James Daniels used to hate preseason.
It just didn’t make sense to the former Iowa standout. Daniels wanted to hit – but he wanted said hits to mean something, which during the preseason, it does not. Then he met Mike Tomlin.
“Once I was in Pittsburgh, my mind-set shifted,” the Miami Dolphins guard said Friday, explaining that the famed Steelers coach “was really big on getting us reps” during the preseason. “I really enjoy the work we get in preseason. Go through the pregame. Getting ready to play. I’m not sure or if we play at all but just being able to go through that is hard to do.
“Going through the tempo of pregame routine, stretching, all that stuff — that’s invaluable,” he continued.
As the Dolphins prepare for their preseason debut Sunday against the Chicago Bears, health must be paramount. Too many guys — from Daniels to quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to edge rushers Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips — have significant injury histories. That said, the importance of developing a routine cannot be understated.
“It’s very important,” edge rusher Chop Robinson said Friday. “It’s been a long time playing against somebody else but going out there, getting comfortable in the games and everything, back with the defense, back in the flow of things would be great.”
Just who will suit up, however, remains unclear.
“After this practice we will review it as a staff and meet with the staff tomorrow morning to talk through that,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said Friday, later adding that his “starting point is I’d like to get starter snaps. How long or if not all is determined by the players.”
A few snaps for starters could be necessary considering the performance in Friday’s joint practice. All reports suggest that the Bears’ physicality initially appeared to stifle Dolphins’ offense. Although no Tyreek Hill, Austin Jackson or Alec Ingold certainly makes a difference and the offense managed to get a win late in practice, the slow start means there’s a lot of work to do.
“It’s hard at times — egos get in there and you get into fight or flight mode in those situations,” tailback Alexander Mattison said Friday. “But staying together as a team, trying to focus up, lock in and make sure we can get the best out of each rep is something that we have to continue to focus on. Proud of the way we were able to bounce back through those some of those exchanges and stay focused.”
The Dolphins defense, meanwhile, seemingly outperformed the Bears offense, a good sign considering the loss of key players from 2024 including cornerback Jalen Ramsey, defensive tackle Calais Campbell and safety Jevon Holland. That should be no surprise considering how Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver has dialed up pressure in practices.
“I think our defense is pretty excited,” Tagovailoa said Wednesday prior to trip to the midwest. “We have a lot of chirping going on back and forth with the competitive nature, with situational ball, and then team drills. I know those guys are hungry to see the ball more because I for sure wasn’t letting them see the ball a lot this training camp.”
When Sunday’s game gets underway, look for who gets run at cornerback and safety. The Dolphins seem set on Storm Duck’s ability to lock down one side of the field but who will start opposite of him remains to be seen. Kendall Sheffield is currently slotted to fill the other boundary cornerback position but that could change if Jack Jones, Ethan Bonner or Cam Smith plays well.
An injury to safety Ashtyn Davis – while Ifeatu Melifonwu was already a bit banged up – means that the group needs special attention. Elijah Campbell would be the most logical option to pair with Minkah Fitzpatrick, however, Pat McMorris, Jordan Colbert or rookies John Saunders and Dante Trader Jr., if healthy, will likely treat Sunday’s game as an audition of sorts.