Who’s in Your Draft Class?

Figure four years after you graduated High School to determine which NFL Draft you would have been a part of had you been a good enough football player to be considered.  For me it would be the 1986 Draft. Although I was as fast as a deer and hit like a truck they weren’t looking for me. The draft in ’86 was twelve rounds long and the league at the time consisted of only 28 teams. Let’s see who was the best player from that draft, let’s see who the Dolphins came away with and who was largely thought to be the biggest bust of that draft.

Determining who the best player from the ’86 draft was is tricky because the first pick in the draft was Bo Jackson 14732425-mmmainwho without question was the greatest athlete from that draft but he never played for the poor Tampa Bay Bucs who drafted him. Jackson went on to play baseball for the Kansas City Royals before becoming a two-sport hero when he began his NFL career as a member of the Oakland Raiders.

Other candidates for “best” player from the ’86 draft include:

1st rounders – Tony Casillas, Leslie O’Neal

2nd rounders – Ernest Givens, Pepper Johnson

3rd rounders – Pat Swilling, Tim McKyer

How about 8th rounders Ray Brown of St. Louis who played in a whopping 262 games or Seth Joyner of the Eagles?

It’s a tough one to answer.

The ’86 draft featured Dolphin favorite Keith Byars who went to the Eagles with the 10th pick and later came to Miami as a FA acquisition.

Without a first round pick the Dolphins first pick came at pick 52 where Dolphin great John Offerdahl was selected. His career was cut short due to injury or he may have easily vied for contention as the greatest player from the ’86 draft.52727acef07d4-image

T.J. Turner DE and James Pruitt WR were the 3rd and 4th round picks who both had decent careers.

Kevin Wyatt, Brent Sowell, Larry Kolic and John Stuart were 5,6,7,8 respectively. A bunch of blah nothing. John Stuart never played in a game.

Round 9 turned up a nice player who had a decent career in Reyna Thompson.

Jeff Wickersham, Arnold Franklin and Ricky Isom at 10, 11 and 12 complete the WHO? factor. Wickersham is a local product from Merritt Island, Fl.

The biggest bust of the 1986 draft is pretty easy to answer however, at pick 12 the Lions selected QB Chuck Long from Iowa. 67463614ded522d7f1e2e4761727ffdaBUST!

Ouch!!

#lionssuckatdrafting

#chuckdidntlastlong

#lastiowaqbdraftedearly?

#notevenaquestion

 

Amidst all the political and Mets talk I thought I’d go down memory lane a bit while our current Fins are out there in OTA’s grinding and bonding. I’m a sucker every year for it but I have to say I like the things I am hearing thus far. I feel like Suh is being handled properly. I feel like this coaching staff is “reaching” the players and the players seem to be buying in.

temp060116-ota-ag-27-nfl_mezz_1280_1024

 

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730 Responses to Who’s in Your Draft Class?

  1. naplesfan2010's avatar naplesfan2010 says:

    Not only that, but we got a ton of other picks from trades and such and drafted 13 (THIRTEEN !!!) other players that year and NONE of them ever played any significant minutes for Miami. Almost all of them never made it out of training camp.

    Truly one of the most horrible drafts ever compiled by any team ever in any sport.
    Except that …

  2. steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

    Here’s a Yogi-ism that signifies Philbin’s stay in Miami:
    You’ve got to be very careful if you don’t know where you are going, because you might not get there.

  3. naplesfan2010's avatar naplesfan2010 says:

    Ok last hint:
    We had the very last pick of all that yr, but it was before the Mr. Irrelevant award was invented. No one special.
    But the other two picks we had that yr were awesome … one was a great back-up and one was a 12 yr starter and a multi yr. pro-bowler. From the 5th and 6th rounds.

  4. son of a son of a shula's avatar son of a son of a shula says:

    Naples, I’m confounded bro I can’t find any draft history scenario that plays like you described. Unless you are even older than what I guessed earlier ’75 possibly?

  5. Rockphin's avatar Rockphin says:

    Randall Hill & Bryan Cox

  6. Ken's avatar Ken says:

    First Mr. Irrelevant was awarded in 1976 so that puts some context to Naples hint

  7. Ken's avatar Ken says:

    It is either 71 or 73.

  8. D's avatar D says:

    Jason Taylor and Sam Madison

  9. steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

    1973

    • steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

      Drafthistory.com has our first 3 players in 1973 listed as C OG and WR. NFL.com has those same 3 players, but listed at other positions. We also way more that 13 picks, so the clues were quite misleading.

  10. steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

    Was thinking how lucky the Donkies were to have gotten Peyton, but luck had nothing to do with it. They got him, because of Elway and being a top notch organization. We missed out on Harbaugh, Peyton, and Fisher, because we were a joke. Last year we got Suh, this year Gase, I think our “luck” is changing.

    • steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

      I think Tannenbaum, as much as some don’t like him, gives us credibility. Gase will soon, if he hasn’t already, surpass him though. Cameron stayed, because of Gase.

    • naplesfan2010's avatar naplesfan2010 says:

      ^ ^ We have him now.

    • steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

      A lot of that can be attributed to RG3 and the read option. Was thinking that we aren’t running, but not sure we’re not, so there’s a new wrinkle I didn’t see happening this year. An ESPN article today talks about how hard the read option is to defend. The writer wants to see more of it in the NFL. Could be useful in spurts.

  11. naplesfan2010's avatar naplesfan2010 says:

    Well it was a great draft for other teams, just not us.
    In the first round alone the following were drafted:
    WR – Isaac Curtis and Darryl Stingley (poor guy)
    RB – Sam the Bam Cunningham and Chuck Foreman
    TE – Billy Joe Dupree and Charlie Young
    OL – John Hannah and Jerry Sisemore and Joe deLamielleure (with our pick but he went to Buffalo)
    DL – Dave Butz and Wally Chambers
    QB – #2 overall Bert Jones
    and #1 overall that year DE John Matuszak the truly insane guy from the University of Tampa (They don’t even have football there anymore, although the campus is beautiful.)

