Five Takeaways from Chris Grier’s Pre-Draft Press Conference

There are few things more pointless than an NFL general manager’s press conferences eight days before the draft. But that’s not stopping us all from trying to weed through the smoke like Ricky Williams trying to find any hint as to what Dolphins might do in the 2021 NFL draft. So without further ado, here are some of Chris Grier’s most notable comments from his 4/21 press conference..

Warning | All of this was said 8 days before the 2021 NFL Draft. Like EVERYTHING this time of the year, please take it with a grain of pink Himalayan sea salt.

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Grier’s opening speech was phenomenal.

I really don’t believe words can do it justice. So please, take a listen for yourself.

GM Chris Grier began today's pre-draft press conference with a statement regarding yesterday's verdict. pic.twitter.com/3FEqvo76uz

— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) April 21, 2021

Trade up? Trade down? The Miami Dolphins are always open for business.

I will never pretend to know what the Miami Dolphins’ draft plans are, especially now that there’s a new regime in town. But one thing that was clear when the Dolphins traded up with the Philadephia Eagles, at least in my opinion anyway, is that they had their eye on a particular player or players that they believe will be drafted between picks 5-10. Grier reiterated that earlier today when he suggested it was important to get back up into the top-10.

But that doesn’t mean the team is done trading. Not one bit.

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Opt-Outs Don’t matter to Chris Grier and the Dolphins.

Rumblings were going around that the Miami Dolphins may or may not be interested in players that chose to sit out the 2020 season. That always seemed a bit silly, but Chris Grier himself decided to go Mythbusters when asked the question earlier today.

chris grier on opt-outs "it's not right for us to hold it against any player. we don't don't know every circumstance. a lot of players opted out. some schools played 4 gms, some played 10, it would never be apples to apples. for us to judge players on opt-outs is unfair."

— josh houtz (@houtz) April 21, 2021

Sure, maybe this is all smoke and mirrors. But to think that Chris Grier or Brian Flores would pass on Micah Parsons, Penei Sewell, Ja’Marr Chase, or any talented player that may have opted out and fits what the team believes in because they didn’t play collegiately in 2020, is sadly mistaken. Nevertheless, it had to be asked and should give those Ja’Marr Chase stans plenty of hope if the Cincinnati Bengals were to pass on him at No.5.

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— Gridiron (@Gridiron) April 21, 2021

KVN is gone, and the youth movement has started

When the Dolphins released Kyle Van Noy, many people wondered why–including Kyle Van Noy himself. Some thought maybe there was more to the story, while others saw it for what it was–an opportunity for players like Andrew Van Ginkel, Vince Biegel, and even Jerome Baker to see more opportunities rushing the passer. Add in newly signed linebacker Brennan Scarlett and the inevitable rookie or two they add in next week’s draft. The position should be more than fine moving forward.

grier on KVN & the current state of the EDGE position

"he did a good job for us last year…we wish him the best. but we have some young players that we're developing and we felt good about. and those guys need to get on the field."

— josh houtz (@houtz) April 21, 2021

Tua Tagovailoa, No Matter What

Speaking of year two jumps, This saying has been going around Twitter for the better part of two years, and now with the draft eight days away, truer words have not been spoken. To hell with rumors of Deshaun Watson or PFF mock drafts suggesting Justin Fields or Zach Wilson at #3, this is Tua Tagovailoa’s team. And he’s been working hard AF all offseason long.

grier on tua "communication has been great. he's been around. he's been working hard. he's working with the WRs. he's a very competitive kid. coming off the injury, no OTAs, no camp, and being just thrown in. that's a hard transition…he's healthy now, he's working very hard.

— josh houtz (@houtz) April 21, 2021

grier on tua: "he's gonna take the next step. he's been a winner everywhere he's been."

— josh houtz (@houtz) April 21, 2021

Chris Grier even went as far as admitting he saw some of the thirsty pictures of Tua, despite not really paying attention to social media. Good one, Chris. You and I both know your wallpaper is a photo of Tua Flexing like Big Poppa Pump. AND I’M SURE GRIER SHOWED ALL YOUR FRIENDS the video of Tua catching heavy wands while balancing on a skateboard as if he were Rodney Mullen or Tony Hawk.

Look at my QB 👀

RP: @notoriousnikhix IG
📹: @PER4ORM pic.twitter.com/wdSgF0Xbaa

— Tili🌺 (@tili____) March 29, 2021

I don’t remember what the point is anymore. Oh yes, Tua Tagovailoa is the Dolphins starting QB, whether you like it or not.