The good news is that the Miami Dolphins addressed to the 2 positions the majority of us felt we had pressing needs at first. Edge rusher and OL. The FMU consensus pick didn’t happen (Jackson Powers-Johnson), and yes, he was available when we picked at #21. The Dolphins chose a pass rusher with serious athletic ability and what could be a very high ceiling, but OLB Chop Robinson doesn’t have a great college resume (statistically) to show us at Penn State. The next pick was a surprise, at #55 we took Houston OT Patrick Paul. Paul had a tremendous pass blocking career there, allowing a minute amount of sacks and pressures, one of the best in college football. His run blocking left quite a bit to be desired, and Patrick Paul most likely has the longest arms in this draft at just a shade over 3 feet, 36 1/4″. Don’t think of him as a finesse guy though, Paul put up 30 reps with 225, an astounding feat with someone possessing such long arms.
We traded a 2025 3rd RD pick to move up into the 4th RD (Pick #120) to select Tennessee RB Jaylen Wright. I have to add to this that I took Jaylen Wright in my lone mock draft, but that was at pick #158 in the 5th, we took Wright at #120 4th round. I felt like we needed another young RB, perhaps not as strongly as Grier and McDaniel did though. We bring another track athlete, so the speed train continues. Wright is also a good receiver, as well as a good pass protector when he’s been asked to stay back and protect the QB, all good traits. Taking into consideration that RB Raheem Mostert is 32 years old, and despite the early success of RB De’Von Achane, Achane hasn’t been able to stay on the field, and RB Chris Brooks showed a bit of promise early last season, he was out most of the season with an injury. RB was definitely a need, and as always, running backs can usually contribute early on, so we should see a fair amount of Jaylen Wright.
With our next pick in RD 5, (#158), we selected edge rusher Mohammed Kamara. I like that we doubled down on what looks to be a very important need for our defense. Yes, we let DT/DE Christian Wilkins walk in FA, but we’ve now added a couple of good young pass rushers at outside LB with Chop Robinson and Mohammed Kamara. Kamara is actually the opposite of Robinson. While Robinson is all twitched up and a burner who didn’t blow up the college game statistically, Kamara doesn’t impress with that quick burst or have the speed that Robinson has, yet he did put up some nice stats in the college game. Kamara totaled 30.5 sacks, 45.5 tackles for loss and forced 5 fumbles. He plays with tenacity. I think this was a great pick. With the uncertainty of Phillips and Chubb rehabbing serious injuries, we now have a couple of young guys to buoy the pass rush, in addition to veteran Shaq Barrett.
At pick #184 in the 6th RD, the Dolphins finally selected a WR. There was so much talk about how the Dolphins were going to be taking a WR early, which in this writers opinion would have been ridiculous considering how many needs we had more pressing. Malik Washington (Virginia) is a compact slot receiver built like a RB (5’8 191). He has excellent run after the catch ability, and could potentially be a gadget type of player in our offense. Add him to the long list. I’m hoping Erik Ezukanma finally gets on track, but if not, then Malik Washington may get a shot, and he will also have to compete against incumbent slot guy Braxton Berrios.
Many here felt we needed a safety and with our second 6th RD pick, it finally happened. The Dolphins selected at pick #198, Safety Patrick McMorris from California. Nothing in particular jumps off the page about McMorris, but we sorely need depth, and I suppose he’ll get a chance to be just that, along with the obligatory special teams play. With our final pick (#241) in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Dolphins selected another WR, USC WR Tahj Washington. Washington is another slot type receiver with some legit special teams value. He’s a return man, both punts and kickoffs, and is also a special teams gunner on kickoffs and punts.
When evaluating our entire draft haul, it’s too soon of course to say whether we did enough to improve our team. What makes it especially hard is that our 2nd RD pick plays LT, and at least for part of this season we have our LT as long as he’s healthy. I suppose a strong showing by Patrick Paul could land Armstead on the bench or maybe even cut potentially, but if Armstead’s healthy and playing as he always does, not sure Paul fits into the plans for this season. Our first pick Chop Robinson will definitely see lots of reps in different places, all to allow him to rush the passer using his ultra quick get off and closing speed. We didn’t use any draft capital on the D-line, instead staying put with the multiple free agent acquisitions we’ve already made, and potentially might make once June 1st is past. Some potential players of interest could be the ageless Calais Campbell who would be nice opposite Sieler, or even our old friend Emmanuel Ogbah, who’s better suited on the D-line at DE rather than OLB.
On offense, I feel like Jonnu Smith will be a big factor for us. I felt we really needed someone for Tua to go to when either or both Hill and Waddle were covered and have that player do some damage. Durham Smythe caught a fair amount of passes last season but never really did anything after the catch, so Jonnu Smith will help plenty in that regard. I know we have plenty of concerns with the O-line and you can put the target squarely on our C Aaron Brewer. Our front office seem very confident and unconcerned about it, so hopefully for once, they’re right. I’d say our starting O-line on paper would be:
LT Terron Armstead
LG Isaiah Wynn
C Aaron Brewer
RG Robert Jones
RT Austin Jackson
At WR and TE, I’d say the depth chart at the moment is going to look like this:
LWR Jaylen Waddle
RWR Tyreek Hill
SWR Braxton Berrios
TE Jonnu Smith
TE Durham Smythe
At Running Back, I expect new draftee Jaylen Wright to jump the depth chart:
RB Raheem Mostert
RB De’Von Achane
RB Jaylen Wright (R)
At the bottom of the depth chart there will be serious competition between Jeff Wilson, Chris Brooks, and Salvon Ahmed.
At FB it’s Alec Ingold
On the defensive side, it’s going to look like this before the June 1st cutdowns which definitely may affect our D-line. Right now though, this is how I have it.
