The Dolphins haven’t seen much of Ndamukong Suh so far, as he skipped offseason conditioning work.
But after their first day with him on the field for OTAs, they’re feeling better about their $114 million investment.
Suh made a quick impression, showing his burst and spending plenty of time in the backfield, but also a few false starts in his first day of work with his teammates.
“That’s what he does, right?” center Mike Pouncey said, via Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. “That’s why they gave him all that money. ... He’s coming off that ball full speed every play. He’s a guy who really uses the snap count to his advantage. He gets off the ball really fast, and that’s part of his game.”
Of course, he’s doing it all without the workouts within the team structure. He’s always chosen to work out on his own, and coach Joe Philbin said his new star “seems to be in pretty good shape.”
Suh wouldn’t talk about why he stayed away this spring, saying OTA attendance: “was automatic. I never miss practice.”
And when he got there, they were able to line him up next to Cameron Wake, giving the Dolphins a pair of explosive players to build a defense around.
“Whoever I line up next to, we always want to be somebody’s nightmare,” Suh said. “I’m a guy who’s always going to react, play off instincts. I think the best football players do that. I study the terminology in the classroom and when I’m at home. And, obviously, when I’m on the football field, if I hear something, I go with it. . . . Once I put my hand in the ground, it’s over.
“I was just going out there and playing as hard and as fast as I can. If I’m going to make mistakes, I’m going to do it full speed. Especially being in the backfield, if I make mistakes. That’s what I was brought here for. That’s the way I know how to play, that’s the way I’ve been playing the last five years.”
And now that they’ve finally gotten a chance to see it, the Dolphins are OK with that, too.
