The two guys above are very busy working on one of their most important undertakings together as GM and Head Coach of the Miami Dolphins, their very first NFL Draft. This would be the case for any new GM and Head Coach, but for these two and specifically for the Miami Dolphins, it’s exponentially more important due to the roster needs, and the cap restrictions former GM Chris Grier has left the Miami Dolphins with. Both are well aware that they will need to build this team back through the draft, so while this exercise is always important, both Sully and Haf know they need to hit on many of their picks because these players will be the foundation of the team.
I have to admit, that whenever I get to listed to either Jeff Hafley or Jon Eric Sullivan, I come away feeling positive and impressed, and very hopeful that they are up to the task ahead of them, and a huge task it is. Despite the fact that they will get a mulligan for this season, they are building a team in their image. What makes me so optimistic is hearing over and over and strenuously reinforced, that the two men tasked with this rebuild are completely in lockstep in doing this. Now this doesn’t mean that they make each other redundant, they might have differing opinions on certain things, but both completely respect each other and are completely willing to work together to accomplish their goal. When I hear HC Jeff Hafley talking to Mike Florio, and why he came here and took the job of Head Coach for the Miami Dolphins, he spoke of “Alignment”, and he meant alignment with new GM Jon Eric Sullivan, the opportunity to join him and the Miami Dolphins organization. This was once a proud NFL Franchise, and these two gentlemen seem hellbent on making that once again a reality in South Florida and the NFL.
As both Sully and Haf are at the NFL Combine right now, the underwear olympics are in full throttle with the DL and LB’ sand K’s already doing their part. Today, DL and LB’s will do their bench press while DB’s and TE’s will do their workouts such as 40’s and other drills. Lord knows we need players that will come in and not only compete for a starting job but be successful if they are drafted. We truly have so many holes you wouldn’t be wrong if you said the most important position is EDGE, CB, OL, S, TE. All of the above are important, and since the likelihood is that QB Tua Tagovailoa will either be traded or cut, you can add QB to the list, being we have only QB’s Quinn Ewers and Cam Miller on the roster, and once again, very little cap money to spend on a QB. Despite the persistent talk of QB Malik Willis to Miami, I just don’t buy any of it. Whether the salary rumors are completely accurate or not, Malik Willis can probably get paid NOW, and like most players, he will go where that can be done. I just don’t believe we’re in any position to once again dole out $25-30M annually at the QB position right now.
There were some impressive performances yesterday at the combine, a few EDGE players and LB’s ran very well to help themselves, notably EDGE Arvell Reese 4.46, EDGE David Bailey 4.50, and LB’s Sonny Styles 4.46 and Kaleb Elarms-Orr 4.47. All these players mentioned will be doing their bench press today, and that will further give a picture of just what kind of athlete these players are, besides of course the more important game tape they have accumulated during their college careers. That is first and foremost, though we all fall in love with the elite 40 times and 10 yard shuttles and broad jumps and vertical leaps. As Randy pointed just a day or so ago, 2022 2nd RD pick LB Channing Tindall. 4.47 40, 42″ vertical leap, 10’9 Broad Jump, all very impressive, equal to the best performers this year, but his play tape was so far below all the best of this year’s draft and even his own draft in 2022, and just think how important is was for us to make a strong selection in that draft when we had no 1st RD pick, and only 4 total picks, a 2, 4, and two 7’s. Randy reminded of us how great an athlete Tindall was, but how lost he was on the field. Listening to Hafley describe what a Miami Dolphins player will be, Tindall was the complete opposite. He wants players that played football, love football, and players that will last in any climate and all 4 quarters of the game. I can’t wait to see how we do!
Just a quick note to all our bloggers here, but specifically the Admins. I’d like to point out without calling anyone out that YES, I notice the absence of many of our Admins, and that I’m concerned. I know Twice has never been a full time participant, but Ken, Sonny, Herd and not one of the Admins but always a pretty strong participant here, Stanger, has also been long absent. If there’s an issue with my content here, or anything you’d like to change, I’d love to hear it. More importantly, I miss all of you and miss your presence here. If there’s anything you want to say and you don’t want to say it here, I believe you all have my number, so either shoot me a text or if you want it said out here in this forum, go right ahead and do so.
GO DOLPHINS!!!
Finsmob Unleashed 
NFL Network, regarding Keagen Trost…
‘He’s probably going in the 4th round and be a starter for 7-8 years (in the NFL)’
Trost in the 4th round? I’m RUNNING to the podium for that pick!
WR Deion Burks with an impressive combine
5’10 190
4.3 40
1.49 10 yard split
42.5″ vertical
10’11 broad jump
26 reps bench press
I’m a big fan of the OL prospects overall this year, but a true LT is the one position that is pretty weak.
With that said, I never really have anything nice to say about Grier, but I do have to at least thank him for getting us a left tackle. LOL
Daniel Jeremiah in his Mock 2.0 has us taking
CB Mansoor Delane
I’d be happy with that pick
YUP! Be VERY happy with that pick and get ready for round 2.
