It wasn’t. Promise. But it was an unusual one. It wasn’t one Erik Spoelstra was expecting to hear. It wasn’t about rotations or expectations. It was about him. He detests questions about him. They typically make him fidget and fret. And he isn’t usually much of an enthusiast about this setting either, a radio or podcast interview, one that isn’t so scripted, one that isn’t bound by the usual time constraints of the conclusion of a practice or the commencement of a game.
The question came from an exchange at Miami Heat media day as Spoelstra sat down with the Five on the Floor podcast for a few minutes:
“Twenty-three years? Is it 23 years with this organization? Twenty-four?”
“I think I’m going on 25….”
“Was there ever a point — you just did a four-year deal, it actually amazes me that it got out that it’s a four-year deal, because your contract is like the most closely-guarded secret in sports…”
“Yeah…”
“But was there ever a point where, you’re like, OK, I’ve done this long enough? You’re the second longest tenured coach in the league, I think you’re four days ahead of Rick (Carlisle) in terms of being with one team….”
“Right…”
“Some teams have had 12 coaches in the time that you’ve been here. Was there ever a point where you’re like, this has been a great, maybe I need a break, maybe I need to do something else, you’ve got a child and another one on the way, was there ever a point where you thought maybe I’m not going to keep doing this right now?”
“Is that a trick question?”
“No, because I know how passionate you are about it, but anybody, a quarter-century in one place…”
“Yeah, not even a minute. Not even a minute. Literally. Ever. In my thought.”
Instead, he says he keeps thinking of how fortunate he is, and how prescient Micky Arison and Pat Riley were, when Spoelstra was but a video coordinator, not even knowing a ladder would be dropped at his feet for him to climb. How they created this culture he now calls himself a caretaker of: “I take that responsibility with great, great reflection.” How they set the stage for parades. How the stability has put the organization in position for another rapid rise.
But here’s what I keep thinking:
Spo is Spo again.
And not necessarily the one you know. I’ve always observed two Erik Spoelstras. There’s the one in front of the cameras, with the calculated clichés and half-clever catchphrases, offering just enough that reporters can use to get through the painfully awkward process without giving much away. The one who sounds a little like Pat Riley lite; I used to say that Spoelstra sometimes sounded like he was trying to slide into Riley’s old Armanis, only without the accompanying flashes of anger. That Spoelstra is calculated and occasionally cold.
Then there’s the Spoelstra on the side.
That person is warmer, the one who sends heartfelt messages to reporters who welcome a child or, in the worst case, lose one. My former colleague will never forget what Spoelstra did last year when that happened to him. That person is also infinitely more honest. And coarser. He doesn’t trash players. But he will give you more perspective, often in much more colorful language. That Spoelstra is real.
And that’s the Spoelstra we saw here Monday.
The one appearing entirely comfortable in his skin. The one who knows who he is now. The one who believes strongly in what his team can be. Some would say it’s the security of the four-year contract. Don’t think so. Security is not something he lacked anyway. If the Heat were ever silly enough to send him packing, he would be scooped up within seconds, probably with a bigger title in addition to coaching. Who knows, maybe someday Seattle will finally get a team, not far from his precious Portland. Maybe Dwyane Wade will buy a piece of that franchise, as Wade has often suggested. Maybe they’ll need a president of basketball operations. Maybe.
But there no maybes about this:
Spoelstra is energized in a way he hasn’t been.
If you speak to people inside the organization, people he has known forever, people he likes and who like him, they will tell you he was grumpier than usual the past couple of seasons. That he resisted the in-house promotional work more than usual. That he wasn’t smiling as much. That he wasn’t…. himself.
So this seemed to be worth another question:
“Just an observation. You seem really energized, about this team, about this season. Why?”
“I’m not sure. (Laughs). I’ve had a couple of people mention that to me in the last few weeks. But mention it in a different way. I felt like training camp was already here for me last month. I don’t know. It just feels, and I mentioned it in the presser, it just feels like an appropriate time to turn the page, and start a new chapter of Miami Heat life. With a new Miami Heat team. Even though we do have a lot of familiar faces back. We have enough influx of new faces, new energy, new opportunities with the way the league is right now. It just feels different than it has in the past. It doesn’t take anything away from our approach in the previous years at all.”
So, why, in more detail?
Here’s a stab at that.
He has a roster that makes sense, after trying to manage a muddled mess of similar skill sets with a screwed up salary scale the past two seasons. He isn’t saddled with competing organizational aims, where cases could be made to play certain players over more deserving ones to create value, where farewell tours for a legend and his fans sometimes took precedence over an uninhibited playoff push. He has a star who wants to be there, who “fits” the Heat way — his way — on and off the floor.; Spoelstra wants someone to challenge and who challenges him, and Jimmy Butler, his frequent dinner partner of late, is made to order for that. He has no clear problem children on the roster, least of all one making a max contract.
There’s no point in taking potshots at the departed Hassan Whiteside, who was introduced in Portland on Monday, and Spoelstra didn’t directly. But it did raise media members’ ungroomed eyebrows when Spoelstra noted, in reference to Butler, that the “most important relationship in the organization” is “between the highest-paid player and the coach”; Spoelstra never mentions salaries, and he could have said “best player,” but Whiteside, always moping, wasn’t really ever that. He also repeatedly referenced how Bam Adebayo, Whiteside’s ostensible replacement as the starting center, only cares about enhancing his teammates; Spoelstra never had an issue, incidentally, with whether Whiteside worked hard but, rather, whether Whiteside worked with.
So here we are.
He’s been here 25 years, during which time the Marlins, Dolphins, Panthers and Hurricanes have had 3,123,243 coaches, during which time this became a basketball town, during which time dynasties (even one here) have risen and fallen, during which time he’s risen from providing video to one of the game’s greatest coaches to servicing the consigliere to some of the game’s greatest players.
He is himself again. Only, more energized. Scarred from the past couple of years, but smarter. Secure, but just enough on edge, always.
And, so, the Miami Heat — his Miami Heat — are about to be the Miami Heat again.
Ethan J. Skolnick, who has covered the Miami Heat since 1996, will be writing a weekly (or more) column exclusively for FiveReasonsSports.com and Heat Maven called Season Ticket.
https://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/Spo-and-me-photo.jpg15042016Ethan Skolnickhttps://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/FiveReasonsWebsiteLogo.svgEthan Skolnick2019-10-01 08:49:542019-10-01 09:07:02Miami Heat Season Ticket: Erik Spoelstra has his team again
https://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/Jimmy-media-day-1.jpg15042016Ethan Skolnickhttps://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/FiveReasonsWebsiteLogo.svgEthan Skolnick2019-09-30 16:03:092019-09-30 18:08:15Miami Heat 2019 Media Day highlights
Our superfan, Kathleen Noa (@Kathleen_Noa) has a lot to say after the Miami Dolphins drop to 0-4 on the 2019 season, losing to the Los Angeles Chargers, 30-10.
MIAMI GARDENS – It must have been surreal for Josh Rosen. For a while Sunday, he actually had time to look for a receiver and throw without someone nasty in his face trying to crush him.
That was a rarity for him last year as a rookie with the Arizona Cardinals and previously this season with the Dolphins.
As to how the young quarterback might fare with reasonable protection, the indication was, pretty well.
