Last game of the Preseason is upon us, and this game, as it always does, will finalize some roster spots for the 53 man roster cutdown, which will be Sunday, August 30th. The Dolphins recently shipped WR Tutu Atwell, formerly of the LA Rams, back to the Rams, for RB Jarquez Hunter. Atwell was one of the few WR’s on the roster with experience, which then leaves the WR with Jalen Tolbert, 4 YR veteran who played the entire 4 years for the Dallas Cowboys as the senior man. Before you get yer panties in a bunch, yes, technically WR Jalen Reagor is the senior man, but he played sparingly the last 2 seasons, just 19 games with 3 starts, while Tolbert has played 30 games with 23 starts. After Tolbert and Reagor, it’s all rookies with Caleb Douglas, Chris Bell and Kevin Coleman. We should get our first look at WR Chris Bell in this evenings game against the Falcons. He’ll probably get a handful of plays but it will be great to see him in action for the first time.
Yes, Tua the Magnificent makes his return to Hard Rock, but thankfully, not wearing aqua, white and orange. No, this time Tua will look even more awkward wearing the Falcons red, black and white uni. Some will boo (I will even though I won’t be at the game and will be watching it many hours later whenever NFLN replays it), but I’ll take solace in knowing I never have to see him under center for the Miami Dolphins ever again. You can love him or hate him, makes no difference to me because he’s gone. I still feel very strongly that if Tua wanted to do the right thing he would have retired, but he selfishly continues to play and shortchange the team he is playing for by playing to protect himself rather than to win. He’s just not going to compete and put himself in harms way which really isn’t fair for the team that he’s leading. I’m not saying he has to be reckless, but you want the guy leading your team to do what it takes to win and we didn’t say that for the last 2 seasons he was here. OK, enough wasted time on Too-ugh.
It is so hard to get a sense of what to expect from this team. Last preseason game we didn’t see our starting QB, Malik Willis, or even our backup QB, Quinn Ewers. We didn’t see many starters along the O-line either, mostly 2nd and 3rd string guys. If you’re going to evaluate the offense, how do you go about doing so fairly? You simply can’t. On defense we also didn’t get to see a lot of starters, but more than on offense for sure. I’ve read that DL Kenneth Grant may miss game 1 of the regular season with an undisclosed leg injury. We haven’t see Jordan Phillips play much either, and my guess is he won’t see much action tonight because he will likely be the replacement for Kenneth Grant if he can’t go or is limited. That would be a D-line in the 4-3 as LE Chop Robinson, LDT Jordan Phillips, RDT Zach Sieler, and RE Joshua Uche. In preseason, we haven’t seen any pass rush, and that’s disappointing, although as we know, everything is vanilla in preseason, but there is still cause for concern. What you have in preseason is just one on ones and we didn’t win many of those.
On the offensive side, I remember loving that first drive in Preseason Game 1 against Washington. While the Commanders sat their defensive starters, our offense which had our starting 5 on the O-line looked very good, and our drive was a TD drive. Everything was clicking, the O-line provided rushing lanes and protected well. After the first drive when the starters came out, the wheels fell off, but that’s not too surprising. Oddly enough, rookie OG DJ Campbell who played his entire career at Texas at RG has been playing LG. So much with playing guys on the sides that they’re comfortable on! In any case, starting RG Jonah Savaiinaea, who looked quite a lot better in his limited action will continue to play RG, where he played during his collegiate career..
I have seen a lot of disappointment regarding our rookie defensive players on our blog, such as S/LB tweener Kyle Louis. The truth is, these guys were drafted with a plan. Louis will be put in situations where he can help and succeed, he will not be starting at either LB or S. My guess is he will come in some obvious passing situations in coverage or as a blitzer and Hafley will keep teams guessing on what he will be doing. It will probably translate, at least early on, to just a handful of plays, besides playing ST’s as well. Same will go for S Michael Taaffe, if he makes the 53. ILB Jordyn Brooks is a little banged up, but you’d have to think that ILB Tyrel Dodson is a guy we can trade for a either a 2027 pick or a player at a different position of need. Of course if Brooks injury is a lingering one, then we may need Tyrel Dodson next to rookie LB Jacob Rodriguez. Rodriguez also struggled some in Preseason, so this was nowhere near a Zach Thomas/Jack Del Rio type of situation at all for those of hoping for an historical replay of that.
