Jonathan Villar, right, works with Isan Diaz on the first day of spring training. Villar, an infielder, could end up in center field. (Craig Davis for Five Reasons Sports)

Pressure Point: Are rebuilding Marlins ready to take step to relevance?

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JUPITER

Welcome to Camp Optimism, which is a most unfamiliar moniker for Miami Marlins spring training.

It’s not full-blown optimism, mind you, in the sense of, hey, we’re ready to kick ass like a genuine big fish.

That would be absurd for a team coming off a 105-loss season, and that’s not what’s going on here. That mindset is reserved for the team housed on the opposite side of the Roger Dean Stadium complex — the Cardinals, who find a way to be a factor year after year.

For the Marlins, this year is about hope and finally the expectation of beginning to rise out of the malaise of a lost decade. That is fueled by the belief that the franchise is finally moving away from the clown show of the past.

“It’s time for us to move forward,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said Monday on the first day of full-squad workouts at spring training. “There will be disappointment if we don’t make measurable gains this year.”

Rebuilding plan faces test

Owner Bruce Sherman actually took a swipe at the way previous ownership operated, saying, “I don’t want to have up and downs, up and downs. That’s a silly way to run a baseball club.”

Of course, the Sherman/Derek Jeter regime began two years ago by trading away all of the team’s All-Stars and big names in embarking on a bottom-up rebuild.

The turnover is evident. There are only five players on the roster who were here in 2017; Miguel Rojas and Brian Anderson are the lone position players who were on the team when Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich and Marcell Ozuna comprised the then-best outfield in baseball.

Keep in mind, the Marlins never won more than they lost with that group. There is no guarantee this approach will work either, of restocking the farm system and waiting for the tide of young talent to elevate the product in Miami.

Michael Hill, Marlins president of baseball operations, dodged a question about how much improvement in the win column would be reasonable to expect.

Hill did say, “Now a lot of that upper level talent is on the 40-man roster. Once that happens, it’s only opportunity at that point.”

Hence, Hill’s message to the young prospects: “Go out and let your talent shine. If you’ve got it, flaunt it. Let it go. Go have fun … and give yourself every opportunity to show what you’re capable of doing.”

Uphill climb in NL East

Mattingly took that message a step further to the identity of team he’s trying to assemble: “We want a club that starts to exude that confidence, starts to show a little bit of swagger and starts to have a little push back and expectation that we’re better than this if we’re not playing well.”

These Marlins must push these aspirations in the NL East against the defending World Series champion Nationals, the division champion Braves whose young prospects are already blossoming into stars, a well-armed Mets team and a Phillies team spending money like they’re printing it.

Most of the young players the Marlins are counting on for the foundation of the mantra Sherman and Co. have adopted of “sustainable winning” haven’t been tested about the Double A level.

To me, what this season will be about for the Marlins is seeing some the touted talent reaching Miami and providing the first indication whether they are as good as advertised. At the top of the list would be starting pitchers such as Sixto Sanchez, Edward Cabrera, Jorge Guzman and Nick Neidert.

If success is on the horizon it will be built on the young arms, which Hill noted are ahead of the top hitting prospects in the organization. The hope is that some of the bats they are pinning hopes on will show progress toward legitimacy, at least in the upper levels of the minors.

Meanwhile, there are a few more accomplished major-league hitters in camp with the offseason additions of Jonathan Villar, Corey Dickerson, Jesus Aguilar and Matt Kemp (on a minor-league contract).

Villar odd choice for center field

The one curious bit of news from Day 1 was Mattingly saying that Villar would get a serious look initially in center field during spring training.

Villar played 162 games last year for the Baltimore Orioles. Primarily a second baseman, he didn’t appear in the outfield in any of them. He has started in center field in just six of 785 big-league games.

His chances of playing in every game again this season would seem greatly diminished if he is asked to cover the vast expanse of center field at Marlins Park, particularly with the addition of artificial turf this season.

Dickerson, slated for left field, played on similar turf at Tampa Bay.

Regarding the toll it takes, Dickerson said, “Your shins, your back, things you’ve got to get used to. It’s definitely going to hurt teams coming in and not getting over that first couple of days. They’re kind of sore right away. We have to figure out ways to stay on top of it to make sure your body is optimal and ready to go.”

For his part, Villar said, “I’m here for the team. If they want me to play centerfield, I’ll try,” though his face conveyed some doubt.

Meanwhile, Villar spent the first day working at second base along with rookie Isan Diaz.

This will be an issue that bears watching as Camp Optimism progresses.

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

Miami Dolphins should draft BYU safety Austin Lee

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This column was written by Marcos Chisholm. Follow him on Twitter @marcosgchisholm.

In possession of the 18th and 26th picks in the first round of the NFL Draft, the Miami Dolphins are expected to pursue an offensive lineman and a safety. But if they instead opt to target secondary talent after day one of the draft, BYU safety Austin Lee can emerge as a highly effective, under-the-radar pickup.

“I always dreamed and felt that I could play in the NFL,” Lee said. “It felt more a reality as I got to my senior year and my second game in versus Tennessee was a big-time game which I played well in. It was then I realized I’m getting closer to my dreams.”

Even in a talented draft class where Alabama’s Xavier McKinney and LSU’s Grant Delpit rank among the best safeties, Lee’s resume and skill set afford him credibility and indicate he could very well add to the chemistry in Miami’s hybrid defense.

The defensive standout’s clutch performance in an overtime victory against the Volunteers last September served as a turning point in his collegiate career. Lee was recently ranked 86th on PFF’s 101 Best College Football Players of 2019 list after finishing among the top twenty FBS safeties in categories such as overall grade (15th), coverage grade (16th), and yards allowed (7th). Most notably, Lee allowed zero touchdowns throughout last year, a rare feat for players on the field for more than 300 snaps in a single season. The Cougars only allowed 46 plays of 20 yards or more with Lee’s help last season.

While BYU’s system can potentially limit the duties of defensive backs by dropping eight players into coverage, Lee’s self-awareness and efficient movements help him make up for a lack of explosiveness that higher-ranked draft prospects tout. He becomes unpredictable on the field because his high football IQ does not require him to solely commit to either playing the run or deep passes.

“I feel like I have my own game. But I model a lot of what I do through seeing Eric Weddle and Jamal Adams. I love the instincts, toughness, IQ, and physicality that those guys play with,” Lee said. “They both are just competitors and play with such tenacity.”

Lee’s modern-day football role models play with strikingly different styles at the safety position. However, he takes the best from both worlds in a way that suits Miami’s positionless defensive scheme. Hybrid systems demand dynamic players, and his ability to teeter between the traditional roles of free and strong safeties as the game evolves can make him an invaluable asset.

Yet there’s no certainty of what changes to the Dolphins’ defensive scheme will come next season. Patrick Graham, Miami’s defensive coordinator in 2019, officially joined the New York Giants as an assistant coach last month. Former Dolphins cornerbacks coach Josh Boyer was internally promoted to Graham’s previous role, and safeties coach Tony Oden was fired from Brian Flores’ staff in January before being replaced by Curt Kuntz.

And Lee — who has never adhered to the traditional roles of a two-man safety dynamic — has strategically modeled his game for the 2020s and beyond. In spite of his mediocre athleticism, his focus on fluidity and adaptability have allowed him to fit into every scheme he has played for. But considering Dolphins safeties Rashad Jones and Bobby McCain already have uncertain futures in Miami, scouts and draft analysts may question what Lee would bring different to the table.

Ultimately, it’s his life off-the-field that encapsulates why he can bring value to many NFL teams. After initially signing to play for BYU rival Utah in 2012, Lee went on a multimonth LDS mission to Oklahoma that forced him to miss an entire season. He then fell in love with his wife, Kortnie, and married her in 2015. And in between transferring schools and playing Division I football, the couple parent their two kids, Ledger and Romee.

The selfless approach that comes from starting a family is the same one that fuels his ability to be a leader for his teammates. “I feel like my leadership capability can be high,” Lee said. “I lead through example and when something needs to be said I say something. The best teams are player-led and leadership is huge.”

Above all else, Miami has lacked leadership on defense that can help build a new culture under Brian Flores. When considering Miami’s off-the-field issues in the last decade, it will be imperative that the Dolphins draft talent for reasons beyond a prospect’s athleticism and playmaking abilities. Not only can Lee’s proven habits foster the growth of a locker room that lacks a dependable player voice — but they have an opportunity to provide him the chance to last longer than the average NFL player.

Panthers coach Joel Quenneville focuses on the positives from opening-night loss to Lightning. (Craig Davis for Five Reasons Sports)

A rough patch or just more of the same?

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The Florida Panthers find themselves in a very familiar place: on the outside looking in. At 29-20-6 the Panthers find themselves 2 points back of the third playoff spot for the Atlantic division and 5 points behind for a wildcard spot.
In most cases, you might be okay with this as a Panthers fan. In years of Panthers past, you could even say you’d be satisfied. With 27 games left, the Panthers control their own destiny to get back in to the playoffs.

