(Wedge says something but you can’t hear him)
(Wedge says something again but all you hear is a muffled voice)
(Wedge again says something inaudible moving his hands frantically in the air)
Fine! If I take off the gas mask – can you hear me now? It’s dangerous because I’m working with deadly gas here! I’m developing new gasses that can cloak an entire lunar valley. If I get it right the entire valley will be cloaked and everything will have no choice but to breathe in the deadly gas. And of course they will die…painfully…so I did my job!
If only the Dolphins could cover receivers like that…especially Tight Ends. Am I right?
Well let me introduce you to a solution Derwin James from Florida State University.
The Positives: Once the combine comes around the positives will be on full display. Derwin James is an elite athlete. At 6’3, 211 He has length, size and speed. James is probably going to leave the combine as one of the more notable prospects.
He’s been an athlete for some time. He was a five star recruit in high school before Florida State. Those skills showed up as a freshman. James joined a talented secondary at FSU in 2015 (you might recall a guy named Jalen Ramsey on the Seminoles defense in 2015) and made an immediate impact. 91 total tackles, 9.5 for a loss, 2 forced fumbles and an impressive 4.5 sacks.
But what really jumps out to me is his versatility. James isn’t Ramsey. There won’t be a debate about whether he is a cornerback or safety in this alien’s opinion – he’s undeniably a safety but he’s a real good one.
James can play center field like a traditional free safety. He moves around the field well covering those wide receivers who are running deep. He is also a fearless tackler who can play closer to the line of scrimmage, But he also has the length to play man coverage the way the Dolphins want to play effectively, either on a wide receiver or – and MORE IMPORTANTLY on a big tight end.
The Negatives: From a statistics standpoint his resume has a few holes. For one, his best year was his freshman year. Albeit his 2017 numbers are pretty good too: 84 tackles, 5.5 for a loss and 1 sack – but those numbers aren’t as good as 2015. What about 2016? Well that’s the real hole. He missed a huge part of that season because of injury.
The one thing that jumps our about those stats is that he is not a ball hawk. 3 career interceptions at FSU. I actually personally don’t doubt that he has it in him but the numbers in college just don’t show it.
Recently it seems like James is dropping a little in terms of draft stock. That means very little in January. Guys will rise and fall and in his case, I tend to think he will shoot up draft boards after the combine.
The Alien Dust: I know what you Earthlings are thinking. What? A safety? We have two good ones in Jones and McDonald – what’s the point of adding one at 11? Well here is the idea – you are playing three safeties – yes three at the same time. It’s a substitute to a coverage LB type. You are pretty much playing at least 5 DBs all the time. With hard hitting safeties playing like linebackers.
For the Dolphins, a big part of James’ job is STOP THE TIGHT END, something that seems to be the achilles heal of this defense.
James may be one of the best athletes in the draft. Taking a player like that at 11 might be a difference maker on defense. Of course this little alien floated a similar theory last offseason when I suggested drafting Jabril Peppers. So if you didn’t like that idea – you won’t like this one either.
I think about Derwin James cloaking over Rob Gronkowski and I think – we are going to suffocate the Patriots. Kind of like this gas I am making will suffocate some life form I am about to obliterate.
That’s why if I am comparing James to an Alien Weapon of Destruction, there is no question – James is a set of Suffocating Crater Gas Bombs.
You can check out his highlights here
Finsmob Unleashed 
Nice report Wedge
There are always options and this is one of them. We’re a team with a lot of issues throughout the roster and with coaching. It’s the same as every year. We can go anywhere from 6-10 to 10-6. We’ll have games like the New England one where we’ll look brilliant, then we’ll play the Central High School Wildcats and get blown out for 3 quarters.
Good job Piggy! I think I’m warming up to the idea of just bringing in talented, athletic players. We’ll find a place for James. a lot of defenses are doing things like this. He’s got the length to cover TE’s, and if he’s physical enough to play in the box, he’ll stay on the field enough to make a difference. Like you said, we need guys that are difference makers.
One caveat – We just have to fix the damn O-line. We have to take a player in this draft that we can just start from day one, and that player be an effective part of the team.
If we were to take James in the 1st, I think either Isaiah Wynn from Georgia or Braden Smith from Auburn needs to be a player we target on day 2.
Because I think Nelson, McGlinchey, and Billy Price will all be gone by the time we pick on day 2.
Thanks for presenting info on James, Piggy… the ‘blurbs’ from the mock drafts are so generic.
MF13 won’t like his low # of INTs LOL (not a “ball hawk” as you stated). Also, can anyone even cover Gronk for a full game?
Our defense was not as bad as pundits make it out to be. What might make a good article/research for someone here who is inclined…. look at the defensive stats in games where our Offense has at LEAST equal time of possession. My “gut-memory” (new form of intelligence I just made up) tells me: defense for 2017 ranked 16th yards/game but 29th pts/game. A tired-ass defense has a hard time stopping hurry ups and late game drives.
If we can get Nelson its a no-brainer… even though most mocks don’t see him getting past the 49ers. Our best hope is that Clev goes defense at #4, and SF goes WR at #9. That realistically leaves TB.
I kind of think a better running game and keeping our defense off the field
Is probably the best route too
And Nelson makes a lot of sense. He seems like a real safe pick
But there are murmurs about not taking an OG and I don’t think they are done improvemenging the talent on defense
If they go defense in the first I think it will be to address the holes we have seen in the secondary. It may be a LB who covers well or it might be this safety fallback option (3 safeties)
I would love to get Fitzpatrick, but it’s very doubtful he would fall to us. While I think James is the better athlete, I think Fitzpatrick is the better football player. With that said, if Nelson is gone, I don’t mind taking James.
rgs – Billy Price might be there day 2, but he’s the only guy out of the ones you mentioned that has a shot to make it to pick #42
I think we have average on offense. Yes, the OL needs to be improved….both thru getting better players and better performance. But, our skill players simply aren’t above average talent. Landry would be the only guy I think we have on offense who is better than just an average or a little above average player. Nobody on this offense is the sort of guy who wins games or consistently makes big plays for you…other than Landry. MAYBE Drake becomes that, but we don’t know anything for certain yet. He has to do it for awhile. So, we need to improve our OL, but we also need to improve our skill positions. It’s not all on the OL.
