Tua Tagovailoa on the state of Dolphins’ offense. And reaction to Cook joining Jets

Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovaila wanted to emphasize how wordy play calls be in an NFL offense.

“All right, we got, ‘North Right Clamp South Fox H Top Pass 38 Top Gun B XP Sweat,” he rattled off after Wednesday’s joint practice with the Texans. “Let’s go. Anyone?”

It was just one example of the myriad plays that have to be memorized by the quarterback, regurgitated to the offensive players in the huddle and then carried out in a game, from lining up to motions to post-snap execution.

The Dolphins were tied for fourth with 111 penalties during the 2022 regular season and many of the issues stemmed from pre-snap infractions on offense. Since then, everything has come into focus, from coach Mike McDaniel getting the plays in faster, correct pre-snap alignment and now, the immense detail of the play calls.

Asked whether the play calls need to be trimmed down, Tagovailoa said: “I would say it’s a blessing and a curse because you do want all these indicators because it sort of tells us what the defense is in and what not. But then to that point, the clock is going down, and it’s long. I would say the thing is, like for us in the quarterback room, there are some times where you just have to memorize the play, where when it’s coming in, you’re like, ‘Okay, you’re seeing it while he’s like not even finishing it.’”

The Dolphins’ offense has experienced ups and downs in training camp after producing one of the most explosive units in the league last season. It occurred again on Wednesday, with the offensive moving the ball against the Texans’ defense but Tagovailoa throwing a pair of interceptions in 11-on-11 drills.

“We’ve been having some challenges, some struggles,” left tackle Terron Armstead said. “More so just the timing and just the vibe of the offense, trying to run that operation and make it run like a machine. We haven’t been able to do that the way that we have grown accustomed to when we’re rolling. Today felt normal. It felt more normal. Still had some hiccups, of course, but from an operation standpoint, it felt like a real offense.”

It’s unclear whether Tagovailoa will make his preseason debut on Saturday. He said he wanted to play in the opener against the Falcons at Hard Rock Stadium but McDaniel decided to sideline him., as well as several key players.

“I think we’re trying to put a lot more stress on our guys in the back end with our motions and understanding what to do play wise,” Tagovailoa said. “There’s a lot of things that we got going on this year that Mike’s wanting to try for our guys and trying to see who does what the best and try to go from there. So that’s really all it is. Operation is always going to be a key for us to just get in the huddle, get the play call, get out so that we can see everything. Get our guys going in and play.”

Reaction to Dalvin Cook signing

In his first comments since Pro Bowl running back Dalvin Cook signed with the New York Jets, McDaniel reiterated his belief in Miami’s position room.

“I’m very happy with our running back group,” McDaniel said. “There’s been a ton of development since camp started for already talented guys that I very much believe in. So overall, I’m really pumped with the running back group. As far as other team’s transactions, really, I haven’t even paid that much attention other than to what is today? Today is practice. The 16th of August. And I’m very happy with the crew that we’re going to compete with and pumped to compete against this unit too.”

The Dolphins were heavily linked to Cook, a Miami native, throughout the offseason. Miami attempted to trade for him before the 2023 NFL Draft and there was mutual interest after his release from the Minnesota Vikings. But he ultimately signed a one-year deal worth up to $8.6 million to join the Dolphins’ divisional rival.

“Obviously everybody knows the type of player Dalvin is, you know what I mean, that’s the type of player he is,” running back Jeff Wilson Jr. said. “We’ve got a group and we believe in them and we feel like we can hold it down and our coaches feel the same. We’re just ready to get this thing started now.”

This and that

▪ Armstead said he is still working his way back from an offseason knee procedure that forced him to spend the first couple days of training camp on the physically-unable-to-perform list. Armstead took a few snaps during team drills on Wednesday.

“I’m still getting ready,” he said. “I don’t feel like I’m fully ready yet for the regular season, but we don’t have a game yet. Still working through that process. Trying to get more reps to get more game-ready and get my body feeling optimal. Just get it as good as possible to go out and play some ball.”

▪ New Dolphins wide receiver Keke Coutee, an east Texas native, spoke to local reporters for the first time on Wednesday. Joint practices marked a return to Houston, where he spent the first three NFL seasons.

Asked to describe his skill set, Coutee said: “Speed. Agility. Able to get out of cuts downfield. Big playmaker. Like I said, I’m not trying to do the big plays right now, I’m just trying to help this team as much as I can right now.”

Who’s hot

▪ Andrew Van Ginkel. The fifth-year linebacker is getting more comfortable at inside linebacker. He intercepted a pass in 11-on-11 drills and recorded two pass breakups, including one in the end zone.

Who’s not

▪ Ball security. Tagovailoa had a strong practice that was clouded by a pair of interceptions. In both situations, he tried to move defenders with his eyes but his pass but was undercut for a pick-six.

Next practice

The Dolphins will hold their second and final joint practice with the Texans on Thursday at 10:10 am.

Quote of the day

“I’m pretty sure they’ll figure out something whether it’s stock options or whatever to get the job done” — Armstead on defensive lineman Christian Wilkins’ lack of participation in team drills due to a contract stalemate