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Wow, a lot of things happened this weekend. More stunning than the away win in Foxborough to me is the firing of OC Chad O’shea, and then even more stunning is the quick hiring of 68 year old Chan Gailey. Man, I did not have any inkling that might happen. I know the run game was non existent but I also thought all too often running room wasn’t available either. Is that play calling, offensive strategy or just a lack of talent on the O-line? Apparently, Grier and Flores must have agreed it was a combination of all of them. Our best DB Xavien Howard was arrested for domestic battery. Lots of news and I’m not sure if any of it is good. I’ll get back to all this, first I’ll cover the final game of the season, that most satisfying win in New England.
The Dolphins traveled to a proverbial house of horrors for them over the last 20 years. Before the win on Sunday, the Dolphins were 3-16 at Foxborough, and the last win before last Sunday was in 2008. We were 16 + points underdog for a reason yet Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Dolphins found a way to beat the Patriots, who by the way, needed that win to give them home field advantage in the playoffs. The defense made some plays and none was larger than the pick 6 against Tom Brady, the same Tom Brady that shreds us every time we travel north to play them. Eric Rowe made the biggest play of his career jumping the pass intended for Julian Edelman and taking that INT to the house for a TD.That gave the Dolphins a shocking 10-0 lead a 1/3 of the way through the 2nd QTR. The Patriots came back to tie it though and I’m sure many of you expected the wheels to fall off after that happened. The first half ended tied at 10.
This team has a lot of fight in them and I think that’s a product of the HC Brian Flores’ mentality. He didn’t take the job to satisfy the medias agenda of losing, he’s a winner, a fighter. The team emulates the coach. Devante Parker had one of the best defensive backs in football on him most of the game, and Stephon Gilmore had no answer for the rising Parker. The New England Patriots had no answer for Ryan Fitzpatrick and his ability to constantly step up and either run away from the pass rush or step up and get rid of the football. It must have driven Belichick crazy. DeVante finished the game with 8 catches for 137 yards for an impressive 17.1 YPC. Our new susperstar finished the season with 72 receptions and 1202 yards along with 9 TD’s at a 16.7 YPC clip. Parker simply attacked the ball this season and played like every pass in his vicinity was his, it was remarkable.
On defense Davon Godchaux silently had a very nice season. There will be no accolades for him but Godchaux finished the season playing a combination of DE and DT with 75 tackles (33 solo) and 2 sacks as well as 4 TFL. Not stunning numbers but just very solid, reliable play. Godchaux had 4 tackles and 2 TFL against the Patriots. Andrew Van Ginkel had 6 unassisted tackles. Jerome Baker had 8 tackles (5 solo) along with a FF. Baker is a bright spot on this defense as well. Hey, did I mention that the Dolphins were down 24-20 with 3:53 to go? I can almost guarantee you that Patriots fans thought they had another in the the bag, the hapless Dolphins gave ’em a good fight, but now it was time to mail it in. UH-UH. Ryan Fitzpatrick led a 13 play 75 yard drive to take the lead on a 2 YD rushing TD by who other than the Dolphins leading rusher, Ryan Fitzpatrick. That was exciting as hell, it really was. That drive was daggers brother, and Belichick must have been bleeding inside watching that transpire. No run game to help him, Ryan Fitzpatrick came out firing to Parker, Ford and Gesicki, all the way down the field and the although Fitz fumbled a snap he managed to fall on top of it to maintain possession. It was just beautiful that long drive with our MVP shredding the vaunted Patriots defense for the TD.
There are going to be so many changes next season I don’t even know where to start. Chan Gailey will be the skipper of the offense. He certainly has experience, but why do I feel so much like Bill Parcells handing over the keys to the offense to Dan Henning? Anyone? It’s a strange one, I just can’t shake it. It might work out, but I don’t feel good about it. Sorry. The draft will be bringing in a lot of new players, both drafted and undrafted. We have so many undrafted guys now that the talent may push some of these unsung players off the roster. You only get 53 spots so only the best survive. What happens with Xavien Howard could deal a serious blow to our defense. It may be nothing or it might be an 8 game suspension or more. It’s not good.
Brian Flores looks all the world to be a keeper. You have to feel confident with what he’s accomplished. With significantly more talent on his roster, better things will come. I don’t know much if any impact Josh Rosen has next season. Not sure if he’s even on the roster. I’d guess he will be because he doesn’t cost much so at worst he’s competing for either the starting job with Fitz or if we draft a QB, fighting to be the #2. We desperately need talent on both the O-line and D-line. We need pass rushers, either at DE, DT or LB or all 3. We may need 2 or more CB’s, and we also need a safety opposite Rowe. We must find a RB and hopefully some big fellas that give said RB some room to run. We seem to have found our receiving TE but I’m not sure Durham Smythe is an NFL TE. He’s a decent blocker but not an impact blocker and he doesn’t have hands. Clive Walford probably won’t be back. At WR I feel great about Parker and Albert Wilson showed some signs of life near the end of the season and Allen Hurns is a solid possession receiver along with Preston Williams who should be back by season’s start. Isaiah Ford looks promising as well so I don’t expect a lot of attention in the draft at WR. I’d say needs in order of importance are OL, DL as 1 and 1A, CB, QB about equal followed closely by RB and S.
GO DOLPHINS!!
#staythecourse
Happy New Year!!!
Finsmob Unleashed 
First. Nice write Mike E
Thanks Ken! Happy New Year to you and the family
Good write Mikey, but i disagree on your WR assessment. I dont think there is a priority need at WR but i think its possible they add talent there. I also dont think any position is off the books right now and i think its probably splitting hairs to come up with an order of importance. I do think OL sticks out above others but the rest, i dunno if you can pick one bigger than the other.
We are in need of adding talent to he roster, period, not specific to position. This is both good and bad because it means we have the flexibility to pretty much grab whatever player we feel is the best talent, but it also means its likely we are still left with several holes after we are done. This will not be a 1 year process, and we should all keep that in mind. Even with FA and Draft together, we probably at best can stabilize the roaster and field a respectable team, good will have to wait a little while longer.
