Bonds formed in college are an unbreakable thing. The friendships and brotherhoods you make there are simply irreplaceable. That certainly is the case with Miami Dolphins WR Jaylen Waddle and Philadelphia Eagles WR Devonta Smith. The two players linked up in Alabama, and have had a great relationship since. (via Josh Tolentino, Marcel Louis-Jacques)
DeVonta Smith on Jaylen Waddle: "The relationship we have, I call him "Nephew," he calls me "Uncle!" Everything that went down, him getting hurt (at Alabama), me being there for him the whole time, it meant a lot for both of us seeing this past year everything we did paid off."
— Josh Tolentino (@JCTSports) August 25, 2022
Former teammates at Alabama DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle catch up after Dolphins-Eagles practice pic.twitter.com/VvY840lv2p
— Marcel Louis-Jacques (@Marcel_LJ) August 24, 2022
Waddle and Smith clearly have a ton of respect for each other, and both want to impress each other as much as possible. That exactly is the reason why Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel kept his wide receiver out of the joint practices: he feared Waddle would try too hard in a meaningless preseason game. (via Adam Beasley)
McDaniel suggests he kept Waddle out of practice yesterday bc he was worried Waddle would have gone too hard, too soon, to impress his friend DeVonta Smith.
— Adam Beasley (@AdamHBeasley) August 25, 2022
Waddle has earned the respect of Smith and the rest of the NFL more than he realizes. The Dolphins WR broke out last season as one of the best young talents in the league. His ability to get open on almost every play kept the team alive in many crucial situations. If not for the exploits of Ja'Marr Chase, Waddle would've likely been the Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Now, Jaylen Waddle is going to be paired with one of the best wide-outs in the league. Tyreek Hill's arrival in Miami means that he will form a deadly duo with the Dolphins WR. Now, teams will have to worry about two elite-level stars running circles around them during their games. It's certainly going to be an explosive season.
The Dolphins are a dark-horse candidate to win it all in the crowded AFC title race. Can they put it all together in time for the start of the season?
Follow Us
Subscribe