With the NFL regular season almost here, fans might have little to no motivation to watch Friday’s matchup between the Miami Dolphins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
It’s the final game of the preseason. It’s not a game anyone will likely remember. And it’s unclear what, if any, starters will play.
That, however, is exactly why it’s must-see TV (7:30 p.m., CBS 4).
“There’s jobs to be won,” coach Mike McDaniel said before Wednesday’s joint practice with the Bucs, “and then to really evaluate all of the jobs at stake, you end up prioritizing certain aspects of your team and getting game reps for the guys that haven’t played in games as much.”
As McDaniel alluded to, the players on the verge of being cut must truly fight for their NFL future. Not only will the Dolphins’ front office evaluate talent, coaches and scouts across the league will tune in just to see if a player will be a good fit for either their roster or practice squad. That means there will be a sense of desperation that makes for great competition.
“You want to put guys in challenging situations and put them in situations where they feel uncomfortable so you can simulate game performance as much as you can,” offensive coordinator Frank Smith said Tuesday. “So ultimately with every position as we’re looking at it, we want to make training camp situations — we have to problem solve, we have to work through things — so that way we’re trying to make sure that we prepare them or guys just in general for the season.”
Take a look at the Dolphins roster and it’s not difficult to pinpoint who will have a little extra juice come Friday. On the offense, players such as tight end Jody Fortson Jr., receiver Anthony Schwartz and running back Chris Brooks come to mind along with quarterbacks Mike White and Skylar Thompson, only one of whom might be on the roster after next Tuesday. Defensively, there’s defensive tackle Isaiah Mack, linebacker Channing Tindall and safety Patrick McMorris.
“It’s really important,” receiver Erik Ezukanma said Tuesday of the final week of training camp. The 2022 fourth-round pick was in danger of being cut before injuries to the receiver room and a breakout performance against the Washington Commanders greatly increased his chances of making the 53-man roster. “Being out, it was tough but coming back, being able to wrap my arms around younger guys and listen to the vets and just knowing that, when the cuts happen, some guys, you won’t see again, taking every opportunity and taking all the moments in.”
When asked about his evaluation process, McDaniel explained it requires “a ton of conversations.” In addition to placing players in uncomfortable situations, it’s about how they have grown throughout camp.
“The only way to approach it is investing every day in guys’ stories on the field and seeing how they adjust to turmoil — you want to be in front of that stuff — so you always have things to coach to see if the pattern is that you’re trending up,” McDaniel said on Aug. 15. “Then at the moment of truth, that trend probably speaks more than the exact player at that moment. You can justifiably, with good reason, forecast the future by that trend, and if the trend is inverse, you take that into account.”
Of course who contributes on special teams will also be taken into account.
“That’s what’s super important about the connectivity and communication within the coaching staff,” McDaniel said after Saturday’s 13-6 win against the Commanders, later adding “I’m very happy with our coaching staff communicating with that way because they’ve been on the front end of, ‘All right, this guy’s doing phenomenal. I really like what he might be able to do on special teams. Let’s make sure we’re giving him the right opportunities on defense.’ ‘Okay, this running back might be able to help us. Okay, we’d better make sure he’s getting opportunities on special teams.’ That connectivity, I think we’ve been on the same page the entire process.”
It’s not often that someone’s entire perspective can change in one day. But that’s the beauty of sports: at any given moment, something can happen and totally change the trajectory of the season. And for the players already on the bubble, that moment begins 7:30 p.m. Friday at Raymond James Stadium.
“All the odds are against you,” cornerback Nik Needham said Aug. 15. An undrafted prospect who the Dolphins signed in 2019, Needham personifies the work needed to make a roster despite being somewhat unheralded. “All you can keep doing is keep putting your best foot forward everyday and keep trying to do extra because extra will put you ahead in the long run.”
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