LDE Zach Sieler
NT Benito Smith
RDE Da’Shawn Hand or Teair Tart
At LB, how quickly the rehab goes for our two rehabbing superstars will affect the starting lineup, but to play it safe, I’ll leave both off for now:
LOLB Chop Robinson (R)
LILB David Long
RILB Jordyn Brooks
ROLB Shaq Barrett
In the secondary, this is how I see it:
LCB Kendall Fuller
RCB Jalen Ramsey
NB Kader Kohou
FS Jevon Holland
SS Jordan Poyer
On Special teams, I think we could potentially see our rookie handling PR/KR’s, but for now I’ll leave it o the incumbent Braxton Berrios.
K Jason Sanders
P Jake Bailey
KR Braxton Berrios
PR Braxton Berrios
I do think they’ll mix in Achane on kickoffs and once again the rookie WR Malik Washington, provising he makes all the cuts.
So in review, I can’t say we improved our team that much this season, with the exception on defense, where I think we’ll be leaning on both rookie OLB’s Chop Robinson and Mohammed Kamara. I know Kamara was a late RD pick but I think this kid is ready to go right now. I defer once again to PSU fans Brian in NY and M13 on Chop Robinson. I was hoping to shore up the interior O-line, where Isaiah Wynn missed lots of time, Robert Jones too, and of course the big question mark on pass blocking for C Aaron Brewer. The depth is solid, but unspectacular. LT, Kendall Lamm and LT Patrick Paul, LG Lester Cotton, OC/G Liam Eichenberg, OG/T Jack Driscoll and RT Kion Smith. Once again, I really like the upgrade at TE, specifically in the receiving aspect because I think Jonnu is going to have another big season, perhaps even bigger than his breakout season last year with Atlanta. He could really be Tua’s best friend, and a big factor on keeping drives going.
As always, we all hope for the best. I think the strategy was surprising in this draft, but I don’t hate it all, in fact I love the fact that they addressed the pass rush by doubling down. It was one of my biggest concerns, almost as much as the O-line. It seems like Grier was confident in his FA pickups on both lines, but again, don’t be surprised when more money is freed up June 1st and even after Tua gets his contract extension that we don’t sign a couple of the guys I mentioned and a ew more like C Connor Williams, if he can get himself healthy. There are a few OG’s still available too, like Mark Glowinski and oft mentioned Dalton Risner. We’ll see what happens on that front. The Jets will be abetter team, not sure about the Bills, but as long as they have Josh Allen at QB, they’re tough to beat. Hopefully Tua stays healthy, and steps up in those big games this season, and the rest of the team follows suit.
GO DOLPHINS!!!
Finsmob Unleashed 
Well hey that was a basically perfect article Mike E.
Thanks Naples
Nice recap…thank you!
Thanks Krishna
Good overview, Mike. Let’s hope these rookies bite quickly.
Thanks Tim
Great summation, Mike E!
However…
“Kamara is actually the opposite of Robinson. While Robinson is all twitched up and a burner who didn’t blow up the college game statistically, Kamara doesn’t impress with that quick burst or have the speed that Robinson has, yet he did put up some nice stats in the college game...”
I strongly disagree with the above statement. Kamara has twitch, he’s got burst, and he’s fast… even his closing speed is fast. He actually plays faster on tape than his Combine and Pro Day numbers show.
Kamara isn’t somebody who I’d draft if I thought he sucked, my guy Mike E! 😉
Oh, and thanks! lol
Football speed is better than workout speed.
Correct! Now if Kamara had to go racing 40 yards (4.57) to sack the QB, that would be a different matter altogether.
He’s a QUICK MFer with major BURST.
I agree great value in the 5th. Most pundits said that was a steal.
M – I wasn’t knocking Kamara, I was basically saying Chop is faster, and has a much quicker get off, and more closing speed, which I think is accurate. I did mention that I think Kamara is ready to go right now at the NMFL level. I don’t think he sucks at all, that’s not at all what I was saying.
It’s all good, man! Personally, I think Kamara and Chop are very similar, that’s all. But YES… Chop is certainly the more polished product coming from PSU.
Actually, my main point on the opposite issue was Kamara had the production, and Robinson is more about projection
Yeah I didn’t think you were being n
negative.
BTW – Is it just me, or does Patrick Paul’s picture look a lil bit like Ricky Williams?
Not so much to me, aside from the braids and thick ass neck. Very different nose structure as well.
All-in-all, I’ve still got to give this draft class (at face value, of course) a C+, perhaps a B-. Rationale? We didn’t get any day 1 starters. And like Steve stated earlier (I think it was Steve), Chop starting day 1 doesn’t count if Chubb and Phillips are still out due to injury.
Now that being stated… IF Chop can make an impact on day 1 of the regular season, he may help to save our season early on. I like the pick (don’t love it, PSU bias being set aside), I LOVE the player (PSU bias in full effect!), and I’m very happy we selected him.
PP going in the 2nd round? Potentially a GRAND pick for the future, but he’s NOT going to be a day 1 starter either, so long as T-Stead is still around. And honestly, Kendall Lamm doesn’t suck, either.
If any of the rookies are productive when they’re in the game who cares if they start. There are more accomplished players ahead of the rookies.
This, too, is true.
I think the thing I like about our draft this year more than most? There’s a plan to get out of salary cap hell soon, granted this year’s crop works out well.
Mike E.
says:
April 28, 2024 at 3:43 pm
Actually, my main point on the opposite issue was Kamara had the production, and Robinson is more about projection
————–
You’re good, man! Like Tim, I don’t think you were being negative about Kamara. It just had struck me as strange to say that being they are VERY similar in their game.
HEAT SEEKING MISSLES!
UK
Thanks for posting that man. Haha
I love that.
BBL…
good write up Mike
I wouldn’t mind re-signing Ogbah at all
he might fit nicely into our D line rotation
Thanks Piggy
just remember to refer to Robinson as Pork Chop going forward….lol
In terms of projects, one of our UDFA is the ultimate project
we gave him a pretty big pay day
I imagine he’s competing to even get on the practice squad
we have gotten some mileage in terms of UDFA before – Robert Jones is a good example
curious to see what this guy can do
Wow, 4.88 forty at 6’7 313.
