The Dolphins Cancer Challenge has been slowly growing over the course of six years, and after the main ride and the inaugural celebrity golf tournament, the Dolphins donated the money raised by the 2016 challenge to the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center; a staggering amount of over $5 million dollars.

“Cancer impacts us all and we at the Miami Dolphins are committed to fighting this disease at every turn,” Miami Dolphins President & CEO and DCC Chair Tom Garfinkel said. “With the expansion of this year’s Dolphins Cancer Challenge to include two new Fall Family Fests, a concert and golf tournament, we were able to give Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center our biggest donation yet in our fight against cancer.”

With this year's donation, the Dolphins have not only broken a team record, but they've also made the largest donation to this cause in all of professional sports. Since 2010, the DCC has dedicated itself to raising money for innovative research, bringing in some of the world's greatest minds in the field of cancer research and of course improving medical technology to further improve doctors' abilities to detect, diagnosis and treat cancer all across South Florida and beyond.

“We are so grateful to the Dolphins organization and to every rider, walker, runner and fundraiser for continuing to support groundbreaking cancer research at Sylvester,” Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center Director Stephen D. Nimer, M.D., said. “On behalf of our team of more than 250 cancer specialists and researchers at Sylvester – and our cancer patients and their families – thank you! It is a truly remarkable achievement as every dollar raised has a tangible impact on cancer research and advancing precision cancer care at Sylvester.”

And of course, plans are already in place for the seventh annual DCC, on February 11th the festivities will begin with the usual 5k walk/run, and on April 21st they'll have their second annual celebrity golf tournament at Turnberry Resort in Aventura.

"I don't think we ever - when we were standing there in 2010 - believed we would be at this point," said Michael Mandich, CEO of the Dolphins Cancer Challenge. "The deep commitment, not only by the Miami Dolphins, the University of Miami, and the thousands of people that come out and participate, it really has taken on a much bigger presence. Not even just here in South Florida, it's starting to garner attention throughout the country."

The DCC is the biggest health-based event in Miami Dolphins history, and its influence is slowly spreading across the country in ways that no one ever could've dreamed it would. It started small and in honor of former Miami Dolphins tight end Jim "Mad Dog" Mandich, who died of cancer in April 2011, and there's no doubt that if he were with us today, the Mad Dog would be proud of where its gone already and will continue to go in the years to come.

"It means a lot," said Michael Mandich, "Especially in the institution that treated my father a number of years ago, and it's hard to believe that it has been five years since his passing. Yet what has transpired with the DCC in his memory has a lasting impression on myself and the South Florida community to help better it, and hopefully other families and people don't face that similar scenario."​

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @FLSportDebater

Position battles are a big part of training camp to be sure, but there are also specific individuals that fans are particularly interested in. Whether they want to know whether or not the player will crash or burn, or perhaps reach a new level of greatness that they hadn't before.

​It's these players that make training camp all the more intriguing, and it's these players that teams' futures often ride on once the regular season rolls around. So with all that said, let's take a look at the top ten players to watch during the Miami Dolphins 2016 training camp.
​

Obviously we can't have a piece about training camp without bringing up the franchise quarterback. Whether you like it or not, Ryan Tannehill is the starting QB for the Miami Dolphins and he is the one the team has built around in 2016 and they're counting on him to lead them to victory.

The problem is - as per the usual - can he do it?

Naysayers will say no, and of course supporters will say yes. It's the endless cycle of wins, losses, stats, film and whatever else you want to use to make your case. Tannehill has played well at times, even looked elite in small instances, and he's also struggled mightily and made other teams' QBs look amazing by comparison.

And that's where Adam Gase comes in. He's been a quarterback's dream coach ever since he entered the NFL. Peyton Manning praised him for his ingenuity, Jay Cutler bought him a suit because he "fixed" him and got him to care about football again. Wes Welker visited mini-camp and offered his experience to the younger players because of the respect he has for Gase.

It's a far cry from whatever Joe Philbin did during his tenure as the Dolphins head coach.

With an offense that was all too predictable and with his hands tied as he wasn't allowed to audible, Tannehill was still able to throw for over 4,000 yards, 24 touchdowns and only 12 interceptions. But the team only won six games, and so Tannehill was once again questioned as to whether or not he was a good enough QB.

Now with a new coach who has given him free reign over the offense, one who supports him and is looking to emphasize his strengths and mask - while simultaneously improving - his weaknesses, the hope is that Ryan Tannehill will finally take that next step and become a top ten quarterback in the NFL.

If the team starts winning, then Tannehill will be regarded as such.

Now that Lamar Miller has departed to Houston for big money (and an actual chance to run the football), that leaves second-year running back Jay Ajayi as the default player to fill the role he left behind.

Ajayi was drafted by Miami in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL draft because of his knee condition, and without it he probably would have been drafted much higher than that. He has speed and power and he can break tackles, but the real question is whether or not he can handle the workload and stay healthy.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported after the draft that Ajayi's knee was bone on bone, and concern grew regarding whether or not the Boise State alumni would need microfracture knee surgery in the future. On top of that, Ajayi also broke some ribs in the 2015 preseason and spent the first seven weeks of the regular season on the short-term IR.

When he was healthy however, Ajayi was able to show a lot of promise and got the fan base excited whenever he had the ball. He only ran 49 times and got 187 yards, which averages out to 3.8 YPC which is okay, but nothing spectacular. But it was the big plays that got fans excited.

More than once, Ajayi was able to break free and run for large chunks of yardage, his longest run was for 24 yards against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 10, and he ran for 20 yards earlier on that same drive. That was one week after his regular season debut against Buffalo when he made a 23-yard run.

Big plays appear to be Ajayi's M.O. at this point in time, but there are concerns that Ajayi's running style could lead him to injure himself all over again. Add that to his already sketchy history with injuries, and it's clear that it's more important to watch and see if Ajayi can develop a sense of self-preservation as the starting running back.

Obviously, Ajayi is fun to watch because he runs so hard (and borderline recklessly), but if he's going to be the starting running back for the future, he'll have to learn to gauge situations and know when it's better to take a different approach. This training camp, he'll have that opportunity.

This is going to be one of the most important things to watch during this year's training camp. Reports from OTAs and mini-camp indicated that Tunsil was struggling to make the transition from tackle to guard, although he and his teammates alike would say otherwise.

Every year it seems to be the same problem. The Dolphins try and take the cheap option at guard instead of spending money and picking up a quality veteran, the competition turns out to be incredibly underwhelming, and then Dallas Thomas wins the battle by default and somehow does badly when the season starts.

This time the Dolphins drafted arguably the best offensive lineman in the draft - arguably the best player in the draft period - and still Dallas Thomas is the starter at left guard going into camp.

Is Miami really that unlucky, or are they being punished for being cheap?

Tunsil putting the pads on and trying to block Ndamukong Suh is going to be the ultimate challenge for the Ole Miss standout as he resumes his transition from tackle to guard. There are those concerned for Tunsil's long term development if he moves from his natural position for a season or two until Branden Albert moves on, but Jonathan Ogden - a long time Ravens star - played guard in his first season before becoming the Ravens franchise left tackle for the rest of his career.

It can definitely happen, it can be done and Tunsil has the talent to do so. But first he'll have to find the strength to stop guys much bigger than he's used to and somehow overcome Dallas Thomas. The play of the guards has impacted the play of Ryan Tannehill a lot over the past few seasons, Tunsil is being counted on to finally give him a stable offensive line.

Recently there's been a lot of debate about wide receiver Jarvis Landry, and it's centered around exactly how good he really is. This offseason, both Adam Gase and Landry himself seem determined to find that out too.

Landry's been labeled as one of the best slot receivers in the NFL, but Landry has been trying to beat that label and become one of the best wide receivers period, working on the outside more in practice and becoming more well-rounded with a little help from players like his former LSU teammate Odell Beckham Jr. and Steelers WR Antonio Brown.

But more than that, Landry is being looked up to as a leader for the receivers, as even though he's only going into his third season, he's already one of the most experienced guys in that room. Along with Kenny Stills, the young rookies will be looking up to him and asking him for advice on how to do things.

That in and of itself will be worth watching in camp.

Up until now, Landry has been the young guy with a lot of talent and potential with the necessary fire in his belly to put it to use. Now, he'll have to try and inspire others and be the adviser rather than just worrying about himself.

​It should be interesting to see how the rookies respond to Landry's tutelage, as well as seeing if Landry can do more than just be a slot receiver.

The Dolphins made a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles for cornerback Byron Maxwell and linebacker Kiko Alonso near the beginning of the offseason, but there was a lot of mixed feelings from the fanbase after the trade for many different reasons.

In the case of Alonso, his injury history is a major concern. After his amazing rookie season with the Buffalo Bills, he's been plagued by ACL problems, limiting his playing time and even making people wonder if he would ever be good again.

So far, all indications are that Alonso is returning to form and will be the Dolphins starting middle linebacker when the season starts, but then there are other issues being brought up - such as Alonso not being a good fit to be the middle linebacker in the Dolphins 4-3 defense.

There are those who have suggested that Alonso would be better served as an inside linebacker in a 3-4, which is what he was during his fantastic rookie year. Perhaps they have a point, but already Alonso seems like a better choice than any of the other starters Miami has used in the past couple of years, like Koa Misi or Kelvin Sheppard.

So not only will training camp show what Alonso can do with pads on in the 4-3, but it will also give some indication as to how healthy he is. He's a hard hitter and he can go downhill at great speeds, but can be a run-stuffing middle linebacker that Miami has been so desperate for?

With Vance Joseph making use of the Wide 9 to boost the pass-rush, he'd better be. Now that the field has been opened up even more, the pressure has only increased on the linebacker corps to stop the run, and Alonso is going to be the anchor for that whole unit.

This is the first player on the list that isn't one of the obvious starters who merely have something to prove. I don't count Laremy Tunsil despite him being currently behind Dallas Thomas. If he loses to Thomas, there are bigger problems afoot.

We've already gone in-depth about why Ekpre-Olomu could be the best thing that happens to the Miami Dolphins this season, but now that training camp is rolling around, and Ekpre-Olomu is tired of being treated like a china doll, he's going to get his chance to prove it.

He's been getting chances to play on the outside and in the slot during OTAs and mini-camps, and his recovery is apparently going smoothly if the former Oregon star's comments are anything to go by.

