(Video courtesy FoxSports)
Dolphins offensive tackle Jonathan Martin has several mistakes to learn from this preseason.
The second-round selection in this April’s draft is making the transition to right tackle after playing the left side in college at Stanford. But he won’t make the switch without a few bumps in the road. The 6-foot-5, 312-pounder was flagged for a holding penalty and allowed a sack after starting the team’s 23-17 loss to Carolina on Friday. The previous week, he was whistled for a pair of false starts but looked better in pass protection.
“He still has to block it better, but it wasn’t like, I’ve seen young rookies offensive tackles get run over and get beat like that,” Miami coach Joe Philbin said, snapping his fingers. “It’s a growing process. The big thing will be to see how he plays this week. Can he learn from some of those mistakes?”
But Miami will have to spend more time running the ball to help Martin develop.
The Dolphins ran the ball 12 times for 37 yards against Carolina after netting 43 yards on 15 attempts versus Tamp Bay. The competition for the starting quarterback position has forced the team to throw the ball much more than it traditionally would, putting the offense in unique situations and causing the attack to not establish any rhythm.
“As a coach you have to stay true to the film and what you see, and there are some things on the film that are concerning that we need to get straightened out quickly,” Philbin said.
Waiting game: Dolphins fans will have to wait at least another week to learn which quarterback will start the season under center.
Philbin said on Sunday the team won’t name the starter for Week 1 on Sept. 9 against Houston until at least after the team’s third preseason game on Friday vs. Atlanta. Rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill went 11 of 23 for 100 yards after getting the start against Carolina. Matt Moore, who led the team to a 6-3 record in the final nine games last season, was 5 of 15 for 57 yards against the Panthers after starting the previous week against Tampa Bay.
Former Pro Bowler QB David Garrard, who was atop the initial depth chart during training camp, is expected to miss at least the next three weeks as he recovers from a knee injury.
“We’re going to start nailing down our personnel,” Philbin said. “We may have a decision soon, or we may play it out another week. That’s still up in the air. We certainly haven’t come to any decision on that right now.”
For more up-to-the-minute news and analysis on the Dolphins from blogger Dave Carey, follow @CBSSportsNFLMIA.