I think I said we won’t be spending a lot of attention on WR, and I stand by that
Oh, and thanks D! Happy New Years bud
Nice recap, Mike E.
So many holes to fill, I think it will best player available that buys into the Flores way.
We need talent. These coaches can coach.
You forgot to mention OD’s endorsement of Ross. I almost fell off m th chair. 😀
^off my chair
Thanks Krishna! Lots to do man, no doubt! Happy New Years to you! I hope this year brings you some peace and happiness
Speaking of FA, which of our guys currently coming up for FA do you think we should try to retain. Who would you offer and what do you think would be fair to retain them?
Fitzpatrick
He’s signed through next season. I’d leave it at that and see what happens next season
Happy New Year Mike E and all FUers out there
Happy New Year!
https://www.miamidolphins.com/news/miami-dolphins-sign-eight-to-futures-contracts
https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/free-agents/all/miami-dolphins/
Here’s a list of our upcoming FAs for anyone that wants to discuss with D. I think Boehm, Ford, Haack, Jenkins and Beigel are almost no brainers depending on what they are asking for. Aikens is a solid, dependable player so I’d extend him as well. The rest seem like chaff but Hull seems to always stick so his ST play could make him worth it.
Happy New Years everyone and another great article Mike!
Had to wait for the sun to set…everyone knows what sunlight does to trolls.
I agree with D (or maybe it was Randy) in that I don’t think Miami had an offensive “system” this year. Just did a lot of stuff. Also don’t think QB is a priority with the team this year. Enough football, season is over, back to trolling for bottom feeders….
But before I start, let me apologize to Herd for the forthcoming inappropriate comments….sorry sorry sorry
Somebody get ORob some feminine products. And a dictionary. “Pussy” is so 2000-late as an insult. Although it is ironic that the dude calling everybody a pussy behind a keyboard is…well…a dude behind a keyboard. ORob, the difference between you and pretty much everyone else here is that everyone else has a sense of humor and no one takes themselves seriously (except for Rock…he is a serious mofo). And before you bother bowing up and start talking about next fest and say it to my face, blah blah blah….save it. I ain’t your ex-wife.
You’ll always be my bitch!
I hope everyone who reads this has the best year ever in 2020.
I also look forward with a lot of excitement to watching the Miami rebuild take the next step.
Great write up, Mike, but I thought the winning TD was Fitz ripping a rope to Gesicki.
Thanks Naples, and you’re absolutely right about the TD pass to Gesicki for the win
As for Chan Gailey.
Sad to see O’Shea and Dave G and Tony Oden go, but their position groups each finished last or nearly last in the NFL.
You can’t reward finishing last. No matter how valid the excuses.
Plus we badly need to draft and develop young talent at QB, RB, OL, and Safety (to go with Brady-killer Rowe), so we need very stable and teacher-quality coaches with a proven record of developing young talent, especially at those positions.
Chan Gailey knows Miami town, knows the AFC East teams, knows Ryan Fitzpatrick (and Ryan probably loves him.) and I think he recruited Flores to a college scholarship, so their loyalty goes deep.
Gailey had success as an X’s and O’s guy, and is given credit for helping to adapt the spread and the empty backfield 4 WR sets that have become so common and important. He was ahead of his time.
His failures came from him not being a dynamic motivator, but we have Flores to do that.
I am okay with the firings. On the fence about Gaily, but willing to give it a chance.
Mike, I almost exactly agree with you on draft needs.
I’d like to see us draft 2 RBs in the first 2 rounds. I know that many think it is wasteful to spend a first round pick on a RB let alone doubling down, but if there were ever a year to do it, this would be it, considering all the capital we have, especially backed up by cap space to get FA guys at positions where experience and proven performance is so important.
For example if we got that edge rusher from Jax, we know he can get the job done, and yet he is young and won’t break the bank. He will still be hungry to get the Big Contract in 3-4 years.
Also a Scherf or someone like him at right guard would be a good get in FA, as opposed to both enduring the growing pains of a rookie and also using a 2nd round pick on a guy and hoping he doesn’t bust at RG.
Back to RB, that is where fresh legs and youthful exuberance pay off better than recycled backs some other team has quit on. Plus it is an easier position to learn. So draft 2 in case one busts or proves injury-prone. I loved the 1-2 punch Ronnie and Ricky tandem, and other teams hated it.
I’d love to get Etienne or Swift in the first and come back with whoever you like that looks good in bowls and runs well at the combine in the second.
I’m tired of not being able to run the ball.
Yannick Ngakoue is going to get big time money and with his stats and at age 25 he’s worth that kind of deal.
Good write, Mike.
Happy New Year folks!
Thanks Tim
Happy Oink Year!
Happy 2020 everyone 😎👍🐕🐬
Happy New Year 🎆
VERY NICELY DONE, Mike E!! I AM WORKING on a Dolphins project that MAY come to reality this summer, depending on my wife’s ability to get out of the wheel chair and get better. Right now, Mrs. OD is priority #1. And, thanks to an understanding boss, I’m able to take time off to drive her to her medical appointments as needed. I have reason to believe she’ll get better. And I’m looking forward to storing that wheel chair back in the garage 24/7.
————————
I’d like to clarify a slight misinterpretation up the page. I did NOT endorse Ross in total. Certainly NOT for putting a mostly lousy team on the field during the first 11 years of his ownership (77-99 won-lost record and ZERO playoff wins).
BUT I DID endorse his selection of Brian Flores as head coach after this season was completed because FLORES SHOWED ME HE COULD DO THE JOB AND DO IT WELL, unlike the first six head coaches during the previous 11 years. I EXPECT and I BELIEVE that FLORES will continue to guide this franchise back to football relevancy in 2020, assuming GRIER doesn’t pick the next Dion Jordan with our 3 upcoming first round picks.
FINALLY, I’ve gotta say that if UTAH was one of the two best teams in the PAC-12 this season, why did they get slaughtered in last night’s bowl game by an UNRANKED Texas team that lost 5 games this season??? SEEMS to me that OREGON MUST DEFEAT WISCONSIN in today’s Rose Bowl if the PAC-12 is to have any claims to prominence in the next college football season.