OT Kadyn Proctor at 6’7 352 runs a 5.2 40
Imagine how terrifying it would be to see that coming at you at speed
I thought it would be nice to have him at LG and Dunker at RG. That would be a sick IOL.
I just woke up. Thanks for the OL updates.
As day 3 OL go, how did Notre Dame RT Amil Wagner or the Memphis giant RT Travis Burke look?
Also of day 3 interest, how did Kentucky OG Jalen Farmer look?
I see Burke came in at 6’9 325 but he is a project.
Lastly, how did Clemson RT Blake Miller look?
I know he has great measurements for an OT. Miller has been one of my targets at #43. Just trying to figure out if he lasts to that pick with his measurables.
Word is they like Austin Jackson and want him around but they want to do an incentive laden restructure based on availability. This would clear cap this year but would also give him the chance to make all the money he was due in the form of incentive bonuses that would come out of the 2027 cap.
My understanding is this restructure would also include extending him with the same lower cap hit but incentive laden for how many games he is available for. This would be a smart deal for both.
We still need to draft an OT though. Need depth. I still think it is a top priority.
As far as QB, after Mendoza and Simpson, I group them all together as a crap shoot. Therefore, don’t draft one until pick #111 at the earliest. I just hope and pray it is not Beck.
Do we know what sort of offense we’ll be running yet?
The reason I’d take Ioane at #11, is I think he is a guy who can transform your OL. I think you could say he is the best player in this draft. He has a chance to be a multi all pro sort of guy. Jackson immediately becomes better next to him. He helps cover some of the deficiencies you have with Brewer’s size. He raises the level of all boats.
Unless he gets hurt, I just see zero downside. Reports are he’s impressing teams in meetings, as well, which always helps. He is a clear level above guys like Rutledge or Dunker. Guys have him rated in that range too, so he’s really not even a reach.
I wouldn’t hate Ioane at 11, although I’d live to trade down 5-9 spots and grab him if possible.
I haven’t watched Ioane – but I read that he’s not very mobile and more of the dominant in a phone booth kind of OL
so that doesn’t sound like a good fit for us
I feel like if we went CB at 11, we would have to look edge in the 2nd round
and then look at WR, OL, LB, S, TE a little later
I tired it. And ended up taking a LB in the 2nd….lol
My Draft Picks
11.
Mansoor DelaneCB LSU
43.
Anthony Hill Jr.LB Texas
75.
LT OvertonEDGE Alabama
87.
Isaiah WorldOT Oregon
90.
Jalon KilgoreS South Carolina
111.
Beau StephensOG Iowa
149.
Sam RoushTE Stanford
228.
De’Zhaun StriblingWR Ole Miss
I like Delane, Kilgore, Roush and Stribling in this one.
Even if Ioane is limited athletically, I think he is so good that he could play in any system. I feel the same about Mauigoa if he were to move inside to RG.
I would draft Dunker just based on his mullet. lol
Some top OT prospects and their RAS scores post combine:
LT Monroe Freeling – 9.99
RT Blake Miller – 9.94
RT Max Iheanachor – 9.91
LT Caleb Lamu – 9.88
RT Spencer Fano – 9.76
LT Kayden Proctor – 9.28
We don’t have RAS scores on others who didn’t fully participate.
Some top OG prospects and their RAS scores:
LG Chase Bisontis – 9.85
RG Kaylan Rutledge – 9.52
LG Emmanuel Pregnon – 9.42
RG Gennings Dunker – 8.6
LT Overton, EDGE
Overton was expected to showcase his athletic traits, but his combine numbers told a different story. Clocking a 4.87-second 40-yard dash at 274 pounds with a 1.7-second 10-yard split, Overton’s times were underwhelming for his position while skipping the broad jump. He’s currently not a threat off the edge due to his lack of burst and explosion.
Malachi Fields, WR
Fields, standing at 6-foot-4 and 218 pounds, had the physical tools to excite scouts, but his combine outing was a disappointment. His 4.61-second 40-yard dash was slower than anticipated, and he struggled with acceleration and wasted motion throughout his routes.
Ten days to the start of the new league year, 8 days to the start of F/A negotiations.
It’s going to be a busy news week.
BBM’s Post Combine Mock Draft
18. Dillon Thieneman S Oregon
43. Max Iheanachor OT Arizona State
49. Chris Johnson CB San Diego State
75. Keylan Rutledge OG Georgia Tech
87. Derrick Moore EDGE Michigan
90. Dani Dennis-Sutton EDGE Penn State
97. Jalon Kilgore S South Carolina
111. Chandler Rivers CB Duke
149. Sawyer Robertson QB Baylor
228. Matthew Hibner TE SMU
Jonah was supposed to be mobile and fit into our system…
Right! Fk the mobile shit, give me big nasties!
Chiefs releasing OT Jawaan Taylor, clearing $20M in cap space ahead of new league year
Browns agree to acquire Tytus Howard from Texans in trade, sign OT to three-year, $63M extension
According to Ian Rapoport, the Lions are trading veteran running back David Montgomery to the Texans.
The deal will see the Texans send the Lions back fourth- and seventh-round picks and offensive lineman Juice Scruggs, which is a fantastic haul for Detroit.
