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Giants-Dolphins fight: Teams brawl during joint practice

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Skirmishes are to be expected when NFL teams hold joint practices, but every now and then, they go a step too far. That was the case in Thursday’s training camp session with the New York Giants and Miami Dolphins. Multiple altercations built up to an all-out brawl between the two teams that led to multiple players’ removal from live drills.

Giants quarterback Jameis Winston, offensive lineman Jermaine Eluemunor and Dolphins offensive lineman Austin Jackson missed parts of practice for disciplinary reasons. Giants coach John Harbaugh said Eluemunor threw a punch to an opponent’s face, which triggered his automatic removal, per the teams’ agreed-upon rules.

While Harbaugh had to pull a couple of his players out of action, he downplayed the extent of the fights, which are commonplace in the NFL at this stage of camp.

“It’s just football,” Harbaugh said after practice. “It’s not a game, so you don’t have quite the same guardrails on it. It’s a violent game. In this sort of an environment, you have these rules of engagement that aren’t really rules of the game. And then somebody perceives somebody else goes over the line — or they do go over the line — and then somebody needs to protect somebody, and that’s where it goes. As long as it doesn’t get out of control where you get a violent type of situation, it’s fine.”

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Joint practices are some of the first opportunities each season players have to make contact with someone wearing a different team’s jersey. Pent-up aggression often boils over in these settings, and small incidents can snowball into larger fights. That’s what occurred at the Dolphins’ complex.

Earlier in practice, second-year Giants edge rusher Abdul Carter took a swing at Dolphins offensive lineman Patrick Paul.

Another dust-up involved a couple of other big-name Giants defenders. After Jackson threw a punch at New York rookie Arvell Reese, edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux threw the Miami lineman to the ground in retaliation.

Giants, Dolphins could face league discipline for fights

The NFL made it clear to teams prior to training camp that violence will not be tolerated at joint practices. In a memo sent to all 32 franchises, the league emphasized “not promoting an atmosphere for fighting or escalation of incidents; instances of player fighting will result in individual fines, club fines, and/or loss of practice.”

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The Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints felt the league’s wrath Tuesday when multiple fights broke out at their joint practice. Two days later, the NFL fined the teams $500,000 apiece.

At first glance, the fights between the Cowboys and Saints rose to a level perhaps more violent than the ones in the Giants-Dolphins practice. The NFL will undoubtedly review the footage from Miami, however, and determine whether things got out of hand enough to justify penalties.

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The Vikings’ EDGE3 Job Could Now Be Settled

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Vikings fans at the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay
Minnesota Vikings fans are shown before the start of the first round of the NFL Draft Thursday, April 24, 2025 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It is the first time the draft will be held in Green Bay, the smallest market in the National Football League. © Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.

Many appear to believe that the Vikings’ EDGE3 position is unfilled. Or, perhaps, filled by somebody who isn’t particularly promising, such as undrafted talents like Bo Richter, Tyler Batty, and/or Chaz Chambliss.

Does the team itself agree?

What has been so striking about the Minnesota Vikings’ approach to the edge rusher spot has been the near total neglect. Minnesota sent away Jonathan Greenard in a trade that now feels like it was a lifetime ago. Nobody got drafted at the position and the UDFA helping was modest for edge rusher help. Similar modesty characterized the free agency effort for the edge rusher spot. What gives?

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The Vikings’ EDGE3 Job May Be Settled Already

Do note, folks, that the worries about the edge rusher spot go beyond just Twitter (an online wasteland).

Former Vikings GM Jeff Diamond offers his writing for Vikings Territory. Consider what he had to say on the matter: “If the Vikings are considering adding a veteran edge rusher, the market is getting thinner with Jadeveon Clowney signing with the Texans, Von Miller joining the Cowboys, and Za’Darius Smith headed to the Falcons.”

And another thought not long afterwards: “They probably want to see if second-round pick Jake Golday can prove he can be an impact edge rusher/outside ‘backer along with backing up at inside linebacker.”

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NCAA Football: Central Florida at Cincinnati
Oct 11, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; UCF Knights quarterback Cam Fancher (14) stiff-arms Cincinnati Bearcats linebacker Jake Golday (11) in the second half at Nippert Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images – Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Truth be told, I’ve been wondering about the same issue. Where is Jake Golday at in his pursuit of edge rusher snaps?

After today’s practice, I asked Golday about his opportunities at edge rusher. “My primary position right now is just focusing on WILL,” Golday explained, “and I’m going to do whatever is asked of me everyday. But like today I got a couple reps on the edge. And I love to be versatile.”

Golday, in short, likes playing edge rusher but has mostly played as the weak-side off-ball linebacker (a.k.a. WILL).