Playmakers…….playmakers
Sometimes I thought no offense just needs to click to bring out the talent
TE jumps out as a place where we lack talent
But generally speaking, I wouldn’t change the personnell at WR or RB
I think improvement on the OL may be that piece we need but honestly I don’t even think the personnel on our OL is bad
It may be a matter of perception but so far we are paper tigers offensively
The pieces are there – they aren’t clicking though
There a few things that might be changed that might be difference makers
If you want to see a 3 headed hydra of Drake – Michel – Freeman this is your draft
11: R1P11
G QUENTON NELSON
NOTRE DAME
42: R2P10
RB SONY MICHEL
GEORGIA
73: R3P9
QB KURT BENKERT
VIRGINIA
113: R4P11
TE HAYDEN HURST
SOUTH CAROLINA
132: R4P30
RB ROYCE FREEMAN
OREGON
187: R6P9
LB MICAH KISER
VIRGINIA
224: R7P5
EDGE EBENEZER OGUNDEKO
TENNESSEE STATE
230: R7P11
C COLEMAN SHELTON
WAS
The thing of pig dreams
Piggy, good write up. Not sure about Safety at #11 but it all comes down to BPA for me. It would be great if we could match BPA to need but that’s not always available.
There’s plenty of day 2 offensive linemen to be had. OL is deep in this draft.
There usually is. Gotta go get some.
Yeah but I think Nelson is a cut above the rest and more likely to be an impact
There seems to be some hesitancy taking an OG so early. Ideally the Dolphins would trade down and still get Nelson. Right now that looks like the best scenario to me
6 picks before Round 4 is through: a late First, two seconds, a third and two courts
I think you can get that OG, a very good RB, a quality back up or prospective starter for QB, a good TE (maybe even 2) and a little defensive help
I’m seeing Nelson go before us in a lot of mocks so a trade down might not be an option.
I have no idea how accurate (or inaccurate) any of the mocks are, but Quenton Nelson is usually gone Top 10. We don’t need to trade down, if we draft a guy at 11 that fixes the O-line, I almost don’t care if we take him at #3, just please, fix it! Nelson seems like the most qualified OL in this draft, and that has a lot to do with him going early.
We probably need 2 WR’s if we let Landry go, because I know I’m not counting on much from Devante Parker. We could be looking at Stills, Grant, Carroo, Rashawn Scott, maybe Drew Morgan, Francis Owusu. What was perceived as a huge strength before this season will really change a lot next season. We’ll probably have to draft another WR before day 3
Parker will most likely be on of our WRs but I understand not having much confidence in him. That sucks too because he is talented. He always has some foot/ankle issues.
Yep – We heard this was going to be his monster season. Fool me once . . .
Another 1st round flop…..at least as of now. Have gotten nothing out of him….
Nothing is a strong word, he has had some good games and made some big plays. Consistency? No
What’s weird is that was a heavy WR class and a lot of them have not performed well. Even Cooper had a shit season.
He’s a 1st rounder. He’s done nothing they couldn’t put an UDFA in there and do….They all are going to make a good/great catch from time to time.
ER, I’m sensitive to the word “nothing”. My wife tells me I do nothing when that’s not true. I just didn’t do everything. LOL
I’m done with Parker if you couldn’t tell……
I really hope he proves to be otherwise, but I really don’t think he’ll ever be that alpha WR this team and us fans thought he would be. He’s shown no reason to think otherwise
The Dolphins need to stay away from 1st round WRs. Since 1991, only OJ McDuffie would be considered a success. As a franchise they haven’t drafted well at that position in the 1st round.
Which brings me back to one of the reasons why I don’t like drafting WRs in the 1st round. …Miami’s track record. Lol.
I think with the exception of the elite WRs who go 1st round, it’s a position that produces a lot of busts or don’t live up to expectations. WR is always the deepest position in numbers. You can find quality guys in other rounds. They’re available in FA as well.
It’s also why I’m skeptical about paying big money for them as well.
Lol Tim
So true!
PFF posted a mock today… had Nelson going 18th.
https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/draft-pff-2018-nfl-mock-draft-2
I told you guys
Trade down from 11 to 18
Nab another 2nd rounder
Take Nelson at 18
Then use a 2nd rounder to select Guice (who will fall bc to the 2nd based on the voodoo I’ve been practicing)
Presto – we run for 4000 yards in 2018
And then we have 4 more picks before the 4th round is through to address everything else
It’s easy
Trust in Pig
No patience for developing young players already on the team, got to pick up another DB. We don’t need a 1st rd DB and I do not think these guys they’re all throwing around are clear BPAs. I’m gonna stop looking at them now. Wait until combine and pro days. We all know that sets up a lot of the consensus.
I feel like no position is safe from first round blunders…lol
Of course, but WR is a position teams reach for based on size and speed. It should be more about hands and football movement. That’s why Issac Bruce goes 2nd rd and Antonio Brown 6th rd. Did that not show up on tape? Not very big so that’s scary. LOL
So Mayfield is using #GetMeToMiami on his Instagram
I saw that.
You know what, I though Mayfield was smaller than I’m seeing him listed. The consensus is 6-1 220. That’s not really small, just a bit short. For those of you who watched him play, how would you rate his arm strength and speed/agility, because to me that’s what he needs to overcome his height. Brees isn’t a runner but he can move around to find openings and passing lanes and he has the arm. From some highlights I’ve seen and what others say, he is a gamer and plays the position really well. Okay, does he project to be able to play that way in the NFL?
