If you’re old enough to know to who is in the picture above, you’re old enough to have experienced some good Miami Dolphins teams. Not necessarily Super Bowl Champs, but the Dolphins were legit contenders. Chris Grier and Mike McDaniel are assembling a group of pretenders. I’ll give them one bit of credit here, they haven’t yet restructured the contracts of QB Tua Tagovailoa or WR Tyreek Hill, so they have shown some restraint, at least so far. I’m going to go over every player we signed and understandably with little money to play with, we got players who don’t earn big contracts. Translation of that is we got players that if they were starters, they weren’t good ones, but in many cases, we got part time starters, and now in some cases, we might be relying on them to be more. I’m going to touch on the biggest head scratcher as far as I’m concerned.
QB Zach Wilson – 6’2 214 – 25 YO – 1YR/$6M
QB Tua Tagovailoa if he plays to win, and not just to get through a game, or the season, is going to get injured. Last season, Grier and McDaniel should have got fired for the most absurd way they handled the backup QB situation, considering we have a “Crystal Chandelier” for a QB. Grier and Mike McDaniel felt completely comfortable with 3rd year QB Skylar Thompson, who had 2 game starts under his belt in 2 seasons. Now granted, they see players in camp, and see the way they play and we don’t, but they had to realize that the 2023 season for Tua Tagovailoa was the fluke, the outlier, and that he was likely going to miss time with injuries. Here’s the thing, if they saw something in Zach Wilson that they liked, give him a 2 or 3 year deal so you can have an opportunity to develop whatever it is you think you saw, but a 1 year contract makes zero sense. If we were truly looking for a QB who can step in win, surely it’s not Zach Wilson who didn’t play a damn snap last season and was the THIRD STRING QB BEHIND JARRET STIDHAM!!! It’s not the money either here, because we paid Wilson $6M this season, but why??? If it was investment in a player we wanted to develop, then as I said, sign him to a 2 or 3 year contract, but if you really think he’s the best candidate to keep this team afloat when Tua gets hurt, YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS! QB’s Marcus Mariota, Case Keenum, Joe Flacco, Carson Wentz, all would have been better choices, especially if it was just one season we were looking for.
OG James Daniels – 6’4 327 – 27 YO – 3YR/$24M
I really like James Daniels, nice solid starter. Potential problem though is he’s coming off of a major injury he incurred last season for the Steelers, September 30th. Granted, it’s been some time now, and we saw freak athlete Jaelan Phillips come back quickly from his achilles, but in the trenches, all you do is push off and use your legs, every single play, so will James Daniels be up to starting immediately and handle the majority of the snaps? Time will tell. Love the player, don’t like the circumstances for our particular situation, where we need him to be great now.
LB Tyrel Dodson – 6’0 237 – 26 YO – 2 YR/$8.25M
Dodson played very well for our Dolphins last season coming over mid season after being released by the Seattle Seahawks. He had 3 INT’s for us in 9 games, which is more than our entire secondary. He fits nicely inside next to Jordyn Brooks, and this is one signing I was quite pleased with. The money was good, and for a change, it wasn’t a one year contract. This is what I keep stressing to you folks though, this team is put together with spit and gum. So many one year contracts, just so we can pay WR Tyreek Hill, DB Jalen Ramsey, and QB Tua Tagovailoa. Hate to say it, but that core isn’t going to win you anything!
WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine – 6’2 211 – 28 YO – 2 YR/$6.5M
Once again, I like the signing, and yes, I’m happy it’s a 2 year deal. We need a bigger bodied WR to balance out the the lack of size in our WR corps, (Hill 5’10 190), (Waddle 5’10 185), (Malik Washington 5’9 181), and (Tahj Washington 5’10 174). Of course TE Jonnu Smith played a lot like a WR, but you’d have to think Jonnu is going to get a lot more attention this season, so having another big will help. Westbrook-Ikhine averaged a heady 15.5 YPR last season on 32 catches for 497 yards and an impressive 9 TD’s. More than 1/4 of his receptions ended up in the end zone.
S Ifeatu Melifonwu – 6’3 210 – 26 YO – 1 YR/$3M
This one is likely a depth signing. Melifonwu started only 3 games last season, and 14 starts in his 4 year career with the Lions. He began as a CB, but shifted to safety in his second season. I suppose he could be depth at both spots, considering how tenuous both positions are for this team are right now. I would absolutely expect an early draft pick used on a safety, but hopefully not our first. Again, a 1 year contract on a team riddled with them. Nothing like needing 25-35 new people on your team every season.
OT Larry Borom – 6’5 333 – 26 YO – 1YR/$2.5M
Hopefully this is another depth signing. In 4 seasons with the Chicago Bears, Borom started 26, including just 4 last season. He doesn’t look like starting material, but every team needs depth players, and boy have we dipped into that pool on the O-line heavily the last few seasons. LT Terron Armstead’s return is still up in the air, and even if he comes back, I strongly hope LT Patrick Paul is the starting LT all season long and he plays like a competent starting NFL LT. Austin Jackson is hopefully the bookend for Paul, and Borom is just his backup.
S Ashtyn Davis – 6’1 202 – 28 YO – 1YR/$2.5M
Davis has been another part time starter in his 5 year career with the New York Jets. He somehow has 8 INT’s in 22 starts, so he’s around the football. I think he may given an opportunity to compete for a starting safety position, especially considering that the only other safeties on the roster are S Patrick McMorris who hasn’t started a game, and our other safety signing, Ifeatu Melifonwu. I wouldn’t be surprised if we draft 2 safeties in ’25. Guess what? Another 1 year signing. We have 11 picks in this draft, it seems like better hit on close to half of them if we ant to have a decent start for 2026.K.J. Britt
LB K.J. Britt – 6’0 235 – 25 YO – (Salary not yet published, probably $2M or less, 1 year deal)
K.J. Britt played 14 games and started 11 for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He’s probably also a depth signing, and replaces Anthony Walker Jr. who played for us last season, and oddly enough will be suiting up for the Tampa Bay Bucs. As of this writing, his salary and contract length were not known.
