Dolphins Stock Report: (Day 6): Dolphins slowly ramping up Terron Armstead’s participation

Terron Armstead understands the hypocrisy of not practicing what he preaches to his teammates.

Throughout his 12-year career the Miami Dolphins Pro Bowl left tackle has lectured young offensive linemen that the only way to get better at their craft is to take as many reps as possible in practice.

Yet, for the third straight training camp in Miami, Armstead has spent the first two weeks of training camp on the sideline, figuratively encased in bubble wrap to ensure he’s healthy and fresh for the start of the regular season.

Armstead’s again on what the team characterizes as a maintenance program, gradually ramping up his participation, and on Tuesday he put on pads and a helmet for the first time since January, and participated in the offensive line’s individual and tandem work drills.

It was roughly 30 minutes of on the field work for the five-time Pro Bowler, but it’s a step in the right direction as he prepares himself for the Sept. 8 season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

“I’ve come to find throughout the years you get to a point in camp where [I says], ‘Alright, I’m ready,” said Armstead, who turned 33-years-old last week. “Until you feel that, you got get in team [periods]. You have to hit. You have to win a few blocks and lose a few blocks to know the adjustments [needed]. It’s just a feeling for me. I know where I’m at in pass pro. My hand timing is right. I know in the run game how to get my [run] fits right.”

The goal every season is to get Armstead to play every game in the regular season for the first time in his career. But there’s always some fluke play that derails it, like when he suffered a troublesome ankle injury last August while participating in joint practices with the Houston Texans. That injury cost Armstead the first two games of the 2023 season, and the Dolphins are taking a cautious approach with him to avoid a repeat of that setback.

“This has been the most challenging part of my career,” Armstead said, referring to his numerous injuries. “But I’ve been able to have a good career despite having physical issues. Now I know what I need. As I start to get in and do teams [I need to make sure] my hands are right and they are feeling good.”

TOP PERFORMER

Stock Up

Safety Jordan Poyer, who is one of the veterans on a maintenance program during the early days of training camp, stepped in front of a Tua Tagovailoa pass intended for Braxton Berrios. It was a great read from the former Pro Bowler, who has quickly established himself as a veteran leader of the team, and a top playmaker of the defense. That interception was the second of camp in the three practice sessions he’s participated in.

Emmanuel Ogbah, who re-joined the team days before training camp started because of Shaquil Barrett’s surprising retirement, has arguably been one of training camp’s top performers in the first week. Everyday he’s producing would-be sacks, rushing the quarterback, and schooling offensive linemen. On Tuesday, Ogbah executed a beautiful spin move on Patrick Paul that froze the rookie offensive lineman and allowed Ogbah to get into the quarterback’s face.

Stock Down

Much like Connor Williams, the center he’s replacing, Aaron Brewer sporadically had snapping issues in his first two seasons as a starter with the Tennessee Titans. Brewer, who was one of the Dolphins’ top free agent additions this offseason, has had three straight days of snapping mishaps with Tagovailoa. Not all of the snapping snafus can be blamed on Brewer. Tagovailoa must take some ownership for it too, but if these two don’t get the issue addressed in the next four weeks it could potentially stifle the offense when the regular season arrives.

Jonnu Smith works every other day because of what appears to be some injury he’s nursing, but on days he does participate in practice he can’t afford to drop two passes from Tagovailoa. The Dolphins are relying on Smith, a tight end and H-back, to exploit the one-on-one matchups he’ll likely receive when teams double cover Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, and taking advantage of those opportunities starts with catching the ball.

TAKEAWAY FROM THE DAY

Edge setting seems to be a point of emphasis for the Dolphins defense considering Miami has spent the first week of training camp searching for players who can fill the void created by Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb being on the PUP, and likely missing the start of the 2024 season. During Tuesday’s practice, which leads into Wednesday’s day off, the Dolphins had a physical run-centric series that showcased how well Calais Campbell and Quinton Bell worked together setting the edge. Campbell, a 17-year veteran who works every other day during the first week of training camp, is viewed as one of the NFL’s best five-technique defensive ends. Bell, a practice squad member from last year, has steps to the forefront when it comes to the edge spot, outshining rookies Chop Robinson and Mohamed Kamara so far in camp.

WHAT THEY SAID

“I think the fight we had today was amazing. We need that. Teams that I’ve been on that won, those teams fought. They aren’t going to fight in the locker room. This is where you fight. Then right after the play you calm yourself down, in between the whistle you’re right back at it with no mental errors. That’s what it’s all about, how teams get better,” Tyreek Hill said of the fight that featured rookie tailback Jaylen Wright and cornerback Kader Kohou, which was closed out by Paul lifting Kohou up in the air to suplex him before gracefully pulling back.