Someone on the blog started the Season Record Prediction post, and I said 7 wins. That’s a best case scenario, QB Malik Willis stays healthy and plays 17 games and we don’t have any major injuries. Both the offense and defense have to play well enough to accomplish that, and I think for a team that will be a very young team, a team with an average under 24 years old, would be quite the accomplishment for both Sully and Haf. This team could be very reliant on the 2025 draft class and as well as the 2026 draft class which netted a total of 21 players, 8 last season and 13 this season. RB Jalen Wright continues to disappoint, I think many of us expected him to be at the very least a competent #2 back behind our best player, RB De’Von Achane, but this hasn’t happened. Not sure how much of this factored into the trade with the Rams to acquire RB Jarquez Hunter, who is a bowling ball at 5’9 211. There’s no guarantee Hunter makes the 53, but it absolutely puts doubt as to whether one of the incumbent RB’s Jalen Wright or Ollie Gordon are in danger of getting cut, or if we’re going to carry 4 RB’s and no FB, despite some here falling in love with FB DJ Herman. We all understood the ramifications of having a salary cap crisis, we won’t be picking up expensive vets, but looking for bargains after the cutdowns occur.
For those of you not in Florida, or even in Florida but not in the area where the Dolphins vs Falcons Preseason Finale will be shown, the game will replayed on NFL Sunday August 30th at 6AM EST. I will probably stay away from the blog during and after the game as to not ruin the viewing experience. I want to watch and form my opinions and watch it as if it were live. I’m excited to see WR Chris Bell play, it’s quite the story! Many of us hoped we could see him play this season but didn’t expect to see him activated until October at the earliest. Again, curb your enthusiasm, because he’s not going to be logging tons of playing time, but he will be playing, and that’s great. He can help the team even in small doses, he’s a very talented receiver, and has the size and speed that we desperately need. I’m hoping WR Caleb Douglas is getting the job done while Bell isn’t, and also hope rookie WR Kevin Coleman is as well. I like Malik Washington, but Coleman could be even better. As always, let’s hope we stay healthy in this final game of the Preseason.
GO DOLPHINS!!!
Finsmob Unleashed 
I counted 34 new players on our roster. That’s a massive overhaul.
8 2025 rookies, 2 RBs, 1 TE, 3 OL, 1 WR, 1 CB, 2 LBs, Seiler and Chop. Grant on IR lowers it to 19, and kicker, not sure about LS, but think he waa with us last yr, so 21 returned players.
you wanna change the culture change HC, GM and most of the roster. We needed the changes
I was close, wasn’t sure about a couple before the new regime.
steve,
Well, sure. That doesn’t mean bottom thirds aren’t bottom thirds around the league. A third stringer/ST player on one team is usually the same on another. I’m not sure how much any team improves their roster all that much with churning at that level.
did you watch our PS games. We’re our 2nd and 3rd stringers competitive?
Has some regular season experience with 186 snap and 3 starts for the Chiefs last year.
Randy, you don’t think Chuk is better than Heck? And maybe Wallace?
I think he is better than Heck by a lot.
Here’s a difference I see in Sully. Skylar Thompson would not have survived as long as he did if he was GM.
agreed, but let’s see what Sully does with hisins first
It’s really going to be about coaching now. With the exception of a move here and there this is our roster.
HEY MIKE E!
Was it you who said you had read “A Darkness Returns” by Fiest?
I think I am going to buy it this week. What did you think?
I MAY go back and re-read the Firemane Saga first though as I can’t seem to remember anything about them. (They are on my shelf so I know I read them. LOL)
Anyway, I was wondering if I remembered that right and that it was you who read it.
I recently bought a book by Michele West “The Broken Crown” book one of SIX in the “Sun Sword Series” and I never got past page 30. I threw it in the trash yesterday. ($25 in the trash!) I just couldn’t get past her writing style. I tried for a month and kept reading a page or half a page and then putting it down.
