Tag Archive for: Miami Dolphins

Dolphins Select Herbert and Jeudy in Latest Tankathon Mock Draft

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One week ago, the Dolphins were sitting pretty at the top of the 2020 NFL Draft order.  And although there was still plenty of football to be played, fans could breath a sigh of relief.  After all, anything less than the first-overall pick would be a massive disappointment.  Which, to be honest, has been the story for the last twenty years for most Dolphins’ fans.

Well folks, prepare to be disappointed once more.

In the latest Tankathon.com mock draft, the Cincinnati Bengals are at the top of the draft order.  And for a team that wasted more years on Andy Dalton than the Dolphins did on Ryan Tannehill, the time is now for Zac Taylor to handpick his QB of the future.

Sure, there’s the slight chance he takes Oregon QB Justin Herbert, but the more likely scenario is Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa.  (Insert Sad Face)

So with the #Tankovailoa sweepstakes over, who will the Dolphins select with their three-first round draft picks?

There’s no question the Dolphins will draft a QB in this April’s draft.  And whether that be Jake Fromm, Jordan Love, Jalen Hurts, or Justin Herbert, a QB will be selected on day one. (If you want to take a look at this year’s top QB prospects, CLICK HERE)

In Tankathon’s latest mock draft, that QB is Herbert– who has been mocked to Miami several times before.  Furthermore, GM Chris Grier continues to do his due diligence on the prototypical passer (6’6, 237 LBs).

 

But who should the Dolphins select with the 5th-overall pick?

In previous mocks, Tankathon had Miami selecting Iowa pass-rusher A.J Epenesa.  Now, they go with one of Tua’s favorite targets in wide receiver Jerry Jeudy.

Jeudy would be a game-changer in Chad O’Shea’s offense and would make the rest of receiving corps better.  He would also be the perfect security blanket for the Dolphins’ newest QB, whoever they ultimately decide to draft.

 

Lastly, Miami selects LSU CB Kristian Fulton with the 25th-overall pick.  As we all know, Miami desperately needs help opposite of Xavien Howard and Fulton would be an immediate fit.

This will change many more times between now and April 23, 2020.  With that said, how do you feel with Tankathon’s latest mock draft?

 

Josh Houtz (@houtz) is a die-hard fan of the Miami Dolphins, despite what Jerome Baker thinks.

 

 

Dolphins QB search: The Jake Fromm Play That “Didn’t Happen”

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It may seem like a simple 7- yard completion from Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm to a receiver.

But it’s more than that.

Chris Kouffman (@CKParrot) of Three Yards Per Carry — our popular Dolphins analysis podcast — breaks down why this completion shows off so many of Fromm’s unique abilities.

Follow the thread below:

Click here to follow the 3YardsPerCarry College QB tracker for in-depth break downs and stats for all of the top 2020  class prospects.

Miami Dolphins add project player Antonio Garcia to team

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This is an intriguing signing by the Miami Dolphins.

The Miami Dolphins made a move on Monday. It is not a move that is going to generate headlines, but it is certainly of note. The team claimed offensive tackle Antonio Garcia off waivers.

There is no doubt that Garcia is a bit of a project. He is coming off a four-game suspension for violating the league’s performance-enhancing substance policy.

Garcia has bounced around the National Football League early in his career. He is very familiar with AFC East, as he was selected by the New England Patriots with the 85th pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.  He never saw the field in 2017 as he spent his rookie season on injured reserve due to blood clots in his lungs. For some, that would be a reason to hang up the cleats immediately. Nevertheless, he attempted a comeback.

Garcia is well-traveled

Garcia was released by the Patriots on May 11, 2018. He was claimed off waivers by the New York Jets on May 14, 2018. He was never able to find his footing in New York, and was waived by the Jets on August 31. Garcia then traveled to Indianapolis, where he was signed to their practice squad on October 29. While in Indianapolis, he was suspended by the National Football League.

The Miami Dolphins desperately need help on the offensive line. Between injuries and the Laremy Tunsil trade, things are bleak on the unit. It’s interesting that the Dolphins would take a flyer on him. He seems like a bit of a project player. I thought the Dolphins would want to sign a more established veteran. However, this is a move that costed nothing for the Dolphins to make.

Hopefully, Garcia can find his footing here and help with the Miami Dolphins at a time when their line desperately needs it. He could turn out to be a very solid player. He has just encountered roadblocks along the way. This was a good move for the Miami Dolphins at a time when they are undoubtedly trying to find the best pieces they can for their team. In a year like this, it is ideal for them to evaluate talent and decide which players they can keep and which ones will be packing their bags.

What are the odds the Dolphins go 0-16?