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Y’ALL HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
“Ross’s 11-year run of failures is FINALLY OVER!!”
Sorry for generalizing, but endorsing his selection of the coach, is a partial endorsement of Ross.
Not worth arguing the finer points of your statement.
And, I still almost fell off my chair.
If they go to playoffs or have a winning record or build the talent, it’s to everyone’s else’s credit except his? The owner that hired everyone? OK. Just trying to understand.
So hoping vrabel’s defense punches belicheat’s Offense in the face and knocks them out of playoffs while tannehill throws for 2 and runs for another.
Thanks OD! I’m happy that you are pleased at least with some portion of what Ross has done and the fact that you like our HC is a good thing. I wish much health and happiness to you and Mrs OD in this New Year!
Naples – The funny part is that I watched that part of the game, I got to see almost the entire 4th QTR, I missed the majority of the game because we were hosting a party. When I do my article I reference the gameday PDF on NFL.com and I must have been looking at the 1st half and not the 2nd half. Like you said, Fitz threw a seed to Gesicki, it was a nice throw,
Happy new year to all
Nice write up Mike E.
watched the game with my Patriots friend Tim, with no expectations at all.. ended up being a VERY enjoyable watch.. love that once again we have put a speed bump into their playoff run…
So far very happy with Flores as coach … here’s hoping we have a 2020 vision for the team 🤓. Using the Sportrac link above there are a ton of UFA OL for the picking .. need to grab few of them as we don’t want to rely on a line with anymore than 2 rookies starting… yes draft some good ones but will need to augment with some Vets
Here’s also hoping X’s legal issues are not as bad they look ..
Go Phins. And again Happy 2020 Y’all
Happy New Year everyone!!!!!!!! Here’s to a new decade. A decade of Dolphins dominance!!
Congrats to Minnesota they played a really great game all around to beat Auburn. Very well coached team.
WR Tyler Johnson really showcased himself today with 12 rec for 204 and 2 TD’s. His down field blocking was impressive as well.
Watched some of the replay of the Pats game and Isaiah Ford may have won the coaches over for next year. He played well with the opportunities he was given this season.
I agree. I was saying the other day we are looking good with our 2 big WRs’, our 2 water bug WR’s and solid #5/6 in Hurns and Ford. I don’t see us drafting one early.
I also agree. It shouldn’t be a priority, we have nice depth there. I could see drafting another Wilson type of player but they could also just look for a quick shifty receiver at RB too. I feel like Wilson is used best closer to the LOS, so a RB can do many of those things too.
Agreed and Gesicki. We need more dynamic RBs.
Find a young QB, upgrade the OL and RB.
On Wisconsin!
Coupla Dolphin prospects in Rose Bowl, Oregon qb Herbert and and Badger rb Taylor.
A C, OG and possibly an OT!
I’m looking at that Wisconsin OL and Taylor. Herbert still sucks unless we need someone to do the QB sneak exclusively.
Yeah, his first interception gave me a flashback to T’hill. Yikes
Funny you say that. That last scramble he just had I thought the same thing, but on review nobody was open.
Herbert has actually impressed me with his athleticism and mobility in this game
Biadasz is big and strong but has had a couple of bad long snaps in the shotgun
The TE in Wisconsin Cephus looks really impressive
Ken, Ceephus is a WR
I thought they said he was a TE. He is playing like a TE
Not wowed by Biadascz in this game
Im not wowed by any of the Wisconsin OL. Oregon has done such a great defensive job they’ve done trick plays the entire 3rd quarter. That Duck D must be exhausted
I like it.
Same here
Herbert does not look good in this game, but the Badger D is one of the best
That’s why I don’t like Herbert. Such an obvious throw away but he just takes the sack that completely takes them out of any option but a punt. He’s played too long to make those type of decisions, especially since he was outside of the pocket.
Brady Breeze should be the MVP in this game. Amazing amount of work
I will take Herbert any day
CBS mock now has us taking Love at 5.
because he played in a spread like Chan Gailey runs.
Anybody ok with that?
Meh
also Iowa Edge Epeneza at 18 and Alabama OT Jedrick Wills at 25
What is this Chan Gailey spread offense that is so different than what most teams run?
Wasn’t he the OC in 2001 when he leaned on RB Lamar Smith? Chan Gailey is a veteran coach that fits the multiple.
^^^^
YardBarker has us taking
@ #5 Oregon QB Justin Herbert
and @ 18 USC OT Austin Jackson
and @ #25 Alabama 2nd WR Ruggs
I think it would be a waste to take a WR earlier than the 5th.
We don’t really need to draft one at all.
Hell of a game at the Rose Bowl
SBNation has us taking
#5 Tua
#18 Gross Matos
#25 Josh Jones, OT, Houston
“With three first-round picks, the Dolphins have a great opportunity to complete re-shape their franchise. Jones is a little more of a developmental tackle, but his athleticism is probably the best of any tackle in this class. “
That’s a great draft if you think Tua will fully recover.
Agree
Some say Gailey is here as a bridge to Schlupinski taking over in a couple years.
I don’t really have any preference on QB. I really don’t want Tua because of the injuries. Burrow is good. That’s it… the rest all blend in together to me.
USA Today has us picking
5. Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama: Maybe Miami didn’t need to “tank for Tua” after all. The preseason favorite for the first overall pick hasn’t even announced whether he will enter the draft after dislocating his hip in November, and it will be impossible to pin down where his stock stands until more information about his prognosis is available. So long as Miami doesn’t have substantial reason to worry about his long-term outlook, however, the team shouldn’t balk at pouncing on Tagovailoa. With remarkable accuracy and composure under pressure, he still sizes up as a franchise cornerstone.
18. Alex Leatherwood, OT, Alabama: Subjecting a young quarterback to Miami’s current offensive line, which allowed an NFL-worst 146 quarterback hits, would amount to football malpractice. Leatherwood is more of a long-term investment at left tackle than a plug-and-play starter, but the smooth-moving blocker showed a tremendous aptitude for the position in 2019 after previously playing guard.
