Twenty quick hits and thoughts from the Dolphins’ 24-24 preseason tie against the Bears on Sunday in Chicago: ▪ With the final few roster spots on an NFL team, two factors often weigh heavily: finances and a player’s ability to play special teams.
In the Dolphins’ case, the financial issue has been somewhat offset (not entirely, but somewhat) at suspect positions because of the way the Dolphins have structured contracts.
Except for Liam Eichenberg and Larry Borom, they haven’t guaranteed a single dollar to anybody else competing for spots at their two most worrisome positions: cornerback and offensive line.
Borom will make $1.2 million whether he makes the team or not; the team seems confident he will be a competent No. 3 tackle, despite a checkered career body of work. He was adequate Sunday and better in recent days after a poor first 10 days of camp.
Eichenberg will make $2 million if he makes the team or not; he very likely will either be on the 53-man roster or begin the season on the physically unable to perform list, where he currently resides.
But none of the others competing for backup offensive line jobs are owed a thing if they don’t stick. That includes Kion Smith ($1 million if he makes it), Jackson Carman ($1.2 million), Daniel Brunskill ($1.2 million), Germaine Ifedi ($1.3 million), Andrew Meyer and Ryan Hayes ($960,000 apiece) and Braedan Daniels and Jalen McKenzie ($840,000). Center Addison West, a roster longshot, already was paid a $50,000 guarantee.
Smith for beaten for two sacks on Sunday, including one that led to a fumble by Quinn Ewers deep in Dolphins territory.
Ifedi also allowed a sack and struggled badly (though, in fairness, he has practiced only three times since last season).
Daniels and McKenzie had some good moments late - and Borom wasn’t awful filling in for Austin Jackson onSunday - but the second-team offensive line remains a major problem.
▪ At cornerback, not a single player, except injured Kader Kohou, is guaranteed any money.
Cam Smith, who has missed six practices due to injury and didn’t play Sunday, will make $1.4 million if he makes the team and nothing if he doesn’t. That’s a higher salary than any of the others he’s competing with, which leaves him more at risk.
Jack Jones will make $1.1 million if he makes the team and nothing if he doesn’t.
Cornell Armstrong and Kendall Sheffield make $1.2 million if they’re on the team, nothing otherwise. Same with Isaiah Johnson ($840,000).
Even Mike Hilton’s one-year, $1.3 million contract is non-guaranteed, according to overthecap.com; it would be surprising if he doesn’t make the team. But he didn’t start Sunday’s game and allowed an 18-yard completion on a third down. When asked last week why Miami has limited Hilton’s snaps in camp, he spoke of wanting to give everyone a chance.
Storm Duck’s $960,000 isn’t guaranteed, but he’s almost assuredly making the team. He started Sunday’s game, opposite Sheffield, and allow 17- and 5-yard completions to Devin Duvernay.
Undrafted rookies BJ Adams ($150,000) and Ethan Robinson ($175,000) already have been paid their guarantees. Robinson was beaten for a four-yard TD pass after Case Keenum escaped the pocket and hit Deion Hankins. Adams was later beaten for a TD by Jahdae Walker in the corner of the end zone but had good coverage on a couple of plays late in regulation. ▪ The Dolphins opened with a three safety lineup (Minkah Fitzpatrick, Ifeatu Melifonwu and Elijah Campbell) and two corners (Duck and Sheffield) instead of a traditional three-corner, two safety look. Hilton’s usage has been strange during camp. Campbell left the game with an undisclosed injury.
Health permitting, Fitzpatrick, Melifonwu and Campbell almost assuredly will be Miami’s top three safeties, with Ashtyn Davis out. Whether Duck and Sheffield are Miami’s opening day cornerbacks is very much in question.
Duck has a decent chance; Sheffield has as much chance of being cut as starting. Ethan Bonner and Jack Jones were the second-team boundary cornerbacks on Sunday, and Bonner had the best play of the day on a sequence which he had excellent coverage and tipped a pass that Patrick McMorris intercepted. A Jones interception was negated by pass interference.
This cornerback group isn’t nearly good enough; even former Dolphins tackle Terron Armstead said Miami needs to add a proven veteran.
▪ Zach Wilson has the third-lowest passer rating among all active quarterbacks, and it was easy to see why Sunday.
He threw a pass that should have been intercepted for a touchdown, following a training camp in which he threw four interceptions and a half dozen passes that could have been intercepted.
He held onto the ball far too long on multiple plays, including one that foiled a drive late in the first half.
With his feet not set, he bounced a pass to a wide open Tanner Conner for what should have been a touchdown. And he threw low to Julian Hill on another poorly thrown ball. Wilson finished 5 for 9 for 96 yards.
▪ Tahj Washington’s big day (including a 37-yard reception) and Dee Eskridge’s 42-yard punt return reinforced those two players as the favorites for the fifth and sixth receiver jobs, behind Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle (who sat out Sunday), Nick-Westbrook Ikhine (who had a 36-yard catch) and Malik Washington (who caught two third-down passes for conversions on Tua Tagovailoa’s only drive).
