When you’re a first round draft pick in the NFL, expectations tend to run high. And it’s no different for rookie defensive end Charles Harris, whom the Miami Dolphins drafted with the 22nd overall pick in April’s draft.

And Harris has been doing his part and more, impressing teammates, media, and fans alike when word came that Harris had contacted former Dolphins and Hall of Famer Jason Taylor to ask if they could work out together in an effort to glean knowledge from one of the best to play his position.

The good impressions continue, as several of Harris’s teammates have commented on the explosive young rookie’s prowess and mindset during minicamps this month.

“Very explosive, and he wants to learn,” says fellow defensive end Andre Branch of Harris. “That's the biggest thing. He always ask questions. He's not an 'I know it all' type of guy. He's a kid that wants to learn and just keep getting better and wants the respect out of his brothers. And that's what we are going to give him.”

“Charles, in my opinion, is a very focused kid,” says Pro Bowl defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. “He's very excited about his approach to the game. He's very detail oriented, obviously takes coaching very, very well, implements it very quickly as you coach him up in-game, and (he) listens. Obviously he has been running with the ones and getting a lot of play time in our package we like to run in regards to pass rush. He has had a lot of good things from my opinion.”

But along with all the high praise, Suh is quick to throw out a word of caution.

“Everybody has got a lot of work to do, so we've got a long way ahead of ourselves."

One player that is especially excited is the guy that Harris will likely replace eventually. Although perennial Pro Bowler Cameron Wake shows no sign of slowing down as he approaches his age 35 season, he knows that Harris is the future, and likes what he sees in the young rookie who is already drawing comparisons to Wake.

“Physically, he's very gifted,” says Wake. “He's obviously explosive, aggressive, and obviously to play this position, there's no other way that you can be successful unless you have those tools.”

And Wake is enjoying his time practicing with Harris.

“(He’s) lots of fun,” says Wake. “I've had a lot of time to sit down and spend with him. Obviously he's going out there and getting after it. I know you guys probably saw some of the plays we've run together. I'm excited. I'm excited for him. I think he has the right mentality and the right mindset to come into this game and be able to be successful. If you add that mindset and that mentality with physical talent and physical gifts and hopefully a little bit of urging from some of the veterans around here and the coaches, I think he's set up in the right place to make plays."

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

One of the hardest workers on the team, and one of the most respected edge rushers in the NFL, Miami Dolphins defensive end Cameron Wake could care less what pundits think of the Miami Dolphins this year.

Literally.

Wake was asked his opinion about some national media and sports betting sites listing the win total for the Dolphins at 7.5, meaning most casinos don’t expect the team to win more than seven games this season.

“I couldn't care less,” he said. “To me, the outside world - it doesn't matter if they're praising you or condemning you - it means nothing. Because the only people that go out there and have to make it happen are the guys who are putting on the Dolphins colors week in and week out. It doesn't make a difference either way.”

For Wake, who has a stellar reputation as a workout warrior, finding a weakness and working to improve that part of his game has been his modus operandi for years. Simply put, he outworks everyone. And when asked how the team can improve from last year’s performance, he doesn’t cut much slack for his teammates.

“Do more,” says Wake when asked how to improve this coming year. “It's simple mathematics. If you did X, Y and Z and we got to where we got to, now you have to go … start over … and do more. To me, everybody looks at everybody in this locker room and upstairs, look in the mirror and you know there is maybe an area that you can improve on. If it's on the field, off the field, sleeping better, eating better, whatever it is to make yourself even better than we were last year. Each man has to do that. And if we do that individually and collectively, I think that's how we make it happen.”

Wake isn’t satisfied with making the playoffs last year, especially with two lopsided losses to end the season. He doesn’t consider making the playoffs the goal that this team should strive for.

He wants more.

“Hopefully (just making the playoffs) wasn't the goal,” he says. “That was just a stepping stone to obviously greater things. Most of the guys who are still here know what that journey was like. We know what it took, how hard it was, every week, scratching and clawing, winning close games, the sacrifices it took day in and day out to say we only got so far. If anything, now you know what it took to get that far. Now what do we have to do to go even a step further to reach our ultimate goal? We don't have complacent guys. We have guys who are hungry and thirsty to do more. And they already know what it takes. It starts now.”

Confidence has never been a problem for Wake, and he doesn’t think this team, with the “New Miami” slogan, lacks in that area either.

“The reality is the guys in the locker room want to believe. And we'll go out and get the job done.”

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

Some people hate their jobs, some people are neutral towards them, and some people would even say they like their jobs.

Then there's Adam Gase, who apparently loves his job so much, he has decided to forego doing anything special for his vacation time before training camp, and will stick around the Miami area where he can still get some work done for his Miami Dolphins.

“I’ll have my moments where it’s just some days I just don’t do anything, but I don’t go too far from it." Gase said. "This is fantasyland. You get to do something you love and it’s not really a job. I enjoy it and I’m around it a lot. This is kind of our whole family, that’s just what we do. That’s what we enjoy and if I’m not hearing from everybody in the building, my kids are talking about it or my family is talking about it. It’s what it is.”

And during the vacation time before training camp, Gase gave his team a message on what they should do while they're away from the facility.

“Get your bodies right." he said. "Stick with really the training regimen that most of these guys did leading up to the spring. We were able to really get a good jump on the first phase and (Head Strength and Conditioning Coach) Dave (Puloka) was able to amp it up a little bit because guys came in in really good shape. We need to kind of be able to start fast in training camp and not waste time on getting guys in shape, so spend the time wisely.

"It is a time to kind of re-charge your bodies and your minds and get away from it for a little bit, but don’t go too far. Our guys, they understand how we’re going to do training camp, which is how we install and everything, so they can’t go too far away from their playbook. They just need to keep up with everything and when we get back, be ready to hit the ground running.”

Once the pads come on at training camp, everything will step up a notch as things get real and blows will be traded between the offense and the defense, and Gase will have to find a way to take what time is available for practices and make the most of it, with the hot South Florida beating down on the team.

“Down here it’s different. We probably have shorter practices than most teams in the league because we have to think its July to December, right? We’re out there." Gase said. "We’ve got to maximize the time we’re on the field and then when we get in the meeting rooms, we have to understand you can’t waste time in there. We have to use the fact that we are going to have more meeting times than most people because we’re not on the field as much and we’ve got to make those count. It can’t just be going through the motions.”

Just like his players can't simply go through the motions, Gase is going above and beyond too, and all simply for the love he has for football and the team under his command. His idea of a vacation is to stay near Miami and plan, and make no mistake, Gase's dedication will trickle down to his players, and ensure the team will be ready when the season finally rolls around.

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

Early on during the 2016 season, Miami Dolphins head coach Adam Gase saw it fit to limit the snaps taken by All-Pro defensive end Cameron Wake in an effort to keep him fresh for the postseason.

While the idea is sound, it ultimately backfired, as the Dolphins missed Wake's dynamic pass-rushing ability on the field, and the Dolphins started their season 1-4. While other factors were involved, the lack of Wake on the field on a regular basis certainly didn't help matters.

But Gase soon realized how imperative it was to have Wake on the field, and the star pass rusher was given back his starting job. As a result, Wake turned in his fourth career double digit sack season, and Gase recently admitted it was a mistake to limit Wake at all.

"I made a mistake." he said. "I should have been playing him more early. We were trying to think long term. We trying to think let’s get him the most important snaps during games. When we were getting down, it really put us in a bad spot because we didn’t want to stick him out there and all they were doing was pounding the football.

"We wanted him in there when teams were passing it, we just kept getting behind, and that was putting us at a disadvantage. That’s when we decided we have to make sure he’s out there more. That’s why we made that switch. We thought we were being smart and it backfired on us. We should have just went with … What we should have done was just let him play.”

Wake's fellow All-Pro defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh also chimed in on the topic.

“I think at the end of the day what they wanted to do was ease Cam back in to his progression of playing at a high level,” Suh said. “At the end of the day I think they did a great job handling that. It’s proven in the pudding of what Cam produced. Obviously we could have done it earlier it could have been probably better but that’s in the past. And I think the future is where we’re at.”