Has anyone else here read that series?
I gave up because her sentence structure was too difficult for me to follow. It has too many “asides” mid-sentence to keep track of what the sentence started to say by the end of the run-on, multiple comma sentence structure.
It sucks because when I discovered it I thought it would be a nice long series for me to settle into.
DJ Herman Has Earned His Opportunity
One of the more interesting stories to come out of Dolphins training camp has been DJ Herman successfully transitioning from college linebacker to fullback.
Hafley said Herman’s intelligence, toughness, movement skills, and willingness to embrace the less glamorous aspects of playing fullback allowed him to make the switch.
Herman had to learn an entirely new position and an entirely new side of the football, but Hafley praised how seriously he approached the challenge.
“He worked really hard to study the new position, the physicality, the toughness, how hard he’s worked, and he earned a spot on the team,” Hafley said.
Hafley did acknowledge that Herman remains a work in progress. He pointed to a missed opportunity in the final preseason game when Herman appeared to turn upfield before securing a pass. Hafley believes Herman has good hands, but he needs game experience and must transfer what he has shown in practice into actual games.
He looked like a guy not afraid to initiate contact and he does move well in short spaces. STs and FB = roster spot.
he made the roster, because Ben Sims was hurt
not to take anything away from him, just stating what I believe
on the other side, he’s a good gritty lead blocker and can getter done, not afraid to scrap. His hands will come
he’s good at what he does and deserves a shot
Yeah I thought we cut Sims.
I hadn’t realized how bad Joly’s blocking was.
https://www.si.com/nfl/dolphins/onsi/how-the-dolphins-could-unlock-the-upside-of-waiver-wire-addition-justin-joly-01m1h3g3p5tb
It makes more sense now why he was cut by Denver.
Blocking is effort. Sure there is technique but want has to be there.
all you need to know is:
Miami lacks his receiving profile at the position
all waiver claims have warts, his skills are what we currently lack, he should just be a specialist this season, then next season no block no rock
he’s good enough for what we need
steve,
Heck was never gonna stick. This FO is the one who signed Heck….so I guess they’re the ones who thought he was good. Bad decision. We should have a third round OT to step into that role, but we decided we needed 2 WRs and a blocking TE instead.
Besides, an exception doesn’t disprove the rule. Also, if Heck truly was our backup OT #1, then that’s churning the middle of the lineup…not the bottom third, which is what my comments were about. Looks like they’re trying to correct their own mistakes.
Salyer was option 1, that means Heck was 3rd string, but not my point
point being everyone we release was incompetent, not comparable to other teams bubble players. It played out over and over in joint practices and PS
every guy you bring in isn’t going to pan out, every team faces that issue, its what you do after they don’t pan out. Grier would’ve been in favor of starting them, to play into the position, then 5 years later cut them, after they didn’t grow
Guess our first formation on offense this year unless it’s a bizarre field position thing?
I think it’s pro set.
WR Bell and Douglas
TE Dulcich
FB Herman
RB Achane
Tim, I think it was reported as Sims being cut but he was just put on IR. Not the short term IR either. He’s done for the season IR.
They waived / injured him and he made it through waivers so he reverted back to the Dolphins on full IR.
Thanks!
Gotcha! That sucks for him.
Kyle McCord Opens Up About Trade to Miami Dolphins
Kyle McCord Opens Up About Trade to Miami Dolphins
New Miami Dolphins quarterback Kyle McCord has experienced quite a change of scenery.
After spending the offseason and preseason with the Green Bay Packers, McCord was traded to Miami for a 2028 sixth-round pick as the Dolphins continued reshaping their quarterback room.
McCord met with the media and discussed the trade, his quick transition to Miami, learning the Dolphins’ offense, working alongside Malik Willis, and why his time in Green Bay helped change his mentality as a quarterback.
And despite joining the Dolphins just before the regular season, McCord believes he’s already ahead of schedule learning the offense.
McCord Goes From QB3 to QB2
McCord described the trade as the culmination of a “wild 24 hours.”
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst informed McCord that Green Bay liked what it had seen from him during training camp and wanted to keep him. However, Miami’s willingness to offer a draft pick created an opportunity that made sense for everyone involved.
