The Audible Ep. 70 |Training Camp Preview - Offense

was okay. Gained about ten pounds, ten pounds over Fourth of July. You had everything. I was just nodding my head yet bringing on it. So I hope everyone had a happy and a safe Fourth of July out there. And you know, to me, all it tells us is we're a little bit closer to training camp now. And you know Miami Dolphins unveiled there Back to Football Power by South Florida. Ford training camp schedules. Funny, Johns, I'm looking around you see, boy, teams are getting pretty stingy

with these practices that fans can come watch. I think there's a couple of teams. I think the Raiders aren't showing aren't aren't allowing any fans, and I think they're I think they've got a couple of practices where they're letting, you know, some season to the holders or something come in. But from a general population standpoint, no, no, no, no viewing and some you know four or five and Dolphins have a pretty good list of of of of a practice that are available to fans, since you can check

that out on Miami Dolphins dot com. But you know, the rookies come in one or a little over a week away. Vets will report on the four. They'll begin practice on thet I think they get started for practice if you're if you're gonna get a chance to come out and see. Then they'll have a scrimmage later on August three at UH at hard Rock Stadium. That's one o'clock. Uh. Are we gonna get those scenes that we had last year underneath the I think so yeah, we're going to drink.

You know those are comfortable a little drink, but they can bring me a little umbrella. Logan can upgrade us. He has that you go to know. City Furniture is a big sponsor to Dolphins. Maybe didn't get us a couple of a couple of recliners were comfortable right on the sideline, you know, just kind of talking. I remember, is that more? And Tom Garfi go walking up, just shaking their head, going, are you guys serious? I said, you know what, my legs that might get up to

shake your hand. Yeah, yeah, you lean over because I'm not gonna get up to shake your hand. That's and so anyway, we're we're getting close, John, We're getting close. And you know, it's funny to me, I was thinking about this the other day. You know, did the whole offseason?

You know, you get done with the season and you go, geez, I got six months and you know, and and that kind of flew by did But I think in the last last the last month to me has been like a snail crawling, you know, just so I go, Jesus, I thought we're only three weeks away, you know, two weeks ago. You know how you cross them off on the calendar, you put the line through through the number. Well, you know, when you get to March and April, you're

kind of flying through there. And now you're going, man, I thought I crossed out eight yesterday. I'm back on eighties. Especially you know, you got the NBA Finals or roll over, Hockey's over championship. Golf is just coming around. Now, we've got the Open Championship next, and you know baseball and you know a baseball you know that's a you know now now, no one wants to watch baseball now it's

too hot. And the first time right now you mentioned baseball, the first time, I thoroughly enjoyed the home run derby some of it the other night. Yeah, it was actually a lot of fun. Yeah, I enjoyed that. Well, the the Guerrero kid talk about ball and didn't win. But yeah,

so so anywhere we're there. So then then you really the only thing to look forward to now is uh is training camp coming and getting this thing going so we can take a look at our football team, see what we're see what we got, and I think John, we're gonna do is let's let's go ahead kind of look at it's that kind of breakdown. We have a couple of weeks, well to do a couple of shows until until training camp. Let's kind of take a look at both sides of the Footballfense, what you like, what

you don't like? Defense, which like what you don't like and before they do we do that, though, we gotta kind of send a send a shout out to Kendrick nor Man. What a what a tough tough situation and automobile accident. Uh, you know, had to have his amiar arm amputated, which well, I tell I, I you know,

you know, we we've all had injuries in football. And I don't know about you, jump, but I've you know, been in a hospital bed waiting to go to surgery, you know, the next morning or whatever, and you have all these thoughts that go through your mind of you know, is my career over? Is that in? Is it sad? What's gonna happen? Am I gonna come out of annesthesia or not? All these things, And then you have a guy like this, it gets an accident like that and and lose his arm and and you know, and ends

his career. And and I know he sent out some tweets and some some photos on Instagram that he's doing okay, and he's thanking people for the support. But but what what a tough tough thing to go through for a for a young kid. That's it's really kind of attraction just getting his career exactly attraction is is the best way to describe that. Because he's picked up, you know, I think it was last maybe November December by the