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Let’s talk about odds…

The 2019 season has been anything but entertaining for the Miami Dolphins and their loyal fanbase.  Unless of course you believe in the art of tanking, in which case you are probably very supportive of Miami’s efforts this NFL season.  Truth is, Miami is on pace to become the worst team in the history of the NFL. No, this is not a joke.  And although we all wish and hope for a quick turanaround, a terrible 2019 season can mean only one thing.  Alabama QB, Tua Tagovailoa.

Unfortunately, Miami isn’t the only team that appears to be tanking for Tua.

In fact, there are currently six teams that remain winless in 2019. Fortunately, not all of those teams are in need of a QB.  Which means if the Dolphins truly covet one of this year’s franchise signal-callers, they can move up and try to acquire their ‘next Dan Marino’.  Or not, the choice is theirs. But what we’re starting to realize more and more each day, is that if Miami does want to land Tagovailoa, they might need to go 0-16 to do so.  This is okay with me and I’m sure a majority of fans would suffer through a historically bad season, if it meant landing the Crimson Tide QB.

But how likely is it for Miami to go 0-16?  According to Sports Betting Dime, the Dolphins odds of going 0-16 are as follows:

Yes +250

No -400

Sure, the odds could change several times between now and the end of the season.  But nevertheless, it’s interesting to see how Miami stacks up against the rest of the field.  Furthermore, if the Dolphins truly are tanking (they are), this would be the perfect outcome.  Trust me, if the Dolphins land Tua, the franchise will be winning football games quicker than you can pronounce his first name-Tuanigamanuolepola 

In the end, Miami is most likely going to squeak out a win or two.  Why?  Because nothing good ever happens to the Dolphins.  And in a year where the QB class is out of this world, and there’s a guy staring them in the face with elite intangibles, Miami will find a way to mess this up.  No matter how good they look in their current state.  But let’s be honest, there’s nothing fans want to hear more than these famous words…

“With the first pick in the 2020 NFL draft, the Miami Dolphins select:”

Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama

 

Josh Houtz (@houtz) is a die-hard fan of the Miami Dolphins, and has fallen in love with  Tua Tagovailoa.

The unofficial Miami Dolphins viewing guide

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After four weeks of Regular Season NFL Football the Dolphins stand at 0-4 with the worst point differential in the league, losing games by an average of 34 points, not scoring a single point in any 2nd half, so as you can tell it’s been tough.

Miami is very clearly tanking so rooting for them is very hard at this point and probably not the best thing for your mental health. For that reason I present the “Miami Dolphins Viewing Guide” where I’ll show you how to enjoy this waste of a football season and quit your suffering on Sundays.

 

Step 1: Root against the Steelers and Texans

Due to some trades a few weeks ago, the Dolphins now possess the 1st round pick of the Steelers and Texans. The logic is fairly simple in this one, just watch some other teams and root for them on a week to week basis.

With this step you’ll get to enjoy and root for teams like the Ravens, Chargers, Jaguars, Browns, Rams and many more. For the first time in years you’ll actually root for teams with talent.

 

Step 2: Watch the Development of young players

While this does mean you would have to watch the Dolphins on Sundays, you should try and ignore the scoreboard. Looking at 2020 and beyond the roster will be very different but some young guys may still be around in this next phase of the franchise, making their development important to the future of the team. The benefit of this step is you get to enjoy players like: Preston Williams, Jerome Baker, Christian Wilkins, Taco Charlton and Davon Godchaux.

 

Step 3: Watch the Development of Josh Rosen

Ok, I understand this step is very similar to No.2 , but Josh Rosen being a Quarterback should separate him from the bunch. It’s no secret Miami is looking at the 2020 QB class, so that leaves Josh Rosen as the likely backup or out of Miami. Monitoring the development for Rosen should be intriguing for Dolphin fans, because if he manages to show some good signs this year desperate teams may be calling in the future.

 

Step 4: Watch some Alabama Games

I urge Dolphin Fans to ignore the Nick Saban hate just for one season, and just enjoy the talent of their next QB. Watching Tua Tagovailoa play football is truly a joy as a fan, and picturing him in a Miami uniform (Not wearing #13) is beautiful. It truly helps ease the pain you feel on Sundays. If you aren’t watching him yet, make an appointment every Saturday to do so and root for him to win the Heisman, trust me It’s fun.

 

Step 5: Embrace the Tank

There’s no 2 ways about it, Miami is tanking. While the morality or ethics of this have been debated to death by fans and national media, there’s no changing the fact that this is Miami’s plan and it isn’t changing. As a Fan I implore you to embrace it and laugh at all the dumb silly memes on the internet and laugh as they score yet another touchdown on our defense.

 

Dolphins

Dolphins coaches reevaluating their methods

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The Miami Dolphins are 0-4 heading into the bye week. They have been outscored 81-0 in the second half through all four games. Players are growing frustrated with the team’s inability to execute. Now, the entire coaching staff finds themselves questioning how they’re handling things.

