Tag Archive for: Vince Biegel

Miami Dolphins

Preseason Week 3 – Miami Dolphins at Cincinnati Bengals: 5 players to watch

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The end is near. Preseason is nearly over, and so is the tenure of some players on the Miami Dolphins roster bubble. Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals, many of these players are getting one last chance to shine and prove they’re worth keeping on the team. Whether that’s with the Dolphins, or another team, remains to be seen.

But regardless, the game still has to be played. Amidst the dramatic rumors once again surfacing of a trade for Texans QB Deshaun Watson, and the return of linebacker Vince Biegel to the injured reserve list, here are the top five players to watch on Sunday.

1. Shaquem Griffin – LB

Perhaps no one has more to gain in this final preseason game than Shaquem Griffin. For what his role on the team is, Griffin has a lot of competition. But now that Vince Biegel is back on IR, Griffin’s chances of making the final roster have increased drastically. Like Biegel, Griffin’s best attributes are speed and raw effort. He can be useful as an extra blitzer on passing downs, and he’ll get plenty of action on special teams.

Griffin still has a lot to overcome, however. The linebacker corps is loaded with talent, and it’s unlikely the Dolphins keep a surplus of linebackers just to keep Griffin. He’ll have to put on a drastic performance if he really wants to stick in Miami.

There is some extra hope, however. With the practice squad retaining last season’s COVID-19 rules, the Dolphins can retain six players on their squad with more than two accrued seasons of NFL experience. So if no one else decides to sign him, Griffin can be stashed there. If he does well enough, some other team may add him to their roster. If not, it isn’t hard to speculate Griffin will be a top priority addition.

2. Jason Strowbridge – DE

While Jason Strowbridge is likely to be another quick candidate for the practice squad if he’s waived, he would like to make the final 53-man roster. Problem is, Strowbridge hasn’t done much to really stand out above the rest of his teammates.

He does have one thing going for him, however. Unlike Jonathan Ledbetter and Tyshun Render, his main competitors at defensive end, Strowbridge was actually drafted by the Dolphins. Miami’s front office thought so highly of him, they drafted him in the 5th round of the 2020 NFL draft. Both Render and Ledbetter were undrafted free agents. Teams have a tendency to give a certain amount of bias towards players they invested assets into.

Of course, head coach Brian Flores has never been shy about moving on from players, even higher profile ones. If Render or Ledbetter flash more than Strowbridge does in this last game, they may get the nod over him.

3. Greg Mancz – OL

Once the Miami Dolphins traded for Greg Mancz, the competition got that much tighter for everyone else. More than likely, the veteran Mancz will be viewed as a center, which does not bode well for the likes of Matt Skura, who hasn’t lived up to his lofty expectations. Skura hasn’t even managed to beat out Michael Deiter for the starting center position. Granted, Deiter has been decent for the most part, but certainly not dominant.

So where does this leave Mancz? Reports out of Baltimore indicate that Mancz would not have made the 53-man roster for the Ravens. But apparently GM Chris Grier thinks highly enough of Mancz that he didn’t want to risk another team picking him up first. Mancz’s history with co-offensive coordinator George Godsey from his Houston Texans tenure doubtlessly has something to do with it as well.

Mancz can play at multiple positions on the offensive line, so as a depth move this makes sense. The reason for watching him is not to see if he makes the roster or not. It’s to see if the Dolphins can get something out of him the Ravens weren’t, because many Ravens fans are calling their GM a genius for making this move.

Losing trades isn’t something Chris Grier is known for, but it’s not unheard of either. A strong performance from Mancz on Sunday will alleviate some of the concerns.

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4. Patrick Laird – RB

This slot could have gone to either Laird or rookie Gerrid Doaks. This time the dubious honor goes to Laird simply because his effort hasn’t been enough for the eye test this year. Doaks isn’t a superstar by any means, but he has flashed enough to garner attention. And with the top three spots almost certainly going to Myles Gaskin, Salvon Ahmed and Malcolm Brown, that leaves maybe only one slot for another running back. Even Laird himself has nothing but good things to say about the 7th round pick.

“I think he’s done a really good job of transitioning into the NFL.” Laird said on Friday. “I think you guys have seen the clips. He runs hard. Gerrid is a good running back.”

Of course it’s unlikely that Laird would say anything else. He’s been nothing but the model teammate since arriving in Miami. However, he and Doaks will be having quite a battle for that final roster spot. If Laird gets cut, Miami would need to sacrifice one of their veteran practice squad spots to retain him. If Doaks is waived, he’ll need to get through waivers before the practice squad is even a possibility. That makes his situation much riskier.

Laird has always gotten by with his sheer effort and determination. But his physical ability is nothing to write home about. If Laird wants to be the team’s fourth running back, he’ll need to outplay Doaks, and by a rather significant margin. If he doesn’t, he’ll probably be on the outside looking in.

5. Malcolm Perry – WR

The former Navy superstar was really hyped up for his versatility when he was drafted in the 7th round last season. Unfortunately, none of the fantasies have become reality as of yet. No wildcat craziness, no surprise passes, no shifty running of the football. The Miami Dolphins have treated Malcolm Perry as just another normal cog in the machine. One could argue they’re saving his talents for an extreme emergency, but it’s hard to justify a roster spot for a gimmick.