He has a lot to learn with some mean NFL beef coming at him. Long road IMO.
Maybe 6th OL in short yardage situations tackle eligible?
Great write up Mike E
I will leave my opinions to myself. I’ll just leave it with your line from the article.
“so hopefully for once, they’re right.”
LOL, thanks!
If PFN is correct and we sign all 12 UDFA, it will put our roster at 87 players. With our draft picks right now we are at 75 players. After signing all our UDFA’s we will have 3 roster spots open.
Come on Grier, redeem yourself with Rock a little and sign K Jake Bates. lol
“Wow, 4.88 forty at 6’7 313.”
—————
I wonder if he can play TE? He is faster than that UDFA TE they are signing.
He should be able to post up and get the man on his back like he’s rebounding.
he can probably play anything right now
he’s only got a dozen snaps under his belt at any level
he’s no more ready to play OT in the NFl than he is TE
any way you slice it – he’s a project with a capital P
The price for Mayos might have been because of a competitive market for him. Sounds like he’s a very good athlete for a big man so take a look.
What I like is these two new pass rushers’ play style will cause fatigue on the OL.
They finished 2nd and 3rd in the 40 at the combine for their position.
They finished 1st and 3rd in the 10-yard split, both under 2 seconds.
They and Phillips too are constantly batting at the throwing arm or crashing chaotically into the pocket all around the QB’s feet. It’s annoying and scary.
They don’t just come at the OL in the traditional strength against strength way.
I saw tape of them lined up over the A gap, like a blitzing MLB, but they’re way bigger than most ILB (>250 lbs.) and faster than almost all QBs.
They cheat the inside shoulder of the OGs and thus are a constant danger to slip between the C and OG. The IOL are good at controlling one DL or double-teaming a DT, but this is more difficult because these new guys won’t hold still or line up mano a mano. Their shifting angles stress those least agile OL.
And they have big strong biceps. Chop’s look like cantaloupes.
Kamara did 23 reps on the bench.
It’s like blocking a buzz saw thrown like a frisbee.
They’re like modern day Terrell Suggs style and even faster.
They are slashing and coming from everywhere and anywhere.
The QB has no safe place to set up at.
Even if they don’t sack the guy, them flashing into his peripheral is distracting.
Via Doug Farrar:
Just a side note on Patrick Paul.
Some say he’s a project because they watch tape and see flaws to his technique,
but he was a 90+ rated pass blocker. He wasn’t floundering around out there.
And last year he took up martial arts (MMA) as his “hobby.”
This is not a lazy “Big Ugly.” This kid wants to be great.
yeah that’s a good point
he seems pretty refined as a pas protector
most of the scouting reports suggest he needs aome
work though – for that matter I saw the same said about Fashanu and Guyton who both went earlier than Paul
And who would you most want to mentor your rookie LT?
Terron Armstead. ALL. DAY. LONG.
And don’t forget. He put up 30 reps on the bench. … <b> THIRTY.</b>
Guys with long arms are supposed to have trouble in the bench press.
How would you like to try to get past a guy with 3 foot arms that can do 30 reps?
His punch can hurt ya!
and he can hit you from 3 feet away!
test
pass
THIRTY
And he pestered his agent with a barrage of texts begging him to get the Dolphins to pick him because he wanted so badly to come play here.
The Matos kid is on the international plan so he doesn’t count as a PS spot and we have him for long enough to determine if there is a there there. He might be like the DLine guy we had had that never got there.
The Brazilian guy.
he’s Dominican
the guy I’m referring to is Brazilian the new guy is Dominican, I hope he whoops ass
ah…. I have my international players mixed
I didn’t know that about the international plan
He doesn’t count against the limit on the PS?
that’s wild
Now it makes sense, guaranteed $, that’s a small investment with big potential
We should know something in a couple of years
that’s not the kind of money that’s going to affect us salary cap wise
I don’t really care if Ross wipes his 80 year old ass with his money A provided it doesn’t affect the cap
do you guys remember years ago when Jeff Ireland was our GM and one of our head coaches was not on the “same page” as him and their were issues concerning communication within the organization
I don’t remember the HC – was it Philbin? Gase? Sparano?
I mention it bc Greir and McDaniel seem to really respect each other and work well together. That’s the impression I get anyway
Ireland was gone soon after he fucked up a gift wrapped draft by choosing among others Egghead. That might have been Philbin.
Respect now, give it time, if we win it will last a little longer
I’m sure that’s true
it’s always a delicate balance
but if you aren’t working together to begin with, it’s never going to come together
kind of a chicken and the egg thing
I guess working together does not make success certain
but not working together probably makes failure certain
This might be a good year to get Suh back 😁
His downside is he does have a lot of baby fat on him.
He needs to get more cut and buff, but not so much that he gets hurt.
Matos?
6’7 and 313 doesn’t scream baby fat, he looks good and agile in the clip above
no I was still on Paul.
He’ll have a year to get in shape
Hey Patrick, do you want to be our LT in 2025? Get yo ass in the weight room ASAP
Flicked on the TV and saw the UFL is on. You can watch it a in 4K. Why is it in any way acceptable that the NFL which is a multi billion dollar organization can’t show every single game in 4K? Actually, I think the Amazon games are, but the Sunday Ticket which they charge a fortune for is not.
UFL is mostly unwatchable
Well, at least the coverage looks pretty!
I just read this
club scouts in March.
After training camp, the group of 16 IPP athletes will be eligible to fill a 17th practice squad roster spot across any of the 32 teams — an additional spot reserved for an international player — following the rule change beginning with the 2024 season applicable to athletes outside of the United States and Canada.
