It’s Time to Trust in Tua

/0 Comments/in /by

It’s been one of the busiest, if not, the craziest NFL Offseason of recent years. A massive domino has fallen in favor of the Miami Dolphins as they have traded for star-studded WR Tyreek Hill.

Per Adam Schefter, the Kansas City Chiefs traded six-time Pro-Bowl WR Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins for five draft picks: a 2022 1st-round pick (No. 29), a 2nd-round pick (No. 50) and a 4th-round pick, as well as 4th- and 6th-round picks in the 2023 draft, sources tell ESPN.

Faith in Tua

Basically, this shows the full faith effort the Miami Dolphins franchise has in Tua Tagovailoa.

After two season of realizing the team did not have enough support for their franchise quarterback, new head coach Mike McDaniel has shown his support for his QB. Actions, not words.

So far the Dolphins have given Tua Tagovailoa an upgraded offensive line, with the signings of Terron Armstead and Connor Williams.

 

Signed one of the best WR’s in the NFL in Tyreek Hill along with a YAC demon in Cedrick Wilson. Re-signed one of his favorite targets in Mike Gesicki. 

Signed two competent running backs in Chase Edmonds and Raheem Mostert who are fits in the new offensive scheme.

The Pressure

Since Tua was drafted back in 2020, Tua has had to deal with adversity to this date. 

Rehab from a debilitating hip injury, a QB controversy with Ryan Fitzpatrick, Deshaun Watson rumors. A WR room that never fit his skillset, an offensive line that was the worst in the league in back-to-back years (32nd and 31st).

By no means has Tua Tagovailoa lived up to his potential; however, there has been a lot stacked up against him compared to other young quarterbacks.

However, Mike McDaniel and the rest of the Dolphins Management have taken action to support Tua Tagovailoa, instead of meaningless words to show support. 

The only variable that could inevitably hold this offense back is if Tua fails to perform and injuries along the offense.

Tua Throwing Deep?

With all this talk about having the two fastest WR’s in the Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, there’s the notion that Tua and the offense should maximize the potential and throw deep more often.

The biggest criticism on Tua is that he cannot throw deep balls well. In 2020, Tua was 10/28 or 35% on deep balls thrown, good enough to be the 3rd best. In 2021, on passes that traveled over 20+ yards Tua’s passes were on target 69.6% of the time, which was best in the NFL.

The sample size argument gets routinely brought up as it may not be enough to be a conclusive data point. However, the Dolphins offensive line averaged a league worst 2.1 seconds if pocket time. It takes time to read and throw deep balls.

Not to mention, two of his final seven starts he had a 29% air yard completion, which was the highest in the NFL.

Everyone loves the deep ball game as it is exciting, but it’s minuscule on a play to play basis, it’s not how the game is played a majority of the time. 

The New Offense

In retrospect, this bodes well for the short and intermediate game, along with Yards after Catch (YAC).

Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill are two of the NFL’s best in yards after the catch and receptions within two seconds after the snap. Waddle with the 3rd most reception (46) and Hill with the 4th most (45).

In each of the last four years, the San Francisco 49ers led the NFL in YAC/reception. Mike McDaniel being the run game coordinator and offensive coordinator those last four years.

Last two years, Tua’s YAC/Completion was 4.6 in 2021 (30th) and 4.1 (2020) (31st). This year should se an increase in YAC/Completion numbers that fit Tua’s ability, along with expectations the franchise and fans want to see.

 

******

Loading
Loading...

 

*** This article was originally posted on PhinManiacs***

 

Hussam Patel is a Miami Dolphins contributor at Five Reasons Sports Network, Director of Scouting at PhinManiacs and Editor at Dolphins ATB. Follow him on Twitter at @HussamPatel

Mateo’s Hoops Diary: Look Who’s Back for the Nets

/0 Comments/in , /by

With a stroke of a pen, the eastern conference playoff picture will change. New York Mayor Eric Adams lifted the COVID-19 private-sector vaccine mandate on Thursday, just a week after he said he wasn’t concerned about one man rather than nine million.  

 

Adams probably made his friends with the Yankees, Mets and Nets happy.  Politico pointed out that Mets owner Steve Cohen donated $1.5 million to a PAC supporting the mayor’s campaign last summer, while his team didn’t meet the 85% threshold of vaccinated players for relaxed protocols this upcoming MLB season.   Brooklyn also paid lobbyist Corey Johnson to persuade important figures at city hall on the matter.

 

Well, when there’s a will by the wealthy to throw money at a problem you can be sure someone somewhere will swallow their morals.

 

Concerning the NBA, positioning in the standings may not matter to the Brooklyn Nets.  They currently sit at eighth in the east and could make a cameo in the play-in tournament as they are three games out of sixth place.  If they survive the play-in, which would likely be the case, Brooklyn will see one of the two top-seeded groups, which could be any four between Miami, Milwaukee, Philadelphia and Boston in round one.  Fingers crossed for a Philadelphia and Brooklyn matchup so James Harden’s former teammates can show the Beard what he’s missing.

