The Dolphins’ second exhibition game was typical of the preseason – a lot of ugly.

Unfortunately, Josh Rosen, in his first game action for Miami with the starting unit, couldn’t rise above his offensive line’s shortcomings or his own inconsistency to elevate his case for the starting quarterback job.

Rosen wasn’t all bad or all to blame for the inability to get the Dolphins in the end zone in six possessions during the first half at Tampa Bay.

He also wasn’t anything special.

That’s in line with what has been apparent all along, through offseason workouts, training camp and a week ago playing with the second team against the Falcons.

An extended opportunity Friday with the first unit didn’t change the equation. It reaffirmed it.

Elite talent shows early

A million years ago Dan Marino stepped on the field and the immediate reaction was, wow! Most of the elite NFL quarterbacks since then have given the indication quickly.

Some dropped balls blunted Rosen’s cause Friday. But on fourth down at the Tampa Bay 2, he had Isaiah Ford open in the end zone and threw a sinker that didn’t get there.

That was the time to seize the moment. It eluded him.

Rosen has shown the talent to be a better NFL quarterback than his predecessor, Ryan Tannehill. He has an arm, instincts and pocket presence that Tannehill lacked.

But he’s done nothing to suggest the Dolphins should hand him the keys to the franchise and end their quest for a quarterback to lead them into the future. That remains top priority for next year’s draft.

Nonetheless, Rosen should be the starter going into this season. Because what are you going to learn from 36-year-old Ryan Fitzpatrick leading a team that’s a babe in the woods?

We’re not seeing any of that old Fitzmagic anyway. Fitz’s one eye-opening moment from his limited preseason action has been bowling over a Buccaneers DB.

Gotta love Fitzpatrick, but his gritty leadership is not taking this team to the playoffs. He’s an ideal backup and example for Rosen to follow.

Youth shows on offense

This is a developmental season. This is the time to find out what they have in Rosen and see if he can grow with the other youthful components of the offense.

Overall, the most encouraging sign from Friday’s game was how well the defense played, even with notables such as Xavien Howard and Reshad Jones sitting out.

Not surprising, considering defense is coach Brian Flores’ forte. It furthered the hope that Flores and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham can produce a collective greater than its components.

There were four sacks and a forced fumble. Rookie Christian Wilkins was solid up front and second-year linebacker Jerome Baker was a force on the blitz – Baker needs to be better at finishing his chances, though.

No point in starting Fitzpatrick

Still, the intrigue circles back to the quarterbacks.

Difficult to understand Flores’ thinking in saying Fitzpatrick will likely start week against Jacksonville. Usually the third game of preseason is a dress rehearsal for the starting unit.

Of course, every coach wants to believe he’s chasing a championship. If the Dolphins were in that position this season, Fitzpatrick, the experienced hand, would be the safer and logical choice.

Asked about the intangibles of grit and leadership that are Fitzpatrick’s strengths, Flores said, “Yeah, it plays into the evaluation, but at the end of the day it’s about production on the field.

“[Fitzpatrick] had a good scramble, made a couple good throws. Josh [Rosen] made a couple good throws, Jake [Rudock] made some good throws and they made some not so good decisions. It’s all a part of the evaluations.”

For a team looking beyond this season, the only way to truly evaluate Rosen is to give him a chance to flop or fly in the regular season.

If they go with Fitzpatrick, it means they’ve already ruled out Rosen.

Craig Davis has covered South Florida sports and teams, including the Dolphins, for four decades. Follow him on Twitter @CraigDavisRuns

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After two joint practices with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Miami Dolphins will enter real game action against them thanks to the preseason. Naturally, there are some players to keep a close eye on, but for this article, the featured players will be outside the box. Everyone wants to see Preston Williams and Josh Rosen. It’s too easy to point them out. So, here are some new but important faces to keep an eye on for Friday.

Jaryd Jones-Smith, OT

With the Dolphins missing Zach Sterup for Friday’s game, there’s going to be a lot of focus on the backup left tackle position. Last week, Jordan Mills got thrown into the position at the last minute. As a result, the offensive line was disastrous, and both Ryan Fitzpatrick and Josh Rosen spent most of their time running for their lives. Then a new face came into play. Jaryd Jones-Smith stepped in on the second day of joint practices, and somewhat stabilized the line.