The International Player Pathway Program Class of 2024 includes:
https://operations.nfl.com/updates/football-ops/nfl-announces-international-player-pathway-program-class-of-2024/#:~:text=Since%20its%20inception%2C%2037%20international,athletes%20currently%20on%20NFL%20rosters.
So apparently the plan is 2025 and not 2024, what an idiot
https://dolphinstalk.com/2024/04/the-vision-is-clear-the-focus-is-2025-and-not-2024/
When value meets opportunity (we have spots for them)
Like I mentioned, camp is going to be fun watching all of these young guys
Steve – I think Patrick Paul has been in the weight room. You don’t put up 30 reps of 225 without lifting on a regular basis, especially when you have a couple of yardsticks for arms
I think the idea with a player like him being so massive, just hold your own and get in the way for 1.5 seconds because the ball will be out soon after that or the RB will be well past you.
Didn’t mean it so literally, he needs to lose some body fat to be more mobile
it’s amazing to me how many people are referring to Patrick Paul as a guy who might go in the 4th round
nearly every mock I did had him off the board before the 2nd ended
foxsports had him ranked as 37th prospect
PFF had him at 101 and ESPN had him in the 70s nfl com also had him ranked in the 70s
drafttek had him in the 60s
but he’s an OT, so he’s going to go earlier than LBs or RBs ranked higher than him on those boards and all those experts know it when they rank players
we took him at 55, and Rosegarten and Samatiai went a few picks later in the early 60s
he was unlikely to go in the 3rd much less the fourth round
I’m really excited to see if Wright blocks like this at the next level
imagine reverses to waddle and hill and your running back doing this
imagine if he does it to Matt Milano next season
if that happens I’m doing shots
I think Paul will end up being a fine LT. I think the issue is how soon? We all thought we needed our first 2 picks to contribute this season, not sure if he will or not, but there were probably players available at #55 that would
I didn’t see we needed our picks to contribute this season
I viewed it as a bonus to draft an OT or a center who can play OG
but I didn’t think it was necessary
we would certainly be in better shape with Fautanu if he fell to 22 instead of breaking my heart and going 1 pick before us
Barton or JPP also give us some one who can play OG and maybe move around down the line
but these sort of things are really just bonuses
drafting your LT for the future or for that matter when Amrstead gets hurt is very valuable by itself
Chop has to give us something out of the gate because of our Edge situation. Kamara too even if they rotate. Paul will only be expected to start because of multiple injuries.
Do you wanna use a top 10 pick on an LT or draft one a year early in the 2nd?
I expect at some point during the season he’ll be needed to play OL
I’d use him in some extra OL packages
<b>Sunday Ticket subscribers:</b>
I saw Youtube has a $100 off special ($349 instead of $449) if you purchase Sunday Ticket before May 16th.
If you are set up for renewal, that goes through automatically on August 8th for the full price- $449.
I cancelled my subscription and the auto renewal. Then, I turned right around and re-subscribed and I was able to get the reduced price.
Just FYI, if you have games saved, I don’t know if canceling and re-subscribing will affect that.
Sunday Ticket Subscribers
thanks – I’ll try to do the same
Np
Shouldn’t be too hard to find a sports bar here that will show the Fins game
You don’t get them local?
Hope so
Rock us further south than I am and he’s mentioned he doesn’t get all the games on local tv
Good info. Thanks.
No prob
been cooking a 10lb pork shoulder, had to use the crackpot, since 11am needs another hour at least
My Traeger had a problem with the move
Kong – I’ve seen a few ads on YouTube TV with $100 savings if you renew early
Weird, I couldn’t find any ad that referenced renewing early, it’s not on their main page, and when I went through my account, the only way I could get the deal was to cancel and re-subscribe. (I researched it quite a bit before canceling my subscription, because I didn’t want to screw anything up, lol). I went through all the options under manage the subscription, but it’s possible I missed something.
I don’t have ticket with YoutubeTV, I have stand alone. Not sure if that makes a difference, but it may because they really want people to get ticket w/ tv. I do know youtube hasn’t sent anything directly to my email telling me there is a discount for renewing early because I’ve been looking for something like that the last month or so.
Ok, that’s why. I do have YouTube TV, that’s where it comes up
Same here. I do youtube tv and it just popped up on the screen when I signed in.
I guess those of us without the ‘+TV’ are chopped liver, lol.
I think the sleeper pick for us is Malik Washington. He won’t be asked to carry the offense like a Davone Bess. Role player and do it well. I can see him on returns too. He’s not easy to tackle. He’s competing with EZ-E and Berrios. Jonnu Smith was an under the radar acquisition. He should give us that 1st down TE we’ve needed.
I’ve been reading draft grades again.
Bad for my blood pressure
One group that rates other teams as having better drafts than ours fails to note that those teams all had top 5 or 6 draft spots, which means yeah sure, they can get higher rated players … because those teams SUCK (like the Patriots).
Another group was all about how certain teams had a better draft than ours because their picks will all start right away, because well, those teams SUCK and have lots of crummy players that NEED to be replaced. We don’t.
Aside from RG and quality depth at Safety, we had primo players at every position, because we DON’T SUCK.
We did also need some stop gap EDGE rushers due to injuries to our 2 FIRST ROUND EDGE rushers but we only needed a WR3 since our WR1 and WR2 BOTH went over a thou for the last 3 years in a ROW!!
So we drafted aNOTHER First Round EDGE and the Defensive Player of the YEAR who had a top 5 combine at EDGE to help us till we can get our guys back on the field.
Oh and for our WR3 need, we stole the #1 rated slot WR … in the F’n 6th round!How’s that for having a FO that’s F’n paying attention?
Oh btw since our 4.34 star RB1 is getting a little older now, we threw in a 3rd rnd pick from a year when we’ll have at least 2 of those and got a 4.38 40 kid who pass blocks like a brick wall.
I’d say that’s a bit more than a C+ draft.
