Like any NFL Free Agency period, there are gains and losses. To start off our Free Agency we took two major losses, despite the die hard Dolphins who keep their chins up and confidence in Grier even higher. I’ve said it, not going to dwell on it, but losing Christian Wilkins was a major failure. Besides, some of you are oohing and aahing at every free agent we sign, because they played in the NFL last season. Did you think we were going to bring in ballerinas? We’ve already brought in 3 DT’s and if I told you last season that any of the 3, Neville Gallimore, Jonathan Harris or Benito Jones was going to replace Christian Wilkins, you’d probably lose your mind. These guys are depth guys, not starters, which leads to me believe that our first pick is looking a lot like it’s going to be DT. None of the DT’s are even in the stratosphere of Christian Wilkins and while Wilkins played 894 snaps last season, Benito Jones played 567, Jonathan Harris 529 and Neville Gallimore 288. We also brought back former Dolphins DT Da’Shawn Hand. Like I said, all depth guys, so you could just about pencil in DT. Then again, the only OL we brought in was former Titans C Aaron Brewer who struggles in the pass blocking department, so I suppose JPJ (Jackson Powers-Johnson) still remains a possibility.
On the positive side, the Dolphins signed Free Agent CB Kendall Fuller from the Washington Commanders. Fuller was a 3rd RD pick by the Redskins in 2016. He’s a legit starting corner, so the void left by the departure of CB Xavien Howard has been filled, and Howard’s proclamation that “the door is closed” is probably accurate from both sides now. CB Cam Smith may still end up being a factor at some point, but we don’t need to foolishly rely on the 2nd year player who couldn’t get on the field while DC Vic Fangio was here. We also have CB Kader Kohou and we recently re-signed one of my faves Nik Needham. We’re looking pretty solid all of a sudden at CB.
At safety, we recently signed former Bills standout S Jordan Poyer. I still recall our favorite Pig begging the Dolphins to draft Poyer so many years ago, actually, it was 11 years ago, and unfortunately, he’s not the same player. I still like the signing, but he will be 33 at season’s start. S DeShon Elliott is now gone, he signed with the Steelers. We also signed ST’s gunner Siran Neal from the Bills, and that one is a big gain for us, and big loss for the Bills. S Brandon Jones also left the Dolphins and now will be playing in Mile High for the Broncos. We signed ILB Jordyn Brooks, formerly of the Seattle Seahawks to replace Jerome Baker. The Dolphins desperate for help at OLB signed long time veteran Shaq Barrett formerly of the Buccaneers. Barrett is now 31, but until either or both of Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb are healthy, we’re going to need pass rushers. That brings me to the sad news of losing OLB Andrew Van Ginkel. AVG will now be toiling in Minnesota for the Vikings and DC Brian Flores. Honestly, I think he looks good as a Viking, but man I’ll miss him. NT Raekwon Davis is also gone now signing a modest contract with the Indianapolis Colts.
Our offense potentially got a nice jolt with the signing of FA TE Jonnu Smith. Smith had his best season last year in Atlanta with 50 catches for 582 yards with a nice 11.6 YPR and 3 TD’s. BTW, the 3 TD’s Jonnu Smith caught last season is 3 more TD’s than the entire Dolphins TE depth chart. That’s disturbing! Slot receiver Hunter Renfro formerly of the Las Vegas Raiders was released by said team and he could be a possibility here in Miami. While Jonnu Smith showed excellent run after catch abilities, Renfrow knows how to get open. 2nd year WR Erik Ezukanma will get a chance, but I wouldn’t be adverse to bringing in Renfro. I expected a lot more from Braxton Berrios last season.
As we head into the draft with a modest arsenal of draft picks, we must hit on some if not all of our picks. It’s imperative we find starters that contribute day one with our first 2 picks for sure. With the departures of DT Christian Wilkins and OG Robert Hunt, it’s safe to think the first 2 picks, #21 and #55, unless we move back, or up, are used on the trenches, O-line and D-line. Jackson Powers-Johnson, Graham Barton and Cooper Beebe are potential OC’s or OG’s that could be in play. On the D-line, T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy are early pick DT candidates. It’s not impossible we go with an OLB like Penn State LB Chop Robinson. Other DT’s that may get consideration are Jer’Zhan Newton and Braden Fiske, both athletic, active, disruptive defenders. I’m hoping we hit on this, it’s quite necessary.
GO DOLPHINS!!!
Finsmob Unleashed 
Dougie Fresh!!!! WTF did you do? Separated your shoulder? Are you questionable to start the season? What is this nonsense?
Good to see you back, OD!
So happy we resigned Wynn.
And Druscoll might be signed for the Lamm role of filling in for Armstead as needed. Good get by Grier.
Same here, Naples! I really, really like both signings.
Manitoba and Wyoming, replies for ya on the last page.
MR. CAMPBELL, WELCOME BACK, SIR!!!
VERY happy to see ya back on here! I hope all is going well with you and the Mrs. as we venture into the 2024 season of our beloved Miami Dolphins!
Just wanted to say I’ve really missed you guys.
The last several months have been very difficult for us.
I had major surgery twice since the last time I was on the blog.
We moved to a different house.
