No sweeping conclusions should be drawn about any rookie offensive linemen after their first three NFL games.
So even thought it might be tempting for Dolphins fans to curl into a fetal position and lament how Miami bypassed the 57th overall pick, Lions rookie Tate Ratledge (the fifth-best guard in the league this season, per Pro Football Focus) and instead traded up to 37 to select Jonah Savaiinaea, who is rated the worst NFL’s guard, it’s probably advisable to wait a few weeks before breaking into tears or pulling out your pitchforks.
After permitting 11 quarterback pressures on his first 121 pass blocking chances, Savaiinaea went into the lab this week, studying tape and adjusting his technique after conversations with offensive line coach Butch Barry and former Dolphins Pro Bowl left tackle Terron Armstead.
Savaiinaea met with Armstead at the Dolphins facility earlier this week. (Teammates Kion Smith, Chop Robinson and Patrick Paul also were in attendance.)
Armstead emphasized the “same thing we’ve been working on [for months] — being strong with my hands,” Savaiinaea said. “My main takeaway was activating your whole core. That allows you to stick on power rushers.”
Savaiinaea, who is thoughtful and studious, believes he has diagnosed his shortcoming in pass protection.
“It’s my posture and keeping my feet alive,” he said. “The problem with me right now is when I stop my feet, I let my defender win. This week, I’m focusing on getting on guys and closing out space between him and I. And not going to have that leaning posture I have showed the past couple of weeks. It’s [important] to be able to strike and bring my feet with me and stay upright instead of leaning forward.”
Has he been physically overpowered by defenders?
“I don’t think it’s necessarily… that,” offensive coordinator Frank Smith said Friday. “Early in the season you deal with stuff that maybe wasn’t exactly what you thought they were going to do, so you’re getting unscouted looks that you have to prepare for.
“It’s harder on the younger players because they’re going through their process to be ready, and so when you give them something that maybe wasn’t exactly approached to them that way, that’s where the growth comes from.”
In discussing Savaiinaea, Smith noted that one challenge for rookie offensive linemen is teaching them not to react “where all of the sudden, you move in reaction to someone else as opposed to you move in the way that you’re training. Trust what you’re going to do in that situation to be able to put yourself in the body position you want to be in.”
Has the NFL adjustment been more difficult than he expected?
“It’s all about what I’m doing, getting myself in situations I don’t want to be in,” he answered. “It’s all things I can fix.”
Savaiinaea played right guard at Arizona, but McDaniel said the rookie told him he’s comfortable at left guard. So the Dolphins have given no consideration to switching him to the right side, McDaniel said.
The Dolphins sent the 48th, 98th, and 135th picks to the Raiders in exchange for the 37th pick, which they used to draft Savaiinaea, and the 143rd pick, which they used on defensive lineman Jordan Phillips.
Savaiinaea’s self assessment of his first three games?
“I wouldn’t say [I’m] happy with [my performance],” he said. “I could be better in the passing game, eliminate defenders getting near [Tua Tagovailoa]. If I do that, I’m pretty happy with my performance. Need to eliminate those.”
Injury report
As expected, the Dolphins ruled out cornerbacks Storm Duck and Jason Marshall Jr. for Monday’s game against the visiting Jets (7:15 p.m., ESPN, CBS-4).
Duck will miss his third game in a row with an ankle injury, while Marshall will miss his first game with a hamstring injury. Only one other Dolphins player on the 53-man roster has an injury designation: cornerback Ethan Bonner, who is questionable with a hamstring injury after practicing fully on Saturday.
Receiver Tyreek Hill missed Saturday’s practice for personal reasons but he wasn’t listed with a designation on the injury report, meaning the team expects him to play on Monday. Here’s more on Hill.
Coach Mike McDaniel said tight end Darren Waller will play; he was limited in all three practices this week after missing the first three games with a hip injury. Here’s more on Waller and Saturday morning news from McDaniel.
Quarterback Justin Fields has exited concussion protocol and will start for the Jets on Monday.
Practice squad elevations for Monday night games are announced Monday afternoon. With the secondary depleted ,safety Jordan Colbert and cornerback Isaiah Johnson are among the options for elevations this week.
McDaniel has said the Dolphins will sign kicker Riley Patterson to the 53-man roster after he exhausted all three of his practice squad elevations. That will require a player to be released or placed on injured reserve.
▪ The NFL fined rookie running back Ollie Gordon II $5,045 for unnecessary roughness, stemming from a play in which he banged his helmet violently into the helmet of a Bills defender.
Does Gordon have the talent to become a lead back someday?
Offensive coordinator Frank Smith didn’t want to answer that directly but said he’s “very excited what he’s displaying,” mentioning “the physicality” in his running style. “He’s done a very good job so far.”
▪ Defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver said he’s pleased how the cornerbacks have played. Two issues, in general, that are bothering Weaver, besides wanting his group to play with more physicality and violence:
1). “One of the things I think we’re doing just from a back seven standpoint, if you look at the depth of target, where balls are being caught, it’s pretty low. We’re giving up some leaky yardage with non-staple tackles, and what I mean is when the ball is caught, it should stop there.”
2). “We don’t have great vision on the quarterback to break when the ball is being thrown. We’re not forcing screens well enough. When screens are being thrown, we need to force it so the interior piece can run and we can get there… and the ball is getting out and we’re giving up yardage there, too.”
Here’s a look at where Tua Tagovailoa has regressed and what analysts are saying about him.