As the future approaches, it's telling that Gase was willing to admit he'd made a mistake. Honesty has been the theme for this offseason as coaches and players have been incredibly candid with the media, and it's had the added benefit of creating an atmosphere of accountability in the locker room, one that Gase himself is pushing.

“I think coach is very accountability -oriented, for himself and his players and everybody in this building,” Suh said. “And that’s something that’s great because he doesn’t put himself on a pedestal to say, ‘everything I say is perfect.’ And we’ve had some great conversations this offseason even when I wasn’t here of that nature about how he can get better and we can get better as a team. He’s a great head coach and he’s only going to get better because he has that mentality.”

Offensive lineman Jermon Bushrod - who played with Gase during his time in Chicago, stated that Gase is all about fixing problems and mistakes, so if something is going wrong, don't expect it to stick around for very long. That adaptability and accountability was a big reason for Miami's success last season, and the past season's experiences means the same mistakes won't be made again.

Which means, the Dolphins could avoid a slow start in 2017, and put themselves in an excellent position to make the playoffs for the second year in a row.

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

Back during his days at Liberty University, Miami Dolphins defensive back Walt Aikens was a standout corner, but when he was drafted by Miami in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL draft, then head coach Joe Philbin decided that he would be better utilized as a safety.

While he hasn't made a name for himself at that position, he has at times acted as a reserve player off the bench, and he has proven to be a special teams ace as he enters his fourth year in the league.

But the Dolphins are under new management now, and head coach Adam Gase has asked the soon-to-be 26-year old Aikens to move back to his old college position to increase the depth at corner, giving Aikens a real sense of nostalgia, and reminding him of the work he did at Liberty.

“First, it brings back memories." Aikens said. "Second, when you see certain plays, certain formations, you kind of get a feel for it after a while. Offense is always changing; but at the same time, if you’re in the right spots, you can easily make a play on the ball or break on the ball. It’s preparing me well.”

While he is getting this time at cornerback, he has been told that he is responsible for remembering the training he received at safety, making it so he can be inserted at either position at any time and turning him into a much more versatile player.

“I’ve got to be in a role where I can do both." Aikens said. "The more you can do, the more you bring to the team. So wherever coach wants me to play, I can go in and contribute right away.”

The Dolphins already have Byron Maxwell, Tony Lippett, Xavien Howard and rookie Cordrea Tankersley to compete for the boundary positions at corner, while Bobby McCain is the projected slot corner, with young players Lafayette Pitts and Jordan Lucas bringing up the rear.

Although, as last season proved, a team can never have enough depth at cornerback, and Aikens is already showing some of the same potential he did back in college. 

“We like having a versatile player in that role on the roster, so Walt has done a good job,” defensive coordinator Matt Burke said. “Again, we’re trying to put him maybe in a spot that he’s not as comfortable and see how he responds, and he’s done a good job working for us so far.”

Aikens has taken to his old position like a dolphin to water, and the added versatility will be extremely valuable to the team in 2017. In the meantime, Aikens will continue to improve and bring himself back to form at his old position, and enjoying every moment of it.

“That’s what I always want to do." he said. "That’s my main position. Special teams is just something special I can add to the team. Going back to my college position, I’ve been more comfortable with each passing day. We’re having fun out there.”

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

As much discussion as there is about the left tackle being the most important position on the offensive line, the center position has been - at times - a weakness of the line due to the lack of Mike Pouncey acting as the all-important anchor.

Pouncey, who is still only 27 years old, has undergone several hip procedures, and hasn't played through all 16 games of a regular season since 2012. Last season was his most injury-riddled year yet, as he only played five games before going down with another hip injury.

Naturally, this has led to skepticism as to whether or not Pouncey is a reliable option to be a starter despite his reputation as one of the league's top centers. The phrase "health is a skill" has been thrown around a lot, and combined with Pouncey's nearly $9 million dollar cap hit, fans are losing patience with the former Pro Bowler.

But head coach Adam Gase has stated numerous times this offseason that the plan is to have Pouncey play all 16 games (and more) in 2017, and as a result he's been extremely careful during the center's rehab.

And so far, it seems to have Pouncey on the right track.

​“He’s really improving." Gase said on Thursday. "We feel like we’re on a really, really good track right now and we’ll wait to the next doctor’s visit when we get kind of that report back and see what our next step would be. Or did anything change? Better? Worse? We’re just trying to really focus on the steps that the doctors have us right now."

In the past, Pouncey has sabotaged himself by forcing his way back onto the field before his body was ready in order to help his team. This is admirable and speaks to Pouncey's toughness, but it's hurt his long-term career. Now, Pouncey is taking a different approach.

"He’s done a good job of not trying to push ahead and say ‘Hey, I’m a fast healer and I’m tough.’ We all know that." Gase said. "The biggest thing for us is we need him healed because that’s really what it is, it’s time. He wants to be out there but it’s no good if we only get him for a couple of games. We need him for the duration.”

Pouncey was seen on crutches earlier this offseason, bringing a lot of concern from fans, now though, in support of Gase's comments, Pouncey is doing rehab work and appears to be walking just fine.

"When he was on crutches, you could definitely tell he was struggling a little bit." said Dolphins backup center Anthony Steen. "I think he was 75-80 percent for a while on the crutches. The past two weeks, he’s seemed fine to me – three weeks.”

It's still unknown whether Pouncey will be available for training camp, but ultimately the focus should be on the regular season. Pouncey knows how to do his job, so if his whole offseason is spent healing, that will be more than acceptable.

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

Miami Dolphins head coach Adam Gase is known for trying to incorporate everything he can into practice.

3rd and 29? Yep, he’s practiced that.

Returns on blocked kicks? Yep, been there.

Playing outside in muggy heat? The Dolphins are definitely ready for that.

Playing in a downpour? Yep, he’s made the team practice that, too

But Gase threw an unintended twist into practice this week, when he called a play that sent wide receiver DeVante Parker into the corner of the East endzone in practice on Wednesday, where a pretty sizable hive of bees had set up residence.

For what it's worth, Parker did indeed make the touchdown catch, but as soon as he did, Parker ran off and started waving the bees off before they could start stinging him. Now, you could say Miami is truly ready for anything that could happen on the field.

“They’ll be ready if they encounter this during the season." said head coach Adam Gase. "If they hit a swarm of bees during a game, they’re ready. They’re prepared.”

The players shrugged it off for the most part, though there were some players who were apprehensive of going over to the area, and eventually coaches did rope off that infested area and moved the practice to the other end of the field for the players' protection.

"This is my first time really seeing a swarm like that." said DB Walt Aikens. "I always see it on TV. I watch Animal Planet a lot; but actually seeing one, that was crazy.”

All-Pro defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh - normally the toughest guy on the field, also wasn't particularly thrilled about the bee infestation.

“I’m not a fan of bees." he said. "I’ve been around yellow jackets in Jamaica and all that stuff. I’m not too scared of them, but I’d rather not be stung if I didn’t have to be.”

While they weren't exactly the Killer B's of the early 80s, they were enough to disrupt practice and mess with the natural rhythm of things. Although unlike the Killer B's, this issue should quickly be resolved by a quick call to a local bee farm.

Truthfully, stranger things than this have happened.

This story was written by Eldon Jenson. Bee his follower on Twitter: @EJFootball

The Miami Dolphins are well-known for their philanthropic efforts, hosting countless community events and contributing time, effort and funds to numerous charity organizations across South Florida and the entire nation. Owner Stephen Ross is a major part of that.

Two years after the 2013 BullyGate scandal, Ross created the RISE initiative, which uses sports to combat racism nationwide and help accelerate social progress, and in the relatively short time since its inception, it has already touched the lives of tens of thousands of youth all across the United States.

And now, Ross' efforts are getting recognized on a national level. 

On Wednesday, it was announced that the nonprofit organization would be given the prestigious ​Stuart Scott ENSPIRE Award at the third annual Sports Humanitarian Awards presented by ESPN and sponsored by Bristol-Myers Squibb on July 11th.