There’s one qb in just about every draft who is hyped and I think he’s the one in this draft
Because he was great in college. A lot of his good plays are clean pocket and guys wide open. Things get faster and tighter at the next level. Can he play well at the next level is my concern.
Mayfield wants to play for the Doofus Brigade?
I think some team will take him before we pick. It’s possible 4-5 QBs go top 10. Not the order as we see it but trades too. Teams have seen that passing on some QBs over the years was not a good idea. I think it’s a frenzy this year.
How come only defensive players get tired by playing? I have always heard the time of position excuse for defenses. You have never heard any say, yeah, but the offense was tired, they had the TOP by 10 minutes…..
O linemen play as hard and for as long as D linemen. Don’t the WR’s and TE’s run as much as the D backs and LB’s? I have never understood this. Our average TOP this year was 29:24. Did an average difference of 36 seconds per game really make a difference? EXCUSE
It’s the Defense’s fault that the TOP is unbalanced in some games as much as it is the Offense’s. If you want to get off the field then make a play on third down and freaking get off the field. Oh no! The offense went 3 an out, or only had two series in a row. OK, make a play and stop them from making the 1st down.
The offense controls the tempo and along with 1st downs personnel changes. Defenses play a lot of backpedaling, the offense chooses what to do. Defenses don’t tend to take out their best players on crucial drives. So if they’re out there for 5-7 minutes with the offense moving the ball, it gets tough. Think about running around as LBs and DBs chasing and covering people all day and now you’re getting hammered with a running game as the game wears down.
Are you now questioning the laws of football since it’s inception? LOL
improvemenging???
My nightmare is drafting Mayfield in the 1st
nobody is drafting him in the first!
I think they will as of now.
He should be a 4th round talent imo
Tim:
I have watched a lot of Mayfield. I would rate his arm as average. He can make all the throws but it is not an elite arm like Allen, Rosen or Darnold. In terms of speed and agility I would say he is more elusive as opposed to straight line speed. He is not slow but he is not RG III or Michael Vick in terms of running ability
That’s not a bad report on him though.
Physically he is very similar to Manziel. Slightly bigger, slightly better arm probably not as good of a runner. Also very similar game to Manziel
Who was it on here that had the uber-crush on Manziel?
Jahn
Positions I don’t see a “need” for this offseason as in starters at this time. We can ask what about if this or that happens, but that’s for every team.
C, LT, QB, RB, WR, DT, CB and S
James is the key to RT. If we lose Landry – Stills, Parker and Grant will still be a part of the WR packages. To me G, TE, DE and LB are the biggest needs in order or BPA. That’s how I’d try to roll.
Dilly Dilly
But I put QB on that list too. We NEED a good heir apparent.We never had one in place after Marino or any time since. I don’t think we need to replace Tannehill, but I think we should have a good player behind / competing with him. How many QB’s have the Patriots traded away for 3rd or higher round picks?
(Or tagged to get picks)
It was about starters, not depth and I get the QB thing. But pay attention. LOL
Mayfield wants to play for us
I think Mayfield is the real deal and might end up having the best career of any of the qbs in this draft
Those are just the oinks
Falk and Benkert have both grown on me too
I absolutely agree on Mayfield being the real deal. I don’t know that I’d bet on him having the BEST career of the rest of this year’s crop, but he’s certainly REAL.
Tim Knight says:
January 18, 2018 at 7:25 pm
Because he was great in college. A lot of his good plays are clean pocket and guys wide open. Things get faster and tighter at the next level. Can he play well at the next level is my concern.
_____________________
You see the same thing I do. A ton of wide open guys to throw the ball to witch isn’t the norm in the NFL. Much tighter windows and although you may see him hit a player from time to time who has some coverage he’s not been challenged a lot because of the prolific offense his coach designed and implemented to perfection which gets a variety of targets open and gives Mayfield any number of options to throw to.
I don’t think the comparison to Wilson is valid as he doesn’t have Wilson’s escapability and I think Wilson was ahead of where he is now. He’s definitely not got the same skill as a Brees and I’m not sure he ever reaches that level of proficiency at the position.
So, I share your concern about him playing that well at the next level. Can he be serviceable? Probably. But, IMO, I don’t think he’s going to be one to reach the elite status that a lot of fans see him attaining.
I think the 2nd half vs Georgia in the bowl game showed a lot of his short comings. He had difficulty throwing into tight windows. He also showed difficulty in dealing with a disciplined pass rush that stayed in its lanes. He didn’t show that ability to get outside and create like he normally does.
Exactly. He wasn’t as elusive as he normally seemed and when he gets to the next level you’ve got to think that most teams would be able to shut that down just as Georgia did.
The problem now that Mayfield has put it out there that he’d like to be drafted by Miami is that Anthony Molina, uh, I mean Steve Ross, will want to make a splash in the draft and OG’s don’t make a splash in the draft.
He’s definitely not got the same skill as a Brees and I’m not sure he ever reaches that level of proficiency at the position.
But Brees didn’t have the same skill as Brees his first 2-3 years. Brees had 53 interceptions his first 4 years (not counting the one game he played his rookie year, when he sat
Brees was a much more complete prospect coming out of college. He was a very polished passer with a stronger arm than Mayfield
not campaigning for Mayfield here. I don’t know anything at all about him. (or any other college prospect at this point of the season, except maybe Dallas Goedert because I watched his HIGHLIGHT real and got a crush)
It would be extremely funny if all those fans were getting excited about nothing because Mayfield just wanted to GetToMiami to Party!! lol
and not after being drafted. if the hastag was he just wanted to visit Miami for the nightlife and that’s all he meant by the post. you go back and read his previous Instagram posts and there’s some hot chick in Miami who said she wants him to visit her there and he’s like “yeah, get me to Miami!!”