 

The legislation passed significantly helps the Nets by allowing Irving to play in home games. So far into the season, Brooklyn is three games below .500 at home (16-19), but has six more wins than losses on the road (22-16).  Of the seven teams with better records away than at home, only three are likely playoff teams: the Toronto Raptors, Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers.

 

When evaluating the potential postseason landscape, it’s difficult to identify a more potent offensive duo than Kevin Durant and Irving.  Both of these juggernauts may occasionally become enamored with iso ball, but when they are moving the rock to exploit mismatches and are finding the man with space, Brooklyn could be as formidable an opponent as there is in the postseason.  

 

One of Brooklyn’s biggest concerns are its frontcourt’s defensive limitations.  With the exception of Simmons when he’s healthy, Brooklyn doesn’t have a versatile disruptor that can switch and cause havoc when rotating assignments between quicker guards or stronger forwards and big men.

 

Andre Drummond is still a fierce rebounder, but he struggles to stay in front of his man or to close out quick enough on opposing cuts.  Lamarcus Aldridge at 36 years old is not as laterally quick as he used to be and guarding was never his forte, although he was adequate.  And Blake Griffin at this stage in his career can get hunted down by an opponent forcing a switch, but he has solid instincts defending in transition. Evident by his 25 charges taken, which are tied for first with Miami’s Kyle Lowry.

 

As my colleague Ethan Skolnick has discussed on Five On The Floor, Drummond, Aldridge and Griffin were once franchise players that usually were not relied upon to be the glue guys that dive for loose balls, take charges, or crash the offensive glass.  That’s what their role is now and it takes a colossal amount of sacrifice for a former All-star to get comfortable exclusively performing a job that isn’t as glorious as dropping buckets en route to a W.  

 

 

The Nets inexplicably are optimistic that Ben Simmons will play, but he shouldn’t touch the court if his back has not completely recovered from his herniated disk.  If by some miracle Simmons does manage to suit up, the results may not be the desired outcome.  It’s complicated to incorporate a key player into a lineup past training camp, but in this case, there are nine games left for Broolyn.  He may not have enough time to learn Durant and Irving’s on-court tendencies and develop some chemistry with them.

 

But even without Simmons, now that Irving is getting his full-time gig back, the Nets become a larger headache for everyone in the east.  Brooklyn may be undermanned, but they still have enough ballers to win a round or two.  Durant and Irving have limitless range and can get to any spot because of their tight handles and elusive movements.  The last five times they’ve played together, Irving has averaged 38 and Durant 26 points per game.

 

An advantage that Brooklyn will have over every team is that Irving has fresh legs because he’s  only participated in 20 of Brooklyn’s 73 games played. An 82 game season is a marathon and players eventually hit a slump because of fatigue.  Irving probably will not have one.  He’s had extensive rest and he is so lethal that an opponent can study all of his tricks in the film room and it probably still won’t be enough to help stay in front of him.

 

Regardless of Irving’s position on the vaccine, I’m glad he’s back on the court as a full-time player.  At least for me, the east playoffs would not have been as exciting without one of the game’s greater players today.

 

Five Ways the Tyreek Hill Trade Changes the Dolphin Offense

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Miami Dolphins dominated the ever-convoluted NFL news cycle Tuesday night when they signed the near-consensus No. 1 free agent this offseason, offensive tackle Terron Armstead to a five-year deal. What did not become clear until Wednesday morning was the fact Miami wasn’t done, either. Not by a long shot. 

 

Within two hours of the Earth-shattering tweets from NFL insiders that Kansas City Chiefs star wide receiver Tyreek Hill was available in a trade, the Dolphins closed the deal with a package of five draft picks, three of which come on Day 3. Miami did not just announce themselves as joining the fray of AFC contenders, they barreled the door down a la the iconic Kool-Aid Man.

 

The move summons the questions of what will this change bring to the franchise? For starters, when the schedules are released, fans can expect more than just the customary token primetime national TV game on the docket. Secondly, those same fans can put aside their modern tradition of Frankensteining their latest mock draft now that this year’s first and second rounders are no more. More importantly, they can expect a wildly different offense on the field in 2022 than they’ve seen the last two decades.

 

The Underneath is About to be Wide Open

 

Miami has long-awaited a dynamic presence at skill positions, hoping for that never ending void to be filled by the likes of Ted Ginn, Jr., Mike Wallace or David Boston. Now, they not only have one gamebreaker, second-year wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, but the most unique and unguardable weapon in the league in Hill.

 

Either one of them is more than capable of getting behind a cornerback and changing the face of a game in an instant. Ever since bursting onto the scene, Hill has required safety help to ensure if he’s going to beat you, it won’t be on just one play. 