That was particularly evident in the first half of the 30-10 loss to the Chargers when Rosen had a passer rating of 126.8 while completing 12 of 16 for 159 yards and a touchdown.
The sterling moment was the 34-yard touchdown pass to DeVante Parker that gave the Dolphins their first lead of the season at 7-3. The pocket was clean and he put the ball on the mark to Parker, who had slipped behind the coverage.
Some questionable decision-making would later mar the overall impression of Rosen somewhat. He finished the day with 180 yards and rating of 88.9.
But Rosen shows the instincts and ability to make strong and accurate throws down field that haven’t been seen in a Dolphins quarterback in years. It verifies that he is a real quarterback, not a converted wide receiver.
He isn’t the quarterback, though.
Not the one they are ultimately looking for. That guy is still in college playing for Alabama. It is difficult to foresee whatever Rosen might do the rest of this written-off season that would alter the objective of drafting Tua Tagovailoa.
That is, if they end up in position to draft him.
Here’s the worry for the tanking strategy: Rosen may not be their long-term answer, but he could prove too good for the objective of attaining the first overall pick in 2020.
Fortunately – for that line of thinking – the Dolphins’ defense is plenty bad enough. Defenseless Miami came into Sunday with a passer rating against of 139.1 (158.3 is the highest rating possible) over the first three games. Philip Rivers’ 131.9 PR on Sunday is par for what we’ve seen and can expect to continue.
Likewise, the second-half cave-ins of an overmatched team are showing no sign of ending. Being outscored 81-0 in the second half through four games is the most astounding of all the lopsided stats that have marked this inexplicable start to the season.
Revamped line surprises
There were encouraging signs earlier. The makeshift offensive line that was surprisingly competent in the first half, became less so as the game wore on.
But then, so was Rosen, who had a couple of notable unforced errors in the second half.
He wasn’t under pressure when he threw a sideline pass intended for Preston Williams, who wasn’t open, that was easy picking for Michael Davis in the fourth quarter.
“I just kind of hesitated a little bit. Just a couple of adjustments they made. I just made a real dumb decision,” he said.
Earlier, the heat was on when Rosen was nearly trapped for a safety. He did an admirable job of scrambling out of the end zone. Then, running to his right, he made another poor choice in taking the sack at the 1 when he could have simply tossed it out of bounds.
But there was also plenty to like in Rosen’s second start for the Dolphins and reason to believe he will get better.
“I’ve just got to not almost get a safety on the 1-yard line and understand the bigger scope of the game, the field position and just make smart plays,” Rosen said. “Then, the quick little screen out to my left, I should have just thrown it in the dirt instead of trying to run like an idiot playing high school football. [It was] just a lot of little things here and there, but I think we’ll improve and be better [after the bye week].”
Winnable games on schedule
The Dolphins are not the only team lost in the NFL shadows. Through the early games Sunday, they were just one of seven teams without a win this season.
Following its bye week, Miami will play host to one of them when the Redskins visit Hard Rock Stadium on Oct. 13.
Of the other currently winless teams, the Dolphins play the Steelers, Bengals and Jets (twice). And there are some other suspects on the remaining schedule as well (Colts, Giants, Eagles).
So as monumentally bad as the Dolphins have been – now outscored 163-26 – putting together an oh-fer season through 16 games seems unlikely.
So the vision of next year and who may be playing quarterback in Miami isn’t clear at all.
The paradox of this season is that long-suffering Dolphins fans who have accepted the rebuilding strategy may find themselves rooting against a second-year quarterback the team just traded a second-round draft pick to acquire in the interest of elevating next year’s first-round possibilities.
As for Rosen, he may not be Miami’s quarterback of the future, but he is in position to have a hand in determining who may or may not be.
Craig Davis has covered South Florida sports and teams, including the Dolphins, for four decades. Follow him on Twitter @CraigDavisRuns
More from Dolphin Maven
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https://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/rosen-podium-chargers.jpg14932000Craig Davishttps://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/FiveReasonsWebsiteLogo.svgCraig Davis2019-09-29 18:40:072019-09-29 18:41:03Given protection, Josh Rosen shows promise in second start
The Arizona Diamondbacks finished the 2019 season with a better record than the previous year thanks to the trades that were made before the season and during it.
During the trade deadline, the Diamondbacks sent their ace in Zack Greinke to Houston but potentially gained another one in Zac Gallen.
While the title of the ace doesn’t concern Gallen, he does in fact believe that he can do what the ace is expected to do on a consistent basis.
“When it’s your day to pitch, you’re the ace,” Gallen said.
Gallen finished his rookie season with a 2.81 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 80 innings but he never thought it would begin in Miami but end in Arizona. The weekend leading up to the trade deadline, Gallen was in the home dugout watching his Marlins dispatch the Diamondbacks 3-1 in a four-game series while wearing the 1997 World Series throwback threads.
Two days later, he joins them.
“It was kind of crazy,” Gallen said. “I was going in, getting ready. I pitched the night before so I was getting my flush run in. [Marlins pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr.] had called me into the office, thought we were going to go over last night’s outing which you usually do as a starter. And then we go to [Marlins manager Don Mattingly’s] office and I’m like, ‘alright, this is a little different.’ I’m sitting there and at first, I thought they were sending me down, it stinks, whatever, and as the conversation when on, [Marlins president of baseball operations] Michael Hill was like, ‘Hey, we actually made a move. We traded you.’
“It was a lot of nice stuff but at the time he didn’t say where I was going,” he added. After being told that he was going to Arizona, “The first thing that went to my head was I got to pack up my apartment, I gotta get ready to go so everything was a bunch of whirlwind emotions.”
After phone calls with his agent and Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen to sort out the travel plans, Gallen went from a young rebuilding team in the bottom of the standings to a slightly older team that was in the middle of the playoff hunt.
Despite the statistical strength he brought to the table, Gallen was once again the new guy and at the time felt more like a rookie than in Miami.
“I really didn’t know what to expect,” Gallen said. “I kinda kept to myself for a few days, just kinda saw how things were going. Guys were giving me some stuff about not talking or anything like that but it’s just my personality, kinda feel things out, what the deal is.”
The good news was that he was welcomed with open arms by the team.
“I think I was telling one of our veterans, Steven Souza Jr., I think it kinda helped that I came from the big leagues to the big leagues,” Gallen said. “A little bit of more credibility kind of deal.”
This was a season for Gallen to get his feet wet in the big leagues and be a part of the Marlins latest rebuild, that was until August and September came around and he found himself in a different black uniform on the other side of the country pitching in meaningful games as a key component of Arizona’s playoff chase. He recorded a 2.72 ERA in seven starts with the Marlins and a 2.89 ERA in eight starts with the Diamondbacks.
“I think it kind of elevated my performance a little bit more,” Gallen said, “just kind of brought even more of a competitive side out of me.”
So where does this leave the Marlins? It seems as if the Diamondbacks appear as a mirror image of what the Marlins may, or should, look like in the next phase of the rebuild plan. Arizona has a core of young players and a potential 1-2 punch on top of the rotation in Gallen and Luke Weaver, who came in the Paul Goldschmidt along with catcher Carson Kelly and recorded a 2.94 ERA in 12 starts. Gallen came to Miami as part of the Marcell Ozuna trade in the 2017 offseason and still believes that the Marlins are on their way.