But the slot is so far being firmly held by second-year player Bobby McCain, and the outside starting spots belong to Byron Maxwell and (presumably) either Tony Lippett or rookie Xavien Howard, who both better fit the physical mold desired by defensive coordinator Vance Joseph.

Ekpre-Olomu has all the talent in the world, he would've been a first round pick if his knee hadn't been such a major concern to teams who had him in their sights. Now in training camp, he'll have to show the same aggressiveness and potential he did at Oregon, which won't be easy since he's got to play catch up in his transition to the speed of the NFL.

If it works out the way Miami hopes, then Miami has an extra first rounder in the secondary by technicality. If it doesn't, then he can be cut from the roster with minimal repercussions. The ultimate low-risk, high-reward gamble.

This Dolphins roster has a lot of long and hard to pronounce names on it, but that's neither here nor there.

After Louis Delmas got hurt again before the 2015 season even started, and Walt Aikens and Michael Thomas both failed to lock down the safety spot opposite Reshad Jones, Miami decided to go back to the Lions secondary and picked up another young man going into free agency.

Abdul-Quddus was a former Fordham standout and wound up starting for the Detroit Lions last season when James Ihedigbo got demoted after a disappointing first ten weeks in 2015. According to Abdul-Quddus, he feels a focus on improved tackling is what led to the Lions coaching staff giving him the starting job.

His 2015 made him a wanted free agent by several teams. He had 57 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble in the sixteen games he played, and he's started sixteen games total in his career, though he's only made two interceptions, both of which came back in 2012 when he started three games for the New Orleans Saints.

​It's a big jump to make for someone who was primarily a special teams player and a backup option before earning the starting job, and there's no guarantee even now that he'll be handed the job when training camp rolls around. No doubt he'll be given first dibs, but Walt Aikens and Michael Thomas aren't about to sit back and just let him have it.

Reports out of OTAs and mini-camp were that Abdul-Quddus didn't catch the eye of reporters, which in the case of secondary players isn't necessarily a bad thing. It could either mean they're doing a solid job and aren't making mistakes, or it could mean he's not that impressive. Camp will reveal which is the truth.

This is an easy one, all eyes will be on DeVante Parker after he missed training camp during his rookie year, and everyone will be curious to see what Parker's role will be in Adam Gase's offense.

Gase discussed much earlier in the offseason that Parker was one of the players the Chicago Bears had their eye on in the draft last season, so now Gase is going to get a chance to make his plans become reality. But similarly to Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, the Dolphins are being extremely careful with their 2015 first round draft pick due to injury concerns.

Parker missed the 2015 training camp because of a surgery he had meant to ensure his foot would be healthy in the long term rather than chance him getting hurt and having him in the short term, this will be the first year of that so-called "long term" situation.

Parker only managed to contribute in eight games last season, but it wasn't until Week 12 against the New York Jets that he started getting involved in the offense, and by the end of the year he'd racked up 26 receptions for 494 yards and three touchdowns, one of which was a leaping catch against the Baltimore Ravens.

It's those kinds of plays Parker was drafted for.

Ryan Tannehill has been looking for a wide receiver who can fight for jump balls, and that's what Parker excels at. The next thing he has to work on is route running consistency, which will be imperative for him to learn at the next level. Training camp will be the perfect chance for him to work on routes while guys like Byron Maxwell try to push him off his route.

The 2015 second round draft pick is infamous for his ability to a standing back flip, which might be an interesting indicator of his athleticism, but doesn't really translate to the NFL. What does translate however is size, which Phillips has in abundance.

Standing at an imposing 6'6" and 330 pounds, Phillips only managed to make 19 tackles and two sacks, but he found a way to deflect four passes at the line of scrimmage while spelling Earl Mitchell as the backup defensive tackle. This year, Phillips is being given every opportunity to show that he can surpass Mitchell as the starter.

What Phillips excels at is rushing the passer, but what he needs to be able to do is use his size to stop the run, which was his weakness last season. Phillips will also have the added responsibility of giving Laremy Tunsil a taste of what kind of players he'll be facing on the interior.

Earl Mitchell is a solid veteran who can be counted on to do well, but not do anything spectacular. If Phillips can find ways to do things Mitchell can't, he'll likely be given the starting job.

It's a given that Byron Maxwell is going to be one of the starting corners, but it's a total unknown as to who will be the one starting on the other side of him. The competition is mainly between rookie corner Xavien Howard out of Baylor, and the Dolphins' project draft pick from last season: Tony Lippett.

Lippett is a 6'3" lanky wide receiver who has been converted to corner, and he spent his entire rookie season learning the intricacies of playing defense as opposed to running routes and catching footballs. Based off 2015, Lippett has promise but he also has a ways to go before he can reach his full potential.

Unfortunately, circumstances have forced his development to be rushed.

Now, Lippett is fighting Howard for a starting job and is trying to use his size and physicality in the new scheme put together by Vance Joseph. Training camp will likely be used solely to iron out the kinks in Lippett's game, and meanwhile Xavien Howard will be doing the same.

Watching who comes out on top will no doubt be fascinating, as Lippett has a very good set of opponents to go against in the likes of Kenny Stills, Jarvis Landry and DeVante Parker.

This column was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @FLSportDebater

Miami Dolphins Youth Programs hosted more than 1,300 student-athletes as part of the 9th annual Dolphins Academy Youth and High School 7on7 Tournament.

The event began on Friday, June 24 with a symposium at the Don Taft University Center Arena at Nova Southeastern University with breakout sessions led by the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE), a nonprofit organization dedicated to harnessing the unifying power of sport to advance race relations and drive social progress (RISEtoWIN.org).

​Athletes heard from RISE speaker Derek Greenfield and participated in special individual and group activities designed to increase team building and communication skills.

“Friday’s symposium set the tone for the weekend by emphasizing the importance of respect, understanding of differences and teamwork. The level of engagement demonstrated by the athletes during the activities was exciting to see and continued throughout the tournament.” RISE Executive Director Ndidi Massay said.

The high school football tournament commenced on Saturday, June 25 at Plantation Park. The tournament consisted of round robin play and then moved into a single elimination format. The high school teams competed in the championship round on Sunday, June 26. Carol City won the tournament 35-31 against Miami Northwestern.

28 teams also competed in the youth tournament, which consisted of three age groups (10U, 12U and 14U). Miramar won both the 10U and 12U competitions, with DKC taking first place in the 14U category. Additionally, all participants had the opportunity to take part in RISE’s “It Takes All Colors” photo booth throughout the event.

“Our mission is to be the stewards of the game of football in South Florida and we were excited to host athletes and coaches at our symposium and tournament,” Miami Dolphins Senior Director of Community Affairs Twan Russell said. “We were able to engage students not only on the field, but had the opportunity to develop their character beyond sports which is equally important.”

The National Football League Foundation and the NFL’s three Florida-based teams—the Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers—are uniting to support the victims’ families and survivors of the tragedy in Orlando. Together they will contribute $400,000 to the OneOrlando Fund.

The OneOrlando Fund was formed by Orlando Mayor BUDDY DYER to directly support victims’ families and survivors.  For more information on assisting the Orlando community or contributing to the OneOrlando Fund please visit:https://www.oneorlando.org.

“Our City has just begun to recover from the impact of the Pulse tragedy,” said Mayor Dyer.  “The support of partners like the NFL and the NFL’s three Florida-based teams sends a signal to our City that we are not in this alone.  The money we are raising will provide a way to help us respond to the needs of our community, now and in the time to come.  Words cannot begin to express how grateful we are for the outpouring of support from across the globe.”

“Our hearts go out to the victims and their families. This was a deeply disturbing and tragic event, one that has had reverberations across the entire country,” said Commissioner ROGER GOODELL. “We are encouraged by the strength and resilience of the Orlando community and will continue to look for ways to lend our support.”

Jaguars Team Owner SHAD KHAN stated, “In the face of this tragedy, the Jaguars stand in solidarity with the citizens of Central Florida. In addition to our team contribution, our fans are also supporting our Central Florida neighbors by donating at www.jaguars.com/jaxfororlando. Along with the NFL and our fellow Florida teams, the entire Jaguars family offers our condolences and continued support for the city of Orlando.”

“It's hard to find words to describe the emotions we all felt when news of this senseless tragedy broke,” said Miami Dolphins Owner STEPHEN ROSS. “We are united with the NFL, the Jaguars, and the Buccaneers in making this commitment to the OneOrlando Fund. We give our heartfelt condolences to those impacted by this horrific act and are hopeful that these donations help in their time of need.”

​Glazer Family Foundation Co-President DARCIE GLAZER KASSEWITZ said, “The tragic and heartbreaking events that occurred in Orlando last week have had a profound effect on our entire country. We stand united with our neighbors in Orlando and pledge our support as they begin the process of healing as a community. Our deepest condolences go out to those who lost loved ones and we will continue to keep them, as well as all who were impacted, in our hearts and minds.”

​On this week's episode of PhinManiacs Live, the crew talks to Ndidi Massay, Executive Director, Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE) and Troy Drayton, Manager of Youth and Community Affairs and Former Dolphins TE about the upcoming high school 7-on-7 tournament.

Then, they'll discuss with Troy the Dolphins tight end situation, along with Adam Gase and Ryan Tannehill.

Finally, the crew will discuss their expectations for the 2016 season.

If you want to listen to the show again, you can watch it below on our YouTube, or you can download it on iTunes, Stitcher or SoundCloud.

Now that OTAs and mini-camp are over, the next thing on the block is training camp. Obviously, this won't be the first time Adam Gase has been a part of an NFL training camp, he's been working with the Denver Broncos and the Chicago Bears as their quarterback coach/offensive coordinator, and he's well-versed in the procedures of camp.

But this will be the first time he's ever had to hold his own training camp. He's not just someone's subordinate anymore, he's the man in charge, the top banana, the pod leader (note the Dolphins reference thrown in there). And it's going to be up to him to decide what happens and what doesn't.

And more importantly, he'll have to choose who makes the team and who doesn't, and he'll also have the great (insert sarcasm font) honor of informing those who didn't quite make the cut that they, well, didn't quite make the cut.