Miami Dolphins. He's on the roster. He has a chance to compete this year in terms of it's a wide open position when you look at the depth at defensive tackle. And to go through something so horrific in that accident and losing his arm and ending his career, uh, you just feel so horrible for him. Uh, you know, freak accident that that changes his life. You know, thank goodness, it didn't end his life, but it changes and alters

his life forever. So you know, you our thoughts and prayers go out to Kendrick Norton and and just hopefully he you know, it seems like he's he's doing okay. You know, the signs on Instagram and Twitter and the pictures and you know, former teammates and current teammates supporting him. And I'm sure the National Football League is going to support him in the Miami Dolphins are going to suppor him anyway they can. But just our our thoughts and

prayers and our best, you know, in in his recovery. Yeah, I'm looking forward to seeing him around Tony hopefully comes by and uh, you know, I know that would probably be tough for him, but it also would be good guys. And and you know guys are you know they you know they're one of your it's one of your own. You're gonna gonna put your arms around the guy and you're gonna embrace him and make sure that that everything

goes well for him. And I know this organization. I've been with this organization a long long time, and I know they're gonna do everything they can, um to help him move on to the next phase in his career. And and like I said, we just wish him the best in our thoughts. Look at my thoughts, been with him really since um you heard about it. Yeah, And it's tough, tough things. So um anyway, we we really hope, hope the best for Kendrick. And I know he's he's

moving along. But let's go ahead and look at that. Le's gonna look at the offensive side of the football a little bit, Johnny and what this team is gonna be in. But it's tough because you know what, you we've seen him in mini camps and O T A s and this and that. But really until training camp comes and in they're competing in a at a higher level, it's as you're not not not sure what's gonna look like.

But I think, to me, when you look at this, this this offensive football team, you say, hey, what's gonna be the driving force between success and failure whatever or whatever number you put on success and failure for this football team this year? To me, it all starts at the line of screams with this offensive line. Offensive line has been you know, moved around a little bit. Jesse Davis kind of a guy that's you know, you know, kind of uh, you know, you can find have to

find him a spot in there. You go out and get Michael Dieter, who's really seems like the guy's gonna fit right in there, and and and being a good spot. Um, you get Daniel Kilgore back from injury last year, a guy that you know, I think his his his injury Week one really began. It kind of was a setback for the whole tim and then you and then you and then Josh Sitting the next week goes down and and all of a sudden that you know, they just the domino start falling at that point, but nice to

have him back. Isaiah Prince, a rookie coming in, you know, can he step in and be a tackle? So I think that offensive line for this football team, offensively is probably from day one until the last whistle blows to end the season, is going to be as influential on whether this team's or wins or not as well as any other position on the field, both offensively in defense.

You know, everybody always wants to talk about the quarterback or who your high price wide receiver is, or who you've got it running back and how you can move the football, but it really does the offensive line really does. It comes down to being able to stay on the field and sustain drives and being able to be dominant at the line of scrimmage. And I think you know

that pretty good core there. I think with the addition in the off season Jordan Mills comes in and you know, at that right tackle because you have a vacancy with Jowan James leaving in free agency. I think that you know, that is a question mark that has to be answered at training camp. Is it gonna be a young guy in Isaiah Prince, Is it gonna be somebody else? That steps up at that position to be able to say, hey, I'm the guy you can count on as a Zach Syrup.

A lot of a lot of questions there. But you mentioned the center in Daniel Kilgore. I think that's the most vital piece because he's the communicator. He's the guy who gets everything started. And you know that that center piece in that center position can be dominant. He can still be a dominant player as a veteran guy. He's played in a numerous games. He's a good guy, he's a smart guy's tough player. So I think that's gonna

help Chris Reid, you know, came over from Jacksonville. I think that's gonna be another interesting piece of the puzzle. Uh in free agency he comes over when the pads come on is Mills and read the guy you can count on those guys. Can you count on those guys to start and not put you know, Michael Dieter in a position where he's got to start as a rookie. So I think there's a lot of interesting parts there.