This event will honor sports leagues, teams, individuals and people in the sports community that are using the power of sports to make a favorable impact on society. The award includes a $100,000 grant from ESPN for leadership in improving race relations.

RISE has received the support of several athletes in the NFL, including Dolphins safety Michael Thomas, who has also been highly involved in equality-based movements. He congratulated RISE on the job it has done and for receiving the award.

“They were groundbreaking and got ahead of race relation conversations that needed to be had,” Thomas said. “For RISE to give these athletes a platform to voice their opinion on how they were feeling was awesome. The nation really got behind it and this is something that will continue to grow.”

Stephen Ross has engaged and personally recruited influential leaders to be part of RISE’s board of directors, including all of the major sports league commissioners and sports broadcast executives, and there is no doubt he will continue to make his RISE movement grow as more support is drummed up to combat racism in America, and the rest of the world.

“We are honored that RISE is a recipient of the Stuart Scott ENSPIRE Award, named after a man synonymous with bringing all walks of life together through the unifying power of sports,” Ross said in a statement released by the Dolphins. “I want to thank all of the players, sports executives and league officials who have united to make a positive impact around such an important issue.”

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

Once upon a time in a land far to the south, almost at the very end of the Florida peninsula, there was a quarterback who famously said of his style of play, “Just pick a guy, and let it fly.”

And let it fly he did, amassing amazing statistics in the NFL, retiring with more touchdowns and yardage than anyone in the league.

All was good in Dolphins Land.

But Dan Marino retired after the 1999 season, and the Miami Dolphins have been looking for his replacement ever since. Some tried, some more valiantly than others, but ultimately all failed to appease the masses of people known throughout the land as Dolphins fans.

Yeah, we got spoiled. And who can blame us?

The latest to try has been Ryan Tannehill. After being shackled in the early years of his career by conservative coaches, current head coach Adam Gase has opened up his offense to Tannehill, allowing him to change plays at the line of scrimmage, and instilling confidence in his sixth-year passer in hopes of finally bringing an explosive, productive offense back to Miami.

Last year the team tried running a no-huddle offense, but after a 1-4 start, Gase backed off of that, and slowed the offense down so that players could all be on the same page with each playcall. Tannehill says it was a matter of spending too much time thinking.

"I just don't think that we knew as an offense all the details of what we needed to do to make (the no-huddle) happen quickly," said Tannehill. “We were able to do it, but we weren't doing it quickly, and when you don't do it quickly, you might as well just huddle and everyone get some time to think about exactly what they have to do. The whole point of no huddle is to keep the pressure on the defense, and if you're allowing defensive linemen to sub in and sub out and not keeping that heat on them, then you might as well just huddle. So I think that's kind of the crossroads we hit last year."

And this year?

"He's gotten better throughout the entire offseason process,” Gase says of Tannehill. “You can see he's more comfortable with what we're doing. He has a really good grasp of every little detail that we're trying to fine tune. When you start being able to put your spin on how you see things, and you have the ability to change plays at the line of scrimmage, when you feel really great with where you are in the offense, you have a lot of confidence to make those adjustments before the ball is actually snapped."

Tannehill says he’s worked very hard, not just this offseason, but throughout his career, and the benefits are beginning to manifest now.

"I think I've always been, tried to be, hard on myself,” he said. “I think as soon as you think you've got it, that's when you run into trouble. You've seen a lot of good players over their careers get to the point where they think they have it and that's when they start to fall off. I'm constantly trying to improve. I'm constantly trying to take little steps. It's not one big step you're going to take. It's not like in a two-week period you're going to make some giant leap.

"It's a series of consequential small steps that happen over the course of an offseason, over the course of training camp and throughout the season. So you're just constantly pushing at yourself, seeing the things you need to improve upon, seeing them on tape, taking the notes, taking the time to realize what you're doing, seeing what you need to do to improve those things and then going out and doing it."

Along with all the offseason work, Gase has helped Tannehill at every turn, showing why he has a reputation as a quarterback guru who specializes in getting the best out of every signal-caller he’s worked with in his career.

"I think he just encourages me and what I see, “said Tannehill. “He's always supportive ... obviously he coaches me and corrects me obviously when things aren't done right, but he's a big supporter of whatever we feel - what you see - then you can't think about it.

“You've got to just let it rip and make it happen. So that's something I've been trying to work on this offseason is 'Hey, don't think about it. Just play what you see and let it rip.'"

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

Many players in the NFL have unorthodox methods of improving their game. Some will take up yoga to increase their flexibility, while others will completely cut out all forms of dairy and meats in an attempt to improve the overall health of their bodies from the inside-out.

Then there's Miami Dolphins defensive end Andre Branch, who mentioned on Tuesday that once mini-camp ends, he has his own idea and combination of methods on how he can improve his game​ during the three week break.

“MMA training three times a week, strength training five times a week, boxing four times a week." Branch said. "I have a chef that I eat very, very healthy. I only drink water and coconut water. PT (physical therapy) twice a week. A chiropractor three times a week. Pilates three times a week and yoga twice a week. Steam room every day.”

​Eating healthy and staying hydrated are givens in life, not just the NFL, but when it comes to MMA training, Branch states that there's a very distinct advantage to investing time into mixed martial arts.

“I think you get to know your body. Well, boxing of course, is hand speed. That’s all it is when it comes … I’m going against a guy who’s bigger and stronger than me every play. So hand speed and leverage, that’s where the MMA comes in. Just knowing your body and knowing what position you can put your body in – no matter how big or strong they are – you being able to just leverage them and get them off of you.”

Branch, who will turn 28 in mid-July, had a career year with the Dolphins in 2016, eventually taking the starting job opposite Cameron Wake when veteran Mario Williams repeatedly failed to show what made him a star with the Buffalo Bills several years ago. With that starting job, he put up 49 tackles, 5.5 sacks and two forced fumbles, and that led to Miami rewarding him with a 3-year, $24 million dollar contract.

The work that he's been doing for the past few seasons is a big part of why Branch has improved to the point of earning a big money deal.

"I think around Year 2, it was like, ‘we need to do more.’ I just kept building from there. I’ve been doing MMA for three years, boxing for about three also. PT (physical therapy) and chiropractic work and all of that type of stuff, I do that every day. That didn’t come just right when I got in the league. I didn’t start getting in the cold tub until my second year in the league because I didn’t think it worked, because I just thought it was freezing me. But it definitely works.”

While it is unlikely that Branch will take up MMA fighting when he retires from football - which he himself stated - the improvement was obvious last season, and he will be looking to improve upon his career year in 2016, and prove that he's worth the contract he was given.

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

When it comes to fans of the Miami Dolphins, one common cry from the masses in year’s past has been, “Why don’t we give (the starting running back) more carries?”

Since Ricky Williams retired, the Dolphins either didn’t seem to have a running back capable of a 30-carry game, or the coaching staff simply didn’t trust the players, either health-wise or ability-wise, to give one guy a workhorse load.

This isn’t lost on current running back Jay Ajayi, who compiled the fourth-highest rushing total in the NFL last year despite only seeing the ball an average of 17 times per game.

“Knowing what we kind of want to do this year, and knowing myself and how I felt in some of the games where I was able to get into rhythm and get over 20 carries, I felt we were able to do well”, Ajayi said on Tuesday. “And in those games that I got to a certain amount of carries, that was when our offense was doing the best.”

Head coach Adam Gase has taken note of Ajayi’s preparedness this offseason. Ajayi actually spent time working with quarterback Ryan Tannehill and the receivers earlier this Spring (more on that below), and Gase notes that his understanding of the game has increased exponentially.

“It’s slowed down for him a lot from where we were last year compared to where we are right now,” Gase said. “The questions he brings up to us are very detailed. Really beyond next level questions; they’re really quarterback-ish questions. I love the way his intrigue of what’s going on at his position has been outstanding.”

And in case anyone was wondering if the Dolphins would have a running-back-by-committee approach, something that has become common across the league in recent years, Gase put that one to rest in his typical blunt manner.