 

This changing around of the defense to account for the speed on the outside will open up a lot underneath for Miami. Whether that’s on screens, quick routes or safety valves out of the backfield, yardage is there to be had. All eyes will be on the deep ball – and those will certainly come – but in the meantime, there figures to be a lot of space underneath for the Dolphins to build drives.

 

The Field Will Also Be Stretched Horizontally to the Benefit of Mike Gesicki

 

It can be said Tua Tagovailoa or Mike McDaniel are the happiest men to receive the news of Hill’s arrival in South Florida. Not far behind him has to be tight end Mike Gesicki. The days of blocking-first tight ends are antiquated in the same way as the shower radio. Gesicki is an archetypal modern day tight end who is bigger than safeties, faster than linebackers and a mismatch wherever he goes. 

 

A career he would like to emulate as he enters what figures to be his prime is that of Hill’s former teammate Travis Kelce. The All-Pro Chiefs tight end has had six 1,000-yard seasons in his career, all six that he’s played alongside Hill. While the chicken or the egg debate can be had over who is responsible for what, the fact of the matter is they worked in synchronicity in Kansas City. That’s unquestionably something the team will hope follows Hill to Miami now alongside Gesicki.

 

McDaniel used a lot of motion and creative sets in San Francisco. Spreading the offense wide figures to open up the middle of the field for a player like Gesicki. The fifth-year tight end has seen his yardage increase each year and it isn’t a stretch to say it will do so again in a big way this fall.

 

*****

Loading
Loading...

 

*****

 

The Disguises on Offense will be Endless

 

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel totaled 90 receptions for 1,193 yards and 22 rushing attempts for 185 yards in his first two years combined. Then in his third year, McDaniel’s first as offensive coordinator, Samuel caught 77 passes for 1,405 yards to go along with 59 rushes for 365 yards. He was used in a variety of ways and just because he was lined up in the backfield did not mean he was only going to run it, but it did mean you had to respect it.

 

Expect both Hill and Waddle to line up in the backfield some, maybe even simultaneously. Gesicki can be lined up along the line or over in the slot. All three could be out wide, as can Devante Parker, with a single-set back in Raheem Mostert or Chase Edmonds. Lest we forget newly-signed fullback Alec Ingold who is not only capable of running the ball or blocking, but is an athletic pass catcher out of his spot. 

 

While defenses are getting more exotic with their disguises each passing year, the Dolphins now have one of the most amorphous offenses in recent memory. There is so much speed and so much versatility across the field that catching a defense off-balance appears less like a goal and more like an inevitability.

 

Miami Can Beat You in a Variety of Ways

 

Some teams want to ground and pound, control the clock and take their chances when they’re there. That drag-‘em-out gameplan can sometimes backfire when they get down and don’t have the ability to come back in a hurry. Others can spread it out and try to beat you through the air and with splash plays, though if some of those get taken away, their offense can be sterilized pretty quickly.

 

It’s no secret McDaniel values running the ball, something he was successful in doing his four seasons as the 49ers’ run game coordinator and lone campaign as the offensive coordinator. He along with general manager Chris Grier have prioritized the team’s ability to continue that in Miami. They signed Mostert, Edmonds and Ingold in hopes that if they want to establish the run, they’re able to do so. If they want to run the ball 30-40 times in a cold weather game, they believe they have the personnel to accomplish it.

 

On the flip side, if they find themselves in a track meet or in need of scores in a hurry, the firepower is there in full force. In NFL history, only Randy Moss had more 25+ yard catches in his first six years than Hill. Pair that with Waddle, Parker, Gesicki and the rest of the offense, the Dolphins appear poised to pick their own poison.

 

Tua Now has Everything he Needs

 

The overarching question for the Dolphins since Dan Marino retired is “will this team find a quarterback?” For the past two years, that question has morphed into, “does this team have its quarterback?” Tagovailoa has found detractors saying he does not have the tools necessary to succeed in the NFL while his supporters have pointed to the coaching issues, talent at skill spots and development of the offensive line.

 

Now, Miami has added Armstead and Connor Williams along the line. The coaching staff, previously defensive-focused, has been overhauled and is now run by McDaniel, seen as a savant, genius or whatever other buzz word you’d like to use. Add onto that Hill, Waddle, Gesicki, Parker, Mostert and Edmonds, and he has the skill rooms that draw envy of almost every other quarterback in the league.

 

It isn’t “not having your quarterback” that kills franchises. It’s the purgatory of not knowing. Ryan Tannehill occupied the QB1 role for the franchise for seven years and not once did he leave anyone with a definitive feeling that he was or wasn’t “the guy.” That stagnant energy makes it impossible for a team to move forward.

 

Now, Tagovailoa has everything he needs around him. They have built a team with expensive supporting players around a quarterback with a rookie contract. That’s been a winning formula in recent years for teams like Philadelphia, Kansas City, Los Angeles (pre-Matt Stafford), even dating back to the Seattle Super Bowl victory. 