For Green Bay, it meant receiving an asset for McCord.
For McCord, it meant moving up the depth chart.
“It was a good opportunity for both them to get a pick for me, and then a good opportunity for me to go from being the three in Green Bay to the two here,” McCord said.
That’s an important part of this move from McCord’s perspective.
Rather than beginning the season as the Packers’ No. 3 quarterback, McCord arrives in Miami as the backup to Malik Willis and potentially one play away from getting onto the field.
Malik Willis Is Helping McCord Learn the Offense
One person making McCord’s transition considerably easier is Willis.
The connection between the two quarterbacks is obvious. Willis previously spent time in Green Bay, so he’s familiar with many of the concepts and terminology McCord learned there.
That has allowed Willis to essentially serve as a translator while McCord learns Miami’s offense.
“Being in the room with Malik obviously has helped a lot, given that he was in the same spot I was that I’m coming from and kind of being the translator for the offense and putting in terms that I’m familiar with,” McCord said.
McCord said the transition has consequently been about as smooth as he could have hoped.
There are also more similarities between the Packers’ and Dolphins’ offenses than McCord initially expected.
Many of the concepts are essentially the same, even if the terminology differs. His biggest challenge has been learning Miami’s formations, motions and language.
“It’s not nearly as bad as I thought it would be just with all the similarity there is,” McCord said.
What Does McCord Believe He Does Best?
When asked to identify his strengths as a quarterback, McCord pointed to two areas: processing and accuracy.
McCord believes he does a good job understanding the play call, diagnosing what the defense is doing, and delivering the football to the appropriate receiver on time.
Rather than feeling like he needs to manufacture every big play himself, McCord sees his job as getting the ball into the hands of Miami’s playmakers and allowing them to do the rest.
“I think just my processing, being able to one know what we have called and then see what the defense plays and get the ball to the right guy on time, allowing the playmakers to go out and make plays, and then my accuracy too,” McCord said.
He believes those traits showed throughout the preseason and were likely a major reason the Dolphins were willing to trade a draft pick to acquire him.
Learning From Jalen Hurts, Jordan Love and Tyrod Taylor
McCord has already been exposed to some impressive quarterback rooms early in his NFL career.
He’s had an opportunity to watch and learn from Jalen Hurts, Jordan Love and veteran Tyrod Taylor.
McCord noted that Hurts and Love have different playing styles, but believes being around established quarterbacks has been invaluable for him as a young player.
Taylor offered another perspective.
Entering his 16th NFL season, Taylor showed McCord what it takes to remain in the league and perform at a high level for an extended period.
McCord understands he’s still developing, but he’s appreciative of the quarterback education he’s already received.
“I’m really fortunate to be surrounded by some really good players this early in my career,” McCord said.
Reuniting With Kevin Patullo
Miami also offered McCord another familiar face.
Kevin Patullo previously worked with McCord in Philadelphia, and McCord said Patullo was one of the first things he thought about when he learned he had been traded to the Dolphins.
Having Patullo and Willis available to translate some of Miami’s offensive terminology into language McCord already understands has accelerated the learning process.
“I think the world of him as a coach, and so being able to link back up with him down here is pretty special,” McCord said of Patullo.
Green Bay Changed McCord’s Mentality
Perhaps the most interesting part of McCord’s media session came when he discussed what he learned in Green Bay.
It wasn’t simply about X’s and O’s.
McCord said watching Jordan Love play and seeing how the Packers coached him changed the way he approached the quarterback position.
Young quarterbacks can sometimes become overly concerned with avoiding mistakes. Instead of attacking a defense, they’re thinking about protecting the football, avoiding turnovers and simply doing their job.
McCord saw something different from Love.
Love played aggressively. He pushed the football downfield. And Green Bay’s coaches encouraged him to do it.
That experience helped McCord realize he shouldn’t allow the fear of making mistakes to eliminate the aggressiveness that made him successful in the first place.
“Don’t lose your spark,” McCord said. “Keep trying to make plays, play aggressive. Mistakes are bound to happen, but that’s part of it.”