Not to be negative, but we have a lot of question marks on the D-line and same for O-line. We’ll find out soon enough. won’t be surprised if we make a move or two the D-line and O-line
It doesn’t seem like they’re overly worried about those positions. That’s all I’m going by.
…….Even if they don’t sack the guy, them flashing into his peripheral is distracting.
Would that be a pressure?
uhhh sheez Herd, you outed me.
I was trying to not use the P-word
Let’s call it an “annoying distraction.”
We should think up a sanitized version of p___.
How about a Coercion?
or maybe we could call it a Fruitless Thrust.
As in “OLB Johnson led the league last week in Fruitless Thrusts.”
BWAAAAHAAAAHAAAAHAAAAHAAAAAHAAAAAA!!!!!
Made me spit my beer Herd.
They signed like 19 DTs during Free Agency.
I think we’re set there.
Till the 2925 draft when we’ll have more ammo
to maybe trade up and get the next Aaron Donald.
Tim Knight
says:
April 28, 2024 at 7:13 pm
I think the sleeper pick for us is Malik Washington. He won’t be asked to carry the offense like a Davone Bess…
———
I’ve been summoned! What up, Tim?!! LOL
You even spelled my name right!
+100000000000000000000000000
still love Davone Bess
That’s my dawg! He’s actually doing a lot better with help.
the last three years the nfl schedule was released in either May 11 or May 12
so we should get the schedule in the next couple of weeks
we may not know the dates by we know the away games and the opponents
let’s hope the Browns game and the Packers game are both before late November
we will be playing the @buffalo and @ New England games as the 2nd game of the series – so cold weather games in those games are likely
the Seahawks game is always a tough trip Q one of the longest road trips possibles. I hope we get the BYE around then
I don’t think we are getting an international game this year. There are 2 in London this year, 1 in Germany and 1 in Brazil. But the home team wa already assigned for each one and none of those teams are on our schedule
so looks like will only be playing in the US this season
also in terms of strength of schedule based on opponents record in 2023 we have the 8th easiest next year
but that doesn’t contemplate when you play the team which is a factor
I had heard we were playing in Spain this year…
Someone I know goes the 9ers are fest game
Hopes
Spain starts 2025
Moka had 13 sacks last year mostly against Utah St, NV, MTSU some div III Tech school, then Colorado
Not exactly Power 5
Shaq Barrett from same school had one less sack than Mo his last college season against basically the same teams. He turned out fine.
Analysis: Miami needed another edge rusher, especially with Jaelan Phillips coming off an Achilles injury and Bradley Chubb coming off a torn ACL, but Robinson must show he can be a factor in the run game and convert pressures into sacks more regularly in the NFL. Left tackle Terron Armstead’s difficulty staying on the field made Paul a good pick in the second round. The teams’ forfeiture of its third-round pick dragged down its grade.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Hmmmm, sounds suspiciously like sacks could be more important than those pressures that some of you know and love. lol
He also went on to say this, which I believe I also said . . .
It would not surprise me if the relentless Kamara is as productive as Robinson early in his career.
Nobody in history ever said the history of the sack wasn’t more important (kackle, kackle…) that’s why they call it hiiiistorrry
Also as per usghe – Chiefs, Steelers get A grades, Ravens get A-
Dolphins get B-
Not that draft grades mean a damn thing, but those organizations stay on top because they do it right
Chiefs had a good draft.
Steelers nailed their draft. It is what ours should have looked like. It would have given OD the feel goods. lol
OT/OG Troy Fantanu
OC Zach Frazier
WR Roman Wilson
ILB/OLB Payton Wilson
OG Mason McCormick
CB Ryan Watts
This on top of getting OT Broderick Jones last year in the 1st. They are going to have a stud of an OL.
Didn’t they say this last week?
Which BTW, is why I see this team in a state of flux. There’s no commitment anywhere really. I suppose Tua will get his contract eventually, but imagine if he doesn’t. We could see 30-40 different players on this roster in 2026.
A pressure is like rushing for 15 yards on a 3rd and 20. It looks kinda nice, but not nearly as nice as actually getting the first down, or sacking the QB.
A 3rd down pressure that results in an incomplete pass is only different from a 1 yard loss sack by 1 yard, and if it happens around midfield it might be more of an advantage to be a yard back
or you could say, because of the pressure the QB only had enough time to check it down, on 3rd down, leaving the receiver 5 yards short of the 1st down marker
You’re always relying on the “what ifs” with a pressure, the play is over with a sack. Maybe the QB throws an INT or incompletion, but maybe he steps up and throws a TD.
True, but pressures come more often than sacks, and you don’t get sacks without pressures
so Mike how many licks does it take…😝
Former Maryland QB Taulia Tagovailoa will participate in the #Seahawks’ rookie camp this coming weekend, source says.
Too puni, Bryce Hall scared teams away by his lack of adjustment last year
Yeah, he’s small but a gamer. I just posted because he’s Tua’s brother.
I get it, but he’s really inconsistent, could be due to team talent differences between Maryland and OSU/Michigan
Erik Ezukanma is the first name that comes up when the thought of who Malik or Tahj Washington could replace comes to mind. Ez-E hasn’t done much in his two seasons, and the Dolphins may not have the patience to see where he can develop.
Ezukanma has talent but so far it has been shown in only flashes. He will need to have a great camp this year as he will be competing for a roster spot.
https://phinphanatic.com/posts/6-miami-dolphins-veterans-who-are-not-safe-after-the-2024-nfl-draft-01hw8dh76qgx
Maybe the drafting of 2 WRs will light a fire under EZ’s ass
Steve – THA-ree. LOL
After some time to reflect, and NOT read hot take grades from pundits … there was a clear purpose to this draft by FO, whether we liked exact players chosen, or not …
We are still ‘thin’ at Safety (as many of you have pointed out) … but MM/Grier think we are still built for a deep run but we needed to improve the quality of depth … even though it’s hard to imagine the Fin will again suffer injuries to the extent that they did down the stretch.