My wife has some difficulty just getting around. She now uses a walker part of the time. But we’re both hoping better days are ahead of us.
———-
NOW the good news; I changed my top allegiance from the Dolphins to FAU’s basketball program. And what a 2 season stretch it has been for the Owls! Last season they got to the NCAA Final Four only to lose the semi-final game on a buzzer beater by San Diego State! NOT IN MY WILDEST DREAMS did I think I’d live long enough to see that!
Friday at 12:15 PM they play Northwestern in the opening round at Madison Square Garden. IF they win (and they’re 2 point favorites) they’ll likely be facing #1 ranked UCONN in the next round. I’ll be glued to the tube!! Can’t believe FAU has made March Madness two years in a row!!
NOW some not so good news. A few months ago we lost our oldest daughter to Leukemia at the age of 57. She was a research scientist who was working on treatments and cures for pediatric cancer. It’s been a tough few months for us.
FINALLY, I told Mike E. that I think The Dolphins will have a losing season this year, due in no small part to offensive woes on the O-Line plus the loss of too many guys on the defense. Being WAY OVER THE CAP is just awful. Ross’s front office has blown this team apart, I am very sorry to say.
I’ll be back tomorrow with a few more comments. LUV you guys and gals!
ALL of my very best to you and your wife, Mr. Campbell. Deepest condolences for the loss of your oldest daughter… 😦
Stay STRONG, be WELL, and know that this blog has your back, my buddy. I’m very happy to see ya here again!
So sorry to read about the loss of your daughter, OD. All our love to you and your wife from the west coast.
I’m not sure what to think of the restructuring of Bradley Chubb (first time I’ve had the chance to talk about it since I posted the news this morning).
Is it about fungible $$$ to spend before X’s $$$ become available post-June 1st? Is it about having the necessary $$$ to sign all of the FAs we’ve recently signed AND enough $$$ to sign our Draft class?
All I know is this: I 100% agree that we continue to kick the $$$ can down the road in terms of eventually paying the piper. BB Mike, IMO, said it best earlier: we’re going to be the Saints before we know it.
At the moment, it’s VERY clear we’re still going ALL-IN for the ’24 season. Yet as we continue to keep our window open in the short term, it’s going to come at the cost of keeping our window open for the long term. We’re not building a dynasty, we’re trying to build an overnight winner, IMO… see the Rams on their recent Super Bowl win.
Lots of talk about a 3rd WR for us recently… and Brandon Aiyuk (Mike McDaniel connection) is on the market. Could we be freeing $$$ up to land him? But if so, are we going to trade a day 1 or 2 pick for him? It’s NOT worth it… JMO.
Enough with this ridiculous shit. We get Brandon Aiyuk we’ll be spending an enormous amount of $$$$ on WR’s. Since when is WR the most important position on the field? If I remember correctly, the Chiefs didn’t have one fucking star WR, and you could make the case that their best WR was average. Are we that fucked in the head that thinking a trio of WR’s is going to get us a championship?
I am SOOOO with ya on this matter. IF we trade for Aiyuk, I’m going to lose my sanity.
Good to see ya again OD , a lot were worried about ya .. sorry to hear on life’s challenges and losses.. 🙏
Mike E.
56m ago
Dougie Fresh!!!! WTF did you do? Separated your shoulder? Are you questionable to start the season? What is this nonsense?
I finally got the medical release through Insurance that stated it was dislocated… bit of 1) language and 2) sobriety issues in communication . 3 weeks upper arm to hang straight in a sling .. then I assume rehab 🤷♂️…. I think this will delay my PGA debut
Godspeed for a quick recovery my friend!
Cav: glad I could get a chuckle 🤭. And thanks for get wells.. despite all that YES was a good time .. Squirrel monkeys are kewl
Mike E,
Reply to ya just above… I’m with ya.
IYO, why do YOU think we restructured Bradley Chubb? I’m almost afraid to know the real why, but we’re going to find out fairly soon.
Getting a wee bit carried away with this shit
Not sure bud, maybe to pay for some of the players we already picked up and to give us money if we need it after the draft when teams let vets go
I’m not sure either… it’s very… CURIOUS to me. I really hope we don’t do something foolish.
Actually, what the Chiefs DID have is a great defense. We’re going in the wrong direction in that regard. It almost seems like a necessity to draft a DT/DE with our first pick.
I believe everything is trending in that direction at the moment.
Goodnight all, talk tomorrow!
Peace, Mike E.
I’m audi as well. Have a GRAND night, y’all!
guys
we were supposed to be paying the piper this offseason
We turned that around
how do you know we can’t just kick the can down farther down the road perpetually?
we are basically converting a base salary into a bonus
if Chubbs contract runs through 2027 doesn’t that mean we are just spread the 13m saved this season to the final 3 years racking on a little more than 4M a year
don’t you think that smaller number spread over 3 years is easier to work with and create more cap room down the line too
The nfl just raised the sap by over 13% this year
they are going to raise it again next year
and the year after that
and so on…
if you take a 13m hit in 2024 and make it a 4M hit for the next 3 years but you gain more than 4M in each of those 3 years – isn’t that a win?
$22M in cap space created
I don’t know who’s contracts those are
but let’s say it’s from a few players who on average have 3 years left after 2024 (like Chubb)
doesn’t that mean we added about 7m a year over those 3 years?
