So the NFL draft came and went in a whirl wind weekend. I think we made out pretty well. 2 major holes filled, or potentially filled, it’s still unknown at the moment. In my mind, the order of importance for me was QB, DL, OL. That’s how I saw it, and it wasn’t going to be easy to fill all those needs completely in one draft. For perspective, we used 6 picks in this draft, next season we have 12 picks, one 1st RD pic, two 2nd RD picks, two 3rd RD picks, two 4th RD picks, one 5th RD pick, and two each of 6th and 7th RD picks. We’re going to do a lot of fixing next season, and it’s not only a substantial draft haul, we will be flush with cap money, near $100M, so we will have plenty of flexibility to continue to add quality players to our roster.
So here’s what we did so far . . .
DT Christian Wilkins 6’3 315 Clemson Round 1 Pick #13
Wilkins was one of the top prospects on the DL in this draft. A very high character player with off the charts leadership abilities, he’s a foundation player that can set the tone in the locker room, as well as on the field. A very productive player at Clemson, Wilkins was a 4 YR starter with excellent tackling ability,. He can also get to the QB with 16 total sacks in 4 seasons. He has great burst and short are quickness, and should slide in immediately as a starter in either a 3-4 or 4-3 front.
QB Josh Rosen 6’4 226 UCLA/Arizona Cardinals Round 2 Pick #62 + 2020 5th RD Pick
Originally the 10th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Josh spent last season with the Arizona Cardinals. Rosen started 13 games last season for Arizona finishing with 11 TD’s and 14 INT’s as well as a 55% completion percentage. It was a difficult rookie season on a very poor team evidenced by the firing of rookie HC Steve Wilks after 1 season. RB David Johnson was coming back after missing most of the previous season and was not the same player and rarely found any running room and finished with 1386 total yards in 2019 after finishing with 2118 total yards in 2016, his last full season. Larry Fitzgerald was really the only reliable target on a poor offense.
OG Michael Deiter 6’5 309 Wisconsin Round 3 Pick #78
Dieter was a 3 year starter at Wisconsin, and was actually a first team all-conference pick as a starter at LT. He played the rest of his college career however at at both guard spots and center. Obviously, Deiter is versatile and play most anywhere but is projected as an OG/C. Deiter neeeds to work hark hard in the weight room, but is a capable player who may end up playing sooner than later considering our depth along the O-line. He’s a good run blocker playing in Wiconsin’s pro style offense.
OLB Andrew Van Ginkel 6’3 241 Wisconsin Round 5 Pick #151
Andrew Van Ginkel was a 2 YR starter at OLB for Wisconsin. He has pass rushing ability and has 12 sacks in 2 seasons. Think of him as a Chase Winovich or T.J. Watt lite. He has athletic ability running a 4.56 40, a 38″ vertical, a super quick 4.14 20 yard shuttle and very good 6.89 3 cone drill. He’s a physical specimen that can hopefully find a place on our roster as pass rusher and chase and tackle LB.
OT Isaiah Prince 6’6 305 Ohio St. Round 6 Pick #202
Prince was a 3 YR starter at Ohio State, all at RT. Not coincidentally, we have a huge need at RT with the departure of Ja’Wuan James. He’s a project of sorts, not a natural knee bender and just beginning to improve with pass protection. I would imagine he will be in competition for a starting spot due to the lack of quality depth at the position with Zach Sterup and Jesse Davis. Another prospect that needs to hit the weight room (most do).
FB Chandler Cox 6’1 236 Auburn Round 7 Pick #233
Chandler Cox just sounds like a New England Patriot, doesn’t it? Cox played sparingly during 4 seasons with the Auburn Tigers. Cox was projected as an undrafted FA, but the Dolphins wanted him here. I expect Cox to make the 53. If the Patriots can get a starting QB late in RD 6, surely we can get a FB late in RD 7! Cox performed well at the Auburn pro day running a 4.7 40 with a 32″ vertical. Look for him to be worked hard to help spring the potential of our 2019 ground game, which should be exciting with the next guy I’ll discuss.
RB Myles Gaskin 5’9 204 Washington Round 7 Pick #234
Gaskin was a 4 YR starter at Washington and a very productive one at that. You look at his height weight combo you think bowling ball, but Gaskin is built more like a scat back, but he’s definitely an inside runner too, so he can do it all. Gaskin has 5323 rushing yards and 57 rushing TD’s in 4 seasons with Washington, along with 65 receptions and 465 yards receiving and 5 TD’s. This dynamo ran a 4.58 40 with a nice vertical. He’s got a lot of wiggle in him, and I think he’ll definitely be part of what I view as a very nice, diversified backfield with Kenyan Drake, Kalen Ballage and FB Chandler Cox. He has a lot of mileage but I expect he’ll continue to rack more up here in Miami.
In addition to our draft picks, we were busy as expected picking up a number of undrafted free agents. I’m not positive this is the most up to date or accurate list, but this is what I found . . .
- Terrill Hanks, LB, New Mexico State
- Preston Williams, WR, Colorado State
- Tyler Horton, CB, Boise State
- Deion Calhoun, OL, Mississippi State
- Nik Needham, CB, UTEP
- Montre Hartage, CB, Northwestern
- Ryan Anderson, OL, Wake Forest
- Wes Farnsworth, LS, Nevada
- Dewayne Hendrix, DE, Pitt
- Jonathan Ledbetter, DE, Georgia
- Trenton Irwin, WR, Stanford
- Aaron Monteiro, OL, Boston College
- Rob Rolle, S, Villanova
- Tre Watson, LB, Maryland
All in all, I’m really very pleased with the end result of the draft weekend. Am I looking at this through Rosen colored glasses? Of course I am! I’m getting more enthusiastic about acquiring QB Josh Rosen each day. I think he’s going to come in here and work very hard to be a difference maker, and although I think Ryan Fitzpatrick is a swell guy, I think his impact will be more as a mentor than a starting QB. I think Rosen will be our starter in 2019, and I think he’s going to earn it all the way.
This doesn’t mean we’re a Superbowl team, we still have some big holes. Our O-line needs to get settled, and I don’t think we’re done there yet either. Once cuts start happening, there will be a few veteran OL that could probably help us and I expect to pick up 1 or 2 there. Same goes for the D-line, we have little talent on the edge and also expect to get a little help once cuts begin for the DE position as well.