5. Perhaps most importantly, this draft for depth leaned into the team strength … offense.
Probably should have included Kamara for Edge depth. The one thing I like about both Chop and Kamara are that they played on REALLY good defensive units.
Regarding the “grades” … I think everybody saw “in real time” that Pittsburgh and KC were both having great drafts. Not at all surprised that they get great grades. Our grade was lower perhaps because our purpose was different.
^
We also had to draft to replace Chubb and Armstead. Chubb will be a cap casualty.
Rhino – I think the issue when looking at our draft is how much of contribution they get in 2024. When your 2nd pick which is a valuable 2nd RD pick and you take a player who will be learning to take over for your current LT and potentially be able to back up this season, that’s debatable as to whether that makes sense. I know they seem happy with the O-line and D-line last season, but we took a step back on both lines, so whether they’re right or not remains to be seen
I certainly get your point. PP makes me a bit nervous as well (how quickly can they get him to play their scheme, cuz he doesn’t seem to fit it too well as is).
But I love the Wright and M.Washington picks. Wasn’t it Poyer who said that Hill and Waddle alone weren’t difficult to cover, but when Achane was added it was a nightmare. Wright is likely a “speed insurance” to make sure there is that 3rd speedster on the field at all times.
Washington could end up as our starting slot. He runs great routes and is tough as hell. Berrios is not being handed that job. With Janu, and improved slot play, our passing game will improve even more (I know … “if Tua has time to throw” lol).
I really wanted IOL at 21, and at worse Frazier or JJP (but Pittsburgh beat us to OL twice, and Raiders got JJP). Paul was part of the ‘2nd tier’ OT run in the 2nd round… of the 4 taken, the only one I would have considered before Paul was Rosengarten from Washington (seems like he’d be ready to step in a lot sooner). So, Paul does feel like a ‘gamble’ in the context of time.
Paul’s upside is huge, with risk
In Butch Barry we must trust…to get the Jackson and Eichenberg results
I still don’t like how they ignored the OL. Chop better be more than some insurance pick. He better end up being a major contributor now and long term. We should expect that of every #21 pick. Unless, you know, they decide to let him walk after 4 years because he costs too much.
They basically ignored it for this season. Hard to argue otherwise. They can definitely pick up another IOL after June 1st
Hunt is 2nd rd, but I really can’t remember Grier using a pick from one of the first two rounds on IOL … he’ll take OT and move them inside (wasn’t Hunt also an OT in college?), but something about actual Guards he just doesn’t want to pay for… despite recent history of how Guards have increased in value in the draft.
A pressure in and of itself doesn’t necessarily negatively impact an offensive play. It may actually help the offense if a QB can avoid the pressure and it opens up a play that wasn’t there. Plus, they only count 1 pressure on any play. Why? There might be 3.
Sacks ALWAYS negatively impact an offensive play. They end the play. And, they also usually give the defensive team a big boost in field position or may even take an offense out of FG range. Pressure don’t do any of that. This is such a dumb debate. They’re both “good”. Sacks are better.
Just don’t start telling me how great a player is by his pressure numbers because those pressures may have had an end result if nothing so where’s the value?
If any playoff team is relying on a draft pick too heavily, then the GM isn’t doing his job properly
With Chop we’re relying on him at this point, though FA isn’t done yet and we’ll have some cap in June
None of our other picks are more than depth for this season
You can make an argument for just that Steve. He put us in this predicament by trading away so many draft picks and acquiring high priced talent like Tyreek Hill, Bradley Chubb and Jalen Ramsey. So then in FA we let two of our own drafted players walk because we couldn’t afford them and picked up a bunch of “jags” to replace some, and then needed the draft as well to fill spots we can’t afford to in FA. Sound about right?
Obviously bad luck with injuries played a big part, but the salary cap issue is all on Grier
I’ll just say this about the draft. Yay! More WRs. Great.
steve,
shouldn’t you have to at least win a playoff game before you’re considered a playoff team? It’s been almost a quarter century since we’ve done that, right?
No
I don’t want to upset Tim any longer. I know the anticipation is killing you brother.
My First 2025 NFL Mock Draft.
Slight trady down to get a 3rd as our comps aren’t reflecting yet and we should have a 3rd round comp pick after trading our regular 3rd for RB Wright.
I am double downing on the Notre Dame homerism in rounds 1 and 2 with some ballhawks.
23 Benjamin Morrison CB Notre dame (4.39 forty, 8 INT’s last 2 years)
54 Xavier Watts S Notre Dame (7 INT’s just last season)
87 Donovan Jackson OG Ohio State
118 Barion Brown WR/KR/PR Kentucky (4.33 forty)
131 Bryce Foster C Texas A&M
150 Kenneth Grant DT/NT Michigan (6’3 339)
212 Shad Banks ILB TCU
214 Caden Prieskorn TE Mississippi
Ramsey and Fuller will both be gone after 2025. We need to draft CB high next year. Also, safety will be thin again next year.
We don’t really know if Ramsey will be gone after 2025. We only know that his current contract is set to void automatically. He MAY very well get another extension as his free agency gets closer. I just HATE that we had him under wraps for much longer and Asshole voided the deal and pushed dead money into the voided years. Grief really has done some inexcusable fuckery to the level of malpractice with our salary cap. He should be fire for that reason alone.
True. I was thinking about cap space next year. Though not nearly as bad as when we started out this year, it is still not much. About 8 mil and go up to about 15 mil after X’s release is official.
Then we still have to resign Tua, Holland and replace all the guys we signed to 1yr deals.
Some other 2025 free agents besides Tua and Holland:
ILB’s David Long and Walker, OLB Duke Riley, CB’s Kohou and Needham, Safeties Poyer, Neal and Campbell, ALL the DT’s we signed this offseason, OG’s Eichenberg, Wynn, Jones, Driscoll and Cotton, OT Kion Smith QB Mike White.