RB Alexander Mattison – 5’11 220 – 26 YO – (Salary not yet published)
Nice signing, Mattison brings a little size to the RB room, and mostly a depth RB. Mattison has never eclipsed 500 yards in a season. He was behind RB Zamir White last season in Vegas, and before that, split time with as the lead back with Cam Akers in Minnesota in ’23, and as the backup to RB Dalvin Cook previous to that. With the departure of RB Raheem Mostert and also Jeff Wilson Jr., Mattison fits in nicely with Achane and Wright. I’d expect us to pick up a few RB’s after the draft as UDFA’s, and possibly draft one as well.
Besides the signings listed, the Dolphins re-signed a few players such as S/CB Elijah Campbell, OLB Quinton Bell, OT Jackson Carman and WR D’Wayne Eskridge. We also re-signed OL Liam Eichenberg, who was a big surprise, to me at least. Versatile, in that he plays nearly every position, but you just hope he doesn’t have to play any of them. I like his willingness to play through pain and his sacrifice of his body, but despite his numerous starts (52), you figured he couldn’t wait to play somewhere else. With the exception of Eskridge, no player re-signed was even $2M, so all minimal expenditures, and yes, you guessed it, one year deals. That’s the norm here, just find a bunch of players that fit into the salary cap, and take it from there. The draft is always important, but this draft for GM Chris Grier is really in the spotlight.
The draft is always important, but this draft for GM Chris Grier is really in the spotlight. This roster has some monstrous holes to fill. Are we going to rely on either of the safeties we signed, Melifonwu and Davis or do we need to find 2 starters there? We must find not just a starting LG, but a good one. We’ve been dealing with subpar OG play which at the very least gives some excuses to the Tua apologists. We need an OG to step in day one and provide better than average protection for QB Tua Tagovailoa, but also open up inside running lanes for RBs De’Von Achane, Jaylen Wright and Alexander Mattison. In addition, they have to knock back opposing defenses off their feet to allow this team to convert short yardage downs, especially 3rd and 4th down attempts, where this team has struggled miserably recently.
To continue with the importance of this draft, we almost certainly have to find a starting CB. Are we really going to trot CB Cam Smith or Storm Duck or Kader Kohou out there opposite Jalen Ramsey? I think not, and our secondary was abysmal last season with Kendall Fuller and his concussions, and the combo of Cam Smith, Kohou and Duck, along with safeties Jordan Poyer and the recently departed Jevon Holland. We need to improve the secondary significantly, Jalen Ramsey and Kader Kohou both had 2 INT’s, and that was it! We don’t know whether LT Terron Armstead is coming back, and in my opinion, even if he does, we need to have Patrick Paul starting games at LT as long as he’s healthy.Chiefs who has played in 40 games over 6 seasons but started zero, and Neil Farrel who was played in 19 games over 6 seasons and started zero. Not so sure Calais Campbell is coming back to save Chris Grier this season, so we must find a NT and a DE/DT that can start immediately. When I say this roster is empty, of course I’m exaggerating, but this article illustrates (hopefully) how desperate things are. Finding a better than average OG, at the least starting CB and possibly 2 safeties, and then more daunting, finding a starting nose tackle and DE/DT all in the draft, and then potentially after the draft after vets are cut and you pick up the scraps. That’s become the team “building” strategy for one Chris Grier, and I for one can’t stand it.
Last year we had 7 picks, and I’d say Chop Robinson looks like a potentially successful one. LT Patrick Paul less so, especially considering they’re still looking at bringing back Terron Armstead. If they knew Paul had the goods, that wouldn’t be the case. Jaylen Wright will probably get a lot more action this season, but he was scarcely used last season for whatever reason. WR Malik Washington looks like a potentially decent WR in the slot, and his proved his mettle as a return man. DE/OLB Mo Kamara and Patrick McMorris are question marks. In ’23, Ugh! Cam Smith still can’t find the field, Achane is great, Elijah Higgins and Ryan Hayes are gone. ’22 no better, although I believe we re-signed DE Cameron Goode, but he has played quite sparingly, and Channing Tindall, Skylar Thompson and WR Erik Ezukanma not good. We do have 10 picks, 7 of them in the top 155. While quantity is OK, I feel like this particular draft, if we’re going to be competitive this season needs quality over quantity. I feel like we have to find get a handful of quality starters. I don’t think we need to trade up, but I’m kind of against trading back. I’m 100% dead against using ANY future draft capital to get players for this season. They’ve shown restraint not touching Tua’s or Tyreeks’s contracts for restructures and I hope they continue to be responsible in this upcoming draft.
GO DOLPHINS!!!
Finsmob Unleashed 
We signed TE Pharaoh Brown.
Mike, Ryan Hayes is listed on our roster.
OK, does it matter?
I was looking at our roster recently and saw he was there and then just reacted to what you said. Does it matter, probably not.
One of the compensatory picks has been removed, it was issued to the Dolphins in error. (7th round)
Yes, we have 10 picks
I just saw that.
Just curious if anyone feels differently, and likes what Grier is doing here and has done here. If anyone likes the way the roster is shaping up and why
I have to see the compete picture before I judge
The 2 things I wanted to accomplish this offseason are:
I would like to hear from someone who feels to the contrary, that Grier is building a good roster, and that this 2025 team is shaping up nicely and we’re ready to compete for an AFC East title. If you do feel that way, please explain why and give some examples, don’t just say you’re optimistic 😛
MikeE,
I’ve always looked at a GM in two ways. Are they good talent evaluators? And, are they good contract negotiators? How much does a GM truly rely on his scouting dept to make decisions on guys and simply handles the business end of things? Or, are they good at evaluating talent but suck at the business side of things?
To me, I think Grier is a very average talent evaluator and a below average contract negotiator and team builder. There are nuances to everything but that’s about as plain as I see it. I barely give a crap about the financial side of things so others would know better than me on that score.
I never care about the financial side until it hurts the team, and it’s hurting the team. We’re not signing all these 1 year contracts and cheap ones because we’re trying to save money, we don’t have the cap space, and that’s because we’re paying Tua, Hill and Ramsey big bucks. I’d get rid of all of them and build a team the right way, I swear I would.