No one expected us to rebuild everything in one season, that’s just totally unrealistic. That doesn’t mean we can’t get to the point of being respectable. I think we can achieve that, and not be an easy beat for any team. I want to continue to improve each week and see growth, and that will put us in great position next season where we have 12 picks, and multiple picks in the first 100, and likely around $100M in cap space. It’s very promising indeed! GO DOLPHINS!
#staythecourse
Josh Rosen’s introductory press conference
https://www.miamidolphins.com/video/josh-rosen-introductory-press-conference
Finsmob Unleashed 
I kept saying that this team was going to somehow come away with the person it felt had the chance to be it’s franchise qb going forward and when they did it in acquiring Rosen, that sealed the deal for me.
That said they had their shit together. Despite Grier’s comments saying they had not had discussions with ARI about a trade until that day you just know they planned for the contingency; that if ARI chose Murray and Rosen became available they would definitely be interested in acquiring him.
In the past, we would go hot and heavy after guys like that and we played it cool. When you hear people say “why didn’t other teams go all out after him” I think that was the plan. If Miami, a team in dire need of a qb was going to go all out for Rosen, other teams would have been involved in driving up the price. But, for Miami to just sit there and say “we’re really not that interested”, other teams were like “well, if Miami isn’t that interested in him then maybe we should just look elsewhere too”.
So, IMO, we played this thing perfectly. Sat back and waited for ARI to come begging us to take him and we made other teams think he wasn’t worth it and came away with our franchise qb at a bargain price.
This front office is the king
yes, we have a much improved FO now, so our futures have turned for the better!
im not sure about our day 3 picks, but day 3 picks usually dont determine Your level of success IMO
the first 2 days of the draft are critical, and we got A pluses for that !
ill never forget the second round trades with Saints and Cardinals, SMH, A plus doesnt even cover what We did in the second, we deserve a higher grade, lol
Yeah, as of right now I’d have to disagree with RotoWorld and say the o line would be:
LT Tunsil
LG Deiter
C Kilgore
RG Davis
RT Dunn
with the backups being
Prince
Calhoun
Anderson
Jaryd Jones-Smith
I think that unless we bring in a RT from cuts or Trade, Prince has a shot on the right side at RG / RT!
Wouldn’t be shocked if in camp they decided Deiter is there type of RT either. Long shot that one, but could happen.
he would really need to step up his game. he played uninspired football in ’18; a big drop off from his play in ’17. if he can be coached up to get back to that ’17 level he could compete for the spot but that’s a big IF. right now, I’d have to say that Dunn would own that position and it’s his until someone knocks him out of there.
I would be shocked, if Deiter was our RT. It’s a lot harder to adjust to playing tackle, than it is to play guard, so why take a rookie, that played G last year and put him in at tackle?
Other factors to consider, value over replacement. If he’s our best RT, but the dropoff to next in line is slight, but at G the dropoff is much greater…
Typically buyers in free agency, Miami took the opposite approach in 2019, allowing several big-name free agents to leave town without putting up much of a fight. The Dolphins front office has refocused its team-building efforts on acquiring draft capital. After numerous trade downs, Miami now owns 11 picks in the 2020 NFL draft. And if the Josh Rosen trade works out, the front office won’t have to use any of its precious draft capital to acquire a QB.
https://ftw.usatoday.com/2019/05/dolphins-offseason-grade-free-agents-draft-picks
from Phinsider,,,, OL depth chart and Analysis
Offensive line (11)
Laremy Tunsil (LT)
Michael Deiter (LG)
Daniel Kilgore (C)
Jesse Davis (RG)
Zach Sterup (RT)
Isaac Asiata
Isaiah Prince
Connor Hilland
Michael Dunn
Jaryd Jones-Smith
Chris Reed
The offensive line is still a work in progress, and there will likely be changes throughout the summer. Tunsil has the left tackle position, but after that any combination of the other 10 players could be used Deiter has a chance as a rookie to claim a spot, and left guard seems to make the most sense. Kilgore is probably still the best center on the roster. Davis could move outside to right tackle, but for now he stays at right guard because that seems to be where the coaches see him playing. That makes Sterup the current right tackle. Asiata should be the primary reserve for the guard positions if he cannot claim a starting position. Prince could be the swing tackle for the Dolphins this year, though Jones-Smith could make a push for it as well.
Sterup isn’t making this team. He’s worse than Colombo.
Asiata could be a long shot as well. He’s really shown nothing in his first two seasons to say he could stick and with all the competition this team has brought in on the o line he’s really going to need to step it up in order to make this team .
one thing is for sure and that is this team looks to be in much better shape on the offensive line than it’s been in recent years. if anything, our depth should be solid as compared to what we’ve had in the past like last year when we had Sitton and Larsen at LG.
I don’t think the stage will be to big for Prince!
he was a huge weakness on the Ohio State o line in pass protection. I watched just about every game and he had a lot of difficulty during the ’18 season, from blown blocking assignments to penalties.
if he had continued to improve on his ’17 year thru ’18 he probably would have been a 2nd rd pick. it’s going to be interesting to see what these coaches can do with him because if they can get him to play like he’s capable of playing, yes, he can be the future at RT.
when it comes to defense, I was actually think more of Jayrone Elliot as a pass rushing OLB, with Kiko and McMillan playing in the middle and Baker playing WLB.
kiko should be going back inside. it’s where he does his best work.
I think he’s already penned in there😉
Louis, what makes you think we’re in much better shape on the OL than last year?
Spell check doesn’t like the name Lou I guess
for one thing, I think our depth is much better than in the past. if you take a look at a lot of those guys they played multiple positions so there’s a lot of versatility in most of these players.
I look at last year with Sitton at LG, he goes down early and then Larsen comes in to replace him and he’s just a waste of space.
To me, the only question mark could be the RT position but if Dunn plays there we could be okay. If the light comes on for Price we could be even better because you can slide Dunn to RG and then we’re looking pretty good.
So, if it turned out
LT Tunsil
LG Deiter, Calhoun
C Kilgore, Anderson
RG Dunn, Davis
RT Prince, Jaryd Jones-Smith
I’d say that’s a pretty good start
here’s the thing. in the past we would see the coaching staff just pencil guys in on the offensive line. and you knew who they were going to be. you trade for Kilgore and sign Sitton and you know they’re the starters.
this year, you know there’s guys they brought in who are actually going to have a shot at making the roster because they’re picking the best players they’ve got based on how they do in camp and that’s that. they’re not messing around with playing favorites because there’s a “name” there that they brought in thru trade or in FA.
so, it’s a wide open competition and the cream will rise to the top. that is the #1 reason I feel we’re in better shape on the o line
Are you mocking Lou, because he said Larsen was a waste of space? Not to mention he was the guy that wanted to bring him here a couple of years ago.