But we are good at WR, RB and TE. Figures.
Rules for Tyson vs Paul
8 – two minute rds
14 oz gloves
no head gear
Officially sanctioned pro bout…but they are using 14 oz gloves, lol
Money paid to them will be record breaking.
Paul is a decent amateur boxer, but he’s really a world-class marketer. I give the guy all the credit in the world for turning what he has into a shitload of $$$.
No way I’ll pay for this exhibition, but I am curious to see how it turns out. I think Tyson will be at too much of a disadvantage to get what most people are hoping for – a clean KO – but fingers crossed, lol.
I had originally heard they were going to fight without weighted gloves
They probably couldn’t get the bout sanctioned with 8oz or even 10 oz gloves. One guy is approaching 60, and the other is an amateur going against a serious ex-pro. There is likely too much risk.
Grief really has done some inexcusable fuckery to the level of malpractice with our salary cap.
——————–
Yep, 18.4 million in dead cap on Ramsey in 2026. Our other bookend CB Fuller has a 4 million dead cap in 2026 also. Both will be free agents in 2026. Total dead cap in 2026 is at about 27 million on 5 players (for now) and that is 2 years from now.
Here is a good read on some of our UDFA signees
https://dolphinswire.usatoday.com/lists/dolphins-2024-undrafted-free-agency-udfa-mark-perry-storm-duck-bayron-matos/
Thanks Rock!
Yeah, I think RG Matthew Jones will surprise.
CB Benjamin Harrison held Marvin Harrison Jr to 3 rec 32 yards on 7 targets with 0 TD’s.
Holland and Watts would be a sick safety combo.
Kong – I want carnage, was hoping they used lighter gloves.
Same
HA! Rob Rang’s way early 2025 1st round mock draft:
22. Miami Dolphins – Benjamin Morrison, CB, Notre Dame
A true ballhawk with nine interceptions recorded over his first two seasons, the six-foot, 186-pound Morrison is well known for his soft hands and instincts in coverage, but scouts also like his reliability as an open-field tackler.
Holy crap! I thought South Carolina WR Xavier Leggette was a freak with his size and forty.
South Carolina has a bigger freak. Keep an eye on South Carolina WR Nyck Harbor. He is on the Gamecocks track team right now.
He is 6’5, 241 pounds and runs a 4.3 flat!!
He played both WR and Edge/OLB in high school. As a junior, he had 17 sacks in 12 games with 66 hurries, 31 tackles for loss, 44 solo tackles, four passes defended, six forced fumbles, two blocked punts and three fumble recoveries.
Even though he has speed, I feel like MM likes smaller WR’s
He does. Plus, he is straight line speed only. Would be more interesting as a TE prospect in a few years.
I just wonder if they try to replace Tyreek next draft. One guy to keep an eye on is another # 17 from Alabama who transferred to Texas this year. WR Isaiah Bond, 5’11 185. I have read 2 different articles that said he will beat Xavier Worthy’s combine record and run sub 4.2.
Former Dolphins WR Jarvis Landry to compete at Jaguars’ rookie minicamp
2024 NFL Team Draft Grades For AFC EAST Division I CBS Sports
Rick Spielman and Ryan Wilson: A- draft grade for our Phins! Just hit play…
I VERY much like seeing somebody giving us an A- grade… even if I disagree with as much. Hope floats and there IS hope with this Draft class of ours.
QUITE HONESTLY, I don’t believe we’ve addressed the IOL and the D-Line as much as we’d have liked to, via FA to date and now after the Draft.
I maintain: post-June 1st (when X’s $$$ come off the books), I’m expecting to re-sign Connor Williams (whether it be for G or C) and Emmanuel Ogbah (for DE).
Neither of these two are going to be able to command top-notch $$$. In fact, we may have enough $$$ left over to sign someone else of significance. JMO, as always.
Spotrac currently values Connor Williams @ $8.3M/year.
Nothing on Ogbah, but he cannot command the $$$ he used to get… not even close.
BTW, Dalton Risner (who has been linked to us by some in the media) is currently valued by Sportrac at $10.1M/year.
EZ-E is in danger of being cut or traded…
List of day-3 drafted WRs over our last decade…
R6 (2024): Malik Washington
R7 (2024): Tahj Washington
R6 (2023): Elijah Higgins
R4 (2022): EZ-E
R7 (2017): Isaiah Ford
R6 (2016): Jakeem Grant
R5 (2015): Tony Lippett
R6 (2014): Matt Hazel
EZ-E is the highest drafted day-3 WR we’ve had over the last decade. And yes, we all know there is the Wes Welker connection through Texas Tech.
Looking at some advanced stats… Ogbah was damn near every bit as affective as Jaelen Phillips last year in terms of pass-rushing per snap. The biggest disparity? You can’t run on Ogbah, whereas you can run on Phillips.
Yes… it would be very wise to re-sign Ogbah… and again, he cannot command major $$$ at this stage in his career. I hope we don’t get into a biding war over Ogbah.
IF we re-sign both Connor Williams and Ogbah, I honestly feel our wins will go up over current season win odds. JMO, always.
Mike, we have Phillips and Waddle for two more seasons. Not sure what you mean about no direction etc. This team is trying to win now. You can’t pay a DT and RG $215M and deal with everything else. What we need is to keep scoring points and a turnover defense. That’s how we’re built.
Once again I think the AFC is going to be a battle.