“(Ajayi) wants to be a guy that can be counted on for second and third down,” said Gase. “He does not want to come off the field. Everyone gets concerned with the amount of carries and his physical style of running. And we’ll handle that as we go. But I love the mentality that he has right now. He wants to be a guy that’s relied upon right now. He’s our bell cow running back. At the same time he’s our top third-down guy, and red area, and two-minute guy. He wants to be the guy that no matter what the situation is we’ll have him in the game.”

The take from all that? Well, it sounds like the Dolphins will try pretty hard to get Ajayi more carries this year. And you can bet he welcomes the task.

“I’m ready for that,” Ajayi said. “That’s what I’m preparing myself to do. So we’ll see happens this year as the season comes up. Each game plan each week could be different but I know for myself personally I’ll be ready to carry the ball however many times I have to. I feel like I’m a workhorse, and I get better as the game keeps going and I continue to be a part of the game. So yeah, I feel like if I continue to get certain amount of carries, that will be good for our team as well.”

Already known as a good receiver out of the backfield coming out of Boise State, Ajayi wanted to improve in that area and give the team more confidence in utilizing him on third down plays. So he’s gone out of his way to improve in the passing game.

“My rookie year I had a lot on my plate,’ he said. “I was just trying to figure out what I was doing, learning how to be a pro and everything. But right now, having a couple years under my belt, knowing what I want to be; I want to be the best - I strive for that. I know that to be considered the best at the running back position, you have to be a guy that can do it all.

"Last year, I was able to do a lot of great things on the ground, but I felt like something was missing in my game. I knew I could do it, so I just wanted to be able to come out and practice and continue to work at it, continue to show that I can do it and be consistent. Just being able to run better routes and being more detailed, that was a priority for me this offseason."

“He's really spent a lot of time on that,” notes Gase. “A lot of it is to his credit because he's done it when he wasn't around here. I'm going to say he must have spent a ton of time with his routes on his own and catching the ball. The guys he was working with, whether it was Ryan (Tannehill) or the other quarterbacks … he really must have spent a lot of time because he is on every little detail and way more comfortable catching the ball.”

And Gase says his bell cow running back isn’t satisfied with just doing something well – he strives for perfection on every play.

“He's very hard on himself,” Gase said. “Even if he slightly bobbles a ball, it'll almost ... You have to de-compress him a little bit because you don't want him to be as angry as he gets because he's striving for perfection so hard. We've been talking about, 'Hey, when something like that happens, we've got to move on to the next play and we've got to clear the conscience and move on and learn from that experience.' As we've gone through this, he's done a better job of even that, of trying to make sure if he has a slight hiccup somewhere, 'I'm moving on to the next thing.'”

As for where Ajayi spent his time, we’ll just turn to the quarterback.

"Yes, Jay put in time, starting back in March with us,” says Tannehill. “We had the receivers out there. Jay came back in town. He was in California training for a while. He came back and was out there working with us. I've seen him take particular care in his routes and have an effort into each route. I see him run around and he'll come back and talk to me 'Hey, what did you think about here?' If he doesn't like the way he ran it, he'll run another one. With running backs a lot of times, those things can get overlooked as far as the details of route running and being that weapon, but I think he wants to expand his role in this offense. We use our backs out of the backfield a lot. I think it's a big weapon for us and he's a guy that can do it. He catches the ball well. He understands concepts well and so it's something that we look to get him the ball a lot this year out of the backfield."

How detailed is Ajayi with his route running work?

“For starters, knowing your landmarks,” he says about what he pays most attention to. “Certain routes need to be broken off at certain yard lines. There are so many yards in each route. Really just making sure that when I do get into my breaks that I'm getting out of it sharply, not rounding my breaks, and at the end of the route, finishing the catch.”

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

While it certainly pays for players to have traits that they can call great, teams also need those players who can be a Jack-of-all-trades, a versatile player who can be plugged in to play at any position at any time.

After the overhaul the Miami Dolphins did to the tight end position in the offseason, trading for Julius Thomas to be a seam threat and signing veteran Anthony Fasano to be the top blocking tight end, that left MarQueis Gray without a set role on the team after he signed a two-year extension to stay with the team.

But Gray showed potential in his limited time last season, making 14 catches for 174 yards and showing impressive proficiency as a blocker in his own right. Now, with Thomas and Fasano bringing their own specialties to the tight end room, Gray is getting a chance to learn from both of them.

“It’s a lot of help, mainly (for) myself." Gray said on Thursday. "I’m still new to this tight end thing and having those two veteran guys – Fasano and ‘J.T.’ (Julius Thomas) – in that room is helping out a lot. Learning different tricks and trades of playing the tight end position as well as being able to run routes, they’re helping out our young guys a lot.”

​The fact that Gray himself is still learning the position is telling. He has spent time with the Browns, the Vikings and the Bills before landing in Miami, and yet he's still in the league despite bouncing around almost every year of his career. What does Gray himself attribute to his persevering presence?

“Overall, just being able to play more than one position, being flexible." he said. "That’s why I take a lot of time in the playbook. Just in case somebody were to go down, I have to make sure I know that play, so I can be one of those guys they can have no problem (saying), ‘Q, go play this.’ That’s one of the things I believe has kept me around in the NFL so far.”

Gray has shown that he can be both a good weapon and a good blocker, not great at either, but enough to carve out a niche for himself in the Dolphins offense. He's even versatile enough to potentially be an emergency quarterback if the situation were to call for it, though Gray himself admitted he wasn't sure if Gase would have him in that role again.

"If they needed me, I would’ve tried to prepare myself the best that I could and get put in those situations to be successful."

​Versatility is the key to Gray's success at this point in his career, and with the proper coaching, he could become a dangerous role player in Adam Gase's offense. Now, he just has to work on improving both his skills to their fullest potential.

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

In week 2 when the Dolphins played New England, a balanced game plan option went out the window once the Patriots got a lead. The Patriots lead forced the Dolphins to go to a pass heavy offense. The Dolphins used a lot of motion. Usually motion is used to gauge if the defense is in man or zone defense.

Gase used a lot of motion into bunched or stacked formations which usually included intricate traffic routes or rub routes, these routes work best against man formations. Gase also attacked the Patriots zone defense with twin slants on one side of the formation and a post on the other side of the formation.

It was obvious that Gase wanted to attack the outside of the Patriot defenses. This tells me two things; the Patriots defense is slow to get to the numbers and time was a factor. Gase attacked the outside with quick toss pick plays, flat routes, and flood concepts. ​

Double slant with PA 

​Play 6

Double slant 
​
​Play 15

Picks quick outs

​Play 9

​Play 45 

​Play 54 

Pick play and flood concept

​​Play 24 

Traffic bunch routes

​Play 16

​Play 18

​​Motion to bunch traffic route pass

Play 21

​Motion to bunch formation run

Play 43

​This film review was done by Matthew Knowles and Daniel Gamboa.
Follow them on Twitter: @M_PorterKnowles and @MrDanPhin

When someone with a degree in biomedical engineering from Rensselaer Polytech Institute, one of the more prestigious universities in the nation talks, people.. well.. they probably yawn.

“Biomechanically, you want more lean on the ball to get more height on the ball so you can get more torque through it,” explains Miami Dolphins kicker Andrew Franks “Force equals mass times acceleration. The bigger your legs are and the more speed you have, the farther the ball’s going to go.”

Uh, yeah, whatever you say, buddy.

Franks had no intention of playing in the NFL while he was studying for his degree, but after meeting a former journeyman NFL kicker (Justin Medlock), and realizing his kicks went just as far, he put together a YouTube video of highlights, and posted it hoping that a special teams coach might notice.

Dolphins special teams coach Darren Rizzi did. And the moment Rizzi heard the sound of the shoe hitting the ball, he knew he had a prospect.

“It’s one of those things when you work out a guy, after a few swings, he’s either got it or he doesn’t, said Rizzi at the time. “You can tell when he makes contact with the ball, there’s that thump. I also liked his physical stature, and that he’s a weight-room guy. He’s not a quirky kicker. He is a real athlete, and everyone loves him. His ceiling is limitless. He has the talent to kick in this league for a long time.”

