Dustin Keller’s football season is over after a collision during a preseason clash with the Houston Texans. The incident means unfortunate news for Keller but means a huge opportunity for rookie Dion Sims.
Since Keller is done for the season, starting tight end duties now fall on Sims to perform. It will be no small feat filling in for the injured tight end, who brought in two touchdowns and rushed for over three hundred yards last year, but Sims is working hard to make sure he is prepared for the challenge.
Though Sims is a rookie, he reported that he was grasping the offensive concepts of Coach Joe Philbin’s playbook well and able to run plays at full pace during practices. It will be interesting to see how he adapts when he has to run up against some of the stronger faster defenders in the NFL.
The difference in defenders as well as the faster pace of the professional level will make being successful a tall order for Sims to fill.
All signs from training camps and practices point to Sims being physically ready to play, as well. Sims is reportedly slimmer than he was in college and in better shape; two improvements that will help him impose his will on the field and put some seasoned pros to the test.
Though his slate is clean in the NFL, Sims put up some good numbers in college, putting eight touchdowns in the end zone, picking up over seven hundred yards on the ground and getting almost sixty through the air. These numbers show that Sims can get up field and into the end zone by any means, something the Dolphins will desperately need since they were one of the worst teams in the NFL in total offense last year.
Another upside to this situation is that time is on the side of Sims and the Dolphins. They don’t play again until Aug 24, giving Sims time to perfect his understanding of the playbook and build more chemistry with his teammates.
Sims shows now first-game jitters, saying he’s definitely ready to go; and football fans everywhere will see exactly how ready Sims is when they take on the Buccaneers next Saturday.