Mike, we’re doing what I thought we would do in FA. This FA class is not loaded with superior talent, most of it is 2nd and 3rd tier. You see it with the 3, 2 and 1 year deals. We’ve added some competition and depth to fill out the roster. I like the Daniels and Mattison signings and what we did at LB and Safety. We knew we weren’t going to target the most expensive players. The draft will be very important to try and land special talent.
agreed. We also don’t have much money, so there’s only so much we can do.
I heard we want to bring Campbell back, but other teams have interest in him as well.
We all know the Zach Wilson story. That signing didn’t excite me. However he was drafted by the team where QBs go to die. So for me he is a wait and see situation. A former #2 pick and he’s only 25.
I understand the thought of he’s young, but why him, and why only a 1 year contract? If you think you can do something with him, give him a 3 year contract. I just don’t think he’s the best option to win games this season if he’s needed. Do you disagree?
They’re giving him an opportunity to revive his career, why would you sign him for 3 years? If he does well maybe he is given an opportunity to start somewhere else or as a more invested backup moving forward.
Piggy – So far, we got James Daniels and Alexander Mattison. We need more to help out that running game. We also need James Daniels to be ready to play like a stud at the start of the season, no Liam Eichenberg while Daniels is recovering or something like that. We need to draft a plug and play OG who can play better than average. Agree?
I think we’re going to draft OL and possibly sign someone after June 1st.
Pharaoh Brown is known for being a nasty blocker at TE. Maybe we are making the shift towards wanting to be a strong running team.
Tim – How are they giving him a chance to revive his career? If Tua’s healthy, is he going to play? He didn’t play a snap last season besides preseason football. He now has to learn his 3rd offense in 3 years and all of a sudden he’s going to be great now? If he is, I’d rather have him for at least another season and dump Tua so fast he’d have another concussion because if Wilson plays well, then you have to ante up a lot more money to keep him here. Follow?
It’s not about starting but continuing to develop and learn without the turmoil of NYC Jets nonsense. Just play football without the noise. He’s a young dude. We’ve seen it before.
I get that, but is he really the best to guy to step in and win now? To me it’s baffling. If it was some kind of development plan, like they liked his skillset and though they could make something out of him, then a 1 year contract makes no sense.
I watched Mattison for a handful of years in MN. He can bring energy sometimes, but he’s not much of an add. Another RB never hurts, but that’s all he is.
I think Zach Wilson is just a “what the hell” signing. It’s not like they could do worse than we had, and if he somehow finds a way to shine…good for the team. I’m not sure how he’s gonna shine if he doesn’t play but who cares? Lol
We all care because he’s getting $6M, and there are other QB’s we could have paid that or less that are way more ready to play well now and help the team.
We’re taking a risk reward approach with him for sure.
The best response is we shall see. Opinions don’t really matter because people defy the critics all the time.
Zach Wilson is a poor man’s Tannehill, but without the heart of a fighter. If he hadn’t signed with KC, I would have signed Bailey Zappe.
For some good news:
According to the Bills‘ GM Brandon Beane, two new players on the team will be unable to play due to PED suspensions, with the players in question being DE Michael Hoecht and DT Larry Ogunjobi who have been with the franchise for less than a week.
Both face 6 game suspensions.
I guess what I’m saying is – Saying he’s young but on a one year contract doesn’t mean a thing. We don’t need young, we need a winner. We got a loser.
@RapSheet
Returning home: #Rams WR Cooper Kupp is expected to sign with the #Seahawks, per The Insiders. He’s likely to make $15M per year or more. Sam Darnold gets a new weapon, while the Yakima, WA native & Eastern Washington product lands 2 hours from where he played HS football.
I found another potential late round/UDFA ZBS Guard/Center (he played both last season): Addison West, Western Michigan, 6’2″, 300 pounds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxraFq2Xyi0
Sobering…read this at the wrong time..
lmao
Thank you, Mike E.! Spot on, imo…lol
👍
Mike, if you lose your starting QB, your season is likely over. If the backup can step up and not lose the game, or stay competitive for a couple of games sure. If the backup has to play a string of games down the stretch your season is likely done.
Last season was GM malpractice. Picking up guys off the street to start for a few weeks. It was a disgrace. You’d think they’d be mindful of this and bring in the best backup QB they could, not a young player who failed miserably in his first job, couldn’t even be the backup in his 2nd.
I never saw ‘it’ in Zach Wilson… felt he was severely over-drafted out of BYU to begin with. Know what this reminds me of? That time Chris Grier thought we could fix Josh Rosen for a 2nd round pick.
No, we didn’t give up any picks this time, being Wilson was a FA. If anybody can fix him, yeah, Coach McD is probably the one. However, I don’t see the potential in Wilson to warrant $6M for a year.
As far as QBs go, McD has only been able to help one: Tua. And if we’re being perfectly honest, Tua is one of the best QBs drafted in the last decade… if not two decades.
McD isn’t going to have that level of success with Wilson.
If we’re going to keep living in the past so be it.
The past is their track record, I’m not living in it, the franchise is. We have no money so we sign a bunch of one year deals for fringe starters. I’m just telling you all how much I hate it
Mike E.
says:
March 14, 2025 at 2:18 pm
Just curious if anyone feels differently, and likes what Grier is doing here and has done here. If anyone likes the way the roster is shaping up and why
———-
Definitely too early to tell, man. I will say, though… I’m not happy with the Zach Wilson signing and the Liam Eichenberg re-signing.
I AM happy with most of the other signings and re-signings to date. Gotta get a vet CB before the Draft, IMO!
I’ve GOT to say it again: this is a Draft where it would be most ideal to execute a trade down… unless a STUD that meshes with need is there for us @ R1P13.
IF we cannot find a vet CB to start opposite Ramsey before the Draft, I’ve GOT to take Will Johnson if he’s still available.
If we can even garner another 3rd rounder via a trade down, we can absolutely have the ability to kill this Draft, in terms of addressing needs with STUDS.
Why do we need another 3rd rounder? That’s the key to the season?
For me it’s about the front seven on defense and the running game. We’ll make big plays and score some points. Can we win those tough grudge matches?
