Picking up the pace
Rookie tight end needs to improve on his blocking
TE Mike Gesicki learning how to play — fast.
DAVIE — The duality of Mike Gesicki’s first padded practice in the NFL perfectly illustrated the rookie tight end’s biggest strength, and the most troublesome aspect of his game.
The Miami Dolphins’ secondround pick made a jaw dropping, diving touchdown catch during a one-on-one drill against rookie safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, stirring up the crowd of fans watching the team’s top two draft picks do battle.
Then came one-on-one blocking drills against Miami’s safeties and linebackers, who were blitzing to a makeshift quarterback the tight ends and tailbacks were supposed to be protecting.
During that 10-minute period, Gesicki had his lunch money taken on most of his reps as each defender got by him with ease. On two separate reps safety Walt Aikens made Gesicki look like he was on roller skates, moving him with ease. Those struggles highlight the area of his game the former Penn State standout needs to improve on.
“Today I had a few good ones, and a few I learned from,” Gesicki said Saturday. “That’s just football and I’m going to continue to get better every single day.”
If he does improve his blocking, becoming more of an all-purpose tight end, the odds of Gesicki unseating A.J. Derby and MarQueis Gray for one of the two starting tight end spots should improve.
For now, Miami’s coaches clearly give those two veterans the edge over Gesicki and fellow rookie tight end Durham Smythe, and veterans Gavin Escobar and Thomas Duarte. But Gesicki did get a handful of snaps with the first team offense during Saturday’s practice, which proves he’ll have a decent opportunity to move up the depth chart before the Dolphins’ Sept. 9 season-opener against the Tennessee Titans.
But Gesicki, who caught 129 passes for 1,481 yards and scored 15 touchdowns during his career at Penn State, openly acknowledges he’s got work to do in order to become the matchup nightmare the Dolphins envision him becoming.
“Everything you expect for a rookie tight end, that’s what it’s been,” Gesicki said. “Honestly, it’s not as much of the mental stuff anymore. When I first got here I wasn’t able to play fast. Now it’s just adjusting to this weather. It doesn’t feel like it does at Penn State.”
Gesicki is referring to the practice temperature at his alma mater, which doesn’t possess the heat and humidity of South Florida. Gesicki struggled to finish
“When I first got here I wasn’t able to play fast. Now it’s just adjusting to this weather.”
Mike Gesicki, Dolphins rookie tight end
his first practice this week, which got him teased by teammates and coaches.
He says dealing with the heat and humidity is getting easier, but illustrated how much he sweats by squeezing out a steady stream of perspiration from his practice shorts, which were drenched.
Saturday’s practice began the padded portion of Miami’s work, which coach Adam Gase said is the best time to evaluate contact-driven battles like offensive versus defensive linemen, linebackers verses tailbacks, and safeties versus tight ends.
“When we get the pads on, you really have a better sense because even though we’re not tackling to the ground, we’re thudding guys up. Who’s going to wrap up?” Gase said.
“You saw a couple of guys drop a shoulder and really reject the receiver or the tight end and our point of emphasis is we need you to wrap up because we’ve seen that enough over the last few years where a guy drops his shoulder and then the next thing you know, that guy doesn’t go to the ground.”
The Dolphins hope Gesicki becomes that type of tackle-breaking playmaker because a tight end who creates mismatches, and threatens the seams has been the one element missing from Gase’s offense the past two seasons.
“He just has to keep getting better, keep working on his knowledge of the game,” Gase said of Gesicki. “Once we really start picking it up with some of the thirddown stuff and the red [-zone] area, I think you’ll see him kind of really start to be more involved.”