Miami Dolphins training camp: CB’s
By Brian Miller
Brent Grimes will return for the Miami Dolphins and the team is hoping that the progress made by Jamar Taylor will continue to improve. That doesn’t mean there are not a few questions at the cornerback position. This years camp should be full of competition for the unit.
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The Dolphins added a couple of young but veteran players, Brice McCain and Zach Bowman but it’s the rookies on the squad that seem to be ready to make waves come the start of camp.
Brent Grimes
Grimes continues to be the Dolphins pro-bowl cornerstone at the position. The past two seasons have been some of the best Grimes has had as a professional. While Grimes will once again line up as the starter the question is whether or not he can continue to play at a high level without losing some of his quickness. Grimes isn’t a burner but he reads receivers very well and knows how to put himself into position to make plays. He will work on that skill once again in training camp.
Jamar Taylor
Last season Taylor showed significant progress after taking over the 2nd corner spot opposite Grimes when the team lost Cortland Finnegan to injury. Unfortunately Taylor suffered an injury as well. He returned for one game but was unable to finish and placed on IR missing the stretch of the season. If Taylor can stay healthy and continue to improve he will have no problem locking down the corner position. Taylor will enter this years camp as the starter which means more work for him. He will need to continue his growth and stay healthy. Taylor has the athleticism to be a good corner and maybe even a very good one but time will tell if he can take the next step. For now the Dolphins have to be satisfied with his progress that is starting to match his potential.
There is no easy camp for Davis. Davis has yet to step up and prove that he can play at this level. Like Taylor, Davis is entering his third season and despite Taylor’s injury last year, Davis was unable to step up. While he plays well at times, he is still too raw and inconsistent to be relied upon. This year he will face tough competition from the added veterans and a couple of rookies who stood out in OTA’s and mini-camps.
After five years with the Houston Texans, who drafted him in the 2009 6th round, and one year in Pittsburgh, McCain has started 19 of the 86 games he has played in registering eight interceptions. McCain will likely take over the nickel role this year for the Dolphins and should see extensive work at the spot during training camp. While not likely to miss the 53 man roster, McCain will still need to perform well. This will be his first training camp with the Dolphins and the fast pace and Florida heat might wear him down from time to time but he shouldn’t have a problem acclimating to the situation. McCain could be a very good player for the Dolphins if he used correctly.
Zach Bowman
Bowman, a seven year veteran who played six seasons with the Bears and one with the New York Giants comes to Miami with 28 starts in 89 games. He has 12 interceptions and is a good tackler. Bowman holds up well against bigger receivers and supports the run defense well but he too can be inconsistent at times. His addition to the Giants in 2014 did not make the unit any stronger. He will provide depth at the position for the Dolphins and could challenge Taylor for the starting job if Taylor falters. Look for Bowman to see plenty of practice time this training camp and don’t be surprised if he steps in with the first team unit from time to time, but don’t read much into it either.
Tony Lippett
Lippett will be the guy that many will watch this training camp. A former two way player who doubled as a wide-receiver at Michigan State comes to the Dolphins as a 5th round pick in this past April’s draft. Lippett shined in OTA’s and during one 7 on 7 practice had three interceptions. He is athletic and versatile with very good hands. In Miami he will be a CB and if he can continue to shine he will push hard for playing time in season. Lippett will be intriguing because he has a sense for the ball and flies around the field. That being said he could find himself overthinking the plays. Lippett will need to keep learning this level and learning how to play cornerback which was not his primary position in college.
Bobby McCain
The Dolphins loaded up on 5th round picks in April’s draft and they took two corners. Lippett and Bobby McCain. McCain is a smaller sized corner in the molds of Brent Grimes and Cortland Finnegan. He has good recovery speed and doesn’t put himself in bad positions. McCain also likes film study which should help him learn the position. He will battle this camp with Lippett and Davis for playing time. McCain is not likely to see his chances of making the 53 man roster diminish unless he has a horrible training camp this year.
Seamster spent some time with the Dolphins last year and was active for two games. He is still raw and has a lot to learn. In a deep cornerback field this year it will be hard for Seamster to make the roster. He will be challenged heavily by Will Davis, and the two 5th rounders and it’s highly unlikely that the Dolphins would keep him over Bowman or Brice McCain. Seamster will need to make a huge impact on special teams to make the squad and it still may not be enough.
Predictions
The Dolphins have eight cornerbacks on their roster and it’s likely the team will keep six or seven max. This leaves Seamster off the roster. Will Davis is in danger of not making the 53. This regime didn’t draft him and he has yet to showcase consistently his abilities or enough progress to guarantee a roster spot. That being said, I believe that barring a horrible camp, the Dolphins will opt to keep seven of the eight with Seamster as the odd man out.