And and the big thing for me, I want to see Laramie Tuns will be the dominant offensive left tackle that I know he can be. Now, he's had good seasons. He you know, he started at the guard, kicked him back outside, took him a while to adjust to that left tackle spot. But I really believe that he's got to be a guy just a I want to see that nasty streak in him come out this and that's you know, that's the thought that was going through my mind both with with Daniel Kilgore and with Laramie Tunsil.

You know, both those guys, I know kill Gore, you know, you like that guy on your offensive line. That's a that's a tough guy, that's a nasty guy. That that you know that the you know, don't pick a guy up off the ground, you know, you know, you nudge him down, back down, exactly, play right on the border

of it and be that guy. That's just such a because that because to me, if you have that guy in there, it permeates that offensive line because the other guys are gonna want to follow suit the other guy who want to be in that in that type of in that type of line. And I think with the kid with Michael Dieter, you get that type of guy.

I think, you know he's gonna be that type of an offensive lineman coming from Wisconsin, and in the history they've had, in the success they've had on the offensive line with guys coming from Wisconsin, I think he'll fit that mode. But I think you're right, Laramie Tousible to me is that guy that you know, he's a good guy. He's a nice guy, but he's got to be that malling tough in your face, you know. I know he's I know he's upset. He's upset that he didn't make

the Pro Bowl last year. And he was right on the verge of being a pro bowler. And if he wants to be a Pro bowler, he's got to go out and be a pro bowler. He's got to go out and be a guy that can dominate the offensive line, you know, running in the running game, and dominate the offensive line in the past protection side of it. And and he can do it, and he can be that guy. And you know John James Leaving to me, I like to want John. You know, you're they're talking about him

in Denver, TI. We've seen come here, but you know he he's more of a passive guy, you know. And and I and and Laramie and him were close, and I'm kind of nice to kind of see see Juwan move where. I would love to have him here. Believe me, if I had my druthers, I'd rather have you Jawans line up in that right tackle meantime he's there. But I think that allows Laramie to be his his own self, his own personality a bit, and kind of bring some of that toughness in that mean streak out that that.

I think this offensive line, they may not be the best offensive line in National Football League, but they think if they can be tough, physical and hardcore, then I think that's gonna make them a unit that you gotta that you gotta contend with on a week week basis. You know what's funny, bo, You always talk about offensive lineman and you say, well, if we don't hear from them, or if we don't mention their names, if if if they're kind of you know, hidden, that means they're doing

their job. I want to see Laramie Touncil this year. I want to see him because I want to see him come and raise his game to the level that he hasn't reached yet. Now he's played very well, but I still think there's a lot more in the tank. I watched him in college. I think he does. I think he wants to raise his game and be noticed and be one of those guys that, you know, I want to see him at the end of play, uh, you know, gotta be smart, but I want to see

him finish. I want to see him dragging somebody down, you know, six seven yards past the line of scrimmage. I want to see a guy be a wall at that left side of the offensive line and past protection. So I think that I'm excited, but I've got my fingers crossed because I just hope that the changes, you know, the subtle changes at right guard and whoever is gonna emerge at left tackle, those guys gotta be players, and

they've gotta be players for sixteen games or else. We're gonna see the depth of the offensive line be tested. They have no doubt about it. So that's that's gonna be a an interesting battle here during training camp because there are positions that rough for grabs, and we'll get going. Uh. And and certainly the the the biggest beneficiary of a good offensive line or the biggest victim of a poor offensive line is going to be the guy standing behind him.

It's it's at the quarterback spot and right and look right now, after after all we've seen so far during the offseason, I think everyone's pretty everyone's kind of in the in the camp that Hey, Ryan Fitzpatrick going into training camp, Ryan Fitzpatrick had the better off season of the three quarterbacks that are going to go into the season. Um as they begin to compete for that starting job, you got you got, uh Josh Rosen coming in, Jake Rudock,

and Ryan Fitzpatrick. And I think the Patrick pecking morton right now is Fitzpatrick Rosen and going in there. The question I've got for that John is what's the right pick for the quarterback spot? And and I've been pretty vocal about my opinion of that. In my opinion, very very simple, is that if you don't have a top ten quarterback in this league, your chances of going to the playoffs and sustaining a playoff run or slim to none.

