Top Questions Heading Into Dolphins First Preseason Game
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – The Miami Dolphins will begin the 2016 preseason on Friday night when they face the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
There have been a lot of changes within the Dolphins organization since the conclusion of last season and fans will finally get their first look at many of them.
While the first teamers may only play a handful of snaps, there are still plenty of things to keep an eye on.
Here are some of the top questions surrounding the team heading into Friday's game.
How Will The Offense Perform?
The Dolphins offense was about as bad as you can get during the team's intrasquad scrimmage last Saturday and much of the focus this week has been on the unit bouncing back. They'll have a great opportunity against the Giants to move past that performance and show that it was just a fluke.
Will The Running Game Get Going?
During training camp Miami's running backs haven't gotten much room to run. Whether that's due to the Dolphins stout defensive front or a lack of support from the offensive line remains to be seen, but guys like Jay Ajayi, Damien Williams, Daniel Thomas and rookie third round pick Kenyan Drake will have a chance to showcase their skills. NOTE- Arian Foster will not play, per Dolphins coach Adam Gase.
What Will We See From First Round Pick Laremy Tunsil?
Miami got what many call the steal of the draft in offensive lineman Laremy Tunsil, but the college left tackle will be playing guard for the Dolphins during his rookie season. It's been a process for him to learn a new position and he will likely see a good amount of playing time during the preseason, especially if Gase wants him to be in the starting lineup come Week 1 in Seattle.
And The Rest Of Miami's Draft Class…?
Aside from Tunsil, the Dolphins will be watching the rest of their 2016 draft class very closely during the preseason. Guys to watch include the aforementioned Tunsil and Drake as well as wide receivers Leonte Carroo (third round) and Jakeem Grant (sixth round), cornerback Jordan Lucas (sixth round), quarterback Brandon Doughty (seventh round) and tight end Thomas Duarte (seventh round).
Who Will Step Up In The Cornerback Battle?
One of the Dolphins thinnest positions is cornerback. Rookie second round pick Xavien Howard, who was expected to compete for the starting spot opposite Byron Maxwell, is going to be out with an injury until at least the regular season. That leaves Tony Lippett, Al Louis-Jean, Brandon Harris, Lucas and a group of others with an opportunity to step up and stand out to the coaching staff.