Rock, I don’t get the value in drafting QBs just so you can trade them down the road. If they never play the value will be the same or less and if they did play well and garner a higher pick why are you trading them? Because you have a QB already. I don’t want to draft a prospect so I can trade that player a few years later. I want prospects who help my team. If it works out that way sometimes fine, that shouldn’t be the goal.
because if your QB goes down with a knee for the year you can still win 11 games, and then get a 2nd round pick for him the following year when your QB comes back healthy.
In Miami, if your qb goes down, you stick your head between your legs and kiss your ass goodbye
Yeah that happens all the time. LOL
Career INT%
Mason Rudolph: .0180
Luke Falk: .0190
Baker Mayfield: .0200
Logan Woodside: .0214
Josh Rosen: .0222
Mike White: .0223
Kurt Benkert: .0227
Lamar Jackson: .0249
Sam Darnold: .0260
Josh Allen: .0324
My two guys (Rudolph and Woodside) stack up rather well to the competition. And as you can see, Mayfield is no slouch.
those numbers don’t tell the entire story, unfortunately. you’ve got to look at the games.
I see a lot of bad defense in college, also teams that don’t belong on the field together. Many grains of salt. LOL
I just look at Benkert’s game vs the Canes as a microcosm of his career in VA. He throws 4 td’s, finds guys when he’s moving to his right or left, dropping dimes over defenders heads for td’s and then when he needs his guys to make plays they’re dropping passes that are right in their hands.
His group of rb’s, TE’s and wr’s probably lead the NCAA in dropped passes and if they don’t they’re probably damn near the top. He had little in the way of a run game to work with and his o-line wasn’t the best either but the guys got all the tools in his toolbox and all he needs is the right coach.
If Gase is truly a quarterback whisperer this guy can be made into a deadly weapon.
I really like Benkert as well. He had a very poor surrounding cast and he kept his team in games
Gurus and whisperers = overrated terms. Talent makes these people.
THIS is impressive:
the 3rd throw he makes is pretty nice
impressive loss?
professorloumiamidolphinsblog says:
January 18, 2018 at 8:57 pm
those numbers don’t tell the entire story, unfortunately. you’ve got to look at the games.
—————
“Are you serious, Clark?” 🙂
Agreed that the games tell a larger tale, but these numbers are not insignificant… especially being most of these QBs have logged more than 1,000 pass attempts over the course of 3 or 4 years. We’re not talking about a game or even a single season… we’re talking CAREER numbers, here.
These numbers certainly aren’t a ‘tell all’ figure, but you can really see who is allergic to throwing INTS. As a GM or HC, I LIKE seeing QBs who don’t throw INTs.
It’s a lot easier to not throw an int when you’re throwing to a lot of wide open wr’s compared to when you’ve got to throw into tighter windows.
Totally agreed.
If your just going off surrounding talent?
Look at Allen’s 2016 stat’s not his 2017!!!!!!!!!!!!
VERY good point, Wyoming! Everything must be taken into consideration during a thorough evaluation of a prospect.
Wyoming,
When I look at Josh Allen, I see a QB who has MANY more strengths than weaknesses (see my reply to Pig last evening). He may need a year or two to fully develop into an NFL QB, but he’s got a lot going for him that sets him apart from most. I see a 1st round QB, in short.
Luke Easterling
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Josh Allen:
– Rare natural talent
– Accuracy/consistency issues
– Sub-par supporting cast
– Impressive athleticism
Projection: Top 5
Lamar Jackson:
– Rare natural talent
– Accuracy/consistency issues
– Sub-par supporting cast
– Impressive athleticism
Projection: Day 2 or WR
It’s like he cut and paste his scouting reports
That’s the hung with both of these two is accuracy issues
I still think Allen has great potenatial
I always liked watching jackson at Louisville but I would not spend a high pick on him
Frankly I don’t get the high rankings of Rosen and darnold
I don’t really like either
But I’ve never professed that evaluating qbs is my strength
I fell like it’s throwing darts in the dark
There’s been a few over the years I knew would suck but for the most part I struggle to pick successful qbs
I don’t see Allen as a top 5 or even a 1st rd guy. He’s another qb like a Benkert who will need to sit and learn behind a starter for at least a year if not two before he’s ready to take the reigns.
I’m very interested to see where he goes.
The right place for him is the 2nd round IMO
And he might develop into a very good QB
But given the level of competition he played against and his accuracy issues – It just looks like asking some one to make a big jump
Accuracy issues don’t all of a sudden disappear when a qb goes to the NFL. Some guys can work on them with a good qb coach and get better; others never get over the hump.
Wentz had a bit of an accuracy issue when he was at NDSU but he worked hard between his rookie year and this year on his mechanics and you saw a definite improvement. So it’s possible that somewhere down the road you can see a qb improve on accuracy. Just need the right person to work with.
Pig,
You’re not alone, Bro: QB is the most difficult position to evaluate, by far. MOST of it comes from the neck on up, and even that is difficult to project at the NFL level.
There’s a long list of misses by NFL GMs
INDEED!
watch the feet
especially if jawaun james is gone!
Baker Mayfield
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Just so everybody knows… I commented about playing for Miami because I was talking to a former Sooner in Kenny Stills. Everybody can relax, I will play anywhere that gives me a chance. I’m not picky, I will go anywhere and strive to uplift a franchise and win ball games.
I used to think Allen was going to be a 2nd round pick because he was going to need time to develop. While that is still true about needing time to develop but after watching him in his bowl game I came away knowing that he is a top 5 pick or higher. Of all the QBs in this draft he has the highest ceiling. His combination of size, strength, arm strength, speed and mobility is off the charts. He reminds me of a young Big Ben or even more accurately a young Elway. If he lands in Cleveland I hope they do not rush him in to the starting line up until he is ready. I think the ideal landing spot for him would be the Giants assuming they keep Eli for another year or 2
I was shocked when Indy took Peyton Manning over Ryan Leaf!
ocalarob says:
January 19, 2018 at 6:47 am
watch the feet
*****************
That’s what Rex said . . .
