ESPN staff
It was the Tyreek Hill Show in Miami on Saturday. The Miami Dolphins wide receiver opened practice by addressing the fans, welcoming them to the 2022 NFL training camp, before hitting the field to entertain them. Later in practice, he connected with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on a 65-yard strike for a touchdown that once again fired up the crowd. Hill followed that up by likening the Dolphins receivers to Waffle House in an interview with ESPN’s Jeff Darlington because “they’re all open 24 hours.” Elsewhere in Florida, Tampa Bay Buccaneers reporter Jenna Laine noted Tom Brady’s demands on his centers, and things got a little rough in Jacksonville for the team’s first practice with shoulder pads, according to the Jaguars reporter, Michael DiRocco. A few rookie wideouts managed to make their mark in camp on Saturday. In New Orleans, Saints reporter Katherine Terrell said Chris Olave had the play of the day, hooking quarterback Jameis Winston on a 60-yard TD in 11-on-11 work with the first unit. At Jets camp, No. 10 overall pick Garrett Wilson made two standout catches during practice in a strong day for New York’s heralded rookie class, according to Jets reporter Rich Cimini. Here’s what else you need to know from camps around the league:
What our NFL Nation reporters saw today
Los Angeles Rams: Quarterback Matthew Stafford didn’t throw during spring practice while recovering from a right elbow injury, so training camp is his first time throwing to new wide receiver Allen Robinson. As camp has progressed, it’s clear the chemistry between the pair is growing and it was on full display Saturday. One of the plays that stood out during team drills was Stafford finding Robinson between two defenders in the back of the end zone. “I tried to put it in a nice spot,” Stafford said. “Nothing bad was going to happen up there. And he went up and got it. Great dive. Strong hands. That’s what it’s all about.” — Sarah Barshop Seattle Seahawks: With his three-year, $72 million extension signed and his shortstop signed, DK Metcalf returned to Seahawks practice on Saturday. He made a nice challenge over Artie Burns in one red zone period, but otherwise had a quiet day. It appeared that Metcalf was on a rough count. He barely practiced all offseason as he recovered from foot surgery, skipped mandatory minicamp and attended the first two practices of training camp amid contract negotiations. — Brady Henderson Arizona Cardinals: DeAndre Hopkins looked like he was in midseason form on Saturday, diving into 11-on-11 work. The Cardinals’ star wide receiver is on a field count in this camp because he is not eligible to play a game until Week 7 while serving a six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy. Lined up in the slot on all 1-on-1s and caught nearly every pass his way. — Josh Winefuss Baltimore Ravens: Rashod Bateman looks like the new No. 1 wide receiver for the Ravens. He made the catch of the night in Saturday’s practice at M&T Bank Stadium, hauling in a contested 55-yard pass from Lamar Jackson. Bateman then caught a couple of red zone passes from Jackson for touchdowns. The Ravens are looking for Bateman to step up after trading Marquise Brown to the Arizona Cardinals this offseason. — Jamison Hensley Dallas Cowboys: CeeDee Lamb is only 23 years old, so he doesn’t have much wear and tear on his body yet. But given how important he is to the offense, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that he was given a day off. He didn’t take any team snaps during Saturday’s practice, which was called “workload focus,” a possible sign he was coming off a day when his GPS numbers were high. Mike McCarthy has been plagued by soft tissue injuries, especially on days three and four of camp, so the Cowboys took a cautious route with their wide receiver. The players are off Sunday and return to training in full pads for the first time on Monday. — Todd Archer Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Tom Brady’s demands on his centers are no joke. One of the equipment wagons at the back of the end zones holds a lot of stuff for multiplayer. Among them: fresh towels and baby powder for center Robert Hainsey, who will compete for the starting spot with Nick Leverett. — Jenna Lane Las Vegas Raiders: High-profile free agent pickup Chandler Jones missed his second straight practice Saturday — after a day off Friday — and at this early stage of camp, it might not mean anything. However, with Jones and his 107.5 career sacks sidelined for now, and Kyler Fackrell placed on IR a day early, Gary Green and Malcolm Koonce have taken the bulk of Jones’ reps in right defensive end/outside linebacker. Keep in mind that, after three consecutive nights of monsoon rains, the Raiders practiced indoors on Saturday and the team was not in pads. — Paul Gutierrez