Tag Archive for: Laremy Tunsil

Liam Eichenberg

Dolphins still debating best place for Liam Eichenberg

/0 Comments/in , /by

When the Miami Dolphins drafted Notre Dame offensive tackle Liam Eichenberg in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft, the instant assumption was that he would secure the right tackle position for himself.

Unfortunately, that isn’t the case so far.

Anyone who watches the way the Dolphins run things, they know that they love cross-training offensive linemen. Their desire for versatility on the offensive line is astounding. For years, fans and analysts have lamented Miami’s apparent refusal to allow players to develop in one specific spot. Laremy Tunsil moved inside to guard as a rookie. Fans feared the transition would impede Tunsil’s growth, all for the sake of Branden Albert staying at left tackle.

Thankfully, Tunsil’s development was not hindered. Not only that, he became good enough to warrant a massive trade to the Houston Texans for a king’s ransom of draft picks. Granted, he was packaged along with WR Kenny Stills, but Tunsil was the real highlight of that trade.

Now the Dolphins are doing the same with Liam Eichenberg. Since the opening of training camp, Eichenberg has played at both right tackle and left guard. Early reports indicated he was struggling in practice, but he’s been slowly improving throughout the process, which is promising.

“He did some good things.” Head coach Brian Flores said last Sunday. “There are some things he can improve on. He’s moved around, he played a few positions – last night he was at tackle. I thought he did well, but there are definitely a lot of scenarios where he can get better. They are watching the film right now. I know ‘Lem’ (Offensive Line Coach Lemuel Jeanpierre) is making the corrections with him. He’s a hard-working kid, so he’ll work hard to make the corrections and hopefully get another opportunity to improve this week during practice and we’ll see what next week looks like.”

Hardworking was one of the key factors for his draft status. At Notre Dame he had the chance to learn under the likes of Quenton Nelson and the very tail end of Ronnie Stanley’s college career. In college he earned the Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the top lineman in the conference. So it’s obvious Eichenberg is worth investing time into. The only question is where. If Eichenberg continues training at left guard, that unseats Solomon Kindley, who also is working on his technique. If he plays at right tackle, he competes with veteran Jesse Davis, who is the projected starter.

The ideal scenario, obviously, is Liam Eichenberg taking Davis’s spot at right tackle. Davis has greater worth as a versatile reserve than as a starter. More recent reports indicate the Dolphins are spending more time with Eichenberg at right tackle now. Does this mean the team has made their decision?

According to co-offensive coordinator George Godsey, the answer seems to be no.

“It’s the same thing with the amount of guys on a roster on game day.” Godsey said on Monday. “He’s going to have to play multiple and learn multiple spots and based on the dynamics in that room, whoever is active come the first week of the season, which we’ve got some time, there needs to be some flexibility to be able to play inside and outside. We know that that’s a hard role and as each week goes on – going against another opponent this past week playing another spot – it’s going to help him grow and we want that to be fast as possible.”

Loading
Loading...

If the goal is to develop a player as fast as possible, the Dolphins should seriously consider deciding definitely where they want Liam Eichenberg to focus. On Thursday, Brian Flores announced that many of the team’s starters would sit, including Jesse Davis.

So naturally, the assumption is that the start will go to Liam Eichenberg. That’s where he should be playing. His college career defines him as a talented tackle, not as a guard. Naturally the Dolphins want the best five players on the line, but maybe it’s time to stop thinking so hard about it. Sometimes the answer is much simpler than anyone can imagine.

The most recent reports indicate Eichenberg is responding well to right tackle. That’s all the proof the Dolphins should need to make up their minds.

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

Everything Tradeshows is a one-stop-shop for trade show exhibit rentals and custom exhibit display purchase solutions to companies of all sizes.

Visit them at everythingtradeshows.com or call 954-791-8882

 

Thrive Fantasy takes away the hours of research required to make the most out of your fantasy sports experience. Thrive’s featured $100K guaranteed contest is only $20 to enter, and the first-place winner takes $20K.

Go to https://www.thrivefantasy.com/?promo=5Fins and use the promo code “5Fins” to match up to $100 on your first deposit when you sign up, and you can also take advantage of your Dolphins knowledge with their special Dolphins-based contest by using the promo code “dolphins” to get started.

How a Hacker Changed the Dolphins’ Future

/0 Comments/in /by

In the 2016 NFL Draft, a video of projected top ten pick, Laremy Tunsil changed the future of the Miami Dolphins. At the time, Laremy Tunsil was projected to be picked as early as the number 1 overall pick in the Draft.

