OK Dolphins fans, the schedule is out, so now we know who we’re playing, when we’re playing them, and most importantly, where we’re playing them. We start off the season with 2 home games in a row, but neither of those games give us a real heat advantage. Our home opener is against another FLA team, the Jacksonville Jaguars, so they’re nearly as accustomed to the heat as our team is. We then play the Bills on Thursday Night Football, which not only gives us a short week, but the heat advantage is nullified by the 8:20PM start, because the sun won’t be baking the Bills players all game long. The Jaguars drafted LSU WR Brian Thomas is RD1 and he should help QB Trevor Lawrence, who no longer has WR Calvin Ridley, so Brian Thomas, veteran WR Christian Kirk, along with TE Evan Engram, and newly acquired former Bills WR Gabe Davis round out the receiving corps.
The Bills, appear to have taken a step back, but as you know, I strongly feel that as long as Josh Allen is their QB, we’ll always have a difficult time taking them down. The Bills traded back a couple of times and made their first selection in RD2 taking Florida State WR Keon Coleman. who gives Allen a big target with excellent 50/50 ball skills. He makes those difficult catches, but we’ll have to see how quickly he can be assimilated into the offense. The Bills also added former Dolphins WR Chase Claypool. We know this is going to be a tough matchup, especially if our star OLB’s are missing, Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb, and we’re forced to rely on rookies Chop Robinson and Mo Kamara, along with veteran LB Shaq Barrett.
Our first road trip will be a long one, all the way to the farthest state in the contiguous United States, Washington, the farthest NW state, to face the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks selected my favorite DL in this draft, Byron Murphy from Texas at #16 in RD1. Later on they picked up Connecticut OG Christian Haynes, who many here liked as well. The Seahawks will bring back QB Geno Smith as their starter, along with veteran WR’s D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. The Seahawks were 9-8 last season, so I’d hope we can make the best of that long road trip.
When we return home to Florida, we’ll host the Tennessee Titans on Monday Night Football for a rematch. If you’re a Dolphins fan, you couldn’t possibly forget the the last minute upset victory by QB Will Levis and RB Derrick Henry. The Dolphins led 27-13 in the 4th QTR, but the Titans got 2 unanswered TD’s, one a TD pass from Will Levis to WR DeAndre Hopkins, and then after the Dolphins drive stalled and we punted, QB Will Levis found WR DeAndre Hopkins on a deep pass for 36 yards from the TEN 36, which then led to a Derrick Henry 3 yard plunge to take the lead 28-27, leaving the Dolphins 1 minute and 49 seconds to win the game. The drive started at the MIA 26, and the Dolphins managed one first down before losing the ball on downs, a 4th and 2 sack of Tua by Harold Landry, and that was that. A brutal collapse that I’m sure our boys would love to avenge!
Our next game is a road trip to the Northeast, to face our division rival New England Patriots. We’ve been doing well against the Pats the last 3 years and have 5-1 record against the Brady-less squad. The Patriots drafted what they hope is their franchise QB taking North Carolina QB Drake Maye at #3 in RD1. It’s entirely possible veteran QB Jacoby Brissett is under center but the Patriots may elect to begin the future for Maye sooner. Playing in Foxborough in October won’t be a weather disadvantage for us, so hopefully we can come away with another road victory.
We’ll have an early BYE week this season, and that will be Week 6. I’d always prefer a later BYE, but if our 2 OLB’s are still OUT at this juncture, I’d say their return could be the following week. We come out of our BYE Week and travel to Indianapolis to face the Colts. Colts starting QB Anthony Richardson, drafted in the 2023 NFL Draft #4 overall in RD1, was injured last season, but will be the starter once again this season. Richardson looked promising last season before the injury (Shoulder). The Colts have feature back RB Jonathan Taylor and in addition to WR Michael Pittman, the Colts drafted WR Adonai Mitchell from Texas in RD 2. It was, however their first pick at #15, when they selected pass rusher Laiatu Latu from UCLA that made Dolphins fans groan. Both of those players should make an impact for the Colts this season, and this will be no walk in the park.
Week 8 will bring us to this year’s Fest Game, as we host the Arizona Cardinals at Hard Rock, Sunday October 27th, just a scant few days before our own Herd’s birthday! The Cardinals suffered a rough 4-13 record last year. Their first draft pick should help QB Kyler Murray, who missed 8 games last season, and was pretty awful when he played. The Cards selected potentially the most NFL ready WR in the draft, and perhaps the best WR, in Ohio St. WR Marvin Harrison Jr at #4 in RD1. The Cards later added big DL Darius Robinson from Missouri. I would hope we can handle the Cards, and make it a wonderful birthday weekend for Herd!
We head back on the road to a place that has not been kind to us. The weather shouldn’t be a huge factor in Buffalo in early November, but Orchard Park is a little bit of a house of horrors for our Dolphins. We haven’t won there since 2016, and that was an OT affair, in which not Ryan Tannehill, but backup Matt Moore engineered the victory. I would love nothing more for our Dolphins to end the damn curse there, but we need to be healthy, and we’ll need to be physical. Tall task of course, but this is the 3rd season for HC Mike McDaniel, and I hope he can find the right gameplan to take the Bills down in their house. That would be a huge victory for our team.
We travel to California for yet another Monday Night affair, as we face off against the NFC’s Los Angeles Rams. The Rams, led by QB Matt Stafford had a nice finish last season making the playoffs, only to lose a tough matchup against the Detroit Lions, and their former QB Jared Goff, he of $212M contract fame. The Rams drafted 2 very good defensive players in the 2024 NFL Draft, first beginning with Florida St. pass rusher Jared Verse. The Rams then doubled down and took Florida St. DT Braden Fiske, both players favorites here. The Rams have big WR Puka Nacua who had 105 receptions last year for an astounding 1486 yards. The Rams feature a RB by committee approach with RB’s Kyren Williams, Blake Corum and Ronnie Rivers, and gone is RB Darrell Henderson. Stafford throws a lot, and the rookies will add some pop to their defense.