Again, if we cannot land a legit starting CB opposite Ramsey via FA, we’re almost going to be forced to take a day 1 starting CB via the Draft.
If that’s the case, we’ll be needing, via the Draft: CB, LG, DT, S, and possibly TE… in no particular order but for CB first.
Don’t know about anybody else, but I do NOT trust any current CB on our roster to be a legit starter opposite Ramsey (boundary CB).
A simple trade down could quell ALL of that. JMO
Premier CBs cost a boatload of $$$, being they are now one of the most important positions in all of football… it’s a passing-league under Emperor Goodell and all of his rule changes.
That’s why — like the QB and WR positions — ya want a STUD CB on a rookie contract. Just look at how much Ramsey costs us, for example.
So if we’re forced to go CB in the 1st round (either Johnson or Barron will be there for us as potential day 1 starters), we’re not going to be able to address the O-Line and D-Line as early as we’d like.
Who on our (current) roster is going to be a lockdown CB, opposite Ramsey? The answer is NOBODY.
Until CB is filled via FA (and it’s getting late now!), we’re going to be forced to address CB before being able to draft any other position. AND… we all know Chris Grier loves to address the CB room… understandably so, I might add. Too bad he whiffed on Iggy.
This is the rationale to NOT trade down, mind you.
The rationale to trade down can only (IMO) come into play if we adequately address the CB position via FA.
Who knows… perhaps Anthony Weaver thinks he can turn Cam Smith or Storm Duck into a STUD opposite Ramsey after all. I highly DOUBT as much(!), but we’ll see.
Just so ya know I’m not talking in circles… ADDRESS CB OPPOSITE RAMSEY, and then there’s so much more we can do!
I do think we’ll draft a corner within the first four rounds. Don’t sleep on Storm Duck. He flashed as a rookie UDFA.
I agree here as well
Good write as usghe Mike E
I will say I HATE the Wilson signing .. pretty sure could have found better cheaper , then added another OL with the saved $.. there were a few that were not overly pricey that could have been improvements .. they built the financial mess we are in , but at least they are spending at the right positions.. I will also say I do not under the Eskeridge signing .. if Washington sucked at kr , maybe , but I don’t see him as a need .. Westbrook-Ikhine I am happy with .. as stated he’s a big body , young and has some flash to him .. in conclusion, they are doing an okay job with the hand they dealt themselves …
Ps Love Johnny Mac
SAME!
I caught Johnny at the end of his career, but always loved the way he handled biz, LOL. Shortly after his retirement, I became a fan of Ivan Lendl.
Then once my balls dropped, I fell in love with Gabby Sabatini. Then Jennifer Capriati. And then obviously, Anna Kournikova!
I watched Johnny and conners go at it in their heyday , Conners wife Patti McGuire was a playmate of the year .. 2nd most beautiful woman in my opinion behind Lady Di .. I still enjoy watching tennis on tv ..
I met him on a plane when I was around eight. He was really nice. Talked to me and my brothers for a minute and signed an autograph for all of us on paper napkins.
There goes Becton
Los Angeles Chargers
big ticket to LA we’ve signed G Mekhi Becton
I wasn’t high on bringing him in, and we couldn’t afford him anyway . He had one good year on a Super Bowl winning team playing on a great OL that probably elevated his play. He’s also got a lengthy injury history.
Luke Kandra OG Cincinnati
Height: 6 – 4 |Weight: 319 lbs |RAS: N/A
Luke Kandra transferred from Louisville to Cincinnati after two seasons. He is an above-average athlete who gets off the ball quickly and moves well in space. He is also a physical offensive lineman who plays with a high motor in the run game. Kandra is a disciplined player that has unbelievably been penalized just twice in his entire college career. He had elite pass-blocking production this past season with zero sacks and eight pressures allowed on 447 snaps. Kandra does have stiff hips which impacts his overall pad level. He is a strong anchor in pass pro and can hold up to bigger and more physical edge rushers. In the run game, Kandra is an impressive second-level blocker.
Luke Kandra Right Guard Highlights
I’ve drafted him a ton (after trades) in mock drafts
My Draft Picks
20.
Armand MembouOT Missouri
48.
Walter NolenDT Ole Miss
68.
Andrew MukubaS Texas
73.
Mason TaylorTE LSU
98.
Bradyn SwinsonEDGE LSU
115.
Cameron SkatteboRB Arizona State
135.
Howard Cross IIIDT Notre Dame
226.
Kobe KingLB Penn State
233.
Cody LindenbergLB Minnesota
252.
Shilo SandersS Colorado
Like it!!
Wyoming, I have been mocking Luke Kandra to us for months now. Not so much recently. He is solid and a good 5th round prospect. Played mostly RG but sure he can play anywhere on the IOL.
After watching Ryder’s breakdown, I really like the Pharaoh Brown signing.
A definite upgrade over Smythe and Hill.
Add Warren at 13 and we have the best TE tandem in the NFL
We might see more 12 personnel with him. Brown, Jonnu, Hill and Waddle and whoever at RB.
Brian, I have no problem taking Warren at #13. He along with Brock Bowers are going to be the next generation of top TEs.
he’d be our tush push QB
https://x.com/MF13SS/status/1901001730180923670
Back from Africa, couldn’t log in from my phone, checking from PC
Able to post again
Welcome back, Steve! Hope ya had a great time!
it was amazing, Cape Town at the end was a picturesque place for sure, between the penguins and southernmost point (Cape Point) and Cape of Good Hope
Very cool!
Wilson flashes from time to time, if he can get rid of the bone headed plays he’ll be serviceable
He’s got enough talent to win, which can’t be said about last year’s mess
Who’s Wilson?
Zach Wilson, I presume.
yes
Ahhh okay 😂
I think it’s because I’m 50-50 about Wilson that I’m not even thinking about him because I feel other positions are more important. He’s totally a wait and see.