The Draft was about to begin when a video of Ole Miss Offensive Tackle, Laremy Tunsil smoking marijuana through a gas mask was released. Nobody could have guessed when this was released, but the hacker who leaked this video made that draft the best the Miami Dolphins have had in a while.

The sports world was crazed when they saw this video, and teams instantly started losing faith in the number one talent.

By some miracle, Laremy Tunsil dropped all the way to the 13th pick where the Miami Dolphins snagged him.

In 2019, the Dolphins traded Laremy Tunsil to the Houston Texans and received a 2020 and 2021 first round draft pick, and a 2021 second round draft pick.

The 2020 draft picked turned into Cornerback, Noah Igbinoghene, who has not proven to be too good yet, but may be able to show his worth in the upcoming season. The 2021 first round draft pick ended up being the third overall pick. This is where Chris Grier started his magic.

The Dolphins were a part of two blockbuster trades on Friday, March 26, between both the Eagles and 49ers.

First, the Miami Dolphins and the San Fransisco 49ers made a trade. The Dolphins gave away the number 3 overall pick to receive the number 12 overall pick, two first round picks, and a third round pick. The Dolphins then traded with the Philadelphia Eagles. The Dolphins gave up the number 12 pick, a first round pick, and a fourth round pick to get the number 6 pick and a fifth round pick.

In the end. The Dolphins traded Laremy Tunsil for four first round picks, two second round picks, and a third round pick. Laremy Tunsil can now be seen as a hero for the Dolphin’s future, and he even acknowledged it by posting this story’s featured photo on Instagram.

Dolphins trudge off after what may be a season filled with losses. (Tony Capobianco for Five Reasons Sports)

Dolphins players deny talk of tanking

/0 Comments/in , /by

After the Dolphins were annihilated at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens, 59-10, it became clear that winning wasn’t something that was going to happen a lot in 2019. Lack of execution. Lack of apparent talent. It’s hard to imagine 2019 being successful in any capacity after a loss like that.

Unless, of course, a team is tanking to secure the #1 overall pick in the 2020 draft.

Miami removed almost all of their premier talent in the offseason. They traded Laremy Tunsil for a slew of top draft picks. They released their top preseason pass rusher. No aspect of those moves indicate winning is even a secondary goal for this season. Additionally, coach Brian Flores decided to make the only other tackle besides Jesse Davis who had any experience in the offense inactive on Sunday. One could argue that Isaiah Prince isn’t as good as Julién Davenport or J’Marcus Webb. But when players have to introduce themselves in the huddle, that’s an indicator that it’s best to just go with what little chemistry is there.

Not only that, there are reports circulating that several players on the team want out. In light of that, it’s hard to conclude tanking isn’t the unspoken goal. However, in spite of everything that’s been seen so far, players insist they aren’t trying tanking. Linebacker Jerome Baker took to social media to express his desire to keep fighting, as did DT Davon Godchaux.

Center Daniel Kilgore also spoke of his frustration over the allegations on Monday.

“It’s a terrible thing to say, honestly.” He said. “For you guys to say that and you’re here every day, you see the amount of work that we put in and I think these fans deserve more. I know the game has always treated me well and I would never do that on a personal level, nor will I expect my teammates to do that. It’s aggravating but it’s something that we’ve got to block out. Outside of this building, we’ve got to block those things out.”

LB Raekwon McMillan echoed similar sentiments. “I’m not going out there to put my body on the line, put my future on the line just to lose games. I’m going out there to win, put my best effort out there on film and give my everything for my teammates.”

These questions are expected, and the team answered accordingly. Of course they will deny these things. Publicly admitting they feel their team isn’t trying to win would be disastrous. But it’s easy to imagine that tempers will boil over sooner rather than later if things don’t improve in a hurry. The Dolphins need to play better, and soon. Otherwise, things might get even uglier. For now though, they’re going to accept that the loss happened and try to move past it.

“We’re going to let it sink in. Let that (expletive) hurt.” safety Bobby McCain said. “Let it hurt, let it hurt, because it does. Going out, we gave up 60 points today, essentially. So just going out and coming to work tomorrow. Like I told the guys, we’ve got to come to work tomorrow, put your head down and just work on it. At some point in the game, you have to play for each other and that’s just what it is.”