In Week 11, we return home to host the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders moved on from oft injured QB Jimmy Garropolo and signed veteran backup QB Gardner Minshew III. The Raiders tried to improve the offense by drafting the best TE available in the 2024 NFL Draft, TE Brock Bowers, and then following that up with a very good OC prospect we all know here, JPJ Jackson Powers-Johnson. RB Zamir White gets his chance to shine as heads the RB room. Veteran WR Davante Adams still brings it every game, along with Jakobi Meyers. The Raiders had a tough season last year, we’ll see how well Gardner Minshew fares as the starter.
In Week 12, we host the Patriots for our 2nd meeting of the season. Hopefully being home for 2 consecutive weeks has this team rested and ready to go because we need to beat the Patriots as we begin the difficult part of our schedule. I’d imagine Drake Maye will playing by then, that’s if he doesn’t start the season from the get go. Hopefully, our defense is humming along at full strength, with Phillips and Chubb back in the groove, and we give him more than he can handle.
Week 13 is where the most challenging part of the schedule starts. We fly to Wisconsin for a Thanksgiving Evening matchup in the cold climes of Green Bay to face the Packers. The Packers, despite a middling record of 9-8 managed to whip the Dallas Cowboys 48-32, and QB Jordan Love made it look easy. Love threw 3 TD’s, and no INT’sand RB Aaron Jones added 118 yards on the ground. The Packers lost the 49ers in a very competitive 24-21 loss. The Packers signed FA RB Josh Jacobs, and will pair him A.J. Dillon, as they finally parted ways with RB Aaron Jones. The Packers feature 3 young WR’s, Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs and Jayden Reed. Obviously, the weather could be a big factor here, we don’t play well on the road when it’s cold, that’s been heavily documented. We need to somehow find a way to overcome that, or don’t expect to see this team go any further than we did last season.
We come home in Week 14 to host our division rival NY Jets for the first time in ’24, a 1PM, but it’s December 8th, so the heat won’t be a factor unless South Florida has some crazy heat wave. The Jets had horrendous O-line play, and they did what they could to remedy that by drafting Penn State OT Olu Fashanu, much loved here on FMU, especially by PSU fans Brian in NY and M13. The Jets also made a big Free Agency acquisition, taking WR Mike Williams from the LA Chargers. In addition, in RD 3 they drafted their slot WR Malachi Corley from Western Kentucky. To help bolster the O-line, the Jets also signed former Cowboys OT Tyron Smith, and OG John Simpson from the Ravens. Of course, Aaron Rodgers should be back as well, so the Jets will no longer be an easy task in ’24, as long as he stays healthy. WR Garrett Wilson will no doubt benefit from having Mike Williams on the other side.
In Week 15, we travel to Texas to take on the Houston Texans. The upstart Texans had a very successful 2023 season. Their young QB who they drafted #2 in the ’23 NFL Draft played like a pro right out of the gate. He had an excellent season, even winning their first playoff matchup against the Cleveland Browns in impressive fashion, 45-14, in which Stroud threw 3 TD’s and finished with a 157.2 rating, nearly perfect. The Texans didn’t waste any time improving the roster, picking up WR Stefon Diggs from the Bills. Add Diggs to the already talented young WR corps of Nico Collins and Tank Dell, and that offense will be tough to stop.
Week 16 brings the San Francisco 49ers to Miami for a late Sunday Kickoff at 4:25PM. No doubt, Dar and Toba will do their best to attend, or should I say Dar will do her best to drag Doug to FLA to see her beloved Niners. Any way you slice it, this is a very trying task for our team. The Niners who of course lost a close matchup with the SB Champion Chiefs are an excellent team. The Niners drafted slot WR Ricky Pearsall from Florida with the 31st pick in RD1. Later, they also added RB Isaac Guerrendo, a fan favorite here for sure. The Niners defense is tremendous, and QB Brock Purdy will be in his 3rd season in this offense. Tough job here, but maybe the home crowd can get us a win!
Week 17 will have us back on the road after a rough matchup with the Niners. We travel to yet another cold weather destination, Cleveland to face the Browns. The Browns had all kinds of QB troubles last season. DeShaun Watson played in only 6 games, and veteran QB Joe Flacco gave Cleveland a nice temporary jolt, but ultimately they got wiped by the young Houston Texans in the playoffs, 45-14. Joe Flacco is no longer a Brown, but they have quite the interesting QB room with Watson, Jameis Winston, and former Ravens backup Tyler Huntley. The Browns feature the WR trio of Amari Cooper, former Broncos Wr Jerry Jeudy and Elijah Moore, former Jets WR. TE David Njoku still toils the seam there. They have one of the most productive run games in the NFL with RB Nick Chubb and Jerome Ford. They have an excellent O-line as well, and a solid defense. I can only hope our team is healthy at this point of the season, and we prove we can win a cold weather game on the road.
The Week 18, Season Finale will have us traveling to my area, New Jersey to face the NY Jets, which could be for the Division Crown! The game has not yet been given an actual date, it can potentially be flexed, but some time that weekend of January 4-6, we’ll be playing the Jets. As stated before, if Aaron Rodgers is the QB, they’re a considerably better opponent than we faced with QB Zach Wilson under center, and he’s now in Denver, behind rookie QB Bo Nix. By this point last season, our defense was a shell of what it started as, too many injuries to the D-line and mostly OLB’s to mention here. It was absurd. We must be in better condition and we have to do better managing that. Whether it’s the Jets we’re competing with for the crown, or the Bills, this will obviously be a huge game either way. We know we have folded too many times at the end of the season, time to fucking turn that around!
GO DOLPHINS!!!
Finsmob Unleashed 
EXCELLENT analysis!
Go Dolphins.
Thanks Naples!
FEST — Oct 27 (1 PM) against the Cardinals.
Was no reason to put up a poll this year cause that was the only possible game. We’ve got our seat draft next Tuesday, May 21st at 11:00AM.
Need to get a rough head count before then. And remember even if you say yes now you can back out when the final payment is due. Add your name to the list.