LMAO
LOL
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-dolphins/fl-sp-dolphins-landry-20180119-story.html
I agree with Bilbo in regards to the routes that Landry runs. I know some people think he’s only limited to those routes because of his athleticism, but I think it’s what they ask him to do, because they want to get the ball out quickly, because they don’t trust the O-line. I think Landry could be much more than he is right now, we just don’t give him opportunities to go downfield.
You are trusting the word of a Hobbit?
Not just Bilbo, Gandalf also had nothing but praise for Landry.
I agree with Randy’s 12:20 post. The offense is mostly average. No real game changers. Parker has the tools, but not the head. Drake is a RB and RB don’t consistently change games. Landry maybe could be, but I have to think that if he could stretch the field, they would be using him to do so.
That said, I don’t believe Miami takes a guard in the 1st. They don’t value the position enough and guards don’t change games. I think they will go LB or, if one of the top projects is there, QB.
I totally disagree, Guards and running backs do change games, you have to be able to run the ball to have any success. Basic Football 101
RB and OG are the backbone of football, but they don’t change games. If they did, Dallas would still be playing and Miami would have made the Super Bowl when they had Ricky Williams.
Mike E. says:
January 19, 2018 at 8:28 am
we just don’t give him opportunities to go downfield.
________________________________________________
Landry has had the opportunity to line up wide and go deep, he just can’t beat the CBs in that situation, he’s very quick but he’s not fast and they use him to his strengths
I guess the only way to find that out is if he leaves and goes somewhere else, and then becomes a different player. I have a feeling if he goes somewhere else, he’s going to raise that YPR quite a bit.
I do like Landry and hope there’s a way we can keep him
I don’t think any team will pay Landry within reach of the highest paid #1 WR’s in the game, he just doesn’t have the top end speed.
He’s not going to get AB or Julio $$$, but he will probably get about $12-13M from some team who has plenty of cap money to spend, like SF, or maybe even the Jets.
not many teams have lead the league in Rushing and went on to win the superbowl, the 72 Dolphins did. it’s not about leading the league in rushing it’s about keeping D’s guessing on run or pass, it’s about being able to pick up the 4 to 6 yards on first down setting up 2nd and 3rd and short yardage. what will the offense do? the playbook is wide open, do we put 8 in the box and stop this beast? or do we play pass. when you run the ball on 1st down and lose 3 yards it’s no longer a guessing game for the D, they know you have to pass and furthermore they disrespect your run making it hard for the offense to get 1st downs, they go 3 and out and put pressure on your D, it effects the whole team.
He does that a lot. He’s the best OG I’ve seen in a while. Probably since Martin and DeCastro.
Brady will have to go thru hand surgery at the end of the season,
They’ll have to attach another finger to accommodate the six rings!
The 49ers, Colts, Jets, Bucs, Texans, Redskins, heck, even the Browns may be interested in Landry, and all have significantly more cap room than we do.
We can adjust our cap with a few restructures and cuts, so our cap room can definitely expand, and will.
The Pats would be very interested in Landry as well. Not sure they will pay him what he wants but he fits the mold of their ideal type WR
Pats won’t overpay for any player, so I don’t think they’ll even look at him if the price goes beyond $12M, which I think it will.
If a quarterback is drafted top 5 he’s not sitting for a year.
Yeah, I’ve said this before. The Pats aren’t going to pay Landry what he wants when they can just draft a nobody QB in the 7th round and turn him into a wide receiver of the same caliber, grab someone at the end of camp cuts, or just trade a draft pick.
Sickening, isn’t it?
So true and that’s something I was talking about recently.
I really think the Jags have a chance this weekend.
Me too
If Landry will sign for $12M-$13M a year, they should sign him. If he’s holding out for $15M+, fuck’em. Welker had three consecutive 110-reception seasons (and has five total), was the first receiver in NFL history with at least three 110-reception seasons, and the first with five 100-reception seasons. Welker was never a #1 WR and neither is Landry. He is a nice complimentary piece, but that’s all.
Defining what a #1 WR is complicated, but you can’t deny he was the #1 option since he’s been here
Agree with your thinking about how much Landry is worth, but do think that both he and Welker are more than just complimentary pieces. You could throw in that Welker ran wild with the NE talent, QB and schemes….but Landry did what he did here.
Something did not know before today (but OD did)…..the 1972 AFC Championship played in Pittsburgh.
Note: Prior to the 1975 season, the home teams in the playoffs were decided based on a yearly rotation.
Landry is our #1 WR and his agent is right. Where are we going to get production like that? Nowhere. Guy led the league his first four years under 3 different QBs. He’s an exceptional talent who knows how to catch the ball. He’s not worth $15 mill but he’s probably worth $14. I can’t understand this FO. They pay middling talent who show one year of results( Alonso, Branch) a huge contract and then want to under pay their top talent. It makes zero sense.
Call me the Mayfield dude this year. I’d love to have him. Accurate with probably the best field vision in this class. The number of times I’ve seen him look towards and throw to his second and third options is impressive. He has flaws of course but there are a lot of QB evaluators who love him.
Branch and Alonso don’t have huge contracts. Their deals aren’t close to top money at their positions. Landry is looking for money twice what these two are being paid.
Number one option yes, number one receiver no. Ask yourself what he would be on the same roster as Julio Jones or Antonio Bryant.
Wide open, lol
Funny you said Antonio Bryant, Torry Holt who co-hosts the Opening Drive on NFL radio calls Antonio Brown that all the time, cracks me up.
Lol!
Well done.
Stanger were it not for “the immaculate reception ” that good would have been played in Oakland
I recently saw a video angle that shows the catch.
