Intriguing battle to be Tagovailoa’s backup unfolding. And Dolphins personnel notes

The contract that the Dolphins gave Mike White in the first hour of free agency (two years, $16 million, with $4.5 million guaranteed) strongly suggested that Miami envisioned him as its No. 2 quarterback.

But White said Sunday that the Dolphins told him no such thing. “We really didn’t get too much into that,” he said.

Five months later, Sylar Thompson’s strong start to training camp suggests the matter is far from resolved.

Thompson, the second-year player who started the Dolphins’ playoff game in Buffalo because Tua Tagovailoa and Teddy Bridgewater were injured, appears to be getting every opportunity to legitimately challenge White for the No. 2 job.

Because of his contract and a few very good games as a Jet, White will be considered the front-runner unless the Dolphins actually do something that says otherwise.

White side-stepped when asked if he believes the No. 2 job is his or whether he believes he’s immersed in a battle with Thompson.

“Come week one when they explain it to us, we’ll cross that bridge when we we get there,” White said.

White has been uneven in May and June practices and the first four days of training camp, mixing strong throws with off-targets ones.

He made his best throw of camp on the first play of 11 on 11 work on Sunday when he found Jaylen Waddle on a 50-yard sideline pattern. In red zone drills, White also lofted a beautiful throw to Myles Gaskin in the corner of the end zone for a 10-yard TD, beating Channing Tindall.

But then White overthrew an open Waddle on a deep throw and was errant on a few other throws.

Asked to evaluate his work going back to May practices, White said: “There’s some good and some I can improve on. A lot of it is learning the guys and learning the offense. Shoot, this is only day 4 of camp.”

Neither White nor Thompson has an interception in 11 on 11 drills through four days of camp. Thompson had a 70-yard TD pass to Braxton Berrios on Friday.

What about White’s skill set fits Mike McDaniel’s offense? “Distributing the ball and getting the ball to the guys accurately with yards after catch angles,” White said. “That’s what Tua does at such a high level.”

The Dolphins on Sunday practiced in front of fans for the first time this summer, and that stirred memories for White, who grew up in Broward County and attended Dolphins training camp practices at Nova Southeastern as a youngster.

“I was telling the [other Dolphins] quarterbacks, walking out [and] hearing the fans, that was me when I was a little kid going to the Davie campus, and going to practices and watching them,” he said. “Hell, I got to meet frickin’ Zach Thomas [on Sunday]. If you told 12 year old Mike White that he got to meet Zach Thomas, he would lose his mind. The whole ‘being back home [aspect]’ is really cool.”

White made a point to introduce himself to Thomas, who greeted the crowd with a rousing speech on Sunday - a week before he’s inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

“I said, ‘my name is Mike, I’m a big fan.’ He knew who I was. That threw me off.

“He said, ‘I was going to go talk to you last year when you were all down here with New York and you were talking to your family.’

“I said, ‘listen, we don’t know each other, but you can always interrupt me whenever I’m talking to anyone.’ It was really, really cool.”

THIS AND THAT

Jaelan Phillips, who missed Thursday and Friday practices with an injury sustained in the opening minutes of camp, returned Sunday and was disruptive, with a sack (of Tagovailoa), a tackle for loss and a pass deflection.

Phillips achieved his primary goal after his rookie season: improving against the run and earning enough trust from coaches to become an every down player.

His goal heading into year three?

“Turning those pressures into sacks,” he said. “That’s the biggest thing. Obviously, the numbers don’t show the big picture and I’m not chasing numbers, but ultimately the more sacks I have, the better it is for the team.”

Phillips had 8.5 sacks as a rookie and 7 last season. But his quarterback pressures jumped from 39 to 77.

▪ The Dolphins will practice in shoulder pads for the first time on Monday, and that will provide a bigger test for rookie De’Von Achane, who - like Salvon Ahmed - has looked fast and explosive during the first four days of camp.

Achane and running backs coach Eric Studesville studied his Texas A&M tape together.

“Pass protection is something they have me working on every day,” Achane said.

“People think because of my size that I won’t get in there and block. But he sees from my tape that I’m capable of doing it.”

Running back Jeff Wilson Jr. was held out of practice Sunday for precautionary reasons; it’s not considered anything serious.

▪ Besides officially signing cornerback Eli Apple, the Dolphins removed guard/tackle Isaiah Wynn from the active/physically unable to perform list. Wynn returned to practice on Sunday.

Nik Needham (Achilles), Terron Armstead (offseason knee surgery) and Tanner Conner (undisclosed) remain on PUP.

Cornerback Keion Crossen and receiver Freddie Swain remain sidelined with undisclosed injuries.

Brandon Jones and Trill Williams practiced on the side in red non-contact jerseys, as they work themselves back from ACL injuries last year.

WHO’S HOT

Several defenders had good days: linebacker David Long (Elandon Roberts’ replacement has begun to flash), Phillips, rookie Cam Smith (pass breakup) and Christian Wilkins (continues to get heat on the quarterback).

And Tagovailoa threw 50 air yards to Tyreek Hill for a 70-yard completion.

WHO’S NOT

Rookie Keidron Smith, who received $125,000 guaranteed from the Dolphins after a nice college career at Mississippi and Kentucky, where he often blanketed receivers. Smith has had a few rough moments early in camp; he was in coverage on the White 50-yard pass to Waddle.

MONDAY’S PRACTICE

It begins at 10:45 a.m. at the team’s Miami Gardens facility and is open to the public.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“How fast our guys are to be able to cross the formation and still be able to get to those 20, 25 yard routes within the time of the plays is absurd. I’ve never seen anything like it. We look like a frickin’ 4 by 4 team.” – White, on the Dolphins’ speed on offense.