@JamesRapien
Ja’Marr Chase + Tee Higgins. Done Deal. The Bengals are finalizing long-term extensions with both star wide receivers.
steveccnv
says:
March 15, 2025 at 4:19 pm
it was amazing, Cape Town at the end was a picturesque place for sure, between the penguins and southernmost point (Cape Point) and Cape of Good Hope
———–
Did you get on the water, I wonder? Very dangerous waters with very aggressive great white sharks.
only in Seychelles, snorkeling and at the beach
saw a 6′ nurse shark snorkeling on the reef, was with 10 feet
lots of seals in South Africa at one port
great white food
Indeed… great white shark food! It’s one of the most dangerous places on Earth to humans: Seal Island.
like the Daniel’s pick and Ikhine, the 2 safeties have promised, likely we’ll have to add another
Britt, Mattison and Brown bring an element we desperately need and seem to be tough guys
Britt ha.mer LB, Brown good blocking TE, Mattison good short yardage back
most we’ve signed seem to be tougher than fast
@TomPelissero
Veteran WR JuJu Smith-Schuster is re-signing with the #Chiefs on a one-year deal, per source.
@MikeClayNFL
Updated 2025 NFL Unit Grades
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Still need Safety help. Give me Xavier Watts in the Draft!
And as one can see, we certainly need more help on Defense than on Offense. That’s why most of my mock drafts are heavy on the Defensive side of the ball.
We just need to build that wall (O-Line)!!!
Steve, we need to continue the physicality throughout the draft. We have plenty of speed, even Mattison plays fast. We need to impose our will more often. I like that the team agrees with most of us.
^
It’s my personal belief that we’re probably one more starting Guard away from replicating our Offensive output from ’22-’23. If we can run the ball, then we can pass the ball (no more 2 deep Safeties to throw against).
My preference would be a ZBS-fit, 320+ Guard.
As such, do NOT sleep on Kelvin Banks or Wyatt Milim (both projected to possibly move inside to Guard).
Wyatt Milim is quite possibly the most slept-on ZBS O-Lineman in the ’25 NFL Draft… at least in terms of pundits and draftniks. I think he goes far earlier than most anticipate.
He’d be an incredible piece of our O-Line if we moved him inside to Guard with his lack of arm length.
*Milum
Milum was considered a top 20 pick all last season. He only dropped when they measured his arm length.
Correct… and an ideal candidate to become a Guard in the NFL.
@AdamSchefter
Money matters: entering today and since Monday, NFL teams now have signed players to $4.88 billion in player compensation, including $2.19B guaranteed at signing.
The $4.88B includes “likely to be earned” comp, not the max value for incentives that are not deemed likely.
You guys notice how our o-line always gets worse from the first year of a HC to their last? They never start with a baseline and then improve as time goes on.
Very interesting — and factual — observation, SB7. I never thought about that, but you are 100% correct.
Interesting
How could we have a 6 when Tua is just the shizzle?
You know why, as well as I do: health (concussions). And that’s exactly why we wanted a PROVEN backup QB to Tua. Zach Wilson is a reclamation project.
I know it’s more than just concussions or hips, but it doesn’t matter anymore. After this season we should be done with the Tua era of Miami Dolphins
You really do have Tua on your shit list, don’t ya? Maybe if we had adequately protected him before he even got his first NFL concussion, things would be different today.
I took Jake Long over Matt Ryan for that very purpose: if you can’t protect your young QB, he’s going to end up with DCS* (David Carr Syndrome).
Nevertheless, Tua is one of the best QBs to have been drafted over the past 2 decades.
I seriously do not understand the hatred of Tua. Had the 49ers drafted him, he’d probably be the highest paid QB in the NFL by now… and without concussions. Why? Because they actually focus on their O-Line to protect their QB.
M – Tua’s not on my shit list, I just don’t think he’s as good as you do. I do, however, hate being saddled with his contract, and McDaniels misplaced adoration for him
I get that… I do. But I can’t blame Tua for the contract, agreed upon by both sides. It is what it is.
QB’s get hit all the time. I can’t for the life of me understand why you blame the O-line. How many more times a game do you think Josh Allen gets hit? It’s how you take the hit. When Tua ran into Hamlin it was the O-line’s fault?
I’m right there with ya on Tua running head-on to Hamlin… BAD IDEA. That was absolutely on Tua, trying to prove something.
The one thing I can credit Tua with is, is being the best QB we’ve had since Marino. On closer examination of the list of QB’s we’ve had isn’t exactly a tremendous accomplishment, maybe a bit more than a participation trophy. I think Tua had more talent to work with on the roster than Tannehill had and Tannehill proved he can win a playoff game elsewhere
Here’s a thought: How about you take $10-15M less a year so the team can pay guys to protect you? I just always laugh when people act like there’s some rule or something that says these QBs have to get every damn dime they can get. As if they wouldn’t still be very well paid at half the cost. Greed. Ok. The result of that greed is you get hit more. So, who’s to blame?
Right the fuck on Randy!
I don’t blame the OL for Tua’s injuries. The issue with the OL is that they can’t block the play in big spots against good teams. Most of Tua’s injuries are on him.
28. Tyleik Williams DT Ohio State
48. Jonah Savaiinaea OT Arizona
60. Darius Alexander DT Toledo
98. Dorian Strong CB Virginia Tech
102. Savion Williams WR TCU
116. Quincy Riley CB Louisville
135. Malachi Moore S Alabama
150. J.J. Pegues DT Ole Miss
155. Luke Kandra OG Cincinnati
196. Jalin Conyers TE Texas Tech
224. Phil Mafah RB Clemson
231. Trevor Etienne RB Georgia
253. Jackson Woodard LB UNLV
Why are you guys always trading down?
because it’s fun!
😂
if Chad Pennington could have stayed healthy he could have been in consideration for the top of that shitty list of Dolphins QB’s
M13,
Tua’s first NFL concussion was a cheap shot , late shove by Matt Milano
his second was the next Thursday night where he had the chance to either run the ball (and hopefully slide), or throw the ball away. Instead, he inexplicably doubled back and got slammed by the DE.
Yep against the Bengals. It was a really bad decision on his part. Really bad.
We’re probably going to sign some more FAs on the cheap before the draft. Remember there is also a signing period in June. We’ll see what the 53 looks like in September. We’ll be competitive, how good not sure yet. 🤔
I don’t think we can afford most of those guys post 6/1, if you are thinking about the players designated post 6/1 cuts. They were cut because of their high cap hit and will be too costly for the Dolphins to sign.