Pittsburgh Steelers: During the offseason, the Steelers’ defense looked much sharper than their offensive counterpart. During the final 11-on-11 on Saturday, TJ Watt intercepted a quick slant from Mitch Trubisky that was intended for George Pickens. He ran it back 20 yards for a pick-6 and tossed the ball into the air. The defense celebrated in training camp for interceptions and pretended to dribble the ball as it ran high over them. Watt, in particular, had a monster week of camp. He also caught another Trubisky pass earlier in the period Saturday and tossed the ball into the crowd in celebration. “TJ is a TJ man, we appreciate that,” coach Mike Tomlin said. He loves football. He likes to work. He likes to fight. They are the kind of kids you really want young people to pay attention to.” — Brooke Pryor San Francisco 49ers: Four practices into training camp, the one constant that can be seen on the field and heard is the impact the Niners’ improved secondary could have on the defense as a whole. This team already has 10 interceptions in team drills this camp after throwing just 13 in camp all of last year. That’s against all three quarterbacks and not just the starters, but it speaks to the group’s improved depth as well as the downsizing effect of adding a top cornerback like Charvarius Ward in free agency. Linebacker Fred Warner intercepted Trey Lance on an over-the-middle throw Saturday and then talked about how the revamped defensive backfield could be just the ticket to push the defense to another level. “The way they compete at the back allows the whole defense to work together,” Warner said. “So if we all click like that, it’s going to get scary.” — Nick Wagoner Jacksonville Jaguars: Saturday was the first day the players wore shoulder pads and things got a little testy at times as fitness rose. Receiver Laviska Shenault wasn’t happy with linebacker De’Shaan Dixon trying to slap the ball out of his hands from behind long after Shenault ran into the end zone and yelled at the undrafted rookie. Rookie wide receiver Lujuan Winningham yelled at the defensive backs after a play running for a block. Safety Rayshawn Jenkins made the final statement, however, by picking running back Mekhi Sargent off his feet at the end of a carry. This turned out to be the last play of practice because head coach Doug Pederson called it a few minutes early. The Jaguars will be in full pads for the first time on Sunday. – Michael DiRocco Kansas City Chiefs: Even on a team with three established veterans at his position, rookie Isiah Pacheco has looked good in training camp. Pacheco, a seventh-round draft pick, was the second back in the lineup in many drills behind Clyde Edwards-Helaire but ahead of Jerick McKinnon and Ronald Jones. The Chiefs also have Derrick Gore, who played well for them at times last season. A bigger test for Pacheco will come Monday when the Chiefs practice in pads for the first time. — Adam Teicher Carolina Panthers: Coach Matt Rhule is trying to get his team to cut down on turnovers, so it was no surprise he called the team together and “lost it” after a penalty was called after Jeremy Chinn intercepted a Sam Darnold pass. It turned out that wasn’t the only mistake in front of the fans at Wofford’s Gibbs Stadium. “That’s what happened,” Rhule said with a laugh. “So Chin got the ball and the ref called the defense offside. I brought everybody in and I was like, ‘Hey, you’re offside!’ false start offense.’ So I retracted my statement. I’d like to say it’s not my fault, but when you’re the coach, it’s all on you.” — David Newton Buffalo Bills: The Bills hit the pads for the first time on Saturday and the final game of the day featured a scrimmage. After quarterback Josh Allen threw a touchdown pass to wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie, he tried to run in a two-point conversion. Allen was stopped, but as the play wound down, defensive tackle Jordan Phillips briefly made contact with the quarterback. Allen quickly reacted by putting his hands on Phillips’ mask/helmet. Both the offense and defense on the field were involved and had to be removed, but it was quickly resolved. Center Mitch Morse was among those who rushed to Allen’s defense, saying afterward that “things like this … are going to happen” on the first day in pads. Safety Micah Hyde was also present at practice after leaving Friday’s session with a hip/buttock injury. He is considered “day-to-day,” according to coach Sean McDermott. — Alaina Getzenberg Philadelphia Eagles: Cornerback James Bradberry is making a strong first impression with his new team. Saturday was perhaps his best practice of training camp to date, as he used his size and physicality to lock down wide receiver AJ Brown, including a pass deep down the left sideline that Bradberry broke up. The corner trio of Bradberry,…