Make it up there for a year, you may get a you may get a run up there for a year, a wild card spot. Sustainability, you've got to have one of those guys. And if you're looking for that guy, Ryan Fitzpatrick has been in the league for fifteen years and hasn't proven yet to be that guy. He's bounced around and I got nothing against Ryan Fitzpatrick. He's been very you know. To me, Ryan Fitzpatrick is a guy that could give you three fifty yards and three touchdowns

one interception in the game. The next week give you four twenty yards and two inter set or two touchdowns in a game, and then game three he can give you a hundred and thirty yards and three interceptions. Right and he've seen he's a little bit of that up up and he can be real hot or canna be real cold. Um doesn't matter, It doesn't matter. I mean, he could take a bad team and give them two

wins that they wouldn't have gotten from somebody else. But he's also gonna throw some stinkers in there on you. To me, the guy, the the the wild card to me is Josh Rosen And and somehow at the end of the season, John, I've got to feel that yes he's the guy, or no he's not the guy. But there's a treasure trove of guys in the draft early on the next season, and we can go over those

guys later on. But to me, I'm thinking to myself, Okay, if we if you start Ryan Fitzpatrick, um, every snap that Josh Rosen doesn't get is one less snap you can see if he's the guy. And how many wins are you gonna get from Ryan Fitzpatrick? Are you gonna get five or six? Are you gonna get ten or twelve?

You're gonna be a playoff team or not? If you're not gonna be a playoff team, if you're not gonna get more than four or five or six wins, then why not just try and see if this guy he's already played fifteen games in the league, fourteen or fifteen games at least, so he's not a rookie. And it was a bad football team. But somehow you gotta come come out of the end of this tunnel and know that he is the guy or he's not the guy.

To me, the worst case, John is if you come out at the end of the season, you go, well, maybe he is, maybe he isn't. We didn't see enough of him. That's the concern I've got. Well, that is a concern, and I think it's legitimate because you feel like if you've gone out in the draft and you go out and trade and you get the tenth pick overall from last year's draft class, and he's played fifteen games on a bad team in Arizona. You want to find out if he's the guy. The problem I have

with it is my eyes are in my gut. Have watched O t a s now Now it doesn't matter, you know, offseason, but it does to a certain extent because you're learning the offense and you're learning how good a guy can adapt to what is given to him. And maybe the experience factor plays a role in that. But I didn't see one practice where I felt like Josh Rosen was the best quarterback on the field. Now is that a concern Maybe a little bit at this point. Yes. Now,

I did see some flashes of his arm strength. I did see some flashes of his awareness getting the ball to certain places where quarterbacks naturally get the football where I didn't hadn't seen that in seven years in an off season in terms of the starter. But what I do like about the situation is if I'm the Miami Dolphins and I'm Brian Flores or you know, I'm Chris Greer, I feel like I've got a bargain, and I don't want to waste I don't want to I don't want

to rush this kid. He's played fifteen games and he's been on a bad football team. Now, I'm not saying the Miami Dolphins are the Arizona Cardinals of two thousand eighteen, but I'm I am saying they're not far from the national perception. They're not far from it. I think they're better personally, but I'm just going off of what we're constantly hearing. I don't want to put this kid in a new system again for from one year bad offense, bad system to a better system, because I know that

the new England system works. I've seen it work with a with a really you know, one of the best quarterbacks of all time running it. I want to let this kid learn the offense at his pace because I'm not paying him anything. It's not costing us anything. It may cost us time, it may cost us aggravation next year when it gets to the point of what do we do? What do what do we know we have

a quarterback or not? But I do feel that Ryan Fitzpatrick, if I'm Brian Flores and I go out every practice in now in training camp, and I have the same feeling that I had during O t S that he's the best guy. I think we're gonna see a lot of Fitzpatrick in terms of unless Rosen takes that step in training camp that light bulb goes off suddenly because

