Kelly: Ten Things We've Learned About 2023 Dolphins So Far

A look at what we've learned about the Miami Dolphins after four weeks of training camp

Pretty soon the games will count, and the wins and losses will begin to stack up.

No team is perfect, but training camp is an NFL franchise's best opportunity to get the team presentable, dressed up for the regular season.

The Miami Dolphins have had a relatively productive four weeks of training camp, which has included two weeks of joint practices against the Atlanta Falcons and Houston Texans.

How prepared they are for the season opener against the Los Angeles Chargers in three weeks can be debated, but what can't are the 10 things we discovered about the 2023 Dolphins based on the practices and games we've watched.

Here's a look at that list:

1. Miami's offense is experiencing growing pains

The Dolphins delivered the NFL’s sixth-most productive offense last season, and that was despite missing starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa for four games, and the team seemingly needing a translator when it came to understanding the play-calling and communication style of the offense. The hope is that Tagovailoa takes yet another step forward as Miami’s trigger man, but it appears he’s spent the past two weeks of joint practices experimenting with the capabilities of the schemes and his weaponry. It hasn’t looked as clean as players and coaches would like, but that’s what practices are for.

2. Liam Eichenberg isn’t an NFL starter

The Dolphins didn’t just use a 2021 second-round pick to select Eichenberg, a former Notre Dame standout who supposedly was one of the safest O-line prospects in that draft class, they traded away a 2022 third-round pick to put the team in position to select him during a run on linemen in the draft. Unfortunately, it seems his poor hand placement habits have cost him a starting spot, which is something he’d held since his rookie season. All that’s left is to determine if it’s Isaiah Wynn, Lester Cotton or Robert Jones who will be stepping into that starting left guard role when the regular season opener arrives.

3. Games without Terron Armstead are inevitable

Let’s not be naive to think Armstead is playing 17-plus games this season. He’s missed a couple of games due to injury each season of his entire 10-year career, and this offseason's knee scope and the right leg injury he suffered in Thursday’s practice hint that Miami needs to prepare to play a handful of games without the Pro Bowl left tackle this season. As impressive as Kendall Lamm has been in camp, the best approach might be to have Isaiah Wynn practice at left tackle until Armstead is fully healed from his latest injury considering Wynn has 40 games of experience as a starting offensive tackle in the NFL.

4. Secondary Depth Is A Concern

The Dolphins have been forced to add five defensive backs since camp started because of injuries Jalen Ramsey, Keion Crossen, Cam Smith, Ethan Bonner and Justin Bethel have suffered, and the fact Brandon Jones, Trill Williams and Nik Needham aren’t being rushed back from the injuries they suffered in 2022. At this point Miami is approaching last year’s desert-level thirst when it comes to finding quality cornerbacks and safeties. That’s why the Dolphins kicked the tires on free agent cornerback Bryce Callahan this week, and will possibly add another defensive back or two in the coming days.

5. Dolphins punted at tight end

The Dolphins did the equivalent of running the ball three times and punting it on fourth down when it comes to how the franchise addressed the tight end position this offseason. Either Miami is minimizing the tight end’s role in Mike McDaniel’s offense, or it was a case of neglect letting Mike Gesicki sign with the Patriots, extending Durham Smythe’s contract, signing two journeymen, and drafting a receiver, Elijah Higgins, in the sixth round with the intention of converting him to tight end. None of these decisions seem to be panning out so far. Let’s hope Tanner Conner returns from the injury that got him placed on the PUP before training camp started and resurrects that unit because at this rate, if the tight ends caught 40 passes in 2023 I’d be surprised.

6. Emmanuel Ogbah seems uncomfortable

Ogbah, who is the Dolphins’ highest-paid player in terms of base salary ($15 million) this season, has spent most of his seven seasons in the NFL with his hand on the ground, serving as a defensive end. But Miami is asking him to transition to outside linebacker in Vic Fangio’s scheme, and having him stand up. He looks quite uncomfortable in his new role. At this point General Manager Chris Grier wouldn’t be doing his job if he didn’t make some calls to 4-3 base teams with cap space, shopping Ogbah to unload his contract because it doesn’t seem as if he’s got a future with the Dolphins, for whom he’s produced 19 sacks for in 42 games over the past three seasons.

7. Safety battle isn’t settled

The Dolphins are doing the equivalent of speed dating at the strong safety spot, trying to find the right fit for who will partner with Jevon Holland in Fangio’s defense. DeShon Elliott hasn’t impressed. Brandon Jones and Trill Williams are still working their way back from their knee injuries. At this point Miami might be forced to use specific safeties for specific roles to get the best out of this secondary. Elijah Campbell has been pushing his way to the front of the pack with strong practices, but can the Dolphins afford to make one of the team’s better special teams performers a starter on defense and weaken an already troublesome special teams unit? There are no easy answers to this problem.

8. Mike White is the No. 2 QB

While Mike McDaniel claims the competition to determine who is Tagovailoa’s backup is still ongoing, the snaps White and Skylar Thompson have gotten in practices say otherwise. White, who the Dolphins signed to a two-year, $8 million deal this offseason, has been getting the bulk of the quarterback snaps the past two weeks. At this point the only thing Thompson can do to change the coaching staff’s mind is to ball out in the final two preseason games. If not, he’ll spend most of Miami’s regular season practices running the scout team offense unless a fourth quarterback is added, which is unlikely.

9. Rookies likely will be put on ice again

There was a common thread with the Dolphins’ rookies last season. Most, with the exception of cornerback Kader Kohou, sparingly contributed, and when asked about their slow start they all blamed it on their struggles grasping the playbook, Miami’s preferred technique, or adjusting to the speed of the NFL game. That seems to be the case again this year with Miami’s 2023 draftees, with the exception of Cam Smith, whose contribution level recently has been hindered by a shoulder injury. Seems like most of Miami’s rookies either will be redshirting this season or hold limited roles unless their performance dictates otherwise.

10. Roster depth remains a concern

Injuries water down the talent base for every NFL team but the lucky ones. The Dolphins have been quite unlucky during training camp so far, losing a number of key players like Jalen Ramsey, Armstead and Jaylen Waddle, just to name a few. While most will return sooner than later, their absence is exposing Miami’s roster depth, disclosing that the team Grier has built is top-heavy, but lacks filler. The Dolphins decision-makers need to act as if this is a rebuilding franchise and scour the waiver wire to find/claim/sign talent at all positions because the players added might patch some holes that surface at critical points — say, December games — in 2023.