 

Whether or not Tagovailoa succeeds now rests entirely on his much-discussed left shoulder. If Miami wins with him, they have their guy. If he can’t get it done with what’s been provided, then those two first round draft picks in 2023 could end up awfully interesting. What we do know is that today will be looked back on in team history as one where the Dolphins went all in. The rest will be decided when No. 10 makes his debut in the fall.

The Miami Hurricanes’ Magical Misfits

/0 Comments/in /by

Miami is not supposed to compete at basketball, certainly not in the mighty ACC. The small, private school in Coral Gables should not be rubbing shoulders with college basketball’s aristocracy.

And yet, since Jim Larrañaga’s arrival, the Canes have done just that. In Larrañaga’s 11 seasons in Miami, the Canes have made the postseason 7 times, the NCAA Tournament 5 times, the Sweet Sixteen 3 times, and even won the ACC. But after frontloaded success early in his tenure (6 postseasons in his first 7 years), Larrañaga’s tenure appeared to be coming to a close. Wrongly implicated in an FBI scandal, staggered by a buzzer beating loss to Loyola, the Canes produced 3 losing seasons in a row, culminating with last year’s 10-17 record, the worst of Larrañaga’s career since his first year at George Mason in 1997-98.

With a mass exodus from the program in the offseason, and the Canes plugging gaps with transfers, Miami was justifiably picked to finish 12th in the ACC.

And the early returns reinforced the Canes as a finished program. After 7 games, the Canes were 4-3, having just been blown out by Dayton and Alabama. They were languishing, and the program was teetering on the brink of irrelevance.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the Canes’ funeral. They started winning. But how?

This is a story of Miami not just as a program, but as a mindset. This is a story about how a group of castoffs, of players who were told they would never experience success, combined to form a harmonious band of individually flawed instruments that collectively rival Mozart in their melodic crescendo.

And you may ask yourself, “Well, how did I get here?”

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
-Robert Frost

Larrañaga’s offseason might have been his toughest. Six players, including 5 on scholarship, left the program, headlined by Chris Lykes, Matt Cross, and Earl Timberlake.

He needed bodies to just field a competent team. There was help coming in, namely in the form of freshman Bensley Joseph and Wooga Poplar. But the Canes needed more experience, players ready to start immediately.

And they found them in the transfer portal with Charlie Moore and Jordan Miller added to returning stalwarts Kameron McGusty, Isaiah Wong, and Sam Waardenburg.

Make no mistake, this was a risk. Larrañaga was already going through the worst spell of his career, and bringing in 2 transfers, including one who was at his 4th school, was fraught with peril.  But where a normal person would look at this roster and see dysfunction, Larrañaga saw opportunity. He doubled down, not just on his talent evaluations, but on the fact that he could coach this team into overcoming their lack of size in a league that is predicated on size.

With the rocky start to this season, all hope was seemingly lost.

A lot has been made of the style change, and how the Canes, with the season teetering, embraced small ball and resurrected the season. Not enough, however, has been made of the character exhibited by these kids. Players that were expecting to get playing time no longer do. Jordan Miller and Sam Waardernburg have to sacrifice their bodies playing out of position. The team in its entirety has to work harder to account for the style of play. As topsy-turvy as this season has been, the one constant has been the Canes’ adaptability.

From the blowout losses to Dayton and Alabama through the late game failings at home against Virginia Tech, setbacks never defeated this team. When people refused to rank them, kept them on the bubble despite a strong resume, and tried to downplay their qualities, they just kept playing. Everyone in the ACC knew how good this team is, and now the country is finding out.

Somehow, it’s all come together. Charlie Moore running the show, Kameron McGusty and Isaiah Wong able to create any shot, Jordan Miller and Sam Waardenburg drawing big men away from the paint on offense and defending it on defense, Anthony Walker bringing high-flying athleticism off the bench, and freshmen Bensley Joseph and Wooga Poplar making huge contributions…it’s all working.

Maybe Larrañaga saw this coming. Maybe it was because he was out of any other options. But regardless of the quality of the sheet music, it takes a conductor to produce appealing music. And Larrañaga is that conductor.

This is Miami’s 3rd trip to the Sweet 16 in Larrañaga’s tenure. This is the 2nd time they’ll be the higher seed. In 2013 when they reached this round, everything went wrong. Reggie Johnson got injured, the team had a bout of food poisoning, and they entered a game with Marquette on a low. The 2021 Canes are at the opposite end of the spectrum. One of the things that jumped out last weekend is that as we saw the pressure crush so many programs, the Miami players were having fun. Smiling, just playing game. After having been roundly dismissed, jettisoned to the periphery of college basketball, they had re-entered the fray and were enjoying the moment.

La Patria

What better place for a group of castoffs to find their true home?

Miami, as a city, is a place where anyone can belong, where it doesn’t matter what region or even what country you’re from, you can find a home here.

