McDaniel addresses Tagovailoa situation, Beckham, more. And Dolphins bring in linebacker

After not practicing at all on Thursday amid contract talks, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa intends to practice on Friday, coach Mike McDaniel said shortly before practice.

[Update: Tagovailoa practiced fully on Friday and then agreed to a four-year, $212.4 million contract, with $67 million guaranteed.]

McDaniel confirmed that Tagovailoa’s lack of participation on Thursday was related to contract talks, not to injuries.

Tagovailoa threw in 7 on 7 work on Wednesday, the first day of camp, but took only two 11 on 11 snaps, both handoffs. On Thursday, he was in attendance and listening to coaching instruction on his earpiece but did not do on-field work.

McDaniel said Tagovailoa makes decisions daily on his level of involvement; McDaniel is kept in the loop.

“I do think you will observe him playing football today in a multiple of fashions,” McDaniel said Friday morning.

How accepting are the Dolphins of this odd situation?

“People know and understand,” McDaniel said. “Our team has found opportunity in the situation. People have enough on their plate” to not spend time worrying about it.

McDaniel addressed other issues:

▪ On the undisclosed injury that has landed Odell Beckham Jr. on the physically unable to perform list: “It wasn’t recent. It’s something we’re working through. We don’t want setbacks.

Setbacks at this time of year are pretty problematic most of the time for guys for the whole season. This time is for you to be able to be game ready for football. If after that, you happen to get injured, it’s a lot easier to e-assimilate…

“We signed Odell to be Odell and we [the Dolphins and Beckham] are making sure we get him back on the field the right way and hit the ground running. It’s that’s much more important he’s on it in the classroom, and he’s been as attentive in the [film/meeting] room - basically stocking Wes Welker - as one can hope.”

Beckham cannot practice until he comes off PUP.

▪ McDaniel said that several players who didn’t practice on Thursday (Jonnu Smith and Calais Campbell were named specifically) were not injured.

From an injury preventative standpoint, the Dolphins want to limit snaps of veterans at certain positions in camp.

“It’s not just me involved in those plannings,” McDaniel said. “It takes a whole team that when they bring the best ideas and good ideas, I make them my own.”

▪ Why in the world is Tyreek Hill catching passes from No. 4 quarterback Gavin Hardison?

“It’s something I’ve always believed in,” McDaniel said of mixing and matching quarterbacks and receivers. “If a receiver needs to run a route vs. man, instead of forcing the defense to cater to your needs, why not wait for a rep that goes against man? Maybe in the second or third group. Our skill positions rotate that way so they can get opportunities at the point of attack.”

McDaniel said Hill has “grown into the leadership role of being [perhaps] the best player in the league.”

▪ On Emmanuel Ogbah re-signing Monday and delivering sacks during the first two practices:

He said Wednesday’s practice “was one of the best practices I’ve seen from him since I’ve been here. There was a level of focus and concrete certainty about his assignment. What he’s drinking in the morning might be a fountain of youth. I think he ran 19 mph at practice wearing that orange jersey [that was worn Thursday by Wednesday’s best practice performer]. I got goose bumps there because it was cool to see the timing of things.”

▪ McDaniel, on second-year back De’Von Achane: “He’s become a guy every person on the offense counts on. He’s become a pro. Diet, strength. It’s really cool to see. He’s had a taste of success and fortunately he’s not satisfied with that.

QUARTERMAN TO VISIT

Former Miami Hurricanes linebacker Shaquille Quarterman will work out for the Dolphins on Friday, as ESPN reported.

Quarterman, 6-0 and 240 pounds, was a standout for the Hurricanes, producing 365 tackles (including 46.5 for loss) and 12.5 sacks in four years at UM. The Oakleaf High graduate was first team All ACC in his final two seasons at Miami.

The Jaquars drafted him in the fourth round in 2020, but he never received regular playing time on defense, logging zero, 142 and 21 defensive snaps in his first three seasons and just eight last season. He has 54 defensive tackles, including one for loss, and a forced fumble, and he never started a game in four years with the Jaguars.

But he appeared in 63 games because he had a regular role on special teams. He played between 51 and 67 percent of Jacksonville’s special teams snaps every season and 931 in total over four seasons.

Quarterman, 26, plays inside linebacker, a position where the Dolphins are particularly deep.