Draft picks from Day One, Two and Three
Round 1 – Laremy Tunsil T
Round 2 – Xavian Howard CB
Round 3 – Kenyan Drake RB
Round 3 – Leonte Carroo WR
Round 6 – Tiny Jakeem Grant WR
Round 6 – Jordan Lucas S
Round 7 – Brandon Doughty QB
Round 7 – Thomas Duarte TE
Finsmob Unleashed 
Tunsil makes all of the other offensive picks better, because RT will have time to throw, which will allow the playbook to open up, and let all these guys do what they do.
RT will have more time to throw?? – – NOT with the guards currently on the roster unless you count throwing from a seated position.
I do think we should give Tannenbaum some credit for helping to assemble a great coaching staff.
Sports Illustrated’s take (sounds like several comments on this blog since yesterday):
“Overall, just a strange draft for the Dolphins, starting with Tunsil’s gas mask bong-induced drop to them at No. 13. They were wise to stop his slide right there, because he still could be the very best player in this class. (Hopefully, they keep him at left tackle despite saying they may try him at guard.) Everything else was a beauty-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder proposition. Was the highly inconsistent Howard worth trading up for in the second round? Was Drake the right call at RB when Kenneth Dixon, Devontae Booker and others were available? The Dolphins also traded up for Carroo, despite a rather well-stocked WR group and drafted 5′ 6″ slot guy Jakeem Grant. There may not be a safe pick in Miami’s entire class, which either will be a great thing or a terrible one down the line.”
You don’t have to draft the perfect guy, when taking scheme fit guys (its why NE can plug and play), but you have to get the right type of guy, this will minimize the risk in our draft class.
Lou,
I will consider this draft a success if, next year, we don’t have such a gigantic hole in our starting units that we need to desperately trade away potential because there is only ONE guy left in the draft at pick #38 that can do what we need to get done. That we can draft in confidence without the reek of previous poor decisions skewing our draft board. That we feel we have enough good players to not be so desperate.
Where you see desperation I see opportunity; opportunity to go get a guy who makes our team better. If we had traded up to get Jack maybe you would feel differently. We have holes on the team and there’s a lot of them and we weren’t going to fix everything in one draft or one offseason. But, if you’ve got a chance to fix something on the team you do it. I believe the team has a really good shot at having not only the o-line fixed but the entire offense for that matter. I think with what they were able to achieve in this draft you’re looking at an offense that can get to the point that it’s as good as any in the league.
We drafted a CB who was the best player available for us at that position who fits our scheme. We didn’t just move up to get a CB just to get a CB. If that was the case it would be different. If you’re just getting a guy to fill a hole then you’ve done it wrong but Howard was a target guy for the team and I believe he will turn out to be the right pick at that position. He’s got the skill set we need at that position in our scheme.
Same goes for Carroo. We lost 2 wr’s and we had Hazel and a bunch of no names fighting it out for the #4 spot. The team saw an opportunity to make our offense better than it was last year. If we were moving the ball consistently with what we had last year there would be no need to add the offensive weapons we added this year but we didn’t. 6 times we went 3 and out against the Jags in the 2nd half when all we needed was 3 pts to win the game and we couldn’t get into scoring position. So, the offense needed help and Carroo was a 2nd rd wr we went up and got in the 3rd rd. IMO we got better value for the Carroo pick then others got taking Coleman and Fuller in the 1st rd. They’ve got speed but they aren’t the complete package like Carroo is. So, again, where you see desperation I see opportunity. We had an opportunity in this draft to turn our offense into something that could be tough to stop if we gave Gase the players he needed to work within his scheme. I think we accomplished the goal.
Lou, in response to your post on trading up:
It’s like trying to time the stock market, the experts say don’t do it, so with that logic the experts say to trade up and get your guy.
Ok then sorry to have bothered everyone with my optimism, but I do see this off-season as an A and with Landry, Suh, and Parker already in place, we should be able to make a deep run in the playoffs if we can get these new pieces jelled and playmaking right out of the box.
PS: Ditto to whoever said Ragland seems like another Alabama system guy who will be ordinary in the pros.
I think we can too. Im really excited to see what this offense gets done this year. I want to beat the Pats without Brady…and then beat them with Brady. Woo!!!!!!
So you saw the hesitation too?
Carroo has no character issues.
OD, it’s likely that Tunsil plays LG to start. Gase said they envision him and Albert on the left side. Then there will be 3-4 guys competing at RG.
Let’s see what happens this yr, when the Cheats stack the box.
Do we have to splain everything to grampa 😉
Least one part of the draft was a shocker — six of eight on the O, including three of the top four and the top.
Except for injury, Tanny has no excuses next year.
It’s always been about protection for Tannehill, not that he didn’t have weapons. Now he has more. If we commit more to the running game and play better in pass pro we’re going to score a lot of points in my view.
if we commit more to running game? With what? Unless we pick up someone through trade,FA, or final cuts we will not have a running game this upcoming season again.
From what I saw this draft was not about committing to the running game. We took an RB that screams scat back and passing option.
how true. We will not have running game again. The kid from Alabama is exactly like Ajaki which is a scat back but we have Thomas who may fill role as every down back between the tackles. Maybe fourth time with different teams his light will come on.
True that, might be why Doughty was taken.