I mean don’t get me wrong
I wouldn’t let Greir manage my retirement account…lol
but in terms of nfl economics, he is just spending the owners money before the other GMs are spending their owners money
The team is trying to win in the next couple of years. Why is everyone worried about 2026? Go for it when you have a good collection of players. It’s not always like that.
fortune favors the bold
If you think we have anything resembling a Super Bowl roster, I don’t know what to say. We’re worse on the D-line than we were last year, potentially worse on the O-line as well. We’ll be counting on Grier hitting hard both of the first 2 picks and even then, will these players be able to help enough this year? We also have huge question marks on both of our star OLB’s. Even if they can play early on, do we know how well they come back from injury? A lot of things have to go right, an awful lot.
Then you have nothing to say…lol
I’m on board with the direction of this team
we are one of the most talented teams in the nfl – and that’s not just me saying that. you’ll see many impartial people predicting that when we get to September – just like people were saying it last September
I’m tired of pretending this team is not good with fans of this team bc they don’t follow the other teams as Intensly and don’t see their flaws – and are just upset at how the season ended
there’s only 1 way to get to the promised land – to head in that direction
and that’s what we are doing
I can’t say they don’t get lost on the way to the Super Bowl - but if they aren’t trying to get there, I know they won’t get there
every team relies on the decisions they make to work out
they find out if they did during the season
the only time they find out when the decisions they made are not good decisions is when the team isn’t even trying (rebuilding)
People keep predicting this team is going to crash hard bc of the salary cap – and the team lines it up and gets ready for the season in spite of that
if we keep doing it and pushing for a championship team every offseason, I’m all for it
kicking the can down the road isn’t going to kill us if the salary cap increase if the cap keeps increased and the money kicked down the line is spread our among a few future seasons
Piggy, so you think not paying Wilkins who is in his prime with no injury history is fine because he got overpaid at 27 mil per. But paying Chubb coming off his second ACL repair (both knees now) almost 30 million per year is fine also. Not to mention a 2.7 mil dead cap hit in 2028.
Wilkins is barely getting paid top 5 DT money. In 2 years that # will probably be barely top 10 money.
I think pass rushers are more important than DTs generally
but the difference isn’t who matters more
the difference is the ability to convert salary to bonus
Wilkins was just ending his rookie deal and heading into free agency – Chubb signed a deal with us after the trade
you have a lot more flexibility with the contract in Chubbs situation
I’m not sure if you can convert Wilkins rookie salary deal to bonus money (in 2023) – I doubt it was possible
I understand but is Chubb worth 30 million a year with 2 bad knees?
He was under contract when he was injured this offseason
so that really shouldn’t be considered when you consider the logic of his contract
and by converting his salary to a bonus we didn’t pay him more – we just spread his 24 cap hit over the last 3 years of his contract
These contract deal that are getting done that the media said cleared 22 mil is true but they are counting some that were done a week ago. This is not something they just done to clear 22 mil more. Actually, all these redo’s they have done are already reflecting in our cap including the deal done on Chubb.
Our current cap is at 13.5 million and it is not going to go up anymore until the official release of X happens and we get 18.5 mil more but they will have to pay Shaq Barrett out of that money also. If and when they ever get a deal done with Tua, that should clear a little more.
Right now, this 13.5 is needed to sign draft picks but only the first 2 picks will affect the top 51 and the 13.5 mil. Also to be deducted will be contracts on Aaron Brewer, Jack Driscoll, Isaiah Wynn, Braxton Berrios, Jordan Poyer, Benito Jones, Jonathan Harris, Da’Shawn Hand and Jody Fortson.
Though we can subtract 915K to 985K (on some) off their contracts and the difference will affect the cap. Top 51 is at 915K right now.
Good OT’s keep dropping to 21!!
I hope it’s a sign!!!
21.JC Latham OT Alabama
55.Zach Frazier OC West Virginia
158.Jordan Jefferson DT LSU
184.Josh Proctor S Ohio State
198.Dylan McMahon OG NC State
241.Sundiata Anderson EDGE Grambling State
To the Pigsters point
9th when we had the 31st best amount of room to work with
that’ not just good – that’s elite
Piggy,
No way in hell are we one of the most talented rosters in the NFL. Why, because of Hill? He and maybe Ramsey are or were considered in the top tier of their position. Nobody else comes close. Nobody considers Tua a top tier talent outside of Miami fans. Our OL is below average. Our DL is below average. Fuller helps our defensive backfield, but it still keeps giving up big plays and hasn’t proven a thing…and Ramsey is a selfish malcontent. I’d never have signed him. Phillips? He still hasn’t proven he can be a difference maker consistently. Chubb is gonna have about 6 sacks this year. Our LBers are just OK…or so we assume. Achane might be a star in waiting…otherwise I wouldn’t care if we kept any of them. ST sucks because our level of talent drops off drastically after the starters. Here’s all this talent on the WHOLE team…not just offense or one or two positions? Who says this team is making moves to win a SB? It looks to me like they’re going backwards.
This team isn’t a contender for anything. We’ll be lucky to get into the playoffs and have a slim chance to actually win a game. Fans are always hopeful, but I am in a complete Missouri state….show me. Show me you can beat good teams. Show me you deserve my fandom by actually winning.