——-
I would say that was a great deal for Detroit!
I agree! I can imagine what we could get for Achane
G Dalton Risner re-signed with Cincinnati on a one-year contract
Do we actually know what sort of offense we’ll be running? Our Center has been our movement OL in our zone scheme. We haven’t asked our guards to do a ton of long pulls. I don’t get the concerns about Ioane. Yeah, I’d like to see him play around 315 but other than that he’s a nasty man mover. This offense needs some nasty…a lot of nasty actually.
Everybody gives lip service to how important OL is but that always goes away at draft time. Lol
Haf said the offense will be a form of the Shanahan offense which he believes in.
Tim,
Thanks! I assume that means a run first, outside zone, ball control offense.
Haf is adamant about running the football. He said even if they know you’re going to run you still have to be able to do it.
Tim,
Yep! And a guy like Ioane would be a big step to establishing a run consistent game. Jackson was also doing pretty well in the run game before he was injured.
That’s why they like and want to keep Jackson but on different deal where the cap is less but he can still make more if he is available and not injured.
I wish we really knew how the new regime felt about Jonah. Guess if they draft 2 OG’s we will know.
Commanders releasing CB Marshon Lattimore
We can’t afford him but a contender picking him up could mean 1 less CB taken in the later half of the 1st round.
I think WR Bryce Lance bumped himself up to a 3rd round pick at the latest. He had a fantastic combine.
I will be so pissed if we take a WR early. These WR’s in the top of the draft are not much better than those who will be available in the 3rd round.
BBM,
I think they need to bring in at least a couple guards no matter how they feel bout Jonah. Whether that’s 2 draft picks or not is debatable.
I wonder if a guy like OT Carter Warren could even move inside. We signed him to a futures contract for this year. I will have to look him up but I know he had a few starts at OT for the Jets 1 or 2 years ago.
I wouldn’t hate taking a big, possession WR with one of our 3rd round picks. I wouldn’t love it…but it’s a need. If teams are gonna focus on Waddle, he’s probably gonna get hurt. Who’s after him?
I believe Sully said he’s not a fan of having a roster full of short WRs.
He did
BBM,
I had looked at Carter. His issues were issues that would be even worse at guard. He has the size, but he plays way too high…bad leverage. I also don’t see him delivering blows. I wouldn’t say he plays soft…but he plays like Jonah plays….kind of uncommitted. I don’t know what has gone on with him since college though.
Thanks for saving me from wasting my time! lol
Seriously, thanks!
The 2 guys who have grown on me post combine for day 3 picks are QB Cole Payton and DT/DE Kaleb Proctor. Proctor along with Durant were combine freaks. Playing on a small FCS school against what was a practice game for then #3 LSU, Proctor had 5 tackles and 2 sacks vs LSU. He’s 6’2, 291, ran a 4.79 forty and 1.69 split.
They are not the only 2 post combine who have grown on me. I meant to say the 2 small school players who have grown on me.
CB Demmings is small school but I was on to him pre combine. He’s a stud, IMO.
Tim,
If we’re going to run the sort of offense we discussed, defenses are usually going to be playing closer to the LOS. That means your WR are dealing with safeties more often. Small guys can struggle in that scenario. A guy like Waddle has the speed to get behind coverage too, but it’s all those other hits he will take that will add up. Smaller guys just have a harder time dealing with tight coverages. It’s science. Lol
Agreed! We need some size options at WR for sure. Guys that can block too.
Even though Cole Payton is growing on me, I think I still favor Sawyer Robertson. Robertson kind of surprised me with his 9.80 RAS score.
So does anyone have a gut feeling on who we’re going to draft at #11?
Not a clue. So many needs that BPA will almost fill one of them. If we trade Minkah, my gut will then tell me it could be Safety Thieneman if Downs is gone.
My thinking is either defense or OL but not sure about the player.
my gut is OL, unless someone unexpected drops
Talking about big WR’s, I wonder how much Jeff Caldwell soars up draft boards. He was slotted as a late day 3 pick. I now have him as a 3rd, if he lasts. He was one on my watch list all last season and was surprised no one was talking about him. I posted a couple video’s on him during the season. I would love to get him on the team.
I have no idea what they’ll do in the draft. I’m pretty open to just about anything happening except giving up picks.
The Dolphins have announced they have put a Tender on RFA Ethan Bonner.
Also, the site was saying the Dolphins released OG Liam Eichenberg. I thought he was already a free agent???
I don’t think he can officially be a FA until the new year starts unless he’s released, no?
Tim – I think CB or EDGE
Agreed, two premier positions.
The Detroit Lions announced on Monday that they released offensive lineman Graham Glasgow.
I think we know we’re going to add OL in this draft. Not sure how we go about it in FA, but I can see us signing a few UDFAs and some 3rd tier guys off the street to overhaul half the room. I think the core is Brewer, Paul, Jackson and Jonah. We need a lot of competition at guard and depth at tackle.
we have to add OL for sure- we barely have any!
We have a bunch of guys that are 2nd and 3rd tier to compete with who we add. At the cutdown for the 53 we could have 5-6 new players. New GM, HC and OL coach.