That may be the root of the problem.

This year is suppose to be different. This was the year everything was suppose to change. For the most part, they have. The Panthers used most of their cap room in the off-season. They signed the biggest goalie free agent. They got into a room with Artemi Panarin. They hired arguably one of the five best coaches in NHL history in Joel Quenneville. The pieces were filled to sorrowing the core, a problem they’ve needed to fix for years. The winning culture was in place.

For the first half of the season, we saw the changes. The value signings the Panthers made were paying dividends. Noel Acciari has 18 goals. Brett Connolly has 17. Daddanov has 23. This led to early success, for the most part of the first half of the season, the Panthers held or were within 4 points of a playoff spot. Going into the all-star break, the Panthers were playing their best hockey, winning 6 straight games. Going into the break, the Panthers were 4 points up on Toronto for third in the Atlantic and only trailed Tampa by a point.

Due to the All-Star break and the scheduled bye week, the Panthers went 10+ days without playing a game after the winning streak.

Since the All Star break, it has been a much different start. The Panthers are 1-4-1 and have been out scored 22-10 in that time span. They’ve lost about 5 points in the wild card race and 6 in the division. Though, they still have a game in hand so we’ll call it 4. 

With the trade deadline coming up, you can almost expect the Panthers will be buyers. Dale Tallon will be aggressive to make sure this team gets in. The Panthers are starved for upgrading their defensive line. They have assets, picks and prospects to try to swing a deal. Or they may use their NHL talent on the offensive side of the puck to get a defensive. Whatever way they do it, they need to make a move.

If the 2019-2020 Panthers want to separate themselves from past Panthers teams, the turnaround needs to start now. The Panthers play a last place Devils team tonight, a big wild card swing game on Thursday vs the Flyers and the Oilers. 5 of 6 points might be necessary for them.

These next few games will see if the culture has changed for Panthers hockey, or we will see if they are heading towards missing the playoffs again for the 18th time in the last 20 years.

For the sake of the Panthers, we hope this is just a rough patch and we see them playing hockey in mid-April.   

Launching Pad: Shiny New Toys, Duncan’s Gravity, DJJ’s Jumper

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Welcome to The Launching Pad, a weekly roundup of Miami Heat basketball. Who’s playing well, and who should pick it up? What numbers should you be watching? What was that beautiful play Miami ran in the second quarter? You can find all of it here, every Monday.

The Stats (Weekly stats in parentheses

• Record: 34-18, 4th in the East (1-3)

• Offensive Rating: 111.9 (116.7)

• Defensive Rating: 108.6 (116.7)

• Net Rating: plus-3.3 (net-zero)

• True-Shooting Percentage: 58.5 (57.8)

• Pace: 99.28 (97.25)

• Time of Possession: 14.8 seconds (14.5)

Lineup of the Week (min. 10 minutes)

Goran Dragic, Duncan Robinson, Derrick Jones Jr., Bam Adebayo, Kelly Olynyk

• Minutes: 13

• Offensive Rating: 200.0 (?????????????????????????)

• Defensive Rating: 103.8

• Net Rating: plus-96.2 (????????????????????????????????????)

• True-Shooting Percentage: 86.8 (!!!!!!!!!?!?!??!!?!?!?!!?!!!!!?!????????)

• Pace: 99.05

The Big Number: 0.966

The Heat’s defense remains a question mark. They rank 14th in the league in defensive rating (108.6), which is well below the standard that Erik Spoelstra — and especially Pat Riley — has set for the club. That factoid seems to be, at least, the second biggest reason for their trade deadline deal for a trio of wing defenders.

The Heat are currently allowing 0.966 points per possession in man via Synergy, which ranks 15th in the league. Perfectly average. They’ve been better in zone (0.94 PPP, 7th), though the gap closing is why there was a desperate need for reinforcements.

The hope is that the new additions help shore up things in man. Better containment on the perimeter should lead to less breakdowns on the back end, and less three-pointers allowed. Beyond that, more success in man would allow the Heat to deploy their zone as a change of pace, more than a necessity to hide bad defenders.

Weekly Trends

1. Heat have options

Justise Winslow, Dion Waiters, and James Johnson are gone.

Andre Iguodala, Jae Crowder, and Solomon Hill* are here.

With that, the Heat have some shiny toys in the chest for Coach Spo to play with.

Iguodala — no, I’m not calling him “Iggy” and you shouldn’t either — and Crowder made their debuts on Sunday night against the Portland Trail Blazers. The duo combined for 20 points, 17 rebounds, and six assists off the bench. Both players had positive plus-minuses, for those who care about that sort of thing.

Iguodala (2-6-3-1-1) didn’t have a huge box score night, but he made the kind of subtle plays that will earn Spo’s trust. Take this possession for example.

 

Iguodala pushes after a miss, then flows into a dribble handoff with Crowder. Nothing’s there, so the offense resets with a 1-5 pick-and-roll. As the ball screen takes place, Iguodala notices CJ McCollum ball-watching, so he sets a blind pick for Crowder in the corner.

McCollum eventually recovers and contests the shot, but that specific read highlights Iguodala’s IQ. He may not be the best scorer or shooter, but he understands how to attack — and in this case, create — cracks in defenses that others can exploit.

While Iguodala had more of a subtly good performance, Crowder (18-11-2-3-1) did … quite a bit. If there’s a sequence that embodies the Crowder Experience, it’d be this run late in the second quarter:

Crowder had himself a day, particularly in the second half. He provided rugged on-ball defense and enough hustle to dust off the “Culture” hashtag. More eye-poppingly, Crowder drilled five of his eight triples, marking the ninth time in his career that he’s made at least five threes in a game.

The idea of Crowder and Iguodala closing out games, as they did on Sunday night, will hinge almost solely on their ability to knock down shots from outside. They have to keep defenses honest to opening up driving lanes for Jimmy Butler, whenever he returns from his shoulder issue. Crowder passed the smell test on Sunday; Iguodala didn’t, though he made so many plays that it didn’t matter much.

Keep an eye out on Crowder specifically. With Olynyk continuing to struggle defensively, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Spo experiment with a Crowder-Bam Adebayo frontcourt to kick off games.

2. Duncan Robinson, using fear as an asset

Robinson has established himself as one of the NBA’s best shooters. He’s elite off the catch, and a flame thrower firing off of screens. Robinson is especially effective operating in dribble handoffs, generating nearly 1.5 points per possession (98th percentile).

Teams know that Robinson only needs a sliver of space to fire, which puts incredible strain on the defenders tasked with shutting down those handoffs. If Robinson’s man is trailing, it’s up to the big (or whoever) to show high and cut off that window. But that’s becoming a death sentence as well.

Robinson averaged 3.0 assists last week. That isn’t a lot, but it’s a pretty sizable bump from his season average. It’s also notable because a lot of them looked like this:

And this:

Robinson has become a bit of an offense onto his own, similar to how Wayne Ellington was during his stint in Miami. Except, you know, with more size and even more passing feel.

3. Derrick Jones Jr’s hot streak

When the Heat traded Winslow, it was mostly for present contributions and future flexibility. It’s the Riley MO, as we all know. But very quietly, it was a vote of confidence for Derrick Jones Jr, a tweener forward with a budding skill set.

It’s a bit of a gamble. His catch radius on lobs remains absurd. There’s been tangible growth from him as a finisher in the half court. Those are fine skills in a vacuum, but the jumper is the real swing skill for him.

Jones Jr. is shooting 28.6 percent from deep on the season, and 27.1 percent from the corners. Those numbers obviously won’t cut it if he wants to be more than an exciting rotation piece that can get schemed out of a playoff series.

It’s why his hot streak from three — 53.3 percent last week, 47.6 percent over his last eight games — couldn’t have come at a better time. Teams still largely ignore him from beyond the arc, but he’s taking (and making) enough in rhythm to force defenses to at least think about him. That’s a win for him, and the Heat.

Set Play of the Week

HORNS Slice, with a twist

Whew, baby, is there a lot going on here.

 

The Heat kick things off with an Iverson cut for Olynyk — watch as he cuts across a couple of screens — before settling into (some semblance of) their HORNS alignment.

Kendrick Nunn enters the ball into Adebayo, and then the real fun begins.

Nunn clears, while Robinson sets a screen for Jones Jr. Bogdan Bogdonovic gets caught on the screen, leaving Buddy Hield in limbo. If he continues to chase Robinson, Jones Jr. is open for a lob. Instead, he hangs back, which allows Robinson to pop up for three.

Harry Giles steps up to help while Bogdonovic recovers. Adebayo reads this and slips to the basket. After receiving the pass, Adebayo is faced with a 2-on-1; Hield steps up, presenting a passing window for Jones Jr, or a rather glaring mismatch inside.

Adebayo takes advantage of the latter, finishing with a leaning layup over the sharpshooter.

As mentioned in the second section, the threat of Robinson as a shooter terrifies defenses. His screen for Jones Jr. is what sets up the entire chain reaction.

Justise Winslow in Miami, promise unfulfilled

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The Justise Winslow era wasn’t supposed to go like this.