Chubb had 11 sacks last year and was playing great before he was injured as was Phillips
A lot of teams would salivate over that duo. And that doesn’t even mention the Barrett signing for depth and the player availability at 21 this year which might help us if we are struggling to get both guys in the field after injury
we have the best WR duo in the league
we have 4 of the fastest players in the nfl with the ability to field all 4 at once
we have the NFL’s pass yard leader at QB
we have a new safety duo of Poyer and Holland to pair with Jalen Ramsey, one of the best DBs of this era with newcomer Fuller
we addressed ILB, Safety, CB, depth at edge, offensive center and TE this offseason when no one thought we could
forget about the power rankings – I’m talking about what I see after following this team my whole life
dolphins fans view this team under a microscopic so we think we have more flaws than other teams – but we don’t. This is a good team. We have work to do to take the next step but I personally love the Grier, McDaniel and Tua don’t care about what
OL, DL and ST are a problem
But narrowing it down to those 3 is an accomplishment – bc we aren’t done yet which is the point of clearing cap space for 2024
I don’t get it – we are mad at Grier for clearing cap space to address the holes that we are made at Grier about?
We didn’t draft yet, but our D-line is full of depth guys and never have beens besides Sieler. Both KC and SFO had excellent D-lines, and excellent defenses in general. Poyer was good, but now he’s 32. The LB’s are huge question marks (Chubb and Phillips) due to injury. We have no idea whether Jordyn Brooks will be an upgrade or the same, or worse than Baker. I always felt Baker was very under appreciated here. If we’re not getting pressure from our front 7, and stopping the run, it won’t matter how good Ramsey and Fuller and Holland are.
Do people actually read or believe power rankings before the season has even started? Or ever, really. The NFL and the media do nothing but hype the game, players and everything about the NFL. Fans swallow it faster than a girl on prom night!
This past season did not end well.
However, it can be argued that injuries prominently factored into that ending. All teams have injuries, but our defense (down the stretch) was depleted to the point of STARTING players in the playoffs who did not have a job during the season (and without any real back ups behind them).
We all know the list … Health matters when trying to make a deep run in playoffs.
We “went for it” last year … got demolished by injuries …
We are “going for it” again this year. We will still need HEALTH on our side.
As a life long Oakland A’s fan, having ownership that doesn’t even pretend to try to be competitive is the worse feeling … it is demoralizing (and honestly, embarrassing).
We’ve “rebuilt” over and over and over these past decades. We are basically taking the LA Rams route hoping for a couple years of a shot at winning it all.
“Going for it” is a lot more fun as a fan than constantly planning for “some day”.
People realize we are going to have injuries again this season, right? It’s a part of football. Acting like we may not be in a very similar situation this season too is a bit rosy. It’s gonna happen. Sure, maybe we don’t have as many or as many significant ones this year, but I again remind people that this team wasn’t beating good teams with all their good players. We all seem to forget that. Good teams figure out how to overcome shit like that. They are built to get through shit like that. This team folded repeatedly.
It sure did Randy, we folded like a cheap suit time and time again against better teams. The positives are Tua will be in the offense year 3, and Jonnu Smith will help Tua as an outlet and a guy who will get nice yards after the catch.
in case you weren’t aware
Sign Christian Wilkins
we can’t now….lol
stop mortgaging the future for today! Depth is as thin as fucking paper. We have Depth player starting at most positions and NO depth behind them so when the injuries happen to the over paid starters (again) the level of play will fall off a cliff (again) But I don’t want to ruin you all’s fan experience so carry on. wooo hoooo superbowl bound. (not)
Piggy,
2.5, 5.5, 0, 7.5, 1.5, 12. Those are Chubb’s sack numbers in his career. Double digit sacks is more than likely never going to happen again. He’s only done it 2 out of 7 years. His first and his last. He got paid. He’ll revert back.
He had 3 sacks in a 30-0 win against a truly terrible Yets OL, so he had 8 sacks in 15 games. Nitpicks but still. Impactful? Not hardly. He was invisible most of the year and came on late. He’s highly overpaid.
Any way you slice it,
thats still 11 last year
one of those 7.5 da in tears still landed him as #40 on the nfl top 100 in 2021 – which is voted on by players
so even among his peers he’s pretty respected
I don’t think he’s overrated at all
Apparently, I took the wrong girl to prom.
I had to look back to see what was up with that. lol
Why did I immediately think it would be a comment Randy made? 😂
would never be a problem if you were made of pork
Randy is like Ken. Bad man . . . lol
https://www.si.com/nfl/dolphins/news/miami-dolphins-xavien-howard-has-sights-set-on-playing-for-contender
So Howard doesn’t think the Dolphins are a contender, but we should take the word of over enthusiastic fans over his…
IMO, if Tua is to take the next step, then he MUST be able to trust his O-Line. So instead of ‘1-Mississippi, 2-Mississippi’ and the ball must be out, the O-Line MUST be able to buy him time in the pocket to ‘3-Mississippi’.
Listen, I’m no ‘rocket-surgeon’ (though I play one on TV, LOL), but Tua got FUCKED UP playing behind Brian Flores’ weak O-Lines and the first year of Coach McDaniel’s weak O-Line.
