The Miami Hurricanes Are At DEFCON 1

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It’s been an arduous season for the Canes. It started with 2 losses, then an “easy” 5-game home stand that featured 2 losses and a close win against Central Michigan, followed by a brief resurgence mid-year, and then a complete and inexplicable collapse over a final 3-game stretch that included losses to FIU, Duke, and Louisiana Tech.

Perhaps it is a sign of the times that not only was there no reaction from the Athletic Department as The New Miami quickly devolved into a disaster, including an embarrassing loss to FIU, but that no reaction was expected. This is the new normal. No loss too shocking. We keep saying we’ve reached “Rock Bottom” but in reality, there is no bottom for this program, because it is a program devoid of standards.

Sure enough, after the failure against Louisiana Tech, Blake James released a non-statement:

Putting the substance aside, there is something shocking here that is not evident until you look back a year:

Nothing represents the apathy of this administration more than this. Copying and pasting a “well, that sucked” message from last year and “changing it up a little” is pathetic. I’m sure they want to win, but they appear to be more concerned with controlling the narrative and saying what they think they should say to show they care, then with actually making hard decisions and holding people accountable. That it mirrored last year’s statement shows a complete lack of seriousness.

Manny Diaz was hired precisely because his hiring would not result in a complete overhaul since the team was “close.” That entire rationale turned out to be dead wrong. Diaz was not ready to be the head coach at Miami, he made a million mistakes, and instead of taking the program from “almost there, but needs offensive help” to “there,” he took it to “needs a complete rebuild.” He lost to GT, FIU, Duke, and Louisiana Tech.

Now, maybe the school overestimated the health of the program. Maybe it wasn’t a few offensive tweaks away. But that’s irrelevant now. The bottom line is the job that Diaz was hired to do either (1) never existed or (2) doesn’t exist now because he destroyed it.

To pretend like this was even within the realm of their wildest nightmares when they hired Diaz is disingenuous. There is no way they hire Diaz if they could go back a year knowing what they know now. Diaz is now tasked with a job that he was not hired to do, a complete rebuild of the program.

The Culture and the Standard

One of the ironies of this season as it devolved into failure was Diaz commenting on the culture of the program. Who allowed a WR that quit on his team last year to come back, only to have to suspend him again? Who rode in a yacht? Who crashed another coach’s clinic? Who said 7-5 is unacceptable and then started making excuses for losses? Who invented the Turnover Chain and Touchdown Rings? This is Manny Diaz’s culture, and his complete lack of self-awareness about his central role in creating the culture he now decries is galling.

But the Athletic Department shares the most culpability for the current state of affairs. As much as we were all happy to hear that Dan Enos was going to be coaching his last game in the Independence Bowl, who in the hell leaked that a few hours before kickoff?

Likewise, who is feeding crap to Barry Jackson trashing players, talking about who needs to be shoved out of the program and how they need grad transfers to fix the program? Even if it is true, that stuff should actually be part of the “full assessment” and done behind closed doors. Using the media as a proxy to get messages out to pretend they care, often to the detriment of players, while the paid professionals have little to no accountability must stop. You cannot run a program where the second something goes wrong, everyone goes leaking to the press, publicly assigning blame to scapegoats.

The truth is that this is a program that has been resting on the accomplishments of those that built this program decades ago, trying to do just enough to not get screamed at by fans, with little regard for the standard which they purport to try to “get back” to.

But the only way “back” is to actually accept their culpability in how we arrived here. The standard is no longer about winning championships, because Blake James changed the standard.

  • He can tweet about “#BuildingChampions” but there are no championships.
  • He can say that 6 wins fell below expectations but Al Golden went 6-7 in Year 4 and was back for Year 5.
  • In fact, in 3 out of Al Golden’s 4 full years as head coach, he won 7 or fewer games.

The second James accepted all of that, there was a new “standard.” He lowered our standards, and lowered them to the point that he actually has a canned “we just stunk in a bowl game after winning fewer games than expected” press release. That is the definition of the standard.

So when Blake James talks about the standard, I frankly have no idea what the bleep he is talking about because he has been a senior member of the Athletic Department for almost a decade, including AD for most of that time, and it’s pretty clear that this year’s performance is perfectly acceptable to him since he has accepted it from multiple coaches. 

A Path Forward

So, do we give up? As negative as I’ve been, the answer is no.

Should Diaz have been stolen back from Temple as a first time head coach? Should he retain his job now? Irrelevant, because those decisions have already been made.

The question we’re now faced with is whether Diaz can change. And in this, we have no evidence that he cannot, which means there is reason for hope. 

Blake James was not wrong in stating that there needs to be a “full assessment” of the football program. But what does that look like? Diaz needs to account for everything that happened from the second he accepted the job to the second the Louisiana Tech game ended. Work through what worked, what didn’t, why it didn’t work, and most importantly, what he is going to do differently.

A lot of this will be hard on Diaz, in particular as he looks at his own missteps, some of which were quite public and extremely embarrassing in hindsight. He chose to coach at the University of Miami not because it is easy, but because it is hard. 

It’s time for him to do the hard work of creating the culture and standard that the hashtags pretend to care about.