When he fell to the 10th pick in 2015, the consensus was that Pat Riley and the Miami Heat got the steal of the draft in the form of a teenage wing with promising offensive potential and rare defensive versatility. He was a champion, a product of the Duke program that the Heat organization has been so fond of. Under the tutelage of Dwyane Wade Justise was supposed to blossom into stardom and take the torch from his mentor, leading the team into the next era.

None of that worked out quite right. After an impressive rookie year his mentor left, injuries cut his sophomore season short, a crowded backcourt forced him to play out of position more frequently than was preferable, and the holes in his offensive game made it difficult to fit him back into a rotation that was largely constructed in his absence.

 

 

When he was on the floor and not squeezed into an awkward spot in the lineup, he was undeniably good. He had his shortcomings, sure, but his defense was as good as advertised and his playmaking ability shocked a lot of fans. Before the acquisition of Jimmy Butler there wasn’t a player on the team who could make some of the passes Justise made with relative consistency. Winslow made huge strides as a shooter in a relatively short amount of time, and at times it looked like he was becoming the borderline all star everyone wanted him to be. If he had been able to stay on the court for a prolonged period he would’ve been incredibly valuable to a young competitive Heat team that struggles to defend the perimeter at time. Unfortunately, for Justise, that was a huge if.

 

Justise Winslow hasn’t had one recurring injury that would raise a huge red flag like in the case of Greg Oden or Joel Embiid (who has been successful despite health concerns), and it is difficult to know how serious his recent injuries are. What we do know is that he couldn’t stay on the floor for an extended stretch and it didn’t look like that was going to change in the near future. As fans and media members, we can talk about whether what they got back in the Grizzlies trade was an adequate return but, at a certain point, that’s all irrelevant. It has become clear that the Justise Winslow era in Miami ended some time before Pat Riley got on the phone with the Memphis front office. To fault either party for the deterioration of the relationship would require knowledge we don’t have. The only certainty is that the relationship was over.

 

The Grizzlies got a great young talent. If Justise Winslow thrives in Memphis, it should be a surprise to nobody. But his shortcomings as an off-ball offensive talent will always make it complicated to cleanly slot him into a rotation and Pat Riley understandably decided that a competitive Miami team didn’t have the time to continually work the oft-injured Winslow back into a rotation that is running relatively smoothly. Memphis is still young, they can afford to have the patience that a player like Justise necessitates.

 

Many Miami Heat fans (myself included) were attached to Winslow. He’s a promising, personable young player who has been refreshingly open about his mental health. Any success he has in Memphis should delight the fans who loved him. It should not necessarily serve as an indictment of the Heat organization. Miami needed the flexibility and Justise Winslow needed the fresh start. Best of luck to both parties.

 

Dolphins 2020 draftPerry McIntyre - Georgia Athletics

Fresh Perspective: Building the 2020 Miami Dolphins – Draft 2.0

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Once again, after the initial free agency burst, the focus becomes the NFL draft. If by some miracle, the Dolphins manage to follow the offseason plan, a lot of money will be spent. Some contracts may need to be creatively structured to make sure there’s enough room for everyone. Also, this bears repeating. This plan is merely what I would do to ensure a speedy rise to the top. This is not a prediction of what the Dolphins will do. I suspect my vision what Miami will do and what I want them to do are vastly different.

Nevertheless, I hope GM Chris Grier sees the vast talent available in this year’s free agent class and does everything he can to bring some of the high profile signings to the Dolphins.

But now is the time for a new mock draft, and Miami still has a lot of picks to use. The previous plan had a lot of unrealistic choices made, that’s plainly obvious. So this time, I took to you, the readers, to tell me what you felt was the best way to go about it.

So with those results in mind, I decided to switch to TheDraftNetwork’s mock draft machine instead of defaulting back to Fanspeak. It was challenging to make up my mind on certain picks, but what I’ve come up with will hopefully put the Dolphins in a strong position to contend both now and in the future.

Regardless of whether they get all the free agents or not.

Without further ado, here are the results.

2020 Miami Dolphins Draft

Round 1, 5th Overall – Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa

Here we are again. In a bizarre twist of fate, the Dolphins don’t need the first overall pick to get their hands on Tua Tagovailoa. They aren’t even going to need to trade up from their draft position at fifth overall. Unfortunately, the entire reason behind this is his severely injured hip.

Regardless of how the medicals eventually come out, it’s understood that Tua is going to have to sit for a year. His rookie season will be spent on the bench. Is that necessarily a bad thing? Depends on your point of view. Folks who want the instant excitement of a rookie quarterback will be sorely disappointed. Those that remember how Patrick Mahomes sat for a year before entering the league will be more open to the concept. Even Tua himself seems to love the idea of playing for the Dolphins.

Make no mistake, the only question mark regarding Tua is his durability. Everything else about him screams elite NFL QB. His poise, his pocket presence, his accuracy. To draw a parallel, Miami is getting a second chance at Drew Brees. The Dolphins doctors decided to choose Daunte Culpepper over Brees back during the brief Nick Saban era on account of medical concerns. That’s burned them for nearly two decades.

This time, it’s Tua’s hip that’s the issue. There’s speculation regarding whether Tua will ever be able to play football again. Even if he does, will he be the same player he was before his hip injury? The doctors will undoubtedly have their say.

This time, however, if Miami is smart, they will learn from past mistakes. Sometimes, it’s best to throw caution to the wind and make a bold decision. Tua may not play up to his full potential due to injury…but if he does, the Dolphins will find themselves set for the next decade.

And just to go ahead and mention this, there won’t be another QB taken in this draft. Miami already has a developmental QB on the roster. His name is Josh Rosen.

So Miami’s opening day QBs are as follows:

  • Ryan Fitzpatrick
  • Josh Rosen
  • Tua Tagovailoa

Sounds like an impressive lineup.

Round 1, 18th Overall – LSU EDGE K’Lavon Chaisson

While Chaisson is no Chase Young when it comes to dominating offensive linemen, Chaisson does have some very promising aspects of his game. His burst off the edge is remarkable, making him a potent speed rusher that if anyone gets caught looking, they’re gonna get beat. On top of that, Chaisson is surprisingly effective in setting the edge. Any concerns about him not fitting the scheme go away in that instance.

The biggest knock on Chaisson is his lack of numeric production. Compared to other pass rushers in this draft class (see Chase Young), his numbers don’t exactly scream game-changer. He only had 6.5 sacks in 2019, and his tackle numbers really aren’t even worth mentioning. However, this is where watching film is crucial.

Where Chaisson’s numbers lack, his film makes up for it in spades. He can function with his hand in the dirt, he can also attack standing up. Chaisson even has some ability in coverage, making his versatility a huge boon for whoever drafts him. In all seriousness, his potential to do it all actually reminds me of Dion Jordan…without the downsides.

The only knock on Chaisson as far as his game goes is that he’s still got room to grow technique-wise. Every aspect of his game relies more on his natural athleticism than actual skill. But this is not a bad thing right now. Remember what the Dolphins are all about now. They’re focusing on teaching and developing players. Chaisson is pliable, ready to be molded into a superstar.

Pair him with Yannick Ngakoue (hopefully) and Miami should have a very strong pass rush very soon. It just won’t be quite as instantaneous as if they were able to pick Chase Young. Patience will be crucial.

  • Yannick Ngakoue
  • K’Lavon Chaisson
  • Taco Charlton
  • Charles Harris

Round 1, 26th Overall – Georgia RB D’Andre Swift

Since Miami likely won’t be able to afford Derrick Henry after spending plenty on OL and key defensive cornerstones, the draft becomes crucial to find a new running back. After the awful season by Kalen Ballage, and the unforgivable actions by Mark Walton that sent him packing, all hope currently sits on the backs of Myles Gaskin and Patrick Laird.

To be clear, this is not a knock on either of those players. Gaskin was consistently productive at Washington, and Laird quietly had one heck of a season in his limited playing time. In fact, it didn’t take long for fans to clamor for more of Laird and much, much less of Ballage. Once Laird did play, the difference was easy to see.

But Laird lacks any elite physical qualities that make him a truly capable starting running back in the NFL. He’s good, but his ceiling is low. The Dolphins need someone who can put defenses on their heels with his physical ability. And that’s where Swift comes into play.

There is one concern that needs to be taken into account. Swift is very aggressive and he’s willing to put his body on the line on every down. Normally, that’s a plus. But that stops being a plus once the player actually gets injured, which Swift did in 2019. He suffered a shoulder injury that limited his playing time, and he’ll need to learn to protect himself more at the NFL level. He can only contribute if he’s healthy.

But his playmaking potential is too much to pass up for the Dolphins. Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller compares his skillset to Alvin Kamara. That’s a serious comparison to make, considering what kind of a player Kamara is. He’s decent at pass protection, he makes defenders miss, he can pretty much do it all.

Hopefully this time, Miami will keep their future star RB rather than letting him walk.