No
Didn’t even make the connection until you brought it up.
Just passing on Fins news!
i’m guilty of jumping on bandwagons
the Miami miracle got old 2 weeks after it happened. can care less
David, Wilson was balling and then got hurt in the 7th game and missed the rest of the season. Did you miss the TDs he scored? He was on pace for about 60 receps, 900 yards and 9 TDs.
I didnt get his post either.
The boss was speaking to him!
“kiko should be going back inside. it’s where he does his best work.”
Prof Lou — by your suggestions you already put it out….. but inside only in 3-4 or whatever schemes. In a 4-3 think Kiko should be a Will. And if when setting up 3-4 way think a our sleeper Van Winkle (did I spell that right?) has to be in the convo.
well, Kiko is a natural ILB in a 3-4 since his days at Oregon. he also did his best work there in BUF. I’m just going off what the coaches are saying about seeing what a player does best and that’s what they’re going to do. Kiko is best at ILB. I don’t know how much we’ll be in a 3-4 but I’d be surprised if he were anywhere else when we are in a 3-4
Just can’t see how in a 4-3 Raekwon is not the mike and Alonso the will. But having guess a lot of guys are gonna be playing in a bunch of different ways in different sets this year. And that includes TJ again going to the “is he a S or is he a LB?” position. And Flores must be loving how Minkah can switch around.
I think Baker is our best LB and in a 3-4 I would play Baker and McMillan I tend to agree that Kiko should be the will in that formation
If you are going to keep our best LBs out there I think that starts with Baker and McMillan who seem to have skills sets that are best used inside
Really hoping Isaac Asiata steps up this year
It would be nice to have the flexibility to play Davis at tackle
I have concerns about sterrup and I’m pretty sure prince will need a little time
I’m not really concerned about it. We’ve got way too much talent on the o line this year to worry about one guy. Between Dunn and Calhoun we’ve got two guys right there who could be really good for us at either G position.
I do as well…. but to me Asiata remains a wildcard. Sure would be nice for him to set up strong at RG though.
Wildcard is a popular phrase at the moment…lol (see below)
I think our OGs in general are wildcards
But I love the deiter pick
And I feel good about Davis
Right now
Tunsil – Deiter – Kilgore – Asiata – Davis
Seems like the best case scenario
Can Asiata be what we hoped when we drafted him?
He’s been working hard to get there from all I hear about him
Maybe he turns the corner
When teams start cutting players we should keep our eyes wide open for a RT
Not sure if we ca find some help with the pass rush – but more than anything else right now the biggest thing that can help us is a RT
I agree, if we get good play at RT this year we may actually surprise.
Other than that I like our team on paper
Rosen is a wildcard
Health is a wildcard
But overall I see a good plan being executed by this team
May the 4th be with the blog
LOL — might have got it from Uncle Luke.
We’ll find out where guys are lining up on defense during minicamps and OTAs.
I want to know NOW!!!!!!!
Call J.G. Wentworth… 877 know NOW!!!
He have open line spots
And we must know now
I just want to make sure I don’t have to fill in if there is an open spot
My technique may not be up to par to slow down the great pass rushers in this league
WY
You never fail at cracking me up! Keep up the good work.
Was that my stellar OL evaluations?????
I’ve always wondered why Brady had all f’g day to throw the ball and whined when he got touched with seemingly a no name OL.
Maybe, we’re about to find out….
Well I do know the Pats OL coach Dante Scarnecchia is considered the best OL coach in the game. He retired at one point and Belichick talked him out of retirement when their OL was struggling.
Thank you, I wasn’t sure it was OL coach. A TEs coach, receiverszdx too?
Lol…receivers
Aren’t there a few long-term offensive coaches they came with Flores?
Bringing some winning culture, too.
Chad O’Shea our new OC was their WRs coach for 10 years.
Jerry Schuplinski our new Asst. QB coach was their Asst. QB coach for 3 years.
On defense Patrick Graham our new DC was an Asst. Coach with them for 7 years from 09-15.
Thank you again…
It’s curious how our needs match our new coaches. Is is that off the wall?
I’m enjoying life right now, just bumping some funky, funky music.
Cav Kong, this one goes out to YOU, homey! It’s that funky West Coast sound, featuring… YOU! LOL
Nice break-dancing, Cav Kong! And you got the sexy girl in the end! WINNING! 🙂
My friend Trevor (rapper/producer) made this back in ’96. He’s known as Coolio Da Undadogg, and he’s of the Bay Area. It’s a remake of sexy Cherrelle’s OG hit…
Explicit lyrics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5cQB1QE6MM
Krishna, at the least we get a fresh start with this team and new direction and approach. We’ve got some good young talent to work with. I think the main thing Flores wants to do is instill how things are done here. In the next couple of years we’ll find out who fits and who doesn’t as they add more of their own type of players. I’m looking forward to something new. We had to move on from the way that wasn’t working.
I feel the same way….but I have felt this way before. LOL.
And WY OL evaluation could be spot on….lol.
Life as a sports fan. LOL
Krishna,
I feel the exact same way that you do, regarding our O-Line, buddy.
We need Deiter to win one of the guard spots and become a good one.
Agreed. I think Deiter wins the LG position, and I feel that Asiata should be able to win the RG position.
I’m hoping Deiter, too, but almost given up on Asiata. Next year they may need 40-60% of an OL. Hoping we find a gem or two this year.
Ya see, Adam Gase thought that if Tannehill/Osweiler could get rid of the ball in under 2.3 seconds, he’d become a top-10 QB… he was WRONG. Gase spoke a LOT about this matter, stating that he didn’t feel the need to address the O-Line in the ’18 Draft: he thought of them as “speed-bumps”.
I’m sorry, but any D-Linemen that come unabated to the QB means TROUBLE for the entire Offense. Thus, we had the #31 rated pass-protecting O-Line in the NFL last year. That, and Tannehill/Osweiler couldn’t find a receiver quickly enough with the 2.3 second mandate that Gase had mandated.
