Tag Archive for: NFL

Miami Hurricanes

The South Florida Ravens Continue To Put In Work In Our Backyard

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As the south Florida native, Antonio Brown, continues to try and make his way on a roster, he is working out here in South Florida. Today on Wednesday, April 1st, he worked out with the Ravens stars Lamar Jackson and Hollywood Brown.

Lamar grew up in Pompano Beach and Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, Antonio’s cousin, grew up in Hollywood Florida. Alabama’s star receiver, Jerry Jeudy, was also working out with them who grew up in Deerfield beach Florida.

The Ravens also have guys like Calais Campbell and Gus Edwards who each played for the Miami Hurricanes. Baltimore’s star running back Mark Ingram also spends a lot of time in the offseason in South Florida.

With all of these South Florida ties, are the Ravens trying to add Antonio Brown or move up to draft Jerry Jeudy? Time can only tell if the South Florida Ravens will make it happen. The Miami Dolphins may not be on top, but South Florida players are.

Sports Betting Rules You Need to Know in 2020

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Since the removal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA) by the Supreme Court in 2018, sports betting has been legal in the United States. There’s no doubt that the decision represents a watershed moment and will be historic when we look back on the sports betting market in the country.

On May 14, 2018, the Supreme Court decided the PASPA law was defunct. It’s worth remembering the law had stood for 25 years and prevented states from implementing sports wagering industries. Only four states who already had sports betting markets were left: Nevada, Delaware, Oregon and Montana. However, out of that group, only Nevada had traditional single-game sports betting markets.

Since the abolishment of PASPA, 18 states have developed their own sports betting frameworks and others are working on legislation for their systems. Sports betting is already big business, and as Legalbetting points out, online sports betting websites are becoming increasingly popular around the country.

A new industry is being formed around sports betting and heading online is the next frontier from many states. As we look to a future of super-connectivity from 5G, the growth of online sports betting is predicted to skyrocket and reach tens of millions of people

Below are the things you need to know about sports betting in the United States.

Is Sports Betting Legal in the United States?

Yes. In 2018, the Supreme Court overturned the PASPA law that prevented states from allowing sports betting. Individual states are now free to develop their own sports betting industries and by the start of 2020, 18 states had launched their markets.

Is Sports Betting Legal Online?

Sports betting websites have been available in the United States since the late 1990s. However, they were not legal in the strictest sense because states did not allow sports betting operations. In 2006, most of the online venues for sports wagering had been closed in the country. However, users were still allowed to play on sportsbooks in other countries or from states that maintained legal betting (Nevada).

Why Was Nevada Able to Keep Sports Betting Legal During PASPA?

Nevada was exempt from falling under the legal umbrella of PASPA because it already had legalized sports betting available before the law was introduced in 1992. Three other states, Delaware, Oregon, and Montana were also grandfathered into the law because they too had betting allowances. However, only Nevada had traditional single-game sports betting as the other three states had games like bingo and sports-based pull tabs.

So, If Sports Betting is Legal Now Why Isn’t It in My State?

While PASPA has now been removed, there is no obligation for states to introduce sports betting. Because of the economic expansion associated with legal sports betting, it is believed most states will eventually introduce legislation supporting it. By early 2020, 18 states had already officially announced their sports betting market, and many predict 80% of states will allow sports wagers by 2025.

Unfortunately, Florida is not one of the states moving quickly on sports betting, so don’t expect to be voting on the Miami Heat’s NBA Draft picks next season. In fact, Senate President Bill Galvano has confirmed 2020 is too soon for the state to think about legalizing sports betting.

Can I Use Out-of-State Online Sports Betting?

The simple answer is yes, but it’s a situation worth explaining.

While sports betting will come to most states in the future, some will remain holdouts. For, example, Utah has said it is unlikely to ever legalize betting, at least not in the foreseeable future. However, in those states, the law says it is illegal to run a sports betting operation within state lines. In other words, there is no law preventing individuals from betting on sports. If you live in a state where making wagers on sporting events is illegal, you can still visit online sportsbooks out-of-state and offshore.