We also have much better depth at tackle now with Tunsil, Bushrod and Young who may or may not make the team now. Bushrod could also be in the mix to compete at RG with Urbik, Turner and Douglas. I think Thomas may have a hard time making the team this year,
Tim,
Tanny definitely isn’t perfect but i love getting a guy like Carroo to help him. Tunsil really solidified our OL which was a major issue for years. Im not so sure about RB but we have the fatties to make them look good either way. If we really run as much as Gase has before, this offense should average at least a TD more a game. That should be good for 2-3 wins easy.
Last yr when Ajayi was out, it was up to Miller to run the ball. Williams couldn’t do it, and I don’t remember who else we had, but they didn’t do it either. I don’t think we’ll have that problem this yr, because I see DT3 or Pead being able to run the ball, or even Drake. I’m not talking about averaging 4+ yards a carry, just being able to run the ball, so that the D can’t tee off on RT.
If we can get 2 dependable backs this year, then I think we are good. Should be easy considering it’s just RBs but I still can’t say for sure yet. The FA market is dry as hell though.
Hope so. 🙂
To get an A+ grade on your draft everything has to fall perfectly for you, which we know doesn’t happen, for the rest of the drafts you do what you think is best and don’t look back or worry about the grade someone is going to give you.
So the two LBs we signed as UDFAs are ILB James Burgess 6-0 229, Louisville, and OLB Tyler Gray 6-3 238, Boise State. Don’t know anything about them.
Oops I forgot ILB Akil Blount 6-2 245, FAMU.
Two excellent programs however, not like it was the LBs from Chadron State and Liberty.
Ajayi is going to be the #1 back and yes he can and does run between the tackles. Drake is more of a 3rd down back and versatile offensive weapon because he can line up as a receiver as well. We’ll see how the rest of the depth chart at RB pans out.
I’m thinking Ajayi in fantasy right now……especially after Tunsil and Drake picks. Guessing no one else will even know who he is.
They’ll know when they start reading starter options for each team.
Yeah he’ll be rated by the pros, but people like names they know.
ajayi can run between the tackles but what was his average. BELOW 2.54 yards I knew this question would come up.
Based on that little body of work is ridiculous and this is a different offense.
That low of an average tells more about the blocking than the RB. That is a “no hole” run there and if that is the average, then his blockers sucked.
I guess the team looking all off-season to find rb was a dream. A bad dream at that !
What fa rb’s are available and who might trade with us a rb that is trade-able because they have too many?
FA market is dry. Foster is best option and he’s injured(always injured too). Im sure someone has a back we could trade for but I’d almost go with a FA rookie first.
I would try out the guy from baltimore who has been out of football for 1.5 years. Rice I think.He’s proven and we have questionable character players already.
steve,
my point was the newsome was going to take tunsil. here is the link
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/15433848/social-media-video-kept-baltimore-ravens-drafting-laremy-tunsil-sixth-overall-pick
He only decided to take Stanley after this video came out. That means he didn’t know about it prior. Crier did. I think Crier and our scouts deserve credit for that. None of this was a surprise for them. Heck maybe they leaked it LOL
Grier not Crier, but yeah he does deserve some credit.
What does it say about Ozzie if he did not know something that huge about the best player at his most needed position?
Boulder, that’s what I said, from the reports I read the Ravens were going to take Tunsil.
Count Chocula speaks….and gives us a B+
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Bizarre circumstances, great player. Let’s just go with that for the short version of how the Dolphins ended up with arguably the single-best prospect in the draft all the way down at No. 13. Laremy Tunsil has so many natural gifts for the tackle position, it’s just now a matter of where he plays. Left side? Right side? Either way, if he’s on the field, Miami gets better.
Not many people know Xavien Howard, but that’s not much of a reach in Round 2 — he was going to go there. From there, this was all about getting Ryan Tannehill and Adam Gase more weapons. Kenyan Drake is Reggie Bush-lite, Leonte Carroo is a productive threat who can make catches down the field, and Jakeem Grant is a jitterbug who is electric in space if you can get him the ball. Thomas Duarte is one to watch, a hybrid wideout-tight end split who could develop.
The Dolphins didn’t do much for their defense, but they sure as heck tried to help their QB and ended up with a major steal early in the process.
Don’t sleep on Juwhan Edwards. Had we gone into the season with what we had on offense and not seeing what we just witnessed in the draft I would say Edwards was a dead man walking. However, with the way the draft went and the players we added to the team and the vision they seem to have for the offense I’d now say Edwards has a pretty good shot because his skill set is similar to what they saw in trying to bring in CJ Anderson. So, this year’s training camp is going to be interesting and while Damien Williams was a guy I wanted as an udfa in ’14 I think he’s going to have his work cut out for him.
well we do need 3 RBs, but maybe Duarte counts as half a RB and Grant counts as half a RB, so if we also keep two on the PS, we can get by with just two on the 53. I’d rather have Grant than Damien bumbling the ball on the kickoffs and Duarte rather than Damien slowly wandering downfield with the ball after a short catch.
Tim,
In regards to Burgess he was up in weight 2wks ago….237LBS. I wouldn’t be shocked if he ends up starting.
Really?
Yes…I’ve been pretty adamant on this with him. You don’t get a ton of individual game highlights on him so I went back to watch full Louisville games from the last 2yrs….and he’s excellent.
In response to Lou above, I think the Caroo pick was done, because Stills will be an FA next yr. I don’t think it was necessarily done, because of how the O performed last yr.
It’s funny that a lot of people on here worry about sustaining success in the future (if we ever get success), but when a pick comes along like Caroo they don’t like it.