If the O-Line doesn’t get fixed, we won’t succeed.
I was always amazed at the time he had. Sure he could get rid of it quick and sure he knew where he was going but he always seemed to have all day most of time, imo.
But, we have to go back a ways to come up with a good OL.
Hopefully coaching/player development is what we have now. It has to start with Flores. So far so good, imo.
Lol…referring to Brady of course.
Brady has a quick release
People never seem to give him credit for that
And in this day and age you can’t touch him
There are also moments when has plenty of time to hang around in the pocket and reset multiple times for like 6-8 seconds. It’s unreal how their blocking schemes pick up everyone like that.
I never really viewed him as having a quick release ala Marino but more like he gets rid of it quickly on those bubble screens and quick slants. The play happens fast, not really his release. When Brady throws it deep he has a pitcher’s wind up where Marino could throw it 30+ yards in a snap.
Marino’s release was awesome….
I’ve never thought of Brady’s that way. Agree with Tim in more quick reads. Loves to picnic in the pocket.
Why is he barefoot?
It will never be about lack of work ethic with him. He’s going to get plenty of chances to play this year and prove his worth.
It looks like some sort of high first step training to step over/leap to position over the OL….create burst. That’s a high step!
It mentioned it was explosive calf muscle training. Quick twitch stuff. Notice the arms are in play as well.
I’m not ready to pencil Asiata in on the 53 let alone as a starter on the o line; especially with what we’ve got on the roster at this point. With Calhoun, Deiter and Dunn there it’s going to be tough for Asiata to get on the 53 this year.
We’ve got a lot of competition on the offensive line going into camp and it’s refreshing. The only 2 guys who we can probably think with any certainty will be starters is Tunsil and Kilgore. Other than that it’s up in the air and that competition should yield us the best combination of players.
Hope so….
I think if Davis isn’t a starter it’s because others beat him out. That would actually be a good thing. He’d probably be a very good swing G/T.
The report I read said Dunn is a swing tackle Lou.
I don’t think anything has been settled. I agree with Lou that Tunsil and Kilgore are the only locks to start.
he can play RG or RT.
I dont know shit about any of our OL outside of Tunsil, Kilgorr and Davis, so I’ll defer to you guys now and wait for preseason.
wow instant replay on the derby
No soup for you Maximum Security.
This post was before they announced the decision.
The 1 horse should’ve won, he was impeded.
Lou doing a 180 on what he usually says during the offseason gives me more optimism about this season, than anything else I’ve heard. I usually Tim it, and say we’re going to be good, but this year I think there’s a much greater chance we’re 2-14 than 8-8.
LOL @ I usually Tim it. I don’t expect us to have a winning season but I see us winning more than 5 games. Like many have said, I want to see progress being made in all phases to build on. We have no idea what the 53 will look like at this time so it’s too early to call.
omg they DQed the winner
LOL, MF13.
Cheers, bro. May the 4th be with you, and long live the funk.
I’ll tell ya, when I crow about my teams, even just the slightest bit, the universe responds. Blues now down 3-2 and the Cards have lost 3 straight.
Forgive me oh mighty Karma. Mine own humble personage hast learned thy lesson and will hence forth walk as if an ant among elephants. Please remove thine gaze and trouble me no more!
Yeah what you said… git er dun prior to Fins season
WY
Not your OL evaluations. Your people evaluations!
Well I guess that’s something?
Gaskin had 3 TDs in the Rosebowl 1 rushing, 1 receiving, and 1 passing from Wildcat. He’s a shifty dude, his lack of speed doesn’t seem to show on the field, because he’s quick and keeps the D off balance.
it would appear maximum security was the best horse yesterday, i know how he came off the rail and disrupted a few horses but those horses never had a chance anyway, country house was not disrupted and was clearly out run by max yet he was named the winner….what a joke!
I’m not even sure we pick up any free agents for OL for this season. What would be the point unless it’s a one year deal….and even then.
The thinking might be we go with what we have this year, hoping one or two pieces stick, i.e. LG and one other. Then, next year we hopefully fill in another 2, center to RT. Then, depth.
On d side of ball, if we get push up middle that might be ok this year and keep us competitive vs abysmal.
Let’s play better football v sloppy, undisciplined pop warner bs.
And, conditioning cannot be overstated either. I love it they are running. Probably a huge reason we always seemed to “start playing the game in or around the 2nd quarter.” It seemed they were always “warming up” in the first as was already alluded to. So frustrating.
Can’t wait see the “new” team and culture emerge.
CBS came out with its first 2020 mock draft with us taking pick #1 as the worst team in the league.
They have us taking a DE Chase Young from Ohio State.
They have Tua going to Oakland with the third pick.
And herbert going to Jax at #6
Fromm drops all the way to GB @ # 21.
They have Arizona picking 2nd.
Bills 4th worst record
Jets 18th worst record (just missing the playoffs)
and the pats picking #1 after another SB victory.
They have the Browns picking 27th meaning they advanced in the playoffs I think.
If we had the 1 pick and we aren’t taking a QB, we can trade back
CBS has the Rosen trade as the best draft day trade of all in 2019.
They said our other 2nd round trade was basically a win win for us and the Saints.
CBS said the Wilkins pick was the best all around pick of Day 1. A++
They gave our draft a B because we traded away our 2nd and 4th and van G was drafted too high.
I think if we get the #1 pick, but Rosen is graded as still having upside, then we were bad because of DE and OL.
Drafting a DE in the first next year is a foregone conclusion for us anyway, but if we are at #1, we should trade out of the spot for more picks to a team wanting Tua or Herbert.
Assuming we pick number 1 next year, I would expect a QB. Even if Rosen is so so. Not sure it should be Tua either.
But I don’t think we pick that high….maybe top 10, maybe.
agreed
Not having Amendola next year should give Wilson more targets out of the slot.
Here’s hoping he can take some to the house. He’s fast enough.
Grant too.
But this also opens the way for Gesicki to get some meaningful yards. (Hoping)
I thought Wilson was pretty awesome last year until he got hurt….didn’t miss what’s his name at all.
Also, thought he was hurt on a cheap shot, but could be wrong.
definitely Wilson was targeted for injury
Need to find a way to use TE as a weapon. Maybe, 2019 this will emerge, too.
Need to get the point that they can build a team while picking at the bottom of the rounds.
So many needs, indeed.
