Broncos Should Adopt Dolphins Rookie Policy: Ryan Edwards

Broncos Should Adopt Dolphins Rookie Policy

Ryan Edwards

ICYMI…Miami Dolphins unveiling radical idea for rookie minicamp https://t.co/n6UpPPBsrC

— Armando Salguero (@ArmandoSalguero) May 2, 2016

Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Coach Adam Gase and the Miami Dolphins are starting a new trend this year that one can hope will catch on with the rest of the NFL. As first reported by the Miami Herald, the Dolphins will hold their rookie mini camp this weekend at the organization’s training facility in Florida with a key difference in approach from recent years. The difference this season is the rookies won’t touch the field the entire weekend for practice. They won’t put on pads or helmets. They won’t hit one another. They will simply spend time in a classroom studying their playbooks and learning what it’s like to be an NFL player.

It’s almost the antithesis of the old-school NFL mentality of “Iron Sharpens Iron” where coaches worked their players into the ground as a means to develop toughness in their team. Through the new CBA, there are already limitations on how much interaction coaching staffs can have with their players and how many padded practices they are allowed to have. Time will tell if the Dolphins bold new plan for their rookies helps them long term or hinders their development in the NFL. There are reasons to like this concept though, and the Broncos should consider adopting it in the near future.

This is the new NFL where, due to public scrutiny levied on the shield by fans and retired players, you can expect the emphasis on lowering the amount off-field hitting to continue. The Dolphins’ decision to remove hitting during rookie mini camp is just one more example of the kind of forward-thinking concepts all teams need to eventually accept as reality.

Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports

It’s not that the Dolphins aren’t interested in building a tough team. Their decision comes from a logical conclusion that, for these young players, hitting in May doesn’t help win games in September, or more specifically in December and January. This is a calculated move that is aimed at helping these rookies avoid injury, either in May or possibly during the season. Broncos fans remember 3rd round pick TE Jeff Heuerman tearing his ACL on the second day of rookie camp last year and Jaguars fans knew losing 3rd overall pick Dante Fowler on the FIRST day of camp would have a major impact on the season. Simply put, teams can’t protect the players from freak injuries occurring, but if they can be smart about their approach with these young men, there’s an argument to be made for using discretion on how hard you push them, and when.

For a moment, think about the whirlwind these athletes have been on since finishing their final college football game in December or January of last year. Immediately, they begin preparing their bodies for the Indianapolis combine, pro days and individual workouts with NFL teams all over the country. This wear and tear on the players’ bodies makes them susceptible to injury or, at a minimum, prone to what’s known as the “rookie wall” in November when their on-field production falls off.

If a team could get ahead of the “rookie wall” or injury by not pushing their prize draft picks in May, wouldn’t it be worth entertaining a concept like what the Dolphins are doing?

Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

Other teams in the past have made their top draft picks avoid 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills during the rookie mini camp weekend because they don’t want them risking injury while practicing with undrafted rookies that are trying to impress the coaching staff. The undrafted rookies are looking to stand out in front of the coaching staff and often hit harder and take more risks during practice. It’s an important part of mini camp weekend as these undrafted players, part of a team’s 90-man summer roster, hope to stay on and eventually earn a spot on the 53-man regular season roster. It’s a steep hill to climb and if a player isn’t noticed quickly by the coaching staff, they are likely looking for a new job.

The bottom line is there is no guarantee that what the Dolphins are doing will help them win games this season, but they can expect at least one thing: there won’t be any on-field injuries to their top rookies during mini camp this weekend. If this proves successful and the Dolphins’ first year players show more burst and longevity this year, it’s likely many teams decide to adopt this directive. There’s already several opportunities during May and June for the young players to get acclimated on the field with coaches and veteran players. How much do teams really gain in May by strapping on the pads and risking injury to one (or more) of their important draft picks?

Ryan Edwards

@ryanedwards1043