Seeing that Sterup is out and Mills has shown to be insufficient, Jones-Smith has a good opportunity to prove his worth against a solid Buccaneers defensive line. All he has to do is be average, and he’ll be making a case for himself.

Jonathan Ledbetter, DE

Last week’s preseason game, it was a toss-up to decide who would make the top three performers list between Ledbetter and fellow DE Dewayne Hendrix. Even though the nod ultimately went to Hendrix, Ledbetter still deserves a strong look. The rookie out of Georgia is spending time with the starters in practice. That’s impressive for an undrafted free agent. With Tampa Bay QB Jameis Winston still working on accuracy, and Blaine Gabbert being…himself, Ledbetter has an excellent opportunity for himself.

Against the Falcons, Ledbetter made five tackle and recorded half a sack. Push a little harder, and he could see himself doing more than making the team. He may earn significant playing time.

Christian Wilkins, DT

The big name of the list. Christian Wilkins undoubtedly contributed to the success of the Clemson defense during his college career, but his Dolphins tenure is not starting off with him wowing the coaching staff. Head coach Brian Flores admitted that while he’s doing well overall, he needs to improve his pad level. That’s a technique issue, and the coaches are no doubt working hard on that with him.

The Dolphins defensive line struggled to make a dent in the Buccaneers offensive line throughout the joint practices. Any sort of showing from Wilkins this preseason that allows him to stand out will be an encouraging sign for both his short and long-term future.

Wednesday’s practice started a bit of drama surrounding defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick. When the Sun Sentinel’s Omar Kelly pointed out that Fitzpatrick was struggling in practice, Fitzpatrick’s mother fired back with no restraint.

No you would never want to do that maybe it’s because he is not a ss and is being used to suit other people skill set not his own . But you know let’s just keep ripping him because we know it breaks your heart to do that

— minknmelissa (@minknmelissa) August 14, 2019

Dolphins fans everywhere know that Kelly is not shy about stating his opinions, controversial or otherwise. But it isn’t every day that his comments earn the ire of players, or those close to them. It brings up an interesting point though. Miami is using Minkah Fitzpatrick all over the field. Inside the box, in the back of the secondary, covering tight ends, and so on. That is exactly what Fitzpatrick did not want to have to do. He hoped to be used in a single position and focus on that. That still isn’t Fitzpatrick’s reality, much to his dismay.

“I wish she would have addressed me first,” Fitzpatrick admitted on Wednesday. “My mother feels very strongly. She’s not wrong. But coach is asking me to do something right now, I gotta do what they ask me to do … you just gotta do it. If you resist it, you’re not gonna play well. If you think about playing somewhere else, you’re not gonna be able to focus on your position. I’m not a 215 pound to 220 guy, so being in the box isn’t best suited for me, but that’s what coach asked me to do. So that’s what I’m gonna go out there, I’m gonna practice my hardest, try my hardest. I might lose some of those matchups in the box, but I’m gonna fight my hardest.”

So Fitzpatrick agrees with his mother’s statement. His abilities are being misused. However, the whole appeal of drafting Fitzpatrick out of Alabama in 2018 was his ability to be a jack-of-all-trades. He does it all. He does some things better than others, but his versatility is still impressive.

“He’s done a really good job.” said head coach Brian Flores. “He’s a hard-working kid, does a good job with his communication, practices well every day. Obviously, it’s never perfect for anybody, but he’s a guy who we’ve used in multiple roles. He’s taken to that and really learned them all at a pretty good level. Obviously, there’s always room for improvement from a technique, from a fundamental standpoint – just an understanding of the game. He’s still a young player. It’s a new system, but he’s really a joy to work with from an abilities standpoint, as a kid – he’s a really good kid, too. I’m looking forward to working with him some more.”

