Tag Archive for: Jesse Davis

Durval Queiroz Neto

Durval Queiroz Neto may soon hold key to Dolphins OL stability

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It’s been a long time coming, but Brazilian superstar Durval Queiroz Neto is finally starting to show signs that he’s ready for the NFL level.

“The credit goes to Durval.” Head coach Brian Flores said on Tuesday. “I think he’s done a great job of training, nutrition, all the things you need to do to give yourself an opportunity or give yourself a chance. He’s gotten some opportunities in these preseason games and done a good job. We’ll see. I think he’s eager to play. He’s as competitive as anyone on this team. He’s eager to learn and we’ll just keep working with him. If we feel like he can help us in regular season games, we’ll make that decision.”

Naturally, when the time came to trim down to 53 players, Durval Queiroz Neto did not make the roster. Miami still has one more year through the International Player Pathway Program to have a roster exception for him. But just being able to play means a lot to Neto. He’s played in the preseason, but what he wants more than anything is to suit up in the regular season.

“This is everything I want since I came here.” Neto said last month. “Every day I practice, practice and practice. For the last two years, I’ve been watching all of my teammates on the weekends go for the game and I have to stay. Every week has made me more hungry for that. I want that. I want to be in a game. Nothing is more important for me than being in a game to help my team.”

If nothing else, Durval Queiroz Neto serves as a perfect example of what can happen when an athlete is given time to learn, develop, and grow into the role he’s being groomed for. Throughout the preseason, Neto showed an amazing level of strength and explosiveness as a blocker.

 

 

Considering where he came from, this is no small feat. This is the Miami Dolphins coaching staff tutoring him from the ground up. Neto comes from a background as a judo champion. Much has been said about how that’s helped his footwork and hand placement. But Neto came to Miami as a defensive lineman. It’s what he always wanted to do. So when he got the news he was being moved, he was shocked.

“When I first came here, they had a coach, Dave DeGuglielmo, the o-line coach.” Neto said. “He was watching my practice every day and saying, ‘hey ‘Q,’ we have a white jersey ready for you. You need to make that move.’ I’d say ‘coach, I was born to play d-line.’ When they signed him to be the main o-line coach, he asked for me and ‘Coach Flo’ (Brian Flores) talked with me and I decided to make the move. From there, they spent a lot of time and patience teaching me everything I know right now as an o-lineman.”

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His hard work and dedication to his craft have made him a fan favorite player. It’s also earned him the respect of his teammates, including veteran lineman Jesse Davis, who’s watched him from the very beginning.

“I think ‘Q,’ from the day he’s got here from switching from defensive line to offensive line, he’s improved greatly.” Davis said last month. “He’s done everything the coaches asked him to do and he’s still trying to do everything he can. I think he’s done a really good job with it.”

Durval Queiroz Neto is all but dominating the competition he’s facing at this stage. Perhaps with one last year of training, Neto will be able to not only make the 53-man roster, but compete for a starting position as well. That would finally give Miami some level of stability on the offensive line.

May patience prevail.

Luis Sung has covered the Miami Dolphins for numerous outlets such as Dolphins Wire for seven years. Follow him on Twitter: @LuisDSung

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Liam Eichenberg

Dolphins still debating best place for Liam Eichenberg

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When the Miami Dolphins drafted Notre Dame offensive tackle Liam Eichenberg in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft, the instant assumption was that he would secure the right tackle position for himself.

Unfortunately, that isn’t the case so far.

Anyone who watches the way the Dolphins run things, they know that they love cross-training offensive linemen. Their desire for versatility on the offensive line is astounding. For years, fans and analysts have lamented Miami’s apparent refusal to allow players to develop in one specific spot. Laremy Tunsil moved inside to guard as a rookie. Fans feared the transition would impede Tunsil’s growth, all for the sake of Branden Albert staying at left tackle.

Thankfully, Tunsil’s development was not hindered. Not only that, he became good enough to warrant a massive trade to the Houston Texans for a king’s ransom of draft picks. Granted, he was packaged along with WR Kenny Stills, but Tunsil was the real highlight of that trade.

Now the Dolphins are doing the same with Liam Eichenberg. Since the opening of training camp, Eichenberg has played at both right tackle and left guard. Early reports indicated he was struggling in practice, but he’s been slowly improving throughout the process, which is promising.