Yes, assistant coaches will change, but everything Diaz does sets the tone for the program. When he came in and fired the entire offensive staff, he sent a message that the offense was the only problem. That’s fine for a defensive coordinator, it’s not fine for a head coach. His hiring of Enos was a classic first time head coaching mistake where he brought someone in that thought he was smarter than everyone else on the staff and should be the head coach himself (see Shannon-Whipple for previous examples).

You win and lose as a team and everyone has to be under no illusion of who is in charge, and that’s Manny Diaz. So, as he assembles his 2.0 staff, a lot of attention needs to be paid to chemistry across the offense and defense. How does the collective staff work together? Are they marching to the beat of the same drum? Does every coach understand his responsibilities and that Manny is calling the shots? And under no circumstances does anyone, ever, publicly criticize a player. If the staff is cohesive, if they actually like working together, the program becomes a much more enjoyable place to be, and the players have a better chance of success.

These lessons were paid for in embarrassing losses, but if they were learned, and if they are grown from, Manny Diaz can steer this ship back on track. He has the opportunity in front of him. But he must demand perfection from himself, from those around him, from those working from him, and ultimately, from his boss. Reset the standard, learn from this year’s false start, and move forward from there. Anything else will ultimately result in failure.

If you asked me a year ago if Gino DiMare would have the Canes as a Top 5, National Championship contender, I would have said no. Maybe Diaz can surprise us. I choose to believe that Diaz can accomplish this not because he has shown he can, but because, possibly in my own naivety, I still believe in the ability of anyone, in particular someone new to a role, to change and to grow from mistakes. The speed and nature of that growth will ultimately determine whether this year was a series of rookie mistakes on the way to ultimate greatness or a series of red flags that ultimately lead to failure.

Miami Dolphins: Mike Gesicki is finding his groove, making an impact

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Mike Gesicki emerging as a viable target for the Miami Dolphins.

Sunday’s win over the Cincinnati Bengals was a big one. It may have been to the dismay of some, but it provided certain players with the opportunity to shine. One player who competed at a high level was tight end Mike Gesicki.

After not producing at the beginning of the season, he has finally found his groove. Sunday against Cincinnati was proof of that. He caught six passes for 82 yards and two touchdowns. Averaging 13.7 yards per catch, a 31-yard grab was his longest of the afternoon.

The Penn State product recorded 22 catches for 202 yards last season. He has surpassed those numbers this season. Catching 47 passes for 536 yards and four touchdowns, he has begun to find his groove. What has been most impressive is his impact when he gets touches. He has 23 receptions that have gone for a first down this season. That certainly indicates he is reliable when called upon.

It’s interesting to look at how far he has come over the past couple of games. In back-to-back contests in September, he was barely noticeable. He caught one pass on two targets for 11 yards against New England on September 15. He caught all three passes thrown his way, but for only nine yards against Dallas on September 22. It was looking like the tight end position would be a non-factor for the Miami Dolphins.

Winds of change for Gesicki, Miami Dolphins

However, as soon as Fitzpatrick took over in October, we saw an increase in Gesicki’s numbers. The Miami Dolphins have done a nice job of getting the tight end position involved, and it’s paying off for them. Sunday was an example of that. This was the Mike Gesicki people saw at Penn State. After having such an up-and-down season last year, it would have been easy to predict that he would have a sophomore slump. Instead, he is playing at a high level.

What he is doing this season should set him up nicely for 2020. He is proving to be a consistent target for Miami. If he can carry this momentum over to next season, I could see at least 1,000 yards in his future. With how the young receivers  emerged at different points throughout the season, having a viable tight end could be crucial for the Miami Dolphins.

Dolphins celebrate after a touchdown against the Bengals. (Tony Capobianco for Five Reasons Sports)

Pressure Point: Dolphins win … and lose in tanking masterpiece

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MIAMI GARDENS — Based on Sunday’s home finale, it might appear the Miami Dolphins have found the sort of quarterback they’ve been seeking.

That was Ryan Fitzpatrick putting up Marino-esque numbers in Sunday’s 38-35 overtime win over the defenseless Cincinnati Bengals: 419 yards passing (31-of-52) and four touchdowns.

Fitzpatrick has the arm and charisma to build a winning team around. Too bad he’s 37.

Ironically, by replacing Josh Rosen with Fitzpatrick in the second half against the Redskins on Oct. 13 and keeping the veteran as the starter since, coach Brian Flores sabotaged the Dolphins’ chance of having the pick of the quarterback litter in next April’s draft.

The question of who wanted it more Sunday seemed obvious from the start. The one-win Bengals left no doubt they were locked in on the No. 1 draft pick by giving up touchdowns on Miami’s first two drives.

But then the Dolphins squandered a 23-point lead in the final 6 ½ minutes of regulation to turn this into a tanking masterpiece.

1972 Dolphins undefeated, feistier than ever

Win hurts draft position

Oddly, this was Bottom of the Barrel Week, with the four worst teams in the NFL matched up in separate games. Both went into overtime by identical 35-35 scores. The Giants prevailed over the Redskins just as the Dolphins and Bengals were beginning their extra session.