With Lynn Bowden Jr. on IR for the season, Perry is the default gadget player. His skillset offers options that his biggest competition, Kirk Merritt does not. Perry can actually play running back and even quarterback if an extreme emergency happened. But Merritt is a more accomplished wide receiver as of this moment, so it boils down to what do the Miami Dolphins think they need more?

Even without Merritt, Perry will have to fight for his spot. His best chance to make the roster at this point is the unexpected departure of either Jakeem Grant or Preston Williams, two more established players who have rumors swirling around them whether Miami will continue to invest in them. Perry showing up and making plays against the Bengals will make the decision much more difficult for Brian Flores.

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

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Miami Dolphins

Preseason Week 1 – Miami Dolphins at Chicago Bears: 5 players to watch

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As the Miami Dolphins prepare to face off against the Chicago Bears for their first real game action of the year, there are plenty of players to keep an eye on. But considering the circumstances, there are a few players who deserve more attention than others. Here are five of those players.

1. Larnel Coleman – OT

Larnel Coleman is intriguing for a few reasons. First and foremost, the Miami Dolphins offensive line is – once again – in flux. Liam Eichenberg did not immediately take to right tackle like so many hoped. His left guard ambitions did not go much better. However, in limited snaps in practice, Coleman has shown a certain level of promise. Against the Chicago Bears, Coleman will have a big test ahead of him.

As a 7th round pick, Coleman is undoubtedly a project. But he has talent and he’s already shown he can hold his own against his teammates. Raw speed seems to be a weakness of his, as evidenced by Vince Biegel figuring him out in practice last week. If Coleman develops quickly, Miami may dodge a bullet if Eichenberg doesn’t catch on first. All due respect to veteran Jesse Davis, a long term starter he is not. Miami needs an upgrade.

2. Noah Igbinoghene – CB

To say that Noah Igbinoghene has been disappointing so far in practice would be an understatement. Even the coaching staff briefly demoted him to third string due to his struggles in practice. In one practice he was beaten not once, but twice on deep passes to Isaiah Ford. That is not a ringing endorsement for the 1st round pick out of Auburn. However, once again, patience is required for Igbinoghene.

He’s a physical freak, a one of a kind athlete. But his experience at corner is so limited compared to other players in his draft class, it’s no surprise he’s a step or two behind. Will Miami get to reap the benefits of his drafting? That remains to be seen. Fortunately, the Dolphins worked things out with Xavien Howard, so Igbinoghene’s bought at least one more season to train as an NFL cornerback.

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3. Brennan Scarlett – LB

When Jaelen Phillips went down with an injury, the first player to make an instant impact was none other than Brennan Scarlett. The veteran linebacker went undrafted in 2016 and signed with the Houston Texans, only to land on injured reserve over and over again with various injuries. It’s clear that his career has been derailed by these injuries. Ever since training camp opened, Scarlett has made plays against the first team offense and is a regular contributor on the special teams unit.

So why look at Scarlett instead of rookie Jaelen Phillips? Well, if Phillips plays, then by all means, watch him too. After all, he returned to practice during the joint sessions with the Bears and was immediately placed with the first team. But Scarlett has been given more time to stand out than Phillips, and he’s taken advantage of that time. If Scarlett performs, that could give Phillips more time to heal and develop. No need to rush things along if someone can provide an instant impact already.

4. Gerrid Doaks – RB

If it feels like the choices are a little obscure, there is a reason for that. Remember, preseason is essentially an extended tryout. There’s no question that Myles Gaskin, Malcolm Brown and Salvon Ahmed are the favorites to make the roster as the team’s running back stable. But the Miami Dolphins opted to draft Gerrid Doaks with their final draft pick in 2021, so they must have felt he was worth something to not let him test the market.

Doaks hasn’t necessarily stood out. If he had, he would have pushed for more playing time with the starting unit. But the rotation at running back in practice is so fluid that literally everyone has gotten a chance to take handoffs from Tua Tagovailoa at this point. Doaks will likely receive a lot of snaps, since Gaskin is the clear starter. Brown and Ahmed both suffered injuries in practice recently, and are also expected to make the team anyway.

So keeping the reality of preseason in mind, Doaks will receive more of a chance to stand out than anyone else as the game drags on. His main niche is as a power back, and has a reputation for being a good blocker out of the backfield. Everyone knows how much Miami loves running backs that can block. Doaks has a chance to make his presence felt against the Chicago Bears.

5. Tua Tagovailoa – QB

The one that everyone’s been waiting for. The time has come to finally see Tua Tagovailoa throw the football against an NFL team that isn’t his own. So why, with all the hype surrounding him, is he so low on this list? Simply put, he likely won’t be in for very long. This is not the dress rehearsal. There may not even be a dress rehearsal with the way the NFL has changed the structure of preseason. He’ll get in a few drives, maybe even play a quarter. But it’s unlikely he stays any longer than that before Jacoby Brissett and Reid Sinnett take over from there.

Make no mistake, as with any NFL team, the season hinges on the performance of the quarterback. Tagovailoa seems to have taken a huge step forward so far, so if he can follow up his camp performance with an amazing showing in limited time against Chicago, then Miami Dolphins fans everywhere have a massive reason to be excited for the upcoming season.

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

Vincent Taylor Release

Dolphins release DT Vincent Taylor

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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