  • D’Andre Swift
  • Patrick Laird
  • Kalen Ballage
  • Myles Gaskin
  • Chandler Cox

Round 2, 39th Overall – Houston OT Josh Jones

It’s hard to tell whether Josh Jones at 39 is realistic or not. His Senior Bowl performance captured a lot of attention. But the board fell to the point he’s available for the Dolphins to select with their first 2nd round draft pick. Jones is a raw prospect with the length to play left tackle and light on his feet.

The issue with Jones is not his speed, his strength, or his size. It’s his overall technique. Every evaluator who watches Jones play essentially says the same thing. He’s got all the potential in the world, but he needs some time to cook before he’s ready to take over for a team at left tackle. He has to learn how to use his hands and work on his awareness. He’s very much a work-in-progress that needs serious polishing.

This is precisely why the need for a stopgap at left tackle is so necessary. Jones needs time to sit with the offensive line coach and learn the techniques that he hasn’t yet. Jones has all the physical tools in the world. But this is why Anthony Castonzo is signed to a two-year contract. The first year is to make sure Miami can compete while Jones sits behind him. The second year is just in case Jones isn’t ready quite yet. But with any luck, Castonzo can be released after just one year, save some money, and Jones will become the Dolphins’ franchise left tackle.

  • Anthony Castonzo
  • Josh Jones
  • Jack Conklin
  • Jesse Davis (G/T)

Round 2, 56th Overall – Auburn OT Prince Tega Wanogho

And now is when doubling up is important. It’s called hedging bets. Prince Tega Wanogho is another player that requires a certain amount of development before he’s truly ready for the NFL. However, he also has a crazy high ceiling. He’s new to playing football, as he’s only been playing organized football since high school. So just like Jones, he’s a project.

But he’s a very intriguing prospect.

Ironically enough, he actually had some strong reps against K’Lavon Chaisson during their matchup. Chaisson, of course, was drafted in the first round by Miami. Depending on how you look at this, it either proves Wanogho has potential to be a stud left tackle (or perhaps even right tackle), or Chaisson isn’t all he’s hyped up to be.

For Miami’s sake, it better be the former. This is the risk that comes with the draft. Either players are going to be awesome, or they’re going to bust. This is where the Dolphins have to prove that their ability to develop players wasn’t just a fluke. They took undrafted free agent Nik Needham and turned him into a solid reserve/spot starter type cornerback. They dragged Mike Gesicki and DeVante Parker out of bustdom.

Now, they have two high ceiling offensive linemen to teach how to play the position. Ideally, Jones will become the starter at left tackle after one year of Castonzo, and Wanogho can spend a couple years developing behind Conklin if they sign him. If they don’t, then Jesse Davis will either start, or Wanogho might find himself thrown into the fire.

  • Anthony Castonzo
  • Josh Jones
  • Jack Conklin
  • Jesse Davis (G/T)
  • Prince Tega Wanogho

Round 3, 70th Overall – Washington G/C Nick Harris

Time to part ways with veteran center Daniel Kilgore, which saves the Dolphins about $4 million dollars. That saved money will help them sign their free agents and draft picks. To replace Kilgore, Miami drafts interior offensive lineman Nick Harris.

Harris is a perfect fit for a zone blocking scheme. He’s versatile, he’s excellent at getting to the second level and blocking in space, which makes him a valuable asset in the running game. He’s not exactly physically imposing, but he knows where to be and when to be there. Considering the Dolphins couldn’t run the ball to save their lives last season, Harris should help D’Andre Swift ignite the running game.

Originally, I planned to draft Tyler Biadasz out of Wisconsin and give Michael Deiter his old center from his college days. With any luck, that would have jumpstarted his game. But considering Biadasz regressed in nearly every facet of his game this past season, I elected to draft a player who’s trending up, not down. Deiter will benefit more from having a good player rather than an old teammate.

  • Brandon Scherff
  • Nick Harris
  • Michael Deiter
  • Shaq Calhoun
  • Jesse Davis (G/T)

Round 5, 135th Overall – Wake Forest CB Essang Bassey

The Dolphins signing Byron Jones helps a lot with the cornerback position, especially since Xavien Howard – should he remain with the team after his domestic violence incident – will undoubtedly be suspended by the NFL. Thankfully, Miami developed Nik Needham into a spot starter caliber player, and there’s still room to grow for him.

But that’s not enough to hold them over. Signing Aqib Talib is not likely to happen (though I would do it if the price is right), and there’s no way to know if Cordrea Tankersley will stay on the team over some of Flores’ hand-picked youngsters like Ken Webster or Steven Parker. Either way, the dropoff is significant after Needham.

This is where Wake Forest’s Essang Bassey comes into play.

Now quite frankly, I don’t expect Bassey to make a huge impact right away. His best projection right now is as a slot cornerback, so he’d compete with Jomal Wiltz, unless McCain moves back to the slot. Bassey’s undersized – listed as 5’9″ and 191 pounds – and is best known for his ball skills. He’s a hawk who has a nose for the ball and can read and jump routes. He’s got fluid hips, and can turn into coverage smoothly. Ironically enough, the player that he reminds me of?

Brent Grimes.

His strengths and weaknesses are almost an exact parallel to Grimes. He has incredible ball-tracking skills and his size is a weakness that must be overcome. Agility, off-man coverage skills, footwork, not overly physical. That’s Brent Grimes in a nutshell. Do I expect Bassey to become Grimes? Not at all. Then again, no one expected Grimes to become who he ultimately became. If Bassey gets close to Grimes, without the extracurriculars that came with him, he could easily be the steal of the draft.

  • Byron Jones
  • Nik Needham
  • Essang Bassey
  • Jomal Wiltz
  • Steven Parker
  • Eric Rowe (CB/S)
  • Bobby McCain (CB/S)
  • *Xavien Howard

Round 5, 144th Overall – Minnesota WR Tyler Johnson

This is going to be one of those best player available situations. Truthfully, Miami doesn’t need anymore wide receivers. There are already so many bodies at that position – good ones – that adding more just seems wasteful. However, when BPA becomes the goal, you take talent no matter what position they play.

Enter Tyler Johnson out of Minnesota. He’s not a physical stud, but he doesn’t need to be. Preston Williams, DeVante Parker and – to some extent – Mike Gesicki are the big-bodied wide receivers. What Johnson brings to the table is ridiculous footwork, route-running, releases, hands, and a little speed to boot.

Johnson’s lack of physicality is his one main weakness. But if corners can’t stay with you, then that makes up for it somewhat. Truly, he’s the type of wide receiver that accurate, anticipatory quarterbacks will love.

Sound like anyone?

Now, Johnson will have a battle to make the roster. Wide receiver is the deepest position Miami has by far. His best chance is to beat out Isaiah Ford, who came on strong after injuries to the WR corps made his presence necessary. I believe that Johnson will ultimately end up on the practice squad, so he doesn’t make the 53-man roster list. But if something happens, and Albert Wilson gets released or someone gets hurt, Johnson will get first dibs.

  • DeVante Parker
  • Preston Williams
  • Albert Wilson
  • Jakeem Grant
  • Allen Hurns
  • Isaiah Ford

Round 5, 147th Overall – Maryland Safety Antoine Brooks Jr.

True, there’s a logjam at safety already with Eric Rowe’s emergence and Bobby McCain’s position transition. But that doesn’t mean it’s a wise idea to just stand pat and not look for some potential elsewhere. Antoine Brooks Jr. is most effective in the box and making plays in the backfield. Essentially, he does what Reshad Jones does best.

It’s unlikely Brooks will make an immediate impact on defense. Again, Rowe and the (hopefully) returning Walt Aikens will be called upon first in case of an injury. But one thing that he will absolutely do is be a special teams star.

What Brooks is not good at is defending against deep routes, which limits him somewhat. He is an attacking safety/nickel package player through and through. But if there’s any truth to the idea that Reshad Jones will be on his way out – next season if nothing else – then it’s crucial that the Dolphins find someone who can potentially mimic his skillset. Brooks will get his chance, but more likely on the practice squad.

  • Reshad Jones
  • Walt Aikens
  • Bobby McCain (CB/S)
  • Eric Rowe (CB/S) (35 players)

Round 6, 165th Overall – Miami EDGE Jonathan Garvin

It’s only fitting that at least one Miami Hurricane makes it in here. Jonathan Garvin has a lot of length who can essentially play the role that William Hayes did during his brief Dolphins tenure. He doesn’t possess an incredible pass-rushing burst the way that K’Lavon Chaisson does, but he can set the edge and stop the run like nobody’s business.

That type of ability is precisely what the coaching staff wants in their edge players. What makes him intriguing is that there’s also still room for him to grow as a pass rusher. He has the potential to become an incredibly balanced, all-around player on defense.

Of course, by this point in the draft, every player is a project player. Garvin has potential to be drawn out, but he needs a lot of coaching. And he’ll have competition for a spot on the roster, especially from more established players like Taco Charlton. He does have the advantage of being able to stop the run, but there are other young players also looking to make the team.