As far as draft positioning, the win was costly to the Dolphins. Improving to 4-11 dropped them to the fifth spot at least temporarily, pending the outcome of the Detroit-Denver game, with next week’s trip to New England remaining for Miami.

Actually, I’m fine with that, being of the opinion it is never a good idea to accept losing. It can be a tough habit to break.

Still, it is difficult to know what to take from this most perplexing Dolphins season.

The promising development is that the Dolphins may have finally found the right coach. Evidence is building in that direction, and being recognized outside of Miami.

Flores gaining support

On Sunday, the CBS analysts gave an endorsement of Flores, with Bill Cowher saying, “He has got these guys playing really, really hard. That speaks volumes about him as a coach.”

Regardless of upper management’s motives in stripping down the roster in rebuilding mode, Flores always insisted that his sole focus was on winning. His players love him for it.

“From Day 1, no matter what changes, no matter what happens to our team, he always said we’re going to go out there and try to win every game. … He’s a class act. All of us believe it. He’ll look you straight in the eye and tell us we’re going to get the job done. We’re going to give every chance we can to win. He really showed us.”

Flores certainly has gotten a lot out of a thread-bare roster that has been like a turnstile throughout the season. Some 80 players have been active at one time or another.

What remains to be seen is what he can do with a more talented team — when letting a 23-point lead evaporate is viewed as inexcusable.

Too soon to draw conclusions on coach

Can Flores achieve a winning blend and elevate the collective to championship contention?

Remember, there were indications Adam Gase was the answer after going 10-6 and taking the Dolphins to the playoffs in his first season.

There is a lot to admire about Flores, particularly his conviction about shaping a team and leading it in his own way. His best achievement this season was keeping the team from becoming dispirited among all the losing. He vowed they’d remain competitive, and they have been.

These Dolphins have gone from unwatchable at the beginning of the season to fairly entertaining. That is a credit to Flores and his staff.

But there are things to question in his methods and handling of players. Last week Flores spoke about adjusting schemes to get the most out of talented players.

“If we’ve got a good player, we’ll make it work for said player,” Flores said. “Yeah, if Lawrence Taylor was available and we had to fit the scheme for him, we would do it. So yeah, no problem.”

Nonetheless, he didn’t do that for talented young safety Minkah Fitzpatrick or running back Kenyan Drake, both of whom are having eye-openings seasons since being traded away.

So, it is premature to conclude that Flores is the answer for the Dolphins.

Extra picks provide options

Of greater concern is whether GM Chris Grier is able to make the draft picks and signings needed to get the rebuild headed in the right direction. He does have 17 draft picks over the next two years (three first-rounders in 2020) and will have more than $100 million in cap space going into the next signing period.

But look at the past couple of drafts and realize there will be plenty of misses and that it will be a huge task to restock this roster. And no guarantee the drastic measure of the teardown will break the Dolphins out of decades of mediocrity.

Tight end Mike Gesicki, their second-round pick in 2018, did have his first multi-touchdown day Sunday, and their top pick this year, defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, had a sack and caught a 1-yard touchdown pass after lining up as a blocking back. So that’s encouraging.

Note that even with the tanking strategy going a bit off the rails, they still may have a chance to draft the quarterback they were believed to covet: Tua Tagovailoa. That is, if the Alabama quarterback is deemed on track in recover from his hip injury and decides to enter the draft.

FitzMagic fine for short term

Whether taking a chance on Tua or some other quarterback prospect, they will have some time to get him ready to start.

Look for the Dolphins to go into next season with ol’ FitzMagic, who has been nothing short of a marvel as a starter for his eighth NFL team this season.

“It’s exciting every week because he plays with such joy,” center Daniel Kilgore said of Ryan Fitzpatrick. “You can just see, he loves the game. For him to be as old as he is, still going out and running around and making throws and doing things that normal people can’t do, it’s pretty exciting.

“I love to play for him. He loves his teammates, he loves the staff. He’s an awesome leader. He’s probably the top five for me as far as teammates of all time.”

Fitzpatrick certainly isn’t the elusive quarterback of the future they’ve been seeking. But the Dolphins are quite fortunate to have him right now, even if he has them winning too much for their own (draft) good.

Craig Davis has covered South Florida sports and teams, including the Dolphins, for four decades. Follow him on Twitter @CraigDavisRuns

Larry Csonka, left, and Larry Little join in celebration of the 1972 Dolphins being chosen as the NFL's greatest team. (Craig Davis/Five Reasons Sports)

Pressure Point: ’72 Dolphins undefeated, feistier than ever

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MIAMI GARDENS

An hour before the How Low Can You Go Bowl, and just how far the Miami Dolphins have fallen was exemplified by a gathering outside Hard Rock Stadium.

Cue, Springsteen’s “Glory Days” in your head.

The song is ancient, and so are these gray-haired men in aqua blazers gathered yet again Sunday to take a bow for what they achieved nearly half a century ago.

But the years haven’t diminished the accomplishment of the 1972 Dolphins, who went 17-0 on the way to winning the first of back-to-back Super Bowl titles. As part of ‘NFL 100 Greatest’ celebration of the league’s first century, those undefeated Dolphins were chosen as the greatest team.