Erik Ezukanma had a 37-yard kickoff return and he’s putting up a fight for a roster spot after spending last season on the practice squad.
▪ Outside linebacker Derrick McLendon, who has had at least five sacks in training camp, had another. He also pressured Case Keenum on an incomplete fourth down pass in the end zone and had two stops in the backfield on running plays.
The former FSU and Colorado edge player has been as much of a pleasant surprise as anyone in camp.
▪ Matt Dickerson, who has had a very solid camp, made a stop for a loss and also knocked down a pass.
Based on performance, he should be the team’s No. 4 defensive tackle (behind Zach Sieler, Kenneth Grant and Benito Jones). But the Dolphins need to make room on the 53 man roster for draft picks Jordan Phillips and Zeek Biggers, barring injuries. Phillips had four tackles on Sunday and his strength was evident on several plays.
▪ Linebacker Channing Tindall, trying to convince the Dolphins to keep him for the final year of his rookie contract, was beaten twice in coverage. Tindall has didn’t play a single defensive snap last season. Though he has special teams value, keep in mind that none of his $1.4 million salary is guaranteed.
▪ Jaylen Wright was stuffed on three goal-line plays before scoring on a seven-yard run later, on a nifty block from rookie guard Jonah Savaiinaea. Wright’s lack of vision seems problematic at times; he was held to 16 yards on nine carries.
▪ There will be no tougher decisions than backup outside linebacker. Cam Goode, who had a great stop on a kickoff return, always will have an advantage because of his special teams play; he blocked a punt in practice last week.
McLendon has made a convincing case for a roster spot. So has second-year player Grayson Murphy, who sacked Keenum for a nine-yard loss.
Quinton Bell is now battle-tested and generally reliable. It’s way too soon to give up on Mo Kamara, who’s in concussion protocol. But how many edge players can realistically be kept behind Jaelan Phillips, Bradley Chubb and Chop Robinson?
▪ This wasn’t a great day for tight end Pharoah Brown, who whiffed on a block and was beaten by Austin Booker for a sack.
▪ It was appropriate that linebacker Willie Gay Jr. had half a sack (with Benito Jones) on Chicago’s second play. Gay has been the training camp MVP, if there were such an award.
Benito Jones, incidentally, got the start ahead of Kenneth Grant, as Miami opened with two down linemen.
▪ Pre-snaps penalties remain an issue. Borom was called for illegal formation before Miami’s first play. And there were too many infractions defensively, including two pre-snap penalties.
▪ Maurice Alexander beat safety Patrick McMorris for a touchdown. McMorris, John Saunders Jr. and Jordan Colbert are competing for a fifth safety job, presuming Davis (leg injury) is sidelined to start the season and presuming fifth-round rookie Dante Trader Jr. is back from a soft-tissue injury by the start of the season. A Saunders deflection was negated by a holding penalty.
McMorris was credited with a pass defended -- as were Grant, KJ Britt, Bonner and defensive lineman Ben Stille.
▪ Rookie quarterback Quinn Ewer’s first two possessions went nothing like his promising training camp.
Ewers opened 0 for 5 and fumbled when Booker sacked him deep in Miami territory after beating Kion Smith.
On another sequence, Ewers checked down to Alexander Mattison, even though Brown was open for a touchdown.
Ewers delivered a 19-yard strike to Ollie Gordon II on 4th and five to extend Miami’s final possession before the drive ended with a sack on a blitz with 26 seconds left. Ewers fumbled on the play, giving the Bears the ball on the Dolphins’ 41. But Chicago went nowhere on its next drive.
Ewers finished 5 for 18 for 91 yards and two fumbles.
▪ Gordon II broke a tackle and made a beautiful spin move on a 20-yard run to end the third quarter. In our view, Gordon has been more impressive than Wright during camp.
▪ After landing on his head on a play, Mattison was down briefly and walked off and into the locker room, flashing a thumbs up as he separted.
Mattison was Miami’s best running back in camp before fumbling twice during Friday’s joint practice. He closed Sunday with three carries for eight yards, including a touchdown.
▪ Theo Wease Jr. and Andrew Armstrong -- the two undrafted rookie receivers who received $234,000 guarantees -- didn’t make a catch until Wease caught a short pass in the final two minutes. But undrafted rookie AJ Henning made an 18-yard catch; receivers coach Robert Prince called him the most improved of the four undrafted rookie receivers.
▪ Not only did Jason Sanders hit a 56-yard field goal, but reporters didn’t see him miss a single field goal during training camp practices in Miami Gardens.
▪ In the battle for the punting job, Jake Bailey delivered a 59-yarder that landed inside the 20. Ryan Stonehouse had a 50-yarder. Bailey is due $1.97 million if he makes the team and nothing if he doesn’t make the team. Stonehouse will make $1.2 million if he makes the team and nothing if he doesn’t.
Unlike some of the aforementioned non-guaranteed salaries for backup offensive linemen and cornerbacks, there is a significant enough gap between the punters’ salaries that it could be a factor in this decision.
▪ Cornerback Isaiah Johnson had a terrific play in coverage on a 4th and 3 pass late in the game, when the Bears were trying to run out the clock.