As we head into the roster building and tweaking stage of the year, let’s take a look at how the current roster shapes up, and where this team needs to focus as we near NFL free agency. We have an awful lot of players that were on the 2022 team that are now UFA’s (Unrestricted Free Agents), which means they are free to sign with any NFL team and are no longer part of our team or under our control. A fair amount of those players won’t be returning, but there are a few who made an impact on our season last year. Since there are 29 in total, realistically at least 2/3 of those players will be playing football elsewhere. We’re over the cap by more than $12M at the moment, so there will be cuts, and of course some restructuring of contracts of roster players in order to give the team some cap room to not only sign some of the players that were here last season, but some new ones as well. This is an annual exercise every NFL team does to manipulate the salary cap. Players get more guaranteed money this season in order to lower their salary cap hit, and the money is deferred down the line to next season and beyond. Obviously, at -$12M, we have our work cut out for us, but the FO will make it happen as they always do.
Free Agents
OFFENSE – TE Mike Gesicki, QB Teddy Bridgewater, RB Raheem Mostert, RB Jeff Wilson, RB Myles Gaskin, RB Salvon Ahmed, LT Eric Fisher, TE Adam Shaheen, OT Greg Little, WR Trent Sherfield, WR River Cracraft, OT Brandon Shell, G/C Michael Deiter, OT Geron Christian, FB John Lovett
DEFENSE – LB Andrew Van Ginkel, DT John Jenkins, LB Melvin Ingram, CB Nik Needham, S Eric Rowe, LB Duke Riley, S Clayton Fejedelem, LB Elandon Roberts, DE Trey Flowers, LB Sam Eguaoven, DB Justin Bethel, P Thomas Morstead, S Elijah Campbell, CB Trill Williams
There are certainly some impact players on this list, especially considering the most obvious one, our entire running back roster is on the list. Of the 4 RB’s, I’d be surprised if more than one or two return. With limited funds, we may sign one, draft one, and then pick up a couple of UDFA’s after the draft. Other than the entire running back room, Andrew Van Ginkel who has been a very good player for our team may get his shot at a nice contract, so I won’t be surprised if he’s elsewhere this season. Melvin Ingram had a nice season for us last year, but his contract demands will decide whether we’re able to re-sign him. One of my favorite players, CB Nik Needham is coming off an injury, which gives us a better chance at bringing him back. Elandon Roberts had an excellent season, his best as Miami Dolphin. He fits new DC Vic Fangio’s scheme perfectly as well. Punter Thomas Morstead had a nice season for us and wants to return, so we’ll see how that plays out. The 2 former 49ers WR’s Trent Sherfield and River Cracraft were nice additions, but we do have last year’s 4th RD pick Erik Ezukanma that should be ready to see more significant playing time, so one or both of those face long odds to be back.
TE Mike Gesicki had his quietest season as a Miami Dolphin which would signal that he has played his last season as a Dolphins TE. Gesicki caught less than 1/2 the amount of passes as his previous season, and although he may not fit what Mike McDaniel wants in Miami, I feel he will get his chance to catch 70-80 passes elsewhere next season. Our Defensive line has been superb, with the exception of NT/DT, where starter Raekwon Davis has been the weak link. Injuries are a part of it, but more push up the middle could have resulted in lots more sacks for defense. Backup John Jenkins is a free agent, but I’m not sure what Fangio wants to do there, so he also may be in jeopardy. Our O-line depth are nearly all UFA’s, Brandon Shell in particular had a very nice showing last season at RT, and Greg Little filled in at LT and RT due to injuries. My guess is we’ve seen the last of G/C Michael Deiter. Depth guys like Trill Williams and Elijah Campbell were forced into difficult situations due to injuries, but showed well at times. The same could be said for Safety Clayton Fejedelem and CB Justin Bethel who are primarily ST’s guys. QB Teddy Bridgewater, widely regarded as a great signing as a backup QB couldn’t stay healthy in any of his appearances which means it’s very unlikely we revisit that mistake.
NFL Free Agency begins on Wednesday March 15th. We all know starting QB Tua Tagovailoa is taking judo classes in order to protect himself better when being taken to the ground, but regardless of that fact, the Dolphins just have to make sure they have a reliable backup QB, unlike the disaster that was Teddy Bridgewater last season. It’s possible 2nd year QB Skylar Thompson get the opportunity to be the backup, but considering Tua’s health concerns, I think the Dolphins look to a more established QB. The QB FA list is long, but there may be a couple of players that won’t be exclusively looking for a starting gig that may be willing to accept a backup job, especially if the QB is likely to miss time, which unfortunately at the moment, is a possibility here in Miami. Of the younger players, I’d think Taylor Heinicke (30) and Mike White (28), Gardner Minshew (27), Jarrett Stidham (26) and possibly Jacoby Brissett (30) might be willing to accept a backup job, especially when all the starting jobs have evaporated. Brissett had a better ’22 than he did with the Dolphins in ’21. White had some great games for the Jets, until he entered the M*A*S*H unit himself after getting pummeled by the Bills defense. Heinicke has 25 NFL starts so lots of experience for a young player and is a capable QB. I like Gardner Minshew and feel he’d be a perfect backup to Tua. Jarrett Stidham got a few late season starts last season for the Raiders and looked solid in at least one I watched. Of older players, Case Keenum (35), Andy Dalton (35) and Joe Flacco (38) would all be fine doing backup duty, but Keenum would be my choice among that group.
There’s been lots of talk about upgrading MLB here, but considering we drafted Channing Tindall last season with our first pick #102 (RD 3), and we have #55 Jerome Baker, and last year’s starter Elandon Roberts will be a less expensive option than any of the group of Tremaine Edmunds, Kwon Alexander, or Levonte David, I’d be betting on Roberts return rather than any of those guys. I know we’ll be restructuring contracts, but we’re -$12M now, so we have work to do to get in the black, and out of the red. There’s more uncertainty at CB, and one place where we might be able to free up a good amount of cap space is CB Byron Jones. The big question is, does he get another opportunity to play here in Miami after a lost season? The Dolphins, at least outwardly, haven’t slammed the door on Jones returning, but a post June 1st cut could save the Dolphins $13.6M against the cap. As I’ve previously mentioned, I think it’s imperative we re-sign Nik Needham who has proven his worth over and over again, and if he’s healthy enough to begin the season on time, he should be a priority re-sign.
