The Dolphins are saying otherwise, but this week should signal some urgency when it comes to settling in on a two-deep lineup. Many positions are already essentially set heading into Friday?s preseason game at Carolina.
But three weeks into preparation for the upcoming season, a few spots remain in question. Here are five players who will be heavily scrutinized against the Panthers:
1. S Minkah Fitzpatrick
Fitzpatrick has been everything Miami thought it was getting with the No. 11 pick and he?s forcing his way onto the field. Defensive coordinator Matt Burke will find a solid role for him this season, and his newest experiment of playing him as a slot cornerback is intriguing.
With all the issues the Dolphins are having at corner, moving Fitzpatrick there and shifting Bobby McCain outside could solve the problem of nailing down three first-string cornerbacks and finding a way to play Fitzpatrick, Reshad Jones and T.J. McDonald at the same time. Fitzpatrick looked good in the slot at practice this week, but facing an unfamiliar offense will be a new challenge.
2. QB David Fales
The Dolphins don?t have a backup quarterback. That should make them nervous, especially considering Ryan Tannehill is coming off a major knee injury. Fales can alleviate that stress by nailing down the job and creating clear separation from Brock Osweiler. A strong performance against the Panthers will go a long way.
Fales has been the favorite to win the job all offseason, but has yet to prove himself decisively better than Osweiler. They?re both reclamation projects, so it will come down to which one coach Adam Gase trusts more as a game manager. Given how many interceptions Osweiler has thrown in practice, he seems unlikely. Fales looked fine last week, completing 8 of 11 passes for 115 yards, and needs to keep that going.
3. RB Kenyan Drake
The issue with Drake has never been ability. His approach to the job is the concern. To his credit, he showed a much more mature mentality when he took over for Jay Ajayi last season and was the best running back in the NFL over the final month of the season. The Dolphins also brought in veteran Frank Gore, in part, to mentor him.
While it?s been a good year or so for Drake, he had troubling misstep when he flew off the handle in practice this week, which immediately reminded Gase of his ejection against the Bills in last season?s finale. Gase ripped into him for that this week, and Drake should view this game as a chance to reestablish trust that he?s ready to be a true pro.
4. CB Bobby McCain
Throughout the last three years, Gase and Burke have raved about McCain?s dependability. Despite any physical disadvantage at a listed height of 5-foot-11, they never worry about McCain. His fundamentals, effort level, perceptiveness and execution are second to none in the Miami secondary.
That?s why the Dolphins loved having him as their No. 1 slot corner (and paid him handsomely with a four-year, $27 million extension this year) and it?s why they believe he can make the move to the outside. Miami hasn?t been able to find a partner for Xavien Howard, and now McCain is taking a crack at it. If he can handle wide receivers and Fitzpatrick looks good inside, that should be Burke?s answer.
5. DT Jordan Phillips
Riding the ups and downs of Jordan Phillips? career can cause motion sickness. Is he going to be great or is he an unreliable, unpredictable player who falls short of his potential? The answers to that question have been all over the place since Miami drafted him No. 52 overall in 2015.
He struggled in the preseason last year before coming on strong at the end, then was hampered by injuries during the season. He?s battling second-year player Davon Godchaux for the second starting defensive tackle job alongside Akeem Spence, and Godchaux appears to have the lead at the moment. Phillips better act fast if he wants to claim that spot, which is critical to him this year as he heads toward free agency.
But three weeks into preparation for the upcoming season, a few spots remain in question. Here are five players who will be heavily scrutinized against the Panthers:
1. S Minkah Fitzpatrick
Fitzpatrick has been everything Miami thought it was getting with the No. 11 pick and he?s forcing his way onto the field. Defensive coordinator Matt Burke will find a solid role for him this season, and his newest experiment of playing him as a slot cornerback is intriguing.
With all the issues the Dolphins are having at corner, moving Fitzpatrick there and shifting Bobby McCain outside could solve the problem of nailing down three first-string cornerbacks and finding a way to play Fitzpatrick, Reshad Jones and T.J. McDonald at the same time. Fitzpatrick looked good in the slot at practice this week, but facing an unfamiliar offense will be a new challenge.
2. QB David Fales
The Dolphins don?t have a backup quarterback. That should make them nervous, especially considering Ryan Tannehill is coming off a major knee injury. Fales can alleviate that stress by nailing down the job and creating clear separation from Brock Osweiler. A strong performance against the Panthers will go a long way.
Fales has been the favorite to win the job all offseason, but has yet to prove himself decisively better than Osweiler. They?re both reclamation projects, so it will come down to which one coach Adam Gase trusts more as a game manager. Given how many interceptions Osweiler has thrown in practice, he seems unlikely. Fales looked fine last week, completing 8 of 11 passes for 115 yards, and needs to keep that going.
3. RB Kenyan Drake
The issue with Drake has never been ability. His approach to the job is the concern. To his credit, he showed a much more mature mentality when he took over for Jay Ajayi last season and was the best running back in the NFL over the final month of the season. The Dolphins also brought in veteran Frank Gore, in part, to mentor him.
While it?s been a good year or so for Drake, he had troubling misstep when he flew off the handle in practice this week, which immediately reminded Gase of his ejection against the Bills in last season?s finale. Gase ripped into him for that this week, and Drake should view this game as a chance to reestablish trust that he?s ready to be a true pro.
4. CB Bobby McCain
Throughout the last three years, Gase and Burke have raved about McCain?s dependability. Despite any physical disadvantage at a listed height of 5-foot-11, they never worry about McCain. His fundamentals, effort level, perceptiveness and execution are second to none in the Miami secondary.
That?s why the Dolphins loved having him as their No. 1 slot corner (and paid him handsomely with a four-year, $27 million extension this year) and it?s why they believe he can make the move to the outside. Miami hasn?t been able to find a partner for Xavien Howard, and now McCain is taking a crack at it. If he can handle wide receivers and Fitzpatrick looks good inside, that should be Burke?s answer.
5. DT Jordan Phillips
Riding the ups and downs of Jordan Phillips? career can cause motion sickness. Is he going to be great or is he an unreliable, unpredictable player who falls short of his potential? The answers to that question have been all over the place since Miami drafted him No. 52 overall in 2015.
He struggled in the preseason last year before coming on strong at the end, then was hampered by injuries during the season. He?s battling second-year player Davon Godchaux for the second starting defensive tackle job alongside Akeem Spence, and Godchaux appears to have the lead at the moment. Phillips better act fast if he wants to claim that spot, which is critical to him this year as he heads toward free agency.
