Tag Archive for: NFL

Mike Tannenbaum

Former Dolphins executive Mike Tannenbaum offers baffling insight

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Hindsight is always 20/20. It’s easy to look back and see what you should or should not have done in any given situation. That is a concept that every single person on this planet can relate to. This, of course, includes NFL executives. So when former Dolphins executive Mike Tannenbaum went on Twitter to offer insight on the NFL’s quarterback situation, some eyebrows were raised.

Obviously, stating that teams should draft a quarterback every year is ironic coming from Mike Tannenbaum. He acted as a consultant for the team during the 2014 season, and then was hired to be the team’s Executive VP of Football Operations in 2015. He was essential to the Dolphins landing Ndamukong Suh that same year. However, aside from that, Tannenbaum’s Miami tenure was filled with skepticism from fans and analysts.

This is where he dropped the above gem, regarding drafting a QB every year. However, if this is what Tannenbaum truly believes, then why did he not push harder for Miami to do the same? Even if the Dolphins truly believed Ryan Tannehill had what it takes to be a franchise quarterback, that should not have stopped them from drafting QBs if this is Tannenbaum’s philosophy.

Miami drafted only one QB during Tannenbaum’s tenure. In 2016, they selected Brandon Doughty out of Western Kentucky. He was selected in the seventh round, 223rd overall. That is not exactly a high ceiling pick.

Perhaps this adds credence to the reports that Chris Grier was ultimately in charge of drafting, and not Mike Tannenbaum. If so, hopefully Grier has learned a valuable lesson, as he’s in charge of rebuilding the Dolphins from the ground up.

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

The national anti-Dolphins tank lobby has lost it

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If you’ve followed the @5ReasonsSports Twitter account — and if not, why the heck not — you know I haven’t been fully on board the tank.

Well, I like selling #tankovailoa shirts and tanktops (get yours here!) but I’m not sold on every move the Dolphins are making.

They needed a reset, for sure, and somewhat of a teardown. But they made it too obvious with what they did the week before the season, giving their team no chance to reasonably compete, and forgetting the human cost to players and others of stripping down the roster to this degree. I also don’t entirely trust them to rebuild this, even with three gazillion picks and gobs and gobs of cap space.

Now, though?

I’m being turned to the tank side.

Why?

Because, as per usual, the national media are jumping all over a South Florida team with ridiculous takes. Jake Mendel did a fine job explaining this phenomenon in this piece for our sister site: Dolphin Maven (SI).

And Josh Houtz explored the idiocy of the Competition Committee considering an investigation of the sort of personnel practices the Dolphins are using.

But it’s more than that.

The national sports media, which haven’t cared about Miami sports since Chris Foerster was snorting coke in his office, are all over this story.

And some have some idiotic opinions.

Here’s just one, the one that pushed me to the tank side, because I don’t want to share a viewpoint with this pundit. Make some space. What’s it Tua-ya?

 

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Can the NFL Competition Committee stop #Tankovailoa?

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The Miami Dolphins are in every outlet of the country because of their obvious tanking. Can the NFL do anything about it?

Everyone that has watched the last several weeks in Davie, Florida, can see the long-term plan starting to unfold.

And whether that be the $130M+ they will have to spend in free agency, or the obscene amount of draft picks – it all starts with securing the NFL’s top QB prospect, Tua Tagovailoa.

That is, unless the NFL competition committee has something to say about it.

According to the Athletic’s Daniel Kaplan, the competition committee could take a look at the Dolphins plan to #TankForTua–much like they did with Cleveland several years ago.

“Five years ago, the league source said, the competition committee did debate the Cleveland Browns, which is best described as having pursued a mini version of the Dolphins’ strategy. The committee, the league source added, was responding to media questions and decided the NFL Draft structure served the league well.”

Kaplan then goes on to mention why the NFL competition committee could have a problem with teams trying to deliberately tank, such as the 2019 Dolphins.

“The committee will probably have the questions posed to it again, if not by the media, maybe by teams,” a league source said.

“It’s likely the competition committee will have to address this issue.” It’s not hard to see why the committee might be concerned. The fabric of the NFL is built on the “Any Given Sunday” ethos that infuses fans with the belief that any NFL team can beat another NFL team. It’s not baseball where each team has 162 sometimes meaningless games spread across regional sports channels or the NBA with 82 regular season games. NFL teams have only 16 games and they are all national, with an inordinate amount of pressure and hype for each contest.”

For the league to determine the Dolphins are deliberately trying to tank, they would need to bring in some of the top investigators in the country. Some names to consider include Scooby Doo and Mystery Inc., the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, and of course, Inspector Gadget.  This is not a job for the faint of heart. 