Boulder/Naples,
I thought about that too, and it cause me to imagine one other potential way it played out: Ozzie knew, but couldn’t justify it PR-wise once the video actually got released to the public,
Based on his reputation I’d be a little surprised if an information gap existed between him and Grier on a top player.
what’s up Jahndoh. just killing time until game one of round two !! 🙂
I’m excited about Duarte btw. He’s my long shot favorite already this season. He was running away from defenders in the Pac-12. He’s got even better football speed than track speed IMHO.
Yeah, it’s hard to believe he fell to the 7th, or should I say was graded that low.
Stylistically he’s like Clay. Miami wanted to use Clay & Cameron together on O before his price tag blew up. They now have what they were searching for.
Also, I have to agree with Lou about the trade ups. Opportunistic moves vs desperation. Desperation would’ve been selling the farm for Harlan Miller in RD 2. Caroo was an absolute steal where they picked him up. He replaces the physicality we lost in Matthews. Big difference is he’s a better route runner than Rishard and has a more explosive element to his game. We were 1 injury away from having to depend on Hazel prior to the draft and he’s been the most inconsistent WR on our roster the last 2yrs & almost got cut last year.
I think Thomas Duarte is a Dallas Clark type, not a true TE but more of a wideout TE. He was projected as a 4th rd guy. Has 4.65 speed which can challenge LBs and Safeties.
Yes, a QBs best friend, a guy you dump the ball off to when no one is open. Cameron is a matchup nightmare, a guy you can’t stop (if the O wants to exploit it), a guy you just hope to contain. He’s the type that runs a route to the endzone and is covered and still makes the catch. Duarte won’t make those plays, but he’ll get open too, it’s just not as spectacular.
Possible numbers (depends somewhat on who plays STs)
K,P,LS = 3
Offense = 23
OL – 9 (We kept too few last yr and got burned with no back-up Center.)
QB – 2
WR – 6
TE – 3
RB – 3
tentative — Could keep only 5 WRs or only 8 OL to keep another LB for example
Defense = 27
S – 5
CB – 6
LB – 6
DT – 5
DE – 5
tentative — Could keep only 5 CBs or only 4 safeties to keep another LB for example
Ajayi is not a scatback. LOL
Who said he was?
Look below. LOL
if that makes you sleep better at night,so be it. He can’t run between tackles most of his yardage comes from outside of tackles. Why do you think the fins have tried to find a rb all off-season.
Because they don’t want to depend on one guy, they want a committee, Gase said that in an interview.
I was reading where also wants to lose 8-12 lbs from last year. If he was gonna do anything to benefit himself to be a go between the tackles he should look to gain 8-12 lbs from last year.
I don’t have the same concerns as you do about Ajayi.
Yeah no footage of him running inside or cutting it back inside and running with power. It’s just a mirage. LOL
oh yes. If that makes you feel better than so be it. They all seem llke the same type that they are pursuing this off season. Drake is very similar to Ajaki but again very low mileage and statistically unproven between the tackles.
R U kidding me one utube video of him. Again look up his averages that will give you a better feel for player.Statistics don’t lie.Why do u think team spent all off-season looking for RB.
Because they lost Miller and only had two others on the roster. Try to keep up will ya.
Yes sir Rhino! Thought of you much lately. It’s been a magical season. I won’t litter the board with Warriors talk, but I’ll say this: The Spurs last night were straight up dominant! Hope we can wrap this series up quickly and match their level of rest going into the conference finals!
Also, go Sharks! Exercised some demons vs. the Kings!
Spurs were indeed dominant. Gotta get healthy Curry before that series. Too bad Dubs didn’t get Clippers to duplicate Sharks “Bay over LA”. 🙂
who won the d league championship? I know the heat minor league team was in the championship against the laker d league team
Dbolt, why do you think Burgess went undrafted?
I think Newsome has plateaued or has been resting on his laurels for 3 years or so now. That happens you know. People get lazy / complacent. His last few drafts have not been good at all.
Dane Brugler of NFLDraftScout.com/CBS Sports names Drake one of the drafts five worst picks. And don’t blame shoot the messenger.
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Miami Dolphins — Kenyan Drake, RB, Alabama (73rd): The third running back taken wasn’t Kenneth Dixon, Devontae Booker or C.J. Prosise. There certainly are qualities to like: Start/stop athleticism and shifty feet. However, the negatives are tough to ignore and make it a curious pick.
Drake had the highest fumble rate of all the running backs in this class and lacks the size or power to be a consistent between-the-tackles runner. He is basically a wide receiver, but unless the quarterback throws the ball at his numbers, Drake has a tough time completing catches. He is best suited for a Theo Riddick role and can be an effective cog in an offense, but was drafted much earlier than expected.
Right and that’s why his own site had him as a 3-4 rd pick. These guys contradict themselves constantly,
He has a right to his opinion. I watched game tape and thought he also wasn’t much of an in between the tackles runner, but I don’t think that’s what the team has in mind for him. I see a big play 3rd down back, can keep a D honest on 3rd down with the draw play. We all know by now all the guys picked were done so to fill a certain need in the scheme.
Brugler on a national level is going to know something someone on the local level doesn’t?
Figure he has got to be the guy they bring in against the nickle package. Puts a lot on Ajay.
Dane Brugler also had this to say about the same prospect: Balanced off the snap and extends his hands to jam in press-man coverage.
