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5 Takeaways from Dolphins Preseason Win vs Bucs

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The Miami Dolphins began the Mike McDaniel era with a 26-24 preseason victory in Tampa Bay. The franchise’s 11th head coach (14th if you count interims) hopes to be the fifth new head man to lead Miami to the postseason in his first year with the club. Saturday night’s preseason contest against the Bucs lacked most of the top names on either side, but the game still provided plenty of excitement.

Here’s a look at five takeaways from the Dolphins preseason win over the Buccaneers.

Skylar Thompson Makes His Roster Case for Dolphins in Preseason Win Over the Bucs

McDaniel and the coaching staff opted to sit starter Tua Tagovailoa for the Dolphins preseason opener against the Bucs. Presumed backup Teddy Bridgewater dressed for the game, but did not see the field either. That left the quarterbacking duties to Miami’s seventh round pick from the 2022 NFL Draft, Skylar Thompson.

The former Kansas State Wildcat impressed in his debut, completing 20-of-28 passes for 218 yards and one touchdown. Thompson also rushed for 25 yards on three carries. He looked poised in the pocket and largely avoided the big mistakes throughout the evening.

One of the big questions entering the season is whether Miami will roster three quarterbacks this year.

Thompson may force the Dolphins hand in that regard following his performance in this preseason win over the Bucs. Miami probably shouldn’t chance Thompson potentially getting poached from the practice squad, a la Reid Sinnett last year. He may have earned his roster spot.

Lynn Bowden Looks Like a Valuable Piece at WR

Of all the Dolphins receivers to play in this contest, and not all of them did, Lynn Bowden Jr. looked like the player who took the most advantage of his playing time on Saturday. The Dolphins deployed Bowden in several roles during their preseason win over the Bucs, including eight offensive snaps at receiver as well as several opportunities on special teams. And he made the most of his offensive snaps.

Bowden led the Dolphins in receiving yards (55) and targets (4) on Saturday, hauling in the lone offensive touchdown. He flashed his potential on the outside with his double move against a helpless Bucs corner on the 22-yard TD catch. He also hauled in a 29-yard pass that could’ve also been a touchdown had Thompson hit him in stride.

Bowden’s versatility and explosiveness seems to have given him the edge in this training camp battle at wide receiver. Although Miami still sports a number of talented receivers on the roster, Bowden’s performance during the Dolphins preseason win over the Bucs may have solidified his hold on a 53-man roster spot.

Preston Williams did not see a target in his 13 offensive snaps on Saturday and managed just 13 yards on two punt return attempts. Mohamed Sanu, meanwhile, caught all three of his targets and finished with 39 yards.

Trill Williams’ Injured Leaves 4th Corner Spot Open

Another roster battle worth monitoring on Saturday was that of the fourth cornerback position. With the team’s top three spots accounted for with Xavien Howard, Byron Jones, and Nik Needham, players like Trill Williams and Noah Igbinoghene stood as the most likely candidates to fill that role.

But while Williams seemed to have the edge with his impressive showing at camp, the young cornerback suffered a season-ending knee injury late in the Dolphins preseason win over the Bucs.

Williams’ injury leaves the fourth cornerback spot wide open for the remainder of camp. The top options to fill that role currently on the roster include Igbinoghene, who’s struggled at times in camp, and journeyman Keion Crossen, who’s been primarily as a special teamer in his career.

Elijah Campbell may get a look considering his solid play on Saturday. 

Undrafted rookie free agent Kader Kohou has also turned heads in camp, though he didn’t play on Saturday due to an injury. The Dolphins could look to the free agent market at this point, or wait until later in training camp after a round of league cuts, to fill this position.

Benito Jones Could Fill Defensive Line Depth

The Dolphins cut Adam Butler earlier this offseason following a failed physical by the defensive lineman. Butler provided the Dolphins a solid rotational player along the defensive line, so losing him creates an opening for a young player moving forward. The first one that flashed as a potential replacement was Benito Jones.

Jones signed with the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent following his four-year career at Ole Miss. He only played in six games as a rookie in 2020, making one tackle. Jones has spent the majority of his NFL career on Miami’s practice squad, but flashed his potential as a run stuffer in the Dolphins preseason win over the Bucs.

Jones registered three run stops in his 21 defensive snaps. He was in on five total tackles, including one tackle-for-loss. He’s a big-bodied defensive tackle who can thrive in Josh Boyer’s defense given the opportunity.

Offensive Line Depth Still a Question Mark

The Dolphins sat their top two free agent additions along the offensive line during this preseason win over the Bucs. Both Terron Armstead and Conner Williams enjoyed a night off. The three projected o-line starters who did play against Tampa Bay, Robert Hunt, Liam Eichenberg and Austin Jackson, all played through the first two offensive series (11 snaps).

2021 seventh-round pick Larnel Coleman started at left tackle and played 42 of Miami’s 45 offensive snaps. He surrendered a critical sack on third-and-goal on the Dolphins’ first drive, which led to a field goal, and struggled at times afterwards. His fellow tackle, Kion Smith, also surrendered a sack. Smith played on 34 of Miami’s 45 snaps.

Neither Coleman nor Smith flashed in their time on the field and the offensive line as a whole failed to open running lanes throughout the night. Miami’s other tackle on the roster, Greg Little, was ruled out prior to kickoff but could get a chance to prove his worth at some point this preseason. Otherwise, the Dolphins may opt to keep additional interior lineman, since Eichenberg can slide over if need be.

