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Tight end battle taking shape during Dolphins minicamp day 2

The Miami Dolphins held the second day of their three day minicamp today, with the media again there to watch. One position to watch seems to be the second string tight end position, with Charles Clay and Michael Egnew battling for playing time.

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The Miami Dolphins do not seem to have a lot of the typical position battles you expect to see heading into minicamp and training camp. The starters seem fairly well set, with the only drama coming from the kicker position, where incumbent veteran Dan Carpenter is trying to hold off fifth round draft pick Caleb Sturgis.

But, behind the starters, there may be a few interesting battles to watch. One of those may have reared its head today, as starting tight end Dustin Keller sat out for the second straight day. Reserves Charles Clay and Michael Egnew seemed to split snaps throughout the workout, and they may be setting up to battle for playing time.

Clay, entering his third year in the league, is a hybrid fullback/tight end, who is going to be asked to play more tight end this year. Egnew, meanwhile, was a third round pick in 2012, but essentially had to redshirt his rookie season after struggling as an NFL tight end.

During today's practices, Egnew did not stand out, doing little to be noticed. But, that may put him ahead of Clay, who struggled. The former sixth round pick from Tulsa did catch a touchdown during 7-on-7 drills, but he also dropped four passes on the day, two of which should have been separate scores.

Egnew has been a focal point throughout the offseason, with several reporters noticing his improved play from a year ago. While he may not have stood out in practice today, the fact that he was not being yelled at by offensive coordinator Mike Sherman has to be at least a partial win.

Keller's job is secure, but how the depth chart behind him shapes up is very much in flux. It might be one of the most interesting battles for the Dolphins this year.

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