After two joint practices this week, the Miami Dolphins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers will meet for a preseason matchup on Saturday night at Raymond James Stadium.
Both teams are heading into their first games with new head coaches, with Bruce Arians retiring in Tampa Bay and Brian Flores getting fired in Miami, and there will be a lot that can be taken from how these teams perform in this contest.
Here are some things that Dolphins fans should watch for in this preseason matchup.
Who suits up?
Obviously, the most important question is who actually gets an opportunity to play. Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said on Thursday that there will be players who don’t step on the field on Saturday and even hinted at Tua Tagovailoa possibly being one of those players.
This will be a great indicator of where he feels these players are in terms of readiness for the season as well as their place on the roster.
The snapping issues
While it’s no certainty that center Connor Williams plays in this first game, he’s not the only player that’s had trouble snapping consistently in training camp. With the level of intensity ratcheted up from a practice session to live contact, this problem may be even more of an issue than it has been.
WR depth battle
Preston Williams has voiced his displeasure about the number of opportunities he’s received in practice. Do the Dolphins showcase him in this first game to try to boost his value for a team looking to trade for a wide receiver?
Rookies Erik Ezukanma and Braylon Sanders have shown some flashes in training camp, can they continue to do so in a live game setting? The former seems to have a guaranteed spot on the team while the latter still needs to work for a spot.
Lynn Bowden Jr. was expected to be a potential surprise weapon in this new offense, but that hasn’t been much during these practice sessions. Could he carve out a role in this first week?
Adam Shaheen's role
The former Chicago Bears tight end was actually traded to the Houston Texans earlier in the week, but the transaction was voided due to a knee condition.
It will be interesting to see if Miami gives him an opportunity to fight for his job as a depth tight end. Perhaps another team isn’t as worried about the medicals and sends the Dolphins a conditional draft pick for him.
CB depth battle
Noah Igbinoghene, Trill Williams and Keion Crossen have been battling for the third outside cornerback role once Byron Jones comes back off the PUP list. At this point, they’ve all made some positive plays, but Crossen’s name has been mentioned the most in a positive light.
Do any of these players step up and mark themselves as the clear top option?
What does Channing Tindall look like?
The third-round selection out of Georgia has been pretty quiet so far in camp. His name has been tossed around a bit because of the athleticism that he shows, but this will be the first time he gets a real opportunity to prove himself in this setting. He has the potential to be an impact player in a preseason game, but can he actually show that he deserves to shoulder more of the workload going forward?
