Dolphins tight end Jordan Cameron (84) makes a leaping catch against Washington last season. (Allen Eyestone / The Palm Beach Post)
Adam Gase brings with him an offensive system that combines elements of his various stops in the NFL, but one constant: Over the past few years, he always had a tight end to count on.
Whether it was the Pro Bowl tight end Julius Thomas in Denver or a two-headed attack in Chicago, Gase has moved players around like chess pieces, always managing to find mismatches that benefited tight ends.
The struggles the Dolphins have had in incorporating tight ends in their passing game this preseason have been on display for all to see and dissect ad nauseam. What hasn’t been in the public’s sights: how Gase has focused on getting more out of Jordan Cameron as a receiving tight end.
“I’m starting to get a good feel for what he likes,” Gase said Tuesday. “I’ve had a lot of conversations with him over the last couple of weeks as far as, ‘What do we need to do different that I can get you a little bit in a rhythm?’ I feel like we’re kind of starting to hit some of those things.”
It’s not all on Cameron. Together with No. 2 tight end Dion Sims, they have managed just six receptions for 34 yards this preseason, with drops earning more attention than catches.
“I think they’ll be a little more impactful than what they’ve been,” Gase said.
They need to have an impact, both in the passing game and with their blocking.
“We definitely need both roles from our tight ends,” quarterback Ryan Tannehill said. “There’s going to be a lot of situations where they’re going to be pass blocking and run blocking, and then we’re going to be putting them all the way on the outside and trying to create a mismatch out there. They have to be a full player — a complete player — and be able to run routes, not just tight end routes, not just corners and flats. They have to be able to run receiver routes as well.”