25. Yetur Gross-Matos, DE, Penn State: Ratcheting up the pass rush figures to be high on the Dolphins’ to-do list in the draft, as their 23 sacks were five fewer than the next closest team.
wow we gave up the most QB hits AND got the fewest sacks.
That is the double whammy.
So this would be a great draft.
I don’t think you can overlook how bad we were up front this year on both sides
The majority of our early picks should go up front
I usually make room for a QB and a RB in mocks I do
But everyone I take a DB or WR early, I’m not happy with the complete draft
Fox Sports has us taking
Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama
2019 season stats: 180-for-252 passing, 71.4% completion percentage, 2,840 passing yards, 33 TDs, 3 INTs
Ryan Fitzpatrick led the Dolphins in rushing (!) and passing, and orchestrated the memorable Week 17 upset of the Patriots. But he’s 37. Will they retain him to mentor Tua, or do they retain Josh Rosen?
Rosen, remember, was drafted 10th in 2018, struggled in Arizona, then was traded to make room for Kyler Murray. He only threw 109 passes for Miami this year, despite coach Brian Flores saying Rosen was the starter back in October. Bad sign for him.
Henry Ruggs III, WR, Alabama
2019 season stats: 38 receptions, 719 receiving yards, 7 receiving TDs
Devante Parker (9 TDs, tied for 3rd in the NFL) was a revelation for the Dolphins this season, and can you imagine if he had a speedy running mate? Albert Wilson in the slot, Ruggs on the outside … boy, Tua would sure have some talent around him!
and
Austin Jackson, OT, USC (19)
If you take a franchise QB in the first round, you immediately need to get some protection around him.
And that is the wisest thing I ever heard on Fox Network. Ain’t sayin’ much, but
What do you do with Preston?
Chan Gailey was our OC back in the 2001 season. I went to the Feidler game against SF, that noodle arm couldn’t make a throw downfield in that wind to save his ass.
My seat was on the 40, but low, after the game Chan came out of the press box and headed down to the field, right past me as I exited. I patted him on the shoulder (probably said something stupid) as he walked by.
Fiedler gets a pass from a lot of Dolphin fans bc he was part of playoff teams
But I thought he really held back those teams
I know many watched Herbert last night
But there was a other player in Oregon worth watching – his OT Throckmorton
He’s actually pretty versatile and can pay either side of the line and all positions
He’s probably going to be in the board well into day 2
So he might be a nice player for us if we already selected 1-2 OL early
Steve
I agree.
With Preston doing so well, we do not need to draft a WR. Grant, Parker, and Wilson are all under contract as well. With Ford balling out against the pasties, we are set at WR. We even have 2 good guys on the PS to help out during Training Camp, and Ricardo Louis coming off IR. He’s a big WR with skills.
We have too many holes to use a pick on WR. We need 2 quality RBs, a Strong Safety, and another quality TE on top of the obvious needs for 2 OTs, a high quality QB, and 6 Edge Rushers.
And a Partridge in a pair tree! 😉
if that bird can roadgrade on 3rd and 2, then yeah, him too.
Seriously though, I think we are set on ST, Wyo.
Herbert for the umpteenth time did not impress. Yeah he has great size, arm strength and somewhat mobile. He ran for 3 scores last night but they were designed runs. I say somewhat mobile because he lacks mobility to escape the pocket unless there is an obvious open lane. Yeah he threw 32 TD’s but 10 of those were against Nevada and Montana. So he had 22 TD’s and 6 INT’s over the 12 other games against mostly average competition. Don’t see any wow in him at all. He has the size and arm but he largely lacks the “IT” factor. I see Ryan Leaf written all over him.
I think Herbert is a much better person than Ryan Leaf, if I remember that guy correctly.
I do not think Herbert would ever be a cry baby.
But I do concur with your analysis. Meh.
… until you see his fastball and he scored 3x on Wisconsin’s badass rush D.
The one thing is, and this is a big IF, if he is coachable.
He has such great tangibles, if he can be taught to read defenses … wow.
But we already have that exact guy in Josh Rosen — great arm etc., but was never taught how to play QB. So we want another guy just like that?
Might work. They could use the same tutor, same film lessons., and same practice regimen. 2 birds with one stone and may the best man win. Fitz as a role model still works, too.
One could be the other’s back-up, and there would be no need to alter the playbook if the starter goes down. Like RG3 behind Lamar. rotflmao
Regarding Love at 5
I’m okay with it
But the argument is the same when it comes to Tua/Love/Herbert
Everyone has opinions of these guys and like to highlight the negatives
But honestly, no disrespect intended – none of that matters
If the Dolphins take a QB at 5
Its bc the coaches believe in his talent
The coaches believing In a Qb taking the steps to build talent around him is really all that matters, not all the little warts that every player and every QB has
There’s enough scouts who are impressed with all 3 of those guys for me to call bs on criticism about them as prospects
When we hired an OC, it was a sign to me that the Dolphins want their OC in on this process over the next few months. Rather than waiting for a guy to underachieve as an oC before they fired him, they hired some one who’s going to be here tutoring a QB
So to me it looks like we are going to select a QB at 5
When you have “you guy” you don’t wait until 18 when you have an earlier pick
At 18 and 20 something we can take OL or Defense
We probably miss out on guys like Okaudah, Simmons it Delpit by doing – basically some of the top tier talent in the draft
But other than chase young falling to 5 or even Andre Thomas, the next guys up at those positions aren’t really much worse at 18 than 5
So if we are going to take a QB, I think we do it at 5
And if we take that QB, it doesn’t matter if it’s Love, Herbert or Tua despite everyone’s .02 on them
They are all talented players
It’s just – wha around then
I doubt any of them start in 2020
So the next few picks after 5 will probably include OL and RB
Bc that is huge in building the things around a QB
I think rather than which QB to take, I’m a lot more concerned about what happens after that – I would be disappointed if they didn’t take the steps to protect that QB and get a running game going
The good news is, Parker and Gescki made everything a lot easier for us. We have some weapons
^^^^^ excellent synopsis
I feel sick saying this, but GO Bills!
Quick Question.
Are we 100% set on picking 5th, no matter who loses in the playoffs?