And so it is in this city, this melting pot, that this unlikely group of heroes assembled, because this is the only place it would be logical to assemble. They’ve been embraced by the community, and made Miamians puff their chest out with pride.

Last week, as they prepared to face 2nd-seeded Auburn, the Canes were once again diminished. The players were asked about a Jabari Smith Dunk, and how they would cope with Auburn. Miller and Waardenburg, answered respectfully. But under that veneer, they knew that not only did they have a plan to deal with Auburn’s NBA talent, but that they were going to unload on the Tigers’ front court duo.

What happened from there was a swagtastic unloading of all that is good and holy about Miami on the unsuspecting Tigers.

You can see from the score that they won by 17. That doesn’t describe the full extent of the performance. They took Auburn’s 2 best players and relentlessly went at them. Jabari Smith and Walker Kessler will be 1st round picks in the NBA draft. But on Sunday, they were taught a lesson by a group of experienced players that college basketball had largely given up on.

Bruce Pearl eventually had to bench Kessler, who could not play against Miami. The Tigers tightened up, more closely resembling a deer in headlights than a ferocious feline their mascot depicts. In the end it didn’t matter. Auburn was helpless. Miami was flying all over the court, stealing passes, dunking, blocking shots, taking wild shots on offense, throwing show-off passes…they were playing Miami Basketball.

Auburn was the unfortunate victim of Miami’s Magical Misfits reaching their zenith, and unloading a category 5 whooping on them the likes of which the Tigers had never experienced. Their previous 5 losses included 2 overtime losses and 3 other losses by a combined 11 points.

They did it as Miamians. A diverse group of previously dismissed players congregating in South Florida, believing in themselves when no one else did, and outworking, outthinking, and out-swagging the opponent.

Where does this long journey end? No one knows. It has taken Canes players through multiple schools, multiple countries, injuries, false investigations, and numerous on court setbacks to build the strength to get here. They are here not in spite of their struggles, but because of them. And that belief, forged not because people they were told they were great, but through legitimate struggle, through brotherhood when all hope was abandoned, is tough to break. Regardless of how this ends, Miami’s moment in the sun was earned through tribulations that would topple lesser men.

In Miami, the Magical Misfits found a home. And in that home resides a family.

Vishnu Parasuraman is a contributor for @FiveReasonsSports and generally covers the Miami Hurricanes. You can follow him on twitter @vrp2003

Dolphins Should Approach 2022 Draft with BPA in Mind

/0 Comments/in , /by

As it pertains to roster construction, each NFL offseason features two chaotic, tumultuous cycles: free agency and the draft. The Miami Dolphins entered the 2022 free agency period with the most open cap space of any team in the league. 

 

They added a few pieces on short-term deals such as guard Connor Williams, running backs Chase Edmonds and Raheem Mostert and wide receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr. Still, a lot of their space went toward keeping the 2021 roster intact by retaining core pieces defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah and Mike Gesicki as well as a host of contributors.

 

There are still moves to be made as Miami has been linked to offensive tackle Terron Armstead, defensive end Jadeveon Clowney and center J.C. Tretter among others. The Dolphins still have significant cap space as well as prudent cuts to make to clear even more space if needed. Regardless of the moves they make in the coming weeks with trades or free agency, one thing should be clear at this point: Miami should approach April’s draft with a best player available mentality.

 

More often than not, particularly in the early rounds, teams are drafting for need. That could mean they have a glaring hole at quarterback and either select the one they love or move up in the first round to secure him. If they need a running back, they go looking in rounds 2-3 for a guy that can take 20+ carries for the next half-decade. 

 

This can be seen as an easy fix, but it also comes with a significant amount of risk. The greater the need and the more valuable the position, the more a team may be willing to overdraft a player. This could lead to passing over better players or seeing what they want to see in an evaluation to feel like they eradicated the lingering issue.

 

Miami, other than offensive line which we will get to shortly, does not have any glaring holes entering the draft. Tua Tagovailoa will enter his third season and will do so with an offensive-minded head coach known for maximizing talent on that side of the ball and catering gameplans to a roster’s strengths. Mostert and Edmonds join incumbent Myles Gaskin to employ what should be an improved running back room. Gesicki, Durham Smythe and last year’s third round pick Hunter Long figure to be a deep tight end room, and Jaylen Waddle, Devante Parker and Wilson give three strong options at receiver. The defense also returns nearly everyone from a unit that has shown the propensity to be dominant at times over the last two seasons.

 

As it pertains to the offensive line, Miami has famously invested high-dollar draft capital in the unit in recent years. In 2021, the Dolphins traded a 2022 third rounder along with their second round pick to move up to No. 42 to take Notre Dame tackle Liam Eichenberg. In 2020, general manager Chris Grier selected USC tackle Austin Jackson and UL-Lafayette guard Robert Hunt at picks 18 and 39, respectively. Add in 2020 fourth round guard Solomon Kindley and 2019 third round center Michael Deiter, and you have a full commitment to the room the last three drafts.

