Kelly: Ten things to monitor during this week’s Dolphins minicamp

NFL teams are days away from taking summer break, but before vacation arrives the Miami Dolphins will hold its annual three days of practice at the mandatory minicamp, which provides the franchise an ability to assess where the roster’s issues are as training camp approaches.

Here’s a look at ten things I’ll be looking for during Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday’s practice sessions, which are mandatory attendance wise, and are open to the media.

1. How much does Tua Tagovailoa work during the mandatory period?

Tagovailoa has taken it easy for most of the practice sessions the media has attended this summer, sprinkling in a rep with the offense here and there. While his agents are negotiating a multi-year extension it’s possible that Tagovailoa is limiting his involvement in practice. But this three day session will indicate how involved he is involved in the on-field work when it comes to developing chemistry with his new weaponry, and the evolution of the offense.

2. Will Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and Odell Beckham Jr. be on the field together for a handful of snaps?

Hill and Waddle have sporadically participated in the offseason program. Beckham, the newest addition to the team, has attended a handful of meetings, but hasn’t done any field work because he sticks to his own offseason program, which many veterans do. It would be nice to see that trio on the field together, gauging the challenges they create for opposing secondaries.

3. What two defensive linemen are front runners to start alongside Zach Sieler?

Sieler’s embarking on the NFL’s version of “The Bachelor” as he auditions 10 defensive linemen to determine which pair will be the best compliment for Sieler on Miami’s new 3-4 defensive front. Da’Shawn Hand and Teair Tart should be viewed as the front runners, but Benito Jones and Brandon Pili could outshine Tart. Neville Gallimore and Jonathan Harris might present a stiff challenge to Hand. At this point it’s anyone’s guess what Miami’s defensive line will look like.

4. Can the rookie pass rushers Chop Robinson and Mohamed Kamara set the edge?

The biggest adjustment rookie pass rushers have to make is their ability, technique, and willingness to do what it takes to set the edge of a defense, serving as a stabilizing presence against the run. While minicamp won’t feature the team working in pads, it’ll be interesting to see how much Miami’s coaches harp on run lane integrity with Robinson, the team’s first round pick, and Kamara, a fifth round selection.

5. Who is contending for the starting guard spots?

Newly signed center Aaron Brewer has missed a ton of the offseason work because of an injury he’s rehabbing, and that has forced Liam Eichenberg to handle the snapping duties for a second straight offseason. Unfortunately for Eichenberg, he’s viewed as a front runner to earn one of the two starting guard spots, and isn’t getting much of those reps. Isaiah Wynn, last year’s starting left guard, is the other, and they will compete with Jack Driscoll, Robert Jones, Lester Cotton and Chasen Hines to determine which two interior linemen crack the starting five.

6. What kind of role will tight ends Jonnu Smith and Jody Fortson have in Miami’s offense?

Tight end is clearly a position that coach Mike McDaniel intends on utilizing better in 2024, which explains the addition of Smith and Fortson, who each bring a skill set to the offense that was missing last season. Smith is a run after the catch specialist, known to threaten seams. Fortson, a former college receiver who converted to tight end with the Chiefs, is known for his ability to high point the ball. It’ll be interesting to see how those two complement Durham Smythe.

7. Is Patrick Paul ready to handle the speed of NFL pass rushers?

The Dolphins invested a 2024 second-round pick in the former Houston standout hoping that he’ll spend a season learning from Terron Armstead. Because Armstead doesn’t participate in NFL offseason programs and training camp practices, Paul will get plenty of opportunity to prove he’s ready to play on Sundays. At 6-foot-7, 331 pounds he’s a towering tackle, but he need to prove he has the footwork and hand usage needed to block the best pass rushers the world has to offer.

8. What will Jalen Ramsey and Kendall Fuller look like working together, if that’s the case?

Ramsey and Fuller are both nine-year veterans who have their own routine to get ready for the season, so expecting each to participate in 7-on-7s or 11-on-11s work this week might be premature. But the Dolphins need to get a good sense of what they are capable of doing when paired together, and it would be disappointing to wait till training camp, or the exhibition season to give the new cornerback duo a test drive. But then again, Ramsey hurt his knee last season in meaningless sessions like this, so Miami might be better off having them observe till August.

9. Does Shaquil Barrett still have the athleticism needed to be a NFL starter?

With Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips sidelined by their injuries, which could force Miami’s to starting edge rushers to begin training camp on the PUP list, the Dolphins need Barrett, a 10-year veteran who has produced 59 sacks in the 131 games he’s played, to hold down one of the two edge spots. Barrett must prove that his 31-year-old body still has some good football left in it.

10. Who will be the safeties behind Jevon Holland and Jordan Poyer?

Holland and Poyer should be a forceful tandem because of the versatility, experience and toughness they bring to the Dolphins secondary. But Miami’s relatively thin at safety behind those two starters, and this could become problematic if something happened to either during the season. Elijah Campbell, who has converted from cornerback to safety the past two seasons with the Dolphins, seems to be a reliable third, but who else can help? Nik Needham is being cross trained to play safety, and the Dolphins have a trio of rookies - Patrick McMorris, the team’s 2024 sixth round pick, Jordan Colbert and Mark Perry - fighting to gain some traction.