Dolphins must leave ‘no stone unturned’ in pursuit of next Marino

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The Dolphins have yet to play a regular season game in 2019, but that has not stopped the rumors from circulating, that Miami will be all-in on a quarterback in 2020.

And although some believe it is etched in stone like Moses and his Ten Commandments, I assure you it is not.

After all, Josh Rosen could continue to progress, as he’s done all offseason long. And as he continues to trend upward throughout the summer months, solidifying himself as the 2020 starter this season-would put Miami in a MUCH better situation. But only a fool would fail to see the supporting cast, and wonder if he’s being set up to fail-much like he did in Arizona. 

Miami’s offensive line is bad. Really, really bad. Their defense is a work in progress, and allowed Matt ‘Medicare’ Schaub to lead a 90-yard drive on his first preseason possession. Which is not good, if you’re keeping track at home. And who can forget, Miami has once again hit the reset button. Once again heading into an NFL season with a  rookie head coach and young staff, certain to make mistakes. 

So IS Josh Rosen being given a fair chance to prove he’s the long-term answer?  The metaphorical magic 8-ball says- ‘not likely’. 

In the past, we have seen teams draft a QB, despite having a promising starter already in place. San Francisco drafted Steve Young, despite having Joe Montana. The Chargers drafted Phillip Rivers, after investing several years in Drew Brees. Washington doubled down with RG3 and Kirk Cousins. And who can forget when Kansas City traded up to select a generational talent like Patrick Mahomes, despite having Alex Smith on the roster. 

Each of these situations are unique in their own way. And one would say the supporting cast here in Miami, is less than ideal. But is it necessarily a TERRIBLE idea to draft the #1 QB on the Dolphins’ draft board? Not necessarily. 

Truth is, Miami could use their treasure chest of draft picks to move heaven and earth to get ‘their guy’. The guy, the front office has had their eyes set on for years. One that everyone in the organization believes can turn this once storied franchise into a Super Bowl Contender. That sounds good doesn’t it?

Or maybe Josh Rosen continues to progress, and proves that he has all the intangibles to be ‘the man’ in Miami. Maybe they then turn their focus to the draft’s top pass rushers or offensive line talent in 2020. And if Rosen fails with everything around him perfectly in place, they can then turn their attention to the the ‘Belle of the Ball’ in 2021. Trevor Lawrence. 

In the end, I’m not sure there’s anything Rosen can do this year to change Miami’s fate of drafting one of the top QBs in 2020. And whether that be Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert, Jordan Love, or the next emerging superstar, history suggests the Dolphins must continue to draft a QB, until they find their next Dan Marino. Because until they do, they will continue to hover around the .500 mark. Worst case, the Dolphins find themselves with two potential franchise QBs, and a valuable trade asset. 

No matter what the outcome, the future looks promising in Miami.  And for the first time in years, should finally fill the void left behind by No.13, so many years ago.

This article was written by Josh Houtz (@houtz) while laying next to his wife and newborn in the hospital. But we assure you, he is not Adam Gase. 

5 de la semana: El derroche de dinero de Trout y el hobby costoso de Tyson

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En el episodio de hoy Leandro Soto, Alejandro Villegas y Ricardo Montes De Oca se divierten un poco con cinco momentos de esta semana.

Los Yankees viajaron en el pasado y se vistieron de “Full House”, Mike Trout tiene unos gastos largos al igual que su tocayo Mike Tyson quien tiene un hobby muy caro. También, Nick Kyrgios y su mas reciente rabieta y Iniesta se molesto en China.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fc8DEC4hE2A]

Minkah Fitzpatrick

Are the Miami Dolphins misusing Minkah Fitzpatrick?

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Wednesday’s practice started a bit of drama surrounding defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick. When the Sun Sentinel’s Omar Kelly pointed out that Fitzpatrick was struggling in practice, Fitzpatrick’s mother fired back with no restraint.

Dolphins fans everywhere know that Kelly is not shy about stating his opinions, controversial or otherwise. But it isn’t every day that his comments earn the ire of players, or those close to them. It brings up an interesting point though. Miami is using Minkah Fitzpatrick all over the field. Inside the box, in the back of the secondary, covering tight ends, and so on. That is exactly what Fitzpatrick did not want to have to do. He hoped to be used in a single position and focus on that. That still isn’t Fitzpatrick’s reality, much to his dismay.

