kittle, you know, thousand Travis Kelce, thousand yard
receiving tight end on here. But these are guys who can get open in a tight space. These are guys who can catch and make plays after the catch and ultimately with so many other weapons on this roster, I think that's that's also valuable. You know, you don't need a Travis Kelcey on this. You don't need a George Kittle. Obviously they would love one. They're not going to turn one down. But I think these guys are plenty k doing exactly what they're asked to do within this offense.
Yeah, a team Lake Kansas City who got Travis Kelcey and then basically said, you know, receive a room, will go by committee in that group and build up the offensive line around Patrick Mahomes. Two really like really good offenses built in different ways there. It's always been a fascinating comparison to me with the Dolphins and Chiefs and how those teams are constructed and ultimately productive on that
side of the football. Last question here for the tight ends for to take our last break and go to the offensive line, because you just look at the roster like you mentioned, like you know, you mentioned Croft Smythe and Sober are guys that you know can kind of do a little bit of both in terms of what tight ends are asked to do. But then that group beyond them, like if They're young, they're they're not proven yet, but they certainly have upside for that kind of f position.
The move tight end piece like Tanner Connor.
Has a lot of athletic ability.
Elijah Higgins, I loved his college tape, and then Julian Hill is a guy that has gotten some pop as well and caught a few balls here and there. I'm just curious how you view that tight end group beyond those guys up top, and how those developmental guys can kind of come along and carve out a role for themselves come training camp.
I'm a big Tenor Connor advocate. I'm a big ten of Connor advocat. I was really excited to see what he was able to do last training camp. I think after the catch, he might be the best tight end
that the Dolphins have right now. We actually got to talk to him, I believe it's two days ago, and it was so introspective about how much of a struggle it was for him to learn the position on the fly last year, because, I mean, tight end is already the hardest transition to make from college to the NFL, and when you are learning tight end and then learning
tight end at an NFL level. I think that you're expected to kind of come along slowly, and he admitted that he said he felt like he was over his head at times last season, but this year he feels like it's less think and more react. He even mentioned that you know, his coaches joke with him and tell him like, hey man, you're not the last guy huff the ball anymore.
Like you were last year.
He said, last year he was like looking at everybody else, like seeing, okay, what's the defense doing. Okay, now I can do this now. It's it's instinct, and so I like that Hill is a very is a very big person as well. Like it's it's very funny seeing the juxtaposition between the two Hills on the team.
One Hill is a lot is a lot bigger Hill than the other. But I think that size, that size and the way that he can move.
Is going to benefit him throughout his career wherever it takes him, whether he stays here makes it fifty three, where he goes elsewhere. I can't say I want to see him with pads on first, but you can't deny the physicality there. And I like Higgins too. I think that he and I don't want to say he and Connor are are redundant. I think they have a little different games. I think Higgins is a little more of an over the top pass catcher than Dan Connor is. But I think it's exciting to have.
I think that they're kind of like throwing they're they're they're throwing a couple of.
Darts at the wall right here, saying hey, are are any of these you know, slot tight end, receiving tight end?
Can they fit?
Can they mold into a guy who you know is truly dominant in the passing game.
So it's it's exciting to see.
But I think that they do have a level of consistency and they have a high enough floor with Sobert and Smike in no particular order obviously, because that is not something that I can report exactly.
And you got Tyler crofton there as well, and Tyler as well. The way you talk about that, like it just reminds me how difficult training camp is going to be to watch because of all the different pieces we have to look at and kind of decipher. I mean, you kind of have to pick your battles each day because this group, like you mentioned, you know, Connor and Higgins, like, I want to watch both those guys, but I've got so much other stuff going on that's tough, tough to
really decipher. You know, who's who's winning that matchup, as it were, that competition, I should say at this group, but no, you hit that well.
I thought that was well said.
Let's go ahead and take our last break right here and come back on the other side and talk about the offensive line.
That's next.
Marcel Louis Jack from ESPN's my guest, your host Travis Wingfeld on the Draft Time podcast, brought to you by Auto Nation.