I haven't seen it yet. Like to my satisfaction, I'm thinking, if this guy is the tenth pick in the overall draft last year and they're thinking about moving up for this guy to go higher, I didn't hadn't seen that guy yet. Now it's it's he's good, But I hadn't seen that guy yet, So I don't know if he's gonna be able to do it in this offense in year one. I hope he gets to play. I hope this guy is the guy that we all think that

he can be a franchise quarterback. But right now, I think Fitzpatrick for me, gives the Dolphins the best chance to win. Yeah, and and well my question, but my question how how much winning and how much winning how much winning does it take to not know at the end of the season if your guy, I think, I think you made a good point before we started, BO. I think there has to be a line in the sands, somewhere in the season of Okay, after eight games, let's

go halfway through the season. Are we four and four? Are we two and six? Are we five and three? Now? I know the schedule is tough to start out, but if if you think Fitzpatrick's the best guy to get you through that stretch, let's let's ride with him. If he's proven he's beating out the other two guys, let's ride with him. But I do believe somewhere during this season you made a good point and you kind of

convinced me on it. There's gotta be a line in the sand and say, okay, we're not going any further with Ryan Fitzpatrick because he's a one year guy for us. We're trying to put all our chips in the middle, see how well we could do. But it hasn't gotten there. We're three and five. Let's play Josh Rosen now and see where he takes because then you then you killed

two birds with one stone. You you know that Ryan Ryan Fitzpatrick is a guy that's in his fifteenth year, one and done guy, and he's won some games for you, and he hasn't won games for you, so you kind of know that he's the same guy he's been his whole career. In you also at the end, you know, Okay, we've had Rosen for whether it's six games, seven games, eight games, he's gotten better, gotten better to understand the other, the thing, the thing I don't the thing and look,

I'm not a quarterback, never been a quarterback. The thing I don't understand. The thing I'm not sure about is you know you had you had Ryan Fitzpattrick. He's been he's been with numerous teams, seven teams going into his fifteenth year, and he's used to changing and and and he's a smart kid and adapting. Now he was here about a month or so or a couple of months prior to Rosen, so now he's got a little depth

of knowledge of the of the pok Mike. My thing watching Rosen more during the the t was just his arm strength, his ability moved around the podcast, those types of things, because you know, he in that meeting room, he was the least guy with the experience, last guy in for with with this new with this new staff. So he had basically a month where these other guys have had to three months to to to go through

all this stuff, so there's something there to see. So Okay, now you know he's had a month or so away to to to get himself after me. Let's see how he does with the new you know, I think understanding this offense and coming out that way once training camp comes and it gets real, I think the smartest thing for this staff to do is have a clean slate

coming in. You know, you have some knowledge from O. T. A. S. You have some knowledge from hearing these guys talk about the offense, throwing him up on the white board, letting him go through practice tape, you know, figuring out the mistakes, figuring out the corrections, looking at the good things that they've done. I think the best thing if I were the head coach in the Miami Dolphins, this is exactly what I would do. I'd walk in. Ryan Fitzpatrick, You're

you're starting right, You're right now. Josh your job and Jake your job is to beat him out. And I'm gonna evaluate every practice. I'm evaluate every preseason snap in a game that we take. But I'm I'm gonna play the best guy that gives us the best chance to beat the Baltimore Ravens on September eight. That's the guy's playing at hard rock stage. I'm with you on that. I'm with you on the fact that here day day one, Ryan, you're the guy. Uh, Josh your second Jake, here's the peck,

here's here's the ball. When do you guys go win the job? And I'm not I'm not gonna hesitate in day three of training camp. If Jake's had two good days, he's he's the second guy. Or if Josh has had two good days, he's the first guy. That's just the way it's gonna go. But I want you all to know that this is how we're gonna start, and that's how we're gonna roll. Now that doesn't mean that Josh or Jake isn't gonna get some first team reps, a lot of first team reps on certain days because you

gotta find out. But I will say, going back to that line in the sand, we were talking about maybe eight games in, if the Dolphins are six and two, well then you gotta ride that horse and ride that There's no doubt about it. But I six, you're you're going let's let's let's get Now we've got to check. It's not gonna matter. Let him either crash and burn or let him rise to the to evaluate. Yeah. So yeah, so that's gonna that's gonna be It's gonna be interesting

to see how that plays out. And and look, you know we we we started off talking about the offensive line. When training camp starts, everybody, everybody's eyes are gonna be on the other top. Yeah, that that's gonna be it. And that now the other thing that that that you know, it's gonna be effect. Those guys are gonna be the running backs and the receivers and there. And there's some guys in there that you have big questions on him. You know, Kenyan Drake. You know, can Kenyan can be