The NFL Draft will be Thursday April 27 – Saturday April 29. I’ll get into the draft and our outlook on that after free agency is done as we’ll have a much clearer picture of our needs at that point. We have a a player or two on our roster that deserve contract extensions, and that usually allows for some salary cap relief in the immediate future. DT Christian Wilkins has to be priority number one. No player has earned an extension more than Wilkins. He had a great 2021 season and he followed that up with an exceptional season in ’22. He’s due a big payday, and you must reward your own guys. Zach Sieler, Wilkins’ defensive line mate is another player deserving an extension. The proverbial lunch pail player, Sieler is one of the best rotational defensive linemen in the NFL. He’s playing for a paltry $3.1M and he’s the type of player every NFL team covets, a guy who shows up, works hard, and does his talking on the field with his play. The other player is on the side of the trenches, G Robert Hunt. He’s probably one of our best draft picks in recent years, and in ’24, Hunt will be a free agent. There’s always the franchise tag, but I’d love to see Hunt on this team long term, he’s our best, most consistent offensive lineman not named Terron Armstead, and he’s our own homegrown talent. Pay that man his money!
GO DOLPHINS!!!
Finsmob Unleashed 
FOIST
CavalierKong says:
February 23, 2023 at 11:11 pm
———–
Wait… you mean to tell me we hired R2-D2 as our assistant D-Line coach?!! Isn’t he a little short for a D-Line coach?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenny_Baker_(English_actor)
LOL, nice catch.
I’m surprised I didn’t make the connection. I blame that on it being late at night. I do know Kenny Baker played R2, same as I know Peter Mayhew played Chewie. It’s C3PO’s I can never remember. I even made an episode IV reference the other day. Darn it, opportunity missed, lol.
Cheers, my guy! 😀
Rockphin says:
February 24, 2023 at 8:18 am
Tremaine Edmunds
Bobby Wagner or
Lavonte David
in free agency? Forget the cap. They can manipulate that. Which of these FA would you pull the trigger on?
Our ISLB position with Riley, Baker & Roberts don’t exactly scream game changer. We have a pretty good DL, Edge and DB group. It seems our “good” LB’s are just good enough.
—————
Honestly, I’d be very happy with any of the three. Wagner is my absolute favorite, David is stellar in coverage (we could certainly use that!), but I think Edmunds makes the most sense.
Not only would we acquire a very good, younger, 3-Down LB, but he could tell us a lot about the Bills.
Mike E,
I think you’ve been on fire lately with your writes! Great job!
+10000000 for Case Keenum! 😉
LOL – Thanks
Mike E,
I’ve also been thinking about our backup QB situation and think I have it solved. There’s a dude from GB who might fit. He just left a completely darkened room for 4 days and what better way to see the light than in Miami’s sunshine? He says he’s not sure he wants to do his 20th year so what better place to sit than behind another dude in Miami’s weather? And if you want to see some action, this guy gets injured a LOT so you could do that too!
You, Ken, and Piggy just let me know what you think. I bet I can get Piggy on board but might leave Ken up to you.
You sound as crazy as A-aron. lol
No freaking way do I want a has-been all pro in Miami
Imagine the regular pain of people calling for him to start during the regular season after Tua “underthrows” Hill for a 50 yard TD
We have the most nauseating fans in sports. Bring an Aaron Rogers in and he will be their guy, until the wind blows another direction and they decide some one else should be the guy
Our fanbase is a cycle of stick a sharp object in your own eye
They constantly need to squeal about something
Ok, Mike might need to sell it to you as well…
Well done, Mike E….as usual. You covered every facet, I think….thank you!
Thanks Krishna
LB comparison: 2022 stats
Note: Lavonte David, Bobby Wagner, and Jerome Baker played all 17 games last season, while Tremaine Edmunds missed 4 games due to injury. So to keep everything fair, I’m projecting what Edmunds would have done if he had played all 17 games as well.
Ages are for the ’23 season, not the ’22 season. All stats come from Pro Football Reference.
BW: 33 YO, 140 tackles, 6 sacks, 10 TFL, 10 QB hits, 5 PDs, 2 INTs, 0 FFs, 0 FRs
LD: 33 YO, 124 tackles, 3 sacks, 10 TFL, 03 QB hits, 5 PDs, 0 INTs, 1 FFs, 1 FRs
TE: 25 YO, 133 tackles, 1 sacks, 08 TFL, 04 QB hits, 9 PDs, 1 INTs, 0 FFs, 0 FRs
JB: 26 YO, 100 tackles, 4 sacks, 06 TFL, 07 QB hits, 4 PDs, 0 INTs, 0 FFs, 0 FRs
Advanced stats
Cmp%, Rat (QB Rating), and TDs (TDs yielded in coverage) are what the player gave up in coverage
Hurries (QB hurries) and QBKDs (QB knockdowns) are self-explanatory pass-rushing stats
MTkl% is the player’s missed tackle %
BW: 68.8 Cmp%, 87.1 Rat, 2 TDs, 2 Hurries, 2 QBKDs, 1.4 MTkl%
LD: 75.3 Cmp%, 90.9 Rat, 1 TDs, 0 Hurries, 0 QBKDs, 6.8 MTkl%
TE: 65.0 Cmp%, 69.9 Rat, 0 TDs, 0 Hurries, 3 QBKDs, 1.0 MTkl%
JB: 79.4 Cmp%, 98.8 Rat, 2 TDs, 1 Hurries, 3 QBKDs, 9.1 MTkl%
M – My feeling is that our scheme and experience of our DC will enable our current players to succeed, without upgrading any positions. I think we’ll see better in-game adjustments, there’s nothing Fangio hasn’t seen at this point, so I expect our defense to adjust week to week, quarter to quarter even if necessary. No more of “this is what we do, and we’re gonna die by it if necessary”
That’s entirely/absolutely possible, IMO. However — and only IF Vic Fangio wants to upgrade at LB — there ya go.
I’ve gotta say… I think Lavonte David has fallen off, by and large.
That’s not to say he sucks by any stretch, but he used to be the best cover LB in the NFL. Today, not so much.
To me, it would be absolutely magnificent to sign either Bobby Wagner or Tremaine Edmunds to pair with Jerome Baker and Elandon Roberts. Only problem with that? Too much $$$ allocated to the MLB/ILB positions.