One more segment to go here in our Roster Reset series. You heard from Daniel OYOFUSI on the defense. You're hearing now from Marcel Louis Jack on the offense. And we're going to finish it up here with the big uglies, the guys up front. Let's go down this offensive line group. It's a long group.
The last one to bring us home here, Connor Williams, Alamo Lave, Robert Jones, Lester Cotton, Dan Feeney, Robert Hunt, Kendall lamb Isaiah win To, Ron Armstead, Austin Jackson, Liam Eichenberg, James Tunstall, Ryan Hayes, Keon Smith, Jeron Christian and Cedric Abwahi. So you know, we didn't get a look at Tron Armstead or Connor Williams out here, which I think can impact, you know, your overall production when you have your top two guys in my opinion on a position group that
are not out there. So, like you talked about grain AsSalt, not to mention, you know, no pads makes it difficult to get a real feel for that. But I look at this group, Marcel, and it's it's three guys that you know about because last year, you know, past block efficiency rates from Pro Football Focus had to Ron Armstead ninety eight point one, which is really crazy for a tackle, Rob Hunt ninety eight and then Connor Williams ninety eight point six.
Really good numbers there from your three guys.
And then it's the other two spots that you know, I think you know, Chris Greer mentioned penciling in Liam Eikenberg and Austin Jackson out there for the spots, but they've they've added tons of competition there.
I'm curious how you.
View what the offensive line, or I should say, the approach to the offensive line and how they kind of constructed this group of offseason because build around those three guys, you know, support the high draft picks and provide competition for them in the interrum I should I should say with the boy he and obviously Isaiah Winnings some other guy's. Dan Feeney, just kind of your thoughts and how the Dolphins approached the offensive line this offseason.
Yeah, it's kind of mirrors exactly what they've been essentially telling us for the past two offseasons, which is.
They believe in their young talent.
They believe in Austin Jackson, they believe in Liam Eikenberg.
We already know.
I think Williams are said and Rob Hunt arguably don't need to discuss them strictly because we know what they are.
We know those are their top three offensive linemen. But they believe in those other guys. They believe that in the.
Staff believes that they are capable of developing these players into what they were drafted, what they were drafted to be, and that's kind of what we saw. We didn't see big splashy additions, you know, Dan Feeney, I think it can push for a starting job, Isaiah win can push for a starting job, but ultimately they just added quality depth because at offensive line, injuries are unfortunately going to happen.
They're going to happen. Is I don't know the numbers off the top of my head, but I would be shocked if an NFL team has ever made it week one to week sixteen or even week seventeen now with the same five offensive line, no injuries, you know, no bang ups, no time missed. So you're gonna need quality depth at that position or those positions. That's exactly what we saw them saw them do it. Not just quality depth, but versatile depth. Isaiah Wynn can play two or three positions.
Panie can play two or three positions. The way he can play both tackle spots. So it's a lot of plugging and playing going along or going on for Chris Breer and in this offensive line.
Yeah, and it's you know, it's I think that you can in a lot of ways, Like you mentioned Tanner Connor coming off the football and you know how he kind of had to learn to get everything second nature so he can play at that speed. We've heard coach McDaniel talk about this a few times with how you know, the offensive line kind of has to retrain the way they play the game, with you know, firing off the football and playing more you know, instinctive rather than reactive
to what the defense does. I'm curious how you think that might benefit this offense here in the second year, because you know, all these guys are coming back really almost running it back, and continuity is something on the offensive line they haven't had much of here in Miami, So you think the continuity might kind of play a bigger fact than folks talking about out there.
Yeah, I don't think they got enough of a sample size to make a definitive decision who, you know, who deserves to be here still, who needs to who they need to move on from this that and the third, I think they haven't their top five played because when did Austin get hurt in Week one?
The first half? Right, Yeah, very.
Quickly, So they played a handful of snaps together with their top five on the field, So they didn't get a full evaluation of what this top five could be like.