the guy? Can he be that guy that's your your bell cow that you're gonna give him the majority of that carries. He's gonna be your first down, second pound, third down back. And you know Calin Ballads come in and kind of, you know, be the change up guy or as you know, as Miles Gaskin is he gonna come in and and show you something. And and we we talked about the fullback in there, so you know, the the running back position and I think there's a couple of guys in that wide receiver room that that

need to step up. I mean, you know what you've got in your team. You've got Albert coming back. It's like he's healthy. Uh, you know what you're gonna get with UM number ten, with Kenny Kenny Stills. You know, to me, the big wild card in the whole thing is DeVante Parker. You know, is DeVante Parker gonna be the DeVante Parker that we've been looking for for it seems like seven years. I know he's been here with four years or whatever it is, But is he gonna

be that guy? Kenny Kenny stay healthy And that's the biggest question. I think when he's been healthy, he's been fairly productive. You know, you could count on him when he's on the field. It's it's when he gets nicked and he's at eighty, he's at seventy, he's still wearing a uniform and he and he disappears from the offense. I think that's the biggest thing. And that's why you bring a guy like Preston Williams, who really no one's heard of, and you watch him through O T A

S and you've got who's you know, who's eighty two? Bo, Who's eighty two? And he kept telling me Preston Wilson, how many times am I gonna tell you? You know Williams? And and the guy kept making plays. Now is it gonna be too big for him to continue that? That progression you know during training camp, when the pads come on, when there's more contact at the line of scrimmage, when he has to fight to get off, you know, the line, to stay on his route to be open when the

quarterbacks ready to throw the football. But I think I think a couple other guys Isaiah four plays into that role too. Can he emerge? Can he be the fifth guy, the sixth guy, depending on how you want to roll out the offense in terms of each week, because I think there's plenty of talent there and the way the system is set up, at least during O t A

s the balls out very quickly. So those guys UH have to come along as well as the running backs, because if we can have success on first sound, it's gonna take a lot of pressure where we started off the offensive line. You've got play action. Both Klein, Balage and and Drake can catch the football out of the backfield, so you feel like you've got some some security there and you've got some speed guys too. I really liked the way Mark Walton looked in O. T. S. You know,

just as well as a guy like Miles Gaskins. I thought Walton was kind of like the same type of back. So that's gonna kind of even out during training game, it's all, you know, you all, it's all gonna even out, like you know. It's funny because I remember over the years seeing it's always seem to be the one receiver that you you saw in O T. A S that came out of nowhere. You know that guy there's a

free agent. Oh man, that guy looks pretty good. And then you get to the game and first first preseason game he drops three football or he never gets because he's not open. Yeah exactly. I think, gosh, how about seven eleven way back? Yeah, you know, with Chris Hogan, we we were kind of watching up up in the press box there up in the stands at training camp, going, they gotta keep this guy. Yeah. Well, I hope the

same thing happens to Preston Williams. I hope that he's that type of guy that just continually gets better and better, and that on a team looking for playmakers, looking for explosive plays, that he's that guy that the Dolphins finally hang onto and find. Yeah, no doubt they they look.

You know. The funny thing about it is is as I look down these listen, like I look at the running backs, and I look at Drake, and I look at Bullage, and I look at Walton and and Gascon and the the other guys are gonna be battling for that. And just just give me Drake and and and and Bellage and both those guys I like a lot, you know, I I and and we we talked about this a little bit with with with the addition of a fullback and channeler Cox, and he's gonna make the team. I'm

assuming he should do. He's a draft pick. They usually all do make the team. But he makes a team. And and if he can give Kenyon a little bit of room on first down, that could that could completely change, that could make Kenyon. That could take Kenyan from a six hundred and fifty yard guy to a thousand yard guy, a thousand yard guy running football, which is which is exactly the footprint that you would want him to walk

into when he goes into this season. For for Kenyan Drake and and Caitlin Blage, we saw enough of him that big, strong, powerful guy, but he's got enough speed to run away from you and uh and and I'm excited about seeing that. So so to me, that's one of the one of the one of the position rooms, one of the meeting rooms. Then I'm really looking for a lot of production out of those guys, both as as a running back and as a pass catcher when

they're putting that situation. Yeah, because I think the Dolphins have the flexibility to go, you know, two tights, three types of in in one back and two backs at certain times and being able to do that. I agree with you. I think there's gonna be some flexibility in terms of formations, in terms of what guys are gonna be asked to do. And I would throw one other name if we go back to the wide receivers at Trent and Irwin, he's a guy in the slot. We catches a lot of punts during O t A s.