Franks had an up and down start to his NFL career, making 29 of 37 career attempts (78.4%), and earning the nickname Andrew “The Shank” Franks from fans (okay, maybe just me and five others on Twitter, but still…). But Franks came into his own at the end of last season when he nailed a 55-yard field goal with six second left in Buffalo to tie the game, then another 27-yarder in overtime to seal the deal.

How big was that moment for him?

"I think, especially in an event like that, you really have to take yourself out of the game a little bit,” said Franks. “I think I kick the best when you take the pressure of the game away from it. When you're calm, relaxed, that's really when you kick the best. I think at that moment it's a rushed field goal. We got a couple of seconds left. It's a long one in Buffalo of all places and at that point, you got to remember just to kick the ball."

Nailing game-winning field goals is the ultimate dream for all kickers, and Franks, with his ever-analytical approach suddenly had a degree of notoriety amongst his peers.

“I had a ton of friends send me the video, and I've watched it probably ten times. I watched a lot of it just to analyze the film itself to see how my form was, how the ball flew, everything - snap, hold, kick - from just an analyzing format. Beyond that, it's a cool kick to watch. People will show it to me when I visit. I've seen it quite a few times.”

For Franks, having a part in getting the Dolphins to the playoffs is a huge part of his motivation, and hitting both of his field goal attempts in the wildcard game in Pittsburgh was a step towards some self-validation.

“That's where you want to be,” he said. “You want to be in the playoffs. You want to be competing trying to get to the Super Bowl. Being in that position, understanding the ramifications of every play during those games is really big. I think playing the games in ... It was like subzero temperatures in Pittsburgh, freezing cold with a ton of wind, getting those tough kicks out of the way, understanding that whatever the conditions are you can get the ball through, I think was really important for me.”

The Dolphins are obviously happy with Franks as their kicker, as they didn’t bring in any competition at the placekicker position in camp this year. While that lends a degree of job stability for Franks, he’s not content to rest on his laurels.

“For me, I always like competition,” he says. “I always like comparing myself. Just because there's not a guy on the team roster that I'm competing with, I really look to everyone else in the league. I don't want to be in the middle or the bottom of the league. I really want to aim for that top spot. It's really looking at myself from last year, looking at everyone else from last year who kicked, and really comparing and trying to keep pushing myself to be the best that I can be.”

Does he feel more confident heading into the 2017 season?

"I think I'm a pretty level headed guy,” he surmised. “I don't try to be too low, I try not to be too high. I think my confidence has always been pretty consistent. I'm confident in what I can do. I'm confident that I can help this team. I think that's something I brought with me from the first day I came here.”

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

​When the Dolphins first brought Adam Gase on to be the head coach I did a four-game review of Gase as an offensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears. It was an arduous task but it was very rewarding.

I decided to do the same with the Dolphins offense under Gase's regime. This time I needed help, so I brought on board Daniel Gamboa or @MrDanPhin. Daniel and I have had many X’s and O’s talks on twitter. I knew he was just the man to help me out with this task.

​After looking at weeks 1-4 we both agreed that Gase’s offense was never set in stone but he attacked different defenses in different ways. He would have completely different styles week in to week out. 

​Seattle’s defense makes its money by being aggressive. One way to slow down a fast-flowing defense is by screens and runs with built-in bubble screens.

Gase also wanted to slow up the lightning fast defense by showing the defense another thing to think about with end around options and read option quarterback runs. The last unique way Gase attacked the Seattle defense is with a 3 x 1 formation unbalanced triple slant. 

Screens and Built-in bubble screens

Play 1

Play 20

​Runs with Built-in Bubble screen

Play 13

Here is a unique down the field screen play.

Play 5 and 17

​Run play with an end around option

Play 19

​Read Option quarterback run 

Play 28

​3x1 formation unbalanced triple slant.

He stands on the field, behind the secondary as the Miami Dolphins defense puts in work during offseason training activities. Arms folded, eyes alert, intently scanning everything that’s going on around him, the Ivy League alumnus (Dartmouth) reflects a calm air of confidence, a persona that commands respect.

And Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Matt Burke does indeed have the respect of his players, who value, among other things, the fact that Burke brings continuity to a defense that hopes to improve immensely from the bottom-ranked showing of last season.

And how is he adjusting to his new role, after taking over when Vance Joseph left to become head coach in Denver?

“It’s crazy, I just stand there and I don’t know what to do with myself,” said Burke while laughing. “My hands moving. It’s hard. It’s just a different relationship with the players. Interaction with the players, that’s been different. I’m a very hands-on coach. When I was with the linebackers, I’m in there and I’m all with it and stuff. So it’s a little different being slightly removed from that. You kind of train your eyes from a different spot, seeing the whole field as opposed to in practice we’re watching a play and I’m watching the linebackers. Now I have to see everybody. If a mistake happens out here, I have to be on top of that too. It’s been hard just sort of shifting my focus in terms of that stuff.”

But as he adjusts to the new role, Burke offered a few insights into what he’s seeing in this defense so far this summer. So before we find out about Burke’s ‘wild’ side that was alluded to in the headline, here are a few nuggets from camp.

On moving players around into different positions in camp:

“It’s a benefit if we can have players that are playing multiple positions and have the depth that maybe we haven’t had there in the past that we can … If we’ve got four or five ends that we’re rolling through and working in different spots, we can week-to-week – what the matchups dictate – use them there.”

On cornerback Bobby McCain and the development of the nickel slot position:

“Bobby started every game for us last year. Bob’s had a good spring. He really has. He’s competing. He has the - whether you call it the fortune or misfortune - of going against one of the best slot receivers (Jarvis Landry) every day. For us, it’s obviously a great evaluation tool to see him compete against Jarvis. He’s been holding his own. One of the benefits for us last year of playing a lot of those young guys – Bobby, ‘Lipp’ (Tony Lippett), I mentioned Neville (Hewitt) and Mike Hull and those guys – they’ve all taken that next step because they got so much playing time last year.”

On the progress of the linebacking corps:

“They’ve done a good job, honestly. We’ve been moving those guys like we said we would and just trying to get different combinations. Again, some of playing linebacker is playing with each other and getting used to Kiko (Alonso) getting used to what Lawrence (Timmons) is going to do next to him and having a rookie (Raekwon McMillan) in the mix. Mike Hull and Neville (Hewitt) have both taken some big steps for us.

"We’re really trying to work those groups and just try to find the best fit, but also get those guys comfortable playing with each other. Again, for me, having a more versatile ability to have different packages and move those guys around a little bit, they’re good. They’re all working really hard. (Assistant Head Coach/Linebackers Coach) Frank (Bush) has done a good job with them. It’s probably harder on him - that was my room, so I’m probably harder on Frank and try to put a lot on those guys to do that now and find out how we can utilize them. It’s good. It’s coming along.”

As for any obscure players that are making their presence known in camp and/or surprising the coaches?

“(Safety) ‘Mo’ (Maurice) Smith has done a pretty solid job. He’s a headsy player and he’s another guy where we’re moving around a little bit, and he’s been able to sort of take to that to some extent. I thought (defensive tackle Davon) Godchaux is actually showing a little bit. He’s got some power in his body.

"He’s another guy that’s a real worker. He doesn’t say three words to me, he just goes out and does everything every day. I see him really watching (Ndamukong) Suh and those guys and trying to just puppy dog him and follow him around and do what he does. In terms of the rookie class, obviously besides the top couple picks, those are two guys that have definitely kind of shown a little bit.”

Now for another side of Burke that isn’t typically found in the 24/7/365 lives of NFL coaches.

Burke spent time during the 2015 and 2016 offseasons in Africa. He has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, gone on a safari in Botswana, and has visited and performed charity work in Uganda.

“I went to Uganda two years ago … to do some missionary work with Jeremiah Washburn and his family. That same year I went and hiked Mount Kilimanjaro afterwards. I went to Tanzania. Then last summer, we actually went to South Africa and Botswana and Zambia and did some safari stuff and trekking around there.”