I expect Miami to be better than last year. They added a couple more talented players, a couple more depth players, and most importantly a new coaching staff. I was a Gase-hiring fan, but he quickly showed he is not a good coach or game planner. By last year everyone knew on third and short he was calling a 7-10 yard pass and on third and long he was calling a bubble screen. His teams had no discipline and no rhythm. All this staff has to do to put a better product on the field is be better than that.
I did like Gase getting rid of me first players like Ajayi and Landry.
Naples, I saw that mock that CBS did. I’m bored at work so I looked at 8 others not including CBS.
6 of 8 had us picking #1 overall.
5 of 6 #1 overall picks had us taking Tua. The other #1 overall to us (per TheDraftNetwork) was DE Young (like CBS).
The other 2 sites had us picking #3 overall. Bleacher Report has us taking DE Epenesa, Iowa and Sporting News has us taking DT Brown, Auburn.
3 mocks had 3 QB’s taken in 1st round.
4 mocks had 4 QB’s taken in 1st round.
1 mock had 5 QB’s taken in 1st round.
The 8th mock I could not tell cause I could not view all of Mike Mayocks draft.
I am going to side with CBS and TheDraftNetwork on going DE next year.
4 of 8 mocks had 3 QB’s drafted in the top 10.
I should say 4 of 7 cause not sure about Mayocks
Can’t wait for this next college season to see who the studs for the 2020 draft will be. If we are picking in the top 5 picks next year and do not want a QB, we will be in very good position to trade back with teams who want one or we can stay put and draft a 2020 version of Bosa or Q. Williams.
I would be happy with either.
Exactly
We should consider drafting her in 2020
She has perfect form.
And she throws good too
I all ready mocked her to ME!!!
HELL Yeah!
OL help
By: Kyle Crabbs | May 3, 2019 1:03 pm ET
The Miami Dolphins front office has been operating under strict marching orders this off-season. Target cheap players — either of youth or of great experience. We’ve seen the Dolphins target players on both ends of that scale — be it Eric Rowe on one side or Dwayne Allen/Ryan Fitzpatrick on the other. But it’s impossible for Miami to expect that every single slot on their roster is going to avoid the middle ground.
And with next week marking a secondary surge in free agency — without the compensatory pick ramifications, mind you — the Dolphins will look to flesh out some holes on this roster.
One looming area of concern for the Dolphins after the 2019 NFL Draft is their offensive line. The Dolphins need talent and depth after trading for quarterback Josh Rosen. If Rosen is going to get a fair shake at being the starter, the Dolphins need to build up around him to decipher what Rosen’s ceiling is.
And so suddenly, the offensive line need becomes more pressing and more important than just 2019 wins and losses. Miami’s ability to accurately assess a potential franchise quarterback swings on stability up front. It is for this reason that the team should look to target several veteran offensive linemen, including Stefen Wisniewski.
Wisniewski has experience and flexibility on the inside, much like what the Dolphins drafted in Michael Deiter from Wisconsin this year. Although Wisniewski isn’t a super high ceiling player, he’s an adequate starter at the pro level — at either guard or center. The more layers Miami can find to overlap their offensive front, the more protected they will be if this team is tried and tested by injuries throughout the 2019 season.
Plus, coming most recently from Philadelphia, Wisniewski has been exposed to a winning culture and program. That takes him from a good free agent at a position of need and transforms him into an ideal fit for a remodeling locker room.
🍺
I’m not buying it. The hot takes this offseason about what Miami’s front office is going to do at this position or that position have been cold takes at best and I’m not seeing them bring in any help anywhere unless the player is one that is going to need to prove themselves at a position just like everyone else.
So, IMO, I don’t see them going out and signing any players to FILL holes at any position, even on the offensive line. However, they may acquire a young player at some position they really like who they feel can develop into a starter at some position of need.
That’s the way I see it. Don’t look for them to go out in this “2nd wave of free agency” and start picking up players for something like the offensive line unless those players have to compete for a roster position as well.
Agreed and stated above
This article thinks Mariota’s option will not be picked up and Tannehill will take over as QB.
Two of those mocks I looked at had the Titans selecting a QB in 2020.
The point for picking up vet OL in this next round of FA, is to have a competent enough line, that we can evaluate Rosen.
Like I said above, I’m not seeing it. I may be wrong but I just can’t see them going out and picking up a vet on the o line because there’s really nothing there other than a lot of older vets past their prime or some guys that are just under 30 who really should be depth rather than starters.
I’d really be surprised to see them go out and pick up anyone on the o line and think of them as a solid starter there who can help out. If anything, I can see them trading for someone who has that starter potential or is a starter and is still in their rookie contract.
PHISH expects the Dolphins to be better this year. I hope he’s right. That said, my SHOW ME philosophy says Ross HAS FAILED TO HIRE EVEN ONE HEAD COACH who can make us a legitimate Super Bowl contender during the past decade—NOT ONE!!!
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The FLORES HIRING repeats a mistake in judgment that has plagued Ross’s HC hirings: he has hired yet another coach WITH NO PRIOR HEAD COACHING EXPERIENCE EITHER AT THE MAJOR COLLEGE LEVEL OR AT THE PRO LEVEL. While I realize that ALL COACHES at one point in their careers had NO head coaching experience anywhere, that DOESN’T mean we’re obligated to be the FIRST ONES to offer them a head coaching job. Prior to Ross’s purchasing this franchise, the Miami franchise had success hiring coaches with prior HC experience. The Fins had spectacular, record-setting, success hiring Don Shula away from the Baltimore Colts. Hiring Dave Wannstedt produced playoff success. Hiring Jimmy Johnson produced playoff success. While I’ll be the first person to say that hiring a head coach with prior HC experience is NO Guarantee of future success, I’ll also say that I like our chances for future success BETTER if we hire a guy who has ALREADY HAD PRIOR SUCCESS AS A HEAD COACH at the major college level or the NFL level (sorry, I left out “are” before BETTER).
OBVIOUSLY, Ross does not agree with this. And the results speak for themselves. He’s had, by far, the WORST W-L RECORD of any owner in Dolphins’ history. And his bull-headed refusal to hire an EXPERIENCED HEAD COACH has resulted in jettisoning, for NEXT TO NOTHING in return, very productive players like Ajayi and Landry. DON SHULA had great success partly because bizarre/antagonistic/unusual personalities who possessed strong football abilities, like Jake Scott and Mercury Morris,were successfully blended in to the Miami team that went 32-2 over a two year period. Ross’s coaches could not tolerate these kinds of personalities and got rid of talented players in exchange for lower performing players.