“I wish she would have addressed me first,” Fitzpatrick admitted on Wednesday. “My mother feels very strongly. She’s not wrong. But coach is asking me to do something right now, I gotta do what they ask me to do … you just gotta do it. If you resist it, you’re not gonna play well. If you think about playing somewhere else, you’re not gonna be able to focus on your position. I’m not a 215 pound to 220 guy, so being in the box isn’t best suited for me, but that’s what coach asked me to do. So that’s what I’m gonna go out there, I’m gonna practice my hardest, try my hardest. I might lose some of those matchups in the box, but I’m gonna fight my hardest.”

So Fitzpatrick agrees with his mother’s statement. His abilities are being misused. However, the whole appeal of drafting Fitzpatrick out of Alabama in 2018 was his ability to be a jack-of-all-trades. He does it all. He does some things better than others, but his versatility is still impressive.

“He’s done a really good job.” said head coach Brian Flores. “He’s a hard-working kid, does a good job with his communication, practices well every day. Obviously, it’s never perfect for anybody, but he’s a guy who we’ve used in multiple roles. He’s taken to that and really learned them all at a pretty good level. Obviously, there’s always room for improvement from a technique, from a fundamental standpoint – just an understanding of the game. He’s still a young player. It’s a new system, but he’s really a joy to work with from an abilities standpoint, as a kid – he’s a really good kid, too. I’m looking forward to working with him some more.”

The term “misused” isn’t something to be used lightly. True, Fitzpatrick feels comfortable elsewhere in the secondary, but necessity takes precedence. As of now, both of Miami’s starting safeties, Reshad Jones and T.J. McDonald, are nursing injuries. With them out, Fitzpatrick is being asked to step in. True, he’s willing, but he’s made it clear he doesn’t think he belongs there.

Now, fans are coming out to agree with Minkah Fitzpatrick. They believe his skills are suited for the free safety position. When he was drafted, that’s what everyone envisioned him as. But now that’s Bobby McCain’s role, and Fitzpatrick is taking over his slot position. Keep in mind, back in Alabama, the slot is where he spent most of his time.

Whatever one may think of his integrity, coach Nick Saban knows how to handle and develop players. If Fitzpatrick’s best place is in the slot, he should be there. If he gets moved around, it’s not because the coaches don’t care.

“It depends on if it’s a matchup-based game and his guy’s to the field, then we’ve got to put him to the field.” Flores said. “If we’re playing a zone game and we’re playing him middle of the field, then we’ll play him in the middle of the field. If his guy’s into the boundary, we’ll do that. He can do a lot of things. Part of what we do is try to put him in positions – because he can do so many things – not to overload the kid. I think that’s a big part of our responsibility as a coaching staff is not to overload him.

“I don’t feel like he’s overloaded. He’s played multiple positions. He’s really done a good job at all of them. Every time he gets out there, it’s a new experience. Whether he’s getting stack receivers or Y-Y wing or empty – I mean there’s a myriad of things that could happen and every one is a good experience for him, and he’s done a good job.”

More than likely, Minkah Fitzpatrick will go back to his slot position upon the return of Jones and McDonald. Until then, he will have to endure being an all-purpose player. Is he being misused? The answer is no, not really. He is as advertised, someone who can do it all, but at different levels of effectiveness. This is the next man up mentality in a nutshell. The coaches know what he is and isn’t good at, but when injuries come into play, sacrifices must be made.

Should Don Mattingly stay or go? It will be up to Derek Jeter

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Don Mattingly is about seven weeks away from doing something no Marlins manager has done; complete his contract.

Matting signed a four-year deal to manage the Marlins in October 2015 after splitting with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He will leave Miami having managed more games than anyone else in Franchise history, passing former manager and current third base coach Fredi Gonzalez.

Mattingly joined the Marlins with a young team filled with promise in 2016 but a tragic boating accident killed their best pitcher and after the 2017 season, the franchise exchanged ownerships and a new plan was put into place.

While the last two seasons have been spent at the bottom of the National League, the Marlins young players have shown improvement and the farm system has been built up from the one of the worst to one of the best.

Mattingly said he wants to remain the Marlins manager and be there for the eventual turnaround, whether it be in 2020 or beyond.

“I’d love to be back, especially if they want you back,” Mattingly said. “You don’t want to be anywhere that you don’t feel like it’s the best situation. You don’t want to get in the way of anything. If they think they want to go in a direction, then that’s something you just deal with at the time.”