They celebrated with a champagne toast at halftime of Sunday’s game between the lowly 2019 Dolphins facing the even lowlier Bengals.

Likewise, the passage of time hasn’t diminished the passion of the players who achieved it.

On being greatest team: ‘We took it’

That was evident when never-give-an-inch fullback Larry Csonka was asked about the honor.

“No, no, the NFL did not name us the greatest team, we took the god-damned thing. I’m tired of people telling me how they named us. They named us shit! We took it,” Csonka barked.

Then he smiled and added, “I don’t have any emotional response to that.”

Considering that other rankings of greatest teams have snubbed the Perfect Season Dolphins in favor of Bears and Steelers and Patriots champions that followed in other eras, was Csonka surprised the NFL chose to put them at the top this time?

“No. I’m not surprised,” he said, then became animated again. “Fellas, you’re missing the whole point. It’s a team sport. When you achieve perfection there is no single entity that leads in that perspective. You don’t have the leading rusher, you might not have the leading wide receiver, you might not have the leading tackler in the game.

“The fact of the matter is that you concentrate more on winning than individual performance. So when you talk about great entities in the league, those are detrimental to the winning aspect because you become one dimensional.

“So if you all work together and don’t let your egos get in the way, which is easy when [coach Don] Shula has his foot up your butt, then, and only then, you may attain a perfect season.”

Tanking is an illusion

For awhile early this season it appeared the current Dolphins might pursue absolute imperfection in aiming for a winless season for the chance to pick at the top of the draft. Instead, they came into Sunday’s game at 3-11 against the 1-13 Bengals, who had a virtual lock on the top pick in the 2020 draft.

As to be expected, the notion of a team built to lose is anathema to the Perfect Dolphins.

“That’s not an idea, that’s an illusion,” former running back Mercury Morris said. “… They’re dreaming now to think that you can take and lose a game and then therefore next year that’s going to help you win and make you more competitive. That can’t happen that way.

“You should be able to take who you have and cultivate what you’ve got and make that into your team.”

Admiration for Patriots

Morris pointed to the model of that in the present NFL.

“I like the New England Patriots because they’re the most competitive team that’s out there. … I have the utmost respect for the Patriots team because they’re closer to us … in terms of their respect for the game and how they can take whatever they have and win. Everybody else is chasing that.”

As for the Dolphins’ ambitions of reprising “Glory Days,” Morris suggested the current strategy is pure gamble.

“I hope all these draft picks they have that they’re going to get from trading away all their good players. I hope those dice work,” he said. “Because that’s what it is. It’s a flip of a coin.”

Craig Davis has covered South Florida sports and teams, including the Dolphins, for four decades. Follow him on Twitter @CraigDavisRuns

Houtz Special: Are the Dolphins preparing Josh Rosen to start in 2020?

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Could Josh Rosen be the Dolphins starting QB in 2020?

The 2019 season is quickly coming to an end. And with two games left to be played, most focus is now directed towards the 2020 offseason. An offseason, that many believe to be the most critical in franchise history. After all, Miami has upwards of $120-million and 15 draft picks at their disposal. What they do with them, remains the million-dollar question. More so, how will Chris Grier and his motley crew of NFL personal approach the most important position in football?

The quarterback.

Earlier this week, Jake Mendel took a look at some of the top available veteran QBs that could be available on the market. And for those paying attention at home, we’ve updated our 2020 QB tracker throughout the season. That can be found HERE. You can also expect to see several breakdowns throughout the offseason from me, as I introduce a new draft series on FiveReasonsSports.com

However, aside from countless prospects and veteran options, there’s one thing that many people refuse to buy into. And that is this- Josh Rosen, 2020 starting QB.

In Josh Rosen We Trust?

By now, we all know why Rosen isn’t starting for the Dolphins. Truth is, everyone in Miami is willing to put their body on the line for Fitzpatrick. And while this can be viewed as a knock towards the 22-year old QB, I fail to see it. Rosen is sitting behind a guy that’s played in the NFL for 15 years. A 37-year old journeyman that leads by example and does all the right things in the huddle. It took Rodgers many years before he got his opportunity. The same with Brady in New England. 

Maybe Rosen will never be the QB many scouts and experts believed he would be. Then again, maybe he just needs time. Perhaps, Rosen just needed a year to learn how to identify the mic LB, offensive line protections, and watch one of the NFL’s true leaders–command a locker room of young players, in a tumultuous season.

Before the trade to Miami, writers tried to push an agenda that Rosen had character issues and his personality wouldn’t fit in Miami.

Say what?

When asked if he was disappointed he is not starting for the Dolphins, Rosen gave this mature response.

“No. I mean ‘Fitz’ hasn’t done anything to lose the starting position thus far, so I don’t see why anything would change. I obviously would love to play if (Head) Coach (Brian Flores) called me up, but that’s not my decision and I think ‘Fitz’ has been doing a hell of a job considering all of the circumstances that have been going on this year.”

2020 is a unique year for the Dolphins and what many-including myself-deem as the most important in franchise history. No, Miami won’t be playoff contenders in 2020. They might not be much better than the record they currently have. But Rome wasn’t built in a day. Chris Grier and his staff have the resources. Now, they just need to find Miami’s QB of the future.

