Good Week for Dolphins Sons; Coaching Updates

The sons of former Miami Dolphins players Jason Taylor and Oronde Gadsden helped their cause at college all-star practices this week
LSU Tigers tight end Mason Taylor (86) runs after a catch against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the first half at Tiger Stadium.
LSU Tigers tight end Mason Taylor (86) runs after a catch against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the first half at Tiger Stadium. / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
In this story:

It was a good for Mason Taylor and Oronde Gadsden II as they continue their quest to follow in the footsteps of their Miami Dolphins alum fathers.

The two receivers are working to improve their stock for the 2025 NFL draft, and it was mission accomplished for both this week, for Taylor at the Senior Bowl and Gadsden at the East-West Shrine Game.

Gadsden was named to the Shrine Game All-Practice team for his performance ahead of the actual game taking place Thursday night. Gadsden worked at tight end, the position he's expected to play in the NFL after being an oversized wide receiver at Syracuse.

Taylor, meanwhile, drew universal praise from media members watching Senior Bowl practices in Mobile, Alabama, after a very good career as a tight end for LSU.

Taylor remains ESPN's third-ranked prospect among tight ends. CBS Sports, meanwhile, has Taylor sixth, with Gadsden right behind at seventh.

COACHING CAROUSEL UPDATES

There was a move among the many coordinator positions around the NFL on Wednesday night, and it involved a former Dolphins assistant and potentially affected another.

Patrick Graham, who served as Dolphins defensive coordinator in 2019, decided to stay with the Las Vegas Raiders and continue as their DC under new head coach Pete Carroll, this after interviewing for the same position with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Another of the candidates for the Jacksonville job under new head coach Liam Coen is former Dolphins assistant Anthony Campanile, coming off his first season with the Green Bay Packers.

The Raiders still have an opening for the offensive coordinator position and Dolphins QB coach Darrell Bevell is in the mix.

Meanwhile, former Dolphins OC Bill Lazor has interviewed for the Houston Texans offensive coordinator position that became vacant when they fired Bobby Slowik, the brother of Dolphins defensive assistant Ryan Slowik. Lazor was Dolphins offensive coordinator from 2014-15 before joining the Cincinnati Bengals.

And in Detroit, former Dolphins interim head coach hired former Miami linebacker Kelvin Sheppard as his new defensive coordinator to replace Aaron Glenn after he became New York Jets head coach.

SMITH'S PRO BOWL ASSIGNMENT

Tight end Jonnu Smith will partner with New England rookie QB Drake Maye during one of the Pro Bowl Games contests Thursday night (7 p.m. ET, ESPN).

In the competition, each quarterback will try to hit various targets around the field while earning time bonuses based on trivia questions answered by a teammate. For every question Smith gets right, Maye will get an extra 10 seconds.

Smith was added to the AFC Pro Bowl roster as a replacement this week after Travis Kelce pulled out when the Kansas City Chiefs qualified for a third consecutive season.

In his first season with the Dolphins in 2024, Smith set single-season franchise record for tight ends in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns.


Published |Modified
Alain Poupart
ALAIN POUPART

Alain Poupart is the publisher/editor of Miami Dolphins On SI and co-host of the All Dolphins Podcast. Alain has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 for various publications and media outlets, including Dolphin Digest, The Associated Press and the Dolphins team website. In addition to being a credentialed member of the Miami Dolphins press corps, Alain has covered three Super Bowls (for NFL.com, Football News and the Montreal Gazette), the annual NFL draft, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL Scouting Combine. During his almost 40 years in journalism, which began at the now-defunct Miami News, Alain has covered practically every sport at one time or another, from tennis to golf, baseball, basketball and everything in between. The career also included time as a copy editor, including work on several books, such as "Still Perfect," an inside look at the Miami Dolphins' 1972 perfect season. A native of Montreal, Canada, whose first language is French, Alain grew up a huge hockey fan but soon developed a love for all sports, including NFL football. He has lived in South Florida since the 1980s.