And his plans this offseason?

“I’m going to Uganda to hike with mountain gorillas.”

Yeah, this guy’s not your typical coach.

The day after the Dolphins minicamp concludes this month, Burke will pack about 30 pounds of clothing and gear (he’s allowed 15 kilograms on the small bush plane that transport him) and head into a mountainous area where only about 700 mountain gorillas survive in their natural habitat.

“It’s just going to be me and my girlfriend,” says Burke. “We’re flying through Amsterdam, so we’re taking a few days there just to break the trip up. It’s about an 11-hour flight from Amsterdam down to Entebbe, Uganda, and then we’re (there) for about nine or 10 days. You have to get permits and a lot of stuff to do this, so we’re basically spending time at this place called Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. It’s up in the mountains on the Western border of Uganda. There is a base camp lodge that we’re staying at that has about seven little cabins out on a ridge on the side of a mountain. You go out during the day and you track the gorillas and get to sort of witness them in their natural habitat.”

And just in case you’re wondering what head coach Adam Gase thinks about his defensive coordinator out gallivanting with gorillas:

“Adam told me if I die over there he’s going to come and kill me twice.”

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

On Thursday, the Philadelphia Eagles announced that they would be holding joint practices with the Miami Dolphins in preparation for their preseason game on August 24th.

The last time the Dolphins had a joint training camp practice was back in 2015, when the Dolphins went to South Carolina before their preseason matchup against the Carolina Panthers.

That meeting is infamous for taking out both former Dolphins safety Louis Delmas and Panthers wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin in one practice, due to the poor condition of the Panthers practice field.

Now, Miami will be placing their fate in the hands of the Eagles, who have been connected to Miami several times over the past few years, not the least of which is the trade that brought Byron Maxwell and Kiko Alonso to the team.

There are obvious advantages to practicing against another team, it gives both teams a chance to practice against fresh faces and change up the way things are done, as well as getting to gauge the skill level of the players without using themselves as an indicator.

The Collective Bargaining Agreement forbids the teams to have dual training camp practices, but they will get the chance to test themselves against the other team. It will be an interesting experience to see what the Dolphins can do against another team again.

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

As Miami Dolphins special teams coordinator Daren Rizzi said earlier this, week, wide receiver Jakeem Grant is doing a much better job in camp this year, which he credits to Grant spending the offseason fielding 75 punts a day as he works to keep his job this season. Grant muffed several punts last year in games, costing the team crucial field position in several games.

And this week, Grant himself said that those dropped punts affected him more than he let on.

“I felt like mentally, I let it get to me,” Grant said. “When I dropped the punts in the game, I let it get to me, and instead of just playing the next play ... I was a rookie, I was trying to do whatever I can to go out there and just impress the coaches. In your career, you're going to have mess-ups, you're going to have dropped balls, you're going to have this and that … mentally I just couldn't get over that hump last year.”

Grant continued, “At the first start of the season, I was catching everything, fielding them just fine. All it took was that one drop to make me unsure of  'Oh, am I going to catch this one or am I going to drop it?' And that's what created the chain reaction of dropping it, because I'm thinking so much of 'Oh, I hope I don't drop this one.'”

It’s not a good thing if your kick returner is having doubts out there about whether he’ll catch or drop the next ball. You would think that would be a bit worrisome, no?

"Oh yes, definitely,” says Grant. “Like I said, I've dropped punts; but I have dropped punts before out here and it's all about the next one. That's what the OTAs are for is about getting better and working to be at your best when the season comes. This year, I'm mentally ready and I'm focused. Like you're going to have a dropped ball, you're going to have this and that; it's about overcoming that obstacle."

As mentioned before and reiterated by Rizzi, Grant is looking a lot better in camp this year, and seems to have shaken the jitters that affected him last year.

But then again, all news is good news during early camps and preseason, so we wouldn’t expect to hear any different from players and coaches alike. It remains to be seen if Grant gets his confidence back, and move on from any miscues.

“This year I'm going into it like I'm catching everything that comes my way, no matter what it is - a punt or a catch on a pass,” Grant says. “It's just the fact of having that confidence of going back there and the confidence and swagger of saying 'I'm going to catch this and I'm going to make a big play.'"

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

This offseason seems to be the year where the Miami Dolphins coaches and players are opening their hearts for the whole world to see.

First, Jordan Phillips came out and admitted that his motor has been "hot and cold" in previous seasons, then Jakeem Grant admitted that he lacked focus and confidence after dropping his first punt, and now wide receiver Leonte Carroo has come and said some very telling information regarding his disappointing rookie season.

“Last year, [I] just didn't have as [good] of a year as I wanted to,” said Carroo. “Kind of took being drafted for granted. Kinda wasn't doing the little things right I was doing right in college. Was more excited about the whole draft process and didn't really focus on being an NFL player."

The Dolphins drafted Carroo out of Rutgers in the third round of the 2016 NFL draft, but they paid a heavy price to get him, trading up to the 86th pick in the draft and giving up their 2016 sixth round pick, along with their third and fourth round picks in 2017, picks that would have been incredibly valuable in the deep 2017 draft.

So naturally, the odds were against Carroo coming out of the gate, as no one felt he was worth the price the Dolphins front office had to pay to get him. He didn't help matters when he ultimately got beat out in practice by undrafted free agent Rashawn Scott, who got called up to the active game day roster over him last season when injuries took their toll.

After being a starter since Pop Warner, and being forced to sit behind Kenny Stills, Jarvis Landry and DeVante Parker on the depth chart, Carroo admitted on Wednesday that getting shunned in favor of Scott was a severe blow to his psyche and ego.

“It definitely made me upset,” Carroo said. “It had nothing to do with the coaches or any of the players. I was just upset with myself because it was totally on me. I was playing bad on special teams, I was performing poorly in practice, I wasn't doing enough. I wasn't asking my coaches to watch extra film or anything like that. Just not really focused on being a better player last year.”

Things are unlikely to change in 2017, as Kenny Stills signed a big money deal to stay in Miami long term, and Jarvis Landry is next to receiver an extension, while DeVante Parker is reportedly coming into his own at last, further tightening his grip on the last starting WR spot.

Which means Carroo will once again be forced to sit on the sidelines for a vast majority of the season, assuming he even makes the roster at all, as coach Adam Gase has made it clear that he doesn't care about salary, draft status or reputation, he just wants the best players and hardest workers.

So what has changed in Carroo since last year that this situation no longer bothers him?

“I'm attacking practice every single day to get better because I want to prove to these coaches that I'm going to be a better special teams player and I'm going to be a better receiver,” Carroo said. “When we went on that winning streak last year, just to see how guys were doing, it just made me upset that I wasn't doing anything to contribute as a third-round draft pick. This year I want to focus on just having that respect for my team and my coaches. Just to go out there and make plays and contribute to the winning that we're going to have this year."

This new mentality seems to be manifesting itself on the practice field, as special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi has recently stated that Carroo looks a lot better than he did last season.

"Carroo is moving a lot better." Rizzi said. "He has actually looked like he has really taken the offseason seriously in terms of movement and moving around."

It's a good thing that Carroo's mindset has evolved since his rookie year, since the wide receiver position is more crowded now than it was last year. With seventh round pick Isaiah Ford, fellow second-year receiver Jakeem Grant, and OTAs star Drew Morgan all fighting for the right to be a reserve wide receiver, Carroo needs to continue to step up and get himself back in the coaches' good graces.

Discarding his previous sense of entitlement and taking responsibility for his past failure is an excellent start.

“Last year, the coaches and my teammates had a lot of expectations for me,” Carroo said. “I did a poor job fulfilling those expectations. You last, last year is totally behind me. I'm a new guy this year. I'm a new person. I'm just excited for these OTA's, these next couple of practices and then training camp. And just controlling what I can control. And that's just getting better on the field every single day and proving to these coaches that I'm not the same Carroo from last year. I'm a different player. And I'm ready for the new year.”

After a breakout season where running back Jay Ajayi put himself in the same category as some of football's best rushers ever with two straight 200-yard rushing games, it's hard to imagine the soon-to-be 24-year old still has a lot of developing to do.