“He did some good things.” Head coach Brian Flores said last Sunday. “There are some things he can improve on. He’s moved around, he played a few positions – last night he was at tackle. I thought he did well, but there are definitely a lot of scenarios where he can get better. They are watching the film right now. I know ‘Lem’ (Offensive Line Coach Lemuel Jeanpierre) is making the corrections with him. He’s a hard-working kid, so he’ll work hard to make the corrections and hopefully get another opportunity to improve this week during practice and we’ll see what next week looks like.”

Hardworking was one of the key factors for his draft status. At Notre Dame he had the chance to learn under the likes of Quenton Nelson and the very tail end of Ronnie Stanley’s college career. In college he earned the Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the top lineman in the conference. So it’s obvious Eichenberg is worth investing time into. The only question is where. If Eichenberg continues training at left guard, that unseats Solomon Kindley, who also is working on his technique. If he plays at right tackle, he competes with veteran Jesse Davis, who is the projected starter.

The ideal scenario, obviously, is Liam Eichenberg taking Davis’s spot at right tackle. Davis has greater worth as a versatile reserve than as a starter. More recent reports indicate the Dolphins are spending more time with Eichenberg at right tackle now. Does this mean the team has made their decision?

According to co-offensive coordinator George Godsey, the answer seems to be no.

“It’s the same thing with the amount of guys on a roster on game day.” Godsey said on Monday. “He’s going to have to play multiple and learn multiple spots and based on the dynamics in that room, whoever is active come the first week of the season, which we’ve got some time, there needs to be some flexibility to be able to play inside and outside. We know that that’s a hard role and as each week goes on – going against another opponent this past week playing another spot – it’s going to help him grow and we want that to be fast as possible.”

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If the goal is to develop a player as fast as possible, the Dolphins should seriously consider deciding definitely where they want Liam Eichenberg to focus. On Thursday, Brian Flores announced that many of the team’s starters would sit, including Jesse Davis.

So naturally, the assumption is that the start will go to Liam Eichenberg. That’s where he should be playing. His college career defines him as a talented tackle, not as a guard. Naturally the Dolphins want the best five players on the line, but maybe it’s time to stop thinking so hard about it. Sometimes the answer is much simpler than anyone can imagine.

The most recent reports indicate Eichenberg is responding well to right tackle. That’s all the proof the Dolphins should need to make up their minds.

Luis Sung has covered the Miami Dolphins for numerous outlets such as Dolphins Wire for seven years. Follow him on Twitter: @LuisDSung

Everything Tradeshows is a one-stop-shop for trade show exhibit rentals and custom exhibit display purchase solutions to companies of all sizes.

Visit them at everythingtradeshows.com or call 954-791-8882

 

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Miami Dolphins extend G/T Jesse Davis through 2022

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Not everyone on the Miami Dolphins roster is set to be released. On Saturday, the team officially signed veteran offensive lineman Jesse Davis to a three-year extension. This new deal keeps him from becoming a restricted free agent next season. It will pay him a total of $15 million. His guarantees equate to $8.5 million, with a $4 million signing bonus.

Obviously, locking up Davis comes from a place of necessity. In light of the trade that sent Laremy Tunsil and Kenny Stills to the Houston Texans, the Dolphins need players who can provide depth. At the same time, Davis now projects to be their starting left tackle. With Tunsil gone, Miami only has three other players who can play tackle. Jesse Davis, J’Marcus Webb and Julién Davenport.

The only one who has any experience in Chad O’Shea’s offense is Davis. Additionally, with versatility being so important, Davis fits exactly what coach Brian Flores is looking for. Davis played every snap at right guard for the Dolphins last season, and he’s played every position except center since being called up from the practice squad in 2017. Before the Tunsil trade, Davis played almost every snap at right tackle. Now he’s expected to move to the left side against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.

Davis has never wowed the crowd with his blocking prowess. He grades out average at best according to ProFootballFocus. However, he’s a versatile and reliable body who can be called upon for many different situations. Miami will undoubtedly look to strengthen the offensive line in 2020, which will take Davis out of his starting role. But in the future, they will need someone who can step in during emergencies, and Jesse Davis fits that role like a glove.