Special teams performance will play a role in Garvin’s chances to make the roster, and ultimately I believe he’ll make it over the likes of Avery Moss or Jonathan Ledbetter. But if he doesn’t, then there’s a nice warm spot on the practice squad waiting for him to make the team. That is, of course, assuming he doesn’t get snagged by another team first.

  • Yannick Ngakoue
  • K’Lavon Chaisson
  • Taco Charlton
  • Charles Harris
  • Jonathan Garvin

Round 6, 177th Overall – Appalachian State RB Darrynton Evans

Perhaps the most intriguing thing about Darrynton Evans is just how productive he’s been throughout his college career. Similar to Myles Gaskin a year prior, his abilities aren’t wow worthy but he’s been consistently good at racking up numbers.

He was one of the most explosive running backs in college football in 2019, and has a certain amount of balance to his game that allows him to do a little of everything. Once again, versatility is a big deal for the Dolphins, so that’s a point in Evans’ favor.

He’ll have a tough time making the roster unless he really hits the ground running during the offseason. Special teams will be his best bet to make it since Swift will firmly hold the starting job with Laird, Ballage and Gaskin having seniority on him. It’s all about adding competition this late in the draft.

  • D’Andre Swift
  • Patrick Laird
  • Kalen Ballage
  • Myles Gaskin
  • Chandler Cox

Round 7, 223rd Overall – Baylor EDGE James Lynch

And here we have Mr. Irrelevant, the final pick of the entire draft goes to the Dolphins. It’s yet another edge rusher as Miami continues searching for a way to generate a pass rush after their worst season doing it in recent memory. Lynch is Baylor’s all-time leader in sacks with 22, which makes it somewhat surprising he lasted this long. Matt Miller has Lynch going to the Cowboys as early as the second round in his mock draft.

Lynch has a high motor and he seems to have a knack for blocking kicks. That’s a big play that’s been missed since Vincent Taylor was released. Perhaps Lynch will bring that back considering how often he did it in college.

The biggest issue with Lynch is that his physical qualities don’t make you say wow anywhere across the board. Average length, average athleticism, average everything. He needs to be developed by a strong coaching staff if he’s going to find success in the NFL. Effort alone helped him find the success he did have at Baylor.

Who knows? Maybe that effort will be enough to make him shine in training camp. But more than likely, he’ll land on the practice squad.

  • Yannick Ngakoue
  • K’Lavon Chaisson
  • Taco Charlton
  • Charles Harris
  • Jonathan Garvin

And that concludes the second version of my Miami Dolphins offseason plan. Not listed here are the members of the defensive tackle and tight end units, but those will simply have everyone you’re used to, with the exception of Gerald Willis getting the call up to the 53-man roster and joining the DT rotation.

Obviously, there will be acorns found after the draft is over. Only the Dolphins know who they really have their eye on. But follow the plan I’ve laid out, and they’ll be competing in the playoffs in no time. At least, one can only hope that’s the case.

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

2019-20 Trade Deadline Primer: Where the Miami Heat Stand

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It’s the most wonderful time of the year: Trade Season.

Any hint of action will send (most) of us in a tizzy. We’ll overreact to “Team X has discussed Player Y with Team Z” tweets. We’ll be even more irate when Woj (re)tweets quite literally anything that isn’t trade related.

The NBA is fresh off the heels of a 12-player, four-team deal we haven’t seen since Patrick Ewing (yuck) deal in 2000. Follow-up moves are coming, which means chatter is about to pick up league-wide.

Embrace it.

With the trade deadline rapidly approaching, it’s only fitting that we — Greg “Lefty Leif” Sylvander and I — examine where the Heat are, what they need, and what we can expect over the next day or so.

Where the Heat Stand

At 34-15, the Heat find themselves 4th in the Eastern Conference. They’re only 1.5 games behind the Toronto Raptors for the second seed, and 3.5 games ahead of the 5th seeded Indiana Pacers. In short, they’re on pace for 50 wins and the right to host a first round series.

Stellar two-way play from All-Stars Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo have set the tone for this team. Butler is doing a little bit of everything. He’s setting the table (career-high 6.2 assists), cleaning the class (career-high 6.8 rebounds), getting to the line (career-high 9.4 free throw attempts), and playing free safety (1.8 steals) on the other end.

Adebayo is making the most of his increased role. The elbow is his home, operating as a post split hub more than ever. He has the freedom to hit cutters, flow into dribble handoffs with Miami’s cast of shooters, or take matters into his own hands as a driver or (short) mid-range merchant. That, on top of his versatility defensively, has made him one of the NBA’s most valuable big men.

Speaking of shooters, the Heat have five rotation players — Duncan Robinson, Meyers Leonard, Kelly Olynyk, Tyler Herro, and Goran Dragic — shooting over 39 percent from three this season. As a whole, the Heat are the NBA’s second best three-point shooting team (38.0 percent). With Robinson flying off screens, Herro and Dragic getting busy off the bounce, and Leonard and Olynyk operating as pick-and-pop threats, defenses have been spread thin.

That extra space has given Butler and Adebayo more room to work with, making their offense look unguardable at times. This isn’t just an elite offense; this is, statistically, the best offense in Miami Heat history.

The Heat have (rightfully) earned a reputation as a tough-minded, defense-first group during Erik Spoelstra’s tenure as head coach. They’ve finished with a top-10 defensive rating eight times since the 2008-09 season.

This team is … not that.

Their 108.1 defensive rating is easily the highest of the Spoelstra Era, and currently ranks 14th in the league. The game is much spacier than it was even five years ago, let alone the late 2000s. That context shouldn’t be completely ignored.

Even with that caveat, the defense has bled points in a way that should cause concern. A 111.0 defensive rating since December 1st (18th, 31-game sample) is sound-the-alarm worthy. Their issues are equal parts schematic and personnel-driven; it’s hard to effectively run a drop coverage scheme without players that can stay connected over screens.

What the Heat Need

Offensively, the Heat are a high-level creator short of being really dangerous. Butler and Bam have been worthy scorers, but the lack of equity they possess as jump-shooters puts an artificial cap on their ceilings in the half-court. Teams consistently duck under Butler-ran pick-and-rolls, while more bigs have begun giving Bam acres of space when he has the ball.

There are obvious counters to the play-off-Bam strategy — taking short jumpers, flowing into quick-hitting dribble-hand0ffs — but that’s putting a lot of strain on Robinson, Herro, Dragic and the rest of the crew to knock down off-movement shots. Miami’s woes have really come to light against switchier defenses like the Boston Celtics, a team they could very well face in the first round if the seeding breaks a certain way.

Defensively, it’s pretty much a fielder’s choice for the Heat. Ball pressure is a legit issue. Allocating so many minutes to Kendrick Nunn (though he’s been much better in 2020), Dragic, Herro, Robinson has led to a predictably soft first line of defense. Once enemy drivers puncture the paint, there isn’t much resistance to be met with unless Bam is at the 5.

The Heat either need some “oomph” at the point of attack (hi, Jrue Holiday), a versatile 4 that would allow Bam to play the 5 more often (hi, the idea of Trevor Ariza), or a more effective 5 that can deter shots at the rim (hi, last year’s Dewayne Dedmon).

This may shock you, but the Heat have been linked to all three of those guys this season.

Saucy Nuggets

As we approach Thursday’s 3 PM deadline, here’s what I’m hearing surrounding the Heat and the trade market:

  • The organization is approaching the deadline with caution and careful inspection. The team is not anxious to make a trade that compromises 2021 salary cap flexibility. Another huge factor is ensuring nothing is done to negatively impact the chemistry this core group has developed. The Heat like their current positioning and trajectory so are not inclined to force a deal

 

  • The Heat is not actively shopping any player apart from Dion Waiters according to a source. As always, they are listening on all players. Well, almost; Butler, Bam and Herro are completely off limits in all talks according to another league source.

 

  • That is where Justise Winslow comes into focus. The Heat have had to learn to live largely without Winslow this season. This gives rise to the question of what type of upgrade he  can fetch via trade. At this point what the Heat would get in return would be 100% incremental value to the current active roster and that player could also come packaged within the confines of preserving 2021 cap space.

 

  • Currently the biggest question surrounding Winslow is his health. Teams have registered interest contingent on his health, per Ethan Skolnick.

 

  • I reported in early December that Andre Iguodala was a Heat trade target and I would expect those talks to continue through Thursday. Memphis and Miami continue to discuss possibilities, one of which could potentially include a 2019 deadline target: Jae Crowder. Would the Heat consider parting with Winslow if it nets Iguodala and Crowder (and sheds Waiters)?

 

  • If you put me on the spot, I would say the most likely big-name acquisition resides in San Antonio. Riley has long been fond of LaMarcus Aldridge’s skill set, evolving now to include a 3 point shot that would fit nicely next to Adebayo up front. Aldridge’s playoff experience is attractive provided he wouldn’t cost more than some combination of Winslow, Leonard, Olynyk and/or impending free agent Derrick Jones Jr.

Houtz Special: Is Tua Tagovailoa ‘Tanking’ for Miami?