    Our only good picks were
    super back-up Don Strock and the incomparable Jewish lawyer OG Ed Newman.

  12. naplesfan2010's avatar naplesfan2010 says:

    Also we have hired Shawn Jefferson who got 29 TDs in the NFL, is from Jacksonville and UCF so he knows the heat and humidity, and is (secretly?) credited with developing Calvin Johnson into Megatron.

  13. steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

    On D we know we’ll be playing a base 4-3, will be using the wide9 on some obvious passing downs, a press man coverage, things will be changed around to get Suh favorable matches, so he can wreak havoc, and the safeties are interchangeable.

    On O, we know they want up tempo at times, but not necessarily to get plays off every 12 seconds, the TEs will be a big part of the O, a stable of backs will be used, and the WRs are learning all the spots to allow guys to move around.

    Will we use the read option, since Chris Foerster used it very successfully with the Redskins?

    You stop something on our offense this year we should switch to something different, like the cheats do when they fall behind. Good bye vanilla, schemes/planning/half time adjustments.

  14. naplesfan2010's avatar naplesfan2010 says:

    Steve
    not sure why you think hints should not be a little misleading … That’s why they are known as “hints” instead of “the answer.”

    • steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

      To say we had 13 other draft picks, 13 + the first 3 you mentioned, when we had 20 is somehow a hint? The positions you mentioned also weren’t really a fact. I don’t know where you went to school, but my definition of a hint is a FACT about the answer.

      • naplesfan2010's avatar naplesfan2010 says:

        I said we had 13 others who never played any meaningful minutes for us plus the first 3 who had also never played. Then I said there were 2 famous ones which would be a dead giveaway to reveal. Plus I said there was one guy who played a tiny bit but got no stats, who I mentioned.
        That is 13+3+2+1=19
        So there is the 20. 17 rounds plus we had 4 in the Seventh Round = 20 picks but only 19 players, because we traded away our pick in the first round, which I stated right up front.

        So what I said is factually exactly correct.

      • steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

        You can’t just expect us to add all of that shit up that wasn’t part of hint 3. Are you one of those people that has a problem admitting when you’re wrong?

  15. Ken's avatar Ken says:

    Naples isn’t he has just ripened with age

  16. naplesfan2010's avatar naplesfan2010 says:

    1. (traded) rnd 1
    2. C Chick Bradley rnd 2
    3. OG Leon Gray rnd 3
    4. WR Bo Rather rnd 4
    5. QB Don Strock rnd 5
    6. OG Ed Newman rnd 6
    7. LB Kevin Reilly rnd 7
    8. RB Benny Shepard rnd 7
    9. WR Willie Hatter rnd 7
    10. RB Tom Smith rnd 7
    11. DE Archie Pearmon rnd 8
    12. DT Karl Lorch rnd 9
    13. DE Ron Fernandes rnd 10
    14. C Chris Kete rnd 11
    15. LB Mike Mullen rnd 12
    16. RB Joe Booker rnd 13
    17. RB Greg Boyd rnd 14
    18. TE Bill Palmer rnd 15
    19. DE James Jackson rnd 16
    20. WR Charlie Wade rnd 17

  17. naplesfan2010's avatar naplesfan2010 says:

    The numbers were mathematically correct, and the positions were also as correct as I could ascertain.
    Not sure how I offended you, but I’ll buy you a Stella anyway for your troubles.

  18. naplesfan2010's avatar naplesfan2010 says:

    To have 20 picks and miss on 18 and only get a back-up QB and an OG as the only starter and have everybody else be completely worthless to our team has got to be the worst draft in history.

    And I take full responsibility, since it was my draft year.

    The irony of it all is that it was right during our 3 Super Bowls in a row streak.
    Thereby proving … I’m not sure what.

    • steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

      What it proves is we had so much talent on the team that these draft picks couldn’t penetrate the roster. This is when Shula should’ve pulled a Tannenbaum and traded up.

  19. steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

    Reshad with no leverage is considering holing out all year.

    https://www.profootballrumors.com/2016/06/reshad-jones-considering-season-long-holdout

    If he doesn’t want to play just let him sit out, then next year he can sit out again, and we’ll see who pays him $10M+ in 2018 after he’s been out for 2 yrs, and we’ll see if he has $1.8M to pay back the team for his roster bonuses for 2016 and 2017. it’s not like he’s an FA and can get more money that way.

  20. naplesfan2010's avatar naplesfan2010 says:

    The name Megatron was not applied to Calvin Johnson in college. He went to Georgia Tech, same as one of my sons. He was great in college it is true. But …

    I compare the coaching value of Shawn Jefferson to that which Michael Jordan received. Would he have been a great NBA player anyway? No doubt. Would he have won 6 titles without that coach? I think not.

    Now we have the coach who was Calvin’s position coach during his entire career except the last two years. I think that is awesome.

    • steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

      Jordan’s coach, Phil Jackson built the team around him and did what the others before him failed to do, win a championship, so you’re correct about that, but not sure what Jordan has to do with Megatron other than they were great college players from. The coaching comparison doesn’t even equate, one was the winningest coach in NBA history the other a WR coach, so not seeing what you see there either.

      Comparing Jefferson with Gase coaching Peyton would’ve been a better comparison, except I haven’t heard any ringing endorsements for him, like Gase got.

      We’ll see what type of coach he is.

  21. steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

    Try again Naples, here’s what you wrote:

    Not only that, but we got a ton of other picks from trades and such and drafted 13 (THIRTEEN !!!) other players that year and NONE of them ever played any significant minutes for Miami.

    13 other players, after you described what happened to the first 3 guys we drafted.

    3 + 13 = 16 not 20. So you tell me what part of this 13 is fact.