He was dependable doing that. If you don't want Yakim doing you know a little bit of everything. Maybe you're spotting Jachim on a long field and you're putting Irwin back if he ends up making the team, you know, like a Danny Amendola, like a Jarvis Landry did closer

to the goal line. And about this, how about you want to look at maybe the most competitive meeting room in there, look at the so so you got, you got, you got the returning and right now in my mind watching them, I don't know you know that you know the to me the most the most reliable guy that I saw, no Nicole Leary. Nick just always gets open, always knows what he's doing, always makes the play when

he's given to him, always does the right thing. And he may not be the flashiest guy out there, and he catches everything, he blocks well, he does everything for you. So he got a Leary, you got Clive Walford, you got Duyne Allen, all guys that have played and know how to play and have been productive where they've been. And then you got the two, and you got you

got Durham Smith, and you've got Mike Gasecki. Who, man, you know that if I'm those guys, if I'm those guys and I'm sitting here today going man, I gotta have my ass. I gotta have the best training camp I've ever had a starting from Pop Warner football or whatever youth lead you played in all the way through

high school and college. This is the most important important training camp I've been in because they they they went out and drafted with high numbers second round and what was second round and fourth round or third round, and so they you know, they've gotta they've got to step up and get to you know, they don't play one one. Those guys could be on the outside looking in with that, with that meeting room, the way it's set up with you know Walford can play. You know Dwayne Allen can play.

We've seen Nicole Leary. Uh, those two guys are battling for it may be battling for one spot. If if those guys don't break down somewhere, I'm gonna use the same philosophy I did with quarterback as as tight end when I went out every day at O T A practice. I will definitely tell you that Nico Leary and Clive Wolford were one A and one V and you could change either way. You could change him around. It doesn't matter Dayne Allen was asked to do what he does,

he at it perfectly. If I'm anybody else in that meeting room, I'm worried because now you've got to be able to be productive on special teams. And I think that's where Derham Smith gets a little bit of an advantage because he can do more. Now can he beat one of those other guys out being able to be a flex tight end, being able to catch the football. I'm worried if I'm Mike Kasicky, because not that he's done anything wrong, but he hasn't. He hasn't made the

leap you're looking for in my opinion. You know, maybe he has in the eyes of the coaches, But I'm looking for him to be a difference maker. I'm looking for him to create separation. I'm looking for him to do a lot of things. And I think this is as you said, the most important training camp of their lives wasn't last year because they were they were on grace. It doesn't matter what you do, you're making the team,

it's this year. You've got to be able to separate yourself from the pack in that crowded tight endmy and look, I don't I don't like to cast dispersions on people, but you know, they go out and they get to George Gotzia tight for the tight end coach. You know, I don't know that they were coached up very well in my opinion, you know. And I'm not in meeting rooms.

I'm not behind closed doors. But you know, I remember when Dan Campbell is here and they had we we drafted the kid from Missouri, the tight end, uh, Michael Michael eg knew. I watched him for ten minutes. I said, this kid can't play. This kid cannot play. He was the third round pick out of Missouri. And I thought that that. I thought that, uh. I thought that Campbell made him into a player as as as good. I saw more improvement in one person based on watching Dan