“Pair” isn’t the correct term, but ya know what I mean. Truth be told, I wouldn’t mind trading Jerome Baker for a 2nd or 3rd rounder if we can land either Bobby Wagner or Tremaine Edmunds, but that’s just me.
Vic Fangio will have the real and final say, of course.
The other question is how often do we even have 3 or 4 LB’s on the field? I think our OLB’s are going to be on the field to rush pretty often, and sometimes in multi receiver sets, we may have only 1 or 2 LB’s, depending on how many receivers are in the set. I think re-signing Elandon Roberts would be sufficient and a better use of money, especially since we’re kind of strapped.
Re-signing Elandon Roberts is very high on my priority list.
I hear ya. We have to hit on draft picks. We can’t keep signing top free agents. Hopefully even signing Roberts doesn’t cost us a bunch. He played well last season, you never know.
Absolutely, man. Elandon Roberts is a PLAYER (not to be confused as a playa), to be sure. He earned Captain status last year for a reason and went well above and beyond expectations.
I’ll be miffed if we don’t re-sign him.
Fangio’s defense is pretty simple. As with every defensive system, it’s how you disguise what you’re doing and how you adjust to what a team is doing that particular day. Fangio’s defense asks players to be able to shift from one position or assignment to another on any particular play. That allows him to give a certain look and then shift to something else. It’s one thing to have a defensive philosophy but it all comes down to evaluating your opponent and then adjusting what you’re doing on that day to stop them.
***
And a guy like Baker is a great fit for this defense. He really isn’t an inside LB anyway. He should be playing on the outside. But, he can flow between multiple positions and zones on the field, so you can use him to disguise stuff. I see absolutely no reason to move on from Baker. Any player who is a tweener…is potentially a good fit for this defense….but you still need individual talent.
***
Oh yeah….I’m back, bitches!!!
Good you see you back Randy! I thought we were never going to see you again, so happy I’m wrong. How have you been Randy?
RANDY SIGHTING!!!
GRAND TO SEE YOU BACK!!!
Good write, Mike. I do not want Flacco as a backup though. LOL
How could you? Flacco is a great statue! lol
It would take him an hour to run a bootleg. LOL
Randy is back in the house!!! Good to see you.
I agree with you on Fangio’s defense. Baker too.
Hey MikeE,
Thanks for the articles. I’ve been reading along. This is where I get my Dolphins news. I just figured I had nothing constructive to say, so I should stay quiet.
Nice! Hope you’re feeling well, healthy and enjoying life. BTW – You have a ton of things to say that would be constructive, and understand the game better than I do, no question about that.
Formatting!!
Hey Tim!
I’m kinda surprised you haven’t come up with a new handle by now! Hope life’s been treating you good.
he’s not Tim anymore LOL
Good to see you Randy
LOL, for some reason I can’t use WordPress on my computer but I can on my iPad. No idea why. So that’s why I have this handle.
LOL @ Mike ‘A-aron’
“YOU DONE MESSED UP A-ARON!!”
He has $50M guaranteed annually to play for the Pack. If A-aron goes to the Jets, or anywhere else really, he messed up!
Good to see you on the board, Randy 🙂
Randy says:
February 24, 2023 at 3:45 pm
Hey MikeE,
Thanks for the articles. I’ve been reading along. This is where I get my Dolphins news. I just figured I had nothing constructive to say, so I should stay quiet.
If that’s how it works, I would never say anything. 😂
Good to see you Randy.
Hi everybody! Thanks for the welcome back. 🙂
MF13
That stat sheet above was excellent info.
Makes me want to get Tremaine, as he is the youngest.
Wagner, however, just needs a final grand 3-year flourish to his career,
and he could get votes for HOF.
The most glaring stat was Baker’s missed tackles.
We have to fix that one way or another.
Your post made me go back and take a look. Baker at 9.1% missed tackle rate is really bad- nearly 10%, wow.
I’d like to see what the % is on a bunch of other players too, we had a lot of missed tackles throughout the team. I was calling that out all season. I never felt I saw it from only a couple of players consistently but as a team it was common in all phases.
We missed guys in the backfield when we had the play dead, we allowed RBs extra yardage when it should have been a short gain, and the secondary allowed way too much YAC when we had 2 and 3 defenders all around them.
Hopefully Fangio will clean that up with more emphasis on tackling. I don’t think he’s the type of guy who has much tolerance for a lack of fundamentals.
I know a couple of guys in the secondary will have really bad numbers too. Like you said, it was one of the biggest problems on defense this year.
I’d also be curious to see Baker’s missed tackles numbers prior to ’22 and see if it was an aberration.
Here’s a cool tune a friend of mine turned me on to. This is the kind of band I’d like to see play a half-time show at the Super Bowl.
That was good, I was digging it
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/florida-dem-drops-proposal-ban-dogs-from-sticking-heads-out-car-window
What’s wrong with these tyrants, that want to tell everyone what to do
Idiots that don’t know what type of things people really need so they come up with ridiculous ideas nobody cares about. Dogs like sticking their heads out the window jackass! LOL
Welcome back Kotter
I don’t want any piece of Aaron Rodgers and it is not whether or not I think he is better than Tua but more about the fact that he is an absolute asshat, he will be a complete distraction to the team, he is on downward slope of his career and he will kill our cap. Love or hate Tua I am not in Rodgers
I don’t think we’re in the Rodgers sweepstakes.
Funny stuff!
Tim – That was very enjoyable. Liked that song a lot. Nice deep bass, great vocals, including the background vocals, and just a cool sound
Really cool guitars and keys as well. Glad you enjoyed. 🙂
Telecaster, great sound
Sometimes I get so frustrated trying to protect people from themselves! Especially when they are ass hats about it! Ignorant people don’t know the right question to ask so I have to ask them 5-6 questions to figure out what they want to know and then they treat me like I am over thinking things or trying to complicate the issue.
Example:
How much does a door cost?
That’s like people who come in to my store and ask “How much are glasses?”
Glasses? I’ll bring all of mine so I have them. Thank you! LOL
Worse:
Can I get a door for 150?
Try to call him
Can’t talk. Can I get a door for 150?
What type? Where?