 

THE EXTRA YARD: Under Construction, The Dolphins Offensive Line

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With the first wave of free agency essentially over, we are left to examine the one unit that everybody that watched the Miami Dolphins last year thought needed the most attention.

Most Dolphins fans expected a move that could land an Andrus Peat, Graham Glasgow, and/or a big ticket item such as Joe Thuney or Jack Conklin. Of them all, there is only some circumstantial evidence that they approached Glasgow (he was locked into Denver early) and that interest in Thuney was strong till the Patriots tagged him.

So we were left with the signings of Ereck Flowers to play left guard, and Ted Karras to play center. A modest improvement, but these are moves that are based on hope /projection rather than accolades and reputation. Ereck Flowers, as has been said in print on these pages, and on the Three Yards Per Carry Podcast, is a guy that has essentially played a very good 8 games in his 5 year career. Karras is a guy who found himself at center for 15 games for the 2019 New England Patriots, and has remarkable “counting stats” (2 penalties, and 1 sack allowed in 15 starts for the Patriots). Both can be good, if all goes well, but we know it hardly ever works out that way.

So what do they have in house as of now, and what do they need? Let’s start with the two signees. If these two are not hopeless busts they are at the very least, upgrades over what they had there before, so lets pencil in Flowers at LG and Karras at Center. That leaves Jesse Davis as the possible RG, or even the returning starter at Right Tackle. Michael Dieter is now displaced from his LG spot, and is now interior line depth and the likely backup at center, where he can receive further development. Shaq Calhoun, Julian Davenport, and Danny Isidora can only be considered camp bodies and bottom of the roster guys, so let’s go shopping shall we?

TRADE FOR ONE

Trade for Trent Williams. He’s available. You have the assets. So what’s the holdup? Well, it is as easy as snapping your fingers, since his agent is requesting that Washington release him, so if you pony up an asset, the Redskins will likely part with him. The Dolphins had inquired this past season, and no deal could be had due to what was reported to be a pretty fat ask of what was at the very least a 2nd round pick. The other hold up I can foresee is that he wants to get paid. $20 million a year on a 3 year deal is not out of the question. You can make the case that (if healthy), Trent Williams is easily a top 3 Tackle in the NFL, and you can make a pretty good case that he might be the very best at left tackle. Trent is also versatile, and capable of making a switch to Right Tackle, just in case Miami drafts a left handed Quarterback in the first round. At #5 or higher. From Alabama. Via ‘Ewa Beach, Hawaii. Trent makes too much sense.


DRAFT ONE, OR TWO, OR THREE.

This is the harder part of the equation. There are 4 strong tackle prospects in this draft that all figure to go before the Dolphins use their 2nd pick of the first round at #18. They are, in no particular order: Andrew Thomas (Georgia, LT), Mekhi Becton (Louisville, LT), Tristan Wirfs (Iowa, RT), Jedrick Wills (Alabama, RT). You gotta think that the decision is made rather easy at #18 if any of these four drop to you. But let’s operate on the assumption that all four get taken before #18 (likely), and the Dolphins don’t have the appetite to package picks to move up (also likely). I have two “VONTAE MACK, NO MATTER WHAT” guys. One for the first round, and one for the second round, and possibly for that #26 pick.

 

JOSH JONES, HOUSTON LT, 6′-5″ 319 lbs.

Josh Jones is a dancer, and an athlete playing tackle in the mold of former Miami standout Laremy Tunsil. The advanced metrics love him as evidenced by the video above, and his senior bowl week was top notch. Jones has consistently improved almost game for game leading up to his last at Houston, despite having 4 Offensive Line coaches in 4 years. He is quick out of his stance, and moves effortlessly to the second level in the run game. A tell tale sign for these guys on tape in the run game is if they can find guys to hit, or do they tend to wander aimlessly when they are asked to make those reach blocks. Jones always seems to find his man. Jones is asking for coaching, as his technique is not as polished as you would like for a day 1 starter, but if his current “arrow up” trajectory means anything, he will take to NFL coaching and be a starter in year 1 in the NFL. I take him at #18 without hesitation (if the “big 4” are gone).

 

LUCAS NIANG, TCU RT, 6′-6″ 315 lbs.