McCord believes that mindset helped him play more aggressively during the preseason.
It may also be one of the reasons Miami liked what it saw enough to make the trade.
McCord Sees Similarities Between His Path and Willis’
There is also an interesting parallel between Miami’s top two quarterbacks.
Willis and McCord arrived in Green Bay under different circumstances, but both benefited from being able to develop within the Packers’ quarterback system without immediately being asked to carry a franchise.
McCord believes his time in Green Bay helped him develop as a professional quarterback, and he thinks Willis would say the same thing about his experience there.
Now, they’re together in Miami.
McCord hopes both quarterbacks can take what they learned in Green Bay and apply it with the Dolphins.
From Beating Miami to Playing for Miami
McCord also has some history with Miami football — although Dolphins fans probably won’t mind this particular chapter.
During his college career at Syracuse, McCord helped lead the Orange to an upset victory over the Miami Hurricanes.
He called it his favorite game from his college career.
Now that he’s playing professionally in South Florida, though, he’s hoping to produce a different reaction from Miami fans.
“Now hoping to make those same fans happy instead of upset,” McCord joked.
He also won’t miss Green Bay’s winters.
McCord recalled arriving in Green Bay to sign with the Packers and stepping off the plane in temperatures around 10 degrees below zero.
“I won’t have that problem down here,” McCord said.
Could McCord Be Ready If Miami Needs Him?
The most important question surrounding McCord is how quickly he can realistically prepare to play.
The regular season is almost here, and as Miami’s No. 2 quarterback, McCord needs to be prepared in case something happens to Willis.
McCord sounds confident that he could get himself ready.
Rather than trying to learn every offensive installation from the entire offseason, his immediate focus is narrowing down what Miami actually intends to use in its upcoming game plan.
That means mastering those plays and concepts while also learning situational parts of the offense, such as the two-minute package.
“I feel like I’m ahead of schedule right now,” McCord said. “Just being down here for a few days, I feel like I’m picking it up pretty quickly.”
That’s exactly what the Dolphins need to hear.
Miami didn’t acquire McCord simply to stash another developmental quarterback at the bottom of the depth chart. He’s now the backup to Willis, and the Dolphins need him capable of entering a game if called upon.
His experience with Green Bay’s offense, familiarity with Patullo and the presence of Willis should make what would normally be a difficult late-summer transition considerably easier.
McCord is still learning.
But after going from QB3 in Green Bay to QB2 in Miami, he’s also one step closer to the opportunity he’s been working toward.
Jeff Hafley on Malik Willis, Dolphins’ Physicality and Defensive Standards
Jeff Hafley on Malik Willis, Dolphins’ Physicality and Defensive Standards
Miami Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley met with the media and touched on a wide range of topics as his team continues preparing for the start of the regular season.
From Malik Willis’ leadership and DJ Herman’s unlikely journey to fullback to the defense’s focus on creating turnovers, Hafley continued to emphasize many of the same traits he has talked about since taking over in Miami: toughness, physicality, accountability, and players taking ownership of the team.
DJ Herman Has Earned His Opportunity
One of the more interesting stories to come out of Dolphins training camp has been DJ Herman successfully transitioning from college linebacker to fullback.
Hafley said Herman’s intelligence, toughness, movement skills, and willingness to embrace the less glamorous aspects of playing fullback allowed him to make the switch.
Herman had to learn an entirely new position and an entirely new side of the football, but Hafley praised how seriously he approached the challenge.
“He worked really hard to study the new position, the physicality, the toughness, how hard he’s worked, and he earned a spot on the team,” Hafley said.
Hafley did acknowledge that Herman remains a work in progress. He pointed to a missed opportunity in the final preseason game when Herman appeared to turn upfield before securing a pass. Hafley believes Herman has good hands, but he needs game experience and must transfer what he has shown in practice into actual games.
Malik Willis’ Calm Demeanor Is an Asset
Hafley also discussed one of the qualities he likes most about quarterback Malik Willis: his ability to remain calm regardless of what is happening around him.
Hafley said that trait was one of the things that initially drew him to Willis.
Whether the Dolphins are winning, losing, or dealing with adversity, Hafley believes Willis has the type of demeanor teammates can gravitate toward.