In meeting can’t talk. Can I get a door for 150
Text back “no”
Get a text from my boss moments later:
Why can’t you help Scott!!!?? Call me!!
SMMFH!
Text him back in Swahili using a translation app and see if calls you? LOL
Why do you text somebody to tell you to call them why don’t you just fucking call them!!??? This is the logic I deal with all fucking day long or better said the lack of logic.
I meant if you did that he might call you saying WTF?!!!! Now you got him on the line.
No Tim I’m saying that’s what he did to me. He texted me saying to call him. It would’ve taken him half as much time just to call me!!
I gotcha! I was trying to be a joke maker. 🙂
You’re such an asshole Mike! You’re obviously an incompetent up to Trish option obstetrician
Or whatever you call it lol. If you were any good you would be able to answer the question!! How much do glasses cost. Come on quick quick!! 🤬
Not spam LOL just cracks me up that they believe me!!
Rock, you should have texted the customer back – “up to Trish option” 😆
I just love my speech to text and auto correct fighting each other
I tried to post that video above with the text
“ as my guitar gently weeps“ and it went to the spam folder
I tried again with” I look at the floor and I see it needs sweeping“ and it went to the spam folder.
🤣.
I type “not spam” and the spam filter says OK
ROFLMAO
I’m gonna get a T-shirt made
“Not Bank Robber”
The whole sending a text saying ‘call me’ would annoy me too. It’s rude.
Power move. GFY power move boss
February 24, 2023 at 6:35 pm
No Tim I’m saying that’s what he did to me. He texted me saying to call him. It would’ve taken him half as much time just to call me!!
But but but….You said you were in a meeting? Why would you call someone knowing they were busy? It’s like texting to say call when that’s over.
The client was in the meeting my boss was drinking wine at the Italian restaurant on the Ave like he does every Friday
Rock – I tell people who ask “How much are glasses?” to go to a shoe store and ask ” How much are shoes?”
Shoes? I’ll bring them as well so I have them. Thank you! LOL
What does a car cost is my favorite response
Rock – I take no responsibility for the spam filter, we don’t control it
I just find it hilarious everything else I type doesn’t work I have to tell it “not spam”.
I just tried to post one with “not bank robber” and it got filtered. LOL
“Not spam” works every time. 😂
I’ll say this, I’d love to add Tremaine Edmunds at LB. It would hurt the Bills and improve our team. But he’s going to get a big contract from some team. Can we take on another deal that rich?
My biggest fear is he remains in the division but with the Pats. They have like 38 mil in cap space and that is with 60 players already signed to their roster.
Edmunds was really pissed at the Dolphins after we passed on him for Minka. He said the Dolphins assured them if he was available that hey would take him, or at least he felt that way. Wonder if he still holds a grudge. The hat pick almost worked out for us, but we traded away a future HOF player for Austin Jackson…
“If the good die young, I hope I’m one of the bad ones.”
“Your demons knock the hardest when you finally chose to close the door.”
This was about 5+ years ago when had his last relapse.
LOL Tim – bring dem so you have dem
I wish the blog could you hear you imitate that. I’m pretty good at doing voices but you have Sol down pat. LOL
Wagner might be a legit option on a deal that isn’t too much and wants to be on a team that has a shot to compete before his career is over. But it would be him or Roberts.
The hiring of Fangio will draw attention from FAs on defense. Players know certain coaches have good reputations. We’re seeing coaches taking lesser jobs to join new coaches.
The justification they try to spew is that it’s “harmful” to the dog. To which everyone responds with but that’s just pure bullshit how the hell do you know. A lifetime of anecdotal evidence proves just the opposite. As a citizen of Florida I’m embarrassed by this bill.
My daughter’s dogs press the button and put the windows down by themselves. So, what do you do? 😂
My daughter opens the window for her dog as well but has to do the child lock or doggie will put her paws on window controls and open it all the way. Not cool on a highway. LOL
Good to see you Randy 👍
Clapton does this better than Prince does that have a listen
Awesome! I hadn’t seen Clapton’s rendition. I couldn’t wait for the guitar solo and ol’ slow hand didn’t disappoint
Cav, because you liked that I’m just going to put out my favorite one. I fucking love this one
I’ve got this one in one of my playlists. love it
One of the best to ever pick up a guitar.
Rams have had trade talks regarding Jalen Ramsey; CB likely to be dealt in the coming weeks
——————–
I know it won’t be us. Don’t have the money or picks.
Sports Illustrated says Wagner to Miami
https://www.si.com/nfl/dolphins/news/miami-dolphins-should-make-move-for-bobby-wagner
I wouldn’t mind having both Wagner and Roberts.
PFF says Ramsey to Miami
Miami should consider making a move to improve their situation at the position, and Pro Football Focus provided an interesting option for the Dolphins.
In a trade with the Los Angeles Rams, the Dolphins would give up second-round selections in 2023 and 2024 to receive cornerback Jalen Ramsey and a 2023 fifth-round compensatory pick.
The Dolphins would have Ramsey for three more years at $18.3 million per season, which is more than doable. Obviously, there is a fear that Ramsey falls off in 2023 and beyond as he reaches his 30s, but the opportunity to acquire a top cornerback without giving up a top pick is enticing.
Apparently, this writer is not aware of our cap situation.
I would also be pissed if we gave up more draft capital. This is a deep CB class and we can draft one and pay him much less money over the next 4 years.
I want to draft a CB….but it’s always rolling the dice
I’m concerned about him falling off too
Plus, Ramsey is an arrogant asshole. Hard pass on that
I agree on this
and he is not a friend to Hill
and I’ve seen him lose coverage in critical games/situations.
^ I can’t stand Ramsey
I say draft a (cheap) CB with a high ceiling that needs to learn and teach him,
so he will be ready to take over for X in 2-3 years.
It’s really too bad Iggy couldn’t be that guy. Who knows, maybe Fangio can unlock his potential.
all the physical tools a CB would need and lousy instincts
…
but Fangio is a self professed teacher-coach,
soooo
Do we want one of the many excellent FA RBs out there?
We need at least 3, maybe 4.
I’d resign Mostert and Wilson and pick up at least 1 from
Myles Sanders
Alexander Mattison
or another young guy of your choice (McDaniel’s choice).
We could keep either Gaskin or Ahmed, but I think not both.