 

It’s no secret the unit has left a ton to be desired. There are questions abound whether the issue was poor coaching or missed evaluations. Internally, optimism remains it was the former. Now, the team has offensive coordinator Frank Smith and line coach Matt Applebaum in the building. Both Smith and Applebaum have been praised for their ability to develop talent. While it is unlikely all five players will reach a level of serviceable to above-average along the line, they cannot all be dismissed at this point, either.

 

If the issue was indeed misevaluations, that decision cannot be made until the new coaching staff has an opportunity to work with the line they have, something which won’t be done pre-draft. Besides, if you are a Dolphins fan and that was the problem, you cannot hope for the same general manager to use more valuable picks on offensive linemen if you don’t think he made the correct choices the previous five times.

 

*****

Loading
Loading...

*****

 

On top of that, this draft class is supremely talented in offensive linemen at the top, but none of those will be close to available by the time Miami is set to pick at 29. Whether it’s in the first round or beyond, any lineman taken will be no more of a question mark than the players already in the facility who boast NFL experience.

 

With that said, it’s a fortuitous place to be in where Miami can either take the most-talented player left on the board or trade down with a team looking to fill a need thus allowing the Dolphins to accumulate more picks. Players drop for a variety of reasons, be it character, health issues or other teams reaching for needs that allow better players to fall by the wayside.

 

Some players who are available at 29 in various mock drafts that Miami should consider are Georgia linebacker Nakobe Dean, Arkansas wide receiver Treylon Burks, Alabama wide receiver Jameson Williams, Washington cornerback Trent McDuffie and more. It’s difficult to speculate at this point as each year there tends to be a player who drops well below what they were expected, so some of the players seemingly out of reach now may very well be in play come April.

 

There’s also the piece about quarterbacks. There are no quarterbacks in this crop currently viewed as worthy of a top five or maybe even top 10 pick. Those teams picking in those spots will likely use their first round selection on elite talent at other positions, but that won’t rule them out for trading back into the first round to take a player like Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett or Ole Miss’s Matt Corral should either or both be available toward the end of Thursday night. If that is the case, the Dolphins could put up a for sale sign on the pick and welcome all offers, adding another second or third round pick in the process of moving down a couple spots.

 

On the flip side, if there’s a player Grier and Co. love, they can move up within reason if they’d like to secure that prospect. For instance, Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum is seen by many as a can’t-miss player, though center is a position that is devalued by many. It’s not unthinkable to imagine Linderbaum remaining on the board in the early 20s. Going by the draft capital trade chart, if Miami trades 29 and 102, that could be enough to get pick 24 or 25 from Dallas or Buffalo, respectively. Going even more aggressive, the Dolphins could theoretically ship 29 and 50 to return 20 and 84 from Pittsburgh. 

 

There are plenty of avenues for the Dolphins to go in the first round and beyond. What they need to do is decide the talent first and the position second. By doing so, they can improve the overall roster’s talent without compromising for the sake of any one room. Of course, what the team needs to do and what they will do are entirely two different questions.

Chase Edmonds brings change of pace to Dolphins’ RB room

/0 Comments/in , /by

Mike McDaniel has found his running back.

The Miami Dolphins have reached an agreement on a two-year deal with Cardinals running back Chase Edmonds, per his agent Drew Rosenhaus. The contract is worth $12.6 million, with $6.1 million guaranteed.

Edmonds will be traveling eastwards to Miami after enjoying a successful stint with Arizona, rushing for 1551 yards and compiling 921 receiving yards in his four seasons with the Cardinals, who selected him with the 134th pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. Edmonds averaged 5.1 yards per carry in 2021, ranking sixth in the NFL in that statistic among running backs with over 100 carries.

The Fordham collegiate standout brings the intelligence, vision and burst that is necessary to excel in McDaniel’s outside/wide zone run scheme. Running this type of scheme requires a patient running back who knows when he should accelerate through lanes created by his blockers, and Edmonds is just that.

Edmonds will also pose a threat in the passing game, as his sure hands provided a safety blanket for Kyler Murray out of Arizona’s backfield. He can also line up as a receiver, mostly in the slot. His versatility is evident and will be very useful in McDaniel’s offense that prides itself on creativity.

 

 

The biggest concern that many have regarding Edmonds is his injury history. He missed five games last season and eight games over the last three seasons.

The Cardinals, missing out on Edmonds, resigned James Conner to a three-year deal. Arizona head coach Kliff Kingsbury valued and wanted to bring back both running backs.

“They both earned good deals as far as I’m concerned,” Kingsbury said. “I hope that we can afford both guys because they both had fantastic seasons and they deserve to get nice contracts. But I would love to have them both back.”