  22. steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

    My draft class was after 1965 and before 2017, there were less players taken than the 1973 draft class, several of the players drafted this year played with a football in college. The first player taken this year was from a state west of the Atlantic Ocean 😛

    What draft class did I belong to?

  23. Rockphin's avatar Rockphin says:

    son of a son of a shula says:
    June 4, 2016 at 9:19 pm

    Young buck. That was like 8 years ago,

    Yes of course 25 is like 8 they are both numbers

  24. naplesfan2010's avatar naplesfan2010 says:

    I am just so stoked about the coaching staff we now have.
    plus a Great year in the draft.
    following a Pretty good year in FA.
    Way more injuries healed than sustained (so far … fingers crossed).
    4 First Round draft picks on the OL.
    3 4-time Pro-Bowlers on the DL.
    A great rushing attack OL coach.
    A great WR position coach. (hoping he can make Devante into the New Megatron)
    A great Pass Rush Specialist coach on the DL.
    A highly respected successful up and coming DC.
    A highly respected successful up and coming HC.
    A great mix of youth and experience.

    I am very optimistic about this year.

    • steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

      As am I.

      I noticed you didn’t mention Christensen, what do you think of him?

      • naplesfan2010's avatar naplesfan2010 says:

        I think his jovial personality is just what Tannehill needs after years of the dry and serious Philbin. I think his experience with Manning and Luck is very valuable. I think he is a great combination of fun and football knowledge and can help to keep the team loose and yet homed in on maximizing our mismatches.

      • steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

        Funny you mention his personality, because that’s what I like about him too. I think if you have a strong willed OC that’s more about himself than anything else he’ll do more damage than good. With Gase calling the plays, which I like, I think Christensen is a very good compliment.

  25. Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

    Christensen is likely to be in the booth as the eyes in the sky with Gase calling the plays. I think that’s a really good situation. Both know the offense as well as each other. Gase gets the feel from the field and Christensen gives him the bird’s eye view.

  26. Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

    4 more voluntary OTA days starting tomorrow and then the mandatory 14-16 dates before TC.

  27. Mike E.'s avatar Mike E. says:

    Phinsiders did a poll as to what Dolphins should do with Dion Jordan if he’s reinstated

    It worked out like this . . .

    DE 17%

    LB 77%

    CUT HIM 6%

  28. sb7mvp's avatar sb7mvp says:

    Man you guys are old

  29. The Flying Pig's avatar The Flying Pig says:

    Hold the door

  30. Mike E.'s avatar Mike E. says:

    Naples

    That’s the draft class when you were born, or when you graduated college?

  31. BoulderPhinfan's avatar BoulderPhinfan says:

    Don’t we have the rights to jones even if he sits out the next 2 years? I didn’t think, when a player sits out a year, that year counts as a contract year.

    • Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

      Yeah there is nothing he can do but sit out and lose money.

      • BoulderPhinfan's avatar BoulderPhinfan says:

        He’s got 2 years on his contract. I hate it when players want an extension with more than a year on their contract. He signed the contract and he should honor it.

        Steph curry is the 30th highest paid player in the NBA. He’s not sitting out.

      • Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

        I agree that Jones picked the wrong year to bitch about his deal. He’s also not grossly underpaid, he’s one of the highest paid safeties in the league.

  32. stangerx's avatar stangerx says:

    When Omar just sticks to football…he can actually come out with some good stuff.
    —————————————–
    It’s quite ironic that Adam Gase is the new head coach of the Miami Dolphins considering he’s the individual credited with breaking Joe Philbin’s Dolphins….Gase was the offensive coordinator of the Denver Broncos team that broke Miami’s once respected defense in a 39-36 loss in 2014.

    Those 6-4 Dolphins went into that late November game against the Broncos ranked as one of the NFL’s best defenses, especially when it came to stopping the run.

    Miami’s stingy defensive front had spent years suffocating the opposition’s rushing attacks, but Gase’s unit bludgeoned Miami’s defense to a pulp using C.J. Anderson, who rushed for 167 yards and scored the go-ahead touchdown. “Our biggest concern was we wanted to make sure that Wake didn’t get going,” explained Gase…..So the Broncos ran at Wake consistently.

    “Once you put one bad thing on film everyone copies it,” former Dolphins defensive end Derrick Shelby said on Miami’s struggles toward the end of the 2014 season.

    The Dolphins allowed 992 yards rushing and nine rushing touchdowns over the last six games of the season, and finished 2-4 down the stretch. Philbin barely survived that, and was fired four games into the 2015 season.

    Full: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-dolphins/fl-dolphins-kelly-column-0605-20160605-story.html

  33. stangerx's avatar stangerx says:

    “DeVante Parker, whose rookie season was shortened due to a foot injury, didn’t participate in Monday’s organized team activities.” (from Perkins)

    Parker also didn’t participate in last Wednesday’s practice….so it ain’t the flu. Was hoping his health concerns were a thing of the past.

    • BoulderPhinfan's avatar BoulderPhinfan says:

      glass parker.

      • BoulderPhinfan's avatar BoulderPhinfan says:

        from mando
        “UPDATE: Regarding Parker, who has missed the last two practices, I’m told that there is no reason to be alarmed. The Dolphins are being cautious, and Parker is running freely to the side.”

      • stangerx's avatar stangerx says:

        Still OTA’s and if the reason is out there I haven’t seen it. Sure as heck hope it ain’t his foot though.

    • Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

      Guys get dinged up. It’s OTAs, I wouldn’t worry about it.

      • stangerx's avatar stangerx says:

        I’m hoping he sprained his wrist making a spectacular catch…..and does seem he can at least run.