I would re-sign Wilson, Mostert and Ahmed and draft one in the mid rounds. We aren’t in a position cap wise to be spending big on a RB, and I don’t necessarily think we need to do so in todays NFL. We have to pick up Tua’s 5th year option soon and spend big on a Wilkins extension, so we can’t waste money on a RB who will command a lot of money.
All true, but I do crave a monster run game as a balance to our deep passing game.
I think if we can get the ground game to a dependable 100-125 yards/game, we’re in the SB.
(assuming Tua learns jiu jitsu)
I do as well. I think if we actually run the ball more, we could have that. Mostert and Wilson Jr. Averaged 4.9 and 4.7 ypg respectfully, and Ahmed 5.3 in her limited action. We had the horses, just didn’t run the ball enough.
I think possibly our most intriguing (or worrisome) need is for a back-up QB.
Even if the FO trusts Skylar,
we still need a third guy ready in a 17-game season
plus playoffs
… with Tua as #1.
To bad I’m not in FL.
Houston Astros
@astros
🆚: New York Mets
🕛: 12:05 PM
📺:
@ATTSportsNetSW
I saw that. Mets have their scrubs in though.
So do the stro’s
The Astros probably have the best lineup in MLB
A couple players to keep an eye on at the HBCU Legacy Bowl game today are:
CB De’Jahn Warren, 6’1 185 who was coached up by Deon Sanders at Jackson State. Has sub 4.4 speed. Has already been drafted by the USFL New Jersey Generals.
DT/DE Joshua Pryor, 6’4 280, Bowie State – They said he was virtually unblockable all week during practices. In 2022, he had 72 tackles (41 solo), 20.5 TFL and 6 sacks. Was also 2021 CIAA Defensive Player of the Year.
EDGE Andrew Farmer II, 6’3 250, Lane College – Had 17.5 sacks in 20 games with 5 PD’s. Last year in 10 games he had 11.5 sacks and 19 TFL. Also, has already been drafted by a USFL team.
RB Darius Hagans, 6’0 210, Virginia State – Ran 4.4 flat 40 at HBCU combine this week.
A luxury pick would be WR Xavier Smith, 5’9 170, Florida A&M who runs in the 4.3’s.
I am sure there are a few others, but these are the ones I am hearing the most about.
Brian in NY says:
February 25, 2023 at 10:38 am
I would re-sign Wilson, Mostert and Ahmed and draft one in the mid rounds.
———————-
I am right with you Brian. This class is a good RB group. We can get a good one in the 3rd or even one with good potential in the 6th.
Also, bringing our guys back, we don’t miss a beat with our offense and a bunch of new RB’s trying to learn the offense.
At the end of the day I think it matters how much Wilson and Mostert cost
They should be affordable – but spending free agency $ on RBs is always dicey these days
Either way, Whether we let one or both go or keep both – I’m probably bringing in a young RB via the draft. 2 third rounders gives you that option.
Having a competitive stable of RBs is really the goal. If some one turns out to be the next great RB, that’s a bonus- but our offense will be productive without a workhorse
I highly doubt either is getting a RB1 spot/contract, so really it would make sense for them both to stay here and split carries as to who has the hot band. 1 or 2 year deals
Yeah, we don’t need a work horse. All we need is fresh legs.
Not sure if it is just me, but the way Tyreek plays all out, it seemed like he got a little wore down toward the end of the season. It would be nice to add another speedster in the late rounds after we draft a CB, OL, RB, TE (I’m thinking almost in that order). If this kid is there in the 7th round, I might take him.
He ran in the high 4.3’s twice at the HBCU combine.
We need more draft picks! Lol
I really depends what we do in free agency
But I have RB, TE, OL (depth), CB and ILB as my priority areas
We probably can use a good returner too
I honestly think we have good enough talent as is to be a contender
Health is more of a factor than anything else
But those are the places we can get better
We probably don’t need TE if we stick with Gesicki
If we made a move in free agency or via trade for a CB or LB we probably don’t need to prioritize those areas either
OL is a little complicated bc if we need OL it’s only bc prior draft picks have failed – and given how much we spent on OL through the draft last few years, if we have that many misses on OL, I don’t want to take another swing in the draft – I think when it comes to the draft on OL we draft for depth. If we need a starter – sign a vet
Rb is the only position that I think we are very likely to pick – so that means we probably won’t pick one….lol
Byron Jones
@TheByronJones
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It was an honor and privilege to play in the NFL but it came at a regrettable cost I did not foresee. In my opinion, no amount of professional success or financial gain is worth avoidable chronic pain and disabilities. Godspeed to the draft class of 2023.
Sure sounds like he’s about to retire
Lol Herd with your dog story
Byron Jones
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1h
@TheByronJones
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Much has changed in 8 years. Today I can’t run or jump because of my injuries sustained playing this game. DO NOT take the pills they give you. DO NOT take the injections they give you. If you absolutely must, consult an outside doctor to learn the long-term implications.
Barry Jackson
@flasportsbuzz
In wake of today’s tweets… Byron Jones is not retiring and there’s no pending lawsuit, per source. With his 14.4 M salary non guaranteed, the general expectation is he will be cut by Dolphins with post June 1 designation. But nothing has been settled on that front.
It certainly sounds like Jones is done. So what does that mean for our cap? Will he be some sort of injury payout? Does that change his numbers at all or do they stay the same since it’s almost certainly due to injury?
Oh, nvmd. Not sure how he can post that stuff then continue playing?
Maybe he has to wait until he is cut to retire, so he gets paid? Is that what ‘14.4 M salary is non guaranteed’ means?
Yeah, I thought the same thing.
No, Jones can retire and he’d be off our books. Sounds like he might want to just fuck us over one more season cap wise and not retire, collect the $$$ and then retire next year
What does Barry mean by ‘non guaranteed’?
Non guaranteed because we can still cut him. We take a huge cap hit either way, so the most likely path would be June 1st cut
But if he retired right now, he’d still get paid, but it wouldn’t count against our cap? Seems like it should count against our cap either way. I don’t really know how this part of the cap works.
Kong – I would assume if he retires now it wouldn’t count against our cap, but I don’t know for sure. I would think you wouldn’t have to player that is not on your roster
I’m under the impression I’d we cut him after 6/1/23 we will save a ton of cap room
That’s for sure, but if he retires, do we pay him at all, and does his salary just come off the books entirely? I think it should
Usually there is an injury settlement in that case
If he’s pre june 1st we pay 14+ M this year, if he’s post june 1st we pay 4 this year and push 10 mill off to next year, so we save money this year, but still have to pay.