Because if both NE and Buff lose, that would hurt our SoS, since that is like 4 teams in SoS.
Done. SOS only counts during the regular season
Naples you can always upgrade the ST with better back-up DB’s and LB’s
Naples, I should not have grouped Herbert with Leaf. That was bad on my part. I hear has a great character and his teammates love him. He is no where near a Leaf even if he busts. I just don’t see “IT” with him. I like Rosen’s potential more than Herbert’s and like you said, we all ready have one of those. Just my opinion.
I suspect that a few of our day 3 picks will be playing ST next year
Not good for the depth at OT I was relying on
Smart move for him actually. I heard many eyeing him this draft to move him inside but still drafted late first round.
Wirfs at #5!
Possible
He is a right tackle though. Best LT’s on most sites are Andrew Thomas, Austin Jackson and Prince Tega Wanogho. Can’t remember which side the Oregon dude plays.
I honestly don’t even know if Wirfs is the 2nd best OT in the draft
I don’t think we are looking at OT at 5
That’s just my guess
I think of it’s not a QB at 5, and Thomas is not available, they may go defense with that pick and think about OL again at 18 or 20 something
If we don’t take QB at 5, do you think we are going to hope a QB we like falls to 18 or 20 something? I don’t think we take a QB at all if we are willing to risk losing Between 5-18. That says to me that we don’t love the QBs. So why waste any first rounder than in a QB at all
Even if we don’t take QB at 5, we still need OL. But there are good ones available a little later
But with the 5 pick we can take a player like Okudah, Brown, Simmons or Delpit, and all of those guys std out to be clearly better than the next player up at their position, hoe stay not sure Wirfs does that. In fact he. Isn’t even be in the board at 18
If Thomas falls to 5, that’s a different story
I don’t think the Dolphins feel like they need to take a QB. They will only take on if they like him a lot. Chan Gailey being hired is a clear indication of that to me. And it indicates they like one of those 3 guys.
If we were going to take Tua, we need a RT more than a LT
We REALLY need a LT who can seal off the blind side AND a RT who can run block and is not a turnstile in the passing game.
BOTH of those.
And we need 6 pass rushers.
not even kidding
We need 2 starting DEs as we have no NFL quality starters, 2 rotational DTs with hops, a pure pass rush OLB who doesn’t stink in coverage or sealing the edge on sweeps, (unlike Bust Harris), and a back-up/sub-pkge DE. I like our top 5 LBs, but we finished last at pass rushing, and you cannot reward last-ness.
We must thus use FA as well as not wasting draft picks on WRs.
Love his attitude
Any of you like Jacob Eason? Phil Simms was just gushing about him the other night.
Yes I like him. But it’s hard to justify spending a first on him with his limited expirence
We may not have to spend a 1st RD pick to get him. Maybe we take him in the 2nd
I have ZERO proof or any sort of TELL!
But my gut tells me we will go with Rosen next year and see how it turns out?
So you think we don’t even draft a QB at all?
If we don’t get “the guy” they want I think we pass!
What if we don’t take a QB in the first 3 rounds, because they feel they already have that guy in Rosen? I’m pretty sure they shelved him due to that OL.
Mike E
If the prospect isn’t better than Rosen why would we draft him?
That’s assuming Rosen is the better prospect. I really have no idea what they think of Rosen right now. I don’t think they love him, I think that’s clear. They might think he’s salvageable, but that doesn’t mean they don’t take another QB
What the hell is Jones doing with Garrett in Dallas? How can you not fire him, and if you are going to fire him, what are you waiting for? lol
Make sure he doesn’t go to a rival.
Ahh, the Giants still don’t have a new coach yet, do they. I guess that makes sense.
Redskins either
Redskins named Ron Rivera their HC.
No way I take Love at 5 and definitely not with the other QBs still on the board. I’m about him like I am Eason, not worth a first but a second to be competition with Rosen, sure. I think I like Eason more than Love too.
Thomas is a no brainer for me at 5 if there. I like a few of the other OTs but he is the only top 10 guy.
Bummer!
Wow – I didn’t know he was sick
Piggy,
I don’t lend a ton of credence to scouts or GMs over anyone else except their extra exposure and knowledge of what the program is trying to do (or the types they want to coach). With QB, it’s harder to project (in an environment where the best talent evaluators are usually 50/50).
That’s one reason I never look at arm strength hand size, etc. All of these guys are extremely talented so what did you do with that talent? Most of the game-changers in the NFL did the same in college. Big Ben made Miami, OH a top 5 national program. Cam Newton won the NC against the ruling dynasty. Rodgers made Cal a top 5 program for a period. Marino made Pitt a national powerhouse. Montana was exceptional when he was playing at ND. Wilson was exceptional at two different schools. Brees led Purdue to their best seasons. Rivers did the same at NCSU and broke ACC records.
No offense to Love but he didn’t do shit this year. Herbert led a top program but he ran better than pass many times. Guy has talent and they did win but It took 4 TOs to do it. Tu’a and Burrow were the only game-changers. Burrow led the best LSU offense in history and shows his good decision making every single game. It’s probably the best LSU team ever and he’s the primary initiator. Tu’a won a championship from the bench with fantastic passing. He led a great Bama offense to a final and played ok then as well. Bama might have been in the final 4 again if he had not gotten hurt. His injury is bad but his achievements are there.
I’ll finish this novel with a story I heard on ESPN. A contributor said he watched JaMarcus during his try-out before the 2007 draft. He did poorly and the guy asked a GM that watched it with him if that poor performance set off warning bells. Guy said, “Hell no! Did you see the size of his hands? ” Indeed.
If you ask me for my opinion on the 3
I put Tua head and shoulders above the other 2
But my point was, I think they know now if they like 1 of those 3
And If they like 1
They will probably take him at 5 rather than wait
And if they like one, my personal preference and everyone’s personal preference means very little
I think at that stage it becomes – what did you surround your guy with
Sure they can just flat out miss and if they do that – the future is kinda screwed
But I don’t buy that the little nuances between those 3 and all the preferences by the fans is going to make a huge difference in how it pans out
I know which of those 3 I prefer. I don’t think it matters though in the grand scheme of things
With the right coaching, and the right environment, and the pieces around each – I think whomever it is will be the franchise QB we all want
Whomever it is, they need to get an OL to protect him and get a running game going. Any of those 3 will struggle with the current state of things. I also think likewise, any of those 3 can succeed if we do that….but that’s just me….I think people are going a little over the top in “this one sucks, and the other one is a God….and blah blah blah”
Lol, good points.
