MIAMI GARDENS — Miami Dolphins rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers has had his moments early in training camp, but coach Mike McDaniel, last week, essentially shut down — for now — any idea he could supplant Zach Wilson for the backup job behind starter Tua Tagovailoa.

McDaniel left the door slightly ajar if Ewers were to stand out to such a level he earns that role, but it’s smart for him to stick with the passer he and general manager Chris Grier targeted to play the vital role of Tagovailoa’s backup.

Dolphins quarterbacks coach Darrell Bevell, on Monday, touched on both why Wilson was that choice and what potential Miami coaches see in Ewers, the seventh-round draft pick out of Texas.

“We see the talent,” Bevell said of Wilson, the No. 2 pick in the 2021 draft. “You’re a high, top-five draft pick for a reason. He definitely has the skill set. He definitely has the arm strength, the arm talent. You see some of the special throws that he can make in practice. That’s the No. 1 starting point, is just the talent that he has. He’s an athletic kid, as well. He can move around. He can save plays if you need him to.”

But Wilson also has what Bevell referred to as “scars” from years past with the New York Jets.

“Where some see that the guy’s done, we see the opposite, where we really want to take tools that he had,” said Bevell, who has worked with Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Matthew Stafford and Trevor Lawrence before landing in Miami and assisting Tagovailoa’s turnaround.

“And we thought — some of the same vein as Tua — people think Tua couldn’t play, and you see how he’s playing now. We wanted to be able to do that with Zach and see if we can help him function within our offense.”

But many hear that and might think Wilson is still a project — when the Dolphins needed a proven backup to handle quarterbacking duties if the oft-injured Tagovailoa was hurt again.

“Zach’s played a lot of football,” Bevell countered. “He’s got a lot of games under his belt where he was the starter, where he’s played, has had games where he’s played well. We can’t do anything about the past. We can only do (something) about the future and what we see, and each and every day, he’s come out here and worked well.”

Bevell discussed what the Dolphins saw in Ewers after he slipped in the draft.

“I just like his demeanor,” he said. “He’s very calm, cool. Got a little swag about him. He doesn’t get rattled. That’s a really good starting point for the quarterback position. He sees things really well. He can anticipate really well.”

He graded Ewers’ arm strength and accuracy: “He’s been really good in both of those. His accuracy has been good, and his arm strength — he’s not Brett Favre, Matt Stafford, in that category — but he has plenty for what we need.”

Special teams developments

The Dolphins are carrying two punters on the roster during camp as Ryan Stonehouse, who has been with new special teams coordinator Craig Aukerman in Tennessee, battles with incumbent Jake Bailey for the job.

“Both Jake and Ryan are doing a great job right now. I think it’s been a really healthy competition between those two,” said Aukerman, noting the two were tracking just about even on their punts.

It’s unknown how deep into camp the competition will go and whether the two will punt in preseason games.

Aukerman likes what he’s seen from second-year wide receiver Malik Washington in the return game.

“I don’t know if we’ll see (Tyreek Hill) or Jaylen (Waddle), but we’ll do anything for our team to win football games,” he said, “and if we have to have those guys back there, I’m sure (McDaniel) and I will have a good dialogue about that too and see what we can do.”

Standing out on special teams is a way to earn a roster spot in the NFL, and Aukerman offered insight on those who are practicing well.

For one, safety Elijah Campbell has impressed as a gunner running down punts to cover returns.

“We’ve got to find another gunner,” Aukerman said.

Cornerback Ethan Bonner, with his speed, is a candidate for a job in that role. He also can come off the edge on field goal and punt block units.

Aukerman mentioned linebackers Tyrel Dodson, K.J. Britt and Cameron Goode and rookie safety Dante Trader Jr. as other special teams standouts.

Tyreek the student

Wide receiver Tyreek Hill, a nine-year veteran, turned heads when he said he’s taking notes in team meetings for the first time this year.

“I wasn’t here in the past and I don’t know what they’ve done,” first-year wide receivers coach Robert Prince said, “but yeah, they have a notebook and you know we start our meetings and I always tell those guys, ‘Hey, take your notebooks out because maybe I might say something that might be earth-shattering.’

“We always talk about taking notes helps crystallize the thoughts in their minds. So we have those guys write things down.”

The Bobby Slowik effect

Hill said Bobby Slowik, the first-year senior pass game coordinator, has been great “as far as route detail, where to be at for the quarterback. I think he has done a great job on simplifying for me and Waddle and then also the other guys on just this offense, because at first, I’m going to be completely honest, I didn’t understand the offense for the first three years of me being here.”

Prince said Slowik can fill in gaps and detail things for the wide receivers.

“I think with Bobby, he’s very familiar with this offense, with his time coaching (with McDaniel) in San Francisco, so he’s very familiar,” Prince said.

“Sometimes he’s able to bring some of the nuances of the pass game and coaching the details of some of the plays, so it’s been really good to have him here.”

— The Dolphins, on Monday, placed undrafted rookie tight end Jalin Conyers on season-ending injured reserve. With the roster spot, they brought back tight end Chris Myarick. Myarick mostly held a spot on the practice squad in 2019 and 2020. In the 2021 preseason, he made a game-winning touchdown catch against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Originally Published: August 4, 2025 at 4:20 PM EDT