It’s what retirement does to those cap numbers that I have no clue about. If he retires today, does he still get paid? Does it change our cap obligation?
Exactly – I don’t have the answer as to whether his salary is still on the books if he retires. I don’t see how it could be, but that doesn’t mean I’m right.
I’m pretty sure we get hit with the dead money either way. Otherwise teams would manipulate that to their advantage.
Bri, I was just typing something similar. It seems it would be an easy way to pay veterans near the end a ton of money that never hits your books. We’ll probably get the answer to this in some sepculation articles over the next few days.
If we cut him after 6/1, $14 million comes off, but we still get hit with some this year and next
Kong – I found this . . .
When an NFL player retires, all of the dead money on their contract counts against the current year’s salary cap. As far as the salary cap goes, player retirement is treated the same as if a player were cut or traded by the team.
and this . . .
What happens if a NFL player retires under contract?
When a player is released (or retires), the team is relieved of having the pay the player’s base salary (P5) and any Roster Bonus that may become due after that, but still will need to account for any Signing or Option Bonus prorations that haven’t yet counted against the Salary Cap.
Ok, so if I’m reading that right, that is where the non-guaranteed comes in. Since his salary is non-guaranteed, we’d only have to pay the signing bonus. In this case, the numbers would be the same either way though whether he is cut or retires. The difference is, if he retires we have to pay it all this year. So he may actually be doing us a favor waiting till after he’s a post june 1st cut.
Is that how you read it?
Bri – How so? Are you saying players would retire to help their teams salary cap?
They could if they had a long-standing relationship with the team. I think the rules are mostly set up so that teams don’t get advantages in that regard . But that thing of the sort don’t happen, but that is an easy one to eliminate . Also, you could just push all of their salary and back, loaded to the later years of the contract, and if a player retired, then 3/4 of their contract would be notified, with zero hit to the team.
Kong – Yes
Good find on the info. I really hadn’t found anything.
I just don’t understand how Jones CAN’T retire if he can’t run or jump today, assuming he isn’t exaggerating that. He had the surgery I believe it was almost a year ago, and Achilles surgery is supposedly very tough to come back from, but you would’ve thought he would be making more progress.
Maybe after the stat of the new league year, we designate him a post june 1st cut, and he retires at that point.
If he continues playing after posting all that, it’s a real wtf? moment, lol.
*start
Right
It’s all over in Boca Raton. The home standing FAU Owls basketball team was favored by 12 points in this contest. However, they CRUSHED Texas El Paso 75-49 to the delight of another sell out crowd at Baldwin Arena! Head coach Dusty May’s huge smile tells you all you need to know about this contest.
Next up are two road games at Louisiana Tech and then Rice. The Conference USA post season tournament in Frisco, Texas, begins a few days later. At 26-3, FAU now has the BEST won-lost record in Division I basketball. However, they still may need to win the conference tournament to secure a bid to March Madness.
https://www.thephinsider.com/2023/2/24/23614259/does-jordan-poyer-want-to-play-for-the-miami-dolphins-tua-tagovailoa-mike-mcdaniel-buffalo-bills
“I’d love to go a state that doesn’t take half my money,”
“It would be nice to see the sun, maybe every week or so — every other week at least.”
“A lot of Bills fans won’t like that I am friends with Tua. I’m going to his birthday party this weekend. I am excited about that.”
KONG; POYER sounds a lot like my parents, who lived in Buffalo from 1954 to the summer of 1959. After 5 winters in Buffalo, my dad, who was raised in snowy Alberta, said he had had enough of Buffalo weather. We moved to south Florida in the summer of 1959 and never looked back.
My dad reminded me that “the idea is to live in a state with high temperatures and low taxes, NOT low temperatures and HIGH TAXES!!”
High temp, low taxes…seems like pretty sound reasoning to me, lol. I don’t know why any player would want to live and play in Buffalo.
I read that earlier- not sure how he would fit if Brandon Jones comes back healthy
He may get the franchise tag too, so it may be moot anyway. I think we’ve got a pretty good saftey combo. If we were going to go after one of the two big Bills hitting FA, I’d rather target Edmonds.
Sheesh Poyer – get an accountant. NY doesn’t take half my money…lol
Dead money means you’ve already paid it, but it hasn’t yet counted against the cap
At some point we have to account for 14.8m, unless somehow the team can sue him to get it back
I’m pretty sure we only have to count 4m against 2023 cap, and the rest next year
Dead money is also money paid at the time of release, meaning some of it can be paid out the same year it hits the cap, but in this case I think you’re right (if I’m understanding correctly the point you’re making) in that Jones has already received his 14+ mil. That is another aspect of his salary being non-guaranteed- meaning we don’t actually owe him anything else upon release.
Well if Byron Jones can’t run or jump I’d say that’s the end of his career.
KONG STATES “I don’t know why any player want to play in Buffalo.” Well, Kong, a neighbor of mine who spent some time in Buffalo said, “If you’re into weird things like girls with braided armpits, then Buffalo’s the place for you.”
However, I was only 12 when we left Buffalo for south Florida. So I was a little young to be closely checking out local women. However, when we’d spent a few years in the Sunshine State, women all of a sudden became VERY INTERESTING!!
I agree that BOTH Hill and Waddle looked a little beat up late in the season.
I’d like to see Ced Wilson and especially Ezukanma utilized more over the middle or wherever to take some of the big LB hits off those two little guys.
Sherfield is very strong and tough as well, but his numbers were about right last year.
That’s why I think we also need a big sturdy back, as both Wilson and Mostert also got somewhat beat up. At least we need someone reliable enough to get 20-25% of the carries so as to take the pounding off the other two.
I think the 3rd round is a good spot to add a RB.
Well, at least we know for sure we need another CB and need to resign some of our F/A CB’s. Though Fangio may have a different F/A CB in mind then our F/A’s.
Yeah there will likely be some defenders that he’s aware of even if they’re not big names.
In regards to Poyer, it’s nice that we’re a desired destination again.