That decision will have to be made by Marlins chief executive officer Derek Jeter. He said on Wednesday at Marlins Park that he plans on addressing Mattingly’s status before this season ends.

“To be fair to Donnie, it’s something that we need to talk about sooner rather than later,” Jeter said. “We have touched base, and we’ll continue to talk.

“Donnie has done a good job. But then again, we’ve got to sit down, like we do with coaches every year as well, and ask, ‘How can we get better?’”

Both Jeter and Mattingly spent their entire playing career with the New York Yankees and were recognized as legendary captains during their careers. 1995 was Jeter’s rookie season and Mattingly’s final season. Ironically, 24 years later, the power dynamics between the two have switched.

State of the Marlins with Derek Jeter

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Training Camp

Top 3 performers from Dolphins-Buccaneers training camp – Day 2

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Wednesday concludes the joint training camp sessions between the Miami Dolphins and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Next, they will face off against each other in real game action, culminating the experience. As usual, there were ups and downs all across the board, but there were some higher highs and lower lows that stood out above the rest. Now the time has come to, for the final time this season, break down the top three performers in training camp.

Kalen Ballage, RB

Yes, he was on Tuesday’s top three list as well, but it cannot be denied just how strong Kalen Ballage has come on as of late. Tuesday’s practice saw Kenyan Drake walk off the field with a trainer and never return. Wednesday, he arrived wearing a walking boot, leaving the starting spot wide open for Ballage.

And you better believe Ballage is taking full advantage of it, despite Drake’s injury not being viewed as serious. Tuesday, Ballage scored two touchdowns, and on Wednesday he scored three. The speed he displays when running down the sideline is staggering, and is frankly uncharacteristic of a player his size. This is exactly what Miami saw when they drafted him last season in the fourth round.

Everyone knows about his speed, but it’s his hidden power potential that, up to this point, was hidden away. Since getting this opportunity, Ballage has become aggressive with his running, and is even willing to make some hits. At last, he’s using the power his frame naturally give him. If he keeps that up, he could snatch the majority of snaps away from Drake when he eventually returns to the field.

Jaryd Jones-Smith, OT

Interesting choice for a second top three performer? Perhaps. But after leapfrogging veteran Jordan Mills as the second-team left tackle on Wednesday, his contribution cannot be overlooked. As soon as Jones-Smith entered the lineup, the left side of the offensive line found some stability that wasn’t there before. That’s telling, especially given how the OL has been in shambles for weeks now.

Granted, Jones-Smith was not perfect, giving up a whistled sack. But overall, his play was solid enough to warrant giving him this distinction. It’s been a rough road for the former Pitt standout, losing his dad to brain tumors and nearly losing his leg back in his college days. He and his record-breaking wingspan overcame those challenges however, and now he’s here to prove he has something to offer.

Cornell Armstrong, CB

Armstrong is the top gunner on special teams with Walt Aikens out with a knee injury. But that isn’t why he’s making the list for Wednesday’s training camp. The second-year player out of Southern Miss didn’t get much coverage coming out of college, but Chris Grier and the scouting department saw something there no one else did. Armstrong is steadily improving as a cornerback, reading routes and making plays as a part of Miami’s backup unit.

Even Wednesday, Armstrong made an impressive play. He read the eyes of the QB and managed to deflect a pass in the endzone with a dive, laying out to prevent the catch. Dedication like that is always worth noting. Armstrong may not be getting a lot of looks, but he’s doing the best he can with what he is getting. With the Dolphins looking for someone to start next to Xavien Howard, he should get a chance to try.

Youth sports becoming too professionalized

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Youth sports today is not the youth sports of yesteryear.

Sadly, it might be due to the fact that professional sports and their prevailing attitudes about mentality, training, and expectations have taken root across all youth sports domains.

Just last week in the Wall Street Journal, Ben Cohen’s column described how this weekend in Orlando the Jr. NBA Global Championship will transpire – an event featuring the best 13- and 14-year old’s from around the world. Besides spending hours on the hardwood, these kids spent as much if not more hours replaying James Harden and Stephen Curry’s Instagram feeds so they can work on perfecting their 3 pointers, imitating Harden’s nearly impossible step-back 3 pointer along with Curry’s signature shot with his arm beautifully arched above his head.  Understandably, most coaches discourage the shot while others feed these youngsters’ heads with the promise of one day attaining superstar status too.