But nevertheless, according to offensive coordinator Clyde Christensen, if there's anything that can be taken away from OTAs, the former Boise State standout may actually have developed more than anyone else out on the field right now, which is an exciting concept to say the least.

"He may be the most improved guy out there this offseason. He has really been impressive." said Christensen. "It’s really hard to believe that I’ve only been here a year – we’ve only been here a year – and to think back a year ago what things were and Jay Ajayi being one of them. 

"We’re going, ‘We’re not sure if we’ve got a starting running back. We’re not sure if we have a Pro Bowler or if we have any.’ We weren’t sure. No one knew. He looks like a pro. He just looks like a pro. His body looks like a pro, how he carries himself, how he handles himself, how he works, how he practices – he’s a different guy from a year ago."

Just a year ago, coach Adam Gase decided to leave Ajayi at home when the Dolphins opened up their season in Seattle against the Seahawks due to what could only be described as an attitude problem. Ajayi apparently felt entitled to the starting job and so Gase had to teach the young player a lesson.

Apparently, he's learned it, and has adopted a new approach to his career that has allowed him to improve in leaps and bounds.

"He has continued to climb and take his game to a new level." Christensen said. "That’s what we’re looking for. I do think he could carry it. He’s a big guy. He’s a physical guy. I was really impressed with him last year taking the beating he took, really, for the first time ever playing a 17-game season. He kept going and stayed strong. I kept looking for him to flinch and shy up from some hits, and he keeps going."

Early reports out of OTAs are that Ajayi has become a more complete running back since last season, meaning his versatility out of the backfield has improved. He's better at catching the ball, presumably he's better at blocking, and best of all, there's still more for the young back to improve on, which means in a couple of years, Miami could potentially have the best running back in football, if all goes the way everyone hopes.

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

Oftentimes, the importance of having a backup quarterback is overlooked in the NFL. Having a viable backup can make the difference between the end of a season, or a final push for a playoff berth, which was the case last season when starter Ryan Tannehill went down with a season-ending knee injury.

With the team's playoff hopes on the line, backup Matt Moore stepped in and held down the fort, helping the Miami Dolphins finish the season 3-1 in the last three games of the season, before finally being brought down by the revitalized Steelers in the playoffs.

But if it hadn't been for Moore, the team would not have even made it that far after Tannehill's injury, making it clear how important Moore is to the franchise.

"(He’s) very important (and) why the organization went after him last year and why he makes a good living." offensive coordinator Clyde Christensen said on Tuesday. "There are so few of them. They’re hard. You may not use them. We learned it the hard way at Indy that you don’t need them until you need them. It doesn’t catch up with you until it catches up with you, and then it’s too late.

"He was what we thought. He played extremely well. He got us into the playoffs. That could have been a disaster. That’s where you’ve seen a lot of teams and all of a sudden their guy goes down and you lose five straight (even though) you were right there with a playoff opportunity and you don’t get it. That was really big for us. I think the team has confidence in him."

That confidence showed as the team rallied around him instead of losing hope after the loss of Tannehill, and it proved that Moore, even as he prepares to turn 33, could still be a viable starter in the league on a lot of teams, which Christensen admits.

"All of a sudden, without many reps, (he) comes in and slings it around and (he) won some huge games." he said. "He wins games in the rain, he wins games throwing touchdowns on Cover Zero. All of the things that all of a sudden if you had a lesser backup, they just don’t do. That stuff comes up and it’s hard to do. I’m really glad we have him. I do think he could start for 5-10 teams. Sure. Given the right circumstances, he could start for an awful lot of teams. We think of him as a starter, that we don’t miss a beat when he goes in there."

But what does Moore himself think about his potential as a starter and his status with the Dolphins?

“I think it’s natural to have thoughts that you’re capable to play in this league; but I’m happy where I’m at." Moore said. "I’m in a great spot. I love my teammates and my coaches and I’m here trying to win ball games.”

Moore is entering the final year of a two-year contract, and he's slotted to make over $3.5 million in 2017. Amidst all the drama with Tony Romo, Jay Cutler and Colin Kaepernick, Moore is happily slotted as the team's backup, and if push comes to shove, he will gladly step in and help the Dolphins push for the playoffs once more, much like Earl Morrall did back during the 1972 season when Bob Griese went down, and Miami achieved perfection.

Miami is lucky to have Matt Moore, and Moore is more than happy to provide his services as a backup despite his potential as a starter, a luxury that very few NFL teams can boast they have.

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

Recently, reports came out of Miami Dolphins OTAs that the team is cross-training defensive back Walt Aikens, allowing him to play at both safety and cornerback.

Aikens, 25, was drafted in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL draft, but as soon as he went from college to the NFL, former head coach Joe Philbin saw it fit to shift Aikens from his college position of cornerback to safety, presumably because the Liberty standout's skills were better suited for that position.

While he did turn into a specials teams ace, his contribution on the defensive unit has been limited as a safety, so now Adam Gase is looking to see what Aikens can offer with some time at his old college position. So we decided to look back at his old college game tape and see what he could do at corner.

Here against the Monmouth Hawks, Aikens shows his ability to break on the ball and make a pass deflection, he accelerates and makes it to the path of the ball before the catch can be made.

Aikens lines up nearly ten yards off the line of scrimmage here, and as much as Dolphins fans have despised this method over the years, it is a commonly used strategy by teams all over.

Here, Aikens backpedals and smoothly accelerates forward once he sees the pass heading towards the intended receiver, showing no hesitation in making the open-field tackle.

Here, Aikens goes in to protect the inside route, but he unfortunately makes contact too early and draws a pass interference flag.

Here, Aikens lines up for press coverage, and he gets beat by the wide receiver almost immediately, who gets inside on him and keeps him from making a play on the ball. Aikens being late to make contact causes this.

Aikens goes back into zone coverage on this play, and once again he shows his willingness to make tackles, that skill has shown itself with the Dolphins on special teams, but the ability to tackle as a cornerback is incredibly underrated.

Aikens again shows an ability to anticipate and accelerate out of a backpedal and into a full sprint forward, jumping the route and making the interception.

Here against the Kentucky Wesleyan Panthers, Aikens is in zone coverage once again. While he gives up the inside route, he's able to quickly get to the intended receiver and get physical with him, breaking up the pass and forcing the incompletion.

Here Aikens takes advantage of a fatal mistake by the Kentucky Wesleyan QB. He tracks a bad overthrow in the air and intercepts it.

Against the Charleston Southern Buccaneers, Aikens shows a vulnerability getting beat deep, particularly while in press coverage. His speed isn't the best, so while at cornerback, he needs to find ways to compensate when facing against more physical or speedier receivers.

He commits pass interference on this play in order to prevent the receiver from getting an instant touchdown catch, but that won't cut it in the NFL if Aikens shifts back to corner.

Tackling again shows itself as a strength of Aikens' here, as he weaves through traffic and helps bring down the running back.

Here again, Aikens meets the running back and wraps him up around the waist, pushing him back and knocking him to the ground.

Zone coverage, and Aikens again shows an excellent ability to click and close. He transitions smoothly from a backpedal and drags the receiver out of bounds with no hesitation on his part.

Another quick read and reaction by Aikens at the cornerback position. He moves off the receiver he's initially lined up against as soon as he sees the ball is thrown and rams into the receiver, forcing a minimal gain.

Another good click and close by Aikens, although his tackle is not quite as impressive here, only managing to get around the ankles of the receiver. Thankfully, the receiver goes down anyway.

Aikens get beat deep again, but this time in zone coverage. If Gase is intending to cross-train Aikens back to cornerback, then he must instruct secondary coach Lou Anarumo to work him hard against deep ball throws.

This is one of the few instances in the film review where Aikens does well in press coverage. Though the receiver did manage to get slightly behind him on the lob pass, Aikens is able to turn his head and make a play on the ball, preventing a large gain.

In conclusion, Aikens has good traits to be developed at cornerback, but after spending years at safety in the NFL, it will take some time to work on his weaknesses deep and in press coverage. But his reading and reacting ability along with his tackling prowess makes him worth the venture in cross-training.