The result? Tua was asked to bulk up for ’23, learn how to roll after getting hit, get rid of the ball by ‘2-Mississippi’, and asked to hit his first-read ASAP.
Ordinarly, this would be a recipe for disaster for most QBs, throwing pick-6s galore. Instead, Tua ended up leading the league in passing yards and played all 17 games (+1 in the Wildcard).
GET THE O-LINE FIXED!!!
IMO, Tua is NOT the PROBLEM! 2 years ago he led the NFL in passer rating, last year he led the NFL in passing yards, and he’s always executed as asked.
Imagine what he could do if our Phins actually had a decent O-Line… at least in terms of pass-protection?
So with all of this stated, I think we’d be better off improving our O-Line play @ R1P21… unless we sign a huge surprise cut after the Draft.
IF Brock Bowers falls to us @ R1P21, TRADE DOWN! Bowers isn’t going to make our Offense go from #1 to #1. WE NEED TO PROTECT TUA!
What’s more, Jonnu Smith should be adequate for us at the TE position.
I LOVE IT, Pigster!!! WELL DONE!!!
Just remember to post the ADDRESS link so we all get to see it, not the immediate link.
Strange… it didn’t work for me either? I tried to repost your link, bud.
Let me try it this way…
Weird! It shows on X/Twitter that I retweeted you and along with your comment. But on here, NADA regarding your comment.
Back in Vegas for a few days, on my way over to recruit Renfrow😜
https://twitter.com/TheFlyingPig44/status/1770555339257049278
for some reasons I can’t posts links from my Twitter
we DID address STs with signing that ace early in FA.
I feel hurt and insulted. I demand someone be cancelled! Maybe even a whole lot of somebodies! Begin the scourge so i may feel better.
We did. We canceled prima donna Xavien.
I stand with Piggy on this roster, which by the way is not done being built.
I’m sad to lose Hunt but happy we didn’t pay HoF money to a guy who never even made pro-bowl.
we still have a 1st and 2nd round pick this year to get a couple cheap stars for the trenches, which is almost like a forgotten luxury to us here in Miami.
The Flying Pig
says:
March 20, 2024 at 12:20 pm
in case you weren’t aware
——————————-
Yes, but I posted earlier:
Our current cap is at 13.5 million and it is not going to go up anymore until the official release of X happens and we get 18.5 mil more, but they will have to pay Shaq Barrett out of that money also. If and when they ever get a deal done with Tua, that should clear a little more.
Right now, this 13.5 is needed to sign draft picks but only the first 2 picks will affect the top 51 and the 13.5 mil. Also to be deducted will be contracts on Aaron Brewer, Jack Driscoll, Isaiah Wynn, Braxton Berrios, Jordan Poyer, Benito Jones, Jonathan Harris, Da’Shawn Hand and Jody Fortson.
————————-
A good portion of that 13.5 will go to our top 2 draft picks and these 9 free agents. Shaq Barrett will be after 6/1 when we get the additional X money.
With what they have done moving money down the road and after they sign draft picks and the FA, we will have around 18 mil in cap then gain some more with Tua’s contract.
They would have had plenty to resign Wilkins.
https://x.com/DouglieDoWrong/status/1770135706783899701?s=20
I see Jets signed WR Mike Williams.
WR Mike Williams, who signed a one-year deal with New York, said Tuesday he’s four and half months removed from ACL surgery and expects to be ready for Week 1.
see Jaelen Phillips clip above.
What Miami Dolphins LB Shaq Barrett’s Achilles Journey Can Tell Us About Jaelan Phillips’ 2024 (profootballnetwork.com)
I am sure the Dolphins were there to mainly check out the Texas DT’s. Though, that look on his face when talking to Xavier Worthy is telling.
Kid in a candy store.
Here’s the STs ace Siran Neal I mentioned above playing slot covering a TE which is something we desperately need.
he blanketed Travis Kelce and hasn’t given up a TD to a receiver in the slot since 2021.
Film Breakdown: Jody Fortson is a SUPER Intriguing High Upside TE Signing for the Miami Dolphins (youtube.com)
SMH
hey I called this last week.
we need a WR who can get off the LOS when teams are being physical with Waddle and Hill
OBJ can be that guy
BBM:
I’m going to be in your neck of the woods April 17-23. I said last year I’d let you know when I was going to be back. Same thing, music festival in Destin.
Hopefully we won’t be needing to see you professionally. 😂
☀️ 🏖️ 🎶
17 hours and counting until FAU and Northwestern take the court in Brooklyn! I’ve taken my first official “day off” this year to watch this historical event in the history of FAU basketball!! FAU remains about a 2 point favorite in their opening game in March Madness (Last year they were the underdogs in their opening game.)
I haven’t seen Northwestern play at all this season. So I don’t know anything about them, other than the fact that they had some success in this year’s big, bad, BIG 10 CONFERENCE.
Here’s what you need to know about FAU this season:
#1) They have the same starting 5 that they had last season, when they led the nation in regular season wins.
#2) They moved up to a MUCH STRONGER CONFERENCE this season, the AAC. And they more than held their own this year.
