Tua to Tyreek deep at joint practice with Eagles; plus stock, stock down – Reading Eagle

Dolphins linebacker Tua Tagovailoa set the tone right away in the first of two joint practices with the Philadelphia Eagles on Wednesday.

On the first 1-on-1, his new star wide receiver Tyreek Hill gave Eagles four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay a quick move at the line of scrimmage, ran past his outside shoulder and hit Slay long for a touchdown on a well-thrown ball from Tagovailoa. Slay came to a limping halt after chasing Hill.

“Tyreek and I were debating which route he wanted me to run first. He told me, ‘Any route,'” Tagavailoa said. “Therefore, [quarterbacks coach Darrell Bevell] jumped up and said, “Hey, I want to hear the crowd cheer.” So I said, “Just run.” We ran a route and Tyreek caught the ball.”

In their next match, Slay came back and Hill caught him once again after a few moves on a long developing route. But they were in a 1-on-1 situation designed for the receiver to win in space.

However, during team drills, Tagovailoa found Hill again for decent success under center. Later he found it again in the depths. He threw Cedric Wilson Jr. a nice scheme that fit well in a soft spot in Philadelphia’s zone just out of reach for the bottom linebacker.

When Tagovailoa made one throw in traffic that he probably shouldn’t have made, Hill swooped in and ripped it out of the defender’s hands. in general it was an efficient, productive practice for Tagovailoa in the passing game while the Dolphins had most runs stopped around the line of scrimmage. Miami’s defense held up well against the Eagles’ offense, with the Dolphins’ cornerback unit depleted by injury and all-pro Xavien Howard rested during team practices.

Former Dolphins, Miami Hurricanes and Dallas Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson was among those in attendance at Wednesday’s joint practice.

Observations

Tight end Mike Gesicki made a one-handed grab late in Wednesday’s session that drew a roar from the Dolphins fans in attendance. He returned after appearing to experience upper-body discomfort from an early play in the flat where he dropped his shoulder while running after the catch. Gesicki went through Wednesday’s practice amid a report from Pro Football Focus that the Dolphins had “brought up” his name in trade talks. A league source on Wednesday denied the authenticity of the report to the South Florida Sun Sentinel. …

Jaylon Phillips, who had another strong practice after earning an orange jersey for being Player of the Day at Tuesday’s practice, got into a quick scramble with Eagles guard Landon Dickerson. It appeared that Dickerson drilled Phillips late, making a block after the streak ended, and Phillips hit back as players on both sides jumped to stop the ruckus. “We’re just competing,” Phillips said. “This is not enmity. That’s just the competitive spirit. Sometimes you have to hit your head.” …

The practice ended Wednesday when Tagovailoa ran a two-minute drill into Eagles territory that resulted in a 50-yard field goal by Dolphins kicker Jason Sanders. Tagovailoa also capped an early 11-on-11 game with a short-range rushing touchdown. …

In the 7-on-7 game, the Dolphins had a pair of interceptions almost back-to-back. First, safety Clayton Feyedelem intercepted Gardner Minshev. Then South Florida native Quincy Wilson got one on Reid Sinnett, a Dolphin this time last year. …

Eagles linebacker Haason Reddick had a pair of sacks during team drills. He also made a play with Miami right tackle Austin Jackson during a 1-on-1 play, passing Jackson once and then rebounding with Jackson to get the better of it. …

While Philadelphia made plenty of the Dolphins’ run attempts, Salvon Ahmed broke free at least a couple of times on both runs and short receptions. Ahmed had a run that got Miami behind the 5-yard line before Tagavailoa’s touchdown. …

Eagles wide receiver AJ Brown beat Howard on a 1-on-1 matchup. …

Wide receiver River Cracraft made a deep one-on-1 touchdown catch from Tagovailoa. …

Outside linebacker Melvin Ingram touched Eagles defenders multiple times. He also jumped into coverage once and was right there on a pass to the flat to stop it to no avail. …

Cornerback Noah Igbinogen hasn’t been seen much, and that’s a good thing, as Philadelphia hasn’t been able to target and use him. The longest play of the day by the Eagles’ offense was when wide receiver Zach Pascal opened up on a deep corner with Eric Rowe the only defender around in the middle of the field. Rowe also had a nice pass. …

Raekwon Davis and Brandon Jones were among those with tackles for loss in the 11-on-11 game.

Stock up

Quincy Wilson made an interception in team drills. The South Florida native and former 2017 second-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts could get an opportunity at safety with Sheldrick Redwine said Tuesday. Wilson also has experience at cornerback in the NFL, so he could be a valuable all-around back given the number of injuries the Dolphins are dealing with in the secondary.

Stocks down

Larnell Coleman seemed to be struggling at times. With Greg Little returning to action this week after missing the first two preseason games, it could be a challenge for Coleman, who has been scrutinized by Miami’s coaches in the first two exhibition games after missing his first year as a rookie due to injuries.

Injury report

Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle sat out practice with the team after stretching. His entire right leg was wrapped. Cornerback Byron Jones remains inactive on the physically unable to perform list. …

Andrew Van Ginkel, Keyon Crossen, Brennan Scarlett, Calvin Munson and Tanner Conner missed practice again for Miami. Fugitive Sonya Michel returned on Wednesday. …

Dolphins left tackle Taron Armstead was seen at team practice for the second straight day and held up well.

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