That becomes especially important at quarterback.
Hafley explained that when players see their leader panicking, that feeling can spread throughout the team. Willis’ ability to remain composed can have the opposite effect and help settle everyone around him.
Hafley also liked hearing that Willis recently gathered the offensive players together and addressed them.
“Any time a player sees something or feels something and wants to grab the team and talk to them, I think that’s great,” Hafley said.
That’s another encouraging indication that Willis is embracing the leadership responsibilities that come with being Miami’s quarterback.
Dolphins Defense Sets a Three-Takeaway Standard
Perhaps Hafley’s biggest smile of the media session came when he was asked about the defense’s new takeaway standard.
The defensive players have reportedly decided that if they don’t create three takeaways in a game, there will be running after practice.
Hafley loved it.
More than the specific punishment, Hafley appeared pleased that the players were taking ownership of a standard and holding each other accountable.
He also liked the number they selected.
“If we get three takeaways a game, we’re going to play really good defense and really good football,” Hafley said.
For Hafley, the significance goes beyond simply forcing turnovers. He wants players policing themselves and creating consequences when the team’s standards aren’t met.
“Any time guys can take ownership and hold each other accountable and push each other and have a consequence for a standard, then I think the standard is real.”
Physicality Continues to Define Hafley’s Vision
Jordyn Brooks recently described physicality as a mindset that “takes no talent,” and Hafley was asked about Brooks’ comments.
It’s clear Hafley agrees with the overall message.
While some players naturally arrive with more toughness than others, Hafley believes toughness can also be developed through coaching, training, and expectations.
More importantly, physicality is exactly how he wants the Miami Dolphins to play.
“We want guys who are going to be physical. We want guys who are going to play tough,” Hafley said.
Hafley also offered an interesting perspective on physical play, saying the effort a player gives can be viewed as a sign of how much he cares about his teammates.
That philosophy has become one of the defining themes of Hafley’s first season in Miami.
Michael Taaffe Continues to Impress
Hafley also had plenty of positive things to say about Michael Taaffe, who has put himself in position to compete for a starting job.
Communication appears to be one of Taaffe’s biggest strengths.
Hafley called him one of Miami’s best communicators in the secondary and praised his ability to quickly understand the defensive scheme. He also likes Taaffe’s confidence, body control, balance, and ability to correct mistakes.
Hafley said Taaffe is rarely out of position and usually finds himself in the right place within the structure of the defense.
For a young defensive back competing for a significant role, earning that level of trust from Hafley is noteworthy.
Hafley Has High Praise for Jordan Phillips
Hafley was careful not to place unrealistic expectations on Jordan Phillips, but he clearly loves what he has seen from the young defensive lineman.
Phillips plays a position where much of his work may never appear in a box score. His responsibilities will include absorbing double teams, occupying blockers, keeping linebackers clean, and pushing the pocket.
Hafley believes Phillips embraces that dirty work.
He described Phillips as one of the toughest, most physical and driven players he has been around and even joked that while other players enjoy their weekend off, Phillips would probably be in the sauna at 5 a.m. before lifting weights.
“I love the guy. I love his attitude. I love his mentality,” Hafley said.
Hafley later referenced former Packers defensive tackle Kenny Clark when discussing powerful defensive linemen he has coached, but he quickly made it clear he was not comparing Phillips to Clark.
Instead, Hafley simply said he’s excited to see what Phillips can do in Year 2.
Dolphins Preparing for Kirk Cousins
The Dolphins also received some clarity regarding their opponent when the Raiders announced Kirk Cousins would start instead of rookie Mendoza.
Hafley wasn’t surprised.
He said that had been the expectation based on the information surrounding the Raiders, and Miami can now move forward preparing specifically for Cousins.
Injury Updates
Hafley also provided updates on tight ends Seydou Traore and Will.
Hafley said Traore could play if necessary despite being held out of that day’s practice.
Will was also out, but the Dolphins are hopeful he will return to practice next week. Hafley indicated that placing him on injured reserve wasn’t part of the discussion because of the optimism surrounding his potential return.