​Back near the end of April, Gase discussed the differences between his previous job as an offensive coordinator and his new job as a head coach, and he didn't seem all that worried about it.

"I don’t know, I kind of went through my same routine I always did." he said. "I went over and talked a little smack to the defense and let them know how many times we were going to throw over their heads. The thing that was a little different for me was (Offensive Coordinator) Clyde (Christensen) was running a lot of the drills with the offense during individual.

"So it was fun to be able to be kind of be bouncing back and forth and seeing what’s going on with special teams and not working with the quarterbacks on some of those drills. It was a fun experience just kind of seeing everybody coach and get to observe what was going on.”

But what won't be fun is deciding who won't be on the roster when the regular season rolls around. There are several position battles that will take place once training camp gets started, and a lot of starters from last year are still taking the majority of the first team snaps, including Dallas Thomas and Billy Turner at the guard spots.

Luckily, Gase says that doesn't mean much in June.

“I don’t even think we really have a depth chart right now. I think I’ve said this before: I’ll walk in the o-line room and every day they got a different lineup as far as what they’re going with as far as the ones, twos and threes. We’re trying to mix everybody in, give them opportunities."

​And there will be opportunities aplenty for everyone, but there are specific training camp battles that everyone should be watching very closely as camp opens up, here are the top five.
​

It seems ridiculous to even suggest that Dallas Thomas - arguably the team's worst offensive lineman for the past couple of seasons - would have even the slightest chance of starting over the team's highly-touted 2016 first round draft pick.

And yet here we are.

Reports coming out of OTAs and mini-camp indicated that Laremy Tunsil was struggling to make the transition to guard, though Tunsil said otherwise.

“I’m just adjusting to a new position but there’s nothing hard about it,” he said. “I’ve got to get in the playbook, got everything down, get in shape."

And he better do it fast. For Dallas Thomas to be getting the drop on him, even as early as June, it doesn't bode well for the left side of the line. Thomas has been one of the worst ranked linemen in the league for the past two seasons, and his tape matches the ranking.

He's been beaten through technique, brute strength and sometimes not even anything in particular. When you see the ball get snapped and a second later Thomas has been sent to the ground, you know there needs to be a change made...and yet somehow, someway, Thomas continues to get the benefit of the doubt.

Once the pads come on and training camp begins, Tunsil will have to show that he can handle the second teamers before he gets to try and handle Ndamukong Suh and the rest of that interior line. Thomas has one advantage, he's experienced at the position and he's apparently looked good (but I fell for that last season). But Tunsil is clearly the more talented of the two, and watching which trait comes out on top - experience or talent - will be the highlight of training camp.

Speaking of the defensive line, there's actually a competition going on there between incumbent Earl Mitchell and second-year player Jordan Phillips for the second defensive tackle spot alongside Ndamukong Suh.

Suh's best talent is in attacking the quarterback and getting into the backfield, in fact there were plays last season where Suh got past the line so quickly that the running back was able to run past him before he could turn around and give chase.

Guess there really can be too much of a good thing.

So since Suh is attacking the QB from the interior, and Cameron Wake and Mario Williams will have the honor of attacking from the edges in the Wide 9 formation, the Dolphins need to find someone who can be a stout run stopper or else risk the defense being one of the worst at stopping the run for the third year in a row...or is that two and a half? I digress.

Reports indicate that Miami is giving Jordan Phillips, who was drafted in the second round of the 2015 draft, every opportunity to earn the starting job over veteran DT Earl Mitchell, who wasn't particularly impressive last season and will count for $3 million against the cap if he's on the roster this season.

Phillips has plenty of potential, but he's raw and needs time to work on his run stopping ability. He also seemed to excel in pass-rush, and he was the one who got the team's first sack in the regular season during the week one victory against the Redskins, and then he got his only other sack during a road loss against the Bills. He also accumulated 19 tackles and deflected four passes at the line of scrimmage.

Mitchell on the other hand is a steadier option, but he's only an average to good DT and won't wow anyone with his athletic ability or talent. He notched 22 tackles in 2015 but wasn't spectacular in run support or in the pass-rush.

So far Phillips is showing a lot of improvement, and he seems to be getting more snaps with the ones than Mitchell. If this can continue into training camp, then Phillips will likely take over the starting spot, and Mitchell might find himself being cut for the sake of future cap space, or perhaps thrust into a backup role (which would be this writer's preference).

These two young corners have already been competing with each other all the way through OTAs and mini-camp, and the training camp battle is no doubt going to be even more intense. Byron Maxwell is already one of the starting corners, but Tony Lippett and Xavien Howard have been trading first-team snaps all through these early practice sessions.

Lippett showed flashes late in the 2015 season, but his overall technique was too raw and so his playing time was limited. He made 13 tackles and deflected a pass in his rookie year, and he fits the mold that defensive coordinator Vance Joseph is currently looking for.

He's big for a corner, standing at 6'3" and 200 pounds, but he still has a lot to learn about the position as he's still working on making the transition from wide receiver to corner.

Meanwhile, rookie Xavien Howard doesn't have the added handicap of having to learn how to play cornerback as he played the position all through college. He also has impressive size, he's not as tall as Lippett, standing at 6'0", but he weighs about the same at 201 pounds.

The competition is going to boil down to whose technique is cleaner and whose play is smoother. Both Howard and Lippett have the capability of making big plays, and also giving up big plays. Whoever can eliminate the latter will likely become the starter opposite Maxwell.

And we're back to the offensive line, which shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. The guard position on both sides of the line is a huge question mark, and it will continue to be one until someone definitively locks the position down. The two contestants this season are the "returning champion" Billy Turner, and the new challenger Jermon Bushrod.

Turner was able to jump start the Dolphins running game in 2015 with his mauling style of blocking, but as the team's gameplans moved away from the running game, Turner began to struggle, and an added leg injury certainly didn't help matters.

Bushrod on the other hand is a veteran lineman who has experience playing in Adam Gase's system. He's been a Pro Bowler twice in his career so he obviously has talent, but injuries have nagged him throughout his ten-year career and even now he has to continue recovering from a shoulder injury so he can be ready for camp when it arrives.

Both players are used to playing on the left side of the offensive line by defualt. Turner was a left tackle in college, and Bushrod has been primarily a left tackle throughout his NFL career. Both players are having to learn the intricacies of playing inside and on the opposite side of the line, and both players are trying to make sure they can stay healthy.

So once again the situation is boils down to a very simple concept: Which will win out? Youth and talent, or experience and knowledge? That will be something to watch.

This battle actually has three competitors, but two of them are more well known than the third. The first man up is the frontrunner, second-year player Bobby McCain. He started four games as a rookie and made 28 tackles and deflected four passes.

Unfortunately for McCain, he suffered a concussion and missed a few practices, and eventually teams started targeting him and he started showing some of his rookie flaws. Now in his second year, McCain can focus on playing in the nickel spot, but he'll have competition.

The Dolphins picked up cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu off of waivers from the Cleveland Browns, and now he'll be in the competition for the starting nickel spot if he can effectively return from his knee injury. Before the injury he was considered a potential first-round draft pick, but he fell to the seventh when it was brought into question whether or not he would ever play again.

Ekpre-Olomu has the talent to be a star in the NFL, he was a consensus All-American and first-team All-Pac-12 selection. He made 244 tackles, broke up 48 passes, caught nine interceptions and forced eight fumbles with the Oregon Ducks. Bu now he just has to show he can stay healthy, and then complete the transition to the NFL level.

Then finally there's rookie cornerback Jordan Lucas. He was a sixth-round draft pick and he played nickel corner for Penn State in his first three years before getting shifted over to safety.

There's no doubt the battle for the starting nickel spot will go through Bobby McCain, but if either Ekpre-Olomu or Lucas show some significant flashes, that could change very quickly.

This column was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @FLSportDebater
Header image was made by Efrain Ramos. Follow him on Twitter: @EfrainRamos

With the Dolphins offseason workout program over and done with, the team is officially on vacation from any football activities for the next five weeks. But that doesn't mean they're done working with other off-the-field activities. And so it was that Monday afternoon, the Dolphins 2016 draft class and Dolphins special teams met up in Liberty City and participated in the "Health in the Hood" project.

The rookies left no stone unturned - literally - as they got gloves and shovels and started working the soil of the community garden, replenishing it and planting new crops that members of the community in need could take for themselves when necessary.

"This garden was installed in 2013 so it's produced several thousands of pounds of produce and a lot of - hundreds of kids and families are able to enjoy the garden at any time." Health in the Hood Executive Director Asha Loring said. "We're very strategic about where we place our gardens and how accessible they are to the community. Everything is distributed for free in our gardens so there's no price tag associated. All we ask is that folks sign up to become 'Health in the Hood' members."

With help from the nonprofit organization, communities have come together to take care of the gardens placed by "Health in the Hood" in places described as "food deserts," which are neighborhoods that have little or no access to fresh fruits and vegetables, health education or organized exercise programs. Through their efforts, a lot of people in the community have found themselves drawn to doing their part to keep it going strong.

"I helped start building the garden, and it helped impact my life because it helped keep me out of a lot of trouble that goes on in the community," said Anthony Stephens, who has been helping tend to the garden in Liberty City for years now. "And it helps a lot of other people get out of trouble that's in the community from helping plant gardens, build it, weed it and things like that."

Of course, that's only a small part of what the garden does for the people in the community. On top of providing food for a disadvantaged community, it also functions as a living classroom for teaching healthy eating habits.

"They also really serve as an herb and gardening classroom, as well as our nutrition and fitness curriculum," said Asha Loring. "They really serve as a basis for that as well. So not only are we planting gardens but we're also teaching folks healthy eating during really highly-incentivized programs where folks are able to get a lot of prizes and different healthy eating competitions."

And of course the Dolphins rookies are no strangers to healthy eating habits, having had to learn a lot about that just for the sake of their professional careers. But wide receiver Leonte Carroo has a bit of a deeper background when it comes to working in the garden.

"My grandma is a big-time gardener," Carroo said. "She plants all the time, she'll grow them and I always used to watch her plant, and so when I found out we were coming here today, I said, 'oh you know this'll be fun," this is something I've watched growing up so why not just come here and enjoy it?"

And enjoy it he did, as Carroo helped plant all sorts of new crops in the garden that will one day help feed the needy community, including tomatoes, which Carroo said he has a particular liking for.