Last season, Edmonds led Arizona’s running backs in yards per carry, receptions per game and receiving yards per game.

Combining his pass-catching skills with his ability to hold his own in pass-protection, Edmonds gives Miami a reliable third-down running back that bolsters its offense in an abundance of ways.

Sam Reinhart’s journey from Western Canada to the Florida Panthers

/0 Comments/in , /by
When the 2014 NHL Draft came around, top ranked prospect Sam Reinhart had a chance to become a Florida Panther. Despite not being drafted by Florida in 2014, he would eventually see himself wearing the Panther on his chest seven years later. 

June 27, 2014. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The day had come where the next generation of hockey stars would hear their names called at the 2014 NHL Draft.

The Wells Fargo Center, home of the Philadelphia Flyers, played host to what would eventually become one of the most important drafts in Florida Panthers history. Florida’s current active roster has six players that were chosen in the 2014 draft, yet only one of those players were selected by the Panthers. 

The Panthers held the first overall selection in 2014 after selecting third-overall in 2011 and second-overall in 2013. Those two picks were Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov, who are now one and two on the Panthers all-time scoring list respectively. 

Entering the draft, Barrie Colts defensemen Aaron Ekblad was ranked as the NO.2 North American skater by NHL Central Scouting. Kootenay Ice captain Sam Reinhart was ranked NO.3. Sam Bennett of the Kingston Frontenacs was ranked NO.1 (NHL Central Scouting final ranking).

After selecting two forwards in the top-three over the span of three drafts and not having the greatest defensive prospect pool, a defenseman seemed like the right choice for the Panthers in 2014. 

Florida ended up taking Ekblad with the first pick while Sam Reinhart went second overall to the Buffalo Sabres. Like Florida, Buffalo was a team who seemed to be in the midst of a rebuild.

While Reinhart didn’t end up getting drafted by Florida, he would end up finding himself in Sunrise seven years later when he was traded to the Panthers at 25-years-old. 

But before we get into Reinhart’s time as a Panther, we need to look at his career up to that point and why his arrival in Sunrise was well worth the wait.

Before the show

Sam Reinhart was born in North Vancouver, British Columbia. As a U18, he tore up the BCEHL AAA league with the Vancouver NW Giants. In his last season before major junior hockey, Reinhart had 78 points in 34 games.  Kootenay took the BC native 15th overall in the 2010 WHL Bantam draft and he immediately made an impact in his rookie season, putting up 62 points in 67 games. The following season, Reinhart had 85 points in 72 games and represented Canada at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament as their captain. 

Two impressive seasons in Kootenay set up for the biggest season of Reinhart’s junior hockey career. In his NHL draft year, Reinhart scored 105 points in 60 regular season games and 23 points in 13 playoff games. He also made the Canadian World Junior team as an 18-year-old.

His extremely dominant season was enough for the Buffalo Sabres to use the second-overall pick in the 2014 Draft on him. Reinhart played nine games with Buffalo in 2014 before returning to Kootenay for his final WHL season. In 47 games he tallied 65 points as well as getting another call up to the Canadian World Junior team, where he would lead the tournament in scoring and win gold alongside his future Panthers teammate, Anthony Duclair. 

Off to the NHL 

The following season, Reinhart made the jump to the National Hockey League. He joined a Buffalo Sabres team that finished dead last in the NHL standings for two straight years.  Reinhart found himself playing alongside another highly touted North American Rookie, the second overall pick in the 2015 draft, Jack Eichel. 

Buffalo now had two elite level prospects jumping into their lineup that boasted the likes of Ryan O’Reilly, Evander Kane and Rasmus Ristolainen. The 2015 season saw Eichel and Reinhart finish the season two and three respectively in Sabres scoring. They didn’t make the postseason, but the future of the team seemed bright, at least that’s what it looked like.

In Reinhart’s seven years in Buffalo, he put up 295 points in 454 games and scored at least 20 goals in five of his six full seasons. His teammate Jack Eichel had 355 points in 375 games. Even with these impressive numbers, the star studded duo never made the playoffs in their six seasons with the Sabres. 

Despite all the high drafts picks, Buffalo couldn’t find a way out of their rebuild. After drafting second in 2014 and 2015, they drafted first in 2018 and 2021. Within eight years, Buffalo selected in the top-two four times and held a draft pick within the top eight every year since 2013. The Sabres haven’t made the playoffs since the 2010-2011 season; the longest active NHL playoff drought.

The End in Buffalo

It was clear that if the team Buffalo had on the ice couldn’t win now they wouldn’t win in the future. Following the 2020-2021 season, the Sabres blew it up. They shipped off their 2013 first round defenseman, Rasmus Ristolainen, to the Philadelphia Flyers, Sam Reinhart was traded to the Florida Panthers and their captain, Jack Eichel, was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights during the 2021-2022 season. 