#3) Worst loss; to tiny Bryant University of Rhode Island, their ONLY HOME LOSS of the season!
#4) Best win; They defeated the #2 team (at the time), Arizona, 96-95 in double overtime seen nationally on, I believe, ESPN. It was THE GAME OF THE YEAR!!
#5) FAU’S MOST IMPROVED PLAYER is VLAD (The ” Empaler”) GOLDIN, their 7’1″ Center. Their most important player are their two guards, Davis and Martin. If FAU’s guards are hitting their 3-point shots, Northwestern is in DEEP SHIT!! But if they are NOT hitting the threes, FAU could be in for a long day.
PREDICTION: FAU prevails 77-73 in a most entertaining opening round game. I’m already way too pumped up before this game!!
GO-O-O-O OWLS!! Gametime is 12:15 PM.
OD, I hated hearing all you have gone through the past months. My heartfelt condolences to you and your family. Hopefully you and your wife are on the mend.
I’ll throw in some laundry for FAU at game time!
I don’t care who we sign in FA, obviously those are the players we wanted to bring in. I’m not an Odell Beckham fan but he still does have something left in the tank from what I saw last year. As long as he knows he’s not the main man and plays to win.
Xavien Howard on The OGs Show
Xavien Howard on Brian Flores: “He gets all that in the media but he was a player-coach guy. He came from the Patriots so he seen greatness… He’s going to chew your a– if you ain’t doing something right and he’s not going to dab you up if you’re doing something good, you’re supposed to do that.”
Xavien Howard on Tyreek Hill: “Tyreek’s number one, I’m sorry… Tyreek bro, he’s got one speed. Speed kills. That’s some s–t you can’t coach. I feel like, with Tyreek, I can hold my own, but I’m going to need some help.”
Xavien Howard on if the Miami Dolphins can win a Super Bowl with Tua Tagovailoa at QB: “Yeah. I feel like they can definitely do that. I feel like they definitely win a chip with him.”
Xavien Howard on playing with Jalen Ramsey: “I wouldn’t mind doing it one more year, but you know, it’s the business side of it.”
Xavien Howard on Andrew Van Ginkel: “Van Ginkel is different bro, he’s good. I love his game. He’s athletic as hell.”
Xavien Howard on potentially joining the Minnesota Vikings: “Brian Flores, that’s my guy. I like him that much, good guy.”
very interesting
BOOM!!!
love this … great Chem with Tua
He’s a crafty player who knows his role and will do whatever you ask him to do.
What an OBJ signing might bring:
Tough play against the better teams, if he can do that it won’t matter what his stats are against the lesser teams when the wr corps is healthy or overall
I think we need to sign another 5-6 WR’s. Yeah, that should bring us a championship, because the rest of the roster is so damn rock solid. Why even bother drafting players, just sign every player from other teams? Who needs your own players that are successful (On your team!)?
We need to sign OBJ. Currently, we’re #6 in ’24 in Cap Allocation at WR. If we sign OBJ, we might jump to 4, or maybe even 3! Can’t wait! We know the best teams allocate the most money to their WR room. Who needs quality players in the trenches?
Mike, sorry but your annoyance is pretty funny. 🤣
All good Tim. I’m equally as amused by all the enthusiasm on every player we sign. We’re almost there, we just need the OBJ cherry on top to make it perfect.
That’s what I mean. All we should care about are wins and losses but we’re so far from the main roster heading into training camp.
Tim – The roster isn’t really that far off from what it’s going to be. We have 6 picks, and 4 of them are 5, 6, 6, and 7. Not expecting a whole lot from the later round picks, at least not for this season. We’ll also have UDFA’s, and then free agency after the draft, although at the pace we’re signing players, not sure how much cap we have left to sign guys that are released after the draft.
1st and 2nd round picks could be a huge boost in a 17 game season. Don’t discount those later picks or UDFAs either.
TEST
LOL, never seen this before…
why did he do that?
he gave some weird reasoning. That he was trying to keep it light or get his team a spark or something, lol.
OD, I’m looking forward to the tournament also. I like pulling for the underdogs. Though FAU is not an underdog this first game.
I will also be pulling for Charleston vs Alabama. Charleston has a solid team but not one to carry them all that far unless they are on. Six of their 7 losses came to 20+ win teams and 3 of those teams are in the tournament to include a blowout loss to FAU. That was their only blowout loss on the season. lol
Alabama can put up a ton of points (2nd in NCAA). Hopefully their shooters will be off the mark tomorrow.
Herd, Awesome!! We have some friends coming to stay with us for a week then going to stay in Destin another week during that same time. I have to work but my wife will be over that way hanging with them. So cool! Hope the weather cooperates. It’s getting really nice down here though we haven’t hit 80 yet. Mainly mid 70’s. Mid to late April will be nice! Water still chilly though. Got my first sunburn on the face yesterday afternoon on the boat sheepshead fishing.
Hit me up if you need a bond!! lol
BBM; I GOT a day ahead of myself. The FAU-Northwestern game is TOMORROW. A local channel said this game was TODAY, but they were WRONG!! It’s tomorrow. Guess I can relax for today, anyway.