“I think in Miami, they have a front office and staff that’s in place and gonna carry out the plan that they have,” Gallen said, “so in that sense, fans in Miami should 100 percent be in on the Marlins. I mean I’ve played with some of those guys who came up this year in [Triple-A] New Orleans and had some success in the big leagues and there are still guys that I haven’t played with this year in Double-A that are having really good years, had really good years. I think the fans should be excited. I think there’s a good system in place that’s gonna be fruitful in years to come.”
https://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC_0158-1-e1569745320558-scaled.jpg15362560Tony Capobiancohttps://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/FiveReasonsWebsiteLogo.svgTony Capobianco2019-09-29 05:52:012022-11-15 20:42:44From Miami to Arizona, Zac Gallen reflects on rookie season
The Miami Marlins sent three relievers to the Arizona Fall League and the trio has impressed so far. All three of them pitched a scoreless inning in their most recent appearance. Vincenzo Aiello, CJ Carter and Alex Vesia finished the minor league season in Double-A Jacksonville and have so far, combined to throw 13 strikeouts in 9 1/3 innings with only given up three runs.
Vesia is currently the best of the bunch with seven strikeouts in four perfect innings over three games. In the minor leagues, Vesia climbed up the ladder from Low A Clinton to High A Jupiter to Double-A Jacksonville, totaling 100 strikeouts in 66.2 innings with a 1.72 ERA.
https://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/Visla-scaled.jpg12762560Tony Capobiancohttps://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/FiveReasonsWebsiteLogo.svgTony Capobianco2019-09-27 03:20:562019-09-27 03:20:56Marlins pitching prospects thriving in Arizona Fall League
If you’ve just clicked on this because you’re curious as to my draft plans, welcome. If you’re joining me from my lengthy free agency plan, welcome back. The 2020 Miami Dolphins will be a blank slate in many regards. After a spending spree for the ages, Miami is recharged and ready for action in 2020. However, are they ready to compete for a Super Bowl? Stephen Ross wants Super Bowls, lots of them.
“What you want and what I want, is really sustained winning seasons and having an organization that is used to winning, because that’s what people in Miami expect.” Ross said back in December. “That’s what the fans want and the fans deserve. Basically, the thought is we’re going to look to really build this organization based on our needs and if it takes a year or so – two years, three years – we’re going to be there and we’re going to be an organization.”
That’s all well and good, but one free agency is not enough to build a contender. This team is going to be built through the draft. It will succeed or fail based on how the draft picks of the next two seasons and beyond develop. So with the abundance of draft picks at their disposal, who do the 2020 Miami Dolphins select?
This mock draft is from Fanspeak and is based on the difficult algorithm with Fanspeak’s most up to date draft board and draft positions as of September 25, 2019. Of course, things will change as the season progresses, but that’s the fun of it all, isn’t it? So as of Week 3 of the 2019 season, this is what I managed to come up with. If you feel a certain player won’t be available at the position they’re taken in, then blame the algorithm.
2020 Miami Dolphins Draft
Round 1, 1st overall – Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa
There are some of you reading this now and thinking to yourself, “but this guy hates Tua! Why would he pick him?”
First of all, as I’ve made it clear already, I don’t hate Tua Tagovailoa. I hate the hype that is surrounding him through no fault of his own. More on that here. It would be foolish to pretend that Tua doesn’t bring something special to the table, otherwise fans of several QB needy teams wouldn’t be fighting over him. In just four games this year, Tua has completed 87 passes on 112 attempts, amounting to a stunning 77.7 completion percentage.
His other stats? 1,300 yards, 17 touchdowns, and zero interceptions. Zero. Interceptions. And, to make that 17 touchdown stat even more impressive, he only has a total of 25 incomplete passes so far. That’s unheard of.
Here’s Tua Tagovailoa talking to me for @gridiron a little earlier about whether he’s heard about “Tanking for Tua”, what his teammates think, and the fact he says he has “ten games” before he can think about all that. An indicator of his future plans? https://t.co/dO1I9PwX2s
Tua isn’t the consensus top QB of 2020 yet. There are some holding out hope for the likes of Justin Herbert, Jake Fromm or Jordan Love. Perhaps, the Dolphins will draft one of them when the time comes. There’s no way to know their plans until they come to fruition. But based on hype and the production on the field, there’s no question who would fill the most seats in 2020. Tua is scarily accurate, can anticipate throws, has a terrific arm, and he even makes highlight runs from time to time (which led to my erroneous assumption that Tua was a running QB).
There are only two real question marks regarding Tua at this point: What will he do when he goes from Alabama to a more depleted team in Miami, and can he stay healthy? The latter is a more pressing concern than the former. Tua’s been banged up throughout his collegiate career, and the Dolphins are notorious for putting sub-par offensive lines on the field. However, should they follow my offseason plan, that will not be an issue. Tua has a very good chance of becoming the best QB in Miami since Dan Marino.
Maybe he’ll even surpass him someday.
So after drafting Tua, the QB room looks like this:
Tua Tagovailoa
Josh Rosen
Jake Rudock
If that’s how Miami’s room is going to look, then there’s no reason not to be optimistic. Rosen still has something to be developed, and at worst he’s a top level backup QB. As our own Chris Kouffman once said, QBs are like gold. If you have two good ones, it’s like money in the bank. That’s Miami.
Round 1, 11th overall – EDGE Chase Young
Somehow, the consensus top pass rusher in the draft fell all the way to 11, right into the hands of the Dolphins. Once again, bear in mind, Miami’s draft position changes every week. This is what came about based on what was available at the time on Fanspeak.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected EDGE A.J. Epenesa first, leaving Young for the taking as the other teams ahead of Miami shored up their OL, WR corps, and secondary. Paired with Yannick Ngakoue, Young turns Miami’s pass rush situation from desperate to dangerous. His production is amazing, and respected evaluators like Matt Miller go as far as to say he would have been the best pass rusher in last year’s draft class too. Keep in mind, that draft featured amazingly talented pass rushers like Nick Bosa, Josh Allen, Brian Burns, and Clelin Ferrell. So saying Young would be the best of them all is a remarkable statement.
Chase Young continues his dominance this season with an early strip sack. Now up to 10.0 sacks in his last 6 games. pic.twitter.com/RcGQuybFfY
Young can rush with his hand in the dirt or standing up, and he still has room to improve even as talented as he is. He’s explosive off the ball, can force turnovers, and can even provide some shallow spying if necessary. He can do more than just run towards the quarterback. Some more coaching and development on his pass rush moves, practice on using his moves rather than trying to use brute strength when engaged with blockers, and Young will be the perfect specimen.
On a lesser note, he would finally break Miami’s curse of drafting bust pass rushers. No more Charles Harris or Dion Jordan debacles. Even if Young doesn’t turn into Cameron Wake in his rookie season, there’s a good chance he becomes top tier as time goes on. That’s enough to pull the trigger.
So here’s the DE/EDGE lineup if the plan goes as projected:
Yannick Ngakoue
Chase Young
Charles Harris
Taco Charlton
Robert Nkemdiche
Jonathan Ledbetter
Dewayne Hendrix
Obviously they can’t all be kept, but that’s an impressive lineup of names. If even one or two of them pan out or revive themselves, the Dolphins pass rush is in good hands. Then it’ll be even better when Cameron Wake returns for his farewell tour.
A man can dream.