None more deserving.
Excellent!
Sounds like Fromm is going to stay @Georgia
Go ZACH!!! Love that dude! He was a great player, one of the best LB’s I ever saw. Threw his body around for so m any years with reckless abandon. He deserves it!
Made a ton of big plays too.
steveccnv says:
January 2, 2020 at 2:57 pm
What if we don’t take a QB in the first 3 rounds, because they feel they already have that guy in Rosen? I’m pretty sure they shelved him due to that OL.
*****
If we took at QB in the 2nd or 3rd or later
I would probably conclude exactly what you said
That the guy to build our future around is Rosen
And the draftee is drafted to be a backup (and will have a chance to compete)
I will wait until he is officially named to the HOF before buying his jersey
Memorable Sam Wyche moment
Other notables who have said they are returning to school:
OT Walker Little, Stanford
OT Liam Eichenberg, ND
DT Lorenzo Neal, Purdue
DT Marvin Wilson, FSU
I know we all like the speculate about who to take and when in the draft. Simple answer at #5 is take BPA because we need talent across the board. There is usually a drop off in the teens and 20’s where prospects are graded similarly so you can kind of take a position you really want, need or have to have. When you pick top 5, take the best player on your board and don’t look back.
I think that kind of blind BPA picking is what got us into trouble with Minkah.
We drafted an impossible to ignore starting caliber player at a position where we already had two NFL quality starters. Minkah did not help solve our OL problems at all.
We then insulted our best defensive player Reshad by putting Minkah in his spot, wasted money and minutes played of McDonald by playing Minkah there, uprooted a successful player from his natural position (Bobby McCain) when we played Minkah there, and ended up losing all four players, so that now we need to draft two safeties and a nickelback, although we did get one first round pick to use for that purpose.
You can’t take one example and say that’s why you don’t do it. Do you think Arizona reaching for Levi Brown at RT to protect Matt Leinart’s blindside was a good move? He wasn’t a top 5 talent and they took him #5. They could have taken Adrian Peterson.
That’s the kind of thing I’m talking about. We need more than a position or two so don’t fuck around reaching for specific positions. You draft BPA as much as you can and before you know it your entire roster is better.
I think that’s a bad example. TJ McDonald is out of football at 28 so obviously he wasn’t a quality starter anywhere but our 6-10 team last year. Jones is old, expensive, and injured all year. Second time in the last 4 years that he’s missed more than 9 games in a season. Minka was going to be the next generation of talent if he wasn’t a puss.
A follow up to my BPA post. This is why I think a linear draft order is not an accurate way to look at the draft.
Example:
1 and 2 are a lock, 3-5 are thought to be next and 6-8 are the rest of the premier prospects and it’s universally known any team would want any of these 8 prospects. Then you get that next group where 9-16 could go anyway, 17-25 same, 26-40 etc.
This is why teams use lateral draft boards. You want to see those prospects similarly graded across the board by position and how the talent is going off the board, and how you have positions graded in other rounds. A lot of times teams don’t have 32 players graded as 1st round talents. Sometimes it’s 15-20. But you have to pick someone. That’s why you see some teams trade down. They think they can get similar talents later on.
Just making a linear list is just like you have to pick someone. 14 thru 24 might have the same grades, but someone has to go next on the linear list, it doesn’t mean they are better prospects than a guy you have 10 spots later. That’s when you target a position you feel you really need – when it gets clouded like that – but maybe even then that position isn’t on your board at that time, so you try to trade down or pick the position that gets the most votes in your draft room if you can’t make a deal.
That’s why teams trade up too. If a team is at #22 and their drop off is at #14, that’s when you see teams do that. They think that prospect makes a difference for their team and not so sure on the rest.
We all know it’s not a perfect science, but each team does their science ready for that day. Then you find out who the best scientists are. 😉
Like the Swine, I don’t think QB is high on Miami’s list. Outside of Burrow and a Tua before he got hurt, I don’t think there is another QB worthy of a first round pick.
It might be 18 or 20 something, or even 2nd round. The QB position is being pushed into everyone’s cart. If it’s not there don’t reach!!! We have to upgrade an entire team for the most part. It’s not like QB talent ends in 2020. LOL
Yes
I actually think they really like one of those top 3 guys I mentioned and will take him at 5
The Gailey hiring indicates to me they want him to be part of the process of a QB we want
Happy new year everyone! Here’s to 2020 being the year of a Dolphins resurgence.
Happy New Year!
Tim
I tend to think the QB position undermines the usual logic of BPA, although I suspect it’s applicable everywhere else
I think when it comes to the QB position, GMs and coaches are asking themselves
“Is this our guy”
And if the answer is yes
Then they go out and get him , likely even much higher than he is graded
If the answer is no
You don’t have to take a QB at all, and they can settle in to a BPA philosophy going forward.
I think it’s rare that a QB is ever going to be the BPA. Teams always reach for them bc of their impact in the field.
This is why I’m suggesting that the hiring of Gailey now might be an indication that the Dolphins already want 1 of those 3
And if that’s true, It makes sense to take the player at 5, instead of taking who’s left at 18
I don’t think with the QB position a GM can afford to take the risk of waiting
Then after that, it kind of settles into BPA. And we have enough holes that you don’t have to worry about drafting players we don’t need. But if they take a QB at 5, I suspect they might prioritize protecting him.