—————-
Mike E — +2 (or maybe more)
Steve — (maybe +2)
Son (+7)
Ken
Doggy +2
Toba +1 (pending surgery date)
Birthday girl
Top +1
Kong
Top +1
M13
Phish
Boulder
Stanger
Nice write Mike E
Thanks Ken!
MikeE,
Did you quit your day job? I had to take a nap part way thru reading just your article. I don’t know where you find the time to do all this Mike but it’s appreciated! It’s better than any professional articles I read. Well done.
LOL, I’ve considered it a few times. Hope it was a good nap. Thanks Randy!
Weeks 13-18 look tough. Different weathers….time zones…Prime Time games. If we can get through that in good shape, I think it says a lot about this team. The only let up might be Cleveland but a late season game in the dawg pound isn’t a cake walk. Tough stretch.
Great write Mike E, real well done breakdown. I’ll tell you right now though — count me out for Week 18 up your way. Been to too many Dolphins games to want to do cold weather again.
Thanks Stanger!
From the last blog. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a QB more scrutinized than Tua. Every time he over comes one thing they have another thing to try a discredit him. I find it really bizarre and annoying.
https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/dolphins-are-in-a-tough-spot-with-tua-tagovailoa
It’s a question. Only way to say sign him or not is to know if he gets injured or not. Came out of last year healthy, but year before not so much.
Joe Burrow got paid and he’s been hurt a lot. QBs get paid because they’re good.
I’d be fine with them giving Tua a long-term if that is there call. But for whatever reason they haven’t made that call yet.
Tim,
I think you said the same thing about Tannehill! Lol
From phish’s article: “Also, the fans love Tua, which makes it harder for the Dolphins to make a football decision regarding whether to give him what he wants.” Interesting. I missed that poll!
Tim – You realize Burrow got paid before he got hurt, right?
He missed half the season his rookie year.
I think Tua is the most polarizing figure the Dolphins have had in a long time. Some defend everything he does, or doesn’t do, and there are others who shred him to bits and can’t stand him, and others that like him but can point out his shortcomings, which BTW gets the defenders panties all up in a bunch. lol
Burrow was hurt in week 11 and missed rest if rookie season. 2020 I think.
You’re right, but then he played two consecutive 16 game seasons and took his team to the SB the next very next season, and to the AFC Championship game the next season. I’ll be happy to pay Tua more than Burrow after he does that
Naples – What I have a hard time understanding is why people care what Tua gets paid. Why do they want him to make $55M per or more? I mean if there wasn’t a salary cap, we could pay him $250M per season for all I care, but there is a cap, and if we pay him and he either
A) Can’t win important games/playoff games
B)Can’t stay healthy
We’re screwed!
I couldn’t care less what Tua gets paid.
Or any other player for that matter.
They’re all overpaid IMHO.
love this … love the serious attitude.
The building phase is done.
Now it’s time to win.
Time to dominate.
Mike, my point was when you have a QB you win games with you keep them and pay them. The entire league operates like that.
That’s fine, just protect your team and the franchise if he gets hurt or never gets to that next level. He stayed healthy one season, but hasn’t won a game at the end of the season. Do it wisely so you don’t cripple the team if/when he gets hurt.
It’s always about the agent. He’s going to use all the top level play Tua has done. These contracts are so crazy.
Tim – I think the team has a fair amount of leverage too. Tua likes the warm weather, he has to love playing for MM who built this offense for him. You think he wants to go to another team and learn a different offense and start all over?
No I think they’ll get a deal done. Think it happens in June.
I think so too, and I think it will be good for both sides
If we don’t re-sign him it will create a controversy all season that the team doesn’t believe in him and that’s not a good thing.
Tim – I think it would be worse than that. It would seem like the FO doesn’t care about keeping their own. That sentiment is already stirring due to letting Wilkins and Hunt go
if we kept Wilkins and Hunt, we probably wouldn’t be able to keep any of the free agents coming up
Exactly
Mike E, we let Wilkins and Hunt go in order to re-sign Tua.
Tim Knight
says:
May 17, 2024 at 5:48 pm
From the last blog. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a QB more scrutinized than Tua. Every time he over comes one thing they have another thing to try a discredit him. I find it really bizarre and annoying.
————
^^^
I’ve never seen anything like the criticism Tua has faced
100% agreed, my kind porcine friend.
It really is unprecedented. Lead the league or rank high in many categories but replace him with a rookie. WTF is going on?
Y’all are funny. I remember just a couple of months ago you were all saying we were going to give Tua his extension so we can keep Wilkins and Hunt. Now it’s we let Wilkins and Hunt go to sign Tua. You seem to have a firm handle on exactly what we’re doing. 😂
They got break the bank deals and nobody saw that coming.
Mike E, that’s what Albert Breer was saying today on the Rich Eisen Show… not me.
Tua has come out WAY hotter than Tannehill, and the media didn’t scrutinize Tanny anywhere NEAR the level they’ve scrutinized Tua.
Who here is saying replace Tua with a rookie? If it were my team, I’d play Tua on his 5th year contract and find out what he’s made of, but that’s me.
IF Tua kills it this season as he’s poised to, we’re going to have to make him the first QB paid over $70M/per. That wouldn’t be wise, especially after the Jared Goff contract.
The longer we wait, the higher the $$$. It’s economics 101.
All those Penix rumors. It never ends.
Tim – honestly, I hate when you keep saying “break the bank deals”. They were a couple of the top players we let get to free agency. Everyone in that situation is going to get top money. Grier knew that was going to happen, and if he didn’t he’s not good at his job.
I didn’t think either player was going to get anywhere near what they got by a total of about $70M.
You could read the article I wrote right before Free Agency started, the one with the guy falling down the stairs. I said Wilkins was going to get a big contract because the Chiefs signed Chris Jones and the Ravens signed Madubuike . It was crystal clear Wilkins was going to get big money. I thought Hunt would get paid too, but not that much. The important thing is Grier had to realize the fact that he let them get to free agency, and that they were as good as gone because of that. We signed outside players with big contracts, and THAT made us unable to keep our own.
M – that’s the thing. I’d rather have Tua kill it this season and then pay him $70M per than pay him $55M or more right now.