Round 1, 24th overall – Alabama WR Henry Ruggs III
This season is all about giving Miami’s new franchise QB all the help he can get. Familiarity and chemistry go a long way for young QBs, and drafting Ruggs is the perfect way to give Tua a security blanket he can count on early in his career. Ruggs is a ridiculously fast player. Like, 4.2 40-yard dash type fast. To put it in perspective, he would outrun Jakeem Grant without even breaking a sweat.
But speed isn’t all he’s about. He has the ability to leap up and make contested catches, is solid catching the football, and has elite level body control in the air. He’s everything a team could want in a wide receiver.
Henry Ruggs III already up to 3 catches for 131 yards and 2 TDs in the first quarter.
Henry Ruggs is a whole different type of fast! There is no group of DB group in the nation that can line up man for man & win. You better coach your butt off on that Saturday no matter who you are… Honestly, just hope you get to 13.
If there’s only one knock on Ruggs at this point, it’s that his route running sometimes leaves something to be desired. Back when Jakeem Grant was just starting out, coaches told him to slow down because his speed was throwing him off. The same goes for Ruggs. If a coach can sit him down and teach him to realize when full speed is and isn’t to his benefit so he can run his routes properly, there’s no telling what kind of ceiling he could reach.
With the addition of Ruggs, and the signing of Amari Cooper to go with Albert Wilson, Preston Williams and Jakeem Grant, Miami’s WR corps is deadly. Tua could throw it anywhere on the field, and the potential of a big play would be there. However, there is a downside.
Recall the level of investment I put into free agent signings on the offensive line. Anthony Castanzo isn’t there just because. He’s there because with this draft plan, the 2020 Miami Dolphins don’t invest a top pick into an offensive lineman to replace Laremy Tunsil at left tackle. As a left handed QB, right tackle is more important for Tua anyway, but that’s a different story.
The OL for 2020 would be: Castanzo, a left guard to be named, Michael Deiter, Brandon Scherff, and Jesse Davis. Not bad, but who’s the left guard if Deiter is playing center? We will get to that, stay tuned.
So the WR corps as it stands would be:
Amari Cooper
Henry Ruggs III
Albert Wilson
Preston Williams
Jakeem Grant
The top five spots would be locked in at that point, and there’s no doubt Isaiah Ford will be in the mix to try and earn a sixth slot. He’s on the active roster now after Danny Isidora landed on injured reserve, so this could very well be his best chance to audition.
Round 2, 33rd overall – Clemson LB Isaiah Simmons
Now is the part where you’re probably wondering why an offensive lineman still hasn’t been taken. Simply put, Simmons is too promising to let slide. He can rush the passer, he can cover from the slot, there’s very little he can’t do on the football field. Truly, a Swiss army knife. Sound familiar?
Parting ways with Minkah Fitzpatrick removes a key piece of Miami’s defense. Versatility was what made him so valuable. After he put up a fight about moving around and refused to go along with it, the Dolphins traded him for a first round pick, that turned into Chase Young. Simmons takes Fitzpatrick’s place as the chess piece all over the field.
So what’s the catch? According to evaluators, Simmons’ main problem is that he has a bad habit of launching himself at defenders instead of wrapping them up. In the NFL, that’s not going to fly, especially with how strict referees are about helmet to helmet contact. Simmons also has to learn some extra nuances when it comes to his technique. But make no mistake, Simmons has an insanely high ceiling. If Brian Flores is even half the mastermind everyone assumes he is, Simmons will find a role somewhere. Maybe Christian Wilkins can even offer some insight on what makes him tick.
There’s no position listing for him. Let’s just call him a DW for now. Defensive Weapon. The NFL can’t stop us from calling him that.
Round 2, 47th overall – Georgia OG Solomon Kindley
At last, a guard. Rejoice, trench lovers. Solomon Kindley from Georgia is an absolute mauler at left guard. His size, strength and punch at the snap make him an impressive specimen that should, in theory, be a plug-in starter. Of course, knowing the Dolphins luck, there’s no telling for sure. Until then, we can appreciate Kindley as being a nasty, extremely strong prospect that is a key piece of the Georgia offensive line.
Solomon Kindley (LG) is a bully. Torque allows him to create displacement and finish blocks violently. His sturdy lower half and powerful hands negate any momentum brought on by initial rush. He’s a physical specimen who should catch the eye of many evaluators this draft cycle. pic.twitter.com/MaXu1qJqGO
One of the only criticisms of Kindley is more along the lines of nitpicking his frame. Becoming a tiny bit leaner would help his overall athleticism, but it takes something special to challenge Quinnen Williams, which Kindley did in the 2018 SEC Championship Game. It wasn’t a perfect performance, but it was enough to show he had plenty of potential. If he ends up lasting this long into the NFL draft, the 2020 Miami Dolphins would be very fortunate.
So with Kindley hopefully locking down the left guard position, this is what the offensive line would look like.
LT – Anthony Castanzo LG – Solomon Kindley C – Michael Deiter RG – Brandon Scherff RT – Jesse Davis/Isaiah Prince
If that isn’t enough to keep Tua protected, what would be?
Round 3, 65th overall – Alabama OL Alex Leatherwood
This is the third Alabama player selected by the 2020 Miami Dolphins so far. Nevertheless, this selection is more of an attempt to hedge bets and make sure that one way or another, the offensive line is taken care of. Leatherwood can play both guard and tackle, which makes him versatile. As has been noted more than once, versatility is incredibly important to Miami. Leatherwood could easily become the backup to Castanzo and perhaps even start after the veteran departs, or he could compete with Kindley for the rights to start at left guard. Either way, the Dolphins have finally solved their guard problem.
Leatherwood is strong, athletic, and has a terrific first step. His familiarity with Tua and how he likes to play quarterback also gives him an inside edge. His technique is not perfect, yet. He’s a little sloppy at times. But make no mistake, Leatherwood can easily step in and make an impact. If either he or Kindley pan out, then Miami’s offensive line is set. There can be no room for error on this line if Tua is to have a bright future.
Round 3, 105th overall – Alabama CB Trevon Diggs
And the third round compensatory pick gifted by the departure of Ja’Wuan James gives the 2020 Miami Dolphins their fourth player this draft from Alabama. Yes, there is a pattern. But one cannot deny that with Alabama routinely being kings of the hill in college football, that elite level of coaching from Nick Saban and company has churned out talent on a regular basis. Cornerback Trevon Diggs is just another of those players.
What makes Diggs interesting is that he started out at Alabama as a wide receiver, just like his older brother Stefon Diggs. However, Trevon Diggs made the transition to defense and became a cornerback as well. He played both positions for a while before settling on defense.
Another former Dolphins parallel, Miami drafted Tony Lippett in the fifth round of the 2015 draft. He too started out as a wide receiver, but the Dolphins wanted to use him as a corner. So began the long experiment to transition him from offense to defense. It never panned out for Lippett, who is now a free agent, but Diggs is making a much smoother shift.
Trevon Diggs (Stefon's younger bro) showed up to Alabama as a WR his freshman year and made starting DBs look silly…
The transition to CB has been as smooth as it gets.. running routes of his opponents like this w natural ball skills/instincts… Stay healthy he's a top-20 guy pic.twitter.com/cKcpuaOJeI
Diggs is what one would describe as a “long” cornerback. He’s confident in press coverage, and his wide receiver instincts means going up for the football to make interceptions should be easy as pie for him. He can also handle off man coverage as well. Many consider off man coverage to be one of the most difficult things for an NFL corner to do, so for Diggs to have potential in that regard bodes well for him.