I had to go back and look. Yeah, both our teams play tomorrow. I did 1 ESPN bracket and have both winning, Charleston with the upset. Unfortunately, I have both losing in the second round with UConn over FAU. Would love to see that upset though! I have always hated UConn.
Test.
OBJ huh… what will he be asking for and what will they pay him? He got 15 mil guaranteed from the Ravens for 1yr last year.
That was 15 mil for 35 rec, 565 yards and 3 TD’s. He has barely caught 50% of his targets over the last 5 years.
If they pay him over 5 mil, we got robbed.
IF they sign him.
GOTTA test one more time, please.
It’s working
OD passing tests all over the place!
All good Randy, we see ya!
BBM; YOU are the second person who’s told me he HATES UCONN and will be rooting for FAU if they beat Northwestern.
Yes sir! Decades long hate for UConn. Like Pats, Jets, and Bills hate. lol
HEY Mike; PLEASE tell me that the Dolphins will FINALLY draft at least ONE highly rated offensive lineman with their first or second round picks. Management’s steadfast refusal to do this is the biggest reason why Miami has not won a playoff game this century!!
With the current state of our D-line, I would expect DT (3-4 DE) to be the first pick. O-line is also a priority
Ravens signed LT Josh Jones. Someone who we should have signed. But no, we are looking at OBJ.
Armstead, Wynn, Brewer, Driscoll, Jackson with Josh Jones to back up LT would have been decent.
I was thinking 2m for OBJ, didn’t know he got 15m from Ravens last year, insane
not everyone will be happy about this
but the dolphins seem very interested in spreading the ball around
last year Waddle and Hill were the passing offense in terms of receiving
this year: they’ve signed Jonnuu Smith, might sign OBJ and if they draft a receiving TE in the 2nd it will be a big improvement in terms of more pass catchers
If they draft Sanders in the second round, I will be pissed. He is nothing special and can’t block.
Texas has some great players in this draft. Two top 5 DT’s, two top 10 WR’s and some nice day 3 prospects like OT Christian Jones. Yeah, they were there to see Sanders.
Did you guys know a chiefs fan broke into a Dolphins equipment truck before the Playoff game?
he’s recently been charged with a felony
https://amp.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article286942485.html
I’ve had my eyes on Ja’Tavion Sanders for some time being he’s a freak athelete. But then he gave up more sacks than any TE in all of the NCAA last season. I would have thought that would have been an automatic disqualifier for our Phins.
In all honesty, his tape and his highlights are not THAT good. Our TE room is already far better than it was last season and we’ve got bigger fish to fry than drafting a TE in the 2nd round. JMO
Oh yeah… and over the years I’ve learned not to trust a single word that Tony Pauline says.
Responded on Sander’s above. Yeah, highlights are great but if you watch a game tape, he has virtually no impact on a play that is not going to him.
I’m honestly not that thrilled by his highlights. Don’t get me wrong, he doesn’t suck, but he’s not worthy of our selection in the 2nd round.
That includes blocking down field. I see him as a polar opposite of what MM wants in a TE. He’s not considered fast either 4.69 forty.
I agree.
Graham Barton NEEDS to be our first pick at #21. He is such a beast. I think he will end being a pro bowl OG or even center. He would be an immediate starter at LG. He’s great in pass pro and outstanding in run blocking. He can even move right out to LT and be solid there for WHEN Armstead goes down.
Film Breakdown: Why Graham Barton would be a GREAT Pick for the Miami Dolphins (youtube.com)
It’s always a risk! But trading down and adding another second could net us another starter!!
28.Tyler Guyton OT Oklahoma
55.Zach Frazier OC West Virginia
60.Michael Hall Jr. DT Ohio State
184.Josh Proctor S Ohio State
198.Dylan McMahon OG NC State
241.DeCamerion Richardson CB Mississippi State
That would work. Especially if Guyton could move over to LT from RT.
Latham is another stud RT you selected last one, I Believe.
I have been okay with losing guys and with signing some of the 2nd tier players that we have. I think overall we have done okay in restructuring our roster and remaining competitive. However, signing OBJ just seems to me a total waste of cap dollars that could have gone and or still can go elsewhere. If we sign OBJ I will be very angry…and no one wants that
^
Co-signed.
I really have to see the contract first (if we sign)
bc the big difference maker here is – “how much?”
ita just going to be a 1 year deal. So even if it does eat up some of that new space. It’s not on the books long
I think we need a 3rd receiver with a different skill set than Waddle/Hill
I think we need a vet
if it’s not OBJ it still might be a little controversial
no one is going to be happy with whomever it is we sign to fill that role no matter what – unless it’s a really low contract
With Hill, Waddle, Berrios and Craycraft on the roster we need a TE more than a WR. While I like Jonnu Smith I don’t see him as the answer
Wyoming85
says:
March 21, 2024 at 2:13 pm
It’s always a risk! But trading down and adding another second could net us another starter!!
————–
Absolutely correct. So if we REALLY want, say Graham Barton, I’d only trade down a couple of spots. To go down to the bottom of the 1st will probably negate our ability to land, again, say Barton.
I’m a fan of Guyton, so he would hopefully be our escape hatch if JPJ or Barton are already off the board after tradedown.