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

According to Vegas, losing Tunsil and Stills did not hurt the Miami Dolphins

/0 Comments/in /by

Tunsil and Stills are gone and some Miami Dolphins fans can’t still believe it.

The Dolphins have continued to be the model of mediocrity for the last 20 years.

They’ve struggled to find success in the playoffs. Yet, have refused to bottom out.

The Dolphins are embracing the tank under first-year coach Brian Flores in 2019. As a result, Vegas had Miami winning 4.5 games in the 2019 season. BetOnline still had a line of 4.5  after trading away left tackle Laremy Tunsil and wide receiver Kenny Stills.

Robert Duff, on sportsbettingdime.com dove into how this move may impact the Dolphins here.

Duff, whom taught a course on the history of sports at Elder College, highlighted how a mutiny could develop in Miami’s locker room after trading away their cornerstone left tackle. According to Duff, what doesn’t help Miami’s situation is that Brian Flores is starting to look as “cold-hearted” as his previous boss, Bill Belichick.

Flores is quickly losing the faith of a team. Like every team, Miami put plenty of work in the offseason, just to fall to Baltimore by 49 points on opening day.

While the first-year coach has preached that his team is going to be competitive, it isn’t looking that way early in the season. Miami’s struggles are at a point in which players don’t want to suit up for a team that will be dominated on a week-by-week basis.

Per Mike Florio, of ProFootballTalk, members of the Miami Dolphins are reaching out to their agents in hopes to get traded from the team. This could potentially make an already diminished roster even weaker.

Early mutiny in Miami

Things will get worse in Miami before they get better. The Dolphins have only won four-or-less games just twice since 1970. The 2019 roster is looking as bad as the 1-15 team from 2007.

Vegas doesn’t see the Dolphins getting any worse, especially after losing Stills and Tunsil. Keep in mind, they are most certainly not getting any better.

The 4.5 line is looking like a pretty appealing line to bet the under on. Especially for a team that is clearly tanking with their sights on Tua Tagovailoa.

Miami Dolphins extend G/T Jesse Davis through 2022

/0 Comments/in , /by

Not everyone on the Miami Dolphins roster is set to be released. On Saturday, the team officially signed veteran offensive lineman Jesse Davis to a three-year extension. This new deal keeps him from becoming a restricted free agent next season. It will pay him a total of $15 million. His guarantees equate to $8.5 million, with a $4 million signing bonus.

Obviously, locking up Davis comes from a place of necessity. In light of the trade that sent Laremy Tunsil and Kenny Stills to the Houston Texans, the Dolphins need players who can provide depth. At the same time, Davis now projects to be their starting left tackle. With Tunsil gone, Miami only has three other players who can play tackle. Jesse Davis, J’Marcus Webb and Julién Davenport.

The only one who has any experience in Chad O’Shea’s offense is Davis. Additionally, with versatility being so important, Davis fits exactly what coach Brian Flores is looking for. Davis played every snap at right guard for the Dolphins last season, and he’s played every position except center since being called up from the practice squad in 2017. Before the Tunsil trade, Davis played almost every snap at right tackle. Now he’s expected to move to the left side against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.

Davis has never wowed the crowd with his blocking prowess. He grades out average at best according to ProFootballFocus. However, he’s a versatile and reliable body who can be called upon for many different situations. Miami will undoubtedly look to strengthen the offensive line in 2020, which will take Davis out of his starting role. But in the future, they will need someone who can step in during emergencies, and Jesse Davis fits that role like a glove.

J'Marcus Webb signing

Dolphins sign OT J’Marcus Webb

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Miami Dolphins purged the offensive line after the preseason, leaving them without depth at the tackle positions. In order to mitigate that problem, Miami has signed veteran tackle J’Marcus Webb on Friday. The 31-year old journeyman was already suited up for practice that same day.

Throughout his career, Webb has started a total of 65 of the 81 games he’s played. However, the last time he’s been a regular starter was in 2015 with the Oakland Raiders. During that year, he put up a total grade of 63.3 per ProFootballFocus.

His last stint had him with the Colts in 2018, under current Dolphins OL coach Dave DeGuglielmo. Webb put up a fairly strong pass blocking grade, though his run blocking left much to be desired. Given DeGuglielmo’s familiarity with Webb, it makes sense why Miami would bring him in to be the new swing tackle, playing on the right and left.