New Defensive Backs Getting Up to Speed
Miami’s recently added defensive backs haven’t received many practice reps yet, but Hafley has already been encouraged by how they are integrating into the locker room.
Hafley repeatedly emphasized the importance of connection and said it has been encouraging to see the new players making an effort to connect with their teammates and the existing players welcoming them.
The coaching staff is also putting in extra time to get the newcomers caught up on the defensive system, with Hafley noting that some could be active and ready to contribute quickly.
Hafley specifically noted that Reese Taylor has nickel experience from Denver, while practice-squad defensive back Jaylin Simpson has experience playing both nickel and safety.
Hafley’s Message Remains Consistent
If there was one overarching takeaway from Hafley’s media session, it’s that his message hasn’t changed.
He wants a physical football team.
He wants players who embrace doing the dirty work.
He wants leaders who remain calm when things aren’t going well.
And perhaps most importantly, he wants the players themselves to take ownership of the standards being established.
The defense creating its own three-takeaway goal may be the best example yet of Hafley’s message beginning to resonate inside the locker room.
Now comes the important part.
The Dolphins have to carry those standards from the practice field into the regular season.
D is going to be doing lots of running after practice😜
Lol…that’s what I was thinking. High bar, for sure!!!
Herd,
🏈 6-11 for my season prediction, please.
I could see a bit higher and I could see a bit lower, but I think 6-11 is the sweet spot for predictions.
Now, IF we lose half our starters to injury, we could just as easily go 0-for! Just sayin’! 😉
Randy,
How confident are you in our O-Line (starters) coming out the gate? Personally, I like it… but the health of Austin Jackson will always concern me. And obviously, you’d like to see better depth, knowing these guys (starters) are going to get banged up.
But talking strictly about our starting O-Line… what do you think, man?
Tim Knight
says:
September 3, 2026 at 4:18 pm
Guess our first formation on offense this year unless it’s a bizarre field position thing?
I think it’s pro set.
WR Bell and Douglas
TE Dulcich
FB Herman
RB Achane
————
So let’s presume it’s going to be a touchback, for example.
I think you’re 100% correct, Tim. I think that’s what we WANT to do, more often than not, on 1st and 10.
And if we don’t like the Defensive matchups, we can simply flex Achane out to the slot, Herman can stay in to block, and perhaps Dulcich runs a crosser over the middle.
This base Offense has the potential to be VERY good.
And good luck trying to stop our running game… that is, if our O-Line is as great as it looks to me on paper.
And I think it goes without saying, once Kacmarek is a full go, look out for our running game.
Kacmarek is supposed to be ready game 1
we may not be playing g the FB a lot
I think 4 TEs in the active roster gives us that hint
Traore won’t be active is my guess
FB was used a lot at camp practice I saw
FMU 2026 Season Predictions
🗿 4-13
🎣 5-12
🦈 17-0
🤚 7-10
🎰 3-14
🐘 6-11
🇨🇦 2-15
🦬 4-13
🐖 8-9
🗽4-13
📘👮♂️ 3-14
🇬🇧4-13
⚖️ 4-13
🪨 5-12
🏈 6-11
Thank you, Herd!
Fernando Mendoza’s brother, Alberto, is starting at QB tonight for Georgia Tech vs Colorado. I think the game is fixing to start on ESPN.
M13,
I’m cautiously optimistic about the OL. There are just too many new and changing pieces for me to know much of anything. I will say the trust folks seem to have in it right now is perplexing…but I know how quickly that changes. Lol
The size and athleticism is mostly there across the board….not outstanding at any position but solid across the line. If we do play 2 TEs a lot and they’re not really receiving threats, we better win the running game.
When we talk about a soft or tough team, it starts and ends on the LOS. Don’t talk to me about a tough WR. If your OL/DL are getting their asses beat…nobody gives a shit that you have a tough WR. I want to see a different mindset than we’ve seen recently. Talk is cheap, we’ll see.
I am still in the tough love mode with this team. We ARE Cleveland. *&)#*&;&)@*$&&=%-&#+*; Go do something about it. Losing blows.
LOL! I get you, Randy! Thanks for your response.