Ok, this is probably a reach at #26, but in the 2nd round, you can find yourself regretting it down the road if you pass on him at #39 or #56. Now, he is coming off a Hip Injury/Surgery as he only played in 7 games in 2019. I can hear you grumbling. He is expected to make a complete recovery and be ready for workouts as soon as this summer. Niang is a very aware people mover, that plays with a great deal of intelligence and technique. He drops to anchor and stonewall the bull rush consistently on tape. He is also the type to find people to hit and he finishes blocks in space which is impressive for such a big man. He has had success against the bigger names he has faced throughout his career. What pops immediately as you watch Niang is how aware he is, and his professional demeanor. The best way I can put it is this: “Lucas Niang, plays like an adult.” Easy take for me with either pick in the 2nd round, strong debate at #26 if there is a run on tackles.

 

Alfredo Arteaga (@Alf_Arteaga) is one-third of the trio that hosts the Three Yards Per Carry (@3YardsPerCarry) podcast.

2020 Miami Dolphins Free Agency Tracker

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Despite everything going on in the world, the new NFL league year will begin as planned and NFL Free agency has begun! Which means, the start of the most important offseason in Miami Dolphins history is upon us. Lucky for you, we will take all of the news, rumors, and free-agent signing from around the internet and bring them to you in one place-HERE.

Sit back, relax, and enjoy.

This is the official 2020 Miami Dolphins Free Agency Tracker.

Signings

Miami adds linebacker depth with Kamu Grugier-Hill

Dolphins re-sign Safety Adrian Colbert

Miami Patriots sign another former New England Captain

 

Dolphins poach Ted Karras from New England

The Dolphins add another special teams captain 

Miami gets someone better than Kallen Ballage for their backfield

 

Dolphins start to build out the trenches with a short deal

 

Dolphins make Byron Jones highest-paid cornerback in NFL

 

Miami signs Safety Clayton Fejedelem

 

Dolphins agree to terms with OG Ereck Flowers

 

Dolphins agree to terms with DE Shaq Lawson

Wide Receiver Isaiah Ford, Linebacker Trent Harris, and Defensive Tackle Zach Sieler have been tendered.

 

Rumors

Is Byron Jones a possibility? 

 

Dolphins have interest in EDGE Shaq Lawson

Cuts

Safety Reshad Jones

Center Daniel Kilgore

CORONAVIRUS Sports Tracker: Frequent Updates

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The widespread coronavirus outbreak has impacted professional and collegiate sports across the nation.

Most recent at the top….

Hey, finally some good news!

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THE MASTERS is now postponed. Could mark first time in history that the tournament is not played in April.


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THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP is now cancelled, along with every PGA event till the first week of April.

…..

Charles Barkley is among the latest to self-quarantine.

 

The Heat are working on something to help arena workers. More details to come.

 

Some NBA teams are doing the right thing.

 

Dwyane Wade doesn’t understand what the local school officials here are doing.

 

The XFL has caved. So much for the rebirth… for now.

 

It’s now infecting international soccer.

 

NBA will be suspended for 30 days.

Essentially that means the regular season is over.

 

Goodbye March Madness.

 

More details on the NBA coming soon.

 

Dan Gilbert is ahead of Micky Arison on something.

One league seems intent on outlasting all the others.

The entire ACC has postponed spring practice for all teams, which may also put the Hurricanes spring game in jeopardy.

 

Fans of the Marlins will have to wait a few extra weeks…

The American Airlines Arena has canceled all major events for the rest of March.

 

There will also be no NFL Spring meeting in Palm Beach for the time being.

 

 

The National Hockey League has suspended their season as well.

 

 

 

The Florida Atlantic University basketball season is over….

NFL now headed for a shutdown. Hard to see how free agency proceeds as scheduled…

So much for that InterMiami home debut.

Yes, it is already affecting prep for the NFL draft.

We are now waiting on the NHL.

A second NBA star has been diagnosed.

 

After it was learned Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for the virus, the NBA has suspended the season indefinitely.

 

The NCAA had already announced that all men’s and women’s basketball tournaments would be held without fans.