You see teams giving out contract extensions everywhere, this team is basically locked up to 2025. Plenty of the team will be gone next season. Instead of locking up Waddle we just picked up his 5th year, same for Tua and Phillips. Phillips I think is the wise move, but why not give Waddle an extension now? This is kind of what I’m talking about. We have Waddle on his 5th year option, he has a great season this year, he’s going to be asking for megabucks, we could save a little money giving him an extension now. Then in 2026, when he’s a FA, does he walk? His salary could be just as ridiculous as Wilkins and Hunt’s if not more so
You don’t know what Waddle is asking for, if it’s the same right now as what Smith just got or a little more, then we’re crazy not to sign him ASAP
You wait when you aren’t sure, both Waddle and Phillips we’re sure about, same with Holland, but he wants a huge contract and I doubt we pay him
So who’s our core on this team long term?
Tim – This team isn’t built for a SB run. We haven’t been the best team in our division, let alone the conference. We’re not built for longevity either. Who is our core that will be with the team through 2026 and beyond? There is no core, and there are no long term contracts. You want to beat the cap, give good players 5 year contracts and those contracts become cheap pretty darn quick.
I can tell you that Tyreek Hill, Bradley Chubb, Jalen Ramsey, Kendall Fuller, Jaelan Phillips, Jevon Holland, and Jaylen Waddle not here. We should be extending some of these contracts or the same thing that happened with Wilkins and Hunt will happen with these guys. We’ll be paying top dollar free agency contracts, or just letting them walk.
Right now we have 12 players under contract for 2026. The top 3 won’t be here after 2025 in Hill, Chubb and Armstead. Hill and Chubb will take up 30% of our 2026 cap. Yes, they will be gone.
That leaves 9 players under contract in 2026. Of those, 8 of them will be in the last year of their contract. LB Brooks is the only one under contract longer.
Add in our 7 new draft picks, that puts our 2026 roster at 16 with our core players being Austin Jackson, Seiler, Brewer, Achane and Brooks. The first 4 will be in the last year of their contract.
These draft picks better pan out.
Yes, we need to resign our own starting with Tua, Holland, Waddle then Phillips if he returns to form. Also, give extensions to a couple of the 50 players we signed on 1yr deals if they come here and ball out. Do it before the season is over instead of when they become FA’s again then have to outbid everyone.
I read that Malik W. Led the FBS in lowest drop rate AND most forced missed tackles.
that’s 2 different skills!
Also I think he was 3rd in YAC and near the top in contested catch rate.
ppl are saying he’s a steal in the draft Could’ve been a 4th rounder easy.
they’re also saying Mo K is a steal as well, and many sites had Wright rated in 60s-70s but we got him at 120.
Yeah, when you sit back and look at it. They got very good value on those 3. The first 2 picks were needs and they had to take them when they did as they were the BPA’s at their position when we were on the clock.
Mike is seeing and discussing what I have been screaming about for two years! Grief blew his wad and now has fucked the team! There is no “Core” beyond next year. That is no way to build / maintain a roster! It sucks that he has already thrown away like 100M of future cap to lose a wild card game and most likely miss the playoff this year altogether.
I replied to his post and tried to break it down a little more.
but I read that our schedule is 8th easiest!
That’s a lot better than usual.
I read that the average NFL player career Is 3.3 years.
2.6 for RBs
https://images.app.goo.gl/oMmDHcUGm1jPs1xP9
where do you think we are in power rankings today post draft.
considering every team’s draft picks plus FA losses and signings
14
This one has us at #7 behind the Bills.
NFL Power Rankings: Where Does Every Team Stand After the 2024 NFL Draft? | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors | Bleacher Report
https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/sports/nfl/2024/04/30/dolphins-53-man-roster-projection-depth-chart-prediction-after-nfl-draft/73503748007/
he means Cam Goode not Cam Brown
KC
SF
Baltimore
GB
Detroit
Miami
Texans
Bengals
Browns
Eagles
Rams
Chargers
Jags
Jets
Steelers
then the bottom half
Bills?
no WRs … I put them about 20th
Nice!
Jags released veteran WR Zay Jones. He had 82 receptions in 2022.
The New England Patriots agreed to a four-year extension with defensive tackle Christian Barmore worth up to $92 million, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
———————
That’s 23 mil per year. But, Wilkins was overpaid…
Again, in 2 years, Wilkins money won’t even be top 10.
Miami 11-6
NE 4-13
Yeah, 11-6 with Wilkins
That’s what I’m saying Mike – We took those 5th year options on players, but if we don’t start giving extensions, we’ll lose or overpay them when they become FA’s
Bleacher Report Scouting Department in their way early 2025 mock have the Dolphins taking RB Ollie Gordon II. He’s really good and reminds me of a bigger/stronger Pollard but no freaking way.
Rock – You definitely brought some things to our attention, but this is happening now, and I feel the need to bring it out in the light. I feel like this team has no roster continuity. That’s not something a good organization does.
and I think you are 100% correct. I have been predicting it from before we signed Hill. All I got was “you can’t be a real fan, you don’t want us to win?”
Each move we made to bring in someone else’s guy and make them the “Highest paid at their position” we a flashing warning sign to me. Especially when we threw away draft picks for the right to make them the highest paid.
We haven’t picked in the first round since 2021…
Texans’ WR Tank Dell Sustains Minor Wound in Shooting, Released from Hospital
The Chiefs drafted the fastest play making WR in the draft, then drafted 3 OL, a safety, a CB and a TE.
Why does it seem like that should have been our draft?
We would have missed on Chop but still got Mo and would have had Tyreek’s replacement.
that guy will never be as good as Tyreek.
We didn’t need another TE or CB. We drafted a safety. We signed several OL in FA, so we didn’t need to fish unknown talent. We extremely needed EDGE rushers and got 2 of the best and we definitely needed a slot WR and drafted 2 of the best.
How is their draft better?
They are drafting to sustain dominance. We are plugging holes with 1yr rentals.
Every receiver in this past draft may not ever be as good as Tyreek, last draft or next couple drafts either. But you have to replace him at some point.
To say someone will never be as good as Tyreek covers 97% of the WR’s drafted in the last decade.
“We signed several OL in FA”
———
Who all will be gone next year