In all seriousness, there’s probably very little that will come of this.  The Dolphins are on pace to be the worst team in NFL history.  Period.

Sure, maybe the ‘tank’ was never meant to be this bad.  But everything is going according to plan.  #Tankovailoa

Minkah

Miami Dolphins trade Minkah Fitzpatrick as rebuild continues

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Minkah Fitzpatrick is no longer a Dolphin.

We have a late-night trade to tell you about, and it will definitely benefit the Miami Dolphins in the long run. The team has traded defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a 2020 1st-round pick.

Fitzpatrick has recorded 11 total tackles so far this season. His recent track record had him on pace for a solid year. 2018 was a great year for him. In 16 games, he recorded 80 tackles and two interceptions. One of those interceptions was returned for a touchdown.

In the team’s last game against the New England Patriots on Sunday, Fitzpatrick recorded  four tackles. That is the same amount he recorded against Baltimore in the opener last week.

What can he bring to Pittsburgh?

Much like he did for the Miami Dolphins, Fitzpatrick will be able to add a physical brand of football to the Pittsburgh Steelers secondary. This is a team that has prided themselves on defense for years. With guys like TJ Watt and Devin Bush on that side of the football, That doesn’t seem to be changing anytime soon. This is a team that has a mix of players who are both veterans and younger players

Minkah Fitzpatrick is young himself, so adding him to the Pittsburgh secondary will allow for the Steelers to have a nice core to build around. In this day and age of the National Football League, where passing is king and offense runs amok, this is a great move for the Steelers. This will just add another weapon for them on defense.

What does this mean for Miami?

It is no secret that the Miami Dolphins are in rebuilding mode. Right now, the main goal for them is to collect as many assets as possible. This team certainly has a lot of capital to build around. With Ben Roethlisberger out for the rest of the season, this 2020 draft pick could have significant value to it. We will have to see how it all plays out.

Miami currently has three first-round picks and two second round picks in the 2020 NFL Draft.

This is also a big move for Reshad Jones. He will continue to be the starting safety. Now, he should become the unquestioned leader of the defense. It’s a lot to ask out of him, but I truly believe he can do it.

It will be interesting to see if Fitzpatrick’s trade from the Miami Dolphins will lead to the exits of more players. We have already heard rumblings about players wanting out of Miami.

Minkah Fitzpatrick is a very good player. However for a rebuilding Miami Dolphins team, it was time to move forward. Both teams won in this deal, With a Pittsburgh Steelers team that can still make a run to the playoffs and a Miami team looking to rebuild, this is a great deal for both sides.

Minkah watch: Did he raise his stock Sunday?

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By now, you likely know that Dolphins second-year defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick is available — the only question is how available.

I had suggested the Dolphins sit Fitzpatrick on Sunday against the Patriots.

After all, if he’s an asset, you don’t want him playing and hurting himself, and losing value. And he was more likely to hurt himself if his head and heart weren’t into it.

Turns out I was wrong about that.

Fitzpatrick was good Sunday; he was about the only Dolphins who was.

How good?

Here’s what Pro Football Focus — which dissects every play — said:

Which sort of raises a question:

Why are you trading him?

Well, they shouldn’t, not unless they’re getting more than the pick (No. 11 overall) that they gave up for him. Especially because he’s a more seasoned player than anyone they are getting.

So, yes, I agree with Dave Hyde:

Yet this feels too far along.

The Dolphins are all in on the tank, and it doesn’t matter how many young players it rolls over.

Even if they’re young players that GM Chris Grier wanted.

Great photo by our Tony Capobianco — that’s Minkah with Patrick Chung.

It’s worth a creative caption.

 

 

Dolphins trending to be worst team ever

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The sample size for these Dolphins is super small…. and the first two opponents were really good.

Still, how much more do you need to see?

Rather than write another treatise about tanking, one tweet summed up the Miami Dolphins’ situation, having been outscored 102-10, at home, by the Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots to start the season.

A week ago, I wondered whether this would be the worst non-expansion team in South Florida sports history. (Spoiler: It is.)

Now the question is whether it will be the worst team in NFL history.

Just click the tweet below….

And hide the kids….

Tom Brady needs to feel heat from Dolphins pass rush

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The Dolphins need to bring defensive pressure to the New England Patriots in the passing game.