After the Dolphins traded away Laremy Tunsil to the Texans and waived Zach Sterup (who is now on the practice squad), Miami’s need for bodies became dire. As of now, they have two candidates to start at left tackle against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. Jesse Davis, who has spent the entire preseason at right tackle, and Julién Davenport, who was acquired as part of the Tunsil/Stills trade. Davenport can be developed, but his lack of experience in this offense makes Davis the more likely candidate.

This leaves rookie Isaiah Prince, Miami’s 2019 sixth round draft pick, as the likely starter at right tackle.

J’Marcus Webb doesn’t project to be a part of the team’s long term future. But there is still a whole season to play, and injuries happen. The churning of the roster will continue through the season.

To make room for Webb on the roster, the Dolphins placed rookie LB Andrew Van Ginkel on injured reserve with a foot injury he’s been nursing for several weeks.

Who will step up as captains of the 2019 Miami Dolphins?

/0 Comments/in /by

After a preseason that saw the Dolphins purge their roster, they’re not only lacking talent, but also leadership and captains.

Miami rosters roughly 20 players that were on the team last season and first-year coach Brian Flores is looking to discover guys that his vision.

With players like Laremy Tunsil, Ryan Tannehill, Cameron Wake and John Denney no longer with the team, Flores spent the preseason looking for players who can step up as leaders and captains for a team that features one of the youngest rosters in the NFL.

When speaking to the media on Wednesday, Flores told reporters that the Dolphins are yet to name the team’s captains.

With everything we have heard this offseason, players like Jerome Baker and Xavien Howard seem like perfect candidates to lead the new era of the Miami Dolphins.

Will Ryan Fitzpatrick earn the title, despite having to play for his job on a week-by-week basis? Can Daniel Kilgore bounce back from an injury-shorted 2018 season and provide leadership for an offensive unit that has combined to start just 88 games?

Who would you like to see step on to the field as captains when the Dolphins welcome Baltimore to Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday?

Vincent Taylor Release

Dolphins release DT Vincent Taylor

/0 Comments/in , /by

No one is safe when it comes to the 2019 Miami Dolphins roster. After trading Laremy Tunsil, Kenny Stills and Kiko Alonso, then releasing longtime long snapper John Denney, Miami’s purge continues with the release of Vincent Taylor.

With that release, only 22 players who were on the 2018 squad remain, and it’s possible more moves are on the way.

What makes this move so surprising is that Taylor was clearly productive during his two season tenure.

In his 21 games, he made 45 tackles, hit the QB three times, made four tackles for a loss, two sacks, and his real claim to fame is blocking field goals. He has a strange knack for that, but he ended 2018 on injured reserve with a foot injury. Perhaps that has something to do with his lack of production in preseason.

New Face

To replace the 25-year old, the Dolphins signed veteran nose tackle John Jenkins, who spent his first four seasons with the Saints after being drafted in the third round of the 2013 NFL draft. He was a top performer at the combine that year, and unlike Taylor, the 30-year old Jenkins fits a niche role that’s necessary for Miami’s 3-4 defensive alignment.

Since being released by New Orleans in 2016, Jenkins has spent time with a different team each following year. In 2016, he played with the Seattle Seahawks. The next year was spent with the Bears, and in 2018 he was a member of the New York Giants. He played seven games for the Giants, and contributed almost nothing. No tackles, no sacks. To be fair, however, nose tackles aren’t meant to put up stats. They’re meant to clear the way for other defenders. If he can do that, then his contribution will be on tape, not on a stat sheet.

So is this the end of Vincent Taylor with the Dolphins? Not necessarily. Should he clear waivers, Taylor is still technically eligible for Miami’s practice squad. He could be brought back that way. But if not, some team somewhere is going to get real bang for their buck. Taylor isn’t the most well-conditioned player, but when he’s on the football field, he makes things happen.

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

Wild Offseason for Dolphins Culminates With Tunsil Deal

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Houston Texans saved the last dance for the Miami Dolphins, acquire Laremy Tunsil.

For days it seemed like everyone thought Jadeveon Clowney was going to be a Miami Dolphin.

Except Clowney.

Chris Grier and the Miami brass were determined to take advantage of a Houston power structure…without structure.

That they did it seems by sending franchise left tackle Laremy Tunsil and wide receiver Kenny Stills to Houston for two first round picks and a second rounder.

 

Miami also sends back a 2020 fourth rounder and a 2021 sixth rounder according to reports.

Stills’ departure was perhaps in the best interest of all parties, he gets a fresh start away from the noise in South Florida.