 

Locally, besides the Miami Heat other sporting events are being cancelled or postponed including the upcoming Miami Open.

 

Reshad Jones

Miami Dolphins: Reshad Jones set to hit free agency

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The Miami Dolphins and a Pro Bowl player are parting ways. The team is releasing Reshad Jones. In a move that will become official March 18, this will free up $5.3 million in salary cap.

It is very clear that the Miami Dolphins are going in a new direction. For his part last season, Jones played in four games, recording 27 tackles and a pass deflection.

He dealt with injuries last year, having been placed on the injured reserve  November 20 with an undisclosed injury.

Jones also dealt with rib and chest injuries. This is something that he struggled with throughout most of October and into November. To be clear, his  stint on the injured reserve was separate from the rib and chest injuries.

Jones made the Pro Bowl in the 2015 and 2017 seasons. He put up tremendous numbers in both of those years. In 2015, he tallied five interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns. The two touchdowns via interception the league.

In 2017, he recorded two interceptions, and recovered two fumbles four touchdowns. He has been an explosive playmaker for the Miami Dolphins ever since he came into the league in 2010.

He finishes his Miami career playing in 128 games. In addition, he recorded 21 interceptions and 55 pass deflections. He also proved to be a decent pass-rusher for Miami, recording 10.5 sacks in his Miami career.

Now at age 31, he is set to hit the market. The Miami Dolphins certainly got some of his most productive years. Jones would be an asset to any secondary.

This is certainly another move that indicates the Miami Dolphins are trying to rebuild their organization a bit. We have seen coaches come and go quite a bit this offseason, and it’s all part of the retooling the Dolphins are doing to try and compete.

Miami Dolphins: Assistant head coach Karl Dorrell off to Colorado

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A Miami Dolphins assistant coach is getting a chance to fill a head coaching job. Miami Dolphins assistant head coach Karl Dorrell is taking the University of Colorado head coaching position. Pete Thamel of Sports Illustrated first reported that he was a favorite, and Ian Rappaport confirmed the news. Dorrell was also the wide receivers coach.

Dorrell has an extensive coaching history. He began coaching at UCF in 1989 and received his first head coaching job in 2003 as the head coach of UCLA. From there, he bounced around the NFL. His first stint with the Miami Dolphins came from 2008-2010. In that timeframe, he served as the wide receivers coach. He then shifted to the quarterback position, taking the role of quarterbacks coach in 2011.

After serving the role of offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Vanderbilt in 2014, he coached with the New York Jets from 2015-18. On February 9, head coach Brian Flores announced that Dorrell would serve the role of wide receivers coach.

Miami Dolphins wide receivers showed improvement in 2019

Dorrell certainly did his job with the Dolphins this past season. Devante Parker had a season of over 1,000 receiving yards, and three other receivers had over 400 yards. One of those receivers was Preston Williams. Although an injury cut his 2019 season short, he comes into the 2020 campaign with a lot of promise. There was some noticeable improvement on the part of the entire unit, more so than other years.

It will be interesting to see how he does at Colorado. For now, the coaching overhaul continues for the Miami Dolphins. In what is slated to be a season full of optimism, Miami will have a bunch of new pieces both on the field and on the sideline.

The coaching moves the Miami Dolphins have made this offseason have clearly shown that they want to go in a new direction come next year. We will see if all of these moves pay off in the end.

Kansas City Chiefs: Damien Williams saved his best for last

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Patrick Mahomes may have won the Most Valuable Player award in Sunday’s Super Bowl, but it was Damien Williams who stole the show for the Kansas City Chiefs.

A former Miami Dolphins castoff, Williams lit up the Miami field. He rushed the ball 17 times for 104 yards. He also managed to score a touchdown. That touchdown was what sealed the deal for the Kansas City Chiefs. A 38 -yard run, it was his longest of the evening.

For Williams, this was only his third 100-yard rushing game of the season. The last time he accomplished the feat was on December 29. In a season-ending win over the Los Angeles Chargers, Williams rushed the ball 12 times for 124 yards and two touchdowns.