So again, what if that QB is already on the roster?

Maybe, they’ll draft Tua Tagovailoa or Jordan Love. Maybe, they’ll wait until next season with their eyes set on the 2021 class. But one thing we do know is that they WILL be drafting a QB. Grier and his staff will be turning over every stone, in hopes of finding the next Dan Marino. I’m confident Rosen is not the next Marino. But with a second-round pick already invested, why give up now? Why give up on a QB that is younger than LSU’s Joe Burrow? A QB that for the first time in many years, could be heading into next season with a familiar face at OC.

Rosen has plenty of flaws, as do we all. But many QBs throughout the history of the NFL needed time to develop. They needed time ‘for the NFL game to slow down’.

I wasn’t at training camp. But everything I saw throughout preseason told me Rosen looked to be not far behind Fitzpatrick, at least from a skill’s standpoint. But not even I can argue how much better Miami’s offense looked when Fitzpatrick took over vs Washington. Maybe, Rosen wasn’t ready. After all, he was thrown into the fire as a rookie in Arizona. And then again this season in Miami, behind the worst offensive line in football. Anyone would be nearing their breaking point. Coach Flores says that he continues to get better every day in practice and honestly, how bad could it be if they start Rosen and history repeats itself?

Maybe Rosen will be on the roster in 2020 and maybe he won’t. But Brian Flores had this very telling quote from earlier in the week.

From meetings to walkthroughs to all of the preparation, as a coaching staff, we’re with them on a daily basis and I think we have a good feel for what that is. To answer your question, for Josh and the steps he’s got to take, I think he’s taken those steps. I think in due time, he’ll get his opportunity.”

Could 2020 be the year of The Chosen One? Time will tell.

 

This article was written by Josh Houtz (@houtz) who refuses to give up hope on Josh Rosen.

 

 

Chris Grier isn't a perfect general manager, but he does not deserve to be fired.

Jake’s Take: Which veteran quarterback makes the most sense for the Miami Dolphins?

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Could a veteran quarterback be the right route for the Dolphins?

After a season of “tank for Tua” chants we are starting to get clarity on the 2020 draft class. There are concerns swarming around Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa. Not only does teams have to worry about his hip, but now he may not even declare for the 2020 draft. 

The Dolphins have shown what Brian Flores, Chad O’Shea and the coaching staff is capable of with a few wins. It meant Miami lost a chance at Heisman winner Joe Burrow, who will likely go to the Bengals first overall.

Our thoughts on the draft class have changed since week one. That is why it is important to let a season play out. Mock drafts have the Dolphins taking Tagovailoa, but he may need more than a year to recover. Brian Flores, as recently as Monday, said that his team is determined to win football games.

Miami could invest a valuable first round pick on a huge risk like Tagovailoa or reach at someone like Justin Herbert. Another thought that has flown through the thought tank of the fanbase (aka Twitter) is pursuing a veteran quarterback.

The Dolphins have moved the ball well with Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback. For the sake of this argument, let’s say Fitzpatrick is an average quarterback. We’ve seen a handful of 20-point games. We’ve seen what an elite receiver DeVante Parker is capable of, in an offensive that isn’t run by Adam Gase.

What if, instead of forcing a quarterback in the 2019 draft, the Dolphins move around to not only replenish picks for 2020 and solidify the roster with roughly five of the first 64 picks of the 2020 draft? Could the Dolphins roster a competitive team that is capable of returning to the hunt?

Fans threw around Cam Newton’s name. Newton made his money with his legs and his struggled with an ankle injury over the last two seasons. He is on the books for $18 million next year, which would be pocket change for a Dolphins team that will have over $100 million in cap space? However, Chad O’Shea needs an accurate quarterback that can make throws over the top and outside of the markers, making a 31-year-old Cam Newton a tough fit.

What about Tom Brady? He has history with just about everyone in Miami. A six-time super bowl champion and arguably the best quarterback of all time. Brady will be 43 years old next season and is currently trucking through one of his worst seasons as a pro.

There was a rumor that the Miami Dolphins tried to trade for Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford before the 2018 season under Gase.   

Fast forward to today and the Detroit Lions have lost seven-straight games. Yes, Stafford was lost for the season in November, but he was balling out before the injury. Fitzpatrick has thrown for more than 280 yards four times this year. Stafford, on the other hand, has thrown for more than 340 yards four times this year. He finished with 19 touchdowns to just five interceptions through eight games.

Not only does Stafford share some of the traits of Fitzpatrick in terms of playing style, but the Lions may look to hit the reset button with a record of 3-10-1 and “sell the team” signs floating around the stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The best way to rebuild is to ship off a veteran quarterback and embrace a movement. They could speed up the process by engaging in trade talks with the Dolphins, who have a war chest of picks and can likely supply the best value. It is important to keep in mind that this doesn’t necessarily mean multiple first round picks or even a single first-round pick. Miami’s draft capital is more than most other teams.

Miami will draft a quarterback at some point in time. However, Brian Flores has proven himself in 2019 without much help on either side of the ball.

A veteran quarterback like Stafford may be a good option to help stabilize the franchise being under contract through 2022. The move gives Miami’s front office enough time to find the right quarterback, and more importantly, remain competitive.