Sleepy time. Goodnight fellas, check back tomorrow for your replies and answer them then.
Have a great night, my guy! It’s never disrespect between you and I when talking about Tua.
#Respect
Of course, I don’t mean to come off disrespectful at all, sorry if I do
When I use the hashtag #Respect, it means that I respect you! I want that to be conveyed properly.
Panthers have eliminated the Bruins .. woot woot
weeeeee
Once, again, a south Florida team has upset a favored Boston area team!! – – DOUBLE WOOT WOOT.
Last year the mighty Bruins set NHL records for most games won and most points in a season. But, when it came to the playoffs, the Panthers stunned the heavily favored Bruins in GAME 7!!!!
YES, beating a Boston area team always tastes good.
Only ONE THING tastes better—BEATING A NEW YORK AREA TEAM!!!
And the Panthers will get a chance TO DO JUST THAT when they take on the New York Rangers starting this Sunday.
I predicted that this year’s Stanley Cup Finals would result in BIG CHANGES IN THE NHL POWER STRUCTURE. NONE WOULD BE BIGGER than the Panthers winning their first ever STANLEY CUP against the long shot Vancouver Canucks (NOT the Oilers) in the Stanley Cup Finals!!
GOOO-O-O Panthers!!
Go Panthers!
Wilkins 4 years $75M and Hunt 4 years $60M is what I thought would be their markets.
I was thinking 4/84 on Wilkins and about the same as you on Hunt.
GREAT to be beck on the blog.
Spent 3 days last weekend in a local hospital. Seems as though some of my old time injuries are coming back to pay me another unwanted visit. But, thanks to the wonders of modern medicine, I’m confident all will be well and I’ll soon be my old, Crusty, self again!!
OH how I’d love to see my beloved Dolphins win JUST ONE MORE SUPER BOWL!!
Tua and Tannehill have a lot in common, they both played very consistent throughout the game, but weren’t great closers, while guys like Herbert were all over the place looking unbeatable at times then unwinnable other times
When things are flowing Tua also looks great, he just doesn’t have enough adlib in his game yet, he’ll for sure be better with it thus year just because he won’t be locked into 2 players
Jonnu and OBJ will give Tua what he’s been missing
Take OBJ, if Tua starts forcing the ball into a covered Hill or Waddle he’s going to get a Marinoesque yelling
The only reason you don’t pay Tua now is, because of his injury history, which is what is holding up the contract, team wants bonuses to lesson their risk
^
Holy cow Mike E!
Fantastic write up! Kudos and thank you sir!
As far as Tua…it’s pretty simple. Show up in a big spot for once. That’s all it will take. The team needs someone to show up and in this league now it falls on the QB to be that guy.
It seems to me that everyone forgot what he did in the 4th quarter against the Ravens a couple of seasons ago. That’s not average.
Or this year against LAC, Buffalo early season 2022, AZ against a hot Kyler Murray…
TIM, I HAVEN’T FORGOTTEN his 4 TD Passes in the 4th quarter at Baltimore. NOR HAVE I FORGOTTEN his victory over the Bills the following week!!! – – TO BE FAIR TO TUA, I’d like to see what he could do IF we had a top-10 rated Offensive Line. But with Steve Ross & his boy, young Mr. Grier, calling the shots, THERE’S NO CHANCE TUA WILL EVER BE THROWING FOR A TOP 10 O-LINE UNLESS HE GOES TO ANOTHER FRANCHISE!!
Thanks ER!
https://phinphanatic.com/posts/nfl-hoping-dolphins-rival-can-save-primetime-viewership-joke-01hxysfxz7vg
What this means to us is the jets will get every call in the book each Sunday
I actually think the team was a little tired of Wilkins’s exaggerated antics. His production was less than his exuberance. He was not a McDaniel draft pick, and neither was Hunt who might not have been a perfect fit for our offense. I think the FO decided it was better to not do a long term expensive deal with a RG who never made a ProBowl and was not that agile or quick.
I think some fans over rate the value of these two players, but the Coaches who saw them close up did not.
Regarding your comments on Wilkins, isn’t that blasphemy coming from you. lol
if the team was tired of Wilkins
im tired of the team
I loved the dude
to me this was all about the business of football and nothing more
im okay with the decision – but I won’t say a bad word about Wilkins
one day when im dead, Wilkins can pee on my grave and I will look down with a smile. He is awesome
@AdamSchefter
Chiefs offensive linemen Wanya Morris and Chukwuebuka Godrick were arrested Thursday night in Johnson County, Kansas, on misdemeanor possession of marijuana.
Chiefs PR dept must be putting in a lot of overtime This off-season
I always new it was hard to 3-peat, but I didn’t expect so May self inflicted wounds
This was from my article “Early in the Process, Dolphins look poised to take a step back, or two, or three . . . “
“Despite what some of our fans think here, Christian Wilkins is probably going to go Day 1 of Free Agency. It will happen even faster if the first domino falls, DT Chris Jones re-signs with the Chiefs. Some team is going to throw a boatload of cash at Christian Wilkins, and unless it’s us, he’s gone.”
I knew he was gone when the Giants paid the other Clemson DL what they did.
Dexter Lawrence
Tim – No one forgot that Tua beat the Ravens in a comeback victory in September of ’22. That was a great game, but it was in September with the Ravens missing their entire secondary. The larger issue is that you have to go back to the fall of ’22 to find that. Wouldn’t it be nice if he could do that in December when we’re fighting for playoff seeding? There’s no such signature game, he was either injured and missed the games, or he was there and played poorly. Now before you say it, because you always do, you’ll say half the defense was injured and you’d be right, but the offense was mostly intact, a few boo boos here and there, but if you can isolate Tua’s play, it wasn’t good, or even average. Not one December game with the Division Crown on the line did he play well enough to even give us a chance. That’s why I’d take that gamble on not giving him $55-60M now and let him have his great season where we win playoff games and then pay him $70+M per, because I don’t think he can do it, or at the very least, nothing he’s done leads me to believe he will.
