MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — With Jalen Ramsey, Xavien Howard, and Jevon Holland, the Miami Dolphins might have the most talented secondary in football.
But there’s a caveat: When healthy.
Injuries ravaged their defensive backfield in 2022, and the aftershocks are still being felt.
At Tuesday’s first minicamp practice of 2023, Brandon Jones (ACL), Nik Needham (Achilles), Trill Williams (ACL), and Keion Crossen (undisclosed) were among the baker’s dozen players who did not participate.
Ramsey, meanwhile, dressed and went through individual drills. But he did nothing beyond that. After practice, the three-time All-Pro explained why.
Miami Dolphins Practice Report: June 6
“I think I’ve had the same plan like for the past three offseasons,” said Ramsey, acquired in a trade with the Rams back in March. “So it’s just the same carry-over here. I play extremely physical. I play a physical style of game, and I recover my body the right way. I trust in my process. The training staff and strength staff here are extremely good. And we are very like-minded in the way that we think about my training regimens and rehab or whatever the case may be.
“So, we’re all on the same page with that,” he added. “What matters is when the time is right, then I’m ready to go full-go, and that’s not even a question in nobody’s mind. So we’re following the right plan for me.”
Ramsey appeared in all 17 games last season but has dealt with significant injuries to both shoulders over the last two seasons. After getting the left one fixed in the 2022 offseason, he had surgery on the right a few months back.
The Dolphins’ focus this spring has been to get him ready for Week 1 — which is still three months off.
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“I just look at it trying to help out wherever I can because I know the defense,” Ramsey said. “So that’s really where I’m trying to help this offseason, this minicamp is if anybody got questions about the defense or if I feel like, you know, they could be more comfortable playing it.
“… So, that’s where I’m trying to help,” he added. “But honestly, all these guys are professionals, they got to kind of get it themselves, and any way I can help, I’ll give him my input in, but I ain’t like doing too much like forcing that on to nobody or man. It’s like natural right now.”
Tua Tagovailoa Update
The orange jersey and the playlist both belonged to Tua Tagovailoa Tuesday after having the best day of any Dolphins player in their previous practice.
His music selection revealed an old soul. His choices included “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” “Black or White,” “Don’t Stop Believin’,” and “Killing Me Softly.”
Tagovailoa probably won’t control the aux cord when the Dolphins return to practice Wednesday. It’s not that he was bad Tuesday. It’s just that he really didn’t have the opportunity to really distinguish himself.
The only deep pass he attempted was to Jaylen Waddle into triple coverage that fell incomplete.
In Tua’s defense, he was without Tyreek Hill, who did not participate in seven-on-seven or team drills for undisclosed reasons.
Tagovailoa’s best throws were right in his wheelhouse: A perfectly placed slant to Waddle and a bootleg throw to a wide-open Cedrick Wilson.
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The best quarterback of this day was Skylar Thompson — even with a bad-luck interception thrown to Bryce Thompson (Erik Ezukanma fell down).
Thompson was dialed in with his red-zone throws and also hooked up with a lovely sideline completion to Freddie Swain that went for roughly 30 yards.
Even with the addition of Mike White in free agency, Thompson is very much in consideration to be Tagovailoa’s primary backup.
More Miami Dolphins Practice Report Notes
- Along with Jones, Needham, Williams, and Crossen, the following Dolphins players did not participate in Tuesday’s practice: Connor Williams, Terron Armstead, Jaelan Phillips, Zach Sieler, Braylon Sanders, Geron Christian, Cedric Ogbuehi, Channing Tindall, and Jaylen Twyman.
- The arrow is pointing up for rookie linebacker Mitchell Agude, the former Miami Hurricane who was in on multiple sacks Tuesday.
- Mike McDaniel was sick as a dog Tuesday. The Dolphins coach told reporters that he is on antibiotics that he hopes will get him well enough to attend Game 3 of the NBA Finals Wednesday, but didn’t seem particularly likely to do so. “I’m just trying to stand it up through practice,” he said. (We can report that he did indeed survive practice on two feet.)