“We’re going to go and closely evaluate what we do in all areas of the second half – the approach, the scheme we use, defensively study what they’ve done (against) us in the second half.” Offensive coordinator Chad O’Shea said on Tuesday. “I think it’s a combination of factors that we’re really going to look closely at and determine what’s best for us moving forward.”

In all fairness, there are many rookies on this Dolphins coaching staff. Both O’Shea and head coach Brian Flores are first-timers at their respective roles. If Patriots head coach Bill Belichick were in the business of passing on his skills to his subordinates, more of his coaching tree would find success upon leaving New England. Additionally, the talent level on the roster is severely lacking in several areas. The offensive line in particular. When coaches have to add new players through the regular season, success is hard to come by.

“I would say we made a lot of changes to the roster,” Brian Flores said on Monday. “(We were) kind of building the team on the fly in a lot of ways. But we’re not going to make excuses about that. We try to put the guys in the best positions to play well, but at the same time trying to build a team and build some camaraderie and build some communication and build some rapport. I think that’s been a big part of these first four weeks.”

With this in mind, it’s not surprising to see the coaching staff looking to make some changes. Considering their desire to emphasize basics and fundamentals, the lack of execution is troublesome. The number of wide receiver drops is especially alarming. Miami ranks second in the league with eight drops. Only the Philadelphia Eagles have suffered from more with ten. So even how the coaches teach players how to catch is not immune to scrutiny.

“I think that one of the things on catching the football is it’s something that we have as part of our everyday drills.” O’Shea said. “We think that throwing, catching, blocking, tackling are things that we try to work every day, and we’re going to continue to do those, but we’re going to – as a coaching staff – again, we’re evaluating all aspects of our program right now. One of the things we’re evaluating is the teaching progression and what we do on the field and the drills that we have and those things.”

It’s not ideal to hear that the Dolphins coaching staff already feels the need to change how they do things. However, the previous regime displayed the other side of the spectrum. Adam Gase – now with the New York Jets – refuses to change. As a result, his team has also failed to win a game so far.

It’s been said numerous times that 2019 is all about evaluation for the future. Perhaps, it bodes well that the coaches are willing to take an honest look at themselves in the mirror. If they can find a method that works by 2020, then perhaps the rebuild won’t take nearly as long as projected.

“You’re always in the process of self-evaluating and trying to improve.” Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham said. “I ask the players to get better every day. I make it a point on myself to get better every day. If I’m never thinking about how I can improve for the next week or the next day, then I think you get complacent, and then when complacency sets in, in this league, you’re not going to be here very long. That’s how I approach it. There’s a bunch of stuff – I don’t feel the need to get into exactly all of the stuff that I know that I need to improve upon, but I’m constantly evaluating myself and trying to figure out how I can become a better coach, a better husband, a better brother, a better son. That’s just how I’m built.”

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

Miami Dolphins now 0-4, outscored 81-0 in second half

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There’s only so long the dam can hold. Right, Miami?

We’ve now seen that two straight weeks with the Miami Dolphins, as they were competitive in Sunday’s first half against the depleted Los Angeles Chargers — just as they were frisky in last Sunday’s first half in Dallas against the Cowboys — only to collapse again in the second.

This time, a 17-10 halftime deficit became a 30-10 loss, dropping Miami’s record to 0-4.

Here’s a recap, from myself and Craig Davis of @DolphinMaven…

A couple of statistics stand out…

Miami has now been outscored 81-0 in the second half of its first four games.

Yes, 81-0.

And opposing quarterbacks have a passer rating over 130, after Philip Rivers topped that number Sunday.

The players didn’t have much to say in the locker room, but here was some of the best of it…

DeVante Parker, who had the only touchdown, just the Dolphins’ second of the season as they enter the bye…

Relative newcomer Taco Charlton, who had a sack…

And Kenyan Drake, who had only nine carries, and doesn’t seem long for this place…

Next up?

A week off.

Then similarly 0-4 Washington.

And this is an absolute must-loss. Yes, the Redskins just took Dwayne Haskins, but if they pick first, they can flip the pick to a team that wants to jump the Dolphins. Or could hold out for a huge package from Chris Grier and Miami.

After all, we know what this is about…

After Tua Tagovailoa threw seven (seven!) touchdowns for Alabama against Ole Miss on Saturday, with Grier on hand to watch, it’s apparent that every effort will be made to secure the future star. Even if quarterback, with Josh Rosen playing reasonably well, doesn’t appear to be the Dolphins’ biggest weakness.

Can the Dolphins finally come within two touchdowns?

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The Dolphins are making progress, at least in one way: they are losing by less touchdowns.

Yes, they’re an enormous underdog again Sunday, after losing their first three games by a historically lopsided combined score by a 133-16, scoring 10 fewer points in three contests than Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has scored in any one game in his career.