Now I see how it works, why didn’t you explain the rules from the begining😮
with the Ravens missing their entire secondary.
Does the truth bother you? That’s how it was. There are no Rules, but again, point me to his signature big win in December?
I skimmed down the current roster.
Wow there’s a lot of new names on there.
They also left off Malik Washington.
I also noticed a LB I missed us signing in FA … Cam Brown.
is he a backup ILB and thus competition for
Anthony Walker and Channing Tindall?
is he any good?
6’5 234 5th year pro out of Penn State signed off the Giants … noted for speed hit tackles down the middle on Special Teams … something we really need
Thank you, Mike E. Your efforts are so appreciated!
YW Krishna, thanks!
Stanger….Krishna (+?)
Just caught up with the blog and reached out to my sister for a count this weekend.
Just one, Stanger
Me
You is all we need my friend. Ignore the “(+?) on the list I just put out.
If these guys all breakout we’re winning at least a playoff game and fix our 3 most glaring needs
https://www.si.com/nfl/dolphins/news/dolphins-breakout-candidates-for-2024-01hy3j9sa30e
2 gamed that were not big time situations. That’s it? Show up when your back is against the wall, when you’re needed most
This can be for the entire team! Just always small in big moments
”the article with the guy falling down the stairs”- my favorite pic on here ever! 😂
LOL! That was a gem! Bizarre how I found it, and I was so happy how it worked out, the orange and teal books, it was crazy!
IDK, hard to beat someone falling up the stairs 🤪
Now the fast food industry in CA wants a $30 min wage
Everything the govt touches turns to shit, stay out of business and let the market dictate wages and most everything else
They’ll regulate the hell out of everything, then let cancer Dr’s regulate themselves, follow the money
It’s a complete lack of understanding economics. Now all these other industries are pushing for a higher minimum wage, and why wouldn’t they? Wait, why are fast food workers special? What about janitors? Grocery store workers? Airport personnel? Gas station attendants?
Let’s give everyone a $30 minimum wage then when you are paying $19.99 for a pack of gum and another $19.99 for your fries, you can look around and wonder why you still can’t live even on $30/hr.
We make good money, not great money, but we live relatively easy because we know how to budget and make our money work for us. We also plan ahead. And in 15 years when I retire and the house I bought for 149k that is currently worth 450k will be worth 750k or a cool million by then, we’ll sell it, move out of state with our nice retirement portfolio, including a hugely overinflated pension from Sacramento County and continue living the good life in a place with a lower COL. I love CA for how it has set me up.
The hoi polloi want to keep jacking up the COL, I say go for it. When entry level industries raise their minimum wage, skilled workers wages inevitably goes up too, that ultimately increases my wage and makes my retirement that much sweeter.
I spent $132 the other day on four 2″ thick ribeye steaks. It was a little over 6 lbs of steak total- $132. I came home and my wife and I just laughed in disbelief.
I think I’m confused?
Do we want to re-sign our players, or no?
The 2 players everyone seems to have heartburn over decided they wanted to wait until FA to sign a contract.
The player everyone wants to wait and sign his contract after the season “may” decide to do that as well?
Then will it be the front offices fault for waiting to long again?
Will we be a franchise that “doesn’t care about it’s players we drafted”?
My biggest concern is we didn’t replace either player that we lost this year in the draft, and if we keep fucking around we will have more Prime Draft Picks to replace!
You only have 1 or 2 top picks!!!!!!!
I agree with MikeE. on the concerns with Tua, but I think we need to resign him sooner than later. Hopefully next couple weeks in June.
Same thing will happen as it happened with Wilkins. We didn’t meet what his camp wanted early on and let him wait the season out. The price went way up and couldn’t afford to match it or even get close.
So many teams still need a good QB. If we get in to the middle of the season and still haven’t resigned Tua, I think his camp will then want to wait until FA hits. His price will go WAY up like it did with Wilkins.
Mike has mentioned franchises that consistently win numerous times, as the way to run an NFL franchise Ravens, Steelers, Packers
What do they have in common? They don’t traditionally pay high priced FAs, from their team or around the league, except home grown QBs
Funny how that changes, when the Fins follow this model
You have to draft well and have good coaching. Is that something Fins do well?
Oh and nice write up Mike E
Thanks Wyo! I’d sign Tua, but we need to protect ourselves with him, just in case he gets hurt or doesn’t get to the next level
^
Everyone feels that way, except Tua and his agent, that’s what’s holding up the contract
Steve – Did the Ravens not just lock up Justin Madubuike with a big contract? I wasn’t there when Wilkins and Grier and Co had their negotiations, but Grier had to know when Wilkins asked for say $23M per season that if he played as well or better the next season he was going to get much more in FA. They both took their chances and Wilkins won. It could be a $10-15M per year risk with Tua if they don’t get a contract done if he plays well, or if he gets hurt or plays poorly, we would have the leverage.
wondering if we improved our team over last year’s roster
First the obvious
TE … HUUUGE upgrade to Jonnu from … nobody,
as we did not have a player in that position last year … no seam threat YAC TE1
plus kept the steady Smythe and added a third developmental kid to compete with Hill and Connor
RB?
niiiiice upgrade from UDFA mid Ahmed
to lightning fast Wright with young legs
and can pass pro
and kept other 4 as well …
thing is, McDaniel can call all the Achane
home run plays with Wright in that spot
and not lose a thing plus keep Achane
fresher and not getting so beat up
We essentially traded Wilkins for Jaylen Wright.
how do you figure that?
We got a 3rd RD Compensation pick for Wilkins, so we were able to trade our regular 3rd RD pick for Jaylen Wright
Nevermind all the cap savings we used to sign other players, this year and in the future
WR?
OBJ >>>>>> Ced Wilson …
kept Ezukanma Berrios and Cracraft,
who should all be better this year,
kept the 3 PS guys plus added another fast one,
and grabbed the Washington twins with 2 steals in the draft.
Malik could be good for us for years and gives us protection
if OBJ gets hurt again.
That’s 3 for 3 improved position groups.