Actually even if we don’t take a QB I’m pretty sure building a running game is a priority this offseason, and that’s going to take OL and RB
We don’t have to take a QB at all – but I don’t know, I suspect we may be looking at 1 of those 3
It’s a guessing game
But more importantly, I’ve become a little tired of the twitter mobs telling me don’t draft Tua, Herbert sucks, Love is not worth a first rounder
Oh please, they are all exceptional athletes. As fans we might prefer certain players and certain styles of building our teams. But all 3 of those guys have the talent to be a franchise QB. And if a team invests in one of them, the team they build around the player, and the coaching is a lot more important to whether that player lives up to the pick
Do we have to take a QB – no
But I think we are going to do it
And if we do, People have built these 3 players up and down so much, the response is going to be nauseating – “we should have….” is going to be all we hear
But the reality is those 3 QBs are really talented players that can succeed in the right circumstances, they aren’t going to suck bc we should have waited u til next year, or we should have taken this one instead of that one
Agreed on QBs.
Drafting a 1st round WR would be a huge mistake. There are a boatload of underclassmen WR’s declaring for the draft. Some really good ones. That’s not a top priority for us IMO anyway.
I don’t really want to draft a WR until day 3
I tend to think we can draft a developmental type of guy at that position
Someone who can play ST would be ideal
Weather for Titans at Pats game is going to be wet/rainy and cold due to winter storm Henry. Going to be hard to throw. Wonder if they will be hit with 2 storms named Henry tomorrow night? LOL
Has anyone changed their minds about Tannehill this year? What if he knocks the Pats out in Foxboro in the WC round?
I think he’s going to be the best FA QB signing for someone we’ve seen in quite a while. I think the problem in Miami was Miami, the coaching and specifically the protection. He gets slightly more time to throw and he’s putting up his A&M numbers in the pros.
Not really
I think he’s shown some of the same flaws in his game
I also think criticism about his was always exaggerated As was his praise
People argued for so long they dug their claws in and just said the same bs over and over again
I’m not sure his play in tenn is much better as a whole than in what is our playoff year before he was injured. He had a good year that year and suffers some injury issues before the postseason and the years that followed
I really think we all knew he had potential and had moments
He just lacked a consistency and had some glaring flaws that didn’t seem to go away
And contractually, for us
It really didn’t make sense to keep him
It would be much harder now for Flores/Greir to build the team they want to build if they were saddled with the “is this the year Tannehill turns the corner” argument
I also am not the sort of fan who says “he never had a postseason win” or “he’s undefeated in the playoffs”. I think that gives people a false sense of who a QB is.
If there’s a lesson for us about Tannehill, I would probably say when some one has an injury, or a series of injuries, don’t dismiss the players. Players come back from injuries all the time.
So I tend to think he’s about where he was before his injury, maybe a little better which is expected with time, but it’s not like he turned into Russell Wilson
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a pure BPA or a pure Need based draft strategy implemented by an NFL team. Teams tend to reach a little for need, but they also generally try to get the best value they can at that draft slot.
Are you suggesting it’s not black and white?
How dare you?
Everything is one or the other. Good or Evil or BPA or Needs Based – pick one Jahn!
🤪
I couldn’t be a fan of this team any longer if they went through a draft grabbing the second, third, or fourth best player available. To be the best you draft the best. Its not rocket surgery.
But it would be fun to watch if we drafted the worst player available
I can see it now
Here comes Fred the Plumber, our new QB, the 43 year old decided to make a career switch while drunk with buddies and talking about his high school football days. So he declared for the 2020 draft. Fred isn’t very accurate and doesn’t have a strong arm. He is known for obsessively grabbing his lower back and grunting between plays. You may remember him as the player who’s agent hung himself the day before the draft.
Are you mocking me! LOL
Good for him
But too bad for us – he’s going 2
I wonder how many more change their minds? Combine is almost 7 weeks away.
Important dates regarding free agency and draft heading into new league year and beyond:
Jan. 17 – Deadline for college players who are underclassmen to apply for Special Eligibility. A list of underclassmen who have been approved for entry into the 2020 College Draft will be sent to clubs on January 21.
Jan. 18 – East-West Shrine Bowl, Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida.
and NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California.
Jan. 25 – Senior Bowl, Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, Alabama.
Feb. 3 – Waiver system begins for 2020.
Feb. 11 – Beginning at 12:00 noon, New York time, NFL clubs may begin to sign players whose 2020 CFL contracts have expired. Players under contract to a CFL club for the 2020 season or who have an option for the 2020 season are not eligible to be signed.
Feb. 24-March 2 – NFL Scouting Combine, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana.
Feb. 25 – First day for clubs to designate Franchise or Transition Players.
March 10 – Prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, deadline for clubs to designate Franchise or Transition Players.
March 16-18 – Clubs are permitted to contact, and enter into contract negotiations with, the certified agents of players who will become Unrestricted Free Agents upon the expiration of their 2019 player contracts at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on March 18.
March 18 – Prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, clubs must exercise options for 2020 on all players who have option clauses in their 2019 contracts.
– Prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, clubs must submit qualifying offers to their Restricted Free Agents with expiring contracts to retain a Right of First Refusal/Compensation.
– Prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, clubs must submit a minimum salary tender to retain exclusive negotiating rights to their players with expiring 2019 contracts who have fewer than three accrued seasons of free agency credit.
– Top 51 Rule begins. All clubs must be under the 2020 Salary Cap prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time.
– All 2019 player contracts will expire at 4:00 p.m., New York time.
– The 2020 league year and free agency period begin at 4:00 p.m., New York time.
– The first day of the 2020 league year will end at 11:59:59 p.m., New York time, on March 18. Clubs will receive a personnel notice that will include all transactions submitted to the league office during the period between 4:00 p.m., New York time, and 11:59:59 p.m., New York time, on March 18.
– Trading period for 2020 begins at 4:00 p.m., New York time, after expiration of all 2019 contracts.
March 29-April 1 – Annual League Meeting, Palm Beach, Florida.
April 17 – Deadline for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets
April 23-25 – NFL Draft, Las Vegas, Nevada.
April 27 – Beginning this date, NFL clubs may request permission to visit with, try out, or sign any player who was under contract to the XFL at the conclusion of the XFL season.