Houston is getting a good football player but an even better human being in the deal.

 

#TankSzn is here.

Wait, Don’t we Need a Left Tackle?

When you talk about a rebuild, there are four core positions that comprise the foundation.

Quarterback.

Defensive end.

Cornerback.

Left Tackle.

Miami locked in one of the four by signing Xavien Howard in the offseason.

Their pursuit of Clowney showed intent on resolving another spot.

Miami will likely draft a top prospect at the position next year, maybe the year after.

You can make what you will of the quarterback battle and outcome in preseason, but Josh Rosen will play this season.

Without a left tackle.

So why not keep Tunsil since he is one of the core four, on a team friendly rookie deal?

You’re going to need to find another left tackle eventually anyway.

The Miami Dolphins organization pushed all their chips in on 2020 and beyond.

While completing the fold on the 2019 campaign, in the process selling high on Tunsil.

High Picks Must be on Target

It is hard to remember a team with so much draft capital at their disposal.

 

Perhaps the Dallas Cowboys when they stole six picks from the Vikings for Herschel Walker.

Those picks became players such as Emmitt Smith, Russell Maryland, and Darren Woodson among others.

If the Dolphins can hit on the majority of those picks, especially the first rounders, the promising future could be upon us en masse.

Hopefully fans can survive the carnage they will witness in 2019 first.

From Stills and Jay-Z, firing of a coach, and some surprising cuts, another roller coaster summer has concluded in Davie.

Miami fans should be ready for anything at this point.

Follow us on Twitter for up to the minute Miami Dolphins news and information @SportsWaveDave and @5ReasonsSports.

Make sure to subscribe to The Fish Tank Podcast and 3 Yards Per Carry for more great Dolphins content.

 

 

 

Dolphins send Laremy Tunsil and Kenny Stills to Texans in massive trade

/0 Comments/in , /by

Laremy Tunsil seemed safe. It seemed like he was going to remain a member of the Miami Dolphins. Then the front office pulls the rug out from under everyone. The Houston Texans sent pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney to the Seahawks. That should have been it. But then the Dolphins sent the Texans young star left tackle Laremy Tunsil and wide receiver Kenny Stills. They also added a fourth round pick for 2020.

In return, Miami received a 2020 first round pick, a 2021 first round pick, a 2021 second round pick, cornerback Johnson Bademosi and offensive tackle Julién Davenport. With that, the Dolphins officially topped the massive trade that the Raiders pulled off, sending star defender Khalil Mack to the Bears last season. The compensation for the 25-year old tackle and a solid wide receiver is huge, and GM Chris Grier is undoubtedly satisfied with his work.

But this does mean that now, the offensive line is without its best player. Which means that in 2019, both Ryan Fitzpatrick and Josh Rosen may spend most of the season running for their lives.

The Future

As large as this trade is, it does send a message loud and clear to the fan base and the remaining players in the locker room. 2019 is not intended to win games. In spite of everything head coach Brian Flores is saying, winning is not something Miami expects to do a lot of. Not that they will ever admit it publicly. All attention now needs to be placed on the next two drafts. The Dolphins are in a prime position to earn the first overall pick and have their quarterback of choice. Then with that extra first rounder, there’s no telling what they could do.

But there’s one thing that needs to be said now. Grier has to make sure he hits on these next two drafts. Many are saying that the Dolphins are taking the path the Cleveland Browns took. That path was a long one, and even with all the picks they’ve had over the last several years, only now are they actually a good football team on paper. Most importantly, his next selected quarterback needs to be a superstar.

2019, more than ever, is going to be about development. Miami has a young core on defense. Undoubtedly, they will add more in the coming seasons. It’s the offense that needs a lot of work. Unless Michael Deiter, Shaq Calhoun and Isaiah Prince develop, the Dolphins will need to overhaul the line again. Wide receiver has Jakeem Grant and Preston Williams. There’s no telling whether Albert Wilson will return after 2020. Wide receiver will need investing. And what of Josh Rosen? Will he get a chance to prove himself? Or is this Arizona all over again and he’s merely trade fodder or backup material? 2019 may not provide the answer. 2020 might.

There might even be more draft picks coming for the rebuild, if the Dolphins trade Kiko Alonso as expected. Who knows what will come of that? All that can be done now is to monitor the situation closely.

Prepare for pain before the pleasure. Rebuilding is never a fun process, but if Miami gets it right, then the next several years after the storm could be glorious.

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