Miami Dolphins Training Camp Day 2: OL

The Miami Dolphins completed their second day of training camp with more of the same stories going on from yesterday.

It was the second day the players practiced without pads and it seemed to some that the Dolphins were going a little easier today in anticipation for tomorrow’s first day with pads.

That might sound concerning, but it’s a very prudent thing for the coaching staff to do. You don’t want to run these guys into the ground early and a more leisurely pace will ensure that the players will have plenty of energy when the pads are adorned.

As for today, well everyone looks good without pads, as the old saying goes. It appeared early on that Jamil Douglas would get the better end of the reps as he started out on the first team, but when the practice moved outside Dallas Thomas returned to the left guard position. Both he and Billy Turner impressed the beat writers.

Chris Perkins even made an early prediction about both guard positions based on what he saw today.

This will be an ongoing back and forth thing, but it should be considered a good sign that practically no offensive lineman was getting lampooned by the observers. If someone looked bad in pads that player would likely be doomed.

The only other story concerning the offensive line is the status of Branden Albert, who didn’t participate in any of the practices. However, Albert did do some sprints.

This is great news. Yesterday, Albert told reporters he was concerned with just walking again after sustaining his injury. He even admitted that during his rehab he thought his playing career was over.

The Dolphins have to bring Albert along slowly. There’s no need to do this in a hurry. Albert is a veteran and missing a good chunk of training camp practices isn’t all that concerning. He’s on the field, he’s running, and he’s getting better with each stride. That’s all Miami needs right now.

Albert needs to be healthy for November and December so letting the big left tackle collect himself and regain the strength in his legs now is a must. If he has to miss the preseason and the season opener, so be it.

Interestingly enough, while praise was thrown around by the writers no one mentioned Ja’Wuan James again. It seems the right tackle is flying under the radar with the competition at both guard positions, Albert’s health, and various other backup battles eclipsing the sophomore tackle’s play.

That’s not a bad thing, again, no news is good news. It’s just curious as almost every other lineman has been mentioned in some way or another and James continues to be invisible.

Tomorrow the fun truly starts, judging the offensive line without pads is like trying to eat a BLT without the bacon. You really don’t know what you have yet.

For two days, the offensive line has looked good against a formidable defensive four. That may all change tomorrow when the pads come on and guys like Ndamukong Suh and Cameron Wake are going a little bit harder than they were today.

We’ll see how the offensive line handles that.

UPDATE (11:19 AM EST): The looming notion of Evan Mathis continues as a beat writers report two very different outcomes concerning the free agent guard.

The Dolphins are only two days into camp and still can’t shake this rumor.

I still believe the coaching staff wants to go with a young player and save themselves some money. I don’t think Mathis is in any rush to sign with anyone. He wants a deal similar to what the Philadelphia Eagles had with him. Besides, no football player – especially an aging offensive lineman – looks forward to training camp.

The Dolphins have time to look at their guys and Mathis will wait for the highest and most desperate bidder.