​"Carroo definitely knows how to plant plants." joked wide receiver Jakeem Grant.

But some of the rookies have never done any sort of work in a garden before, such as first-round pick Laremy Tunsil, who participated in his first ever Dolphins community event on Monday afternoon.

“It’s my first time actually planting, picking up all that types of stuff,” he said. “It’s a good thing to come out here and help these kids because these kids go through a lot. To see some football players come out here and engage with them, it’s pretty good. I like to see kids having a smile on their face.”

The kids who arrived were clearly excited about seeing players from their favorite team make an appearance, some even jumping up and down with joy once they saw the familiar shades of aqua and orange make their way into the garden and get to work.

"It's just amazing," said tight end Thomas Duarte, who also got to participate in his first Dolphins community event along with Tunsil. "You'd think in the NFL, you don't think about these things, it's great being out here and we get to spend time with the community and give back and plant these gardens for them, it's huge and I'm just happy to be here."

With the help from the Dolphins rookies, the Liberty City garden will soon have new batches of all sorts of vegetables ready and waiting for when the members of the "Health in the Hood" movement need the extra help, and the reception that the gardens have received have been nothing but positive.

"We have not met anyone who has been very angry about being given a big basket of collard greens," Asha Loring joked. “I have this amazing group of guys out here working their tails off, helping us replenish the gardens, adding soil, planting peppers, collard greens and lettuce. It means everything.

"We’ve got tons of kids out here that couldn’t be more excited to have this great group of kids out there with us, they say about gardens: your mind is free and your hands are busy. It’s a really good opportunity for people to get in touch with their community, really give back. It’s an easy, fun project.”

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @FLSportDebater

The Dolphins finished up their mandatory mini-camp on Friday and with that the offseason officially has ended.  Players are going home to rest before training camp starts and as we enter the dead zone that exists between the two events, here are five thoughts to take away.

1. It's hard to garner a lot of useful information from OTA and mini-camp reports but Dolphins fans would be only human if they were encouraged by some of the articles coming out on their team.  For instance, Barry Jackson at the Miami Herald is highlighting the play of 5’6” receiver Jakeem Grant, all but giving him the annual little engine who could award.

"He's one of the quickest people I've ever seen," Dolphins linebacker Jelani Jenkins said.

In the same vein, Omar Kelly at the Sun-Sentinel is praising the quickness and the pass catching ability of running back Damien Williams, suggesting that he’s got a chance to nail down the number two role behind Jay Ajayi.

Nevertheless, I would advise caution.  Every year players are highlighted in the offseason but it becomes a different story once the pads come on and they’re never heard from again. I like Williams better than most.  But the truth is that both he and Grant are the quicker type of players who tend to stand out before their lack of physicality becomes a liability when the contact starts.

2. One thing I would pay attention to is Jackson’s comments about Ajayi’s pass catching ability.  Jackson said that Ajayi is dropping throws out of the backfield and Gase’s offense depends more than many on running backs catching passes.  Indeed, he frequently likes to line them up as slot receivers mismatched on linebackers.  

If your best running back is dropping passes before the pads come on it could be a trouble spot.  Jackson says that he is not overly concerned because Ajayi was a good pass catcher at Boise State and Ajayi says he’s going to work on it between now and training camp.  But I think it’s something to keep an eye on in the preseason.   

3. Our own Luis Sung mused last week upon reports coming out of Dolphins mini-camp that Miami quarterbacks are being given“unprecedented freedom” at the line of scrimmage to change plays to their liking.  Luis wondered in light of these revelations why the previous staff hadn’t given Ryan Tannehill more opportunity to audible.

I feel compelled to point out that we haven’t actually seen whether this will work or not and we won’t until Tannehill starts playing games.  We may well find that the previous staff was correct and that Tannehill can’t be trusted with this kind of liberty.  In other words, Joe Philbin might still be right.

But having said that, I don’t think so.  In 2014 Jay Cutler was frequently criticized for making the wrong reads at the line of scrimmage and for getting the offense into the wrong plays.  Last year under then Bears offensive coordinator and now Dolphins head coach Adam Gase, Cutler’s ability to read a defense improved dramatically.

It’s hard to know exactly what Gase brought that was unique but the bet here is that simplified reads and better coaching made the difference.  I think there’s good reason to expect the same from Tannehill.

4. Dolphins fans around the country groaned when they heard that Dallas Thomas continues to get first team reps at left guard.  Thomas was a whipping boy that represented everything that was wrong with a miserable offensive line last year.  Armando Salguero at the Miami Herald has given Thomas a forum to convince fans he’s a different guy this year but fans remain justifiably skeptical.

I really wouldn’t worry too much about this, Dolphin fans.  Gase is probably rightly concerned about handing over starting reps to players based upon performance in a mini-camp with no contact.  That would go double for a rookie like Laremy Tunsil. 

Relax. The best five offensive linemen will start.  If at the end of training camp, Thomas is one of those guys even though he doesn’t appear to have improved, then you can panic.

5.  Speaking of the offensive line, once again I’m hearing the same old annual song about Tannehill.  The guys up front weren’t any good so he wasn’t any good.  And he’ll be better this year because the line will be better.  What a load of hog wash.

Football players don’t make excuses for poor play.  So I find it to be confusing that fans seem to feel the need to do it for them.  

The best quarterbacks in the league excel under all sorts of adverse conditions.  There were many years where Green Bay’s Aaron Rogers had the worst offensive line in the league.  Russell Wilson flat out had the worst offensive line in the league last year for the first 10 games of the season.  He led the league with a 110 passer rating.

Yes, I know that Tannehill isn’t Rogers or Wilson or Tom Brady or any of the top 25% or so of NFL quarterbacks that fall into the elite category.  But that’s what he aspires to be and as well he should.    Everyone should and if your quarterback isn’t as good as those guys, teams should be looking to improve the position.  

It isn’t coincidence that these elite players manage to excel under conditions where other quarterbacks wilt.  It’s because they have the ability and the sheer strength of will to overcome the obstacles in front of them to win in spite of them.

Will Tannehill perform better behind a better offensive line?  Yes.  Will it make him a better quarterback?  Absolutely not.  The only path to that goal lies within himself and no where else.

I’m not saying that Tannehill won’t improve to be a better quarterback this year.  But if he shows he did it will be because he overcame adversity not because he didn’t face any.

This column was written by Tom Shannon. Follow him on Twitter: @bearingthenews

As the Miami Dolphins head into their version of a summer break, with no practices or team activities planned for the next five weeks, head coach Adam Gase had some words of wisdom for the players.

"You always want them to be smart,” he said. “I think a lot of times a lot of guys in this profession, they just forget who they are, who they represent. (You have to) understand what kind of situation you are putting yourself in. That's a decision you have to make for the next five weeks: what's the most important thing in your life? Hopefully, they get a chance to take a break, but at the same time, they make good decisions."

Prescient words, especially in today’s NFL, where every offseason its pretty much a given that there will be an arrest or a nightclub incident somewhere involving an NFL player. Gase, along with all Dolphins fans, want to see this be a clean offseason, with everyone doing their part to stay out of trouble.

As for Gase’s own plans, he’ll be watching game tape of other teams, both pro and college, to try and find an edge or glean something new to incorporate into his own schemes.

"I have a little routine I go through,” said Gase. “I'll take a block during the day and say, 'I'm going to work on these three things for the next week.' It's really the same procedure that I've gone through, probably, for the last three or four years. I always like to keep my mind fresh and make sure that maybe I can learn two or three things over the summer, whether it's watching another team, whether it's watching another college team. (I am) always trying to find a way ... Maybe there's one thing we can get that we can put into training camp that'll help us."

From the sound of it, Gase seems to be very open and flexible with his coaches as well, as he indicated that although his training camp agenda is pretty well-defined, he’s open to hearing and implementing things if his assistants have suggestions.

"Our coaches, we're off with the players. We come back a few days before the players but really, our training camp stuff is already set up for the most part, as far what we want to do, especially early. We do like to have some flexibility, so if we get through eight practices, we can make some adjustments.”

As for how Gase feels about how things have gone so far in the short time he’s been coaching the Dolphins, he said, "This being the first year, I feel good about how it looks, at least to us, on tape.”

Gase likes the direction of the team and is excited to find ample leadership inside the locker room. He’s pleased with the progress that has been made, saying, “From where we were that first minicamp - going through the phases - and now where we're at. You look at today's practice and yesterday's practice, and what the temperature was outside, the effort that you see, the energy that's brought to practice. Today is an easy day to just kind of be like 'Hey, we're really done.' It's not a long practice and they mail it in. Our guys didn't do that.

“They came out there, they worked every minute and you saw great energy and you saw guys that were excited to be out there. And that's what we're looking for."

As pleased as Gase is with how things have gone so far, he did leave with a few parting words aimed indirectly at his team.

“I think the mistakes that are made schematically can be fixed easily off of tape. But if you bring that energy, enthusiasm, that competitive nature every day, that's going to be our best chance to keep getting better, and making sure that when you hit the season, you're getting better every week instead of kind of flattening out or having an off week.

“You just (have) to make sure every day you're getting better."

This story was written by Eldon Jenson. Follow him on Twitter @EJFootball

It's been a tough struggle for the Dolphins 2016 first round draft pick. Making the transition from tackle to guard hasn't been as smooth as everyone would've hoped, and despite the expectations placed on him, he hasn't even been able to beat out Dallas Thomas so far for first team snaps.

It's been made very clear over the past few weeks that no position is going to be just handed out, and that everything is up for grabs.

“That’s how we are rolling. You have to earn your spot." head coach Adam Gase said on Wednesday. "I don’t think you’ve seen anybody really get plugged in and anointed anything. Everybody is battling. That’s what we want. We want competition. We want guys to earn their spots."

And so far, Laremy Tunsil hasn't been making a strong case for himself according to reports. The team is still making it public that they're very excited about Tunsil's potential, and they think that he has one of the best skillsets around.

“We like (Laremy) Tunsil a lot." center Mike Pouncey said last week. "Obviously, his feet are really good. We think he was the best player in this year’s draft. We’re lucky to have a guy like that. We’re excited to see what he can do."