And because there's no full evaluation, it would be hasty to move on from it, just because again there's some maybe unrest among Dolphins fans about what this position should be I think again, like kind of what we saw, and I know I'm crossing in the Daniel's territory here talking about defense, but it's kind of like what we saw with their defensive backfield, right, Like their biggest issue
was not talent per se, it was depth. They ran out of players eventually, and that's the lesson that Chris Career learned.
That's why you saw Cam Smith go in the second round.
Kind of same deal where talent isn't isn't necessarily the problem as much as.
Depth was in quality depth and versatile depth at that.
I think that the biggest thing you can look to is and I will say they played as well as you could for a street free agent coming in mid season.
But I think the idea here is hopefully if you do get the attrition that you know, unfortunate like you mentioned, does happen on the offensive line, that you don't have to go into the street free agent pool and you can just pull up you know, whether it's a Cedric, a boy here, Isaiah win Kendall, there's so many guys on this list that have given you quality backup reps in the patch that perhaps you can go in that direction and like you mentioned, it's it's it's I don't.
Know the word for it, but it just it's. It sucks.
I guess that both Liam and Austin, you know, in kind of critical years for them, both indoored injuries last year. Hopefully they can stay healthy this year and show you why they were first and second round draft pics because, like you mentioned, the talents there, but better depth this year as well, so interesting group, lots to watch this training camp. You can check out all of Marcel's coverage as well as mine. Obviously, MARCELLI before you head off
to vacation. Here man tell us where people can find you, what you're working on, what you've had out there the past couple of weeks.
Give us some Marcell promo here for.
Us ESPN dot com Miami Dolphin Team page. You sign up for alerts there. Everything that I write is going to get pushed straight to your phone. If you don't like my Twitter account, which is at Marcel Underscore LJ, you can get the clear cut unseasoned meat and potatoes right there. If you want a little bit of season in on there. Obviously you can follow me on Twitter.
I'm going to get back into tweeting. I think I took I've taken sort of a Twitter break this season, man, Like I really, I've really tried to detach from from social media as much as possible.
And I feel a little better.
But I need to get back into it because I think people might start forgetting who I am here, but follow me there. I got a couple of features I'm working on during this down period. Excited to share them with y'all once they're a little bit more developed, but you know, should be coming out training camp in August and then beyond that, man, I'll be out and a moment big ghost show twice a week. My name Thursdays, if you all want to hear that. So that is where you can find Marcel Luisade and if.
Nothing else, give him a follow for the back and forth of Buffalo Bills fans who'd give you crap for leaving Buffalo and coming to South Florida. To me, it's an obvious decision. South Florida's paradized people they paid to come vacation when we live. But go check it out because Marcell gets some pretty good clapbacks in there as well. So Marcell, appreciate your time today. My friend and then have a good summer break man.
Yes, sir, you too, and away he goes.
Great stuff there.
I think we got a lot learned there about this Dolphins ninety man roster, getting you ready for training camp, which is just a few weeks away. Guys, it's going to be here before you know it. But until then, we're going to try and enjoy our summer vacation. Speaking of that, the next what is it four or five weeks here, we're gonna be previewing the Dolphins training camp position by position every single episode, but also in those
episodes a vision by division NFL preview. So if you're not interested in the other thirty one teams, I can't imagine you're going to do a podcast if you are not.
But if you are not, maybe not your.
Go to episodes, we're gonna get you, guys some information about every single team in the league, especially the ones the Dolphins will play this season all what is it fourteen opponents fourteen fifteen, sixteen, seventeen with the divisional opponents twice. So yeah, that to look forward to and enjoy your summertime off. If you guys get it like we do here in the meantime, It's gonna be my time.
You all.
Please be sure to subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcast. Leave us a rating, leave us a review. You can follow me on Twitter at linked NFL. Follow the team at Miami Dolphins. Check out the fish Tank Podcast with Seth and Juice. I believe Chris Chambers is next. You don't want to miss that one. Check out the team YouTube channel for media availabilities, Dolphins to Day, drag Time and fish Tank content, and last but not least, Miami
Dolphins dot Com until next week. Fins Up Carolin on Cameron Daddy, He's coming home in
Okay.