On Sunday the Miami Dolphins began training camp for the upcoming season. 2,700 fans attended making it one of the largest crowds the Dolphins have hosted at a training camp in the past several years. Both the fans and staff of the Dolphin’s team were excited about how the first day of training camp went.
Joe Philbin stated that “As a coaching staff, we were very excited to get the opportunity to work with the players. We had a great turnout by our fans. Overall the first practice went very well.” Keep in mind that the Dolphins have started training camp a week early. This is a more aggressive approach to the pre-season that hopefully will make a difference in their season opener. The decision to begin early was well thought out by the coaching staff who believes it will help transition all of the new players acquired in the off-season to the up paced tempo of the team.
One of the most notable events of the day was Dion Jordan being placed on the active NFI/Non-Football Injury List. Jordan said “it’s really frustrating to not be out there and watch the guys go but I understand that my health is the main concern right now so that’s what I’m going to focus on.” As of right now, the coaching staff is unsure of when Jordan will be able to play and when asked about the situation, Philbin simply said “He is on NFI at this point of time, and that is all I will say in regard to him.” As camp progresses fans will be able to see if Jordan gets any practice time and if the lack of training will have an impact on his playing time down the road.
As of right now, the Fins are focusing on becoming a winning program. During their training camp meeting, Philbin stressed “that we want to get off to a fast start. We have to get out of the gate better as a football team this year.” As training camp continues, expect to see the Dolphins drilling plays that will help them put points on the board versus plays that simply result in first downs. With the Dolphins taking such an active role in the off-season picking up players, they may have the ability to start the season off with a win.
Photos courtesy of the Miami Dolphins.