But the reports coming out of the media are conflicting with that stance. Tunsil has gotten beat by starters and backups alike, and in spite of the team's praise, it hasn't been pretty to watch the Ole Miss standout try to get used to his new position on a level higher than he's ever faced.

​Naturally, there's a learning curve for every rookie. The speed of the NFL is much faster than in college, and adding that to the shift inside which requires more brute strength than on the outside, it only seems natural that Tunsil would struggle. Even then, the rookie insists the transition hasn't been difficult for him, at least from a technical standpoint.

“I’m just adjusting to a new position but there’s nothing hard about it,” he said. “I’ve got to get in the playbook, got everything down, get in shape. I mean, yeah – athleticism and other things. But putting pads on is a different reason and a different thing so just wait until we get the pads on and everything should be good.”

​Clearly Tunsil is managing to keep a clear head, and that's a good thing in the long term. However, there are no delusions of grandeur right now, everyone knows he's still young and going through the growing pains of the NFL, as it was expected.

“He has got a lot of room to get better." said Adam Gase. "Any position that you play as a rookie, it’s a different, different animal. It’s funny, we were actually talking with him and a couple other guys, (and) we were talking about how training camp is going to be another speed. Preseason is going to feel like another speed. And then when you hit the regular season, it’s a completely different speed."

Luckily for Tunsil, he's not alone. All throughout the OTAs and mini-camp, Tunsil has had veteran players surrounding him and showing him the ropes as he adjusts, such as Pro Bowl offensive tackle Branden Albert.

“The message he’s been giving me is, ‘Go 100 percent, rook.’ He always says rook. ‘Go 100 percent, rook. Go 100 percent, youngster.’ He always says youngster." Tunsil said. "That’s a good thing to hear from a vet. He’s always inspiring (and he’s) somebody I can look up to.”

It's always been said that the pads have to come on before offensive line play can really be evaluated, and when training camp begins in five weeks, that's precisely what will happen. Tunsil said that he'll probably back up to Ole Miss during the vacation time and will work with the strength coordinator there.

Normally players take this time to relax and get themselves mentally prepared for the grind of NFL training camp, but Tunsil sees the need to get better, and his offseason plans reflect that need.

“Work out, get in the playbook (and) still continuing to get better." he said of his plans. "You don’t want to be slacking off.”

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @FLSportDebater

When Joe Philbin was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, a common theme was that they wanted quarterback Ryan Tannehill to be responsible for as little as possible, taking decisions out of his hands and not letting him make his own choices in-game.

Now that Adam Gase is in charge, the opposite has begun to happen. Tannehill has taken on more responsibility than he's ever had before, and so far he's done well with it.

"He's done a good job," Gase said on Wednesday.

But Gase doesn't want to just see Tannehill take more responsibility, he wants to push him to his absolute limit, and apparently Gase won't be satisfied until he finds what that limit is.

"I know I put a lot on his plate and it’s almost to the point where it’s probably too much this fast." Gase said. "But I want to see how far … I want to see where the breaking point is and he keeps battling and he keeps doing things (well) in practice. We’ve been putting a lot of pressure on him on offense and then he’s been doing a good job of responding. We might have one day where it doesn’t look great and then the next day we’ll come back and we’ll regroup and kind of adjust some things and then we’re good to go.”

This once again raises the question of why did Philbin and his staff deem it necessary to keep Tannehill from having much say in the offense, but in the long run it doesn't really matter. Tannehill and the rest of the team have moved on, and now that he's being challenged by his new head coach to truly be a leader in the offense, the quarterback admits there have been some bad moments as he works on his comfort level in the new scheme.

“It’s growing each and every day." Tannehill said. "I spent a lot of time trying to understand exactly what to do, where I’m supposed to go with the ball, protection adjustments. I’ve made some mistakes, but I’m learning and getting better each and every day we come out here.”

The differences in coaching philosophies between this regime and the previous one are becoming more and more apparent as time goes on. Gase has now taken a page out of Jack Del Rio's coaching playbook, and the unit that "wins" the last play of practice doesn't have to do push ups.

“That was something that actually (former Denver Broncos Interim Head Coach Jack) Del Rio brought to us in Denver when he took over as the head coach for four weeks, and we started doing these competitive periods on Fridays." Gase said. "It was just the last play of the game, 4 seconds, no timeouts and you need a touchdown to win. The fun part of it is (it’s) five push-ups and you try to get everyone to pick a side."

“It’s competitive out here." Ryan Tannehill said Wednesday. "We got them today; they got us last week. That’s something we want to do every day is come out and compete and I think we’re doing that.”

Competition is something that Adam Gase has been preaching ever since he arrived in Miami, and Ryan Tannehill has been at the forefront of it all. But instead of competing with another person, Tannehill has to compete with himself, and Gase is determined to find out what it's going to take before Tannehill can't handle anymore.

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @FLSportDebater

When you’re a first round draft pick, the expectations are high. And that’s been the case with Miami Dolphins wide receiver DeVante Parker.

At 6’3”, 209 pounds, with solid athleticism, leaping moves, and spectacular catches, Parker caught the eye and turned the heads of all who were watching the rookie during practices last summer.

And then the screw came loose.

Parker had broken his foot during his senior year in college, and had a screw inserted to aid the healing process. That screw worked its way loose last summer, causing discomfort, and the team decided to get the injury taken care of right away rather than risk it becoming a problem during the season.

A larger screw was inserted, and Parker missed the first two regular season games, and wasn’t a significant factor until late in the season when he logged four starts, finishing with 26 catches for 494 yards and three touchdowns.

This season, expectations for Parker are still high, and he is expected to start opposite Jarvis Landry and lead a talented receiving corps that includes Kenny Stills, Jordan Cameron, and rookie Leonte Carroo.

But Parker has been held out of practices so far this offseason with an undisclosed injury. The Dolphins have been insistent that Parker’s foot is fine, and not the reason for caution.

And now Parker’s back. He suited up and practiced for the first time on Wednesday, and he’ll be the first to admit that it was hard to watch practices from the sideline.

"Yes, it was tough,” Parker said. “I watch my teammates have fun and going hard against each other. It's tough watching them play.”

Parker was actually cleared to practice on Tuesday, but head coach Adam Gase held him out, later admitting he got ‘soft’ when making that decision for precautionary reasons. Parker spent time on the sidelines, working out and getting tips from receivers coach Shawn Jefferson. And apparently Jefferson worked him harder on the sideline than he might have been in practice.

“Doing work over (on the sidelines) is actually tougher than practice,” Parker said. “But when you come into practice, it's not as hard ... It was pretty nice going out there and being able to practice today."

In post-practice media sessions, Parker was asked repeatedly about his foot, and was adamant that it’s not an issue going forward.

“I’m fine,” he said, noting there is “no long term concern” and insisting he “feels great.”

Parker has been studying the offensive scheme and surprised Gase with what he was able to do in his first practice. Gase said, "He did good. I think he was itching to get out there yesterday … Then coming out today he was actually, he did a little more than I thought he was going to do. He kept trying to get in the team periods. We were just trying to be smart with what was going on. He did a good job as far as kind of tempo-ing himself through individual (drills) to make sure 'I'm good, I'm good, I'm good,' and then he kind of turned it loose a little bit in those team periods."

Parker felt good about his work, saying “I think I've done pretty well.” But he knows he is still learning and has areas where he can improve. One area where he is really focusing?

"Finishing routes. That's it."

Jefferson has been working with him on that front, with Parker noting, "He has said, 'Stay down. Don't be up high, because you could slip and fall. Stay in and out of your breaks.'"

Quarterback Ryan Tannehill was happy to have his full contingent in place for practice as well, saying, "It's great to have DeVante back.”

“We've really been missing him,” added Tannehill. “He's such a talented player and we want to develop him further. To have him miss the past couple of weeks has been tough, but it's part of the business. So to have him back out here today was really good for us. It's good to see him running and make a play down the field for us.

“He really makes us more dynamic on offense."

This story was written by Eldon Jenson. Follow him on Twitter @EJFootball

​On this week's episode of PhinManiacs Live, the crew discusses the return of wide receiver of DeVante Parker and safety Reshad Jones to practice.

Also on the block are the recent comments from head coach Adam Gase, and the fact that he's searching for quarterback Ryan Tannehill's "breaking point," what does this mean?

We'll also be given another report from Athlon Sports and Palm Beach Post's Antwan V. Staley, this time for mini-camp.

All this and more on this week's episode of PhinManiacs Live.

If you missed the live showing, you can catch up by watching below through our YouTube, or you can download it and listen on the go via our iTunes, Stitcher or SoundCloud.

It was recently reported that Dolphins safety Reshad Jones would be holding out through mini-camp in search of a new contract. But on Wednesday, Jones decided to end the holdout and made his first appearance at practice, which allows him to avoid any further fines.

Jones making his return was first reported by Sports Illustrated, and it was later confirmed by local media who watched Jones participate in practice and was able to speak with him after he missed the first day of mandatory mini-camp and was fined $25,000 dollars.

“I’m here,” Jones said. “Everything is behind me. I’m ready to play football. It was tough. I love this game. I was missing my teammates – missing the camaraderie with the boys and my coaches. Like I said, I’m just happy to be here, happy to enjoy this moment and to get back to playing football.”

Jones had been looking for some insurance in his contract, he'll be making $7.2 million in 2016 and $7.1 million in 2017, but he's looking for a deal that pays him about $10 million annually, and with guarantees.

According to the Miami Herald's Armando Salguero, Jones recently spoke with owner Stephen Ross about security for the future, and besides the pay bump, that's really what the Pro Bowl safety has been after. Miami has shown resistant to talking extension with two years left on his current deal, but Jones still expects for things to change in the future, and so he's making a show of good faith.

"I don’t want to bring distractions to the team." Jones said. I talked to a couple of my teammates and I wanted to be back out here with these guys working and getting everything done. Like I said, I feel confident about my agent and the organization will work things out.  I’m here to help this team win football games.”

Now that Jones is back and practicing - and apparently in excellent shape, head coach Adam Gase is finally getting an opportunity to see firsthand what the star safety brings to the football field.

“Yeah that was one thing that I was told from the get go whenever he showed up, they were like, ‘Don’t worry about it. He will be in shape.’” Gase said. “As far as I saw, the way he was moving around looked really good and then he jumped right in there. Like we talked about yesterday, this is what they do (learn playbooks). What was he here … like an hour a half (before practice)? And he was able to go in and practice? It’s not that hard."

