The Miami Dolphins veterans will report to training camp this week, ending a long offseason of interesting developments with the hopes of ending a few questions as well.
Miami has had another whirlwind start to its season. The bomb dropped in late March that Jalen Ramsey and Mike McDaniel were two playground kids fighting over a swing. Jonnu Smith decided to give Chris Grier and Stephen Ross an ultimatum, and Tyreek Hill provided the gaps with enough trolling to fill an entire season.
It all ended when Smith and Ramsey were traded to the Steelers, but has it really ended? Since the trade, Ramsey has been on social media letting the NFL world know he was free of Miami. Smith took to the podcast circuit to show just how badly he was treated by the Dolphins, and how shocked he was by it. The guy that replaced them on the roster has been awfully quiet.
Minkah Fitzpatrick is back with Miami, but no one in and around the area knows if this is a good thing or a bad thing (for him). Fitzpatrick has yet to make a public statement about his return.
Return of Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Miami Dolphins has been eerily silent
Miami is gearing up for camp this week after rookies reported last week. Fitzpatrick is expected to be in the building, but is he happy about this return? We will probably find out when a microphone is placed in front of him, that is, if the Dolphins PR department puts him in front of it.
If Fitzpatrick isn't thrilled about his return, we might find out. He clearly wore out his welcome with the Steelers. There was more to him being included in the trade than simply being a high-priced player.
There were reports that he was not the leader the Steelers wanted him to be, that he wasn't a good presence in the locker room. Is that going to fly in Miami?
For a team looking to set a new direction with the start of camp, relying on Fitzpatrick to provide it might not be smart. The fact that he has said nothing up to this point is saying quite a bit, and it isn't good.