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More on the Dolphins Preseason Win Over the Bucs

For more on this Dolphins preseason win, check out the episode of The Final Yard postgame show on the 5 Reasons YouTube channel!

RELATED: 5 Breakout Candidates for the Miami Dolphins in 2022

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Dolphins players on roster bubble getting last chance Sunday

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The end of training camp and preseason is always laden with mixed feelings. On the one hand, it’s the mark of real football fast approaching. Games will soon matter as teams fight for the coveted Vince Lombardi Trophy. But on the other hand, it also marks the end of the road for many players just trying to prove they’re worthy to make the team. The Miami Dolphins are no exception to this.

With the level of depth the Miami Dolphins are boasting this season, many deserving players are going to have their hopes dashed. It’s never fun to watch these players go, but the NFL is a business first and foremost. On Sunday, the players on the roster bubble are going to get their last chance to show the Miami Dolphins – or another team watching – just what they have to offer.

“There’s always excitement when you get to go out and play.” Quarterback Reid Sinnett said on Friday. “So these guys that aren’t sure through the first couple preseason games if they’re going to play; now they know they’re going to get an opportunity to go out and showcase what they’ve improved upon and that’s always a challenge as a quarterback to make sure that we’re focused on what we’re trying to do. There’s always excitement when you get to go out and play. You feel the excitement at practice even every day when guys are getting a chance to play the game they love.”

One player who always seems to be on the roster bubble is running back Patrick Laird. Head coach Brian Flores always says that it takes no talent. Laird is the embodiment of that philosophy. He doesn’t have elite speed, agility, strength or size. But he does have determination and drive that always stands out. That’s how he manages to make the roster each year. Thanks to that, he was lucky enough to be the one who caught QB Tua Tagovailoa’s first ever NFL pass. But that doesn’t matter in the long run. Laird is fighting for a spot on the roster, this year is tougher than ever.

“It’s just what I’ve been used to.” Laird said on Friday. “I was a walk-on in college, kind of a very similar situation as an undrafted guy. I knew since I tried out for the NFL that I was probably going to have to fight for a spot every year and that’s the way I like it. It’s challenging but it’s one of the best job interviews you can be a part of. It’s a long job interview process; but I like it, I enjoy it and I’m still loving football. I’m just going to focus on playing the best football I can and hopefully help the Dolphins win this year.”

Sunday’s preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals is crucial for Laird and everyone else on the bubble. Head coach Brian Flores said on Tuesday that, in reality, there are only about two or three open spots available on the roster. That means the coaches have already chosen most of the team. For those open spots? Flores had very direct advice.

“Work hard. Keep improving.” He said. “Take advantage of your opportunities. I mentioned that to our team many times. In life, it’s about taking advantage of your opportunities. Whether it’s football or business or really anything that you’re working towards, if you get an opportunity, you want to take advantage of it. For those guys who are two, three spots that are available, they’ll have some opportunities to practice, they’ll have opportunities in the game. If they play well, then they give themselves the best opportunity to maker the team and if they don’t, then they don’t give themselves the best chance.”

One of those players under a lot of pressure to perform is defensive back Trill Williams, who is an undrafted free agent out of Syracuse. Williams originally signed with the New Orleans Saints. Unfortunately, that didn’t last long.

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“That process was crazy because I get there and they put me on waivers and I was only there for three days at the time.” Williams said on Friday. “Then that Monday, I’m here. God works in mysterious ways and he put me where I’m supposed to be and I’m supposed to be here. I can only control what I can control. I’m just blessed to be here.”

Williams is a very intriguing prospect. He was solid all throughout college. Now with the Dolphins in training camp, he’s regularly made plays, including very recently intercepting a Jacoby Brissett pass that got all his teammates excited. So what does he think the coaches want to see from him?

“Honestly, I think they just want to see me go out there and play football how I’ve been doing and what they saw on film from me coming out of college.” Williams said. “Like I said, I can only play football and control what I can control. I’m going to go out there and give it everything I’ve got every time I go out there.”

Finally, there’s linebacker Shaquem Griffin. Everyone knows his story. He was born with amniotic band syndrome. His left hand didn’t develop properly and was amputated when he was four years old. But he refused to let that stop him. Griffin earned All-American honors at UCF, and was drafted in the 5th round of the 2018 NFL draft. He is the only player with one hand to ever be drafted.

Griffin is already a fan favorite at practice. He’s exciting to watch on the field and makes plays when given the chance. However, it hasn’t been perfect. He’s had his moments where he loses matchups as well. Naturally, this won’t be the first time Griffin faces adversity. He intends to rise to the challenge on Sunday and whatever happens after, he’ll cross that bridge when he gets to it.

“This has definitely been my best camp since I’ve been in the league.” Griffin said Friday to local media. “So as far as that, no matter what happens, no matter what’s the outcome of the situation or a roster (spot), I know I’ll be in a good position because I handled my business as far as making sure I learned the plays, making sure I’m a guy who has energy, making sure that I’m making plays, making sure that I’m running around. The only thing I can do is control the controllables and when the decision is made, I’ll be happy with any decision, there on the team or not.”

Brian Flores clearly has a difficult job ahead of him. There’s so much talent to choose from, it’s like splitting hairs. Normally, preseason is considered boring, especially at the end. This year is going to be very different. There’s simply too much competition to just turn a blind eye.

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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