Chris McCain becoming the Miami Dolphins breakout player
Almost a week into training camp and there has been both positives and negatives reported about how the Miami Dolphins are looking after its first couple of practices this past week.
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One positive that has been reported numerous times throughout the week has been the play of defensive end, Chris McCain. Coming off a major knee injury that prematurely ended his 2015 season, McCain has received high praise from the Miami Dolphins for his ability to get to the quarterback against both the first and second-string offenses.
Similar praise was given to McCain last year during training camp but it didn’t translate into playing time once the regular season began; and with the depth at defensive end once again this year, it may be difficult for McCain to garner a quality number of snaps this year with the Miami Dolphins.
However, if Chris McCain can continue to produce as pre-season games begin, the new coaching staff would be wise to see what it has in McCain as the current stable of defensive ends – while high in quality – are on the wrong side of 30 and most likely won’t be on the team in the foreseeable future.
McCain was also involved in Miami’s first reported training camp scuffle as he got locked up with rookie offensive lineman, Laremy Tunsil. These scuffles happen every year to every team so there’s not much to here to report; but I’ll put a positive spin on the scuffle as it’s good to see that these young players obviously care about how they are performing and they don’t want anyone showing them up.
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The Miami Dolphins — seen as “soft” to several NFL analysts over the last couple of years — could benefit from more players playing with a chip on their shoulder that bring energy and passion to their play.
It would be inappropriate to look too much into the results of just one week of practice so expectations for McCain heading into the 2016 season shouldn’t skyrocket; but it’s definitely encouraging that McCain has come back strong following his injury.
McCain has made plays when given the opportunity – blocking a punt and sacking Tom Brady in week one of 2014 – so hopefully more opportunities arise come the start of 2016. Also, with rumors of Cam Wake beginning the season as more of a third-down pass rushing specialist, the door may open slightly for McCain to see the field and continue to make plays.
With plenty of practice time and pre-season games still to come, fans hope that McCain will be able to keep up his performance from the first week of camp and continue to put pressure on the coaching staff to give him meaningful reps. A healthy McCain – along with the rest of Miami’s impactful defensive ends – may prove to be a strength of the team and help solidify a defense that currently has several question marks.
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