Miami may decide it doesn’t want to make a big more for a quarterback and remain with Ryan Fitzpatrick. He has done more than enough in 2019 without a lot of help. Not only does the locker room love him, but he has made the Dolphins a fun team. 

Running it back with Fitzpatrick and some shinny new toys from the draft. Miami will add some depth in free agency, which could be just what this team means. However, it is interesting to take off the realistic glasses. Especially when jumping into the Madden trade machine and looking at ways the Dolphins could build a team that could bring Miami a playoff contender.

Dolphins

Fresh Perspective: Top 5 keepers for the Dolphins 2020 season

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It’s no secret that there’s going to be a lot of turnover for the Miami Dolphins come 2020. The 2019 roster is universally considered to be one of the worst NFL rosters in history. Any hope of a return to the playoffs means a roster overhaul is crucial. However, this does not mean there isn’t some talent worth retaining going into the future. Not counting the obvious choices like Jerome Baker and Xavien Howard, of course.

Brian Flores and his coaching staff have done an excellent job of developing what little talent is available. Thus, it’s time to go over the top five players worth keeping around for further development in 2020 and beyond.

Nik Needham – CB

If there is anyone who’s deserving of a roster spot based on improvement alone, it’s cornerback Nik Needham. Needham went from an undrafted free agent out of UTEP to Miami’s best (available) cornerback in 2019. Obviously, he doesn’t compare to Xavien Howard, but Needham is on the field while Howard is on injured reserve. Therefore, technically, Needham is the best. Is that saying much considering the talent on defense? Yes and no.

Remember where Needham came from. During the preseason, Needham notoriously made error after error. Everyone watched it happen. Social media lit up with cries for Needham to be cut immediately. Yet, the Dolphins coaching staff deemed it necessary to keep him around, and it turns out they were right to do so.

Needham has come alive with the experience he’s gained this season. He only has one interception all season, and he has made a few mistakes here and there, but teams haven’t had nearly as much success throwing in his direction as they did earlier this season.

Is Needham worthy of being named the starter opposite Xavien Howard next season? Definitely not. He still has a lot of growing to do before he gets to that point. However, in the modern NFL, a stacked secondary is crucial for success. Should something happen to the starters next season, Miami could do much, much worse than Needham.

Credit the Dolphins coaching staff for seeing what fans and media could not.

Patrick Laird – RB

Out of all the undrafted free agents Miami signed this year, Laird is possibly the one with the least fanfare. Laird came out of Cal as a solid runner, but with no traits that made him stand out physically. He doesn’t boast blistering speed, he can’t run people over with raw power, and he doesn’t have the ability to make people miss with shifty moves.

Or at least, that’s what everyone assumed when he came out. While Laird isn’t wowing people with physical gifts, his pure effort each time he gets the ball makes up for his lack of overall talent. Laird, in many ways, is the physical embodiment of Brian Flores’s “Takes No Talent” philosophy.

Not only has Laird won the hearts of fans, there was also a distinct difference in results running the ball when Laird took over for the injured Kalen Ballage. There was hope Ballage would be able to develop into something special, but so far that doesn’t seem to be the case. Laird displays vision that Ballage doesn’t have, taking what’s given to him rather than forcing something that isn’t there.

Now the same question asked of Nik Needham needs to be asked of Laird. Does he have what it takes to be a starting running back in the NFL? Some have said he could be a poor man’s Christian McCaffrey. Given just how good McCaffrey is, that’s a bit of a stretch. Comparisons to Danny Woodhead, however, are much easier to swallow. They’re also more accurate.

Laird can definitely contribute in 2020, and he almost certainly will. But that doesn’t mean Miami will be content to use him as the starter next season. Laird will be a change of pace back, letting someone else take charge. Unless he can somehow continue developing further.

John Jenkins – DT

Basically the only veteran on this list, John Jenkins has turned out to be more of a contributor than anyone expected. Between he and LB Raekwon McMillan, Miami’s run defense up the middle has been solid these past few weeks. Having a nose tackle like Jenkins is a major boon to the defense, giving the Dolphins someone they can count on to handle two blockers at once.

By the start of the 2020 season, Jenkins will be 31 years old, and he’s a free agent after this season. Jenkins should still be a relatively cheap option for Miami to re-sign if they decide not to focus on DT in the draft.

Of course, being cheap isn’t necessarily something the Dolphins need to worry about, given they’re projected to have more salary cap space than they’ll know what to do with in 2020, with room to make even more by cutting/trading dead weight. They could easily look elsewhere and sign the likes of Danny Shelton for a little extra.

But Jenkins is more than sufficient at a fraction of the cost. If Miami is smart, they’ll sign Jenkins to another deal in the offseason and let him keep clogging up the lanes on running downs. He and McMillan already make a formidable duo, why mess that up?

Vince Biegel – LB

If there’s any question about who won the trade between Miami and New Orleans, here’s a tip for you: It’s the Dolphins. While Alonso offered support when the ball was right in front of him, he struggles when in coverage. Biegel, on the other hand, is proving to have a lot more to offer in the versatility department.