He will find himself off-balance in press and needs to refine his technique
Not the college scout you are — is Sproles the right comparison for me to have in my mind?
i’d say it’s pretty close and Miami can probably use him in the same fashion. “fashion”. now there’s a word
I think any time you take it on a player by player basis you can look at a situation a certain way. I think if we went into this draft and came away heavy on D and took an o-linemen and Drake was the only offensive weapon we took then he may have something but when you take everything as a whole and think about how a player fits in an offensive scheme then you look at it differently. Nobody has seen the offense the Phins are going to run with this year but looking at the players they now have to work with you can get an idea it’s definitely not going to be anything like what we saw last season.
I agree, and Bugler has a point, if it was a general statement, but it wasn’t. These national guys always show their ignorance when they make these types of statements. The difference between them and us is, we look at what the team is doing as a whole and change our initial opinions (I felt the way Brugler does when the pick was made, not to the specific extent though). I say us, because I’ve seen lots of post here that back that up.
I don’t agree with the Stills assessment and the reason why is because Gase already said they plan on using him a lot more in the offense this year than he was used last year. When you have a guy like Stills you need to get him touches and I think he’s going to be a valuable part of the offense this year because he and Parker are both deep threats.
In addition, I DO think the reason why we did so much on the offensive side in the draft is because of how poorly we did on offense last season. We had weapons on the offensive side last year and still couldn’t move the ball consistently. We’ve got some interchangeable pieces this year but we’ve got a lot of complimentary pieces on offense now that make us much harder to figure out. There’s a lot of things we can do this year that we just couldn’t do last year and, again, if we were just going into the season with what we had last year and maybe upgraded the o-line in the draft and picked up a running back I’d say differently but when you look at it as a whole right now it’s going to be a lot different from what we saw last year.
Drafting Carroo was not an indictment on Stills. We didn’t have a clear 4th WR and Stills is a UFA next year so we protected ourselves there as well.
That’s what I said above, not sure who he’s responding to, but I assumed it was my post.
Yeah — you need four solid in this O. Otherwise you are shiot out of luck when one of the three goes down……and during the season at least one will. Until then you keep’m fresh while the top DBs play every down.
I agree. We want to be able to do certain things on offense and the addition of Carroo, along with others, allows us to do that
Glad that Matakevich got drafted. He went to my high school
It is possible to grade a draft and then go back and re-grade to results of it. There are ways to judge the selections outside of knowing the results.
We now have dangerous guys all over the field, I expect the division rivals to beef up their secondary next draft 😉 Like they all did with NTs after Ricky ran wild that yr.
Don’t get ahead of yourself. We got a way to go before other teams in the AFC plan their draft against what we do. Only one team that gets the cred on that one now.
Jetssuck, by the way it’s Ajayi, not Ajaki and all you need to do is look at the tape. So ignore it if that keeps you up at night. LOL
y and k are close by. My keyboard keys are also sticking so I have to replace it sooner than later. My next big project but its on my list.Tim looking at the tape is for Indy not choosing players after they are in NFL. Eye test and statistics don’t lie. I don’t stay up at night but I am up early out of habit. Maybe I need stronger stuff.
I have no idea what you mean by Indy. I just showed you tape of him doing what you say he can’t do so that’s on you. The tape don’t lie.
He also didn’t rush for over 1,800 yards in 2014 at Boise State running exclusively outside. Being able to bounce runs outside for big gains isn’t a negative by the way. That’s how Miller broke a ton of big runs.
man I thought you would say that. You are very predictable today or should I say when you are protecting a player.Look it up I even provided you a link. Under 2.54 yards a carry inside.
Tim…I think in regards to Burgess it was the size issue partnered with him not being a Deion Jones type of athlete. He also had Rankins playing in front of him on the DL. The thing that I really like with him is he is excellent in coverage, a good blitzer, a very good tackler, and plays off the lanes opened up by the DTs. He could excel playing off SUH.
Well that would be great if we found another promising UDFA LB. 🙂
jetsssuck says:
May 1, 2016 at 12:22 pm
R U kidding me one utube video of him. Again look up his averages that will give you a better feel for player.Statistics don’t lie.Why do u think team spent all off-season looking for RB.
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Statistics don’t lie, do I need to say any more?
Man the old guys sure are crotchety today. OD I’m surprised that getting the best O-lineman in the draft didn’t flip your skirt. And jetssuck come it’s 2016 no one runs the ball anymore.
no one runs the ball anymore. How about all most the whole league runs more than we do.I’m not old either 58 is very young.
^all or most
What he means is the game has changed to more passing by a lot. Only 7 RBs rushed for over 1,000 yards last year when it used to be in the 20s.
http://espn.go.com/nfl/statistics/player/_/stat/rushing
Stanger, what do you think about Neil Walker’s start? He’s a fans favorite now. He’s already made plays at 2B and turned double plays Murphy would have botched. LOL
How’s Neise doing I haven’t kept track of him?
This is priceless:
ProfessorLou
@UolRosseforp
in 2013, Jeff Ireland used a 4th, 5th and 7th rd pick to move back into the 3rd rd and pick Will Davis b/c he was afraid of a run on db’s.
Fake Jeff Ireland @Jeff_Ireland · 43m43 minutes ago
Fake Jeff Ireland Retweeted ProfessorLou
They originally only wanted a 4th and 7th but I asked them to take the 5th as well. Needed more prep for the 6th rd.
It’s priceless, because it’s possible 😉
Chris Kouffman
@ckparrot
“At the end of the day, I’ll hand your ankles back to ya.” -Jakeem Grant.
