The weather was more cooperative on Day 2 of Dolphins camp as the team got a full day's worth of work under the South Florida sun. After efficient periods of stretch, individual drills and 7-on-7, the horn sounded for the first team period of the day, and the offense came out swinging.
It's not the yards the offense gained on the first three plays but rather how they did it.
The first play was an inside run that produced a lane behind hulking rookie offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea. Running back De'Von Achane saw daylight and hit the second level of the defense untouched at a full sprint. It's difficult to gage what would be the outcome of a play during practice, but given Achane's resume, it's not a stretch to estimate a 70-yard touchdown run on that play.
That was yet another example of Savaiinaea's ability to displace defenders at the line of scrimmage. And with two practice under his belt, the rookie has impressed veteran defensive tackle Zach Sieler.
"He has all the talent in the world," Sieler said. "His frame is great. He has good feet. I'm excited to see him grow as a player. It's been awesome to work with him. It's the old adage, iron sharpens iron."
On the next play, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa faked a handoff and delivered a well-placed touch pass to wide receiver Jaylen Waddle for another gain of 20-plus yards.
Achane then took another carry, this time to the outside, again hitting the line of scrimmage at full speed. Tackle Austin Jackson sealed the edge as Achane glided to the second level of the defense for another explosive run.
The defense would score wins on the ensuing reps but there was a residual effect from those successful early plays. On five occasions, Tagovailoa found Waddle and fellow wide receiver Tyreek Hill for chunk gains on passes that traveled in the intermediate range of 15 to 25 yards.
It's still early in camp, but those elements were staples of the 2022 and 2023 offenses that averaged a cumulative 26.3 points per game across those two seasons.
The Miami defense, however, would not let that be the story of the day. They relied on two primary energy sources to get things going. Outside linebackers Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb have recovered from the injuries that cost them games the past two seasons and are back to their old tricks.
Phillips was dominant against the run. He took on tight ends, fullbacks and tackles with tenacity off the edge. Chubb chipped in against the run and added a pair of sacks.
"It's been great them back," outside linebacker Chop Robinson said. "Especially those guys since they helped me so much last year, off the field and on the field. Being out there on the field with them – they're guys I used to watch when I was in college and everything. It's a blessing and it's fun to be out there with them."
Robinson chipped in with his second sack in as many days. The Dolphins defense also forced a pair of fumbles and got hands on two passes, though they could not secure the interceptions. Cornerback Ethan Bonner and safety Patrick McMorris punched the football free after receptions from the Miami wideouts.
Cornerback Kader Kohou added a pass breakup on an impressive rep in man coverage against Hill.
The man in the middle of it all, defensive tackle Benito Jones, was in the orange jersey after his work on Day 1.
The Dolphins provided an update on offensive tackle Bayron Matos:
Finally, some roster news:
For more coverage from Dolphins camp, download the Drive Time Podcast with Travis Wingfield, available wherever you get your podcasts.