It’s no secret that the Miami Dolphins have a tough task this weekend with the New England Patriots coming to town. After all, New England demolished the Pittsburgh Steelers by a 33-3 score. With a stout defense and Tom Brady at the helm, they did whatever they wanted last Sunday. Oh by the way, Antonio Brown should join the team in Miami just in time for the game. It is safe to say the Dolphins will have their hands full.

This may seem like an obvious statement, but the Dolphins need to get pressure on Brady. Last weekend, Lamar Jackson was pretty much free to do whatever he wanted. He burned the Dolphins for 378 passing yards and four touchdowns. Tom Brady will do the same if the Dolphins do not get to him quickly. A receiver like Josh Gordon can beat you with pure speed, while a receiver like Julian Edelman is great at improvising routes and getting an initial first step on his defender. The running backs are huge part of the passing game as well. They can catch screens, wheel routes, and even line up as receivers. They are extremely versatile and add another wrinkle for the defense to look out for.

Sam Eguavoen  and Jonathan Ledbetter each recorded a half sack last week. With one sack in total, the Miami defensive line did not get to the quarterback enough. If the Dolphins have any chance of beating the Patriots, they need to create a consistent pass rush. If you give Tom Brady time to throw, he will make you pay. Even at 42 years old, he can still throw the football extremely well. it’s fascinating to see quite frankly. However, he always seems to struggle in Miami. Whether it be the heat or the crowd noise, a New England Patriots-Miami Dolphins game in Miami is always a good one.

New England Patriots need to feel the heat

Bringing pressure up the middle often makes Tom Brady think a little bit in the pocket. I used to see it a ton with the New York Jets defenses in the early part of this decade. They would bring pressure up the middle, and also bring a little bit of pressure off the edge. They constantly stumped Brady and rushed him into making throws he didn’t like.

Those New York Jets defenses were very good. I’m not asking for the 2019 Miami Dolphins defense to play like those just defenses. The formula of getting pressure up the middle and making Brady think is something that they can do on Sunday. I like to see a little bit more out of Christian Wilkins in this game. He can do a little bit of everything. He can clog up running lanes, but he can also rush the passer. I would love to see him be able to get pressure on Brady. Getting pressure on the quarterbacks was something he did at Clemson, and his skill set should translate well to the National Football League.

Playing Tom Brady and the New England Patriots is not going to be easy. The odds are certainly stacked against the Dolphins, but they can at least make life for Brady in the new England patriots difficult.  Getting pressure on Brady would be a nice step toward keeping this game close. keeping this game close and general would certainly be a moral victory for Miami.

Rookie receiver Preston Williams provided the Dolphins with a small victory against Baltimore

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Preston Williams gave Miami its first victory of the year.

Nobody expected the 2019 season to be pretty for the Miami Dolphins. At the same time, nobody expected a 59-10 blowout by the Ravens in week 1.

The Dolphins, the NFL’s youngest team, was expected to have a few bright spots while tanking away the 2019 season.

Preston Williams, an undrafted rookie from Colorado State, is continuing to make a case as a diamond in the rough.

After an impressive preseason and training camp, Williams finished his first regular season game with three catches for 24 yards, including this saucy touchdown grab before halftime.

“If you’re looking for small victories, that’s about it,” quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick said of the catch.

Fitzpatrick, the 16-year NFL vet, finished his first start by going 14/29 for 185 yards including one touchdown and one interception. Look for Fitzpatrick to continue to target Williams as the Dolphins will play from behind for most of the season.

 

Follow what probably will be the worst team in Miami professional sports history with us at FiveReasonsSports.com. Let’s go through it together, as we all suffer in the 15 games that are left, until get Tua, right?

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The Miami Mutiny

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Towards the end of the 2018 season, all the talk was about the “Miami Miracle”.

Since then, we have confirmed that Gronk didn’t have the angle.  And that the play was unlike anything else in franchise history.  But truth is, it did nothing to alter the Dolphins’ season.  Except for maybe driving the the team further down the draft pecking order.  That won’t happen this year.  As the Dolphins are destined to have the top pick in 2019, come one way or another.

After all, most of the talk this offseason has been around the team tanking.  And if they are in fact doing whatever they can to land Tua Tagovailoa, it would probably upset a lot of the veterans in the locker room.  But just like we learned from Adam Beasley prior to the Dolphins trade with Houston, players were ready to ‘revolt’.

So how do you think those same players felt, after the worst home loss in franchise history?  Mike Florio, the man with more whisperers around the NFL than Lord Varys in King’s Landing, suggests a mutiny is forming.