The college kid expected to go #1 next year recently said we’d be his number 1 choice, now a division rival star is practically begging us to get him. We landed the most coveted DC on the market. We’re being ranked right around the top 10 in some polls going into the season (meaningless at this point, I get it).
It just feels good to know we’re moving in the right direction and are starting to get respect again. We’ve been so mediocre for so long…
2023 is a huge year for our beloved franchise.
Time to take that next step this year. That would start with not just making the playoffs but winning a playoff game.
Go Dolphins!
not spam
Jaelan is #10
not spam
not spam
Wilkins is #10
Sounds like Byron Jones is done for sure. He’s blaming doctors, but he still waited 2 months into the last off season to have the surgery he thought he needed. He knew that cut into being ready for the season…. whatever else he thought was going on. Would be different for me if he had the surgery right away and it went bad.
Sometimes they wait until the inflammation goes down. Purdy isn’t having his surgery yet because of inflammation.
Don’t know as much about inflamation and surgery as you, but I’m doubting it takes 2 months to die down. He was starting before end of season.
I don’t know much about it other than what I’ve heard reported about surgeries.
pff top 100
#7 Hill
#45 Tua
#58 Wilkins
#59 Jaelan
#66 Waddle
#98 Connor Williams
Since a few of you were curious, here are Jerome Baker’s Missed Tackle %s by year…
’18: 12.2%
’19: 4.5%
’20: 8.2%
’21: 7.1%
’22: 9.1%
a disturbing trend
Cheers
So basically his tackle pct. is in the 90% range.
Miami Dolphins ’22 Missed Tackle %s: DF7
Christian Wilkins: 1.0%
Zach Sieler: 2.8%
Raekwon Davis: 2.9%
Emmanuel Ogbah: 8.3%
Andrew Van Ginkel: 6.0%
Elandon Roberts: 7.0%
Bradley Chubb: 13.3% with Denver, 0.0% with Miami
Jerome Baker: 9.1%
Jaelan Phillips: 14.1%
Melvin Ingram: 15.4%
Duke Riley: 2.2%
I do think tackling was an issue but I also think we get a little too caught up in these numbers.
I think tackling was an issue and these numbers reflect as much. 🙂
The numbers back up what we saw as a problem on the field. They also show which players were the worst offenders. Our edge players across the board missed a lot of tackles.
Our interior linemen were really good.
But we’re acting like some of these guys miss tackles all the time when it’s really not the case. To me it was more about the collective group as a defense not that one guy is big liability. If you do something well 90% of the time is that bad?
At least these stats correlate to reality/tape: teams couldn’t run on us inside, but outside was a different story.
Running QBs were a different story.
Absolutely agreed.
For a knee surgery, yes, the wait for the swelling to go down. Achilles surgery is done almost immediately, from anyone I’ve known that has had it.
CavalierKong says:
February 25, 2023 at 7:09 pm
The numbers back up what we saw as a problem on the field. They also show which players were the worst offenders. Our edge players across the board missed a lot of tackles.
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I think that deserves a beer! Beat me to it by less than a minute.
Cheers!
🍻
I can’t judge guys like Phillips, Ingram or Chubb to harshly for that stat
Their job is to penetrate and disrupt the play
If they miss a tackle begins the LOS, they have still altered the play dramatically
Baker on the other hand…
I agree with this in general… or at least 50%. When one is rushing the passer, it’s a different game than strict run-Defense.
That’s what I was getting at. It also ignores the fact that some skill players are shifty or don’t go down easily. Edge guys could miss a tackle but the play still only went for 2-3 yards. To me the biggest culprit was the secondary because a miss there results in a lot more yards.
Thy Knight (@ThyKnight3) says:
February 25, 2023 at 7:12 pm
But we’re acting like some of these guys miss tackles all the time when it’s really not the case. To me it was more about the collective group as a defense not that one guy is big liability. If you do something well 90% of the time is that bad?
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When it comes to missed tackle percentage, ya don’t want to be approaching double-digits… that’s pretty bad in this league.
When I get the time, I’ll dig deeper to have a look at what the league average is for LBs… maybe I’ll post the top 32 ILB/MLBs to see where we stand officially. That’s going to take some time though, and I can’t make that happen this evening.
You also have to take into account who is tackling who and what position and where is it? Is it in space our in the box. Was it a clear whiff or a skill player who isn’t easy to tackle. You can’t take the talent on offense out of the equation. That’s where PFF stats get questionable.
Did one defender face the same assignments and matchups as another? Oh look at this LB, he only has a 2.0 missed tackle pct., but he rarely covered a lot of ground. He played mainly in the box and within 10 yards. A guy like Baker covers RB, TE and even slot receivers.
Tim, these stats aren’t from PFF (or Pfffft), they are official NFL stats provided by Pro Football Reference (PFR, not affiliated with PFF at all).
I totally understand what you’re saying, but the season is only 17 games long and schedules differ. It’s the best anybody can do when comparing players in a given season, though it’s imperfect. Nothing is perfect. 🙂
Oh okay so PFR are doing the same thing now? I heard the NFL absolutely uses PFF’s analytics. My point remains the same. It doesn’t matter who it is doing it. You know who really evaluates this? Coaches. If they feel you’re bad at tackling and hurting the team, what happens? 😉
Wilkins I pretty impressive but I’m guessing other interior DL also have high numbers
I would say B Jones is done.
https://www.foxnews.com/sports/dolphins-byron-jones-says-he-cant-run-or-jump-due-to-injuries-issues-stern-warning-to-future-players
Tim, you have some valid points, but when your defense underperforms and missed tackles are called out during the year as a big part of the problem, then the numbers back that up, I find it hard to say “oh, it was all the secondary’s fault” when the numbers show our edge guys and ILB also have bad missed tackle numbers.
And every team faces shifty guys and running QBs.
I’d be curious to see what our secondary players missed tackles numbers are.
What if the numbers there show them to be around league average?
I’m half talking out of my ass here, because I dont even know what the league averages are, lol.
No not all the secondary’s fault, but there are less defenders once the guy with the ball gets into the secondary, so a miss there is a lot more costly. A miss in the box that could have been stopped at 3 yards ends up 7-8. No not good. But a miss out in space that could have been only 5-7 yards ends up 20+ or to the house.