The coaching staff has been saying all along that they aren't concerned with Jones learning the defense while he was absent, as the schemes aren't dissimilar from what they're used to, and there aren't many changes that can be made fundamentally.

“When you’re an NFL player, part of your job is you learn playbooks." Gase said. "When a guy is not here – whether it be Phase I, Phase II or OTAs or minicamp – and they haven’t been exposed to … Cover 3 is Cover 3. Maybe there’s a different term for it for every team, but guys like that who have experience, they understand defense. As far as him being able to learn the playbook, that would be zero concern for me.”

Jones led the league in tackles for safeties with 135, and also made five interceptions - two of which were returned for touchdowns. Now that he's back and practicing, the team will get a much-needed chance to see what the defense can do with him in the secondary and make up for lost time.

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @FLSportDebater

Late this past May, Dolphins linebacker Koa Misi found himself in a bad position as he allegedly attacked a nightclub goer and was subsequently attacked by a police officer. He said on Tuesday that he wasn't punished by the Dolphins, and he wasn't charged with a crime as the victim declined to press charges.

“As of right now, nothing’s happened,” Misi told the Palm Beach Post regarding team discipline. “It was a bad situation and it’s something I should’ve walked away from. I learned from my mistake."

Dolphins head coach Adam Gase recently had a discussion with the veteran linebacker, and stated that the situation has been taken care of. Now, the coaching staff is focusing only on Misi's football acumen and skill, and according to Gase, Misi's position versatility is a big selling point.

​"When I came in here it was kind of like ‘Well, he’s a 3-4 outside linebacker and then he’s played inside and he’s kind of played in multiple positions.’" Gase said. "But seeing him work in the role that we have him working, he really understands what we’re doing schematic-wise and he’s able to be flexible as far as what he plays, whether it be a linebacker … With that rush experience he has, it gives us some depth if something would happen to where he could come off the edge."

Misi has been used in several positions over his the course of his seven-year tenure with the Dolphins, being used as an outside linebacker, a middle linebacker and also a defensive end. However, Misi has struggled to remain healthy, and the linebacker corps in general has been a weak point on the defense ever since the departure of veterans Karlos Dansby and Kevin Burnett.

The Dolphins acquired Kiko Alonso from the Eagles to be their new middle linebacker, and early reviews indicate that the move is working out. But, the defensive line is still going to be counted on to ease the pressure off the linebackers. Misi told the Palm Beach Post that he feels the defensive line could be unstoppable, but that's been said before, and it remains to be seen.

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @FLSportDebater

It wasn't that long ago that cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu was cleared by team doctors to practice, and yet despite that, the Miami Dolphins have been remaining cautious with how much the former Oregon standout is allowed to do.

Ekpre-Olomu is starting to get frustrated with that approach.

“It’s definitely frustrating,” Ekpre-Olomu told the Palm Beach Post following Miami’s first mini-camp practice. “You have to figure out ways to just do what you can do. They wanted to hold me out to make sure I was fresh for this week and I’ve felt comfortable with that trusting the coaches and believing they know the right thing for me. The main thing is being ready for training camp and just gradually working day by day when we have this break to keep getting better.”

The Dolphins held him out of portions of OTAs so that he would be ready to go when mini-camp came around, and so they did. The 5'9" corner practiced Tuesday and all indications are he will practice in the final two days of mini-camp as well.

“We’re trying to be smart,” head coach Adam Gase said of Ekpre-Olomu. “The biggest thing is that I want to give these guys a great opportunity to train this summer and then be ready to go in training camp. I know he’s really itching to do more, do more, do more. I just keep thinking, ‘Hey, we’re at the back end of this thing.' If guys are good to go, then I want them to go. But if we’re close to being not sure, then I want to make sure they can train this summer."

Ekpre-Olomu was considered a potential first-round prospect back in the 2015 draft, but the injury he suffered caused his stock to drop to the point where he was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the seventh round. He was then waived by the Browns after he spent all of 2015 rehabbing.

Now that he's working to make a comeback in Miami, he has a chance to earn the starting job as the slot cornerback, his main competition being second-year player Bobby McCain. However, he is being worked on the outside as well.

“Whatever the coaches need me to do,” Ekpre-Olomu said. “Really wherever they need me, I can play.”

Talent is not the question, nor has it ever been. He was a consensus All-American and first-team All-Pac-12 selection in 2014 at Oregon, and he recorded 244 tackles, broke up 48 passes, pulled down nine interceptions, and forced eight fumbles during his college career.

If he can remain healthy, he could be a key addition to a thin Dolphins secondary. But first he needs to be able to prove he can play, and that's clearly something he desperately wants to do.

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @FLSportDebater

Cameron Wake is no stranger to overcoming challenges. He's dealt with them his whole career, and he's treating his comeback from his injury as just another challenge to overcome.

“Well, when I got released from the Giants, I’d never been released. When I got to the CFL, I’d never be to the CFL. When I got to the Dolphins, I’d never been inactive. Like I said, add another one to the list, another obstacle to overcome. I’ve been doing it my whole career and I wouldn’t expect this to be any different.”

“When I got released from the Giants, I’d never been released. When I got to the CFL, I’d never be to the CFL. When I got to the Dolphins, I’d never been inactive." Wake said. "Like I said, add another one to the list, another obstacle to overcome. I’ve been doing it my whole career and I wouldn’t expect this to be any different.”

Wake suffered an achilles tendon injury in October against the New England Patriots that ended his 2015 season on a sour note just as he was starting to find his stride. Six months later, Wake is practicing and is already getting closer to being 100 percent healthy, much to the amazement of his teammates.

"He’s Superman.” Ndamukong Suh said during Wake's first news conference of 2016.

“I like that." Wake responded with a smile. "I like that answer. But there’s never been any doubt. I don’t have to reiterate my story; but I’ve had hurdles, roadblocks, obstacles, from the minute I started playing football. Add this to the list.”

Suh made an unannounced appearance at the conference and recorded it with his phone, like he did with defensive end Jason Jones when he did his. At 6'4" and 320 pounds, Suh is the most dominant and physically imposing player on the Dolphins roster, but even he's impressed with the progress Wake has made in his recovery.

“It seems like things have been going well for him. We keep trying to give him more and more reps. A lot of the great work that he’s getting is in those individual periods." said head coach Adam Gase. "We spent a lot of minutes on that. How they go about their business, it’s impressive to watch, because these guys go hard.

"Every rep is valuable, because they’re getting game-like situations as far as coming off the edge and some of the run game stuff that they work on. Obviously, not shorting my M.D. credits, but from what the trainers tell me, things look good and we just want to make sure he’s in good shape for when we hit training camp."

Unless a setback takes place, there's no reason to believe Wake won't be back to his old self once the regular season starts. In only nine games in 2015, Wake was second on the team with seven sacks, and with him, Suh and Mario Williams leading the charge on the defensive line, things are looking up for the defense.

"The D-line, the group that we got this year, should be unstoppable," Dolphins linebacker Koa Misi said. "We got a great group of coaches behind them, and behind our whole defense. If everybody works well together, we will be a tough team to beat."

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @FLSportDebater

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapaport, Dolphins safety Reshad Jones will continue his holdout through the three-day mandatory mini-camp, risking being fined $76,000 ($25,333 per day) dollars as he expresses his desire for a new contract.

After mini-camp, which begins on Tuesday, Jones will have approximately five weeks to negotiate for a new contract, although the Dolphins haven't given any outward indication that they plan to talk to the star safety.

Back in 2013, Jones signed a contract extension that signed him all the way through 2017, and will pay him $7.1 million this season and $7.2 million in the final year of his deal, which makes him the ninth-highest paid safety in the NFL on a yearly basis.

However, his contract no longer guarantees he gets paid should he suffer a major injury of some kind. He's also reportedly looking for a salary around the $10 million dollar range, which would put him at the top of the list for highest-paid safeties.

After having his first Pro Bowl season (as a replacement player) and making 135 tackles, five interceptions (two for touchdowns) and two sacks, Jones is a major player on the defense, and not having him on the field is a major setback.

According to the Miami Herald's Barry Jackson, contingency plans for if Jones continues his holdout into the regular season would be to look into signing either Antrel Rolle or Louis Delmas.

Delmas has been with the Dolphins for the past two seasons, and in 2014 he started 12 games, racking up 60 tackles, a sack and an interception returned for a touchdown. An ACL injury took him out at the end of the season, and then in 2015 he was brought back only to suffer an injury to that same ACL during a joint training camp held in South Carolina with the Panthers, ending his comeback prematurely.

Obviously Jones is the preferred option, but the Dolphins seem unwilling to negotiate and Jones seems adamant about getting some guaranteed money into his contract. All indications are that Jones will not holdout into the regular season, but he seems more than willing to follow the same route that Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor did, as long as it doesn't cross that line.

It's a poker game between Jones and the Dolphins, the question now is who will blink first?

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @FLSportDebater

There are some wide receivers in the NFL who are limited on what they can do based on their physical abilities or attributes. If they're too slow, too short or don't run routes well, they'll usually be given a niche role in an offense. Jarvis Landry has been considered a slot receiver all his career, and now he wants to become something more and remove that label.

“I pride myself on just being able to do it all." Landry said. "Being an all-purpose receiver, being able to play inside, outside, come out of the backfield. This offense allows me to do it. (In) my defense, I've been in a position to be in all of those positions, so it's allowed me not to just be labeled as a slot guy.”

As for head coach Adam Gase, he firmly believes that the young LSU alumni can break past that label and take his game to the next level, and so far Landry has been doing a good job of showing he can play on the outside as well as his usual slot position.

“I think he will go to another level once he really gets a great grasp of what we’re doing, because we got him going all over the place working inside, outside." Gase said. "There are a lot of things that we do with him. He’s really trying to focus on that right now, but I do think there’s going to be another level he can take it to once we hit training camp.”

To help him reach his new goal, Landry has recently taken to working out with several other NFL players, which include Antonio Brown, Xavier Rhodes, Geno Smith, and his old LSU teammate Odell Beckham Jr. According to Landry, the receivers would go up against the corners, and a lot of the drills they run are rather unconventional. Brown has been instrumental in Landry's evolution as a receiver this year.