Outside of a prospect that is too good to pass on; DL, OL, CB and TE should be our focus.
agreed
I still don’t think we are done at safety
and at 13 it might be our best shot to get an impact player
13.
Will JohnsonCB Michigan
48.
Jonah SavaiinaeaOT Arizona
98.
Terrance FergusonTE Oregon
116.
Billy BowmanS Oklahoma
135.
Danny StutsmanLB Oklahoma
150.
CJ WestDT Indiana
155.
Ty RobinsonDT Nebraska
224.
Maxen HookS Toledo
231.
Vernon BroughtonDT Texas
253.
Trevor EtienneRB Georgia
Nice, but I think we need to draft a stud DT much earlier. That is the one position next to LG we need earlier, IMO.
Broughton is an interesting guy to develop. I think he could up like Hand as a good backup in a couple years. I think he would be a steal in the 7th.
I don’t think we’re done at safety either. Neither of the players we picked up have been regular starters. Do you think Anthony Weaver has magic powers? lol
David Furones
@DavidFurones_
·
In
@davehydesports
’ column today, he calls Dolphins GM Chris Grier the Liam Eichenberg of general managers
OUCH!!
I don’t see “competitive” when I look at our roster. D-line has 1 starter, we have no starting caliber safeties, we have one starting CB. We have a good RB corps, a good WR corps. On the O-line we have 3 starters, one of them coming back from an achilles tear. At LT we have a 2nd year player who started 3 games, and we don’t really know about him, or the Terron Armstead talk would have ceased. We have a QB who can’t stay healthy and struggles against better teams, and a backup with a 12-21 record who was a 3rd string QB on a roster with Bo Nix and Jarrett Stidham. I think the Jets and the Patriots might just pass us by this season
Patriots for sure. Vrabel is stacking his defense through FA. They have picks 4, 38, 69 and 77 to start out the draft with. They are going to scoop up some really good players in the draft.
My guess is they go CB Travis Hunter, CB Will Johnson or OT Kelvin Banks at #4.
49ers trade Jordan Mason to Vikings
The exodus out of San Francisco continues. As NFL Media reports, the 49ers are trading running back Jordan Mason to the Minnesota Vikings. As part of the deal, the Vikings are signing Mason to a two-year deal worth over $7 million fully guaranteed.
—–
It’s crazy what the 49er’s have done to their roster. It’s like they are doing a huge reset. Mason was a good RB for them starting in place of CM.
They’re one year ahead of us! Some know when to cut bait, some don’t!
Titans release Chidobe Awuzie
The Tennessee Titans have released cornerback Chidobe Awuzie, according to ESPN. The former second-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys was limited to eight games during the 2024 season due to injury. In that time, he totaled 26 tackles and one interception.
Anyone else think we should extend Phillips now while his asking price should be low to where we could lower his cap hit this year?
Chubb at 31mil next year is gone for sure.
We could try to extend him at this time, but no agent worth their salt will allow him to take a deal like that.
Yeah, agent would rather him ball out this year and hit free agency.
Tua wasn’t fully recovered from his hip injury when we started him behind the worst o-line he’s had versus the best D-line at the time in St. Louis and the first play they called for him was some long bomb pass. He’s been mishandled from the start. That’s also not to say that the o-line is responsible for his concussions or his injuries, but not having an o-line has definitely kept this team from being more successful.
I’ve said since the beginning that Tua wasn’t elite and that he didn’t need to be. He just needed to be the guy until we could upgrade (ie from Alex Smith to Mahomes). The problem has been that we never built a team around Tua to be able to lead. Strong teams also help the backup when our starter goes down. We shouldn’t be saddled with losing nearly game that Tua is out. At the very least we should have a .500 record with a backup.
They tried to build an offensive line, they failed. They did give Tua plenty of talent to throw the ball to though. You think Mahomes wouldn’t take Hill and Waddle over Marquez Valdez-Scantling, Skyy Moore and Justin Watson?
Doesn’t matter who he can throw to if he doesn’t have the time to throw it and we can’t run the ball when we need or want to.
It’s also crazy that the Pats loaded up on defense in free agency, have their roster up to 72 players and still have an available top 51 cap space of over 94 million.
They have less than the 94 million, but only contracts waiting to hit are OLB Harold Landry, OT Morgan Moses, OLB K’Lavon Chaisson, S Marcus Epps and S Jaylinn Hawkins.
Grier and MM are on the hot seat. I also think Grier is under orders to not waste future money, which he hasn’t yet (just a few million on Chubb).
If they don’t get it done this year, the Dolphins will blow it up next year and they can easily do it.
They can have easily 100 million in 2026 cap space. 1. By releasing or trading Tyreek pre 6/1. Though with Tyreek’s base salary, it will be hard to find a trade partner. 2. Post 6/1 release Chubb. 3. Pre 6/1 trade Ramsey.
MikeE, I know you hate Tua’s contract, but he is actually tradable next year if a team feels he is worth the 39 million base salary. A 2026 pre 6/1 trade of Tua would clear another 11 million in cap. He would have to do well and stay healthy this year, but if he does why trade him when you have 100 million in cap to play with already.
Of course, you would have to subtract the rookie deals given this year from that 100 million.
BTW, the 2026 draft class for QB looks rather promising with Arch Manning, Nico Iamaleava, Drew Allar, Garrett Nussmeier, Cade Klubnik, Sam Leavitt and some others.
You trade him for the same reason we should have let him play on his 5th year option. He can’t stay on the field, and he hasn’t proved he could step up his game and beat a team when we need a big win
Mike – Jaelan Phillips? Unless we get a really sweet cheap deal, why would you want him back? He never stays healthy and is part of the red cross pass rush defense we have in place with him and Chubb. I also kind of get the feeling that one more injury could send this kid to retirement. It’s brutal having to rehab from those 2 major injuries. You never know what goes through a person’s mind, but think about. He has another season ending injury, does he definitely come back from it?