NO COACH can find long term success with such a policy. And while FLORES may turn out to be substantially more talented, and more successful, then Ross’s prior head coaches, the odds do NOT indicate this is likely to happen. Thus, unlike PHISH, both the Las Vegas oddsmakers and your’s truly believe the 2019 edition of the Dolphins will NOT produce a team that wins MORE THAN LAST YEAR’s TOTAL OF 7 WINS.
I BELIEVE this team is more likely to win LESS THAN 7 GAMES, thereby producing another failed season that is not quite bad enough to get us the coveted number one overall draft pick. THIS franchise will NOT win a playoff game until it gets a new owner with a different outlook on hiring head coaches, general managers, and heads of the scouting departments.
AND THAT’s THE TRUTH.
Here’s an article that says we should sign Shane Ray to play DE for his pass rush potential.
another second chance, chip on shoulder guy …
If we do anything, I could see us bringing in a guy like Dawuane Smoot from the Jags or Carroll Phillips from Indy because they are still young, only going into their 3rd season and still have some potential rather than bringing in a guy like Ray who hasn’t done much in his career to this point and will probably cost more.
I also think the days of brining in vets on those 1 yr or 2 yr prove it deals like we did in the past are gone. We’ve got some young players who I think this team looks at as good, young developmental players and bringing in a vet on that type of contract is going to be detrimental to the development of younger guys who have some potential.
Let them go out there and compete hard on every play in camp to earn their roster spots and build them up. Get them in the weight room, have them run and get them in the best physical condition they’ve ever been in and then turn them loose and see what they can do rather than holding them back because you signed a useless vet who isn’t part of your future plans.
We’ve got $37M in cap space, go get a couple of these FAs and let’s be competitive this year.
Here is the link:
STEVE: I’m expecting Grier & Company to do what’s happened in the recent past: NAMELY, bring in a few historically unproductive (in the NFL) O-Line rejects plus a couple of over-the-hill guys who are at risk for injuries and hope for the best.
MIAMI’s O-Line woes are part and parcel ingrained in the recent history of the franchise. And this franchise’s refusal to use enough high draft picks to address the O-Line disaster means that we will be addressing this issue AGAIN NEXT SEASON!!!
DUH!!
it’s not going to happen.
I put some of the OL issues on Tannehill. We used lots of top picks on the OL, but with that said this OL is currently the worst I’ve seen at this stage in our history.
I’d like a better OL, but something had to give. Was no way they were gonna do everything this years given that decided to go into rebuild mode. Sure is gonna be nice to have all those picks and cap money next year though.
I really think our o line isn’t going to be the major issue so many expect it to be this year.
This article says we should trade a late round 2020 pick for this guy as a possible change of scene upside guy as above: (or pick up Conklin or Thuney for the OL in similar circumstances).
OD
I know, I know, man, we need to draft OL earlier and better. I agree.
But the draft is over.
What do we do now to make sure A) Rosen isn’t killed and B) we can evaluate Rosen without the excuse that he had the worst OL in the NFL?
(He lived through that last year, with the result that his own team that used multiple draft picks to trade up and draft did not even know how to evaluate him and just dumped him on us.)
Forget about tanking, I’m all in for using a good portion of our cap space on this next round of FAs, just be cautious and dont overspend, continue the bargain shopping.
on who? take a look at the free agents who remain. I wouldn’t touch any of them. you’ve still got your high priced guys out there like Ziggy and then you’ve got a bunch of old, washed up vets on the o line or backups at best. why bother?
we signed Rowe at cb and Allen at TE but if they don’t show up I highly doubt this coaching staff would have a problem sending either packing.
and that’s the point. I just don’t think they’re in the business this year of bringing in any vet and penciling them in at any position. does either of those guys have a good shot at making the 53 if they work hard to make the roster? probably. but this coaching staff isn’t giving away positions like the previous because they want to try and win 8 games instead of 5 or 6.
asterisk on those guys is they came from the same place as the coaches
proflou — our OL very well may be better this year than last, but would hard for it not to be with all those injuries we had last year. We lost a starting G and C in the first few weeks, including our big FA signing.
But I’m also looking forward. Which of the starters this year still will be 3 years from now? Deiter if he works out and Tunsil if we re-sign are it unless we find a real diamond in the rough.
So no, not the dregs of FA …
but what about stealing a guy who has lost favor with his team for a non-talent reason (it also must be a non-attitude reason and a non-criminal reason … that’s a short, short list)
Conklin and Thuney and Ray and Butler mentioned above could be had (maybe) for a mid / late draft pick now to help avoid a disaster during 2019. Then either flipped for a late pick the next year or just allowed to walk into FA with the poss of a comp pick in 2021. [Patriot Way, chapter 9]
Or they are young enough to join the rebuild and help us for 3-5 until we can draft their upgrade.
Lou, how do we bring in “Dawuane Smoot from the Jags or Carroll Phillips from Indy” when they are under contract? Are you saying we should trade some of our draft capital next year for them?
Grier did say that if there is a player they really like/want they would have no problem trading for him. Personally, I think they bring in a player in mid to late June they acquire thru trade.
I’m just using guys like Phillips and Smoot as examples. It could be a player at a different position. Neither one of those guys are going to fetch much in a trade so they would be cheap both in what we give up for them as well as their contracts.
But, again, they’re just examples of guys I think we target thru trade. Guys with potential who come cheap and fit what we want to do.
Thing is … we have 2020 picks to burn.
If we can get a good NFL player for a 5th – 7th,
is that a better risk than an unknown 5th (such as van G)?
Not talking about getting Lawrence Timmons the LB or Mario the DE. Those guys had no motivation to succeed. They took our money and retired on the field during their season with us. That was dumb GMing.
But if you can find a guy facing an early exit for the league unless he wakes up (like Butler) or overcomes his injuries (like Ray and Conklin) then you might have something of value there.
These guys were very high draft picks so they had potential and had talent and are still on their rookie deals, so they are somewhat cheap and young and have something to prove.