A lot of the guys we had to play in the secondary last year were not big guys and not overly physical. I watched live Breece Hall carry our entire secondary almost into the end zone on a 90 yard screen or whatever it was. That’s what stood out to me much of the season. Add that to some misses in the backfield or within 5 yards and it gets even worse. Know what I mean?
THY KNIGHT says, in so many words, that for the upcoming season, making the playoffs isn’t enough. The goal must be TO WIN A PLAYOFF GAME!
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WELL, TIM, we’ve been saying that since the beginning of this century, and look where it has gotten us!!! For most of this century, Ross and his front office HAVE UTTERLY FAILED to produce an above average NFL offensive line. We are ‘O FOR THE CENTURY!!!’
Meanwhile our quarterbacks continue to take a pounding year after year while we doggedly refuse to draft the talent necessary to produce an above NFL average offensive line.
SO-O-O kiddies, the answer seems laughably obvious: DRAFT QUALITY LINEMEN in the first 3-4 rounds who you can reasonably expect to compete at a high to very high level in the NFL. YET ROSS and his FO refuse to do this.
Let me repeat my plan for the coming draft: we have a total of 3 picks, I believe total, in rounds 3 and 4. TWO should be the best available O-Linemen; the 3rd pick should be the best available Linebacker.
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The Dolphins have made a massive commitment on offense with two of the NFL’s best receivers plus a potential super star at quarterback. But that doesn’t mean shit if our O-Line can’t protect our quarterback!! In fact, Tua’s career will be substantially shortened if our O-Line performs like it did last season. And it won’t matter that our receivers are among the NFL’s very best.
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Yes, it would be nice to land a solid running back in round 3 and a stud DB in round 4. But let’s get real. we will continue our CENTURY OF FRUSTRATION until we come up with an above average NFL Offensive Line. And the BEST WAY TO DO THAT is through the draft.
I knew this post was coming from you. LOL
TIM; IT WILL KEEP COMING until Ross gets enough of a brain to understand that crappy O-Lines get your quarterbacks seriously injured!!
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Ya, I know, Ross rebuilt a stadium so we can have more shade.
That’s no consolation when your star quarterback is taken off the field in a stretcher, is it???
Ross needs to get out of the NFL and go back to real estate.
Like VERY SOON!!
The OL didn’t get any of our QBs hurt. Both of Tua’s concussions were on him. Bridgewater looked bad most of the time and could never complete a game with minor injuries. Skylar hit his finger on a helmet.
Ross is not responsible for any of that.
Set a record high today at 83 degrees
YEP!! And California has a snow storm!
Time for pigs to fly backwards, right, PIGGY???
I don’t know it’s 32 in nyc
(Piggy kicks rocks)
It’s pretty bizarre. We had ‘graupel’ here the other day. It’s like snow in the form of hail, not ice, but soft snow coming down in the form of pellets (maybe you nor’eastern guys already know of this). I’d never seen it before.
We get hail occasionally, a tiny bit of snow every 20 years or so, but never seen this stuff.
Kong, we just had that the last few days. A soft snow and rain mix. We’ve had some typical cold weather, some warmer than usual days and a lot of wind. But not very much snow accumulation.
OD, since you don’t do mock drafts, I did one for you.
TBH, I would not be mad at this draft if we were able to shore up our RB room. They project Cody Mauch to move inside and be a pro bowl caliber OG who could move back out to OT as needed. He could fill in at LG from the get-go.
51. Cody Mauch OT North Dakota State
77. Ivan Pace, Jr ILB Cincinnati
84. Matthew Bergeron OT Syracuse
178. Payne Durham TE Purdue
240. Noah Daniels CB TCU
At #51, I did have to pass up CB Emanuel Forbes. Mauch was the top OL available there.
At #77, I was happy to see Pace there. Jack Campbell would have been second option.
At # 84, I did pass up RB’s Israel Abanikanda, Zach Charbonnet, Tank Bigsby and Sean Tucker. That hurt a bit.
At #178, I felt like I won the lottery when TE Payne Durham was still there.
At #240, was surprised to see CB Noah Daniels still there, but hey, bonus!
Minus 4
LOL, Toba comes in and says “Hold my beer”
😊
Kong/Tim. We call that sleet
What we were getting defintely wasn’t sleet. It was snow, it just came down in pellets. There wasn’t any rain. Imagine hail coming down, but when the pellets hit something they just kind of go poof and disintegrate. It was weird.
I guess the difference is there was no mixture. It was just these weird snow pellets, no ice or rain.
Tiny little balls ? Half the size of a grain of rice ? We get that once or twice a year … I think normally when it is REALLY cold
Can’t wait for the 4.5 inches of hard pack frozen shit on my driveway to go poof 🤡
Cav, My friend who works at Kirkwood says they get about 30 to 34 feet of snow on average a season. Yesterday morning, they were already at 38 feet on the season and expected to be over 40 feet by the end of the weekend. The season is not close to being over. He thinks they might break their 2018/2019 season easily. They only need about 10-11 more feet and Feb to mid March is their heaviest snow period.
Where’s Kirkwood ?
It’s been a wild winter for us
Wow , we had less than 5 feet in 2022 and last winter was a lot
Alright, I figured out how to speed the process up (YAY!).
According to Pro Football Reference (not analytics, but actual NFL stats), there are 112 qualifying LBs (both inside and outside) for the missed tackle % stat (I assume it’s based on enough snaps to qualify). Here are some notable names…
Tremaine Edmunds: #5 of 112, 1.0%
Bobby Wagner: #7 of 112, 1.4%
Duke Riley: #11 of 112, 2.2%
CJ Mosley: #31 of 112, 4.2%
Roquan Smith: #37 of 112, 4.5%
Fred Warner: #55 of 112, 5.8%
Elandon Roberts: #77 of 112, 7.0%
Micah Parsons: #79 of 112, 7.1%
Raekwon McMillan: #90 of 112, 7.9%
Eric Kendricks: #92 of 112, 8.1%
Jerome Baker: #96 of 112, 9.1%
Lavonte David: #75 of 112, 6.8%
This is certainly NOT to say Jerome Baker is chopped liver (he certainly isn’t!), but if we can upgrade from him, perhaps we should.
We could probably get a 3rd round pick for trading Baker, we cut Byron Jones, and there ya have it: enough money to easily sign either Edmunds or Wagner.
Then draft a CB, TE, O-Lineman, and RB this year with the additional 3rd rounder.