Sadly, unencumbered free play seems passé. Unstructured play has given way to intensely controlled organized sports leagues, travel team, to home schooling so children can spend hours honing their physical talents.  Yet, the worst part is how the adults are shaping youth sports in ways that go against the best interests of children.

In our book Raising Your Game, Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz concluded that youth sports “has changed for the worse. It’s too specialized, overuse, over abuse, you name, it. And, the one thing that’s saddening is that we’re creating little factories, little prodigies, and we’re not allowing kids to be kids.”

Childhood was supposed to be the time when you had the freedom, fun and opportunity to enjoy sports for the pleasure and competition provided without pressure of focusing on a future career. As we all know the path to superstar status is littered with many bodies broken by overuse and debilitating injuries, burnout, change of heart and focus, as well as personality problems or poor personal choices.

Again, our book Raising Your Game (buy it here) drove home the point that having fun, developing intrinsic motivation, and trying one’s best are the most promising precursors for later success. If only these attributes were the highlight reels for promoting youth sports.

Canes Media Day: Jeff Thomas ready to build from the past

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Leandro Soto from Cinco Razones Podcast spoke with Jeff Thomas regarding his experience last year when he left the team prematurely. Thomas, shapes to fill a Wide Receiving position with electric plays and dynamic performance. Also, Jeff Thomas speaks on his relationship with newly named starting QB, Jarren Williams.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mdww9Gk1x0]

Training Camp

Top 3 performers from Dolphins-Buccaneers training camp – Day 1

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The last time the Miami Dolphins held a joint training camp practice, it was 2017 and Adam Gase was entering his second year as head coach. Miami had built a fairly strong relationship with the Philadelphia Eagles, and they decided they would hold a practice together. The time before that, Joe Philbin was in charge. The Dolphins traveled to North Carolina to practice with Ron Rivera and the Panthers. That joint practice time was far less productive, and ended in season-ending injuries.

Fortunately, no such downsides occurred as Brian Flores and Bruce Arians came together for a joint practice on Tuesday morning. Both teams clearly benefited from going against other opponents, leading to greater evaluation opportunities. While plenty happened, and all amidst Jadeveon Clowney trade rumors, there are still some players who stood out more than others based on my observations. Here are my top three from the first joint practice.

Kalen Ballage, RB

While running back Kenyan Drake limped off the field on Tuesday, Kalen Ballage flourished taking his snaps. The offensive line didn’t make many holes for him to run through, but when they did, he ran through them like a bat out of hell. Ballage rushed down the sideline for a 70-yard touchdown scamper (yes, they were tackling), then caught a quick pass from Rosen and sped past defenders for a touchdown reception.

Granted, Ballage dropped a few passes. For someone whose claim to fame is catching passes out of the backfield, Ballage is having trouble with that so far in 2019’s training camp. Nevertheless, two big plays like the ones he had Tuesday are impossible to ignore. If the offensive line can’t make holes for him to run through, then it’s good he at least hits home runs when they do.

Preston Williams, WR

This shouldn’t come as a surprise anymore. Preston Williams is clearly turning out to be one of Miami’s best wide receivers. Tuesday, Williams caught several tough passes and roasted a few defensive backs during one-on-one drills. Poor De’Vante Harris had no idea what hit him.

All of these amazing plays, and really the question to ask is this: why did Preston Williams go undrafted? That’s a question better answered by Five Reasons’ own Chris Kouffman, but the fact remains that Williams continues to be an incredible diamond in the rough for the Dolphins. Of course, now everyone knows about him. It will be interesting to see what he does as his level of competition continues to rise.

Xavien Howard, CB

While Howard had his moments of struggle against WRs Chris Godwin and Mike Evans, he quickly came back to form, intercepting two passes from Jameis Winston on Tuesday. The second one, he even threw in a little insult to the injury, running it in for a touchdown and pointing to the offense on his way. Disrespectful? Perhaps. But that doesn’t make it any less enjoyable for the winning side. It’s training camp, let them play.

Many Buccaneers fans were quick to dismiss Howard after he lost matchups against Evans and Godwin. But the moment Jameis Winston started testing him, that’s when things went sour for Tampa Bay. There is no cornerback in the history of the NFL that is flawless, even Deion Sanders made mistakes in his career. But going after a corner of Howard’s caliber will never fail to leave QBs with regret. His development has been remarkable, and the Dolphins were wise to extend him when they did.