Hey Piggy,
Thanks for indulging my question about Tannehill. I just think it’s stark what he’s done this season. I don’t know about glaring flaws but I guess he has some less then glaring ones. One trait that is a tough one for me to call a flaw, but can lead to problems is holding the ball too long. I can’t call it a flaw because it’s how Aaron Rodgers has built an HOF resume, but it’s a gunslingers mentality for sure. The longer you hold it the better chance you’re going to have a big play..in either direction.
He’s going to the pro-bowl. He might have done that had he not been hurt in his best year here, but that’s hypothetical..this year is actual. Is he injury prone? I personally think he’s resilient. I just think we never protected him here in Miami and well, damn…I wonder what might have been if we had!
I am mostly bringing this up because ,many seem to operate on the assumption there are only 2 possible answers to our QB needs: Rosen is the guy and they’ve been hiding him this year to keep him in one piece or; Draft one at #5. I’m not saying these AREN’T the answers for us, just that there is another possibility with a bunch of cap space: Free Agency.
Jahn, I’d have to see what Tannehill does when his running game isn’t there. I know you’re excited for him but he had the leading rusher to work with as well as a pretty good defense. I think he played well but I don’t think there are any teams that will regard him as a top QB. We’ll see what he gets in FA. My guess is he re-signs with TEN for a relatively fair contract under $30M per
Supposed to be a new post.
Important dates regarding free agency and draft heading into new league year and beyond:
Jan. 17 – Deadline for college players who are underclassmen to apply for Special Eligibility. A list of underclassmen who have been approved for entry into the 2020 College Draft will be sent to clubs on January 21.
Jan. 18 – East-West Shrine Bowl, Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida.
and NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California.
Jan. 25 – Senior Bowl, Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, Alabama.
Feb. 3 – Waiver system begins for 2020.
Feb. 11 – Beginning at 12:00 noon, New York time, NFL clubs may begin to sign players whose 2020 CFL contracts have expired. Players under contract to a CFL club for the 2020 season or who have an option for the 2020 season are not eligible to be signed.
Feb. 24-March 2 – NFL Scouting Combine, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana.
Feb. 25 – First day for clubs to designate Franchise or Transition Players.
March 10 – Prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, deadline for clubs to designate Franchise or Transition Players.
March 16-18 – Clubs are permitted to contact, and enter into contract negotiations with, the certified agents of players who will become Unrestricted Free Agents upon the expiration of their 2019 player contracts at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on March 18.
March 18 – Prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, clubs must exercise options for 2020 on all players who have option clauses in their 2019 contracts.
– Prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, clubs must submit qualifying offers to their Restricted Free Agents with expiring contracts to retain a Right of First Refusal/Compensation.
– Prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, clubs must submit a minimum salary tender to retain exclusive negotiating rights to their players with expiring 2019 contracts who have fewer than three accrued seasons of free agency credit.
– Top 51 Rule begins. All clubs must be under the 2020 Salary Cap prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time.
– All 2019 player contracts will expire at 4:00 p.m., New York time.
– The 2020 league year and free agency period begin at 4:00 p.m., New York time.
– The first day of the 2020 league year will end at 11:59:59 p.m., New York time, on March 18. Clubs will receive a personnel notice that will include all transactions submitted to the league office during the period between 4:00 p.m., New York time, and 11:59:59 p.m., New York time, on March 18.
– Trading period for 2020 begins at 4:00 p.m., New York time, after expiration of all 2019 contracts.
March 29-April 1 – Annual League Meeting, Palm Beach, Florida.
April 17 – Deadline for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets
April 23-25 – NFL Draft, Las Vegas, Nevada.
April 27 – Beginning this date, NFL clubs may request permission to visit with, try out, or sign any player who was under contract to the XFL at the conclusion of the XFL season.
Thanks Mike. Most sites are listing him as the 3rd best FA QB option behind Brees and Brady (and just ahead of Rivers) but he’s 10 years junior the youngest of that trio. I think realistically if he doesn’t get a long term contract in Tennessee they’ll tag him. I always liked him as a person and as a player. I just think we’ve been a trainwreck since we drafted him.
I mostly wanted people to start thinking about FA QB options. I think a darkhorse option for us with the signing of Gailey might be Teddy Bridgewater.
I always thought, the problem wasn’t Tannehill as much as it was Gase. I thought if he had the right supporting cast, he will be good (see Trent Dilfer). This is exactly what’s happening.
Not sure if anyone’s posted this info before, so here goes!
Last 10 #5 draft picks with PFF grade:
2019 LB Devin White 50.6
2018 DE Bradley Chubb 59.4
2017 WR Corey Davis no grade
2016DB Jalen Ramsey 71.5
2015 OT Brandon Scherff 75 Now playing G
2014 LB Khalil Mack 86.2
2013 DE Ezekiel Ansah 59
2012 WR Justin Blackmon indefinite suspension
2011 DB Patrick Peterson 68.6
2010 DB Eric Berry Free Agent
What happened to Corey Davis’ grade?
I how to google Corey davis – I don’t remember him
Didn’t find him, currently in concussion protocol.
I don’t even remember him
That was our Charles Harris year – so that’s probably not a lucky number either
LOL @ WPA draft strategy.
5 Andrew Thomas, OT Georgia
18 K’Lavon Chaisson, EDGE LSU
25 Yetur Gross-Matos, EDGE Penn State
39 C.J. Henderson, CB Florida
62 Travis Etienne, RB Clemson
70 Najee Harris, RB Alabama
144 Julian Blackmon, S Utah
147 Ezra Cleveland, OT Boise State
165 Patrick Queen, LB LSU
177 Denzel Mims, WR Baylor
186 Davon Hamilton, IDL Ohio State
220 Cole McDonald, QB Hawaii
My post was about not reaching for need when clearly better players were available at other positions. That’s all. Teams that do that usually don’t have success.
I get it
I don’t think taking a QB at 5 if you beleive he can be your franchise QB is a reach
But it’s probably earlier than the player is ranked
Yeah I agree it’s different with QBs especially if you don’t have a good one.
I drafted Corey Davis in the 1st round in my FF protect league. That was a bust for me as was my season this year. I did a bad job this year and also had some bad luck. Sometimes it just doesn’t go your way.
You should have applied the WPA method
What’s that?
Worst Player Available
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