In contrast, Eric Wilson sounds like a man who is pretty excited about playing edge rusher when we chatted for a few minutes after today’s practice. Golday sounded eager to play the position more but accepting of whatever his job is. Wilson, in contrast, sounded ready to roll with his assignment.

Wilson’s take on things: “I’ve done it before. I’ve done it before my first time around, I’ve been on the EDGE a bit, just playing like SAM. And I kinda like it, honestly. I kind of like it a lot. I remember playing in high school, I played on the edge a bit. I wasn’t a d-end but would be here and there.”

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Wilson likes dabbling in different spots on the field, describing it as being fun and good for the team overall. He even reaches back into his past to highlight some reps at the specific spot, seeming to suggest a longstanding confidence in his capacity to get the job done if he’s the Vikings’ EDGE3.

Vikings LB Eric Wilson in 2025 against the Detroit Lions.
Dec 25, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Eric Wilson (55) tackles Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) in the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Indeed, the suggestion here is that Eric Wilson is the Vikings’ EDGE3. That much has been obvious for a little while but the inaction from the team reinforces the idea more and more.

Per PFF, Eric Wilson got put up onto the defensive line for 336 snaps last season. Might he see a similar helping of reps in that spot?

Otherwise, the plan is to see a healthier Andrew Van Ginkel alongside a meatier workload for the insanely-talented Dallas Turner. Moreover, Ty Ingram-Dawkins is a chess piece who can get flexed out while also being kicked inside.

Here’s how you should actually think about the edge rusher depth:

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  • EDGE1 Andrew Van Ginkel
  • EDGE2 Dallas Turner
  • EDGE3 Eric Wilson
  • EDGE4 Ty Ingram-Dawkins
  • EDGE5/6 Jake Golday?
  • EDGE5/6 Bo Richter or Tyler Batty or Chaz Chambliss

The possibility exists that what the Vikings are cooking up doesn’t work. Injuries can pile up quickly in a sport as rough as NFL football. Seeing even one or two top options lose time would be a major gut punch. Or maybe the plan all along has been to add a veteran, something they could do whenever they want.

Vikings EDGE Andrew Van Ginkel pursues Caleb Williams in 2024
Dec 16, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) passes against the Minnesota Vikings linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel (43) in the third quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

Given the promise that Wilson has shown as the Vikings’ EDGE3 last season, though, it’s not tough to follow how Minnesota is planning on attacking the depth issue.


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Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

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Backstage report on Road Dogg claiming AEW didn’t sign him for his political views

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Former WWE veteran Road Dogg recently caused a stir when he claimed on social media that he was refused a job in AEW because of his political beliefs. Now, a report has emerged questioning the validity of the Hall of Famer’s statement on the matter.

Following his retirement from in-ring action over a decade ago, Brian James aka Road Dogg held a number of backstage positions in WWE, primarily in writing, production and training roles. The New Age Outlaws member was appointed as the co-lead writer of one of the promotion’s flagship shows, Friday Night Smackdown, towards the beginning of last year. However, this past March, it was reported that the veteran was parting ways with the sports entertainment juggernaut.

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Recently, Road Dogg courted controversy on social media when he claimed that the AEW World Tag Team Championships are “beneath” Austin and Colten Gunn, the sons of his former tag partner Billy Gunn. During the online spat that ensued as a consequence, the former WWE Tag Team Champion also stated that he was denied a position in All Elite Wrestling because of his political beliefs.

On the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer questioned Brian James’ claim about the Tony Khan-led promotion not hiring him, noting that the company employs several individuals with conservative views, and that it supposedly does not discriminate with respect to hirings based on political philosophies.

“There are many people in AEW that have conservative viewpoints and I have never heard of anyone not being hired by AEW based on political viewpoints in one direction or the other,” Meltzer said. [H/T- Wrestling Inc]

Actually, I was turned away because of my political/ core beliefsThat happened IN AMERICA 🇺🇸 I didn’t donate to or vote for Trump, BUT his old man did, why was I punished ?

When were The Gunns last seen in action in AEW?

For the past several weeks, The Bang Bang Gang have been embroiled in a bitter rivalry with The Dogs and their allies, The Death Riders. Although Juice Robinson led his stable-mates Ace Austin and The Gunns to a victory against Jon Moxley’s crew on July 30, The One True King, along with Daniel Garcia, Wheeler Yuta and PAC, defeated Robinson, Austin and Colten Gunn, and Jack Perry in a multi-person tag bout on the August 8 edition of Collision, thanks to interference from Clark Connors and David Finlay.

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It remains to be seen what lies next for The Gunns and the rest of the Collision Cowboys in All Elite Wrestling.