Biegel is relentless when attempting to rush the passer, he can go sideline to sideline, and his coverage ability – so far, at least – far outweighs that of Alonso’s. That alone makes this trade a win for Miami.

Versatility is key in the Dolphins defense, which makes Biegel a valuable commodity worth retaining. Come 2020, it would not come as a surprise to see Miami offer him a new contract to stick around and continue bringing his gritty, effort-fueled level of play to the team.

Is he likely to become a superstar anytime soon? Not at all. But once again, it’s incredibly important to have depth and solid role players all throughout the roster. When injuries hit, and the race to the playoffs heats up, it’s the teams who have depth to fill in the holes left behind that ultimately come out on top.

Taco Charlton – DE

The final player who needs to be a keeper from 2019 on is defensive end Taco Charlton. Now before anyone says Josh Rosen should be the last person on the list, you’re right. He should be on the list. However, Rosen staying goes without saying. So it doesn’t need to be said. Charlton, on the other hand, isn’t a shoe-in to stay. He should be though.

Charlton got picked up off waivers from the Dallas Cowboys back in September. Since then, he leads the team in sacks with a total of five. That isn’t nearly the same impact that Robert Quinn has had with Dallas since being traded there (9.5 sacks in 11 games), but it’s certainly more than first-round pick Charles Harris has ever done for the Dolphins.

That being said, Charlton was recently benched as “part of the gameplan,” according to head coach Brian Flores. Then defensive line coach Marion Hobby stated that Charlton needs to be more consistent against the run. So clearly, Charlton is contributing more than Harris, but he has work to do to keep improving. He most definitely is not the answer to Miami’s pass rush problems.

But Charlton is cheap labor for 2020. At the very least, his contributions are about on par with veteran Andre Branch, who thrived in a reserve role while with the Dolphins, but fell off as soon as he was asked to take on more responsibility. Having Charlton as a backup pass rusher at DE would be the ideal scenario, and hopefully Miami feels the same way.

Luis Sung has covered the Miami Dolphins for numerous outlets such as Dolphins Wire for six years. Follow him on Twitter: @LuisDSung

Houtz Special: From the depths of the chart, our Laird has risen

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With Kalen Ballage on IR, it is now time for Dolphins’ rookie running back Patrick Laird to become the savior we have long hoped for.

 The Miami Dolphins have been exceptionally bad at running the football in 2019. So bad, that the team is currently ranked dead last in the NFL—averaging 62.8 yards per game. Now, a lot of that can be accredited to the offensive line. However, a large portion of the blame can also be placed on second-year RB Kalen Ballage. After all, with Ballage now headed to IR, he finishes the season in the NFL record books, but not in a good way.

That’s right, folks. Ballage is the FIRST player in NFL history to finish the season with 60+ carries and an average of fewer than 2 yards per carry.

So, where do the Dolphins go from here?

Well, for starters the team just signed veteran RB Zach Zenner. They’ve also been very vocal about their plan to get rookie Myles Gaskin more involved. But the real talent in the Dolphins backfield and the player most fans are excited to see forge a role in O’Shea’s offense is The Intern, Patrick Laird. After all, his skill-set fits the mold of a New England-style RB. Laird is good at pass pro and can be a valuable asset in the passing game. He works hard every day and does all the little things right. He is a football player and one the Dolphins look forward to getting involved early and often vs New York.

In 2019, Laird has played only 89 offensive snaps and only touched the football 28 times this season. However, last week vs Philadelphia, Laird saw an uptick in production and scored his first career NFL touchdown. He then followed it up with a successful two-point conversion, the perfect scenario for a guy that many teams were scared to draft. His 14 touches and 42 offensive snaps (59%) indicate that he should get another chance to shine for the Jets this weekend.

Patrick Laird’s first career TD

Maybe, we’re getting a bit carried away about Laird. After all, he was an undrafted rookie from California. But then again, maybe we’re not. Laird once caught 48 consecutive targets at California. He’s an upgrade over the RBs Miami continued to trot out for much of the 2019 season. Best of all, he’s young and hungry. He also got quite a sense of humor. Earlier this week, he appeared on a Daily Fantasy podcast to discuss his growing success among fantasy owners.

The link to this podcast can be found HERE.

He also reflected on how he got his nickname, The Intern when he met with South Florida media yesterday afternoon.

 “So the story is I walked into the cafeteria that we have. I sit down with one of the operations guys and with him are some operations interns that were here during training camp. So I’m just talking and asking these guys questions. They’re all still in college and they’re undergrads, so I’m asking them what they like to do, what brought them here, how their time is going here, and then one of them goes: ‘So what do you do here?’

Oh, I’m on the team.’ And he was really apologetic. I didn’t take it – I wasn’t offended in any way. I thought it was funny, so I told that story to the team when I got called up one time, because they have the rookies come up during training camp just to entertain the team. So I told that story and people thought it was funny. Then the offensive coaches have been calling me that just for fun. They know I don’t take offense to it, so I think it’s funny. Then ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) mentioned that to the color commentator or the TV guys at some point. So they got a hold of it.”