Nobody cares, we lost Hunt and Wilkins we’re doomed
Jonnu OBJ and Wright are ALL better than Hunt.
TE WR and RB are ALL more important than RG.
I was being sarcastic
Mike E … I like that thinking, but we haven’t gotten the comp pick yet.
on the other hand, I disagree with those saying we “traded up” to get Wright. We didn’t.
We simply used a future pick this year. It was not added to another pick or player in trade, nor did it reduce our number of picks this year, and future picks are downgraded in value one round usually, and we used it as a 4th, so that’s a wash, and Wright was in “steal” range at 120 on every board I saw, and is a perfect fit, so I think it was a great way to upgrade that room with no additional cost.
I agree – I didn’t say trade up, I just said traded, but you’re right, a 3rd RD pick next season is a 4th this season
I’d say we improved at LB, starting S, Edge at the end of the season, when the schedule gets tough with Chubb and Phillips back and the rookies with some experience, CB too X hasn’t been good the last 2 seasons, but I say the glass is half full, so…
CB … hmm
I’m going to call that a wash,
although I actually think both
Ramsey and Cam Smith will benefit from
the change in DC.
We’ll miss X,
but he definitely has lost a step,
and Fuller is no slouch.
So … ummm … let’s say CB will be
no worse than last year.
Outside of X making a big play here or there at crucial times, which hasn’t happened in a while, he was getting below standard in coverage
K, P, LS … same guys
but all on the hot seat,
and they know it;
they’ll have to improve, so maybe they will.
another wash
Really LS on the hot seat?
I’d say the rule change for kickoff will benefit us, as most have been sayjng
We haven’t had a good ST tackler who also
gets there to down the punts since Mack Hollins left.
Maybe Cam Brown is that guy,
and maybe Siran Neal is an upgrade at Gunner.
Again, the HC has called out the STC,
so maybe we quit getting kicks blocked
and giving up long punt returns.
We better.
The new KO rules baffle me as far as their effect,
but wow do we ever have the speed to take advantage
if the result is more runbacks.
I’m gonna call this a cautious upgrade.
Unless we F up and allow KO TDs.
The rule makes it so that it’s a big disadvantage to kick it into the EZ, so for sure there will be more returns
once the kicking group’s salaries get too high,
they can be replaced.
I am still pissed we lost Fields that way,
as well as Carpenter and even Denny.
Steve – Imagine if we don’t sign Tua to a huge contract . . . We could sign like 3 different QB’s, and lots of other players too! JKJBBLOL
Sounds like you’d rather date 3 – 3s, instead of one 10 🤓
FEST — Oct 27 (1 PM) against the Cardinals.
Was no reason to put up a poll this year cause that was the only possible game. We’ve got our seat draft next Tuesday, May 21st at 11:00AM.
Need to get a rough head count before then. And remember even if you say yes now you can back out when the final payment is due. Add your name to the list.
—————-
Mike E — +2 (or maybe more)
Steve — (maybe +2)
Son (+7)
Ken
Doggy +2
Toba +1 (pending surgery date)
Birthday girl
Top +1
Kong
Top +1
M13
Phish
Boulder
Stanger
Krishna (+?)
No plus this year, Stanger,
Got Ya….. but won’t put out the whole list again to correct.
Thank you…
Also, you have Top +1 listed twice….
Thank you — with corrections needed have made an reposted. I need to make a list these days when need to do 2 or 3 things. 🙂
FEST — Oct 27 (1 PM) against the Cardinals.
Was no reason to put up a poll this year cause that was the only possible game. We’ve got our seat draft next Tuesday, May 21st at 11:00AM.
Need to get a rough head count before then. And remember even if you say yes now you can back out when the final payment is due. Add your name to the list.
—————-
Mike E — +2 (or maybe more)
Steve — (maybe +2)
Son (+7)
Ken
Doggy +2
Toba +1 (pending surgery date)
Birthday girl
Kong
Top +1
M13
Phish
Boulder
Stanger
Krishna
Steve – Did the Ravens not just lock up Justin Madubuike with a big contract?
—————-
Steelers did it with TJ Watt, 4 year , $112,011,000 contract, Cameron Heyward and Minkah FF also who are their 3 highest paid players.
Packers also did it with CB Jaire Alexander 4 year , $84,000,000 and signed safety Xavier McKinney from the Giants who will make 17.6, 19.1 and 22.6 mil from 2025 though 2027.
In general that’s been their philosophy for ever it seems, sure once in a while they’ll resign their own
True, especially GB
I think we resign Tua to 55 to 60 mil, BUT there will be bonuses that will affect that similar to what Cousins and Josh Allen got. Atlanta can cut ties with Cousins after 2 years and have only a small dead cap hit the last 2 years if they decide then to go with their rookie they drafted. Allen’s contract was a big one and even more team friendly than the one Cousins got until they restructured it this year.
I think Tua’s camp realizes the grass is not greener. Especially with the weapons this team has compared to others.
I am not worries about it or what he is going to get. I think it will be fair to both sides.
Tua also knows his injury history, his agent doesn’t give a fuck, so he has a risk in losing a big contract, if he gets hurt before signing
Fully guaranteed money and how the bonuses are structured are what’s holding it up
Yep, I still think he shows up for OTA’s. We will see Monday.
Also, this BS about Tua not participating in off season activities is just that, bullshit.
They haven’t even had their first OTA yet. Tua’s been training with beck trying to improve certain aspects of his game.
Hell, X was under contract and never showed up until the mandatory OTA. Except last year because it was a new defense.
X wasn’t throwing to new receivers, but I agree it’s not even OTAs yet
@OmarKelly
Waddle and Phillips are locked up for 2 years, at least. This is Tua and Holland’s last season under contract. One has to be signed so one can be tagged. Simple match. Tua is more expensive and has proven more. Holland has talent but hasn’t proven he’s worthy of elite pay.
————————–
I agree on Holland. He’s great but elite??? That is what he is going to want to be paid I’m afraid.
Sign Tua and tag Holland maybe. The projected tag for safety next year is Franchise – $18,781,000 or Transition – $15,042,000. They could also put a RFA tender on him.