  34. Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

    Stanger, Gase is known for finding mismatches and exploiting them. It’s VJ’s job to make adjustments on the other side of the ball to what the offense is doing. Yes Gase is the HC now and oversees the entire football team, but he handed that responsibility to VJ and the defensive staff. Let’s hope VJ is as good a DC as Gase was an OC. 🙂

    • stangerx's avatar stangerx says:

      Tim — I’m hoping the reports are right and we have one of the greatest football minds out there as our HC. Yes I expect him to concentrate on the O since he will be calling the play, but also hope he just turn over the keys to the DC when it comes to game planning.

      You think Shula just told his defense….”hey — whatever you guys think.” And if Gase can bust a D that no one else could — seems his input on how to scheme one right both in the week before and at half-time for adjustments would be part of his “Rainman” thing.

  35. stangerx's avatar stangerx says:

    Tim — much as it kills me, the football mind I have the greatest respect for today is the Evil Genius. On both O and D, the Pats game plan week by week to best attack their opponents…..far more so than almost any other team.

    We’ll see how it works out, but best case scenario for me is Gase is the good version of that witch……

    • Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

      That’s what you’re suppose to do. It did not seem like we did that much last year though. It looked like we just ran the same stuff every week regardless of opponent.

      • stangerx's avatar stangerx says:

        Yep — maybe it was lack of options to change on the fly, but I see it as we were out-coached a bunch of times. Seems we lost the half-time adjustment battles. Seems Gase made sure to make us a whole lot more flexible on at least O though. What do you want to bet that Mighty Mouse is active on game days?

    • Al in MIA's avatar Al in MIA says:

      MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Vikings agreed to a contract extension with safety Harrison Smith on Monday morning, the team announced.

      Smith will earn $51.25 million over the next five years, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, including a $10 million signing bonus. Smith’s deal includes $28.578 million guaranteed against injury and runs through 2021, a league source told ESPN’s Ben Goessling. Smith was already scheduled to play on his fifth-year option this year.

      The terms of the new deal would make Smith the highest-paid safety in the league.

  36. BoulderPhinfan's avatar BoulderPhinfan says:

    Omar Kelly ‏@OmarKelly 35m35 minutes ago
    I’ve watched Jarvis Landry work on the boundary due to Devante Parker’s absence and it has helped me gain an appreciate for Griff Whalen.

  37. BoulderPhinfan's avatar BoulderPhinfan says:

    Omar Kelly ‏@OmarKelly 1h1 hour ago
    Make all the excuses you want for Laremy Tunsil, but he’s not performing up to expectations.

  38. BoulderPhinfan's avatar BoulderPhinfan says:

    Omar Kelly ‏@OmarKelly now
    Dolphins defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said Bobby McCain is the frontrunner for the nickel spot.

  39. Al in MIA's avatar Al in MIA says:

    I remember that game pretty good (Dolphins at Broncos).
    Plenty of pathetic moments that had nothing to do with Gase, including the 2 man pass rush Coyle called on 3rd and 17 that the Broncos converted.

  40. BoulderPhinfan's avatar BoulderPhinfan says:

    Omar Kelly ‏@OmarKelly 15m15 minutes ago
    “We look for guys that can stay on the field all three downs. We’re not looking for a back we have to sub out,” Adam Gase on RB approach.

  41. Al in MIA's avatar Al in MIA says:

    i guess Harrison Smith has set the new bar for Reshad Jones’s new contract.

    • BoulderPhinfan's avatar BoulderPhinfan says:

      reshad jones already has a contract. He doesn’t need a new one for at least a year IMO.

    • stangerx's avatar stangerx says:

      Funny players insist they should be early so they can get that “money for life” guaranteed money, but then after the new contracts come out biotch about getting screwed by the man cause they are underpaid.

      Or maybe it is just their agents talking.

  42. BoulderPhinfan's avatar BoulderPhinfan says:

    Miami Dolphins ✔ @MiamiDolphins
    Gase on the defense: we want the guys to attack.

  43. BoulderPhinfan's avatar BoulderPhinfan says:

    Adam Beasley @AdamHBeasley
    Alonso breaks up a sure touchdown catch for Ajayi. Excellent recovery. Looks really fast.

  44. Al in MIA's avatar Al in MIA says:

    Tim Knight says:
    June 6, 2016 at 1:07 pm

    Up until then we were highly ranked in many defensive categories. After that game we got worse. We were exposed by someone.😉
    ——
    No more exposed than the Dolphins coaches exposing the Broncos D for 36 pts.
    Fins also lost Juwan James in that game and Jamar Taylor.

  45. stangerx's avatar stangerx says:

    BoulderPhinfan says:
    June 6, 2016 at 1:16 pm
    Adam Beasley @AdamHBeasley
    Alonso breaks up a sure touchdown catch for Ajayi. Excellent recovery. Looks really fast.
    —————-
    Omar’s probable tweet on same play — Alonso breaks up sure TD pass to Ajayi……told you he’s a 2-down RB.

    • Al in MIA's avatar Al in MIA says:

      lol. something like that.
      Or, ” Ajayi gets wide open but the ball is underthrown and Kiko is able to breka up the play on a late attempt”

    • Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

      LOL, what a doofus. Ajayi had 7 catches last year with a 12.9 YPCA and had 5 1st downs.

  46. steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

    Omar’so not passing in the wind, when talking about Tunsil not playing up to participate. Sure it’s early and the pads haven’t gone on yet, but if you aren’t putting yourself in the right position, the pads aren’t going to help. The 5 best will start.

    • steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

      Omar’s not pissing in the wind, it has merit.

    • Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

      He’s playing guard for the first time. Let’s allow for a learning curve and a little patience. He’s still a rookie and it’s early June. LOL

  47. Al in MIA's avatar Al in MIA says:

    Steve,
    So how many games has Tunsil played at OG?

    • steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

      Doesn’t matter he isn’t practicing up to expectations. How excited did we get when Parker looked great last year in OTAs?

      Means maybe he isn’t a fast learner, but I’m not worried about him yet.