Trying to agree with OD and Lou and everybody else on here as well
you would be okay with a guy like Ray if he had to come in and earn a spot but I wouldn’t want him seen as one of the starters coming in and saying “we got our pass rusher on that side so now we’re good”.
he needs to come in and compete for a position because we need to have solid development of players other than him. he goes down and then what. and he would need to be cheap enough so we could cut him loose if he doesn’t fight for a job.
Naples we definitely are at a time where we can afford to roll the dice on some young player with unfulfilled potential, whatever for that reason is. But would have to be both young and relatively cheap. Even if that means a not so cheap “show me” contract that lets us cut ties easily.
some people want to bring Suh back and I’m not on that bus. I just think it would be counterproductive at this point and I don’t like the possibility of a guy like him undermining what the coaching staff is trying to do right now.
we have a young coaching staff who needs to have the attention of the players and get them all on the same page. we don’t need young guys looking up to Suh when they should be looking to our coaching staff for leadership and letting the staff teach them how to do their jobs.
in addition, I’m really not into penciling in a starter at a position either. maybe Suh helps get us two more wins this year. is it really worth it?
totally agree
Smoot is an OK example too but Ray was perceived to have way more talent coming out.
We could get either for a Day 3 pick.
The coaches’ interviews would tell them if the player has the attitude they want.
If not, don’t sign the guy.
again, just examples. Grier and Flores both said the Combine interviews are big because when they see guys become available and they go back and look at the interviews they remember if they liked the player or not.
that is most likely going to determine what guys they bring in to compete for spots. so my examples are just names I threw out there and they could be way off. I’m just saying they’re going to be looking for their guys and not be bringing in someone else’s broken players.
Carroll Phillips is another Illinois guy like Smoot with even lower draft year cred.
He’s an OLB with no real skills (no real stats either).
He’s too old and too hopeless for me to waste even a 7th on that guy.
after scoring the go ahead run in the top of the 18th inning the brewers beat the stink’n mets in the bottom scoring the go ahead run with bases loaded!
IMO, and you can take it for what it’s worth, we’ve got some guys doing the talent evaluation right now that I’ve got a lot of faith in. So, whatever it is they decided to do as far as filling this roster out for camp and then continuing to churn it when there’s cuts and maybe adding a player thru a trade is fine with me.
I don’t have any favorites I’d like to see on the team right now. I’m just sitting back and watching these guys work at their craft and enjoying the show because what they’ve done so far looks more than good to me.
yeah, maybe Rowe and Allen were in NE and you would think that gives them the upper hand and it should be when you look at either contract, they’re not so big that we couldn’t cut bait. if anything, Allen probably has a better shot at making the roster than Rowe and if Rowe does make it there’s not guarantee it’s as a starter.
Luke Perry from 90210 passed away, rest his soul.
what is interesting to note is he was buried in a mushroom suit!
i know, what is that, cmere google! a mushroom suit is part of whats called a green burial.
instead of using toxic solvents to preserve a dead body, and a casket, you get buried in the suit.
and, the mushrooms weaved into the suit eat Your body
https://people.com/tv/luke-perry-buried-special-eco-friendly-mushroom-suit/
this team is building for the future. just don’t see them bringing in vets at the end of their careers like they did in the past. they’re looking for young talent with potential to fill out the roster.
again, JMHO, but i’m not expecting to see any old vets being brought in unless they’re just for some depth.
Agreed, the team is rebuilding, stockpiling draft picks, trading, oennthe right path now.
Chasing high priced free agents isn’t part of the rebuilding plan.
Dolphins basically docked around for a decade, with bad management.
It’s finally time to do things right, and see how that translates on the field.
That time is now, and even though Miami won’t be in full stride this year, in 2019 we should see
A dramatic improvement in management, coaching, and quality of the roster.
B a reason for future hope , and Rosen should be a large part of that.
C a playoff berth, or at the minimum , be in the playoff contention talk, with a couple weeks left of regular season
A) Rosen isn’t killed and B) we can evaluate Rosen without the excuse that he had the worst OL in the NFL?
Why would a team ever do that!? Seems counterintuitive to the dolphins front office to me
We should attempt to have a top OL
just for the heck of it and find out if it helps or not, lol
We have extensively tested how a bad OL in the NFL will fare, let’s try the opposite 😎
I know, I know.
They did not do that for Tannehill.
They wasteed a first round draft pick and abused a fine young man who showed courage and athleticism. I don’t think they intentionally left him out to twist in the wind, but they did.
And it got him killed and made it so no one will ever know how good he could have been.
If and when we have a good draft in 2021, We will if Grier is still here,
Bring in some edge rushers and OL fatties,
Then This team should be preparing for a super bowl run
Correction, I meant 2020, not 2021.
But if we have a good draft in both years, omg we should be set
I went to my first Cigar Fest (I like Fests!) yesterday. Holy shiznit, what a haul! I have more cigars than I will ever smoke. Some nice swag too, a humidor, ashtrays, cigar rests, bottle openers, sunglasses, a really nice duffel bag too. It was a fun time with some good company. I need more bourbon to drink with these cigars!
Lou – I think Deiter could be our starting LG as well, I also think we keep Davis at RG where he seems comfortable, but I do think Prince has a shot to win the RT spot. In any case, it will be fun to see how it pans out. I don’t care who’s where honestly as long as they get the job done.
Of course it’s very likely we bring in a vet or two for the O-line, but wouldn’t it be great if we didn’t need to?
Our biggest needs going into the draft were QB, DL, and OL.
We got Wilkins, Rosen, and Prince.
Many teams carry 11 offensive lineman, and 9 DL. Or at least very close to those numbers.
That’s a total of 20 lineman per team
You can’t possibly expect to get both the OL and DL rebuilt with just a half dozen picks,
it’s going to take another year or two of drafting to have a significant part of the lines rebuilt
I feel The only exception to bringing in FA is OL
It wouldn’t hurt to bring in a veteran RT ,
to Keep Rosen from being tied into a pretzel, becaus of some journeyman or rookie turnstile RT missing his blocks on the edge
I thought quick release and quick reads are all you need. 😁
What a smart ass!
All you need is a good QB and not a terrible O-line. 😉
Omg, 50 mph winds and nasty thunderstorm here
Some gusts maybe over 65, wow shits blowing around
Mike E
I hear that they have a 1998 Lewinsky?
Presidentialy approved to go great with cigars??????? 😉
Lmao…
silly Bill,
cigars need to be stored in dry places, not wet ones!