With the proper coaching, Diggs could easily become a solid NFL cornerback. Durability is something to watch for, however, as he’s returning from a broken foot injury that ended his 2018 season. With Diggs, that gives Miami a cornerback stable that looks like this:
Xavien Howard
Byron Jones
Bobby McCain
Eric Rowe
Cordrea Tankersley
Trevon Diggs
Jomal Wiltz
Chris Lammons
Ken Webster
Not a bad lineup if this is how it looks. Diggs will have time to develop while Howard and Jones keep the boundary spots on lockdown. Perhaps, he can eventually take over for Bobby McCain in the slot.
Round 5, 156th overall – South Florida TE Mitchell Wilcox
The Dolphins gave up their last fourth round pick when they made the Minkah Fitzpatrick trade. So Miami takes a break for a round and waits until the fifth round to get another shot at making a selection. With this pick, the Dolphins select a tight end out of South Florida in Mitchell Wilcox. They already have Mike Gesicki and Durham Smythe, and they brought back Nick O’Leary. However, they could use another player at that position, and Wilcox brings some promising traits to the table.
Standing in at 6’5″, 245 pounds, Wilcox is a versatile player (there’s that word again) who can line up in the slot, the backfield, pretty much wherever he’s needed. Much like Gesicki, however, Wilcox isn’t much of a blocker as a tight end. Wilcox is best suited to act as competition for Gesicki as a seam threat. As it stands, Wilcox is now the USF record holder for touchdowns in a career with seven. That number could still go up too.
There are a couple of red flags with Wilcox. Number one, his route running isn’t as crisp as a pass-catching tight end should have. Number two, he sometimes makes mental errors that result in drops rather than easy catches. Players have to remember to catch the ball before they turn to run up the field. Wilcox struggles with that at times.
All things considered, as a fifth round pick, the 2020 Miami Dolphins aren’t investing too much into Wilcox. Best case scenario, he somehow beats out Gesicki and becomes Miami’s primary seam threat. Worst case scenario? Well, he can’t be any more disappointing than Gesicki has been so far.
Tight end lineup:
Mike Gesicki
Durham Smythe
Nick O’Leary
Mitchell Wilcox
Surely some camp bodies will be thrown into the mix. Chris Myarick is still sitting pretty on the Dolphins practice squad, and he was fairly impressive with the third string units. Wilcox may not be the answer at tight end, but he has the potential to provide an overall upgrade, however small.
Round 5, 178th overall – Ohio State CB Damon Arnette
This is one of those best player available situations. Damon Arnette isn’t an elite athlete. In fact, he isn’t even impressive by any physical standards. What he does have going for him, however, is his cerebral ability. He can play in the slot or on the boundary, and he uses his technique and excellent ability to be in the right place at the right time to make up for his lack of supreme athletic ability.
So why should the 2020 Miami Dolphins bother drafting someone who isn’t all that fast or strong? Again, his cerebral capability and versatility makes him a valuable asset. Consider what the New England Patriots pride themselves on: Fundamentals, execution, knowing where to be at any given moment. That fits Arnette to a tee.
With the secondary being a point of emphasis for the Dolphins defense, finding the best players possible to fill out that group for when they go into dime and even quarters formations should be a priority. Worst case scenario, Arnette could be a key special teams player for Miami.
Lineup now:
Xavien Howard
Byron Jones
Bobby McCain
Eric Rowe
Cordrea Tankersley
Trevon Diggs
Jomal Wiltz
Chris Lammons
Ken Webster
Damon Arnette
Cordrea Tankersley may not make it onto the 2020 roster due to injury concerns and perhaps talent deficiency. Webster, Lammons and Wiltz will all be on the bubble with a blank slate. This is a position that needs any and all investment possible.
Round 6, 179th overall – Washington RB Salvon Ahmed
The Dolphins drafted running back Myles Gaskin in 2019. Now, Miami revisits Washington to get their hands on Gaskin’s former teammate Salvon Ahmed, who sat behind Gaskin for two years. The reasoning behind this pick is very simple. He’s a speedy, dangerous player who can weave through crowded fields with the ball in his hands. In essence, he’s here to try and replace the departing Kenyan Drake.
Husky touchdown ⬇️🏈🔥
Salvon Ahmed all the way to the house. #PurpleReign
On top of that, Ahmed has some returning capability. That gives Jakeem Grant some competition in that department. Given Grant’s struggles to hang onto the football so far in 2019, it may not be a bad idea to give him some legitimate competition.
With the addition of Ahmed, the 2020 Miami Dolphins running back lineup is as follows:
Kalen Ballage
Mark Walton
Patrick Laird
Myles Gaskin
Salvon Ahmed
Ahmed doesn’t project to be able to break as many tackles as Drake does, but he has the same speed and agility as Drake. It won’t be a one-to-one replacement, but Ahmed can fill most of the void left by Drake as a gimmick player.
Round 6, 209th overall – Oklahoma QB Jalen Hurts
Jalen Hurts handled his uprooting at Alabama with class, but he ultimately transferred to Oklahoma so he could keep playing after Tua Tagovailoa transformed into a superstar. Hurts isn’t earning as much national spotlight, but he’s in the running for the 2019 Heisman Trophy.
Unlike Tua, however, Hurts truly is a running quarterback. While he made some big throws at Alabama and now in Oklahoma, his best trait is his ability to run with the ball. Miami drafts him to compete for the QB job. If he shows enough to be a good backup, the 2020 Miami Dolphins could trade Josh Rosen for further draft capital for the 2021 season. If he shows potential but struggles, he gets stashed on the practice squad.
Once again, quarterbacks are as good as gold in the NFL. Hurts being in the running for the Heisman means there must be something there to develop. With all the picks Miami has, doubling down on quarterback is a no-brainer. Tua is the future of the franchise, but teams that have an abundance of quarterbacks can easily accumulate draft picks. This sets them up to do just that as Hurts battles it out with Rosen and Rudock.
The final pick of the 2020 Miami Dolphins incredibly eventful draft. Best player available, another Clemson defensive lineman who essentially was stuck sitting behind Christian Wilkins and Dexter Lawrence last season. He has excellent hustle, he can stand his ground when double-teamed, he’s a very strong man.
He lacks some length, but the biggest knock against him is that there’s limited tape on him. He was a key role player when Wilkins, Lawrence and Clelin Ferrell were at Clemson, but being a backup to star players like that doesn’t offer many chances to show off. Perhaps there’s more to him than anyone realizes, perhaps there isn’t. If he rises up draft boards as the season progresses, that will be telling.
So with all that said, the lineup at defensive tackle would be as follows:
Davon Godchaux
Christian Wilkins
Danny Shelton
Nyles Pinckney
Jamiyus Pittman
Gerald Willis
Not everyone will stick around, obviously. But this is more than sufficient competition.
That brings us to the end of this incredibly lengthy offseason two-parter. If you’ve managed to read through all of this, then I once again applaud you for your commitment. This plan gives the Dolphins a fighting chance to win in 2020 and beyond, if they’re willing to be this aggressive. The offensive line is fixed, the WR corps is bolstered, the defense is replenished; on paper this team is far beyond anything they’ve fielded in the past few years.