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Miami’s interest in Tua Tagovialoa is no secret. But now, it seems just as evident that Tua has an interest in Miami. 

The narrative surrounding the 2019 Miami Dolphins was straightforward; collect as much draft ammunition as possible to land Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa and do whatever it takes to make that dream a reality. Unfortunately, this plan left many fans feeling unsettled.

On the one hand, fans wanted to see new HC Brian Flores and his group of misfits succeed and be competitive throughout the season. On the other hand, however, they wanted to lose as many games as possible to assure themselves an opportunity to get the QB they had their sights set on.

As the college season progressed, Joe Burrow slowly started to creep up from out of nowhere. And after a season, unlike anything we’ve ever witness, he is now cemented into the #1 spot in April’s draft. We all know what happened to Tagovailoa. A 300-pound defensive lineman came crashing down unexpectedly onto his right hip, forcing him to miss the remainder of the season.

Hindsight, this may have been a blessing in disguise.

Before the injury, Tagovailoa was in the running for the Heisman trophy, and the Alabama Crimson Tide were likely on their way to another College Playoff. But that all changed when Tagovailoa went down. And for a player that many believed to be a lock at the top of the draft order, everything changed.

So, Miami continued to battle throughout the regular season. Winning five games unexpectedly and losing any chance of landing the once-in-a-generation QB. Or did they? The injury that Tagovailoa suffered not only put his football career on hold, it meant that the Dolphins were now very much in play for the talented passer.

Over the last few weeks, we’ve all seen the progress from Tua. And for those of you lucky enough to be a part of Super Bowl LIV in Miami, you were given a front-row seat to The Left Arm of God and were able to learn a lot about what his future might entail.

Let’s take a look at TuaMania and what we learned from his wild week in Miami.

First, the greatest QB of All-Time had nothing but praise for the young passer. Marino, went on record to say that Tua Tagovailoa was a ‘much better college QB than I ever was.” Which not only got Dolphins’ fans excited but left a lasting impression on Tagovailoa.

When shown Marino’s comments, Tagovailoa had nothing but praise for the Hall of Fame QB.

Plenty of NFL teams are going to be concerned about Tua’s hip and injury history. But he had the perfect answer when asked by Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio what he would tell teams that may be concerned.

Tua’s agent Leigh Steinberg was asked whether or not his client wanted to go No.1-overall to the Cincinnati Bengals. I’d say the answer is no.

Miami + Tagovailoas = match made in Heaven.

He wasn’t shy about posting stuff like this on his Instagram feed.

Veteran QB Ryan Fitzpatrick already said he would be returning in 2020. And he would have no problem mentoring Tua Tagovailoa if the Dolphins decide to go that route.

‘US’? Did Tua refer to the Dolphins as ‘US’!?!?!

Welcome to Miami, Bienvenidos a Miami.

Many were uncertain whether or not Tagovailoa would ever be able to play the game of football again. Here he is throwing passes during a Super Bowl event.

 

With the NFL season finally over, we are now headed into the most critical offseason in the history of the Miami Dolphins. An offseason where the Dolphins will have close to $120-million in cap space and 13 draft picks to continue to build a winning roster. We don’t know whether or not Chris Grier and Miami’s front office will get things right, but we will have you covered all offseason long right here on Five Reasons Sports.

Check out the latest 3 Yards Per Carry Podcast, HERE

Josh Houtz wrote this article (@houtz). He’s a fan of Tua Tagovailoa and wants nothing more than for him to be drafted to Miami.

 

Dolphins

Fresh Perspective: Building the 2020 Miami Dolphins – Free Agency 2.0

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Back in late September. I put together an offseason plan that would revamp the 2020 Miami Dolphins. First, I looked at how they should tackle free agency. I gave Miami some stud defensive players and finally (hopefully) fixed the offensive line. Then, I immediately dove in and addressed the 2020 NFL draft, such as it was at the time. Naturally, some picks were deemed unrealistic. The idea that Miami would be able to snag both Tua Tagovailoa and Chase Young in the same draft is ridiculous now. Undoubtedly, Fanspeak has addressed this in their mock drafts. The plan also hinged on the Dolphins having the #1 overall pick. This is no longer the case, as Brian Flores refused to quit and dragged his players to a remarkable five wins.

Whether you agree with Flores or even support Flores in that effort, the undeniable fact is those wins had an impact on Miami’s draft position. Now, they pick fifth overall instead of first overall. Also, we are now aware of who has declared for the draft and who has decided to go back to school for another season. This will change how things play out. So now that things are pretty much set in stone, the time has come to redo this plan.

Same as before, focus will be placed on free agency first. Who should Miami give large contracts to? Who should be moved on from? This plan will also assume that things go unchanged regarding the expiring Collective Bargaining Agreement, and cap will still carry over into the next season. If it turns out this will not be the case, simply rework the contracts to be heavily front-loaded. So without further ado, let’s get started with a brand new offseason plan.

Quarterback

Once again, the draft portion of this offseason plan is where the vast majority of this discussion will be had. But there is one massive difference between this plan and the previous one. Previously, Ryan Fitzpatrick was listed as being an offseason cut. But now he’s not only going to stick around, he’s actually going to start the 2020 season.

There was hope that Josh Rosen would turn out to be a viable starter with a year of seasoning. But after three starts, it was clear that Rosen didn’t really grasp what was going on. His throws were errant, he looked distinctly uncomfortable, and the team simply wasn’t rallying around him. True, Fitzpatrick wasn’t making a good case for himself when the season started, but that all changed as soon as Rosen was benched and he came back in.

Bizarrely enough, the Dolphins rode that wave all the way to five wins in a season where the expectation was an easy 0-16. Did it ruin their tanking efforts? That assumes they were ever tanking in the first place. All signs point to Fitzpatrick returning to play in 2020, and he will not only start, he will have the duty of mentoring not one, but two young quarterbacks.

Make no mistake, Miami will draft a quarterback at some point in this upcoming draft. But that doesn’t mean they’re about to cut ties with Josh Rosen. Even entering his third season in the NFL, he’s still younger than consensus top pick Joe Burrow. To give up on Rosen already would be very foolish. He’ll compete for the starting job all over again this season. That makes the 2020 QB lineup: Fitzpatrick, Rosen, Rookie QB.

Running back

As it turns out, Kenyan Drake got traded before the season could end, and immediately he made an impact with his new team. In eight games with the Arizona Cardinals, Drake ran the ball 123 times for 643 yards, and eight touchdowns, averaging 5.2 yards a carry. He also added 28 receptions for 171 yards. Clearly, the Cardinals found use for him whereas the Dolphins were unwilling to give him the ball for some unknown reason. If nothing else, Miami is likely to get a fifth round pick thanks to Drake’s success, but it’s still disappointing they never tried to make him the star he could be.

So what should the Dolphins do now? In a perfect world, they would sign impending free agent Derrick Henry to a big contract. But the world is not perfect. Miami doesn’t project to be big spenders, but it’s going to be hard to resist that temptation with all the elite talent shaking loose this offseason. Henry would give instant smashmouth football potential, but as the league’s leading rusher, he’s got a lot of tread on his wheels and he’ll command a huge contract.

Under normal circumstances, I would forgo conventional wisdom and write this as if I were the Dolphins GM. But given there’s essentially zero chance Miami splurges on Henry, or Chargers RB Melvin Gordon, I will make an exception in this case. The Dolphins won’t be spending on running back in free agency unless it’s a cheap role player. Look to the draft for a running back recharge.

Wide Receiver

In the previous offseason plan, Miami parted ways with DeVante Parker to save an extra $5 million in cap space. But after seeing what he did in 2019 with Ryan Fitzpatrick at QB and Brian Flores at head coach, that’s no longer the plan. In fact, Parker is now the focal point of the plan. He shattered the preconceived notion fans had of him. He put together a Pro Bowl worthy season. And he made Stephon Gilmore look like a fool.

His reward? A brand new four-year, $30.5 million dollar deal that will keep him in Miami through 2023.

With that done, there’s no need to make Amari Cooper the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL. Let the Dallas Cowboys figure out how to sort out their salary issues. Instead, the Dolphins can potentially stand pat with the receivers they already have. Currently, that’s Parker, Preston Williams, Jakeem Grant, Albert Wilson, and Isaiah Ford.

Williams has the potential to be an excellent wide receiver, if he can just work on his hands. Drops plagued him during his rookie season, similar to Grant who also struggled making catches. As for Wilson, Miami can still save a lot by releasing him. But by the end of the season, Wilson was starting to look like his old self. The better option may actually be to stand pat and let him play out his contract.

This WR corps is the strongest part of the team by far. The only reason Miami would need to spend money at this position is if someone gets hurt midseason. Even then, it’s more likely other options will be available via practice squad or the draft.

Tight End

The emergence of Mike Gesicki has made the tight end position much less of a priority than it was at the time of the previous plan. That said, it’s clear Nick O’Leary will not return to the team. So that once again leaves the Dolphins with only Gesicki and Durham Smythe under contract at tight end for 2020. They do have Chris Myarick on the practice squad, but it remains to be seen how much of a role he can play.