Actually on Ireland, he was the value man, always had to get value or he wouldn’t trade. What he didn’t seem to realize was the chart was just a reference. For example, when there’s a guy you must have available and you want to trade up it’s ok to give a little more to get him.
An example of that would be for someone to trade up to our #13 and take Tunsil.
that’s why he threw in the 5th rd pick in the trade for Davis because he looked at the chart and said, “no, I’m not giving you enough so, here, take our 5th too”.
By comparison look at just 5 years ago with RBs rushing for over 1,000 yards. There were 17 in 2010 compared to just 7 in 2015.
http://espn.go.com/nfl/statistics/player/_/stat/rushing/sort/rushingYards/year/2010
yes the league has changed to a passing league but running the ball and having a balance attack will get you further. How many playoff teams ran the ball more us? By the way with that DB you can look up the average per carry against the other RB players. But statistics don’t lie….but they can be manipulated I guess you will say.
Nobody is saying don’t run the ball and have balance. It’s just a much more by committee approach these days and less rushes compared to more pass attempts throughout the league.
Those of us who play FF have seen the change when looking for RBs.
When you have two guys at the top it’s much harder to make the strange types of picks that Jerry Jones makes. I believe them when they say the picks are done by committee, everyone or at least the majority have to agree.
what happened to studemeyer with miami heat? He lost all minutes after 3rd game and he hasn’t got any minutes since game 3.
Jestsuck, whatever man I’m not digging your subtle jabs in the discussion. Agree to disagree and there are so many factors in YPCA. If you want ignore trends so be it. We’ll see how it plays out. This discussion has run its course for me.
agree to disagree. I hope you don’t think I am taking jams at you personally because I respect your opinions. Now I can sleep better knowing you agree with me.LOL
Woohoo! Tunsil was a steal.
Getting his password took a lot of dedication on my part, but it was worth the effort. I hope you all appreciate how sneaky I had to be and how long I had to go undercover to make this happen.
THANK YOU SIR!
LOL
It almost looks like a giant ape hiding behind that tree… Nah couldn’t be
Thanks Cav
I think we really have to wait and see just what Gase’s vision is with these guys. Initially it looks like he went for guys who have the potential to win one-on-one matchups….sort of what you would expect in his matchup oriented offense. I don’t really like how the draft unfolded, but I can see the logic in the picks. Whether or not any of these guys actually performs as hoped is to be determined.
***
I think Tunsil is close to a sure thing really good player. Everyone else…we’ll see. There’s always potential. Still, Tannehill is the tigger man. A lot is going to be put on his plate to make all these pieces work by making quick, decisive reads and putting the ball where it needs to be. I am not trying to rip the kid….just saying the QB has a lot to manage in this sort of offense. It’s gonna take some time to get this thing running on all cylinders.
All of the above. This team is going to be a very different team in both personnel and coaching so it’s all new and exciting as well. Let’s hope we get it right and have some fun watching them this season. 🙂
Tannehill will be fine, if he doesn’t have guys draped all over him, that’s why our record is 7-1 when our top 3 OL start and finish the game.
one of the funniest comments I read about our draft (specifically getting Tunsil):
“sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good [at drafting]” lol
I can’t argue with that, but you have to be good enough to know when to pull the trigger.
taum believes in automatic instead of revolver also.
3-13 Waaaaaa
If the draft is any indication we should be more fun to watch this year trying to outscore everyone 40-34.
Backing up what Dbolt said about ILB James Burgess.
Burgess, a product of Homestead High, started 42 games during his career at Louisville, and had 282 tackles and seven interceptions over his college career.
He finished second on the Cardinals with 92 tackles (9.5 tackles for loss) last season. He also had an interception.
The 6 feet, 236-pound Burgess, who ran a 4.53 time in the 40-yard dash at his Pro Day, will likely work at inside linebacker for the Dolphins, and will compete with Neville Hewitt, Zach Vigil, Mike Hull, Spencer Paysinger and Michael-James Johnson for one of the seven or eight linebacker spots on Miami’s 53-man roster.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-dolphins/sfl-dolphins-sign-two-south-florida-standout-as-undrafted-rookie-free-agents-20160501-story.html
^^^
Burgess, a product of Homestead High, started 42 games during his career at Louisville, and had 282 tackles and seven interceptions over his college career.
He finished second on the Cardinals with 92 tackles (9.5 tackles for loss) last season. He also had an interception.
The 6 feet, 236-pound Burgess, who ran a 4.53 time in the 40-yard dash at his Pro Day, will likely work at inside linebacker for the Dolphins, and will compete with Neville Hewitt, Zach Vigil, Mike Hull, Spencer Paysinger and Michael-James Johnson for one of the seven or eight linebacker spots on Miami’s 53-man roster.
LOL, see one minute ahead of you.
steveccnv says:
May 1, 2016 at 1:53 pm
Tannehill will be fine, if he doesn’t have guys draped all over him, that’s why our record is 7-1 when our top 3 OL start and finish the game.
Reply
^^^ yeah, what he said!!!
https://twitter.com/MDCheer/status/726809343937662977
UDFA?
Ultimately delightful firm A$$?
from Jimmy DynOmite Walker
Dolphins likely gained four starters
Dolphins vice president Mike Tannenbaum made it clear before the draft that the team is not one player away. The team knows there is distance between the Dolphins and contending teams, and used that approach to land at least four Week 1 starters from this draft. Tunsil and second-round pick Xavien Howard are expected to start at guard and cornerback, respectively. Miami also made an offseason trade with the Philadelphia Eagles to swap the No. 8 and No. 13 picks that sent veteran linebacker Kiko Alonso and cornerback Byron Maxwell to the Dolphins. Tunsil, Howard, Alonso and Maxwell are all starters the team didn’t have on the roster two months ago.