But until it happens, it’s all speculative. Just like Madden, however, that doesn’t stop it from being fun. With any luck, the Dolphins have a plan similar to the one that’s been laid out, and 2019 will be the only year that fans will have to sit through a miserable tanking season like this. Winning will come, if they can execute.
Luis Sung has covered the Miami Dolphins for numerous outlets such as Dolphins Wire for six years. Follow him on Twitter:@LuisDSung
https://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/tua.png11242000Luis Sunghttps://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/FiveReasonsWebsiteLogo.svgLuis Sung2019-09-27 03:13:492019-09-27 12:15:07How to build the 2020 Miami Dolphins: NFL Draft
The 2020 Miami Dolphins are a Madden player’s dream.
I love Madden. I don’t love Electronic Arts as a video game company, but I love playing Madden. Like many of you reading this, I enjoy playing Madden because you get to take charge of an NFL franchise. That means you get to decide how the games are played, what the stadium ticket prices are, and – most importantly – who is on the roster.
In many cases, making transactions and shaping the roster in your image is more fun than playing the actual football game. At least, that’s how it is for me. So with questions abound as to how this gutted Miami roster will find its way back to power, I offer my solution. The Miami Dolphins will not have to stay at the bottom of the league for long with this plan. There will be no decade of bottom of the barrel play ala the Cleveland Browns.
In this first story, we’ll jump right into free agency. With nearly $120 million in cap space to work with, there will be a lot of signing happening. No longer are they under the dead cap of Ndamukong Suh and Ryan Tannehill. It’s time to start fresh. With this story discussing free agency, part two will discuss the 2020 NFL draft.
2020 Miami Dolphins Free Agency
First and foremost, it’s important to decide which positions need to be invested in with established veterans. Even with all the draft picks Miami has, they can’t address all of them in the draft. So, it’s time to see what’s available for the Dolphins to add in 2020. General Manager Chris Grier has already made it clear he intends to be “very aggressive” in free agency. It stands to reason some splashes will be coming.
“We’ve talked about building this long-term with sustained success right away, and for us, we’ll be very aggressive. We’re not going to sit here on a bunch of money or anything. The plan is to build a winner here. No one likes losing. We’ve talked about building a team that’s going to win and compete for championships for a long time instead of being in this one year, and then you fall back for two or three. Again, it is a long-term vision, but we will be aggressive.”
So expect a spending spree in Miami. But where? Let’s go position by position. Keep in mind, all of this is speculative, and things can (and will) change as time goes on.
Quarterback
We will discuss this position in more depth later. All that needs to be said, is that Fitzpatrick will be released in the offseason and put the Dolphins over $120 million in cap space, saving them $4 million. This is, of course, assuming Grier doesn’t miraculously find a team desperate for a backup QB willing to trade a sixth or seventh round pick for him. Unlikely, but stranger things have happened. Never know what could happen when someone snorts some of that ol’ Fitzmagic.
Rudock will remain as a part of Miami’s camp roster. And of course, there’s Josh Rosen. He stays. Nothing else to say until later.
Running back
Let’s start with Kenyan Drake. As talented and as explosive as he can be, he won’t be with the Dolphins in 2020. He will want to find a team who intends to give him the football, rather than keeping him inexplicably benched. But that’s okay, because as the old saying goes, running backs are a dime a dozen. Miami will still have Kalen Ballage, Myles Gaskin and Patrick Laird under contract. Granted, none of them offer what Drake does, but the draft usually brings a few playmakers that can fill that void.
The Dolphins can also easily re-sign running back Mark Walton for about $1 million or two, provided he stays out of trouble. So far, he’s doing a good job of that. Walton was impressive in the preseason, and his strength and speed make him a solid back. The New England Patriots are experts at making running backs look great, and if Miami is going to follow that model, Walton is a solid choice to pair with Ballage.
Gaskin and Laird can easily be the depth players.
Wide Receiver
Now things get interesting. In 2020, the Dolphins will have only four wide receivers under contract. Albert Wilson, DeVante Parker, Jakeem Grant, and Preston Williams. Two speed guys in Wilson and Grant, and two big guys in Parker and Williams. But, releasing Parker saves Miami $5 million in cap space. Releasing Wilson saves them $9.5 million.
Wilson’s ability likely makes him safe, but Parker can be replaced by Williams. That leaves two slots open. The Dolphins could bring back Isaiah Ford as an exclusive restricted free agent, and they likely will. However, why settle for that when there are other options available?
When the Dolphins drafted Parker back in 2015, the hope was he would develop into a true top receiver. Miami had been looking for a long time. Now they’re still looking. The time has come to find a proven, stud player to lock it down once and for all.
Enter Amari Cooper, who just made Xavien Howard look like a pedestrian cornerback this past week.
Cooper is being “intentionally patient” regarding his impending second contract, according to ESPN. And he has every reason to. Dallas thought he was good enough to give a first round pick to Oakland for, and since his arrival in Dallas, he’s been a superstar. In just 12 career games with the Cowboys, he’s made 69 catches for 963 yards and ten touchdowns (as of 2019 week three). On top of that, the wide receiver market continues to rise, with other superstar names such as A.J. Green and Emmanuel Sanders hitting the market in 2020.
According to Spotrac, market value for Cooper would be around a 5-year, $94 million dollar contract (rounding up). That averages out to approximately $19 million a year. That’s on par with the likes of Falcons WR Julio Jones and Saints WR Michael Thomas. Since contracts tend to go up, not down, the Dolphins would likely have to pay even more than those deals to land Cooper and make him the highest paid WR in the league. For the sake of numbers, we’ll give him a 5-year, $120 million dollar contract. That averages out to $24 million a year.
It would be worth it to get a player of Cooper’s caliber under contract long term in his prime.
True, Dallas will put up a fight to keep him, and Cooper’s rapport with QB Dak Prescott is strong. But money talks, and Miami is Cooper’s hometown team growing up. The temptation to make a massive payday and play on the team that featured some of his favorite players growing up (Jason Taylor, Ricky Williams, Sam Madison), it may be too much to resist. Cooper would instantly make things easier for Williams, Grant and possibly Wilson, and give Miami’s new young QB (whoever he may be) an elite target to throw to in his first season.
Tight End
As former Dolphins tight end Troy Drayton would say, the tight end is the most important player on the field. I’m sure every coach and GM worth their salt disagrees, but that doesn’t change the fact that Miami’s been searching for an answer at tight end ever since Charles Clay left back in 2015. Free agent signings since then include Dustin Keller, Jordan Cameron, and Julius Thomas. All three were big splashes that amounted to nothing for the Dolphins.
Now, Eric Ebron and Tyler Eifert are hitting the open market. Tempting, but hopefully Miami learned their lesson about free agent tight ends and decide against such a move. They will only have two tight ends under contract in 2020 (Gesicki and Smythe), so they will need bodies. But Ebron or Eifert aren’t it. They need to focus on developing both Gesicki and Smythe rather than spend big on another veteran that will likely fail. Gesicki looks better now that he isn’t being asked to block. He hasn’t looked great, but he hasn’t been targeted much either, so he can only be judged based on what he’s given.
