Welker dishes on Hill. Dolphins issue challenge to Cam Smith. And many personnel notes

A 10-pack of Dolphins notes from a Thursday session with several Dolphins assistant coaches:

▪ Dolphins receivers coach Wes Welker said Thursday that Tyreek Hill has been very hard on himself for not making some makable plays but insists there has been no skill diminishment at age 30.

“He punishes himself with it,” Welker said in the wake of Hill dropping two passes against the 49ers after watching Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. snatch a ball from him the previous week. “He knows he’s got to make some of those plays. He wants to make those plays. He’s mad at himself.”

Welker doesn’t admonish him because “I’m trying to keep him in a good headspace” and he tells Hill “we will get the next play.”

Welker said Hill “knows what he’s up against and what he needs to do to help the team win.”

According to Welker, Hill is “up against” multiple obstacles: a wrist injury (Hill told The Miami Herald he has a torn ligament), an ankle injury that Welker revealed, and tricky defensive coverages.

“We saw some of the coverages early on, when they are basically taking two guys and putting them on you,” Welker said of how teams defend Hill. “It’s tough. Anytime you have as much success as past few years, people are going to spend time to make it harder for him.

“I see what I see on film, the execution and doing his job on a play in, play out basis. I think it’s been really, really good. I would have to go back through the offseason and pinpoint what it is and what it isn’t [with regard to his drop in statistics]. Assignment, technique, he’s been really good play in and play out, even blocking. He’s playing at a really high level.”

Has there been skill diminishment?

“Haven’t seen any,” he said. “Reek is a special athlete. He will be in his 40s running fast.”

Hill has taken off some Wednesdays this season but said Sunday that he should have practiced more this season. Does Welker agree?

“The hard part is he’s dealing with the wrist,” Welker said. “He’s got an ankle [issue]. There’s always stuff through the year. As you get older, you get all those reps of knowing how to play the position. How do we put the best product out there on Sunday with being able to be fresh on Sunday?

“It’s a fine balance of being able to get that done. It’s definitely something we can revisit this offseason and come up with a plan. When guys do have stuff and are trying to play through, just trusting your players. How are you feeling today? Roll from there.”

▪ Secondary coach Brian Duker had an interesting response when asked what cornerback Cam Smith needs to do to maximize his career. He began the season on injured reserve with a hamstring injury and ends the season on injured reserve with a shoulder injury.

In between, he struggled, permitting a 122.4 passer rating in his coverage area, with 16 completions in 19 targets.

“The biggest thing I’’ve talked to Cam about is we would like to see him put on the body armor to play a full shape,” Duker said. “He needs to be in shape to do that. Your body has to be in shape to do that.”

So is he out of shape? Duker said to ask the team trainer, who’s unavailable.

▪ Neither Jordan Poyer nor Jevon Holland has an interception, but Duker said: “I’m probably higher on the safeties than you guys are. Execution has been pretty good. I know pick numbers get harped on. The communication is really good. Deterring throws is a big part [of it]. Sometimes there are plays that don’t show up on the stat sheet that they don’t get

enough credit for.”

▪ Meanwhile, Weaver wasn’t critical about Jevon Holland and Jordan Poyer missing tackles against Deebo Samuel and George Kittle.

“They’re physical players,” Weaver said. “They make a lot of people miss tackles. They make players look bad on defense. Could they… go lower [on the tackle]? Yes, we can talk about that until we’re blue in the face; that’s coachspeak.”

▪ Defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver said he’s not totally certain if starting inside linebackers Anthony Walker and Jordyn Brooks will play Sunday but he’s betting they will.

“[I would] be guessing on both,” Weaver said, adding that he’s “betting on the warriors that they are.”

Walker has a knee injury that would have prevented him from practicing on Wednesday had the Dolphins practiced. Brooks sustained knee and quadriceps injuries during the 49ers game but returned late in the game and said he has “nothing serious” and is feeling good.

When Brooks left, Duke Riley entered the game. Asked if Tyrel Dodson was an option for that spot, Weaver said: “Tyrel has focused on MIKE [linebacker]” as Walker’s backup but that he could play either position.

Riley also can play either position.

▪ With Kendall Fuller unlikely to play Sunday because of a knee injury, Weaver suggested that Storm Duck would continue to get a lot of work. He’s essentially the No. 4 cornerback behind Jalen Ramsey, Fuller and Kader Kohou.

“It’s a testament to the kid and his consistency,” Weaver said of Duck. “He has developed throughout camp and the season. His teammates and coaches trust him. Not to take away from the other guys. I have tremendous faith in Ethan Bonner and Siran Neal. In terms of outside cornerback, Storm has played himself into that role.”

▪ Emmanuel Ogbah continues to play by far the most of the outside linebackers. Asked why Chop Robinson doesn’t play as much as Ogbah, Weaver said: “Make sure all those guys see the field. Chop, the more you play him, he is going to be efficient in everything. He has gotten to the point where he can do that. Ogbah is a bigger body -sometimes you want bigger bodies .. to set the edge.”

Quinton Bell played a career-high 31 snaps against the 49ers.

“Q is more proficient from a pass coverage standpoint,” Weaver said. “He has shown through work on the practice field he can be trusted.”

▪ Weaver was asked if he knows what he has exactly in Cam Goode, who made his debut against the 49ers after missing the season with a serious knee injury sustained in Week 18.

“I didn’t know much about Cam coming in; you saw snaps [on tape from last year] and saw something there as an edge defender,” Weaver said. “He has a skill set and works so hard that you could easily see how that would translate to success in this league.

“Once he gets a full offseason of training his body, he can be ever more impactful. When he’s out there, we have all the faith for him to execute jobs he has to do.”

Goode played six defensive snaps against the 49ers after playing 76 last season.

▪ How has Bradley Chubb taken the Dolphins’ decision not to activate him this year?

“We were cautiously optimistic he would play this year,” Weaver said. “It was incredibly encouraging to see him go out there and play. I hope that provides confidence of what he can be when he does come back. He’s probably disappointed because he put in the work. Confident when he comes back he will be everything he was and more.”

▪ Offensive coordinator Frank Smith was non-committal about whether the Dolphins would continue with a right guard platoon of Liam Eichenberg and Isaiah Wynn, who played nearly equal snaps against the 49ers.

The Dolphins inserted Wynn to “get Isaiah involved, get guys fresher through the course of the game,” Smith said. “It boded pretty well. Each week, we will evaluate what’s best for the opponent. very pleased how it worked out last week. Wynn did well; the run we had at the end, he was able to block. He’s an energy guy. To have him back is awesome.”

▪ Special teams coordinator Danny Crossman said Jason Sanders is “in that group” of the best kickers in the NFL. “I’m his biggest supporter. I’m thankful and glad he’s back having the success we think he’s capable of.”

Though he has missed two extra points, Sanders has hit 23 field goals in a row.

“He does a great job of moving on,” Crossman said of how Sanders handles misses. “It’s the next, not the past. Whether he hits a great ball or a poor ball, he’s able to move on to the next one.”