The term “misused” isn’t something to be used lightly. True, Fitzpatrick feels comfortable elsewhere in the secondary, but necessity takes precedence. As of now, both of Miami’s starting safeties, Reshad Jones and T.J. McDonald, are nursing injuries. With them out, Fitzpatrick is being asked to step in. True, he’s willing, but he’s made it clear he doesn’t think he belongs there.

Are the Dolphins misusing Minkah Fitzpatrick?

— Five Reasons Sports Network (@5ReasonsSports) August 14, 2019

Now, fans are coming out to agree with Minkah Fitzpatrick. They believe his skills are suited for the free safety position. When he was drafted, that’s what everyone envisioned him as. But now that’s Bobby McCain’s role, and Fitzpatrick is taking over his slot position. Keep in mind, back in Alabama, the slot is where he spent most of his time.

With the 11th pick in the first round of the 2018 #NFLDraft, the Miami Dolphins select Minkah Fitzpatrick, DB, Alabama pic.twitter.com/jOHDs36bzA

— PFF (@PFF) April 27, 2018

Whatever one may think of his integrity, coach Nick Saban knows how to handle and develop players. If Fitzpatrick’s best place is in the slot, he should be there. If he gets moved around, it’s not because the coaches don’t care.

“It depends on if it’s a matchup-based game and his guy’s to the field, then we’ve got to put him to the field.” Flores said. “If we’re playing a zone game and we’re playing him middle of the field, then we’ll play him in the middle of the field. If his guy’s into the boundary, we’ll do that. He can do a lot of things. Part of what we do is try to put him in positions – because he can do so many things – not to overload the kid. I think that’s a big part of our responsibility as a coaching staff is not to overload him.

“I don’t feel like he’s overloaded. He’s played multiple positions. He’s really done a good job at all of them. Every time he gets out there, it’s a new experience. Whether he’s getting stack receivers or Y-Y wing or empty – I mean there’s a myriad of things that could happen and every one is a good experience for him, and he’s done a good job.”

More than likely, Minkah Fitzpatrick will go back to his slot position upon the return of Jones and McDonald. Until then, he will have to endure being an all-purpose player. Is he being misused? The answer is no, not really. He is as advertised, someone who can do it all, but at different levels of effectiveness. This is the next man up mentality in a nutshell. The coaches know what he is and isn’t good at, but when injuries come into play, sacrifices must be made.

Youth sports today is not the youth sports of yesteryear.

Sadly, it might be due to the fact that professional sports and their prevailing attitudes about mentality, training, and expectations have taken root across all youth sports domains.

Just last week in the Wall Street Journal, Ben Cohen’s column described how this weekend in Orlando the Jr. NBA Global Championship will transpire – an event featuring the best 13- and 14-year old’s from around the world. Besides spending hours on the hardwood, these kids spent as much if not more hours replaying James Harden and Stephen Curry’s Instagram feeds so they can work on perfecting their 3 pointers, imitating Harden’s nearly impossible step-back 3 pointer along with Curry’s signature shot with his arm beautifully arched above his head.  Understandably, most coaches discourage the shot while others feed these youngsters’ heads with the promise of one day attaining superstar status too.

Sadly, unencumbered free play seems passé. Unstructured play has given way to intensely controlled organized sports leagues, travel team, to home schooling so children can spend hours honing their physical talents.  Yet, the worst part is how the adults are shaping youth sports in ways that go against the best interests of children.

In our book Raising Your Game, Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz concluded that youth sports “has changed for the worse. It’s too specialized, overuse, over abuse, you name, it. And, the one thing that’s saddening is that we’re creating little factories, little prodigies, and we’re not allowing kids to be kids.”

Childhood was supposed to be the time when you had the freedom, fun and opportunity to enjoy sports for the pleasure and competition provided without pressure of focusing on a future career. As we all know the path to superstar status is littered with many bodies broken by overuse and debilitating injuries, burnout, change of heart and focus, as well as personality problems or poor personal choices.

Again, our book Raising Your Game (buy it here) drove home the point that having fun, developing intrinsic motivation, and trying one’s best are the most promising precursors for later success. If only these attributes were the highlight reels for promoting youth sports.