With cornerback Jalen Ramsey injured, the Dolphins signed veteran cornerback Eli Apple. Who has a specific history of acrimony with receiver Tyreek Hill, dating back to Apple’s time with the Bengals and Hill’s tenure with the Chiefs.
But that’s apparently all in the past.
Apple, meeting with reporters after his first practice with his new team, said all is well between him and Hill.
“His locker is literally right across from mine,” Apple said. “I saw him earlier today in the locker room and we were chopping it up a little bit at the training and breakfast table. We all good. It’s all love. We’re on the same team. All love.”
The opportunity to mend fences flowed directly from Ramsey’s knee injury. It ended a lengthy stay on the open market for the former first-round pick.
“I haven’t gone through that long of offseason without being on a team being signed,” Apple said. “It just took a lot of patience and hard work on my end and just continue to stay ready as much as I can for any opportunity.”
He said different teams had reached out throughout the offseason, but that he wanted to be patient and to wait for the right opportunity.
Coincidentally, he had been living and training in Miami. Which made it a lot easier for him to show up, work out, and get signed.
“I had no anticipation this offer would come,” Apple said. “I just like Miami. I like the weather and everything that comes with it. I was just training and trying to stay ready.”
Back to Hill, it sounds as if the new warm and fuzzy feelings are mutual.
“We were just talking a little bit,” Apple said of their interaction. “He was telling me about the guys on the defense and catching me up and introducing me to the coaches I hadn’t met yet. It was cool, it was a great introduction.”
And Apple prefers being on the same team with Hill to being on different teams.
“He’s definitely one of the most athletic athletes in the whole world,” Apple said. “Everyday going against him is going to make everybody better.”
Or it will make it easier when the time comes to cover someone without Hill’s skills in an actual game.