Miami can still use a blocking tight end, however, and maybe they’ll be content to stick with Smythe. However, if they’re looking for someone to step in and act as a veteran voice, Marcedes Lewis may be a cheap option. He’ll be 36 in May, and he has some ability as a dual threat TE even at his age. For the past two seasons, Lewis has signed one-year, $2.1 million dollar deals to remain in Green Bay, and reports indicate he plans to play again in 2020.

As much as he says he loves Green Bay, the promise of a little extra cash in his pocket might be enough to lure him back into a warmer climate. Give the man a one-year, $4 million dollar deal and let him mentor the young guys in the locker room. As much as Gesicki has improved under Flores, there’s no reason to be content with it. Maybe Lewis can help Gesicki reach a whole new level.

They’re going to need bodies at tight end anyway, might as well make it one proven to be productive. Sure, he’s old. But he’s not being brought in to be a band-aid or a stopgap. Merely depth and a mentor. That’s worth spending a little extra.

Offensive Line

Virtually nothing changes from the previous plan to this one. The Miami Dolphins still need an offensive line, an elite one preferably. And with all the talented players shaking loose in free agency, this is where it’s time to spend big. Once again, if anyone will remain on the line from last year to this year, it’ll be Jesse Davis and Michael Deiter.

However, there’s a twist. Instead of remaining the starting right tackle, Davis will now be retained as a versatile backup. This means the Dolphins should dip into the free agent pool for that as well. Who do they pursue?

Jack Conklin.

After an excellent year as a part of the Tennessee Titans offensive line, there will be teams looking to pay Conklin a hefty sum. Naturally, the Titans will be looking to keep their offensive line intact as best as they can. Their cohesiveness had a lot to do with their playoff run, giving Derrick Henry room to become the league’s leading rusher. But after Tennessee declined Conklin’s fifth-year option, they now have to bid for him.

In all fairness, Conklin has said he wants to be back with the Titans. So maybe if they give him a fair contract offer, he’ll accept it. But it’s highly unlikely that he won’t at least see what he can get on the open market. Spotrac speculates that Conklin’s market value will be around $15 million a year annually. So, Miami should offer around $17 million annually and see what he says. He would immediately make a massive impact in the run game, which is big since the Dolphins couldn’t run the ball to save their lives in 2019.

After that? Things remain largely the same as the previous plan.

In speaking with Five Reasons’ own Chris Kouffman, the idea that the Dolphins could (and should) spend to sign Patriots free agent Joe Thuney to play left guard is running rampant. I can understand the appeal. Thuney is easily a top five guard in the NFL. His presence would fix the left guard position for years to come. However, I still believe that the best course of action is to sign Brandon Scherff to play right guard instead.

There’s no doubt that Scherff and Thuney are going to be watching each other’s contract negotiations closely. They’re both going to want to be the NFL’s highest paid interior lineman, and whoever signs first will set the baseline. The same contract details as the previous offseason plan should suffice. Give him a 5-year, $82.5 million dollar deal and put him next to Conklin. Running backs will run free for years to come.

Now, the reason Scherff is pursued over Thuney is because Miami already has a left guard they’re trying to develop in Michael Deiter. He struggled mightily in his rookie season, but signing Thuney implies they’re already giving up on their third-round pick. What the Dolphins should do, once again, is sign Anthony Castanzo for two years at $10 million a piece. He’ll be older, but he’s consistently good. He will be able to support Deiter on the left side as he continues his development. That is, until Miami drafts or develops a new left tackle.

The line isn’t complete just yet, but stay tuned.

Defensive Line

2019 made one thing abundantly clear. The Dolphins need a stud pass rusher. Getting pressure on the quarterback was a pipe dream. It speaks volumes that Taco Charlton, a waiver wire pickup who was later benched for unknown reasons, was the team’s sack leader.

He had five sacks.

Playing defense is nearly impossible with that level of QB pressure. So it’s time for Miami to spend on one.

All signs point to Yannick Ngakoue wanting to test the free agent market. After racking up eight sacks in 2019 (tied for his worst total since his rookie season) and forcing four fumbles, who can blame him? He’s entering the prime of his career, looking for a massive pay day. Given the Dolphins’ need for an elite pass rusher, Ngakoue fits the bill. Just like the previous plan, give him six years and $132 million dollars. That will be the highest total in the NFL for pass rushers. One side taken care of.

Charles Harris isn’t going anywhere, for better or worse. Taco Charlton’s future is up in the air, but at worst he’s on the same level as Andre Branch, so hopefully Miami will keep him. After that, the Dolphins will likely comb waiver wires and the draft for more pass rushing. More on that later.

As for the interior, Christian Wilkins didn’t wow fans with his flashy plays. Some even considered him a rookie bust. But Wilkins quietly proved to be someone who can easily contribute. At Clemson, his job was to open the way for other players to make plays. That’s mostly what he did in his rookie season as well. While other draftees were making flashy plays that showed up on highlight reels, Wilkins was doing dirty work.

That is what makes finding dynamic pass rushers even more imperative. Wilkins won’t be appreciated until there’s someone who can take advantage of the work he puts in. As for Davon Godchaux, he’s proving to be one of the bigger steals of the draft. Again, he’s by no means a superstar, but he’s consistently good and is a viable starter. No need to spend big in free agency at DT.

However, it is worth mentioning that a nose tackle should still be looked into. Previously, I suggested Danny Shelton. Now, however, I would simply bring back John Jenkins. Between him and young linebacker Raekwon McMillan, Miami’s run defense looked the best it has in years. The numbers won’t reflect that, but watching the games shows how they made a good team.

So bring back Jenkins, sign Ngakoue, draft another pass rusher, the defensive line should be good to go.

Linebacker

What really needs to be done here? Surely the combination of Jerome Baker, Raekwon McMillan and Sam Egauvoen is good enough of a trio, right? Well, yes and no. While Eguavoen looked impressive in camp and preseason, the regular season saw a significant drop off. Was he bad? Not really. But he wasn’t good either. His greatest skill is in coverage. In talking with Chris Kouffman, I agree with his assessment that Eguavoen is best suited as a situational coverage linebacker.

But that means the Dolphins still need another all around linebacker. One who can do it all, and do it well. This is where Kyle Van Noy comes in. The New England Patriots linebacker is looking for a brand new contract, and the Patriots are notorious for not paying big contracts. Van Noy recently stated in an interview that he would love to remain a Patriot for the rest of his career. But he also stated in the same breath that he knows it’s a business and his play has been consistent.

That’s the truth.

Van Noy loves Boston, but a lowball offer from New England won’t be enough to satiate him. If Miami pays him money, he’d probably be willing to head south. Instantly, the linebacker corps goes from good to potentially great with Van Noy. Making the Dolphins even more attractive is Brian Flores. He and Van Noy obviously have history.

So sign him, make Eguavoen a coverage specialist, and then re-sign Vince Biegel. He’s a restricted free agent, and flashed numerous times throughout the season. Trading Kiko Alonso for him turned out to be a win for both sides. Of course, Andrew Van Ginkel is still there, and with Mike Hull likely to come off the PUP list finally, the LB depth is set.

Cornerback

By this time, all signs point to Xavien Howard staying with the Dolphins after his domestic violence incident. He’ll likely get suspended for a certain length of time, but barring any other issues, he’s staying. This means we’re right back to looking for a number two cornerback who can also be a number one while Howard serves his suspension.

Once again, the answer is Byron Jones.

With all the money the Cowboys have tied into their offensive line, they have a serious problem. They need to pay Amari Cooper a big contract, which I originally had Miami giving him. But assuming he’s going to stay in Dallas, that means they need to pay Cooper, and of course their franchise QB Dak Prescott. That contract is going to be utterly massive.

That leaves the door wide open for Jones to test the free agent market, and the Dolphins can bring him in to create the cornerback duo that fans have been craving since Patrick Surtain and Sam Madison’s time. Maybe Jones wants to be paid as the league’s top cornerback, and that’s fine. Jones ranked as the 12th best corner according to ProFootballFocus grades in 2019. He deserves a lot of money.

The team’s third corner without a doubt is Nik Needham. That development is something no one saw coming. No one except for the coaching staff, that is. After the miserable preseason Needham had, fans were ready for him to hit the road. Yet, the team decided to let him stay. Boy were we wrong on him. Throughout the season, Needham showed staggering development at cornerback. Is he starter potential? That remains to be seen. But if he can come off the bench for dime and quarters packages? That’s the best case scenario.

Now there is something else to consider. The Dolphins essentially traded cap space to the Los Angeles Rams for a fifth round pick and veteran cornerback Aqib Talib. That trade deadline deal put the injured Talib right onto the injured reserve list, and he never suited up in a Miami uniform. But if anyone knows what Talib offers a team in the locker room, it’s Brian Flores. They worked together during their New England tenures. At nearly 34 years old, Talib may not be lockdown caliber anymore, but he can definitely still contribute, as a mentor if nothing else. Give him $6 million to hang around and show the league what he still has to offer.