Offensive explosiveness and influence
Six of eight draft picks by Miami this year were on offense. Was this a coincidence? Not likely. The Dolphins’ front office did a solid job of giving rookie head coach Adam Gase and his coaching staff an infuse in offensive talent that provides depth, fills holes and adds explosiveness. Gase has a strong offensive pedigree and is bringing a new scheme to Miami, but he needs the right players. The Dolphins drafted Tunsil to solidify the offensive line, which has been a longtime problem. They added running back Kenyan Drake, who averaged 6.4 yards per carry at Alabama and will be a good change of pace with bruiser Jay Ajayi. Leonte Carroo and Jakeen Grant also add depth at receiver and provide a boost on special teams and the return game.
He’s clueless, nothing he says makes any sense.
He gives the team a B+ yet a thumbs down for the Tunsil pick.
They still didn’t get four starters from the draft though. Alonso and Maxwell are more like free agents. They come with hefty cap numbers.
Alonso’s cap is under a million, what do you consider hefty?
When you consider Alonso and Maxwell for $2M more than Grimes would’ve cost it doesn’t seem too hefty.
Alonso is still on his rookie 2nd rd deal, not at all hefty at $991,418.
It’s looked at as part of the draft because it was a move with a draft pick and Maxwell and Alonso don’t count as a FA signings – keeping our comp picks next year in tact.
Fine — btwn the two there is a cost, and yes Alonso’s is less.
And btw — funny how neither of you mentioned Maxwell. Point was in those moves we added cap.
http://www.thephinsider.com/2016/5/1/11548968/mel-kiper-draft-grade-miami-dolphins-laremy-tunsil-xavien-howard
Kyper B+
Miami Dolphins, A-
https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2016/04/30/draft-2016-nfl-draft-grades-for-all-32-teams/
Tim Knight says:
May 1, 2016 at 12:34 pm
Stanger, what do you think about Neil Walker’s start? He’s a fans favorite now. He’s already made plays at 2B and turned double plays Murphy would have botched. LOL
How’s Neise doing I haven’t kept track of him?
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Tim — not in surprised in the least that Walker is a fan favorite……he was in Bucs land too. Off to a real fast start, and a surprising one. Hope he keeps it up even if I doubt at that level at least.
Neise is doing OK, about what what we expected (looks like an OK #3 or #4 starter. But then they knew Walker was the better player when they made the trade. The Bucs just couldn’t afford to keep him and tried to get something for him. Way it works with them.
Miami Dolphins Grade: B+
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/draft/2016/04/30/nfl-draft-grades-picks-class-analysis-rounds/83771600/
Miami Dolphins Grade B-
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/nfl-draft-scout/25573290/afc-east-grades-for-2016-nfl-draft-the-patriots-get-lowest-mark
Draft grades are just perception, but it seems like when you take known players or skill players you get a higher grade. This draft is different, because of Tunsil.
Miami Dolphins: C+ Grade
http://walterfootball.com/nfldraftgradesteam.php
Well he had us drafting Andrew Billings in the 1st at #8 at the time and he went in the 4th rd to the Bengals. LOL
Need I say more?
This is all you have to read to discredit that site:
2nd round trade up: it was for Xavien Howard. However, it wasn’t a necessary move, considering all of the cornerbacks still available.
BTW, not one person from the dolphins organization has said Tunsil will start at OG, and even in the presser which happened AFTER the supposed announcement that he would play guard. Not Gase nor Tbaum nor Tunsil said any decisions had Benn made in that regard. Right now it’s back writers coming to that conclusion and announcing it as fact.
I’m pretty sure I heard it from Gase, within 24 hours of the selection.
It wasn’t Gase, just went and watched the press conference and he says, they’re going to play the best 5, so you are correct D.
Too one hack to start it in Armando, then Omar, Walker, Hyde, etc etc just start parroting the same shit
I’ll believe it when the first official depth chart is announced by the team
I pull out my winkie and wave it in a grand and condescending manner at your draft grades!
emphasis on offense could very well be as simple as time of possession is the best medicine for our ‘older’ defense (specifically Williams and Wake).
I agree, it’s what killed the D last yr. They’d get a 3 and out and our O would do the same.
Heat with 5:36 left in the 3rd are in real trouble 😉 They’re leading 74-46.
D,
I wouldn’t put anything past Tbaum. I could see him getting rid of Albert and throwing Tunsil out there even as has been suggested. I think everything is on the table with Tbaum in control.
That would shock me. I don’t see it. I think it’s a matter of which plays outside and which plays inside. I think Tunsil plays inside to start and then will be our LT for years to come.
I don’t agree Randy, Mike seems to run stuff through a committee, when dealing with players. I haven’t heard anything about him Obamaing anything (executive decision).
draft grades are a poster’s affirmation or condemnation… it’s simply looking at ‘opinions’ outside this blog. 😉
^aren’t
I think there may be a stronger probability of James playing G but I’m sure Tunsil could play LG because he’s that athletic
I was contemplating options as well. Albert, Pouncey, James, and now Tunsil are the four best linemen… It’s up to the coaches to find a way to get the best combination that puts all four on the field.