That final December game seems so long ago  now. Williams shined brightly at the Super Bowl. He looked comfortable running the football, and complemented the passing offense of the Kansas City Chiefs very well. He ran hard on every single play, and it seemed like he didn’t lose any steam in the later stages of the game. Most impressively, it always seemed like he made the first guy miss as they attempted to tackle him with futility.

Williams anchored Kansas City Chiefs rushing attack

The more Kansas City fed him the football, the more comfortable he looked. After the first couple of carries, you could definitely tell that he was getting into a rhythm. His first carry of the game was for seven yards. That set the tone for the rest of the game.

He didn’t try to do too much, he just stuck to running the football with confidence and physicality. It’s something that has made him such a dependable running back for Kansas City over the past couple of years. He’s not going to break off a ton of yards every single carry. On the other hand, he is going to keep his feet moving until the whistle is blown. Williams is a physical and gritty running back in every sense of the word.

This was his chance to shine, and he owned the moment. This is something that he has been working towards his entire career, and he certainly has not taken an easy road to get there. With several former Miami Dolphins players winning the Super Bowl, Williams has perhaps the best story.

Time will tell how he fits into Kansas City’s future plans, but chances are, he probably isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. One thing is for certain: Damien Williams saved the best for last.

Five Reasons Sports Super Bowl LIV Predictions

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We know everything.

But we know nothing.

Here are some of the predictions from the Five Reasons Sports Network team, for Super Bowl LIV between the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs at Hard Rock Stadium.

Most of us like the Chiefs, and Andy Reid.

Want to bet against us?

Go to BetDSI.com and use the promo code FIVE101

(Follow @EthanJSkolnick, @CraigDavisRuns, @CKParrot and @5ReasonsSports for coverage from the scene).

….

David Friedman SF 30 KC 23

Jake Elman KC 27 SF 17

Ethan Skolnick KC 34 SF 24

Austin Robilliard KC 30 SF 23

David Hondal KC 31 SF 21

Josh Houtz KC 31 SF 27

David Eversole KC 28 SF 24

Luis Sung KC 34 SF 20

Eddie Santana SF 24 KC 14

Alfredo Arteaga KC 27 SF 24

Paul Austria KC 31 SF 23

Michael Sonbeek KC 41 SF 38

Craig Davis SF 34 KC 27

Danny Jaillet SF 31 KC 24

Chris Kouffman KC 28 SF 25

Jazz Santana KC 34 SF 29…

Yung Mayo

Miami Dolphins: Zach Thomas snubbed for Hall of Fame

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The Miami Dolphins great will have to wait another year.

The big day arrived for former Miami Dolphins great Zach Thomas. Saturday was the day that he would find out if he would be selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The anticipation was building, with many legends chiming in and making the case for Thomas to be selected.

He certainly has an impressive resume. A seven-time Pro Bowl selection, AFC Defensive Rookie of the Year honors and five first-team All-Pro selections are just some of the things he can hang his helmet on. In addition, he made the NFL 2000’s All-Decade team.

Unfortunately, Thomas did not make it. failing to be selected. Now, the hope is that he will have a shot in 2021. But it will only get tougher…

Among the first year candidates next season:

Automatic selections Peyton Manning, Charles Woodson and Calvin Johnson.

 

The Miami Dolphoins legend should be part of class

This is extremely unfortunate that Thomas is not going to be a part of the 2020 class. He gets very little credit nationally. Unfortunately, I think it’s partly due to the fact that he played for the Miami Dolphins. The Miami Dolphins have not really been in the national media spotlight over the last decade or so.

Thomas was an extremely consistent player throughout his entire career. He played in 184 total games, starting 182 of them. He played in all 16 games five times in his career. Especially for the way he played, that is certainly impressive due to his physicality.

The Texas Tech product was also a player that could do more than just tackling and sacking the quarterback. He recorded 17 interceptions throughout his career. Nowadays, that number is difficult for a linebacker to obtain.

Brian  Urlacher has comparable statistics, and he was able to earn a spot in Canton. Thomas should have been there as well.

It’s disappointing that he was not a part of this year’s Pro football Hall of Fame class. Hopefully next year will be the year that Thomas makes it. He certainly deserves the honor.