  48. Al in MIA's avatar Al in MIA says:

    Barry Jackson ‏@flasportsbuzz 49m49 minutes ago

    Wes Welker at Dolphins camp today.”We’re a good outlet for him; lives five minutes away. With my history around him in Denver,I love being..
    Barry Jackson ‏@flasportsbuzz 48m48 minutes ago

    “around him… It helps our players out,” Gase said, noting he is not being signed to the team. (Wes Welker)

    • stangerx's avatar stangerx says:

      So Welker at least decided where he would rather live…..and likes Gase. I’ll call that the daily double.

  49. steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

    You guys do realize we pay indirectly for the high salaries? We pay more for beer, satellite TV and any other company we buy products from that advertises during sporting events.

  50. Al in MIA's avatar Al in MIA says:

    Barry Jackson ‏@flasportsbuzz 29m29 minutes ago
    Xavien Howard said he and Lippett are getting equal first-time reps opposite Maxwell.

    Barry Jackson ‏@flasportsbuzz 38m38 minutes ago
    Vance Joseph said he has given no thought to what position Dion Jordan would play if he’s reinstated… Said Cam Wake looks great,explosive.

    • Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

      He said McCain is in the mix too but he’s also competing with Patmon and Lucas in the slot. I’m sure Ifo as well when he’s ready to go more full speed. He said they’re being a little cautious with him so he’s ready to go in TC.

  51. Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

    James Walker ‏@JamesWalkerNFL 22m22 minutes ago
    Dolphins OL Jermon Bushrod said it’s good to be out in practice for the first time in… http://es.pn/25J1gvV

  52. Al in MIA's avatar Al in MIA says:

    Andrew Abramson (@AbramsonPBP) | Twitter

    18 mins ago – View on Twitter
    Bushrod says most people call him by his last name because Jermon has been butchered so many times

  53. steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

    Al, why all the posts, if it doesn’t matter? Just like preseason, it doesn’t count, but everything matters.

    • Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

      It’s more about who’s getting reps where and what positions guys are playing, nothing really performance based. Just some tidbits on what guys are doing. I don’t pay much attention to TD passes, picks and sacks etc. in OTAs. This is bare bones fundamental practice. Nothing more. It’s all about getting lined up right and working on technique with some skill and instincts. But it’s really basic football work. Installing and learning the playbooks and listening to the coaches’ messages on what they expect. It’s all warmups for TC. Then it’s all warmups for the PS and RS.

  54. Al in MIA's avatar Al in MIA says:

    I have responded to tweets about practice performance but I haven’t posted any tweets that talk about practice performance of any individuals for good reason (it has little value this early on in the process).

    • steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

      If it had little value they wouldn’t do it, they only get so many practices in the off-season, they have to make them count. They move guys around to different positions to get a feel for who can do what.

  55. Al in MIA's avatar Al in MIA says:

    Things like “Cam Wake looks explosive” from the DC is nice to hear because we all know that he’s a great player when he shows that kind of athleticism.

    • Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

      Right, updates on how injured guys look. That’s intel I want to know.

      • steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

        Oh, so it does matter?

      • Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

        Yes but not necessarily a guy struggling at times. That’s what this time of year is for, especially rookies. How guys are moving and being healthy is important to me.

  56. sb7mvp's avatar sb7mvp says:

    nothing really matters
    nothing really matters
    to meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

  57. steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

    So Tim, it means nothing to you that Tunsil is struggling? No one is calling him a bust, based on OTAs, but I’m concerned.

    • stangerx's avatar stangerx says:

      I didn’t check, but would be different if the news on that on this board didn’t come from Omar.

      • steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

        Someone reported the same thing last week, and Tunsil was asked about it, so there is at least some issue. Not a big deal, but something to watch.

    • Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

      I expect it. If he’s not improving in TC than I’d be concerned.

  58. Rockphin's avatar Rockphin says:

    stangerx says:
    June 6, 2016 at 1:15 pm

    Funny players insist they should be early so they can get that “money for life” guaranteed money, but then after the new contracts come out biotch about getting screwed by the man cause they are underpaid.

    Or maybe it is just their agents talking.

    StangerX, my bosses have the uncanny ability to know before hand that I will be asking for a raise and to do a “preemptive strike” by giving me one before I can ask for one.

    Hey buddy, how are you doing? Good, good, Listen, I was speaking to my partners and we think you deserve a raise and we are going to give x amount. Great? Great. See you later.

    EVERY TIME! LOL I’m thinking in my mind that I deserve a 10K raise and they hit me before I can talk to anyone with a 7K raise! How can you bitch when they just gave you a raise without you asking for one?

  59. Rockphin's avatar Rockphin says:

    The way I look at “performances” in practice is this:

    If the offense scores a touchdown or has a big gain in yards it is bad! BOOOOO bad Defense!
    If the defense gets a sack or a turn over it is bad!! boooooo Bad offense!

    LOL

    • steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

      That’s a little too generic. There has to be good and bad, and one determines the other, so the cleaner the play/execution by the O, it minimizes the bad for the D. Otherwise every play is just a vanilla stat.

  60. stangerx's avatar stangerx says:

    For sure it is something to watch Steve. Sometimes I forget about both O’s trench expertise and lack of agenda. You know who else said similar?

    ——————————————

    Omar Kelly ‏@OmarKelly 7 minutes ago
    I say this so the naysayers who have their panties in a bunch because I say Tunsil doesn’t look good NOW understands I don’t have an agenda

    Omar Kelly ‏@OmarKelly 8 minutes ago
    I watch line play. I love line play, and despite all the changes made….even without pads….the Dolphins O-line is getting tossed up.

    • Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

      Yet after all this time he still doesn’t understand that the DL has the upper hand without pads. LOL

    • steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

      No, I don’t know who else said it, but the fact that Tunsil agreed is enough to know there’s an issue.