Depends on how Albert feels. Part of the dynamic is that he is cuttable after this season. His price of like $9 mil actually ain’t that much for a LT, but then we just got the best one of those in the draft.
When drafted I thought James would move to G, Tunsil is for sure a better tackle than him, I just don’t know how he’ll do on the right side.
I see ajayi as filling the Jeremy Langford role from Gase’s offense last year and Drake probably playing the Forte roll. Drake is a much better overall back than some here are giving credit to. He will fill whatever role you guys thought Miller would because he us pretty comparable to him.
Stanger, that’s what Neise is a 3rd or 4th starter and a 5th on a really good staff.
And that is what we got out of the trade, but then Ray Searage has only started to do his magic with him. His ERA is not what you would like but the kid is still 3-0.
Cool!
If anyone comes in as a 3rd down back/WR hybrid it’s that little fucker we took in the 6th
I don’t get the Drake/Forte comparison. I think Ajayi will be more the bell cow. I think Grant will be a slot and screen guy like Sproles.
So what role did Miller have if he stayed….
He would have been the bell cow.
Ultimately, they’re gonna throw Tunsil out there and see what he can do at both guard and tackle. He’ll be part of the competition. If he shows he’s got what it takes in the classroom and during practice, they’ll play him. Simple as that.
I agree, I think he is going to be given the chance to win that spot. No way they just go OK you yare the guard…even before the first practice
I bet he starts somewhere no matter what.
I can still see two things happening before long. 1. signing a veteran running back either a FA or in a trade and 2. signing a vet to shore up a spot on defense either thru FA or trade. My money is on getting a FA running back from those remaining and a vet defender in a trade that gives us another guy who solidifies the D; more than likely a LB. But, that’s just me.
As far as getting rid of Albert goes, I don’t see it happening right now because we just came out of the draft acquiring all of those assets on the offensive side and I really thing they’re not going to do anything to mess up what they’ve got right now.
Getting rid of Albert would have happened in the draft. Even if Tunsil wins LT, then I expect to see Albert somewhere on the OL, I expect LG, he was one before moving to OT
I don’t know why you’d sign DT3, since Gase knows him, and Pead, if they were planning on getting another vet RB.
Tim/steve
I wasn’t suggesting I liked the idea. I’ve said already that I’d keep Albert. I was just saying I do think Tbaum has shown in the past that he will do the unexpected. That’s all I was saying.
I wasn’t saying you liked the idea, I was saying I don’t see Mike doing something like that.
Jim Thomas @jt350
@OmarKelly there are more players in Pro Football Hall of Fame who were never drafted than there are 1st-rounders: http://bit.ly/1rKKzOS
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This was actually from what Pat Kirwan said originally.
It’s also stupid, because most of the guys in there are from an era when you could find guys that no one knew about. In the info era that doesn’t happen often. It really has no affect on today’s game.
Nobody’s gonna throw Tunsil anywhere!
He’s gonna strut out and take the spot he wants to play this year!!! 😉
If we get rid of Albert I’ll be as pissed with this team as I’ve ever been. It’s the most ridiculous thing they can do. So you have OL issues forever, then you think you’ve finally solved them only to get rid of one of the staples. Absolutely a retarded idea. Now, if you get back in a trade Herschel type of compensation, then that’s another thing, but that’s not happening, so…
To me Albert seems like the kind of guy who will put his arm around Tunsil and mentor the young man. It’s a really good situation for him.
Randy, I watched some video of Tunsil and even though it’s a LT he did a nice job sealing off his man or pushing him back in the run game. I think he can slide over to LG to start his career and be better than what we’ve had. He can really move and his size and strength alone helps him.
Albert was traded because he refused to play G in KC. So, there’s that. I’d say maybe he still feels the same because they called him to let him know he was still going to be the LT when they drafted Tunsil.
Yeah, I don’t think it’s a question of whether or not Tunsil starts; just where he plays. They are probably going to try him a couple spots to see where he fits best. But as far as being a starter i’d tend to believe he’s pretty close to being penciled in. Something strange would need to happen. He’s getting first crack.
You sign DT3 and Pead to get some rb’s on your roster for camp and you wait until something else comes along. Neither of these guys are guaranteed a roster spot just because they were signed. They could still be interested in Foster, which is what I’m seeing, and if that happens on of these two are gone. Rosters get churned all the time and guys come and go. Pead hasn’t done anything since coming into the league. Camp bodies.
This is probably where Miami reporters are getting their “info” of Tunsil at LG:
http://www.rotoworld.com/teams/depth-charts/NFL.aspx
Tim,
It’s completely different blocking inside. I’m not saying he can’t do it. I think he’s gonna need a little seasoning inside where the big boys live.
Fair enough but he’s really talented.
they project tackles to play inside all the time at the next level so I don’t think it’s as big a deal as you think it may be. the bigger issue is taking a guy who’s play his entire college career on the left and move him to the right because it’s not as easy a transition. but, you hear guys all the time talking about tackles who project better as guards at the next level.
steve
Yep, I got that. I was just trying to respond to both you and Tim at the same time. I’m a lazy ass.
You know what, Albert may be more willing to move to LG now that he got his LT contract. Some food for thought.
