One of the Miami Dolphins’ most important assistants just got a major vote of confidence from an NFL great
The Miami Dolphins’ wide receiver room is super young. The man in charge of molding them just got a major vote of confidence.
If the Miami Dolphins are going to outperform expectations this season, they’re going to need some of their young talent to grow up fast.
One position in particular will be under the spotlight — wide receivers. With a new quarterback in place who offers limited experience? Miami’s current young group of receivers will be a big tipping point. Three rookies figure to make this roster, with third-round draft choices Caleb Douglas and Chris Bell pairing with fifth-round pick Kevin Coleman Jr. The good news for Miami is their position coach, Tyke Tolbert, has been around the block — and has made a believer out of one of the NFL’s most productive receivers of all time, Steve Smith Sr.
Former NFL WR Steve Smith Sr. offers a massive endorsement for Miami Dolphins wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert
“I was at their training camp, talking to Tyke Tolbert, their wide receivers coach. Tyke is up there, top three wide receivers coaches I ever had. Just really good.”
— Former NFL wide receiver Steve Smith Sr.
Let the record state that Steve Smith Sr. has over 1,000 career receptions, nearly 15,000 receiving yards, and was only coached by Tolbert for one of his 15 year career, which was back in 2010 with the Carolina Panthers. Smith Sr. was well established as an impact player by that point, but the credit he’s giving Tolbert here is still hard to overlook.
Tolbert has been an NFL wide receivers coach for nearly the last quarter-century. He got his first gig with Arizona back in 2003, helping Anquan Boldin win Rookie of the Year. Tolbert has a rookie here in Miami with a similar build in Chris Bell. Getting anything close to that caliber of a player pulled out of Bell would be a major win for Tolbert.
The Dolphins’ wide receiver coach won’t have to think back very far to recall working with such a young group. His position room in Tennessee last season with the Titans was spearheaded by a pair of fourth-round rookies: Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike. Those two youngsters were the only two wide receivers on the team to surpass 52 targets on the season.
Tolbert will have a new crop of “next generation” receivers at his fingertips in Miami. But the older generation thinks he’s just the man for the job.
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