But I bet it was more fun than looking at nude hillary
PHISH expects the Dolphins to be better this year. I hope he’s right. That said, my SHOW ME philosophy says Ross HAS FAILED TO HIRE EVEN ONE HEAD COACH who can make us a legitimate Super Bowl contender during the past decade—NOT ONE!!!
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OD – Same 50 bucks as last year? 2:1 odds Miami has a better record? My $50 gets me your $100 if they do?
Lmao, i admire your confidence, and putting up the money shows You believe !
I won’t take Your bet, because I also believe We will have a better record this year
That’s a fair bet with the odds. And 8-8 is my max for the team. I’d take the over on the 5…. but that is 1-1 minus the vig.
I think it’s cute that BLL is so excited.
I still think his account is hacked
Wyo – Yeah, flavored cigars are very trendy. lol
I do agree with pp….no 2 yr free agent signings especially. What do you do next year….wait, hinder development. You need to be in the fire to get better. FA signings only hinder growth at this stage of rebuild.
Rosen did it last year, maybe he’s better second time around and better coached OL
OD,
Ross has hired Flores, did You happen to catch part of Flores resume when he was leading the patriot defense to a championship? It was stunning imo.
And it lays to rest the argument that Ross hasn’t hired someone that can make us a legit super bowl contender
So Ross has done his job, now it’s Flores turn, for that, We will have to be patient before Show Me is something Flores can do.
Show Me is retrospect, and it’s not time to look back on Flores career in Miami yet, he’s just getting started. So it’s really not even in the realm of thought he hasn’t shown anything in Miami yet, but for the show Me crowd, the ones with no faith, and have to SEE, check out what Flores did in NE.
My feelings are, I would strongly suggest to , NOT count Flores out before his first game, and given a chance, He WILL show not only You, but He will show the entire planet, so stay tuned! 😎
Kishna (and others) — I think we are gonna have one big college football camp. Lots of young hard chargers including the UDFAs who think our team is about the best place to make one. Also predict that after June 1 we will be filling in the gaps and maybe some before then too…. even if not with anything other than compete guys at camp.
you can look at it any way you want but I tend to believe this team is in a lot better shape at this point this year than it’s been at this time in any of the previous 10. we don’t have the big name free agents and we don’t have some names on the o line or d line but there are doing the rebuild right in not bringing in those big name free agents.
build it up with young talent, coach them up, get them in the weight room and add muscle and condition the shit out of these guys. there’s talent there and I believe this coaching staff will bring it out and utilize it the best way possible.
100 percent agreed!
MIke E,
I agree about Deiter but where Davis is concerned he’s going to need to bust his ass to win that starting RG job with guys like Dunn and Calhoun on the team. He’s got his work cut out for him. But, if he does come out on top it will be earned.
When I say we’ll bring in some vets it doesn’t mean guys north of 30 years old but players with some NFL experience and/or guys who’ve been in camps or on practice squads still trying to make it. Likely players Grier and his staff liked from recents drafts or know about from when they were with other teams i.e. Reggie McKenzie, Marvin Allen, Flores and his staff.
That makes sense….
Still they need to compete as stanger mentioned, too. Agree.
yeah, like I said above, Grier and Flores both said how important the Combine interviews are for them and how it helps them when players become available in free agency or even for a trade.
they are familiar with the guy and it helps them make their decision. so, yeah, I think it’s all about guys they know and like. it’s all about THEiR guys.
and I agree. they aren’t brining in any old washed up vets who may give them a shot at an extra win or two like Gase would do. this is about building a team and getting the most out of the talent they have rather than trying to buy the best team they can.
I think if they could get a guy on the o line that’s the direction they go in. Young guy with a lot of upside who can help the team and possibly be their future at that position.
I don’t think they’re finished by any means looking at the players who are out there in free agency, those who still haven’t found a home after the draft, guys from previous drafts who may have been on teams previously but are unsigned right now, guys who will be cut in the coming weeks and possible trade scenarios.
You know they’re working hard right now looking at everything. And I doubt this roster is close to what it will be in July or August.
If our new coaches are bringing a lot of the same schemes from NE our OL will likely be more power scheme than zone.
it’s just amazing to see the pass blocking the get from their guys and most of them aren’t high picks
I’m sure we’ll run some zone as well, the Pats run a little bit of everything. But drafting a FB, a Wisconsin OL and signing Dwayne Allen shows me they want to line up at times and smash teams.
FEST — Get on the list
Seat draft is TMRW and need to get a sense of how many people might (and only mean might) be there. Don’t have to set the actual number until like 8 weeks before the game, but after Monday can’t get more.
Skins game on Oct 13 is the clear winner (12-6) in the poll and will go with that unless some serious talking about it on board.
Started the list based on what what people have said on the board, but could have forgot some. And yeah that means if you said the Skins date was good counted you as in, but can correct.
Who else is thinking Fest? And if you aren’t sure just become a possible.
IN
Hulk
Mike E (+1-3)
Pig
Doggy (+2)
Son (+ ?)
stanger (+2-4)
OD
Toba (+1)
Phelon (+2) (own seats)
Rock
POSSIBLE
Brian NY (+1?)
Twice
Naples (+1)
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So many of you people would love to see face-to-face at the Fest. And it really doesn’t cost all that much for the best 3-day weekend you’d ever find. Most low-key loving and supporting group of idiots you ever could want to meet….. and the wives keep it all mellow as mellow could be. So much so that it is kid friendly.
Probably already covered and I’m just late to the party, but:
Go Phins!!!!
very cool
Tim Knight says:
May 5, 2019 at 4:25 pm
If our new coaches are bringing a lot of the same schemes from NE our OL will likely be more power scheme than zone.
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And suddenly, Isaac Asiata gets a new chance to shine. It would be great if he can rise to the occasion and seize that starting RG job. We know he can maul, he just needs to work on that pass-pro.
We’ll see, man. I think this is Asiata’s last chance here. I’m rooting for him, he’s a good dude.
That’s why they compare him to Gerald McCoy. Quickness, size and strength. They’re not monster maulers, but they’re football good. Wilkins is a bit heavier but has the same get off. He was value at #13 and his versatility fits Flores’ “multiple” to a tee. It was a perfect pick when you add him being a senior and a leader.
I think he’s more like Fletcher Cox. But, that’s JMHO
I’d gladly take either or even better a combination of the two!
I hope you’re right. Cox is better than McCoy, IMO.