  61. Rockphin's avatar Rockphin says:

    stangerx says:
    June 6, 2016 at 3:27 pm

    LOL Rock — maybe you ain’t as hard a read as you think. 🙂
    Reply

    LOL Stanger,

    Boss 1 – “Hey John, did you see? Martin has that look on his face again”
    Boss 2- “which look? The I want to quit look or the I better get a raise look?”
    Boss 1- “Whichever – We should give him a raise before he quits or asks us for a bigger raise.
    Boss 2- “Ok, which one of us has to talk to him?”
    Boss 1 – “Rock paper scissors”

    • stangerx's avatar stangerx says:

      Boss 1 — “paper covers rock…..you win, but you know that means you have to tell him about the fake drug testing thing again before I talk to him.” 🙂

  62. Al in MIA's avatar Al in MIA says:

    Stanger,

    This is what Gase said about Tunsil and OL during the OTA at the end of May :

    “I do feel like he’s getting a little better grasp of what we’re doing offensively,” Gase said of Tunsil’s development following Thursday’s practice. “Every day is a learning experience for him. It’s brand new to him.”
    “We’re moving a lot of guys around on that front, as far as the offensive line goes,” explained Gase about all the movement of the linemen. “We’re really just looking for movement skills. This is such a tough time for both the offensive line and the defensive line, because with no pads on, it almost feels a little unrealistic for them. Things are happening really fast. Defensive linemen can get through some of those creases a little quicker with no pads.”

    • stangerx's avatar stangerx says:

      And I call that just treat the rook like he is just that, especially when he walks in under a “cloud” and Albert is worried about him. But for sure would like a bit more positive.

    • Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

      I’ve read nice block by Tunsil to open up a running lane but I don’t make a big deal out of that either. This is fundamental time. It’s a new level for him, new coaches, new teammates, new scheme. I wouldn’t expect him to come in and dominate at this point.

    • steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

      Gase isn’t going to throw Tunsil under the bus during OTAs unless there’s a huge issue, see Egnew’s rookie year, when Campbell called him out.

  63. Al in MIA's avatar Al in MIA says:

    I guess Duarte has yet to arrive cause UCLA doesn’t finish their current semester until this Friday.

    • Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

      He wants his RBs to all be 3 down backs, he doesn’t believe in role backs – one guy is quick, one guy is a physical inside runner, one guy is a 3rd down back who mostly catches the ball. He likes to keep the same personnel on the field per series.

      • steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

        See ya Damien

      • Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

        I’m not so sure about that. Williams isn’t overly quick or just an inside runner but he does catch the ball very well. He’s just not a very good instinctive runner unless he improves. But if they view him as a #3 or #4 back on the depth chart, he’ll have to play all roles too.

        It also gives us insight that Drake is not just looked at as a 3rd down/WR type back. When they’re in the game, they all have to do what is asked from them as RBs.

    • Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

      He says guys built like McCain fit better as DEs in their scheme viewing them more as OLBs (I think he means edge rusher), the LBs in their 4-3 are more space players (in the box and flow to the ball). So I wouldn’t expect Jordan to be playing LB, he’ll play DE. But he might play standing up at times and even drop in coverage in a zone blitz.

      Think of it as kind of a 2-5, the DTs inside, the DEs in the wide 9 similar to 3-4 OLBs and 3 ILBs.

  64. Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

    This image kind of gives you a look at the 2-5 I’m talking about. Two DL inside the tackles (one even bordering on the outside), but the DEs are wide in outside space with all 3 LBs in the box. Then they add a safety.

    • Rockphin's avatar Rockphin says:

      see the huge gap in the middle between 55 & 54? That is why we were gashed again and again for 10 yard runs!

      • Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

        You don’t know who’s gonna stunt where. That alignment is totally set up to have blitzing options. LBs can close those gaps real quick along with a safety. Alonso is also a superior player to Sheppard. Getting a healthy Jenkins back and maybe a young guy like Hewitt pushing Misi, we could have the right kind of speed at LB.

        Remember if they double team this DL formation, the LBs are free.

  65. stangerx's avatar stangerx says:

    Omar Kelly ‏@OmarKelly
    Funny how people always think they know how to do your job better than you do. I’ve been doing this for TEN YEARS.
    —————
    and btw….yeah he is good at what he tries to do..
    —————
    Omar Kelly ‏@OmarKelly 15 minutes ago
    I show up and steal your Dolphins hope one tweet at a time.

  66. naplesfan2010's avatar naplesfan2010 says:

    Tunsil will be fine.
    Because he has sweet feet.
    If he were not light on his feet and having that type of concrete foot problem, then I would be concerned because you can’t coach up that. It’s genetic.
    Also he is not having strength-related or toughness problems. He is plenty strong and tough.

    His problems are all related to the differences between operating in space versus in a phone booth.
    And having guys potentially coming at both sides of him instead of only one side with lots of space to throw his man out into.
    And that can be coached up very quickly. He has probably made every mistake in the book, but he will probably not make half of those mistakes a second time. Then very few of those a third time and so on until he is down to the last 2-5 rookie mistakes that he will make once the whole season.

    • BoulderPhinfan's avatar BoulderPhinfan says:

      I agree. If this was end of august then I’d be worried. He’s a rookie playing in a new position. Give him at least till after the 3rd preseason game before panicking 🙂

      • steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

        No one is panicking, but to say it means nothing is a little naïve. I expect him to be fine too, but it’s worth following.

    • Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

      He’s also playing at multiple positions. Only 7 go to the game. The coaches need versatility on the OL and are looking for it now.

      The way I see it is Gase and the coaching staff want to hit the ground running in TC. Everything they’re doing is setup for TC to have the best talent possible ready to perform and compete. Not that it’s unique but they treat these camps as learning periods, not the physical stuff.

      The players will have like 5-6 weeks after the last minicamp to get physically ready with conditioning. The coaches need these players sharp on how to lineup and know what they’re suppose to do from day one in TC so they can progress day to day and get ready to play.

      If you have too many players still not sure what to do, you will not execute properly and improve.