I think we’re gonna have fun with our “tiny” speed demon. (how about “waterbug” for a nickname. lol):
Trindon Holliday, 5’5″
Darren Sproles, 5’6″
Jacquizz Rodgers, 5’6″
Maurice Jones-Drew, 5’7″
Brandon Banks, 5’7″
Ray Rice, 5’8″
Dexter McCluster, 5’8″
Wes Welker, 5’8″
Doug Martin, 5’9″
Mark McMillian, 5’7″
Bob Sanders, 5’8″
Barry Sanders, 5’8″
http://thebiglead.com/2016/03/16/video-jakeem-grant-40-yard-dash-time-appears-confirmed-at-4-12-seconds/
I really think that good coaching will be a huge difference maker this year. It’s going to have to be, because while we may have improved our offense, and i think we definitely worked hard to, we didn’t really do a lot to improve the defense. We may have been content with what we had, or possibly just not in the right place to get more help for the defense, we’ll probably never know. If the greater majority of us here are honest, I think we’d admit we expected more defense in the draft, a lot more.
In any case, improving the offense will help the defense too. The more points we score on offense, and the more we’re able to stay on the field on offense, that helps the defense too, and puts much more pressure on opposing offenses too. I don’t what to expect from our defense, i really don’t. I don’t see us having a lot of playmakers in the front 7, and of course, I have no idea besides Maxwell who is starting at CB. Going to be very interesting in training camp and the preseason to see what direction we go with the CB’s, and how Tunsil fits in on the O-line.
I think Carroo will definitely be given chances to be on the field a lot, and from what I saw from Stills, that’s a good thing. I also think Duarte if he makes the team, should hep as a mismatch TE/WR. Putting him and Cameron on the field (hopefully using Cameron as a decoy (LOL!), can open up things for Duarte. 🙂
I think we did do quite a bit on defense. We added 10 overall – 2 thru trade, 6 thru FA and 2 from the draft. 6 potential new starters.
I’m talking about the draft. I know we made the trade for Maxwell and Alonso, I wasn’t in Siberia, and I know the FA’s we added.
I’m not counting PS carryovers, off the street types and UDFAs.
Tim
You’ve been here for the last few months, I think we all expected to be drafting more defense. That’s what I’m talking about. I’m aware of the pre-draft moves, thanks for reminding me. 🙂
I just hope they keep Carroo on leash and he avoids trouble
Is that legal?
Only if it comes with a spiked collar
Mike, that is why we didn’t go defense heavy in the draft, we addressed it in those ways and opened up the draft for offense and Tunsil changed things. We might have gone defense at #13 if he wasn’t there.
If you say so. Adding a guy who is still not back to his rookie playing form as the only move to upgrade what was an awful LB corps is a bit questionable. Also, our quality of depth at both DE and CB is questionable too. If they’re banking on Lippett being ready, while I think that’s cool, it’s pretty risky. We also have to hope that Jenkins and Misi can stay healthy,because last year and almost all of Misi’s career, he hasn’t.
They are obviously not banking on Lippett. We traded for a CB and drafted 2
Tim
I’m not counting UDFA’s either, because in all likelihood, most of them will be gone in the mid summer cuts, if they last that long.
new starters for 2016:
Gase, Vance, Clyyyyde — better at HC,DC, OC — That is HUUUUGe.
Drake — Scatback — replacing Lamar — a wash or slight downgrade
Tunsil — LG — r u f’n KIDDIN’ me??? #1 overall pick vs. Dallas third round slow developer Thomas
Duarte — H-Back — replacing Clay — wait it took a yr but — wash
Caroo — Possession WR — replacing Rishard — wash
Mario — DE — replacing OV — upgrade
Branch — DE — replacing Shelby — upgrade
Alonso — MLB — replacing a doughnut hole — huge upgrade
IAQ — SS — replacing committee — moderate upgrade
Byron — #2 CB — replacing Jamar and half a McCain — 100% upgrade
Xavien — #1 CB — replacing Brent — slight downgrade (Bonus: no Miko-mouth)
Human Highlight Reel Grant — KO returns — replacing Damien “Do I run it out?” — slight upgrade
Did I skip anyone?
Oh yeah a roof over our players and not theirs. — upgrade
Carroo is not replacing Matthews. Parker replaced Matthews after Matthews got hurt. Parker made Matthews expendable.
Matthews was never a #1 type WR; he was just there until Parker got well. Matthews is a Anquan type possession guy and so is Caroo, which I label the #3 WR. Stills is also a #1 WR and Landry is a #2 type.
I’m not speaking chronologically.
Ya can’t fix everything in one year. This team had lots of holes going into this past offseason. I don’t think we were gonna get them all addressed in one offseason. They brought in a bunch of players…now the weeding out process starts. More than likely, we’ll still have a hole or two even after that process. Hopefully, some of these guys step up.
LMAO @ weeding out – Very cute Randy, even if you didn’t mean it that way. 🙂
Naples
Mario is effectively replacing Wake, not OV. Branch is replacing OV.
Williams has played the right side too. Don’t be surprised to see them both on the field at the same time. You’re going to see some mixing and matching on the DL.
OK, but who’s likely starting where?
Are you gonna be the one to tell Wake that someone is replacing him?
Mario was brought in to replace OV.
How is Parker replacing Matthews? Parker is our #1 receiver. Landry is our go everywhere #2, and I think Carroo will be our #3.
Last year Parker replaced Matthews when Matthews got injured. Parker made Matthews expendable.
that was just trying to get the best guys on the field, Matthews was never that speed deep type WR as Parker is.
Mike, most players coming off of season ending surgeries are mended in the 2nd year off of it which is where both Alonso and Albert are. I doubt Jenkins still has a high ankle sprain etc. now as well. So that’s promising.