"A lot of it feels like it's been made up by AB (Antonio Brown), but it's some good stuff in there." Landry said. "A lot of footwork drills, get some one-on-ones against some longer corners like Xavier Rhodes and guys like that. (We’re) just getting to work against those guys and really just getting a feel, for me, playing outside receiver, being a short guy; I kind of look to AB (Antonio Brown) for that motivation.”

Landry also has the added responsibility of being the most established veteran wide receiver on the team, which is a big deal considering he's only 23 years old. With Greg Jennings now departed, rookies and other young players will now turn to Landry for leadership, a new challenge which he hasn't faced before.

“I embrace it." he said. "We talk about leadership all the time. I think I'm one of those guys that lead by example, and just try to go out there and be a pro every day. There are days that guys have to lift me up. But at the same time, for me, going into my third year, having guys like Kenny Stills, Griff Whalen, those guys have been in the league for four or five years, they are a testament to the things that they’ve been through and also being a leader in that room.”

The young receiver has shown time and time again that there's more to him than just being a mere slot receiver, and now he's actively working on playing outside so he can escape the label. But there's one label that Landry wants more than anything, and it's the most important one of all. He wants to be a winner.

“I hate losing." he said. "It goes without saying. Until I get a win, until that next Sunday, it's really just stuck in my mind. Everybody says the 24-hour rule and let it go and whatnot; but for me, as competitive as I am, I want to win every game. I won't say it's not possible, but we have to find ways to do it, and it starts right now in OTAs and going into training camp.”

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @FLSportDebater

On this week's episode of PhinManiacs Live, the crew is joined by Antwan V. Staley to get his report on what happened this past month at OTAs, then we'll hear the story of wide receiver A.J. Cruz, how he came to get the opportunity he has now and also what his unique skills bring to the table.

Then the discussion will turn to quarterback Ryan Tannehill, and how his teammates and coaches have been impressed with how much more vocal he's gotten as a leader. Does this mean anything going forward or is it just more false hype building?

All this and more on this week's episode of PhinManiacs Live.

Did you miss the live show? You can download it on our SoundCloud, iTunes and Stitcher, or you can watch the show again below on our YouTube.

The quarterback is almost always considered the top dog on an NFL team, the one who the rest of the team looks to for leadership, the one who is meant to inspire the rest of the team and lead them into battle week in and week out. This is something that - according to certain folks - Ryan Tannehill has either struggled or failed outright to accomplish thus far.

This season, something appears to have changed. The normally quiet (some would say timid) quarterback has started to find his voice in the locker room, becoming a mentor for younger players and gaining respect from veterans whom themselves are considered leaders in their own right.

One such player is Pro Bowl center Mike Pouncey, who signed a 5-year, $52.15 million dollar extension in 2015 and has been considered a strong leader and alpha male by his teammates for quite some time.

"We’re just glad that he’s our quarterback, honestly." he said. "He’s a guy that comes in every day (and) busts his butt every day. He’s the first one in the building (and the) last one out and that’s something you got to appreciate from a guy that’s at that position.”

Now this form of leadership is not something that Tannehill has ever failed to exhibit. No one - not even his greatest detractors - can deny his dedication to working hard and improving himself in all facets of the game, both mentally and physically.

What he has been accused of missing is that certain amount of fire that makes a great quarterback, the willingness to speak up and be a vocal leader in the locker room and in the huddle, rather than just leading by example. Part of what hindered him was the way the previous coaching staff handled him, limiting him to doing only what they told him to, which will apparently change under Adam Gase.

"Obviously, having that freedom to get the offense in a good play … We do a lot of things differently now." Tannehill said recently. "Being able to be on the line of scrimmage (and) adjust – whether its protections, routes, a whole new play … There’s a lot of freedom in what we do."

And with that freedom has come a brand new attitude and confidence that has started to manifest itself in ways it never had before.

“I think he’s been a lot more vocal this year as a leader." said Mike Pouncey. "Obviously, he’s a good football player on the football field and he’s always been a leader on this team; but this year I feel like he’s bringing more – more to the table. More than he ever has before as far as pushing guys and getting guys ready to go.

"He’s a smart kid. He’s very intelligent. I think this is what he’s been waiting for his whole career, is to go out there and be the guy to kind of call the show. We’ll see how it goes but we think he’s going to do really, really (well) here.”

Pouncey isn't the only one impressed with Tannehill's leadership and intelligence this offseason, new offensive coordinator Clyde Christensen has also been extremely impressed with the young QB, and that's significant as he's used to coaching the likes of Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck.

“He’s learning. He’s an extremely bright guy. He’s extremely bright. He has picked it up extremely quickly, faster than I would’ve said that the guy could." Christensen said. "He has worked his tail off. I’ve had to tell my wife a couple (times that) I’m coming home later. A couple nights, I feel guilty that I’m leaving, and he’s still here. I’ve had to change our dinner hour back a little bit. I felt kind of guilty leaving before the quarterback."

Then there are the weapons Tannehill has at his disposal, tight end Jordan Cameron arrived in 2015 and got to see Tannehill during his handcuffed years. Now, in his second year with the Dolphins, he's also noticed the QB's change to more vocal forms of leadership.

"You could tell he’s more vocal, I would say." he said. "His abilities, he has so much ability. He can run the ball. He can throw the ball. He can do a lot and he’s very smart. All of those things are very positive and he’s kind of stepping into that role and understanding how powerful he can be. I think he’s going to do some special things."

Even newcomers who have never played with Tannehill before have taken note of his grasp of the offense and his desire to help others get a handle on everything Gase's offense has to offer.

"I didn’t know a lot about him coming in. We played against him a couple of times but us both being on offense, I didn’t get to watch him a lot or anything that week. But yeah, I’ve been really impressed." said wide receiver Griff Whalen. "His grasp of the offense is really impressive this early on. It has been good to have that leadership in the huddle – getting everybody lined up and stuff as everybody’s trying to get a handle on the new offense."

To date, Tannehill's whole career has been a learning process. Learning the speed of the NFL, learning new offenses, learning how to improve his deep ball. Now, his next challenge is to learn how to be a vocal leader and become someone the rest of the team looks up to. So far - according to the rest of the team - he's off to a good start.

“It’s an important thing, for sure. It’s fun for me to be able to dive in and take ownership of the offense (and) being able to learn it like a coach. That’s ultimately what I want to do: I want to be a guy on the field that anyone on the field can come to and ask a question, and I have the answers." Tannehill said. "(I am) still in that learning process, but trying to get through that as quickly as I can so that I am that guy that everyone can look to on the field and ask me a question and know exactly what they have. That’s part of being a leader is knowing what everyone needs and be available for them when they need help.”

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @FLSportDebater

There are numerous advantages that come with getting into an Ivy League University. They have more rigorous courses meant to challenge students, they offer socialization with some of the most brilliant minds on the planet, having a degree from one of those prestigious universities carries more weight than having one from lesser universities.

One advantage that does not come with those schools is recognition from college scouts.

When training camp began in 2015, there were 19 players on NFL teams competing for a roster spot. Once the season started, there were only 14 who made the cut. With 1,696 players in the NFL, that made the 2015 percentage for Ivy League players at a minuscule .008 percent.

That number doesn't appear to be changing much in 2016.

One of the players who didn't make the cut in 2015 was Brown University's A.J. Cruz, who signed a three year deal with the Chicago Bears before being released shortly before the season began. Now he's with the Miami Dolphins under head coach Adam Gase, who got to see him in action while he was the offensive coordinator for the Bears.

"I think Coach Gase is a phenomenal coach," said Cruz. "He's got an incredible feel for players individually and can relate on such a unique level that's rare to find in a lot of coaches."

And Cruz's presence on the Dolphins now likely has a lot to do with Adam Gase's influence. But it hasn't been an easy road to the NFL for Cruz, in fact, the amount of effort he had to put forth to even get noticed by teams was a lot more than one might expect.

"One thing that happened for me was it actually took me about twelve workouts, open tryouts, things that I was trying to get with teams before I even got that shot, even in the Arena League." Cruz said. "Part of the position change (from defensive back to wide receiver) for me was opportunity. Getting more looks as a wide receiver versus as a 5'8" defensive back, and with my return stuff it was definitely an arduous process."

Cruz made his mark in the Arena Football League through kick returning. In 2015 with the Arizona Ratters, he returned six kicks for touchdowns, which was the biggest reason why Cruz got the rare opportunity that most Arena Football League players don't get.

But even getting that chance was a true stroke of luck for Cruz. Even with all the hard work he put in, all the time he spent playing different positions and trying to show the world what he could do, it all very well could have been for nothing just based on the scouting habits of NFL teams regarding these lesser football leagues.

"It's an absolute grind," Cruz said. "Opportunity is few and far between in terms of getting looked at by NFL teams. I think there's a lot of talent in the Arena League for sure, and I think there's a lot that it was a great stepping stone in terms of that transition from going to college to Arena to NFL. Really what it comes down to is being able to make plays and find a way to stand out in whatever way that is."

And that's precisely what he did. He played what's known as a "Jack linebacker," in the Arena League, he played defensive back, he played wide receiver, and of course he found a way to be a breakout player as a kick returner. Any way he could get on the field, Cruz made it happen, and eventually he began to gain recognition from NFL teams.

"My agent did an incredible job getting my film out in front of the right personnel," Cruz said. "I know I actually had a couple of workouts lined up before I went to Chicago. Obviously that's where I was introduced to Coach Gase and his system there, and that's what led kind of to the opportunity here."

The professional football career of A.J. Cruz has so far been all about beating the odds. He had to beat the odds to get into the NFL from the Arena Football League, he had to beat the odds to go undrafted from Brown University and get into the Arena Football League.

Now that he's finally made it, he's become something of a role model for young athletes who are longshots to make it in professional sports for one reason or another, including some of his own former teammates from Brown University who have reached out to ask him what his journey was like and what it will take for them to make it in pro football.

"I've had a number of guys reach out ... I think this last class that I was with in college are coming up on their senior season so this is kind of the last group of guys I actually had a personal relationship with." Cruz said. "That's kind of been an opportunity that has allowed me to speak with some of the guys and explain the grind that it takes, the determination, the perseverance.