RFA tender to get a higher draft pick than a comp pick if lost in FA.
OBJ on MM:
“We sat down for hours and we were just talking football. It just got me excited thinking about it. He pulled up my film compared to what they’re doing here and just kind of married the things. I’ve seen an opportunity, and I think time will tell at the end that this was the right decision.”
https://www.thephinsider.com/2024/5/18/24159715/cpach-mike-mcdaniel-redefined-what-it-means-to-play-for-the-miami-dolphins
Just do your job OBJ and we should be a nightmare to stop for opposing defenses.
Yes sir, I think the 2000 yard season talk for Tyreek this year will be smoke screen. Hope they talk it up but I see OBJ at WR3 being the #1 target on quite a few plays each game. There will be packages for him and Jannu, something we didn’t have the best personnel for the last 2 years. We thought we did in Barrios but not so much.
Throw in our triple headed monster at RB, no way Tyeek gets 2000 yards. I say, most likely, he won’t reach last years total which will be a good thing.
Agreed. I’d almost let teams sleep on Tyreek by spreading it around and then boom. We added two very good options in OBJ and Jonnu that we didn’t have last year. Our depth is now better at WR and TE.
and RB
Yep we are stacked at skill positions.
https://x.com/i/status/1791620679424508274
good role model for the young-uns
https://x.com/i/status/1791117448806089091
Didn’t realize MM called it on this play.
Damn WP! One day I can post twitters the next day not. WTF
You must have rolled snake eyes. That happened to me on Thursday. Fingers crossed I hit a 7 or 11 today 🤞🤞
Quite a few sites are picking the Texans to win the AFC. They are really good on both sides of the ball right now.
Lots of teams have good talent. It’s the battle of attrition.
I can see that, I can also see them 3rd in their division
Stanger,
great to see you in charge just like before.
Just so you won’t be wondering
since they’ve got you cramped for time this year,
I won’t be able to join the Mob for all the great times
at Dave and Busters and all.
That date’s just a few days before my birthday,
so there are other plans.
Go Dolphins.
You’ll be missed Naples, but not every date can be good for all unfortuantely.
Most sites with post season predictions have the post season seeding at #1 Texans, #2 Chiefs, #3 Ravens, #4 Dolphins. I did see one site having the Dolphins at 9-8 and missing the playoffs.
I think it might have been SI. F them anyway, they’ve ruined the SI swimsuit additions.
I’ve been pleasantly surprised seeing how many people are picking us. I figured the Jest would be the favorites in most minds, but that hasn’t been the case.
Wyoming, thanks for sending the rain. You can have it back now. Drought is way over now.
Forgot we should also get a 7th round comp pick for losing Elliott in addition to the two 3rd round comp picks. That would give us 10 picks next draft (1,2,3,3,4,6,6,7,7,7).
BBM happy! Tim rolling eyes not so happy. lol
😂 Didn’t we trade a 3rd to move up into the 4th for Wright? How do we still have two 3rds?
Hunt comp pick
Let’s see how my luck is?
https://x.com/dolphinscheer/status/1791933066446803097
No pic’s for you!
Figured I’d watch some UFL today .. Vince Papale (from movie Invincible) his son is a wr/kr Memphis Showboats…. Kewl
https://x.com/KingOfPhinland/status/1791900959104209198
Didn’t we trade a 3rd to move up into the 4th for Wright? How do we still have two 3rds?
——————-
3rd round comps for Wilkins and Hunt. Wilkins is an all but guaranteed 3rd round comp and as long as Hunt plays more than 79% of snaps he will also get us a 3rd round comp. Deshon Elliott will get us a 7th. The other players we lost like AVG, Brandon Jones, WR Wilson etc., their comps were washed out by our FA additions.
Tim, I screwed up. It’s even better next year. I got 5th and 6th round flip flopped. Seven picks in first 5 rounds. That’s mock draft heaven. LOL
1st
2nd
3rd comp (Wilkins)
3rd comp (Hunt)
4th
5th from Denver in Chubb trade
5th
7th from Bears in Claypool trade
7th
7th comp (Elliott)
Hoping Denver sucks. That fifth could be in the late 130’s to early 140’s after the 3rd and 4th round comps are given out.
This is what helps fill out the roster when one year deals end.
Usyk for the win
I think the OL and interior DL are the biggest questions for us. Not that there is no talent, but it hasn’t been defined yet and durability is a big deal.
I like our Edge and backend defense potential. Our skill positions on offense are top notch. Once again durability.
MM talking up Tua to OBJ….
https://phinphanatic.com/posts/watch-odell-beckham-jr-talk-up-playing-with-tua-tagovailoa-this-season-01hy5wz9v92e
Next March, when OBJ gets a 4 yr 60m deal from the Raiders skill position O players will be lined up to sign a 1 yr contract with us and Mike will go crazy🤣
We need a Washington to pan out. 😉
And you had to know it was coming. None of the mock sites have prospective comp picks entered so I traded future picks to get picks in the spots we are likely to have our comp picks.
PICK: 29 RND: 1 Malaki STARKS S Georgia
PICK: 61 RND: 2 Donovan JACKSON OG Ohio State
PICK: 98 RND: 3 Jamaree CALDWELL DL Oregon
PICK: 99 RND: 3 Jordan HANCOCK CB Ohio State
PICK: 125 RND: 4 Tre HARRIS WR Mississippi
PICK: 140 RND: 5 Bryce FOSTER C Texas A&M
PICK: 157 RND: 5 Caden PRIESKORN TE Mississippi
PICK: 201 RND: 7 Rylie MILLS DL Notre Dame
PICK: 221 RND: 7 Wyatt MILUM OT West Virginia
PICK: 224 RND: 7 Dorian STRONG CB Virginia Tech
I used the draftbuzz site. They have us picking #29 which means they must be predicting us to lose in the AFC Championship game.
How many WRs do we keep and who?
This is 2025 draft after this season so OBJ and Barrios will be gone. Tyreek will be gone after 2025. Need to replace Hill on the boundary. Malik will have the slot most likely. I would rather replace Hill with a WR who has been in the system a year than a rookie.