No one knows how the reps will be divided in the Dolphins’ backfield moving forward. But Laird deserves a bulk of the opportunities. Sure, he may not be a three-down RB but he has done enough to be one of Miami’s RBs in 2020 and beyond. Remember Danny Woodhead? That is who I believe Laird best resembles, a faster, stronger Danny Woodhead. And for those that are old enough to remember, Woodhead was one of the league’s better pass-catching RBs for a short period of time.

Some may call Laird The Intern but the Dolphins defense has a much more fitting nickname for the rookie RB.

“Well the defensive side of the ball, I think they have a better nickname for me. They call me – the defensive guys – ‘White Lightning.’ Walt Aikens started that one.

We will see what White Lightning can do this week vs the New York Jets. Now if only the Dolphins can find their thunder because it appears they already have their lightning.

This article was written by Josh Houtz (@houtz) he believes in our Laird and Savior and has since the beginning of camp. Amen.

Jake’s Take: DeVante Parker shining after four seasons clouded by doubt

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After four seasons of underwhelming performances, injuries and benchings, wide receiver DeVante Parker is playing like a first round pick.

The Dolphins entered the 2015 draft needing a game-changing wide receiver. Parker was described as a player who can dominate with his 6’3” frame and 33-inch arm length. The Dolphins saw his strengths in performances against New York and Baltimore in his rookie season. He caught seven targets for 143 yards and two touchdowns in the two-game span.

Parker’s weaknesses were also on display. He struggled with injuries in his senior season at Louisville and quickly developed a reputation as an injury-prone receiver.

“I was perceived as a bust,” Parker said after Sunday’s win over the Eagles. “The thing has changed now.”

The Dolphins cleared out Adam Gase and his coaching staff after a disapointing 2018 season.

Owner Stephen Ross mentioned on how he wanted the Dolphins to build a team the right way. General Manager Chris Grier and coach Brian Flores spent the offseason searching for players with low risk and high potential — without breaking the bank. Despite remaining in Miami, it was a fresh start for Parker with a new coaching staff running the show in Miami.

“They gave me another chance,” Parker said. “They didn’t have to.”

After declining Parker’s fifth-year option, Miami signed the 6’3″ receiver to a new two-year deal worth $10 million with a team option for 2020.

After a bumpy start, Parker is showcasing top-tier talent.

Miami lost to the Chargers back on Sept. 29, but Parker had a solid day catching all four of his targets for 40 yards and a touchdown. It was followed by a 28-yard performance against Washington. However, Ryan Fitzpatrick entered the game late in the third quarter, Parker brought down a touchdown.

For just the second time in his career, he had touchdowns in back-to-back weeks.

While the performances were encouraging, it was a story that we’ve heard before. Nobody ever doubted Parker’s talent, it was the consistency that was questioned.

Parker provided an answer the following week with 55 yards and another touchdown against Buffalo on Oct. 10. For the first time in his career, Parker had touchdowns in three straight weeks. To put that into perspective, Parker played 24 games in the 2017-18 seasons and finished with a combined two touchdowns.

“He’s worked extremely hard,” coach Flores said. “This is very important to him. Football is very important to him. He’s a guy who puts the team first, and we’re really happy with the way he’s played in games; but also how he interacts with the team and how on a day-to-day basis, he’s really shown a professional approach to how to do this.”

The three-week stretch with touchdowns was a great sign for Parker. However, Parker was drafted in the first round because he is capable with much more. Parker entered Sunday’s game against the Eagles with at least 55 yards in seven-straight weeks. Keep in mind, he was yet to completely take over a game — like most scouts believed he was capable of.

To solidify his arrival of a top-tier receiver, Parker needed to dominate a game and that is just what he did against Philadelphia. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick connected with Parker for seven receptions on 10 targets for 159 yards and two touchdowns while averaging 22 yards per reception.

“It felt great. I’m still here,” Parker said. “I know I still have the ability to make plays and do whatever I can to help the team.”

“He’s been playing great all year,” tight end Mike Gesicki added. “I couldn’t be more happy for his because he’s taken a lot of criticism that he didn’t deserve in the past and he’s been making a ton of plays, so I’m really happy for him.”

Whether Parker has put it all together in his fifth season or offensive coordinator Chad O’Shea is using him correctly — it is time to view Parker as a top-tier receiver.

With four games still remaining in 2019 Parker has 53 receptions for 854 yards and six touchdowns. He is four receptions from topping his career high back in 2017 and has already secured a new high in both yards (previously 744) and touchdowns (four).

His most impressive stat highlights his consistency. Parker has converted 42 first downs in 2019, cracking his previous high of 34.

“As you get older in this league, you understand that those things are very important and that everything you do counts,” Flores said. “I think there’s a level of maturity that if you can – if we can get guys to mature as quickly as possible, that’s the goal for each staff on every team. I think he’s – I wasn’t here with him prior to this – my dealings with DeVante have been very good, and I think he’s really taken a professional approach and he’s done a very good job.”

It is hard to imagine Miami declining his 2020 player option. In fact, the Dolphins are projected to have over $100 million in cap space next season. Grier and the front office may look to lock up Parker as the team’s number-one receiver for years to come.

Whatever direction the Dolphins decide to go, it is safe to say that Parker has arrived as a top-tier receiver in the National Football League.