Tim,
And his impact is far above theirs. He leads the league in receptions. He’s the blanket option for our QBs the past 4 years. Branch has the 16th highest DE average salary in the entire NFL. Alonso’s is the 26th highest among all linebackers. Are they even close to worth those numbers? NOPE.
Landry is our #1 WR. Without, or a draft pick we don;t need to use, our offense would do a lot worse. And it was a bad offense.
I don’t look at their deals as an example of paying Landry $15M per. Branch is a 3 year deal with an easy out in 2019. Alonso is a 4 year deal with a possible out in 2019 and easy out in 2020. They aren’t cap strapping deals for vet starters. Landry is not Julio Jones or Antonio Bryant errr… I mean Brown. LOL
Phelon – Who is the #1 WR on our team? I know who it’s supposed to be, but . . .
Landry would kill it if he were on a team with Julio Jones or AB.. He wouldn’t have as many receptions, but he’d probably have the same yardage. He’s a damn good receiver, let’s be honest.
Nobody is doubting Landry is a damn good receiver and football player but he doesn’t put up big numbers, let’s be honest about that. Catches are his only big stat and we all know most of them are with 5 yards. I think what he’s asking for is way beyond his production level.
Weeeeeeeeeeeeeee
If he misses time, that really hurts the Jets. He was easily their biggest threat, and he had a nice season this past season.
If he did all of this he’s probably going to jail.
LOL — You know what happens after you tell a cop you are going to find his wife and ““f–k her and n-t in her eye”? Every charge the guy can think of. In this case, “harm to a public servant/family, reckless driving, eluding police, and resisting arrest, fleeing while lights/siren active, failure to drive in a single lane, two counts of disobeying a red light, speeding and turning without a signal.”
11. Miami Dolphins — Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech
http://draftscout.tsxfiles.com/2018/01/16/bruglers-2018-mock-draft/
If you are not talking about the Dolphins being interested in Landry – I don’t want to hear it!
(Piggy covers his ears and hides under a pillow)
You think he’s worth $15M per?
I’m under the impression he is asking for 14M
15M is a little more than I want to pay
but I think the FO put themselves in a position to overpay by not getting this done earlier
I think not losing your top players is worth a lot in general, even overpaying
Tim
It’s kind of a Catch 22 discussing Landry. He makes catches within 10 yards of the LOS because that’s what they ask him to do, and he does it, and does it well. He makes a 5 or 10 yards gain out of nothing sometimes. On the other hand, he’s obviously not going to have an elite YPR avg, because they don’t run him deep most of the time To me though, that doesn’t make him less valuable. Not utilized properly maybe, but not less valuable. I’ve seen him make amazing catches downfield, they just don’t have him doing it often. Maybe if Parker and Stills were getting open more, Landry wouldn’t have to “goal-hang” around the LOS to be the escape outlet.
4 years I think we know what he does and doesn’t do. I don’t think other WRs have anything to do with his production. He deserves to be paid, but the numbers he’s seeking are really high when comparing them to other WRs making that money is all I’m saying. If the team can make him happy and re-sign him I’ll be happy.
Classic example is Vernon getting $85M with the Giants. Sure he go it but was not worth it. Would you have been happy if we paid him that contract? Good player, not elite.
BTW – I don’t think he’s worth $15M. I would hope we can sign him for $12-13M. If some team is going to throw $15M or more at him because they can, it will be unfortunate for us, but we’re going to lose him.
That’s what I say too.
I don’t think anyone throws close to $15 but maybe $14 and $13.5 sounds very feasible. He’s the top slot WR in the NFL. He’s better than Hilton and Jeffrey who make $13 a year. He’s the most consistent threat on our offense. Gase would be looking for a new home in 2019 if he had to depend on Parker.
Mike E. – We don’t have a classic alpha #1 WR. We have safety blanket Slot Receiver. Don’t get me wrong…I like Landry and want to keep him. I think he brings a lot to the team. But he is not worth Julio Jones or Antonio Bry….Brown money.
That’s the same view I have.
Look at the amount of yards Julio Jones and Antonio Brown have when they catch 100+ balls then look at Landry’s numbers. It’s not the same production.
Landry lead our receivers at 61.7 YPG and Stills who was 2nd averaged 52.9 on half the catches. I don’t see how Landry’s production = what he’s looking for. It just doesn’t add up.
Wow!
Armando Salguero @ArmandoSalguero 3m3 minutes ago
News: The Miami Dolphins are promoting Ben Johnson to WR coach. He was previously assistant WR coach.
Armando Salguero @ArmandoSalguero 4m4 minutes ago
News: The Miami Dolphins are promoting Shawn Jefferson to assistant head coach/offense. He will be helping HC Adam Gase on the offense.
So…..We have an OC, whatever Christensen is and now another assistant head coach……
Think I’m going to fill out an application for a job there….plenty to go around!
Does that mean Rizzi is not asst. HC anymore?
Ah ha, Rizzi is Associate Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator whatever that means. LOL
Tim
I don’t think Vernon is nearly as a good a player at his position as Landry is at his though.
Probably not but that doesn’t mean Landry should be paid like a top WR. His production doesn’t add up to the $. I mean what are they basing it on, he’s not the only WR to catch over 100 balls and quite a few have had more than him with a lot more yards and TD production. He deserves a nice contract but I’m sorry he and his agent are way over the top. If they get it more power to them but the production just isn’t there.
I already said he shouldn’t get $15M. My hope is we can sign him for about $13M, and I think he’s worth it, but if it goes much higher, in our situation, as unfortunate as it might be, he’s not the difference between us being a perennial playoff team or not. If we were just that one player away, maybe, but we’re not close to that.
The problem is too many teams overpaid some of their WRs money that doesn’t equal their production either. But Landry and his agent need to get off the Jones/Brown comparisons because there is no comparison.