SB – Please stop this perpetuated myth bullshit that Tua only has 2 seconds or less to throw the ball. It’s an artificial time clock. He chooses to do this out of self preservation and is coached to do this because he’s a (Italian word) “Fragile” (Frajeel). Most QB’s in the NFL don’t really get more time maybe with the exception of a handful or less. Have you ever watched a Washington Commanders game? That MFer was under more duress than any NFL QB, but it’s how you handle it. He extended plays countless times, found receivers or made teams pay with his legs. I expect better from you SB, I really do . . .
nice write Mike. I think Pennington was better QB than Tannehill and one of the better QBs we’ve had since Marino.
Way too small a sample for Penny, but I really liked him. He only played 20 games here, not even 2 seasons, so he can’t really be part of the conversation. Without the “Wildcat”, Penny probably wouldn’t have taken us that far to be fair.
Tim Knight
says:
March 15, 2025 at 11:37 pm
Outside of a prospect that is too good to pass on; DL, OL, CB and TE should be our focus.
——–
And Safety… don’t forget Safety. What we currently have in-house isn’t going to be nearly good enough.
Malaki Starks, Xavier Watts, and Andrew Mukuba would all be stellar draft picks for us… though I’m not interested in taking a Safety in round 1 (Starks). Watts in the 2nd or Mukuba in the 3rd.
And if we trade down just a bit from R1P13, we have the chance to fill 4 of those 5 needs before day 2 of the Draft ends.
Dammit, I should have addressed CB before I addressed TE. There’s really no need to draft a TE early, hence my doubling-down on the CB position (too) late…
28.
Walter NolenDT Ole Miss
48.
Wyatt MilumOG West Virginia
60.
Andrew MukubaS Texas
98.
Elijah ArroyoTE Miami (FL)
102.
Savion WilliamsWR TCU
135.
J.J. PeguesDT Ole Miss
150.
Tyler ShoughQB Louisville
155.
Jabbar MuhammadCB Oregon
224.
Jermari HarrisCB Iowa
231.
Jalen TravisOT Iowa State
253.
Phil MafahRB Clemson
2026 DET 2nd
lol Mike. I see you’re in your blind hatred phase of the Dolphins coaching cycle. I’ll leave you to it.
I would REALLY, REALLY like to sign a legit CB to start opposite Jalen Ramsey. That would cross one more HUGE need off the board for us come Draft day.
And like I’ve been saying, if we don’t do that, we can’t rely on a rook to come on in save the day unless his name is Will Johnson or maybe Jahdae Barron. Why? Because it generally takes 3 to 4 years to get a rook CB up to snuff. But if ya draft an ELITE CB (see Sauce Gardner), you can get an impact CB from the jump.
And to reiterate, NO. I do NOT have trust in Cam Smith or Storm Duck to be that guy opposite Ramsey this season. I think that would be a gigantic gamble, at best.
Yet… if we DO go that route… we’d better have an elite Safety back there to help. Thus, SAFETY becomes an absolute priority in the Draft… but that’s regardless, IMO.
Quite seriously, we have no business drafting a TE until day 3 of the Draft. JMO, as always.
Get us either Jackson Hawes or Jalin Conyers as a TE.
^^^ If we miss on those 2, I would throw in Dippre as a possibility.
Dippre at 256 ran a 4.69 and has some athleticism, former dual threat QB.
C’mon SB, don’t do that. You really think Tua is the only QB who faces unworldly pressure? I can’t believe for a second that you believe that. Our O-line has been average to below average. For it to be average, that means at least half the teams out there are in the same boat. The guy can’t take a hit, you know it, we all know it. He gets rid of the ball early to minimize the risk, or nearly eliminate the risk of getting hit. When he goes off script, he increases the risk of getting injured, and when he gets hit, he most likely gets injured.
You shouldn’t believe it because I never said it. I didn’t even come close. My point is that Grier can’t build a team, and sure can’t build an oline.
Dude is a beast, 32 reps on bench.
BBM,
Tell me what you think of Wyatt Milum, Bro. I believe his T-Rex arms are going to see him moving inside to Guard at the NFL level. He’s one of the best ZBS blockers in this Draft and he’s not getting enough attention (that’s good, though!).
He’s a great run-blocker and a very good pass-protecter. And if/when he gains a few more pounds (313… and he has the frame to do as much), he’ll meet my personal criteria of having another 320-pounder on our O-Line.
My only concern is his 6’7″ height. Wish he was more like 6’4″ with a lower center of gravity.
Duh, you just said ZBS. lol
I am not an OL guy, so I rely on what I read and watch. I think he may be a little overrated as far as some of the simulators go. His arms aren’t just short, but he is also short on athleticism, in my combine influenced opinion. LOL
That said he overcomes it in some way as he grades really high in pass pro and run blocking. Not sure what kind of scheme WV ran as far as run game.
I really just don’t know about him, so I have not mocked him to us very often.
3 sites rank him as a 2nd round pick, 6 sites have him as a 3rd round pick (PFF late 3rd) and last one (ESPN) has him as a late 5th.
Dolphins agree to terms with P Ryan Stonehouse
He has a booming leg but was inconsistent from what I read.
Haven’t seen any details on his contract, but Dolphins clear almost 2 million in cap if they cut Bailey.
I don’t think Stonehouse comes cheap, though I could be wrong.
Stonehouse not only set the NFL record with a 53.1-yard average in 2022, he matched it the following season before his average dropped to 50.6 — that’s tied for 11th-highest average in NFL history.
Maybe Rock be happy now! 😉
Rock may have even mocked Stonehouse to us when he did that kind of thing a few years ago.
Tim No Trade Down Mock Draft
13. Will Campbell OT LSU
48. Walter Nolen DT Ole Miss
98. Savion Williams WR TCU
116. Quincy Riley CB Louisville
135. Jamaree Caldwell DT Oregon
150. Luke Kandra OG Cincinnati
155. J.J. Pegues DT Ole Miss
224. Maxen Hook S Toledo
231. Trevor Etienne RB Georgia
253. C.J. Dippre TE Alabama
I took a RB similar to Achane and Wright since we have Matteson and JJ Pegues as short yardage RB’s.
