Finsmob Unleashed

The Miami Dolphins have added another piece that will help the secondary. Former NY Jets and New Orleans Safety Marcus Maye signed with the Dolphins earlier this week, but the contract details are still not yet available. Regardless of how long, and how much, Maye will no doubt be part of the rotation in the secondary as Anthony Weaver likes to use 3 safeties on the field at times. No doubt, that 3 man squad just got a lot better, as it looks like it will be Jevon Holland, Jordan Poyer and Marcus Maye. Maye hasn’t been a full time starter since 2021 with the Jets, but he brings the skillset to be effective as a free safety type of player who can also play physical enough to be in the box. That’s exactly the type of flexibility Weaver needs in that 3 safety look. My guess is we carry at least 4 or 5 safeties, which will be an interesting battle for the final 1 or 2 spots.

Right now, Elijah Campbell, who’s spent 3 seasons with the Dolphins is right there vying for the last spot, and 2024 6th RD draft pick Patrick McMorris, and UDFA Mark Perry from TCU will also be in the running. The secondary, for the moment appears to once again be a strength for the Dolphins. Starting the season with a healthy CB Jalen Ramsey and CB Kendall Fuller opposite him is light years better than last year’s version of Xavien Howard with Eli Apple opposite him. Our safeties were hurting at different times during the season, Jevon Holland injured both knees towards the end of the season, DeShon Elliot was also banged up, and Brandon Jones who actually began the season as the starter also was dinged up. That was the story of our season, just so many injuries, and despite that, the defense managed to stay competitive.

It’s June 13th, and our QB Tua Tagovailoa still remains without the big contract extension. It’s clear (to me at least) that the Dolphins aren’t convinced 100% that Tua Tagovailoa is the QB to lead them to the Super Bowl or he’d have his extension already. Jared Goff recently set the benchmark as he signed a 4 YR/$212M contract with the Detroit Lions, with $170M guaranteed. The parameters are set, and if it were a no brainer, as many of you here feel it is, then it would be done. Yes, the Qb is the most important player on the field, no argument here, but is Tua Tagovailoa that QB? I think he might be, I think the kid has a great work ethic, he’s well liked by his teammates, and it’s clear he would do just about anything the team asked of him to improve his game. His injury history is scary, and not just in the NFL. He put on weight, maybe 15-20 lbs last season and took Jiu Jitsu classes in order to help him fall without sustaining an injury. This year though, he wants to improve his quickness, so he shed that weight.

There are lots of plusses for QB Tua Tagovailoa. As opposed to what some of you think is a “narrative” that Tua doesn’t play well at the end of the season, whether it’s a regular season game or a playoff, or just much less effective against better teams is not a narrative, it’s a reality. It’s like 2 different QB’s. If you don’t think the front office is aware of the disparity, you’re in denial. Passing yards are nice, but they don’t win championships. Playing well in big games, winning your division, beating the tough teams do. He hasn’t done those things, and despite the state of the defense, Tua himself did not elevate his play in those games, quite the opposite, there was a significant drop off in his play. He led the NFL in passing yards, and managed to play a full season and remain healthy enough to do so. Still, that was his 4th season, and he’s done it once.

To Tua’s credit, he began his career with a Head Coach (Brian Flores) who didn’t really like him, or maybe just believe in him. We had veteran QB Ryan Fitzpatrick and it was clear Flores preferred and trusted Fitzmagic. When Tua did start, he wasn’t given the rope a veteran QB would be given, or to be fair, most QB’s should be given, and when he struggled, he was pulled. That’s tough on a young QB, but Tua persisted. He has 32-19 record, and if you can remember back 5 years ago, our offensive roster was not impressive. DeVante Parker, PrestonWilliams, Jakeem Grant, Isaiah Ford, Mack Hollins. Not awful, but Parker was always hurting, Williams was a flash in the pan, and other than Hollins who has actually improved his game, nothing to get excited about as a WR corps in general. We also haven’t hop a top tier TE here, although we hoped Mike Gesicki would be, he never really achieved that status.

Tua has proven he’s one of the most accurate QB’s in the league, and with a healthy Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill, he can light up a defense. IN 2022, his year of multiple concussions, he was 7-3, until the dreaded west coast trip which precipitated 4 straight losses and then an injury (concussion) that ended his season. Tua was not available for the playoffs, or the playoff run at the end of the season, and either was Teddy Bridgewater. We relied on 3rd string QB Skylar Thompson, and we fought bravely against Buffalo and lost. Last season, another late season collapse, and yes, the defense was decimated, but the offense did nothing to make up for it, the NFL leading offense was reduced to less than mediocre. The QB that had completed 88% of his passes and threw for 5 TD’s in a game earlier in the season was nowhere to be found in those games. Against the Titans, 0 TD’s. Against the Cowboys, in a win by the way, 1 TD, and 3 FG’s of 53 + yards. Against the Ravens, 2 TD’s, 2 INT’s. Against the Bills, 1 TD, 2 INT’s. In the playoff game against the Chiefs, 1 TD, 1 INT. There’s no “narrative”, only facts. Tua has either been unable to finish the season healthy, or unable to finish the season playing well.

If you don’t think the things I outlined in the last paragraph are part of the internal discussions in the contract talks, you’re crazy. Yes, he beat the Baltimore Ravens in a wonderful comeback victory when the entire Ravens secondary was out in September and threw 6 TD’s. On the other side of the ledger, 2 seasons in a row played so poorly at the end of the season and in one season was injured and done, the other gave up a 3 game lead in the division and lost the season finale in OUR HOUSE for the division, no cold climate, warm as can be, and we melted in our home stadium. You need your QB to FINISH! The one QB who got his big contract that has done less than Tua is Justin Herbert. The Chargers clearly made a mistake. Don’t talk to me about Joe Burrow, he took his team to the Super Bowl, he’s a WINNER! A FINISHER! We’ll find out if HC Jim Harbaugh can resurrect Justin Herbert this season. I think it’s a difficult position, I think they want Tua to be the answer, but I also think they’re not 100% sold on whether he is, and I think that’s 100% fair.