      Gase targeted the mental part of the game early on, let’s see if it resonates when the pads go on.

  67. naplesfan2010's avatar naplesfan2010 says:

    Also I feel certain that this offense is 10x more complex than what Tunsil asked to do in college.

    • Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

      Gase already said Howard has probably seen more routes than he did in college. I don’t think enough people grasp how different the NFL is than NCAA football. There are thousands of players who will never make it in the NFL. This is a huge jump!

  68. steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

    Its about time the rest of the NFL owners are wising up the cheats BS, Goodell says no to a settlement. I hope they blackball them the way they did to Al Davis and the Raiders.

  69. Randy's avatar Randy says:

    One of the things I love about football is looking at a picture of a play like that and trying to figure out what they’re trying to do. Depending on down and distance….how are they gonna play the T/E games? Which LBer is coming…or none? So many options on the field.
    ***
    This is where being a better athlete/player comes into play. If you have DL who are athletic and can control two gaps…even if they are shading to one side…that allows the player to control/exploit two gaps. So, line up your DT to the outside shoulder of the T…making it look like he’s going to the outside and the DE will probably loop under given how he’s lined up. But, if your DT is good enough, he can take a hard step to the outside and then make a move to the inside…possibly drawing the T with him. Then, your DE goes outside around a drawn in tackle. And, if the T does react to the DE coming around the edge, your DT is one-on-one with a guard….which should be a plus matchup for Suh or Phillips(hopefully)….and an open gap. If you have two really athletic guys coming from the same side it helps even more. The offense in that play also has their protection set up to the other side but might shift. And that’s only one part of the field.
    ***
    Sorry, you’re probably all saying Duh….but that’s the stuff I like about watching football. There’s some strategy to it, and it’s fun to try to figure it out as you watch. I always think calling plays is difficult and an art, but it still comes down to athletes executing. The better athletes/players you have, the more plays they’re probably gonna make. Figure out how to exploit that athleticism/talent. Suh for sure and, hopefully, Phillips.

  70. getterdone's avatar getterdone says:

    Can we trade Tunsil before it’s too late to get anything of value?

  71. getterdone's avatar getterdone says:

    Aaron Wilson ✔ @AaronWilson_NFL
    Dolphins worked out running back Dan Boom Herron today.
    _______________________
    2012 6th rd pick from Ohio St.
    I rather wait & see if Seattle ends up cutting Christine Michael and reunite him with Tanny!

  72. getterdone's avatar getterdone says:

    Dolphins coach Adam Gase said he wants his running backs to play all three downs.
    This sentiment explains why the Dolphins want Jay Ajayi to focus on improving in the passing game. An every-down back in college, Ajayi has the skills to be a three-down player in the NFL. He will lose third-down snaps to rookie Kenyan Drake, but Ajayi could establish himself as a workhorse if he shows well in the passing game in camp.

    • steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

      You open with Gase wants his RBs to play all 3 downs, then you say Ajayi will lose 3rd down snaps. These 2 sentences contradict one another. I think they want to go up tempo on 3rd down, so the D can’t put in their dime package.

      Ajayi is an every down back, but he doesn’t have the pass catching skills out of the backfield that Drake has, but neither do most other NFL RBs.

      • Ken's avatar Ken says:

        Ajayi is an excellent pass catcher. He was extensively used in the passing game in college

  73. The Flying Pig's avatar The Flying Pig says:

    GDP

    Christine Michael has a reputation of a really bad work ethic
    He’s very talented
    But he just doesn’t care

    • getterdone's avatar getterdone says:

      He’s got close to a 4.7 yard per rush avg in limited play when Rawls got banged up.
      He’s 25 5’10 221 & a former 2nd rd pick. He could start to find his professional motivation soon….especially if Seattle cuts him loose since they drafted 2 RB’s & have Rawls as well..

  74. getterdone's avatar getterdone says:

    NBC Denver reports Aqib Talib “has told people close to him” he accidentally shot himself Sunday morning in Dallas.
    Police are investigating the matter. But this sounds like Plaxico Burress 2.0. Talib was allegedly so drunk that he doesn’t even remember who shot him, but it is shaping up to be Talib himself. The bullet went through the back of his right thigh and out his calf, an odd trajectory if someone else fired the bullet. Talib will miss the rest of OTAs and minicamp and could open camp on active/NFI.

  75. Mike E.'s avatar Mike E. says:

    Why do these a-holes even carry guns? They should just hire bodyguards, and drivers too. Maybe the bodyguard can protect them from themselves too. Unbelievable.

    • steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

      Do you do everything you should do? Now think about being not as smart, and 20 years younger, and full of testosterone, and have the money to go out and live it up. It’s not really that unbelievable is it?

      • Mike E.'s avatar Mike E. says:

        I don’t/didn’t have the money or the means to do everything I want(ed) to do. I can guarantee you if I had the money to hire a limo and driver when I was going clubbing or drinking, I would have.

  76. steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

    Stunned by the death of Kimbo Slice. He’s the reason I watch MMA, after watching a piece on him on ESPN. He went to high school at Miami Palmetto, the school I would’ve gone to if I didn’t move. They showed highlights of him playing LB. I was never scared on the football field, but I was watching him terrorize ball carriers.

  77. Al in MIA's avatar Al in MIA says:

    Steve,

    I heard about it yesterday.

    I used to watch the back yard brawls videos that were posted online.

    There was one epic fight with some off duty cop who challenged him lol.

    He wasn’t much of a professional fighter but he was entertaining.

    RIP.

    Btw, Palmetto HS most famous grad? who knows but Jeff Bezos (Amazon.com founder) went there

  78. Al in MIA's avatar Al in MIA says:

    I never got a chance to address my draft class but going by my draft class (HS grad + 4 years after) it would have been in the Ricky Williams draft class.
    Ricky Williams and I were born on the same day and in the same year.