Drew Rosenhaus on Fox News just moments ago (paraphrasing): they’re going to have to unionize at the college level now.
Is that not telling that the whole NIL BS in NCAA football is getting out of hand? We’re talking about COLLEGE!
College is for higher education, not for BIG BIZ. College athletes can compete in the Olympics, NOT for BIG BIZ like a pro.
I’m sorry, but this whole football NIL thing is disgusting to me. Start a farm system like Major League Baseball has done. Worthy students are being passed on, by major colleges, just to bring in lesser than intelligent football players.
The scam is revealed, IMO. UNIONIZE, AT THE COLLEGIATE LEVEL?!! ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!! 😡
he’s an agent, wishful thinking
It seems like Traore and Joly are competing for the same role, the F TE. Both raw athletic rookies. If they don’t block they won’t be around long unless they prove to be uncoverable. Plenty of skill guys are going to get a chance to prove themselves with this team. I’m looking forward to watching how it plays out. FinsUp!
Rock – Yes, I have read and enjoyed the Firemane series, although I stalled on Book 2. It just lost my interest for a bit, I felt like it was just so repetitive and too familiar. I will probably pick it up again though.
Not Book 2 actually, Book 3
I drafted Chris Bell late as a sleeper in FF. Malik Willis is going to throw the ball to whom? Bell, Douglas, Achane, Dulcich, Washington and Coleman.
Running game: Achane is a 20+ candidate with his contract and he wants the ball. Under utilizing him makes no sense. Achane is the focus and the young guys will benefit from that. Oh Yeah Willis can run too. This team doesn’t need the constant motion to execute. It’s going to be way more about physical and go. The OL has to send that message early.
mf13ss
says:
September 3, 2026 at 9:08 pm (Edit)
College is for higher education, not for BIG BIZ. College athletes can compete in the Olympics, NOT for BIG BIZ like a pro.
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M – This has been true forever, and nothing in this regard has changed. Talented athletes have been stealing spots at American Universities forever. Whatever sports the particular university has competitive teams in those athletes, whether they have a brain in their head or not, will be recruited by that college. Nothing has changed in that regard at all as far as I’m concerned. These big football programs just want to win so they have a good reputation so students, athletes and others want to go there. It’s always been $$$ and always will be. They get their rich ass alumni to throw down big money to make their program better.
As far as the Olympics, NBA athletes are competing in the Olympics, so what’s the difference? Same for MLB players as well. There is no football in the Olympics but there would be NFL players in that too if there were.
I agree with M however that this has all gotten way too far out of hand. Higher education needs to be separated from big business athletics. It’s a classic representation of the tail wagging the dog. But I’m not remotely hopeful anything will actually be done. As they say, money talks…however there are a number very successful higher education institutions that don’t (or have ever) even carried a football program.
I didn’t take one Dolphins player for FF. I do eventually want to take Bell, but I wouldn’t play him this week or probably next until i see more out of him and how/if he will be used. We play 2 WR’s, 2RB’s, TE, and then 2 FLEX spots, so I need guys that will contribute now
Alberto Mendoza looked okay last night in his 1st ever start. Went 17-23 for 237 with a couple big time throws. Georgia Tech really sucks in the trenches this year and they are one of the worst tackling teams I have ever seen.
He needs this year and next as a starter to see who he is.
Big 6’5, 230 QB Drake Lindsey looked good in Minnesota’s “tuneup” game vs Eastern Illinois. He went 19-24 for 264 with 1 TD and 0 INT. Minnesota had 5 rushing TD’s or else Lindsey might of had more.
Twice – I understand what both of you are saying, but hasn’t athletics been at the forefront of all these universities forever? There were scholastically talented students brushed aside for scholarships to allow a 6’5 300 lb behemoth to get a scholarship with no intention of having him graduate or even garner an education, but rather help the big money making program continue to make money. It’s always been that way as long as I’ve been around. Now it’s crazy with NIL, no question, but the same concept is still in place. Reward “student” athletes first, and scholastically talent scholarships second. Don’t even get me started on quotas for race and nationality rather than just taking the best, but this is not just relegated to educational institutions by any means.
NEW BLOG UP!!!