Coach Mike McDaniel spoke sincerely about what is expected of his Miami Dolphins this season at his weekly press conference Wednesday.
He knows there’s a lot of attention on both himself and his players.
“The strongest energy wave you can give off,” he said, succinctly, “is authenticity.”
And that starts at the quarterback position.
In fact, McDaniel, about to enter his third regular season as Dolphins coach, spoke often about Tua Tagovailoa, going so far as giving reporters an update on the latest work that his franchise quarterback completed this offseason. Tagovailoa took a different approach this year, and worked with former Pro Bowl quarterback Drew Brees in hopes of improving under center.
Tagovailoa has also been more vocal of late, according to McDaniel, and the coach was proud to speak of his quarterback’s confidence level after a season that ended with a playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
“You can just tell by that walk-through,” he said, “that he’s refined how to divvy up the time to effectively absorb what he’s learned and what he already knows.”
McDaniel was speaking about Wednesday’s walkthrough at team headquarters, part of final preparations for Sunday’s season opener vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars at Hard Rock Stadium. And among the things he saw in his quarterback, is that he’s ready to lead … in whichever way he wants.
“We talk a lot about Tua,” McDaniel said. “And as we should, he’s an incredible part of this franchise. But there’s a lot of players on the same trajectory.”
Indeed, McDaniel has high hopes this season for many of Tagovailoa’s weapons, including running back De’Von Achane, and wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
It is also expected that linebacker Chop Robinson and running back Jaylen Wright make strong debuts as the most marquee rookies this season. These players are joining a veteran team, and are about to feel the speed of a real NFL game. But, according to McDaniel, these newcomers have already “proven their stripes with their teammates.”
Hill, like McDaniel, is entering Year 3 as a Dolphin. He was named among the captains again this season, and on Wednesday, offered insight on what is to be expected from a team that is looking for at least a third straight playoff appearance.
“We’re all excited. We’ve got a lot of weapons, a lot of playmakers on this team, man,” Hill said. “Everybody is on the very edge of their seats just waiting for this moment.”
Hill agrees with McDaniel, and is thrilled that Tagovailoa is in high spirits this season, especially after the way last season ended. Hill added that Tagovailoa has been communicating more, and that teammates have noticed him as “more vocal in the huddle, he’s more vocal in the locker room, he’s vocal everywhere.”
The Dolphins, among the favorites to win the AFC East this season, are seen as a veteran team around the league. Some players are older, some are younger, but Hill believes that McDaniel’s group has converged to “mesh well together.”
“A lot of guys are hanging out outside of the building each and every week,” Hill said, when referring to teammates staying late, after practice, to get additional work in. “That’s something that is rare. There are so many things you could be doing in Miami.”
A new addition to the Dolphins receiver corps is Odell Beckham Jr. He joined the roster by signing a one-year contract after being released by the Baltimore Ravens in March.
In 2022, during the Los Angeles Rams’ Super Bowl win over the Cincinnati Bengals, Beckham suffered an injury resulting in a torn ACL. The injury has set Beckham back, which raises a question mark going into this new season. Though the Dolphins still believe the veteran adds depth to the club for the long term.
The Dolphins currently have Beckham on the physically-unable-to-perform list, which means he’ll miss at least four games. But when he is healthy, he’ll form a dynamic three-receiver set with Hill and Waddle.
“This is our best team we’ve had since we’ve been here,” Hill said. “What a time to be alive, to be a Dolphins fan.”