  79. Mike E.'s avatar Mike E. says:

    Al

    Would a team have traded their entire draft for you too? 🙂

  80. Mike E.'s avatar Mike E. says:

    Cameron Wake is back to full speed after torn Achilles

    He’s back to full speed, just not “FULL, FULL” speed. lol

    Vance Joseph
    “[Wake] looked great,” Joseph said. “He looks explosive. Obviously, it’s still early on. He has not gone full, full speed, but he looked great.”

  81. Mike E.'s avatar Mike E. says:

    So what Gase is saying about our RB’s is exactly what I pointed out in my draft preview, that Gase is NOT a running back by committee guy. Yes, he wants a stable of backs, because you have to have that in the NFL, and that’s why I thought if Zeke fell to us, we would have taken him.

  82. Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

    Gase likes to keep the same personnel on the field during a series, he doesn’t rotate guys in and out on 1st, 2nd and 3rd down. He probably likes to keep the same group on the field during a drive for 5-6 plays at a time if he can. So with that being the case, the RBs have to be able to do whatever is asked of them.

    It was rumored that we tried to trade up for Zeke but couldn’t make a deal so it is true he was really high on our board.

  83. Mike E.'s avatar Mike E. says:

    There’s more value in a top LT that can last a decade compared to a top RB, unless he’s just one of those generational superstars. I think Zeke is very good, but not sure he’s that, but he could be.

  84. Mike E.'s avatar Mike E. says:

    Tim

    Say if the whole controversy with the Tunsil video didn’t happen, and both Tunsil and Zeke were there at #13, who do you think we’d take?

    • Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

      Well if that video wasn’t out there I don’t think Tunsil lasts past #6 with the Ravens and Zeke went #4 so neither fall that far. Not sure what we would have done in your scenario but I’d take Tunsil.

  85. Al in MIA's avatar Al in MIA says:

    Mike E,
    Given the Fins needs, Tunsil would have been the pick IMO.
    GM has to protect the franchise and go against the coaches wishes in that regard (if lets say Gase wanted Zeke instead of Tunsil).
    Albert isn’t guaranteed to be around much longer and given that DL-OL lineplay is one of the most important aspects of football coupled with OL being arguably the worst unit on the team, the choice of Tunsil was the right one.

    • Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

      Gase said that when Tunsil started falling he stood up and started getting excited looking around like can we land this guy? So he was really high on Tunsil. LOL

    • BoulderPhinfan's avatar BoulderPhinfan says:

      I agree, I think it would have been tunsil regardless.

  86. Mike E.'s avatar Mike E. says:

    Tim

    No question neither of them were going to fall that far w/o that video, but the question was basically Tunsil or Zeke.

  87. Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

    I know we’ve heard this before with the uptempo offense and we never really saw it much, but Gase and Christensen like to run an uptempo offense. That fits with why they don’t like to sub players in and out every couple of downs. You can’t run uptempo if you’re subbing guys in and out all the time. Maybe after 6 plays and a 1st down, we sub in 3-4 fresh new guys then they stay on the field for another 5-6 plays. That’s how I’m reading what they’re saying.

    • steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

      I mentioned it yesterday, and just like you it was a conclusion I came to based on what they said they wanted to do.

  88. Al in MIA's avatar Al in MIA says:

    Tim,
    I think Philbin tried to run uptempo at times too but players routinely fucked things up by getting flagged all the time.
    I’m just hoping Gase/Christensen can finally make it work in Miami as previous ppl have tried to do.
    Getting more talented players to run these schemes is the first place to start and it seems the front office has done just that.

  89. steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

    Zeke fits Gase’s scheme, because he’s such a good pass catcher. Drake isn’t quite the inside runner, but I’d put him ahead in pass catching.

  90. Al in MIA's avatar Al in MIA says:

    Tim Knight says:
    June 7, 2016 at 11:44 am

    I’d take Tunsil and we probably would have to. Unless Zeke was #1 on our board because Grier said Tunsil was #2 on our board.

    We can only speculate who was #1 on Grier’s board lol.
    My guess is that it was Jalen Ramsey.

  91. Mike E.'s avatar Mike E. says:

    I want an up-scoreboard offense. I want the scoreboard to light up every time take the field.

    • steveccnv's avatar steveccnv says:

      The scoreboard does light up every time we take the field, this is the NFL Mike, not your electric football you had when you were a kid 😛

      • Mike E.'s avatar Mike E. says:

        That electric football was so disappointing. I had to have it, but it was ridiculous, they just turned every which way, but you couldn’t control anything.

      • Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

        Loved the QB and K player that would launch the magnet across the room where you couldn’t find it. LOL

  92. Tim Knight's avatar Tim Knight says:

    Maybe we do keep 6 WRs and 4 TEs if we’re going to run uptempo. Need fresh legs and depth in case of injury. That said we might only bring 5 WRs and 3 TEs to the game. I could see us rolling with 2 RBs most of the time and one for depth.

  93. Al in MIA's avatar Al in MIA says:

    Tim,
    Uptempo is nice but running it the way NE does is the way to do it.
    Belicheck waits until he sees a defensive package that is not favorable to a passing offense and then he pushes the accelerator.

  94. Wyoming85's avatar wyoming85 says:

    Ah the 89 draft!

    Were we took Sammi Smith and left
    Trace Armstrong
    Steve Atwater
    Andre Rison
    on the board? not to mention if we wanted a RB we could of had the Moose!

    We did pick up
    Louis Oliver
    Jeff Uhlenhake
    Pete Stoyanovich
    J.B. Brown
    so the draft class was not a complete waste of time!

    Troy Aikman
    Barry Sanders
    Derrick Thomas
    Deion Sanders
    are easily the creme of the crop of good players!

    • stangerx's avatar stangerx says:

      Your draft class was so much better than mine. Both for the Phins and overall.

      And we ended up with Trace Armstrong down the road too.

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