The Dolphins should re-sign Nick O’Leary, give him a slight pay raise for his ability to block and be a solid role player in the 2020 Miami plan. Let’s give him a 2-year, $6 million dollar deal. After that, draft another one in the upcoming draft and find some cheap bodies to compete in training camp. Maybe someone will surprise the team, but tight end, for now, doesn’t seem to be a high priority. No need to spend big.
Offensive Line
Okay, let’s get serious. The 2020 Miami Dolphins need an offensive line. They need a good one, maybe even a great one. Their ability to draft offensive linemen is seriously in question. The only good one they’ve drafted in recent years, Laremy Tunsil, is gone now so they could get a boatload of picks. Miami needs to fill up the holes with legitimately good players for once. Proven players. So, the time has come to invest big money in fixing the line.
Holdovers from the 2019 line will likely be Wisconsin standout Michael Deiter, and versatile lineman Jesse Davis. Veteran center Daniel Kilgore becomes a cap casualty, with Deiter moving over to play center. Deiter is struggling somewhat at guard, and he’s already been forced to play left tackle out of necessity. As a center, Deiter started 16 games in college, so he has some experience there. If nothing else, he should be a lateral move from Kilgore, with higher upside.
That leaves two guard spots that need filling, as well as left tackle.
Left tackle is going to be filled with a veteran stopgap, except this time the player in question is going to be solid, more along the lines of Branden Albert than Bryant McKinnie. Colts left tackle Anthony Castanzo will be 32 years old come 2020, but he’s put in solid seasons at left tackle year after year, including 2019 so far. He’d be perfect to protect a young quarterback looking to make his mark in the league. He’s already done it once for Andrew Luck, there’s no reason he can’t do it again. A 2-year, $20 million dollar deal would more than suffice.
As for one of the guard positions, time for another big splash. Brandon Scherff, who’s a two-time Pro Bowler, is looking for a huge payday. Recently, news came out that the Redskins offered him a contract that would give him $13 million per year. That would make him the third highest paid guard in the league, right behind Jaguars guard Andrew Norwell and Cowboys guard Zack Martin.
There’s no indication as of yet that Scherff is interested in accepting that offer. The Redskins have given him multiple extension offers, this being the latest. Scherff seems determined to test the free agent market, and a brand new QB with hype attached could be a good incentive to accept a high offer from Miami.
A 5-year, $82.5 million dollar deal would make him the highest paid guard in the league, averaging $16.5 a year, and the Dolphins can afford to pay it. For too long, Miami has allowed the interior offensive line to fall by the wayside, and the quarterbacks have suffered as a result. If the Dolphins want to find success after this tanking effort in 2019, they must make the offensive line top priority, or it will all be for nothing.
There’s still one guard spot left, but that will be addressed later.
Defensive Line
Once again we have an interesting situation. Miami clearly needs defensive ends and edge players. Defensive tackle is fairly taken care of. Davon Godchaux and Christian Wilkins are a solid one-two punch as starters, and no doubt the Dolphins will find some cheap role players to fill out the rotation. The likes of Danny Shelton come to mind (at around a $4 million cap hit for 2020). Miami also has Jamiyus Pittman and Gerald Willis sitting on their practice squad. They will find bodies there.
But there are a lot of excellent players who will be available in free agency in 2020 as pass rushers and edge setters. Not the least of which is rising star Yannick Ngakoue, a pass rusher for the Jaguars who was voted to a Pro Bowl in 2017 when he put up 12 sacks during the season. In 2018, he followed up with 9.5 sacks.
"The Jacksonville Jaguars select Yannick Ngakoue, defensive end, @TerpsFootball"
2 seasons later, @YannGetSacks91 has 20 sacks and 10 forced fumbles to his name. pic.twitter.com/QScPYlKti9
This is yet another huge splash signing for the 2020 Miami Dolphins. The initial plan was to not have a lot of those, but after a season like the one they’re having now, impatience will set in. Plus, the talent of this free agent class is hard to pass up. Ngakoue is entering his prime, and he’ll be looking to break the bank. Even after spending big on Cooper and Scherff, Miami has more than enough to fit in a potentially elite pass rusher if he shakes loose from Jacksonville.
A 6-year, $132 million dollar deal would make him the highest paid pass rusher in football (barring Jadeveon Clowney’s likely extension with the Seahawks). The Jaguars could also simply slap the franchise tag on him to make him stay in 2020, but with the way players seem to have more power these days, it’s a gamble Jacksonville may not want to make.
After that, Charles Harris will still be around as cheap labor and Taco Charlton will likely get an offseason to prove himself against other players. Then there’s Robert Nkemdiche, who’s sitting on Miami’s PUP list and hopefully getting in shape. He also could have something to offer. Finally there’s undrafted free agents Jonathan Ledbetter and Dewayne Hendrix, who both showed substantial promise as developmental players. Miami will comb the market for edge setters no doubt, but Ngaukoue alone makes the Dolphins pass rush far more formidable.
And there’s still the draft to go.
Adding Shaq Lawson is another option if they can’t sign Ngakoue. He wouldn’t command as much money as Ngakoue, and has the added benefit of being able to set the edge. That versatility is a big deal for Miami.
Linebacker
We’re getting close to the end of this ride. With all the huge signings Miami’s made, surely there’s not a lot of money left. However, even with all these signings, the 2020 Miami Dolphins still have over $75 million in cap space. They will need around $20 million to sign their draft class, so subtract that and you still have $55 million. That number could also go up based on how the contracts are structured. In order to assure the spending did not go overboard long term, I have attempted to make the first year of the contracts significantly higher against the cap than most contracts have them. In theory, higher first years means lower later years, which is what ultimately matters. There’s no point in signing all these free agents if you have to part ways in a year or two.
This way, there’s still money to throw around. Will they though? For the linebacker position, probably not.
As it stands, the 2020 Miami Dolphins will have Jerome Baker, Raekwon McMillan, and Sam Eguavoen under contract in 2020. All three of those players have a specific role, with Baker being the best of the three. Since the 2020 Miami Dolphins are emphasizing the secondary more than anything, that means linebackers aren’t as important. McMillan is the run stuffer (effective, too), and Baker and Eguavoen handle sideline to sideline. Andrew Van Ginkel is still there too, waiting for his chance to show what he can do. Vince Biegel is also back.
Nothing to see here, let’s go to the secondary.
Cornerback
Xavien Howard is the team’s top cornerback, and he got a huge contract that has him ranked as the most expensive corner in the NFL. There were rumors regarding Jalen Ramsey joining the team via trade, but those have died down. Ramsey also isn’t set to hit the market until 2021, meaning he’s likely to either finally get traded to a team that will give him a long term deal, or the two sides will resolve their differences. Either way, Ramsey is unlikely to become a free agent anytime soon.
So what next for the 2020 Miami Dolphins? Obviously, cornerback is a need for Miami. Howard is a great player but isn’t perfect, as evidenced by his struggles against the aforementioned Amari Cooper. He’s still worthy of being looked at as a top corner, but he needs help. Eric Rowe isn’t cutting it. So, time to splurge! Enter another Cowboys free agent, Byron Jones.
Byron Jones was voted #97 on the 2019 NFL Top 100.