LOL! Yessir, JJ Pegues can run the ball like William Perry once had!
That also reminds me that we’d sometimes bring Christian Wilkins in as a FB.
The more and more I think about it, I realize that I should NOT overthink it! If Kelvin Banks is there for us (provided we addressed a legit CB opposite Ramsey in FA), just take him.
At which point… good luck defending against our running game with Achane and Wright… and good luck defending against our passing game with ‘Reek, Da’ Penguin, Jonnu, and company.
There will be NO MORE 2 deep Safeties, being they cannot stop our running game.
Same with Campbell.
Agreed, but I think Campbell is certainly going top-10. We’ll see!
SB – I’ll never say anything contrary to that. Grier sucks! Signing Tua to that contract was one of his biggest fuckups though
TBH, we could be lucky if any of Campbell, Banks or Membou are there at #13. Teams picking before and after Dolphins who have a “need” at OL (their top 2 needs per CBS Sports):
#3 Giants – QB, IOL, OT
#4 Patriots – OT, IOL (Vrabel likes to be tough in the trenches)
#7 Jets – OT, WR
#11 49er’s – IOL, DL
#12 Cowboys – IOL, WR
#13 Dolphins – DL, CB
Basically 2 teams needing an OT. The others may wait to 2nd round to take IOL.
Texans at #25 (top 2 needs – OT, IOL) have huge holes on their OL. They may look to trade up.
Let the QB reach begin. 🤣
We can’t go from playoffs two years in a row to missing them two years in a row. That’s not progress. Grier and McDaniel need to put a good football team into the mix.
Grier is going to have to have the best draft of his career for that to happen. He’s been drafting here for 10 years and there are only 4 players on the roster that have been here 5 years or more that were drafted here. 2 of them are ST’s, K Jason Sanders and LS Blake Ferguson, the other 2 are T Austin Jackson and QB Tua Tagovailoa. That’s just awful, really awful. Look around other NFL rosters, I doubt you’ll find a smaller percentage elsewhere, and you’ll also find more players between 5 and 10 years elsewhere.
Dolphins apparently have made an offer to DE/OLB Emmanuel Ogbah. He’s yet to accept that offer. Find a winner bro, don’t come here!
bailbondmike
says:
March 16, 2025 at 7:21 pm
Maybe Rock be happy now!
Rock may have even mocked Stonehouse to us when he did that kind of thing a few years ago.
BBM, A punter will not make me happy with this team. LOL
Arm length is the biggest BS red herring crap that exists in OL evaluation.
Thanks Randy, I wasn’t really sure.
Defenses are getting so fast and athletic that pocket passing is becoming a thing of the past. Unless you’re like Philly and have a great OL, your QB better be able to move and scramble effectively…not just to avoid a sack. QBs now have to scramble and still make the throw or get a big gain with their legs. Tua isn’t asked to do anything every other QB is asked to do.
This reads better to me because I didn’t write it. I hate the denial of Tua getting rid of the ball in 2.0 seconds or less.
false
Texans, Derek Stingley Jr. agree on three-year, $90 million deal to make him league’s highest-paid DB
My last mock I mentioned getting another RB like Achane and Wright since we signed Mattison. Dolphins may be looking at RB in the draft the same way.
Apparently, Dolphins are high on a very under the radar RB and would probably use a 7th on him otherwise he was considered am UDFA. He didn’t catch a lot of passed in college so the Dolphins scouts ran him through a ton of passing drills at his pro day.
Michigan State’s RB Nathan Carter, 5’9, 200 pounds ran a 4.37 at his pro day.
Per PFN, “Carter projects as a productive starting RB in a zone-based offense. With his combination of run strength, great burst, and sudden cutting ability, Carter is at his best on zone concepts.”
I think I still like Trevor Etienne more. On tape, Etienne seems to have more burst/acceleration. That said, Etienne is climbing a little and probably goes before the 7th.
Believe it or not, I saw something that the Dolphins may be interested in bringing back RB Jeff Wilson Jr
Yuk, say it isn’t so
@flasportsbuzz
New Dolphins cornerback Artie Burns, the former Cane, has appeared in 90 games with 39 starts.. In last 2 years in Seattle, he had 14 games, 1 start in 2023 and 4 games (0 starts) in 2024… 4 career INTs
Not excited, but again proof Grier is under orders to not mortgage the future on the much better players still available in free agency, especially at CB.
Yet again, another year the Dolphins biggest need is in the trenches.
https://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/excuse_my_trench/s1_17098_41915695
I wonder how Tyreek feels about the Dolphins not getting his “dogs”.
Not that I really care how he feels. I just think he may become an issue during the season if things aren’t going well.
Not crazy about it after the 1st pick. Seems they turned a blind eye to what they have done so far in FA and neglected the fact our top need is DT and didn’t address CB at all. They didn’t need to double down at OL that early but I don’t hate it, especially with who they got. I didn’t see a need to double down at Safety that early or take a RB before the 7th. I would have gone DT at #98.
New 7 round mock draft from PNF
Round 1, Pick #13: Kelvin Banks, OT, Texas
Round 2, Pick #48: Jonah Savaiinaea, G, Arizona
Round 3, Pick #98: Jaylen Reed, S, Penn State
Round 4, Pick #116: Ty Robinson, DT, Nebraska
Round 4, Pick #135: Billy Bowman, S, Oklahoma
Round 5, Pick #150: Jeffrey Bassa, LB, Oregon
Round 5, Pick #155: Jaydon Blue, RB, Texas
Round 7, Pick #224: Zeek Biggers, DT, Georgia Tech
Round 7, Pick #231: Isaiah Neyor, WR, Nebraska
Round 7, Pick #253: Johnny Walker, EDGE, Missouri
13.Tyler Warren TE Penn State
48.Tyleik Williams DT Ohio State
98.Savion Williams WR TCU
116.Ajani Cornelius OT Oregon
135.Danny Stutsman LB Oklahoma
150.J.J. Pegues DT Ole Miss
155.Luke Kandra OG Cincinnati
224.Craig Woodson S California
231.Cody Simon LB Ohio State
253.Max Brosmer QB Minnesota