"You gotta have thick skin and you gotta have a very goal-oriented mindset, 'cause you get discouraged, you get told no more times than you get told yes. So it's one of those things where that in and of itself has led to awesome opportunities to speak with even just high school kids transitioning to college, and then a lot of these college kids looking to continue pursuing a career in professional sports and talk to them about - mentally - what it takes."

And it's that mindset that has driven Cruz to where he is now. Between coming from an Ivy League School that currently has only two players in the NFL - Cruz being one of them - and his brief stint in the Arena League, Cruz's career has consisted of non stop challenges that he's somehow been able to overcome.

Now with his next challenge being to make the Dolphins final roster, he'll have his work cut out for him once again as he has players competing with him who can not only return kicks, but also contribute in the offense as unique weapons. But regardless of whether Cruz makes the team or not, it should not be overlooked what he's already accomplished.

Ivy League schools are great for academics, the Arena League is excellent for getting players warmed up for the ultimate challenge that is the NFL, but rarely do players coming from either of these backgrounds actually manage to make a name for themselves in any aspect.

No matter where Cruz goes from here, he will forever be a role model and an example of what it takes to make it in the NFL. There were no freebies for him, no benefit of the doubt to be had due to draft status. All he's accomplished has been a result of nothing but sheer determination and will.

That, in and of itself, should be admired and applauded by all who came before him, and all who aim to follow in his footsteps, whether they come from the Ivy League, Arena League, or are already potential first round picks. The formula is the same, and A.J. Cruz is the very embodiment of that basic NFL formula.

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @FLSportDebater

Bryan Wiedmeier, a long-time executive with the Miami Dolphins and current Executive Vice President with the Cleveland Browns, passed away Tuesday at the age of 57.

Wiedmeier was diagnosed with stage four brain cancer in October 2012, and had a glioblastoma tumor removed a week later. He was initially given just 15 months to live, but made it nearly four years, working until the time of his death.

Wiedmeier began his career with the Dolphins in 1981, working his way up the ranks in business operations, football administration, and labor affairs. He spent the majority of his Dolphins career representing the team in NFL affairs, serving on several NFL committees, and was an original member of the NFL Management Council’s Working Club Executive Committee. He served as Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer from 2002-2009 with the Dolphins before leaving for the Browns in 2010. Overall, he worked in the NFL for 35 seasons, 29 with the Dolphins, and the past six seasons with the Browns.

In Wiedmeier’s 29 years with the Dolphins, he worked under three owners, Joe Robbie, Wayne Huizenga, and Stephen Ross. He saw the team record 20 winning seasons, 14 playoff appearances, and eight AFC East titles. The Dolphins also played in Super Bowls XVII and XIX during Wiedmeier’s tenure.

Ross released a statement saying, “On behalf of the entire organization that Bryan served so well for so long, I want to pass along my condolences to his wife, Mary, and the rest of the Wiedmeier family. Bryan will always be remembered as a member of the Miami Dolphins.”

With the Browns, Wiedmeier oversaw the $125 million upgrade to the Cleveland Browns stadium over the past two seasons, with considerable input on construction and design as well as involvement with fan and partner integration.

Wiedmeier played collegiately at Carroll College in Montana, where he was the team captain and starting center on the school’s undefeated 1978 team. After receiving his bachelor’s degree, he began his career with the Dolphins, while studying at night to earn a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Miami School of Law, and become a member of the Florida bar.

In the outpouring of comments following the news of his death, the common thread from almost all who knew him was that he was a kind, generous person, loved by all who met him. Former Dolphins beat reporter and current NFL Network reporter Jeff Darlington remembers at age 23 when he was first covering the NFL and nobody should have helped him, Weiedmeier took the time to explain the salary cap to him.

Darlington calls Weidmeier “One of the nicest people I've met in the football industry.”

Wiedmeier left his mark among many in the NFL ranks, including former Oakland Raiders CEO Amy Trask, who remembered him as one of the kindest human beings she’d known. Current Dolphins CEO Tom Garfinkel also felt lucky to have known Wiedmeier, saying, “I was lucky to have the opportunity to get to know Bryan over the last few years. He was kind, generous of spirit, and deeply passionate about the Dolphins. He is beloved by many in the Dolphins organization and will be greatly missed.”

We at PhinManiacs extend our condolences and sympathy to Bryan’s wife, Mary, and their five children.

This story was written by Eldon Jenson. Follow him on Twitter @EJFootball

It was a rough 2015 for veteran offensive lineman Jermon Bushrod. He suffered a shoulder injury which cost him his starting job with the Chicago Bears, and the player who replaced him was a seventh-round pick by the name of Charles Leno.

He tried to keep a positive attitude, he tried to focus on tutoring the younger guys and making a difference in the locker room if not on the football field. But with all those struggles starting to pile up, the aches and pains that were catching up to him, Bushrod admitted that the thought of hanging it up for good crossed his mind.

“It’s a passing thought." he said. "When you’re in your ninth year and your starting job is … when they go in a different direction and you’re not feeling good physically and mentally you’re not in a good place, yeah, it runs through your mind."

Bruised and battered, Bushrod struggled with his thoughts and pondered whether or not he should continue his career into his tenth season. For a while, it seemed he really would hang it up.

Then he got the call from the Miami Dolphins.

"(Head) Coach (Adam) Gase gave me an opportunity." said Bushrod, who had Gase as his offensive coordinator last season. "He helped me out along the way. Like I said, last year, mentally, it was tough for me. But the fact that I was able to contribute … I got hungry again after things didn't really go my way. Mentally and physically, I had the urge to keep going.

"Having talks with my wife and my parents this offseason, I felt like I had more in the tank – especially last year, after I got better, (after) I got the shoulder feeling better. It wasn't 100 percent, but at the end of the day, I felt motivated because of where I was at and the fact that I did do the correct steps this offseason."

After spending a lot of time in a sling, Bushrod finally rejoined practice in front of the media on Monday, and according to Bushrod, it's the most he's been able to do all offseason.

"Every week, every month, we've just been steadily going up." he said. "Today was the first day I was able to get out there and participate in a little bit of walkthrough (and) do a little bit of individual. It felt good to be out there with the guys and kind of get the pace of how practice is going to go."

It should also be noted that on top of the challenges Bushrod has already overcome, he now has a new challenge as the two-time Pro Bowler makes the shift from left tackle to guard, and after spending pretty much all of his career on the outside, it's not going to be easy for him to switch gears.

“Last year I was strictly a tackle and I played a little bit of tight end." Bushrod said. "I never really did any competitive inside work. I really didn’t do too much of that. Like I said, I played strictly left tackle for nine years. It is technique stuff; it is technical stuff.

"When you’re out there at tackle, you have a little bit more time, as far as footwork and hands, but the guys are a little smaller, but they’re faster. Inside, these dudes are strong and your technique has to be faster, feet have to be faster, hands have to be more precise. It’s a work in progress, but I’m embracing this process.”

The 31-year old offensive lineman isn't as young as he used to be, he has to "warm the car up a bit" now instead of just going into the weight room and bench-pressing crazy weights without even trying hard. But with a little help from Adam Gase, Bushrod has come to the conclusion that he's still got plenty to offer a football team, and there's no doubt that his experience and versatility will be a huge help to the Dolphins as they go into 2016 with a revamped line.

"Any time you get a chance to start, it’s exciting." Bushrod said. "Any time you're on the team, you're excited. Being out there and contributing is something I’ve look forward to doing. I've started for the last seven years. That's just something that really drives me. That's something I'm looking forward to doing, just contributing however I can."

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @FLSportDebater

A common theme when it comes to young rookies making the jump from college to the NFL level is the transition they have to make to the level of competition they're facing. The game gets faster, the players are bigger and stronger, athleticism alone is no longer enough to compensate for lack of technique.

Rookie cornerback Xavien Howard is no exception to this, as so far he's had to spend his very brief time with the Miami Dolphins working on elevating his basic skills to the point where they match NFL standards, and working on making his mind move fast enough so he can react accordingly.

“The tempo is way fast." Howard said. "I thought it was fast at Baylor, but here, it’s fast. So, (I am) getting in the right position and (being) there to make a play and trying to adapt to the defense and learning everything that the coaches want me to do. Really, my technique coming out of college – like my eye discipline and stuff like that – my technique is different. But I have to get adjusted to it (and) see what the coaches want me to do and improve every day.”

A significant factor into the Dolphins' decision to draft Howard in the second round of the 2016 draft was his size. Standing at 6'0" and 201 pounds, Howard is a physical presence in the secondary and fits the mold of what the team is looking for in their cornerbacks.

But according to defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, Howard hasn't quite figured out how to use his size to his advantage on the NFL level and is still working on that.

“Not yet." Joseph said when asked if Howard has been able to use his size. "He has showed us that he has great movement skills. He has long speed. He has ball skills. He has great lateral quickness. Obviously, being a rookie, he knows nothing about playing the position on this level but talent-wise, he’s what we thought he was going to be.”

As of now, Howard is in the middle of a wide open competition with sophomore cornerback Tony Lippett for the starting left cornerback position opposite veteran Byron Maxwell, and so far it seems that they're getting equal opportunities to show what they can do.

“I think we’re getting the same reps." Howard said. "We’re just going to compete – Tony (Lippett and I) – on the other side of (Byron) Maxwell. But (I am) learning from him – learning from Tony and Maxwell.”

Howard won't be given the job by any means, he'll have to show he can catch up to the speed of the NFL and work on those skills he's been polishing up since he's been in Miami.

“I’m tough on myself about it," Howard said of competing for the starting job. “Vance Joseph leans on me hard, so he’s expecting a lot from me. I have to work hard every day and listen to him.”

Miami has question marks all over the secondary, so it's encouraging to see that the coaching staff is working hard on getting Howard acclimated to the NFL. It won't be an easy transition to be sure, but the coaches are confident that Howard can learn what he needs to learn and make it translate to improved play on the field.

“I’ve seen a guy that’s really stepped up and competed at this level." said head coach Adam Gase. "He’s seen a lot of different routes, probably more than what he saw in college. And the guys he’s going against are pretty good. To see all these different looks and being able to stick with a lot of these guys has been impressive. I know the thing that you love about this kid is he’s just constantly working."

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @FLSportDebater