— Blogging The Boys (@BloggingTheBoys) July 23, 2019
He’s not a household name like Ramsey, but Cowboys fans (as well as the brass) desperately want to keep him around somehow. According to reports, Jones has not even been approached about contract extensions yet, as they’re putting focus on Amari Cooper first. Now, if Cooper were to sign with Miami, they would have the money to re-sign Jones or put him on the franchise tag. But again, money talks, and with Dallas needing to spend to keep their offensive line intact for Prescott and Elliott, the 2020 Miami Dolphins can afford to throw more money at Jones than the Cowboys.
Jones doesn’t make a lot of interceptions like Howard does, in fact he’s only caught two his whole career, both as a safety. But when he made the transition to cornerback in 2018, he was voted to the Pro Bowl as a true shutdown corner. He’s continuing that in 2019. That’s an impressive feat. As he lacks the impressive numbers Howard has, Miami could get away with offering a deal a little lower. Perhaps around the $14 million per year range. But if he does demand more and wants to be the highest paid corner in the league, the Dolphins can accommodate.
For the sake of argument, we’ll give Jones a record-breaking 5-year, $80 million dollar deal. That puts him above Howard in total money and average salary ($16 million), and gives the Dolphins that deadly cornerback tandem they haven’t had since the days of Sam Madison and Patrick Surtain.
If they can’t get their hands on Jones, then there’s always Trae Waynes or Marcus Peters to consider adding.
Eric Rowe can easily be brought back as depth to fill out the rest of the corner spots. He’s not sufficient as a starter, but as a backup he fits. Then there’s Chris Lammons, Jomal Wiltz, and Ken Webster. Webster in particular has some chatter surrounding him due to his measurables. And, of course, there’s still the draft.
Safety
We have made it ladies and gentlemen, the last part of the team worth significant investment. What was once a loaded position is now extremely thin. T.J. McDonald was shockingly released, then Minkah Fitzpatrick was traded for a first round pick. That leaves Bobby McCain and Reshad Jones as the team’s only starting caliber safeties. So what to do?
First off, the Bobby McCain experiment comes to an end. He’s serviceable, but not exactly a star at free safety. So, McCain goes back to the slot where he made his money now that Fitzpatrick is no longer around. As for Jones, he’s made it clear he’s in it for the long haul, so he also stays as a veteran voice, for now.
So who takes over at free safety? The highest upside name would probably be HaHa Clinton-Dix, who signed a 1-year, $3 million dollar deal with the Chicago Bears this offseason. Depending on his performance, he may want to stay in Chicago if they’re willing to pay him. But the Dolphins could go in a different direction altogether.
As has been noted countless times already, head coach Brian Flores hails from New England. He knows everyone there intimately. He’s worked with them, knows what they’re capable of. This includes a veteran free safety who’s been near the top at his position for a long time now. Pro Bowl safety Devin McCourty. The 2020 Miami Dolphins will lure him away with the promise of a large paycheck, similarly to Danny Amendola, and he along with Jones will be a dangerous tandem at safety.
Even at 32 years old, some are arguing that McCourty is playing the best football of his career. Through just three games in 2019, McCourty already has three interceptions. His ability to roam the field and make plays is unprecedented. With the Dolphins, McCourty’s presence would give Miami excellent production, a veteran voice, and time to find and develop a new, long-term safety.
McCourty will be 33 in the 2020 offseason, so a long-term deal would not be in their best interest. Three years at most will do. So the Dolphins give McCourty a 3-year, $36 million dollar deal. That puts him on par with Reshad Jones’s annual salary, and it ups the price on what New England was paying him. He’s getting older, he’ll want to make as much money as he can while he can.
And that puts an end to the 2020 Miami Dolphins free agency. Obviously this doesn’t account for depth players added at bargain basement prices. But even with all the splashes, and the impending draft class, Miami still has over $25 million remaining in cap space. With the salary cap going up every year, the Dolphins should be just fine to keep all their new players.
https://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2019-09-25-at-4.08.36-PM.png533971Alejandro Villegashttps://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/FiveReasonsWebsiteLogo.svgAlejandro Villegas2019-09-25 16:14:332019-09-25 16:14:3390+Cinco: Megan Rapinoe’s speech at The Best and Inter Miami’s coach
Where to watch: Saturday, September 28th, 2019, Staples Center, Los Angeles, California. Available on FOX/PBC PPV.
In the latest example of the renaissance of the Welterweight Division in Boxing, IBF World Champion Errol Spence Jr. will take on WBC Champion Shawn Porter in a unification bout on Saturday. On the face of it the odds on BetDSI show a possibly lopsided affair as Spence is a -909 Favorite, and you can get +594 by betting on Porter.
I see it a bit different. As a fan of “THE FIGHT with Teddy Atlas” Podcast, I agree with something Teddy Atlas often repeats on his show, which is that the “conventional wisdom is often wrong.” Spence is the taller, longer, “rangier” guy and therefore he should just box Porter’s face off. That is simplistic thinking.
Shawn Porter has a few tricks up his sleeve that he can employ. First of all, Porter has always had a good lead right, which is a Southpaw’s kryptonite (Errol Spence is a Southpaw), and secondly, every charge of being “dirty” that Errol Spence has lobbed toward Shawn Porter, is true. Porter mysteriously likes to leave his elbows up in clinches, he tends to grab-punch, and head butts can become common in a Shawn Porter fight. These are all tools he can use to equalize this matchup.
So, Spence should keep his distance and use a Jab to defeat Porter handily at range? Not necessarily. If Porter decides to “crowd” Spence, Errol Spence would be well advised to fight on the inside, as he can always keep the range as Porter tries to backup or escape exchanges. If he fights at a distance, he is susceptible to Porter employing his movement to ruin his range and nullify his power. Spence will have to engage to win this fight.
Now, make no mistake, Spence is a clear and deserved favorite. So how can Shawn Porter win? Well, there is one sure fire way he can lose. If he tris to fight an aggressors fight and push a pace by stalking Spence, he is opening himself to a knockout or stoppage. He would be wise to choose his exchanges carefully. His best bet to win is to “pot shot” Spence from angles, and employ his Jab to dictate the pace. His activity can win this fight, but only if he is dictating when the exchanges occur. Whenever he is going to deploy a combination, he will however have to close the distance, to get into Spence’s chest to avoid return volley’s. Make no Mistake, Shawn Porter is going to have to fight a near perfect fight to win, but he is very much capable of just that.
So what does a Errol Spence Jr. win look like? I think it looks like Shawn Porter attempting to press a pace by stalking Spence, attempting roughhouse tactics inside, and Spence finding the range with his Jab, and short hooks as Porter walks right into perfect range of his power punches. If this happens, Spence can and will get rid of Porter in short order. If Porter employs a smarter style, a win for Spence is likely to look more like a pure clinic in speed, accuracy and activity. It is possible that Spence is actually worth the ample betting lines and is just too good for Porter on Saturday. Either way, this is going to be a fun one to watch.
Prediction:Errol Spence Jr. by Unanimous Decision, 12 Rounds.
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Alfredo Arteaga (@UptownReport) is one-third of the trio that does the Three Yards Per Carry (@3YardsPerCarry) podcast.
https://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/Spence-v-Porter-775x425.jpg425775Alfredo Arteagahttps://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/FiveReasonsWebsiteLogo.svgAlfredo Arteaga2019-09-25 10:13:592019-09-25 10:13:59Errol Spence Jr. v. Shawn Porter
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