This film review was done by Matthew Knowles. Follow him on Twitter: @M_PorterKnowles

When the Miami Dolphins drafted linebacker Raekwon McMillan in the second round of the NFL draft this year, fans were ecstatic. McMillan was considered by some to be a potential first round pick, and when he was still available, the Dolphins pounced to take him with the 54th pick overall. Paired with first round pick defensive end Charles Harris, McMillan is expected to start immediately and be an impact player on the Dolphins defensive front.

The quick linebacker from Ohio State fits the bill as the smart, hard-tackling presence that the Dolphins sorely need. And while still learning and acclimating to the changes from college to professional football, McMillan definitely understands his role. Just listen to the guy talk, and you can’t help but see his natural leadership.

"My skill - I call it a skill - but coachability,” says McMillan. “A lot of players come up with a hot head and think they're this and think they're that. But being coachable, it's a skill that not a lot of people have learned to sustain over their career. Once they think they're a starter, they think they've got it. So being coachable goes out the window.”

Not so for McMillan.

“Ever since I stepped foot on campus and at Ohio State all the way until my junior year when I left, I always went into the meetings with a notebook and pen and wrote down notes and (have) been coachable. Same thing when I got here. The transition into my rookie year, one of my goals was to be coachable. When I'm up, when I'm having a good time, when I'm getting picks in practice, and when I'm messing up play after play, just be coachable."

McMillan has already found how much different football is at the professional level, but he also knows that playing for an elite team in college has prepared him well for the rigors, mentally as well as physically, in the NFL.

“At Ohio State, we did a lot of the things that we do here, but less complex,” says McMillan. “Way less complex. In an NFL game, we go into all the different types of route combinations that the offense can give us. And it's an elite level of players, so you've got to change it up every now and then. But playing at the best of the best in college, it helped me out a lot. It helped me adjust to the speed of the game here.”

For instance:

“Just on the mental side, we did a lot of things at Ohio State that helped us transition to the NFL,” McMillan continued. “Coming here, the only thing that's going to help you get to where you want to be is reps - going out there and doing it, staying healthy … being available, and being coachable."

One of the more notable improvements in head coach Adam Gase’s first season, and a huge reason for the team’s 9-2 finish, was the ability to finish strong and win games in the fourth quarter. That didn’t happen by coincidence, something else that McMillan learned in college.

“It's something that you train for,” he says. “You're only prepared to what your training is. So you train for that during the offseason. The hardest part of our workouts at Ohio State was the end of the workout. It was hard throughout, but we've got to turn it up towards the end. That’s kind of our mindset here as well. Always train for the fourth quarter. Always finish. At the end of the game, when it's a close game, it's all about finishing. That's what we're practicing. That's what we preach.”

Words like that have to make Dolphins fans happy. After years of watching a lack of physicality and sloppy tackling, fans can take heart that this year’s draft class know how to put in the work. The steadfast commitment, both physically and mentally, is a welcome respite. Some may scoff at the team’s slogans and mantras since Gase arrived, but even the rookies have taken note. And they do help, especially on the mental side.

"It's physical and mental,” insists McMillan. “You can train yourself mentally too, so when you're tired, not (to) worry about the outside distractions. You really focus in, and lock-in to what you're doing. ‘Zero-in’ like we say around here. And get the job done mentally and physically.”

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

When the Miami Dolphins drafted Jakeem Grant in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL draft, most fans yawned. After all, how much is the 186th overall pick in the draft really expected to contribute, especially when the guy is 5-foot-7 and 172 pounds soaking wet?

When a player that size gets hit, he typically goes down hard, and that is always a fear for fans. But the trouble with Grant is, you have to catch him first. And that’s not easy.

Starting the season as a kick returner, Grant took a punt return 74 yards to the endzone in his fifth game as a pro, in one of the more memorable runs of the season. That play actually topped the list of “NFL Now's” Top 5 Most Athletic Plays of the 2016 season.

But the former electric receiver from Texas Tech had one downfall, and it turned out to be a big one: his hands. Muffed catches, dropped punts and bobbled balls had coaches and fans tearing their hair out as several miscues cost the team dearly in field position or outright turnovers during games. So guess what Grant has worked on the most this offseason?

“We talked a lot about that last year,” said special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi. “Punt returning is one of those things, if you haven't done it before, it's a very difficult task. It's not something that's going to come natural to a lot of people. I've seen some great, great, great talented players that couldn't catch a punt. A bunch of them. Hall of Famers. It wasn't in their DNA, if you will. It's one of those deals where … it takes, really, an awful lot of practice time and getting a guy used to it.”

And practice is what Grant has been doing. A lot of practice. Grant didn’t take a break at the end of the season, choosing to work on catching balls continually, even flying punter Matt Darr to Texas to kick balls to him.

“We videotape everything that he does,” Rizzi said. “He's watching the videos every day. He goes out, he probably catches about 30-40 balls prior to practice. He probably catches about 10 to 15 within practice, catches another 30 or 40 after practice again … on average say he's catching 75 punts a day, either off of a live foot or off of a JUGS machine … During the OTAs here, he'll catch about 750 balls. When you factor in the couple days for minicamp, he's going to catch roughly somewhere in the vicinity of 1,000 balls.”

And throwing another wrench into the works was Rizzi, bringing in an additional punter for camp to give the Dolphins both a right-footed and left-footed kicker, so that Grant can get used to the different rotation of the ball coming off each punter’s foot.

Has he caught every single one?

“No,” says Rizzi. “He has not caught every single one, but he has certainly looked much improved. The nice thing right now in camp is we have two punters, a right and a lefty … it's great to have a guy from each side and getting (Grant) as much work as possible.”

While not perfect, Rizzi says that he can definitely see the improvement, and the hard work is paying off.
“I think he has been really mature about it,” adds Rizzi. “(He) looks a lot more comfortable back there. Again, we'll see how that progresses moving forward. But (he is) certainly a lot more comfortable than he was a year ago. He's still a work in progress, but looking good.”

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

Back in September of 2006, the Miami Dolphins built what is now commonly called "the bubble," an inflatable indoor training field that allows the team to practice safe from the elements, such as rain and wind.

But there has been a lot of controversy as to the usefulness of the practice bubble, as it gives the team an excuse to not practice when the weather is less than optimal, meaning they wouldn't be acclimated to bad weather in games when it comes up.

Now, however, current Dolphins head coach Adam Gase is pushing the team to endure the elements, much like Don Shula back during the glory days of the team.

On Monday, the team practiced outside in a downpour, and even when the lightning alarm went off, which normally demands for the team to run to the bubble, Gase and the coaching staff called the team back outside, forcing them to practice in the rain and with wet footballs.

"Today was a good experience for us." Gase said. "(Defensive Coordinator) Matt (Burke) and myself talked about it once it started coming down pretty good of ‘we might not stay on the script here.’ We have some philosophies that we like to do when we do have these kind of situations come up. Play calling starts changing; the way we play defense starts changing. We both had to make those adjustments through practice so really the scripts kind of go out the window. You start calling it like a game.”

While the veterans of the team have an idea of what it's like to play and practice in Miami weather, there are certain newcomers who were shocked by the strength of the rain.

“Miami rain is different than Utah rain, I’ll tell you that." said rookie offensive lineman Isaac Asiata. "That was a tsunami. That thing was crazy. I’ve never got rained on like that before. That was fun.”

​With Miami often receiving rainy weather in the summertime, the team is looking to get used to it again after spending several years hiding from the weather, and according to Gase, the team took to the water like, well, Dolphins.

“I thought it was good." Gase said. "It was really good to see the guys just never batting an eye. We had guys staying on their feet and we weren’t slipping and sliding all over the place. The grass held up well. It was good for us to go through.”

​Considering they are the Dolphins, it would be appropriate for them to get used to playing when they're surrounded by water. Under Adam Gase's watch, that's exactly what they're going to do. Rainy weather doesn't stop the NFL, and so Miami isn't going to hide from it anymore.

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