Campbell coach with that guy. That's what George Gotzie needs to do with these young guys. He's got to spend the time with them, work with them, and and and and get them better. You know, I think, to me, I think it was a disservice to them last year to have that tight end coach. And I look again, I'm you know, I'm maybe I'm sticking my neck out, and you know, I mean, but you gotta, you gotta your team, especially on offense, You're only as good as

your weakest position or your weakest link. That whole room needs to kind of rise us and kind of meet the expectation of the running backs, and then the wide receivers need to do that as well. Every position. So you're not looking at hey, we're good, but we've got a little bit of a down trodden area X Y, and look into a situation where you're look and go,

you know, we're good, but we're not. But then you look around the league and you look at almost every yame everybody's good, and everyone's got a tight end running down the middle of the field arts and and this guy and that guy and and they're all six ft six five six six and and they don't care if they can block or not. They run them down the field. And I think that's we're gonna see a little bit

about Mike Gasecki. I hope. So I think they're gonna look at Michael and say, hey, we're gonna we're gonna put him in a situation where we move him around a little bit, get him in in in positive situations where he can make make plays and get him the football, and if he can, if he can block a little, and then then then that's a bonus. You know. I hope I hope that the Miami Dolphins get to that point.

Because if you can stretch and and threaten the middle of the field, when you've got speed on the outside like we do with Jachim and Kenny and Albert, I mean covering up the middle and being able to run it out of that position as well. Boy, you can really put stress on a defense. All that being said, John, all this conversation about the offensive line, the quarterbacks are running backs, the wide receivers and the tight ends, and John, I look at this. I keep looking at this offense.

I keep looking at these guys and going, We've got some pretty damn good guys here, got some pretty damn good players here. If if you know, we talked about the offensive line, if kill Gore stays healthy, if Laramie steps his game up a little bit, if Mills yeah, and and and then and and and you can give you and your receivers stay healthy. You know you got the speed fit there. You've got guys that are possession guys.

You've got I just you know, I know there's not there's a lot of people that aren't given this team a whole lot of of opportunity or think they're gonna be. But I look at this offense. I go, man, you get a couple of guys that fall in the right way, and you get a quarterback that you know that that that it can move a team. You know, maybe I'm wrong, maybe maybe I'm maybe I'm a homer, maybe I'm whatever, maybe I'm an asshole I am, but but but I

just that's all right. But I look at this team, and I offensively, I go, They've got an opportunity to be a pretty good team. How good can they be is going to depend on them taking the next step, especially in the young guys, to being better players than they were last year and the year before that. Well, we're gonna find out right away because the schedule does not do any favors the Miami Dolphins. They've got Baltimore, They've got New England and back to back games, They've

got Dallas, and they've got the l A Chargers. Now those are some those are some good football teams. So this Miami Dolphin team coming out of training camp, coming out of the preseason. They better have it figured out on offense because you've got to have a quarterback that can stay on the field move the team. Most importantly,

that surrounding cast, that supporting casts. As you said, the offensive line that has to Everybody has to raise their game if they're going to get out of the first quarter of the season with a five record or a winning record. The one thing that the one thing I do look at to Also when you look at the coaching side, I know that Brian Flores has talked about a lot. He said, we'll look, we're gonna be We're gonna be, uh one of the one of the most

conditioned football teams, and you can do it. I've never seen that. You probably haven't seen a team run like this since Don Shula was that coach. Maybe Jimmy Maybe Jimmy ran and deep. But you know, and I'm not talking about the other things we talked, attention to detail, all those things, just conditioned and and in discipline. If you can do at you can be conditioned down here. You've got a chance to win every game in September

because it's gonna be hot as hell. You got chances to win those stember because because other teams are gonna wear out and and and I think this is gonna be a team that's gonna be in position to do that and maybe win some games that they might not otherwise had it been later in the year or somewhere else. Going to play San Diego out in or l A out in l A where there's no humidity in seventy five degrees. Perfect, Yeah, exactly. You got excited for football, man,

I'm ready reading camps. Alright, we're gonna wrap it up here for John kim Jimmy, I'm Kimbo Camper. We'll be back with you again next week. John, we'll take a look at the defensive side that next week. Can see a lot of a lot of a lot of names and faces changed there. And again you kind of breeze soon you go. Man, We got a pretty good second theary a lot of guys back there from young linebackers. If we can get some of those defense. So we'll talk about that next week, but for now, that's gonna

do it for the audible. We'll catch you again next week for John. Kim Jimmy, I'm Kimbo Camper. Have a safe because I only p