After my 1st three picks, I was able to go into more of a BPA mode.
You didn’t mention Waddle.
He will be resigned I’m sure.
Tim Knight
says:
May 18, 2024 at 8:30 pm
I think the OL and interior DL are the biggest questions for us. Not that there is no talent, but it hasn’t been defined yet and durability is a big deal.
I like our Edge and backend defense potential. Our skill positions on offense are top notch. Once again durability.
————
I concur, 100%, Tim.
Not much to talk about during these football doldrums for me until June 2nd, when X’s $$$ becomes readily available.
PLEASE, give us either Emmanuel Ogbah or Calais Campbell (I’m not picky), and if he’s back to health, Connor Williams.
My gut is growling… methinks Chris Grier swings for the fences and signs Justin Simmons as a splash for our 3-look Safeties: Simmons, Poyer, and Holland.
aDo we ho for it again by signing Simmons and Campbell or do we use the X money so that we don’t put ourselves in as bad cap he’ll next year?
How much are we allowed to carry over? I don’t remember.
Also need extra cash to replace injured players who may go to IR.
I think you need to spend at least 89% of the cap each year
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10121662-dolphins-rumors-tua-tagovailoa-got-at-least-1-contract-offer-amid-holdout-in-otas
of course he did. They act like this is big news, and then say things like “he rejected the Dolphins offer”. Who takes the first offer ?
^
I would offer Tua $50M per, with a $5M bonus for every playoff win and $10M bonus for a Super Bowl win
the 6 game stretch at the end of the season is brutal
but the thing is, I think a couple of team that make up 3 of those games are overhyped
I think, as usual, the jets are way overrated – they were not an Aaron Rogers away from being a competitive team last year. That offense was straight 💩 last season
I also think the Texans might take a step back this year
those Green Bay and Cleveland games look like losses to me
SF is a great team but west coast trips to the east coast are never easy
We’ll definitely be battle tested come playoff time
I don’t know what the nfl is thinking scheduling both the Green Bay and Cleveland games at 8pm
I hope they at least flex one of those games to an earlier game
Piggy – I don’t think the Jets are overrated. They should be much more competitive this season. They made big changes on the O-line, added LT Tyron Smith and LG John Simpson to go with RG Alijah Vera-Tucker and RT Morgan Moses. WR Garrett Wilson will have a legit QB throwing to him and getting WR Mike Williams will open up more opportunities for Wilson. Breece Hall is a very solid RB, we’ll see about about Abanikanda. You can’t compare them to last year’s squad.
how many games collectively did the guys you mention actually play in 2023?
I’ve never in my life seen so much excitement over a RB who hasn’t broken 1000 yards in his first 2 years – what has Breece Hall actually done in the nfl to warrant the hype he gets
I think garret Wilson is a good wr – but I think he’s just a top 10 receiver is this league – not elite, not even close to it
the jests are classic ny jets overhype – they really aren’t very good. That offense without Rogers, was the worst offense I’ve seen in a long time
sorry, but the likelihood that they do a 180 just bc they get their 40 year old QB back is very far fetched to me – Rogers isn’t even focused on football. Going to nyc was always a PR move for him
Robert Saleh is a good defensive coach – but by mid season I bet the jets are talking about firing him. He hasn’t made the postseason and he is in the dreaded year 3
expect a big wake up to reality from the jests this year
Breece Hall averaged just about 6 yards per carry his rookie season, then he got hurt. He was the only threat in that offense last season so he was kept in check last year. He was also coming off an injury. I think he’s a very good back. I haven’t seen much Jets hype out there. I think they could be in the race for the division, we’ll see.
wise pig 🐷
No thoughts on my Tua offer? I’d also have opt out and injury clauses that protect us in case he turns back into a pumpkin
Fest is looking like a solid 30
We’re gonna need a bigger boat
Here is to swimming with bow legged women
Not as solid as in years past cause of the short decision window, but coming together right quick. Chef Warren and I got our annual dance over in just 24 hours. So tailgate is set,
Land speed record
Yep — and we sure didn’t take the short course.
FEST — Oct 27 (1 PM) against the Cardinals.
Was no reason to put up a poll this year cause that was the only possible game. We’ve got our seat draft next Tuesday, May 21st at 11:00AM.
Need to get a rough head count before then. And remember even if you say yes now you can back out when the final payment is due. Add your name to the list.
—————-
Mike E — +2 (or maybe more)
Steve — (maybe +2)
Son (+7)
Ken
Doggy +2
Toba +1 (pending surgery date)
Birthday girl
Kong
Top +1
M13
Phish
Boulder
Stanger
Krishna
Chef warren (+1)
says:
May 19, 2024 at 3:04 pm (Edit)
FEST — Oct 27 (1 PM) against the Cardinals.
Was no reason to put up a poll this year cause that was the only possible game. We’ve got our seat draft next Tuesday, May 21st at 11:00AM.
Need to get a rough head count before then. And remember even if you say yes now you can back out when the final payment is due. Add your name to the list.
—————-
Mike E — +2 (or maybe more)
Steve — (maybe +2)
Son (+7)
Ken
Doggy +2
Toba +1 (pending surgery date)
Kong
Top +1
M13
Phish
Boulder
Stanger
Krishna
Chef warren (+1)
Birthday girl (+2)
who’s coming with the B-day girl?
My sister and her boyfriend. He’s something of a Dolphins fan. Not to our level. But then again, who is? 😂
Mike E + 2, final answer
Gotta warn you guys that getting the feeling we will be getting end zone seats this time around. Only group available seats other than that are in the goal line sections like we had the last two years. That used to be worst available but now it is best.
As long as we get that breeze we got last year, don’t matter to me
The breeze was a gift from god. Wouldn’t count on it.
Will it be in the shade? 😅😎
Goal line section high are great seats
LOL — just said think we will be end zone. I’ll try.
Herd, I think the last row of the building is in the shade anywhere in the stadium
Yep — on the 8th day Steve Ross created shade in the nose bleeds. 🙂