And of course, they’ve been setting records when it comes to point spreads. They were 20-plus-point underdogs in Weeks 2 and 3, and still lost ATS (against the spread) both times. Back home to face the Chargers in Week 4, oddsmakers have the Fins as mere 16.5-point underdogs at some sites (16 at others). Odds on each sportsbooks may be a little different but, according to Sports Betting Dime, there are a few that consistently rank at the top of the list.

If luck is on your side, a straight-up Miami win will pay out at about +700 on average so shop and compare a few of the listed sites before you go chasing after that payout.

Expect even more money to come in on the Chargers late in the game, now that this has happened:

Also, while the Chargers fans don’t travel particularly well — most of their old San Diego fans don’t even go up the 405 to Los Angeles — it’s likely that many Dolphins fans will stay home Sunday. It’s Josh Rosen’s first home start, and maybe that has some appeal. But this entire process is painful, and it’s not clear Rosen is even part of the future anyway.

Who wants to watch your team get bludgeoned week after week?

The good news — or bad news if you’re in favor of the tank — is that the Dolphins schedule loosens up considerably after the bye. The Bengals, the Jets, the Giants. There are wins to be had, maybe, if the Dolphins even want them.

But for now, you can make this exercise more interesting by betting for the Dolphins to come within a couple of touchdowns.

Or not.

Reshad Jones

Dolphins safety Reshad Jones intends to stay for the long haul

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Tanking has a negative effect on players in the locker room. Frustration quickly sets in. That eventually leads to players wanting to find new homes, which has clearly happened to the Miami Dolphins this season. Minkah Fitzpatrick made it a point to express his desire to leave, and he was traded to Pittsburgh for a first round pick. Its understandable, given his winning background. Losing on purpose goes against everything he stands for. His argument was regarding his position, but he doesn’t seem to mind being versatile for the Steelers, leaving the losing as a likely cause for wanting out. But what of safety Reshad Jones?

Jones is a common name when discussing trade bait. He infamously “quit” on the team during a matchup against the New York Jets last season, giving credence to the theory he wanted to be traded. However, Jones insists that Miami is where he wants to be.

“I love my home. I’ve been here 10 years. It’s home for me.” He said on Wednesday. “I love the guys in this locker room. I just love South Florida … If I wanted out, I had a chance to make that known. I’m here for the long haul. Like I said, I’m here to help this team win football games.”

There’s no doubt he knows that winning isn’t something Miami will be doing a lot of – if at all – in 2019. Reshad Jones is currently 31 years old, and counts for over $17 million against the salary cap this season. He counts for over $15 million in 2020, and then $14 million in 2021. The best way for the Dolphins to move on from him next season would be to designate him as a post-June 1st cut. It’s possible his desire to stay stems from the fact he won’t make as much money on the open market. Financially, his best interest is to stay with the Dolphins.

Durability is also a problem for Jones. He played a few snaps against the Baltimore Ravens in the season opener, 32 out of 72 snaps on defense, then was sidelined with an ankle injury. He now appears ready to get back on field.

Reshad Jones is still a very good player when he’s healthy. Is he a part of Miami’s future? That remains to be seen. The youth movement the Dolphins are pushing is strong. Jones is one of the oldest players on the team now. But if nothing else, it’s encouraging to hear Jones wants to stay with the Dolphins. He’s a fan favorite, and a playmaker on defense. Additionally, Miami needs some veteran voices in the locker room for the influx of young players.

If he can show he’s still got what it takes to be a top safety in the league, his desire to stay has a decent chance of being fulfilled.

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

Tua Tagovailoa

Simon Clancy’s exclusive with Tua Tagovailoa

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Everyone wants a piece of Alabama elite quarterback Tua Tagovailoa right now.

Simon Clancy, who is a host of our Three Yards Per Carry while also working in England for Gridiron magazine and other outlets, did something that Alabama opponents haven’t done at all this season:

He corralled the slippery, skilled signalcaller.

Clancy conducted an exclusive interview for Gridiron — and we will run excerpts here when we have them.

But what follows are some highlights he tweeted:

 

If you want more, make sure to listen to tonight’s new episode of Three Yards Per Carry.

They will be playing clips.

Simon’s co-hosts Alfredo Arteaga and Chris Kouffman will also appear on #305Live tonight (Wednesday) at 10:30pm with me (Ethan J. Skolnick) to discuss what the league could do to punish the Dolphins for so blatantly Tanking for Tua.

And here’s the shirt…

We’ve sold more than 500 of these already, and sent one to Josh Gad.

You know, Olaf! (and a huge Dolphins fan who needs a warm hug).

What are you waiting to get your Tank for Tua Tagovailoa t-shirt?

Get yours now!