Imagine this cornerback group:

Xavien Howard.

Byron Jones.

Aqib Talib.

Nik Needham.

Jomal Wiltz (Nickel).

Could definitely be worse. Wiltz showed flashes throughout the season as well. On top of all that, Cordrea Tankersley should be coming off the PUP list after all this time. Flores will get an opportunity to see what the Clemson standout is made of. Add any young undrafted free agents Flores wants to try and nurture, and Miami’s corners should be set.

Safety

Finally we end with the safety position once more. This time, things are getting interesting. With all the injuries in the secondary, Flores needed to improvise. One of those improvisations was to move CB Eric Rowe over to safety. Ironically, Rowe thrived at the position, and he was rewarded with a contract extension through 2022. But now what is Rowe’s role in the defense? Both Reshad Jones and Bobby McCain are still under contract, and both contracts are hard to escape right now.

Plus, according to the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson, the current plan is to keep McCain at safety, rather than move him back to slot corner where he made a name for himself. But if that’s the plan, is there room for all three of them?

Cutting Reshad Jones now costs Miami about $8 million in dead cap space, with only $7.5 in savings. That’s a net loss the Dolphins shouldn’t even think about. Jones is a solid safety. When he’s healthy, he’s more than solid. But he is getting older, and no teams seem interested in taking on his contract. Barring Miami deciding to bite the bullet, he’s likely staying for another year.

As for McCain, his contract is even harder to swallow. Cutting him saves only about $1 million in cap space while killing about $5 million. That’s just hard to come to terms with.

So assuming all three players stay on the roster, there are a few options to choose from. The first is that the Dolphins bite the bullet and move on from either Jones or McCain regardless of their contract situation. The likely candidate in that case is Jones as he’s getting older and hasn’t played a full season since 2017.

Option two is Miami uses a three safety scheme that features Jones, McCain and Rowe on the field at the same time. They did that some in 2019, but more would be required. Jones is best suited as an in-the-box safety, staying near the line of scrimmage and disrupting offenses with his playmaking ability. That leaves McCain and Rowe to cover tight ends and provide backup to the corners.

The third option (and arguably best, in my opinion) is to simply change the thought process and move McCain back to slot cornerback. That may not be the current plan, but maybe it should be. McCain became one of the highest paid slot corners in the NFL because of his performance at that position. Him making the move to safety was met with a lot of skepticism. His performance at safety seemed to justify that. McCain didn’t display the speed or the physicality necessary to be a top end safety. He lost several matchups and even looked confused at times regarding where he was supposed to be.

To make a long segment short, there’s no longer a need to sign Devin McCourty as a free agent. The Dolphins already have a logjam that could become worse if they find a young player worth developing. It’s a good problem to have, but it still needs some form of resolution. Miami shouldn’t spend money at safety if they already don’t have enough space for who’s there.

As far as depth goes, the Dolphins need to bring Walt Aikens back. As a special teams ace, he’s invaluable. He’s also becoming a fan favorite, and a positive personality in the locker room. Even when things were down, Aikens was there to keep everyone smiling. That kind of influence has a bigger impact than anyone realizes.

So that’s it for the new offseason plan in free agency. But Miami is nowhere near finished. Now, it’s time for the draft.

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

Former Dolphins Damien Williams scores the clinching touchdown for the Chiefs in Super Bowl 54. (Craig Davis for Five Reasons Sports)

Pressure Point: Chiefs’ Mahomes, Williams show how to stage magical ending

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Five Reasons Sports Network at Super Bowl 54

MIAMI GARDENS

Rarely does a Super Bowl present such a study of contrasts as the No. LIV edition did Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium.

The AFC champion Chiefs with the thrill-a-minute pass-happy offense; the NFC champion 49ers with more of an old-school approach with a punishing running game and stout defense.

Which style would prevail?

More to the point, if you’re the Miami Dolphins in the early stages of rebuilding, which is the style to emulate?

The verdict: Defense and a robust running game are still solid building blocks. But the Chiefs’ 31-20 win confirmed that a quarterback with magic in his hands is the difference-maker in today’s NFL.

Chiefs orchestrate comeback win over 49ers

Like Patrick Mahomes did in willing the Chiefs from a 10-point deficit to seize the title with a Super Bowl-record 21-point fourth quarter.

“It’s magic Mahomes, it’s Showtime Mahomes,” said tight end Travis Kelce, who caught the touchdown pass that gave the comeback momentum. “He’s going to be himself no matter what the scenario, and you know what? I love him. He willed this team back into the game, had a lot of make plays.”

Another one that got away

It underscored what the Dolphins desperately need to do this offseason: get the next Damien Williams.

No, wait, they had Williams, the undrafted running back who they discarded after four seasons and is now a Super Bowl champion with Kansas City. Williams made a strong case for the MVP trophy that went to Mahomes by scoring two of the fourth-quarter touchdowns.

As soon as the Lombardi Trophy was presented to coach Andy Reid and the Chiefs, the offseason was underway and the Cincinnati Bengals were on the clock to make the first pick in the draft on April 23. And the Dolphins have to decide how to play their hand with the No. 5 pick and two more later in the first round.

There can be no doubt that quarterback has to be Priority 1 if the Dolphins are to generate the kind of excitement at Hard Rock Stadium that resounded there Sunday.

Chiefs fans had staked their claim to Miami’s home well before kickoff. When a field announcer asked for a showing of allegiance to each team, the K.C contingent rocked the place.

And each time Mahomes was shown on the giant video boards during pregame they made it clear he was the designated star attraction.

Unexpectedly, 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo outplayed his high-profile counterpart for the first three quarters, completing 17-of-20 and registering a 100.6 passer rating.

Slow start for Mahomes

Mahomes had only 145 yards passing to that point, no touchdowns and uncharacteristically two interceptions, both in the third quarter.

“I just tried to fight, and obviously the third quarter didn’t go the way I wanted it to. I tried to force some things and had some turnovers,” said Mahomes, who brought the Chiefs back from deficits of 10 points or more in all three games this postseason. “I just had that same mindset, just to compete and compete.”

Curiously, the turning point came soon after Mahomes threw the second interception. San Francisco, with a 20-10 lead and 12 minutes to kill, managed only one first down and handed the ball back to Mahomes with 9 minutes remaining.

It took the Chiefs only 2:44 to go 83 yards and cut the deficit to three on the 1-yard pass to Kelce. Along the way Mahomes pulled off the play of the game on third-and-15 when he found Tyreek Hill open deep for a 44-yard completion to the 49ers’ 21.

After the 49ers went three-and-out, Mahomes took Kansas City 65 yards in seven plays for the lead on a 5-yard pass to Williams, who barely got the ball into the end zone before being shoved out of bounds.

Williams added the clincher with a 38-yard touchdown run, finishing with 104 yards rushing on 6.1 yards per carry.

“Damien Williams! Feed that man,” Kelce said. “Super Bowl champ, Damien Williams. Enough said.”

Williams returns a champion

The Dolphins didn’t feed Williams enough, and he became the latest in a long line of players to leave Miami and find glory elsewhere. Though, in this case, he found it here, where he started.

While making the point repeatedly that he plays with a chip on his shoulder as a player who came into the league as an undrafted free agent, Williams was charitable in recalling his time with the Dolphins.

“I built a lot of relationships here and still have a lot of relationships here,” he said. “When you get into the league, you think about the Super Bowl, you think about what you would do in it, and for it to be where I started my career at, undrafted, it means a lot.”

Recalling the last time the Super Bowl was staged in South Florida, in 2010, the setting was very different, then a stadium in decline. That’s why it has taken a decade for the big game to return. Incidentally, the MVP of that New Orleans Saints win was Drew Brees, a quarterback the Dolphins had passed on.

Owner Steve Ross did a commendable job in investing three-quarters of a billion dollars to reconstruct the facility that Joe Robbie originally built and the Dolphins once shared with the Florida Marlins, who won two World Series titles there.

The stadium that has had more names than a con man never looked better for football than it did Sunday. It never shook its booty with the energetic frenzy that Shakira and J-Lo provided in the halftime show.

Rebuilt the stadium, now the team?

And it’s never rocked with more impassioned joy than Chiefs followers in celebrating Mahomes’ magical comeback masterpiece.

Yes, Mr. Ross, you’ve built a venue worthy of staging America’s premier sporting event, and the NFL will likely return again soon for another round.

It’s way past time the Dolphins owner built a team worthy of it.

Perhaps coach Brian Flores and GM Chris Grier, beginning their second year together, can finally get it done. They are aided by assistant GM Marvin Allen, who was director of college scouting for the Chiefs when they drafted Mahomes, Hill and other members of the new champions.

They need to get Ross his long-elusive quarterback, one with a special touch and surround him with a worthy supporting cast. Perhaps then his stadium will finally be filled regularly with the sort of high-decibel excitement that is common in Kansas City, New England, Green Bay and other places where winning is a habit.

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

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