Barry Jackson @flasportsbuzz
Per source, Clyde Christensen staying with Fins, has accepted position of director of football and player development. Dowell Loggains replaces him as OC.
Tim,
His agent and Landry are trying to push his market up just like the Dolphins want it down. I put numbers for both Hilton and Jeffries. What do you think Landry is worth?
Those players are not the same as Landry. Jeffrey is a big perimeter WR like a Julio Jones. Hilton is an outside speed guy like Antonio Brown, not as productive, but more so than say Stills. Landry doesn’t make as many big plays as those guys.
Landry should be compared more to Edelman.
And talking about Julio, he had 22 red zone targets this year and caught 6 of them for 1 TD. Landry? 23 targets, 18 caught for 9 TDs.
Both Matt Ryan and Julio Jones had down years.
5, 4 and 4 the previous seasons. TDs go up and down year to year. But you’re not seriously comparing the two players are you?
I could make the case that Stills is more productive per catch than Landry. But they’re not the same player either.
It seems to me that the coaching changes Gase has made specifically on offense is not only to shake things up, but to take some things off his plate so he can focus more on the overall team.
Mike E. says:
January 19, 2018 at 12:14 pm
Defining what a #1 WR is complicated, but you can’t deny he was the #1 option since he’s been here
____________________________________________________
The opposing defense defines your number 1 WR, he’s the guy they pay the most attention to deep in the secondary and right now that honor may belong to stills
Probably and to be fair to Landry he’s the one they focus on on 3rd down. I like the mix of Landry, Stills and Parker – if he can get himself going someday.
it’s tough to have multiple dbs focus on a possession/slot rec because he usually doesn’t get downfield.
Tim,
I’m talking Landry’s value to the Dolphins specifically. We can go back and forth on yards per catch or whatever but who is our #1 WR? Who is the guy who pushes this offense? I’ve already mentioned Jeffry who is the #2 target in Philly(close to the #3). I mentioned Hilton who had a horrible year without his elite QB. Landry actually had more on his plate and produced more TDs when his QB wasn’t playing. He had a really solid 12 yards per catch with Tannehill.
The question isn’t who would pay $15 per year because no one would. The question is, can we afford to let Landry go if he’s willing to take $13.5 while knowing he’s a better overall player than Hilton and Jeffry? He’s very similar to Baldwin who got $11.5 two years ago. The difference in available cap between two years ago and this year is about the difference in the two contracts today. Is Landry as good as Baldwin should be our question. He is and therefore deserves a contract around $13.5 yearly. Keep our own, right?
I get all of that. To me his production should pay him in the $12M range. That’s not chump change. I don’t like him thinking he’s in Jones/Brown range because it’s not realistic. That’s all. Teams can’t just go around paying every player what they want.
Hilton 57-966 16.9 4TD isn’t exactly horrible but expected with where the Colts were at.
Horrible for him and past production. He expects better and would do better with a better QB. He is the boom or bust guy whereas Landry is the consistency.
He’s more of a Stills type guy though. Most of his work is over the top.
If I was offering $12M-$13M and he came down to $13.5, I would sign him. Half a million a year isn’t worth losing him.
Yep. He’s worth $13.5. especially since Stills already got his contract. I wouldn’t go any higher and would try for $12-13 but he’s worth the extra little bit.
Stills’ contract was fair. $8M per for a speedy down the field guy which is what he does.
Stills 58-847 14.6 6TD and 14 20+.
Landry 112-987 8.8 9TD and 6 20+.
I don’t view Landry as worth almost twice that.
If the FO offers 12-13m
Landry offers a 15m
It’s the FO who should be offering 13.5
And they haven’t
They haven’t made a counter offer
The FO May be dropping the ball
I really don’t think Gase wants Landry back so all this talk is moot, Landry verbally attacked Gase on the sideline and we all know what Gase does when verbally confronted, he injects the Ajayi rule, CYA!
not to mention he told the media that Landry was an embarrassment to the team?
does this sound like they want to pay him 14 mil per season?
Gase wouldn’t the first coach to let talent leave but it’s hard to win with less talent.
Just say “No” to overpaying for WRs, please. 🤘🤓😊
oe Schad
Verified account
@schadjoe
35m35 minutes ago
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Matt Burke is a smart guy. He’ll be better in his second year as Dolphins defensive coordinator.
New Age says:
January 19, 2018 at 2:42 pm (Edit)
I don’t think anyone throws close to $15 but maybe $14 and $13.5 sounds very feasible. He’s the top slot WR in the NFL. He’s better than Hilton and Jeffrey who make $13 a year. He’s the most consistent threat on our offense. Gase would be looking for a new home in 2019 if he had to depend on Parker.
*****
I agree
It’s hard to believe some one won’t pay him more than 12m
Honestly the difference between 12-15 is somewhat negligible
It’s hard to believe the Dolphins can’t make it work
But yet here we are
I tend to think the Dolphins FO might be part of the problem not the amounts
I wonder if Gase is re-evaluating the way he’s been calling/running this offense. I think the idea that you just take what a team gives you or try to take advantage of mismatches is dependent on your players being able to win and be versatile and good at everything. I don’t think we have the players to do that. I kinda hope we see a bigger emphasis on developing a consistent running game and build from there.
I think asking yourself if 15m is too much to pay for landry is really understimating where and why that question is being poised
when you hear that Landry’s agent made an offer in Mid December
And the Dolphins have not responded since then
That’s not about the difference between 12m and 15m
That’s lack of respect
Sorry guys but asking whether 15m is too high to pay misses the picture
Ignoring some ones offer for a month is not a great way to communicate a lower price tag
Actually waiting until this offseason to sign Landry is not exactly a wise strategy to lower the price
If Landry signs with some one else for a high price that we didn’t eat to pay
It’s just bc we didn’t want to pay that price tag
It’s because we let some one make that offer since we failed to get a deal done before that was an option
If this works out and they sign Landry below market value – great
But generally playing a game of chicken with your best player seems like a stupid right so for the FO to take
Piggy,
Or, they simply don’t value Landry the same as fans do.