Per a league source with knowledge of the situation, multiple Dolphins players contacted their agents after Sunday’s season-opening blowout loss and directed them to attempt to engineer trades elsewhere. The players believe that the coaching staff, despite claiming that they intend to try to win, aren’t serious about competing and winning and by all appearances have bought into the notion that the Dolphins will take their lumps now in the hopes of laying the foundation via high draft picks for building a successful team later.

Now let’s not pretend that this outcome is much different, regardless of who the Dolphins still had on the roster.  Everything about this team stinks.  And time will tell how all of this shakes up for Chris Grier,  Brian Flores, and the rest of the Dolphins’ organization.  But if reports are true, there’s a time bomb waiting to go off in the locker room.  When it does, the tank will be All Systems go.

#TankingAintEasy

 

Josh Houtz (@houtz) is a die-hard fan of the Miami Dolphins.  Buy your official 5 Reasons Sports ‘Tank For Tua’ shirt here!

Brian Flores

Brian Flores: ‘I’ve got to do a better job of coaching’

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MIAMI GARDENS — Brian Flores had spent his whole football life preparing for Sunday – the past 15 years with the most successful organization in the business in New England. He did his part in helping the Patriots win four Super Bowls, including the most recent.

Sunday was his first chance to show that he could take what he’s learned and lead a winner on his own.

Flores’ first regular-season game as head coach couldn’t have gone worse for him and the Dolphins, a 59-10 thrashing by the Ravens at Hard Rock Stadium. Actually, the Ravens could have scored more. The game ended with a kneel-down at the Miami 5.

Still, it was the second-worse loss in Dolphins history.

The surprise wasn’t that Flores’ reign started with a loss in a rebuilding season. It was how poorly the Dolphins performed, how outclassed they were by the Ravens.

And, frankly, how ill-prepared they appeared despite months of meticulous preparation by a demanding and perfectionist coach.

Brian Flores and his Missed on goals

“We talked about playing penalty free. We talked about having a clean operation, alignments, assignments, trying to play turnover free, and we didn’t accomplish any of that. We talked about starting fast. We didn’t accomplish that.

“It starts with coaching. It starts with me. I’ve got to do a better job of coaching this team. We’ve got to play better. It starts with me. We’ve got a long way to go. We’ve got a lot of work we have to do.”

The thoroughness of the beating administered by Baltimore illuminated the ruthlessness of the NFL. Before Ravens coach John Harbaugh took his foot off the Dolphins’ throat on that final play, he had shown no mercy all afternoon.

Harbaugh called a fake punt with his team leading 35-3. It went for 60 yards and led to another score.

Harbaugh went for it on fourth down with his team up 52-10.

Flores, who has been on the other side of rough-riding an opponent while coaching under Bill Belichick, shrugged it off.

“It’s our job to stop them. Those are my thoughts,” he said. “It’s not their job to let off. So it’s our job to stop them. John is a good coach. They’ve got a good team. It’s our job to stop them. I’m not looking for handouts here.”

Brian Flores not blaming tanking

Similarly, Flores brushed aside a question regarding concern about whether there is enough talent on a roster that has been stripped bare of many of veteran players in the early stages of rebuilding.

“I don’t worry about that,” Flores said. “We’ve got the guys we’ve got. We’re going to coach them. It’s our job to coach them. It’s our job to get them better. It’s our job to put them in positions to play well and make plays, and that’s my job. I’m not getting into – Look, I’m not an excuse maker. I never have been.

“Put that in the excuse bucket and you can kick it to the curb, because I’m not into that.”

Flores has bristled at the suggestion the Dolphins are deliberately tanking the season, playing to lose in order to be in position to draft a quarterback to build around.

He puts high demands on his players, as well as on his coaches and himself.

In Brian Flores way of thinking, Sunday’s result is a challenge to be met with even harder work.

That was evident in what he said his message was to the team at halftime when they trailed 42-10:

“‘Let’s play better. Let’s not have as many penalties. Let’s get aligned. Let’s tackle. Let’s not turn the ball over.’ … I just wanted us to stick together, play together and fight.

“We’ve got to fight. We can’t lay down. We’ve got to fight, keep fighting.”

Ready for Patriots?

His message will likely be similar when the team returns to practice this week.

Because, guess what, next week can be worse: The opponent is Flores’ former team, the Patriots.

As much as Harbaugh threw everything but the kitchen sink at the Dolphins, imagine what Belichick will have in store for his former protégé.

“I’ll just go through my normal process, my normal routine,” Flores said. “I’ll obviously reflect on what this was this past week and try to improve it and try to do a better job. At the end of the day, how this team plays is a reflection of me, and I have to do a better job, and this team has to do a better job, and we’ll come to work tomorrow and try to do that.”

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

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