The NFLPA has been pushing to forego the preseason in 2020 in order to allow for a longer acclimation period to their return to team facilities amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. They are believed to have gotten their wish — as a report yesterday indicates that the league has cancelled exhibition games this year all together.
Which Miami Dolphins are most helped by the prospect of no preseason games in 2020?
QB Tua Tagovailoa
The obvious answer here is Tua Tagovailoa in his bid to de-throne Ryan Fitzpatrick as the team’s starting quarterback. Tagovailoa is recovering from a November 2019 dislocated hip — and the more time he has before the pads come on to play for real, the better off his chances are of being at 100% health. If Tagovailoa is bridged a longer, less sudden preparation process, he may end up not missing any significant reps at all. From there, the Dolphins can have the honest discussion of which quarterback gives them the best chance to win on Sundays.
WR Preston Williams
Williams is another obvious choice for players helped by a more gradual transition to playing time. Williams is recovering from an ACL injury suffered in the Dolphins’ first win of 2019, a midseason contest against the New York Jets. We have seen players return to action with this timetable before, but Williams faces challenges in returning to full effectiveness because of his position and the hard angles he’ll have to run at from time to time. Receivers need to produce a lot of force at steep angles — Williams avoiding any opportunities to do that for a few extra weeks may well be a boost to help him ensure he sees the field Week 1.
LB Raekwon McMillan
The veteran linebacker is reportedly facing a positional battle for a starting role this year. His challenger, Kamu Grugier-Hill, is a more effective defender in the passing game — but McMillan ultimately has a full year of extra experience in the playbook and if there are no preseason games to showcase what is learned on the practice field, that advantage may end up helping McMillan stave off a challenger for his job for the second straight summer.