Some fans, there are just as many that are completely undervaluing him by their own beliefs as there are overvaluing him.
I don’t think that’s the issue at all
We know what reported and it’s not a huge difference between what he is asking for and what is offered.
Even if the team feels he is not worth one more penny than they offered, they should be commmunicating that to Landry.
Refusing to respond isn’t putting a cap on some one’s worth it’s just refusing to communicate
Most people aren’t going to respond well to that if it goes on too long (a month is too long)
In terms of negotiating, I’m not sure it will lead to the best results
I’m just speculating based on my expriences negoatiting deals as a lawyer but not responding is generally not “this is as much as I will do or final offer” speech – it’s usually gamesmanship to try to get an advantage
The FO is probably playing a game of chicken with our best player. That’s fucking stupid if you ask me. They just opened the door to be outbid or to overpay
My thoughts on Landry is worth probably 12-13mil, Market value giving this weaker class of FA WR’s, 13-14mil. Like Piggy was saying too, when you are only off by a mile or two, you really have to question why you wont be the one to reach across the table instead of being obstinate about them being the one that meets you on your side. Is it because you felt 12 was a stretch in the first place making him just not worth it to you, do you feel you are confidant enough in finding a replacement and that the replacement cost and what ya lose between the two players balances out of ends up better for the team?
There is a lot that goes into it and there is a line on both sides that neither person should concede just for the sake of the other. There is also a line that is set initially which was optimistic, but weighing it all out, you realize you set the line in the wrong place so you move closer to the other. In the end, i hope both side concede a little and find a happy medium, because we need to keep Landry if possible, but we need to do it at a price that is not only healthy for Landry, but also good for the sake of the overall health of the team.
I think the smart way to do it for anybteam is to put a value on a player, decide how much wiggle room you want to give yourself, and don’t worry what the “market” says. The market is different for every team because every organization builds their team the way they feel it should be built. Maybe Landry is worth $15M to one team and only $10M to another, so what is his true “market” value? Who cares? Decide what he’s worth to you and stick to that. Never be afraid to lose any one player unless he’s a true franchise sort of guy like a Tom Brady.
***
Also, if Landry is truly that valuable a player, why does our offense still suck every year? Lol
Bc one player won’t make you great
A few players will though
Losing one you have will push you farther away though
The market though does very much matter, because it sets his value for that player in relation to what other players are available that off season. It also sets what other teams would value a player at, so that’s kind of factored in. I feel you just dont think that WR’s are due that kind of money because your a meat and potatoes kind of football guy, but truth is that position right now is valued at that amount. Its trending away from it to be hionest, but its still a high compensation position and a top player at that position in a weak competition market is going to rake it in.
I think Landry winds up getting a 4 year 50 Million dollar deal with 20 Mil garranteed.
I hope he can feed his family on that. LOL
Just hypothetical….
Would you rather spend $15M on Landry or to fix the OL?
I would rather fix something than spend on something…lol
You could have said would you rather spend 15m on world hunger or fix world hunger and I would have picked “fixed”.
I would rather spend money on Landry rather than spend money in the OL – bc I feel like I know what I’m getting in Landry, whereas spending on the OL is less of a sure thing
D,
The problem is that the term “value” is completely subjective….and depends on how a person defines it. If you think it just means how ever much money a player can get, I think that’s myopic. A player’s actual value varies from team to team and situation to situation. That’s why I think every team needs to determine what a player’s value is to them and not overspend just because the market(i.e. another team or two) is willing to pay him more.
Everybody has a number they are willing to spend, but that’s not the same as its value. A car for example can have a value of 150,000 but i cant afford that shit so im going to be willing to may at best 50,000 for it. That means i dont get the car, but it didn’t mean its value was 50,000 just because i cant afford that shit lol.
Piggy,
Not if you can use the money you save to augment other areas of your team, and/or you think you can get comparable production for a lot less. I’m not against signing Landry, but I just hope this FO doesn’t overspend on FAs. I never like it, no matter who it is. It’s just a bad business model in my opinion. The only times I can really stomach it is if it’s a truly elite sort of guy.
I think there is a big difference in overpaying FAs and overpaying known commodities that have been on your team
More importantly, they could have signed Landry for less money a year ago – and they didn’t
It’s not about overspending. It’s just this FO and the way they decided to negotaiate which out us in position to lose one of our best players
Btw if you don’t pay Landry and you spend that money somewhere else, you are still overspending aren’t you?
You are only not spending money to spend it elsewhere
They are going to be close to spending all of the cap room one way or another
I feel like you guys are missing the point of what I said
If you aren’t communicating it doesn’t matter what value you place on some one
It doesn’t matter what the fan, the FO it Landry’s side thinks
They literally aren’t speaking according to Mando’s Reports
He said Landry’s people made the last offer in Mid Dec and the FO hasn’t replied
It doesn’t matter what the number is at that point. Either: (a) the FO doesn’t know how they want to spend their $; (b) they are purposely trying to make Landry lower his offer by making him sweat; or (c) they are going to let the market set the price (and tag him so they can match)
You just don’t forget to respond to an offer for your best player for a month and you just don’t not respond bc you don’t agree with their numbers
It’s strategy
And frankly, I hate that strategy
It’s a game of chicken with you best player
How are we supposed to become a better team when the FO does that with its best players
The FO may simply feel he’s not worth what he’s asking for. That’s been the discussion and they’re the ones who have to pay it. We currently don’t even have the cap space to pay him what he’s looking for so it’s going to have to be heavily backloaded.
Then you say it Tim
You say “we reject you offer and reiterate our offer of __”
You don’t refuse to respond to an offer made a month ago
That’s gamesmanship and that does not breed loyalty