Pigster,
So long as the contract (IF we end up signing him) is fair to us, I have no problem signing the player who is OBJ. My only problem is OBJ the PERSON… the locker room cancer and crappy human being who he is.
As a player, he would certainly be a great fit as our #3 WR: I agree with ya.
But then again, the player OBJ might cause drama if he’s not targeted enough… and we KNOW that ‘Reek and Da Penguin will be the ones getting most of the targets.
Piggy – spreading the ball around is a necessity, but #1 has the ball, so he’s throwing it where he wants to. Especially when you’re getting rid of the ball in 2 seconds or less, it’s not enough time to look at your 2nd, 3rd or 4th receiver.
I would be happier if they selected WR Xavier Worthy in the 2nd. That would make much more sense as a replacement for Tyreek or Waddle if we can’t resign him and they let him walk like Wilkins.
Posted him before. He’s NOT just a straight line 4.21 speed guy.
FASTEST WR in College Football 🔥 🔥 🔥 || Texas WR Xavier Worthy 2023 Highlights 🤘 ᴴᴰ (youtube.com)
Agree
Did you say 7th??????
I think I’d loose whatever shit I have left on a WR in the second!
Oh, I know. I meant to say if they were going to waste the 2nd on TE Sanders, I would rather them take Worthy. Won’t happen anyway. Worthy is jetting up draft boards to probably a late 1st to very early 2nd.
Unfortunately, I hear Chiefs like him at #32.
So with Travis Kelce, the Chiefs got Taylor Swift.
If the Dolphins sign OBJ, the Dolphins get Kim Kardashian.
Ugh, I don’t know which is worse.
What if we signed Gerard Pique as our new Kicker?
Wait a minute… is Shakira single again?!! NICE!!! 😀
bailbondmike
says:
March 21, 2024 at 2:14 pm
Texas has some great players in this draft. Two top 5 DT’s, two top 10 WR’s and some nice day 3 prospects like OT Christian Jones. Yeah, they were there to see Sanders.
—————
Just saw your comment up the board. You are 100% correct and it is yet another example why I don’t trust a single word out of Tony Pauline’s mouth.
I ponder… any chance we steal from the ’25 Draft cupboard to get somebody this year in the ’24 Draft or via trade? If we’re in WIN NOW mode, I suppose anything is on the table, right?
NO!! lol
i really hope not, but it wouldn’t shock me
We might need to draft a QB next year, who knows?
lol
With Grier, I can sure see it happening. Like one of our extra 2025 3rd’s.
FIX THE TRENCHES MOCK DRAFT
Meant to only trade down once so I did with Dallas, then got offers from AZ then SF. Couldn’t help but take those also. Not realistic but this would be sick.
31. Graham Barton OG Duke
55. Braden Fiske DT Florida State
56. Kris Jenkins DT Michigan
63. Zach Frazier OC West Virginia
67. Cole Bishop S Utah
158. Javon Foster OT Missouri
184. Curtis Jacobs LB Penn State
198. Tip Reiman TE Illinois
205. Ainias Smith WR Texas A&M
211. Rasheen Ali RB Marshall
241. Ja’quan Sheppard CB Maryland
249. Austin Reed QB Western Kentucky
I didn’t get offered this many picks but using the PFN simulator you can counter any trade offers you receive. That is how I ended up with 12.
Odell Beckham Jr. Rumors: Dolphins Hope to Sign Ravens FA After Meeting Went ‘Well’
“Beckham is a free agent after finishing out a one-year, $15 million deal with the Baltimore Ravens.
The market value of his next contract is pegged at one year and $11.9 million, per Spotrac.”
Odell Beckham Jr. Rumors: Dolphins Hope to Sign Ravens FA After Meeting Went ‘Well’ | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors | Bleacher Report
We could have easily signed AVG for what we’d be giving to OBJ. Apparently we didn’t think AVG’s playmaking ability was worth what he got…sigh…
There is a reason OBJ keeps bouncing from team to team…
Yeah I was surprised we didn’t bring AVG back.
No one is paying OBJ 12 m
I sure hope not!
Well, he got 15 mil last year
Was North Carolina the best team you saw today?
I did one bracket challenge on ESPN. So far all of my upsets happened: Duquesne over BYU, Oregon over South Carolina and Michigan State over Miss State. I also picked the other day 1 winners so far.
I picked all the leaders in the games going on right now except last I saw Kentucky was tied at 43.
don’t want anything to do with OBJ…. Self centred locker room cancer , waste of useful $$$$
Same. I don’t know about his attitude but what a waste of $$ for an after thought in the offense.
I just checked my bracket, and I am tied with over 600,000 others at 100%. Guess I need to at least wait until after tomorrow’s games.
Kentucky better not screw me. I had them going to the sweet 16.
Just an unbelievable performance by lesser known Oakland University as they stunned Kentucky with an unstoppable barrage of 3-point bombs!!! Right now, I’d have to say THIS is the signature game of the 2024 edition of March Madness!!
4 underrated players…I hope Benito Jones can fill a gaping hole. I’ve never heard of the others, but if they prove to be a step up, so be it.
https://phinphanatic.com/posts/4-underrated-miami-dolphins-players-that-will-make-a-huge-impact-in-2024-01hsenxwz54z/4
NEW BLOG UP!!!!