From Buffalo to Sunrise

Bill Zito has made a lot of big moves during his two season tenure as the GM of the Florida Panthers. He traded for Sam Bennett, drafted Anton Lundell, signed the likes of Anthony Duclair and Carter Verhaeghe. He completely retooled the depth of the Panthers’ roster. Yet the move that made the biggest splash around the league happened on July 24, 2021 when he moved a first-round pick and goaltending prospect Devon Levi to the Buffalo Sabres for Sam Reinhart. 

Zito now assembled three of the top four picks from the 2014 NHL draft on the same roster; Ekblad (first-overall), Reinhart (second-overall) and Bennett (fourth-overall). 

Reinhart went from never playing in an NHL playoff game in his career to joining a team that just came off of an extremely exciting first-round matchup against the eventual Stanley Cup Champions in the previous season. During his first press conference as Panther, Reinhart showed his excitement about joining this Florida team. 

“I love the way this group has progressed in the last couple years, and especially this year,” said Reinhart. “[I’m] really looking forward to adding to the group, and doing everything we can to make it to the next level.”

A perfect fit

Coming into the season, Florida had one of the most deadly looking offenses on paper. The acquisition of Reinhart was adding fuel to the fire for this high scoring forward unit. The previous season Florida finished fourth in goals for, and now they added a consistent 20 plus goal scorer to the lineup.

The Panthers have already played over 50 games in the 2021-2022 NHL season. Florida leads the league in goals for and goals per game. Reinhart currently sits tied for second in team scoring with Aleksander Barkov. 

In 52 games, the 26-year-old Reinhart is at a point-per-game in his first season with the Panthers. He has spent the majority of the season playing on the third-line with rookie center Anton Lundell down the middle. Reinhart plays a big role for the Panthers’ special teams as well, as he’s second on the team in power play goals with six. 

With 27 games remaining in the regular season, Florida sits atop the Atlantic Division and is well on their way to make back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time since 1997. After seven years in the league, Reinhart seems to finally be on his way to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

When he was traded to Florida, Reinhart signed for three-years in Sunrise and after being with the organization for seven months, he seems to be loving his time as a Panther. 

“It was a great opportunity to come in here,” Reinhart stated in a post-game press conference when asked about the reasons he was happy to join the team over the summer. “It’s a fun team to be a part of.” 

Even though Sam Reinhart wasn’t drafted as a Florida Panther, everything would eventually fall in place for him to become a part of what the Panthers are building today and for the future. 

Jahan Dotson: Missing piece in the Miami Dolphins’ WR room?

/0 Comments/in , /by

In Miami’s quest to build an effective and sustainable offense for years to come, the Dolphins’ receiving core, finishing last season with the eighth-most dropped passes in the NFL, is due for an upgrade.

The Dolphins already spent major resources on the wide receiver position last offseason, drafting star collegiate wideout Jaylan Waddle No. 6 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft and signing former Texan Will Fuller to a one-year contract worth upwards of $10 million.

While Waddle enjoyed a successful first season, leading all rookie wide receivers in receptions, Fuller was a disappointment, racking up a meager 26 receiving yards on four receptions in only two games played. With the latter’s contract expiring and questions ensuing about longtime Dolphin DeVante Parker’s durability, Miami would be smart to upgrade at the wide receiver position to help max out the potential of rising third-year quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

Miami could look towards the first round of this year’s draft to address this position, with Penn State wide receiver Jahan Dotson presenting himself as an intriguing option that the Dolphins must consider drafting with the 29th overall pick.

Dotson, a wideout who enjoyed an illustrious four-year stint with the Nittany Lions, is a well-rounded and versatile receiving prospect who would be an exceptional fit in Miami head coach Mike McDaniel’s offense that rewards smart and crafty route-runners that can create adequate separation from defenders. Dotson’s loose hips allow for seamless breaks off his stem; his fluidity when running his routes is entirely natural.

In what many expect to be a run-pass option (RPO) heavy offense for the Dolphins next season, Dotson’s ability to smoothly run the slant route, which was a majorly utilized route in 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and Mike McDaniel’s RPO packages in San Francisco, would be put to use. Pair that up with another fantastic slant route-runner in Waddle, and you have the makings of a lethal duo for Tagovailoa to throw the ball to out of the RPO look.

Another area of Dotson’s game that translates well to the NFL is his ability to high-point and possess contested catches. Given his capability to come down with these improbable receptions over the outstretched arms of defensive backs, Dotson plays way taller than his 5-foot-11 height might initially indicate. This allows him to play as a split-end or flanker receiver, which bodes well for McDaniel, who may opt to use Waddle more in the slot.

Miami may shift its attention elsewhere with their first-round pick, but Dotson makes a compelling case for why he should be the Dolphins’ selection if they look to improve at the wide receiver position through the NFL draft.

 

For business window graphics, interior office signage, custom flags, custom banners and sign repair, reach out to SignsBrowardFortLauderdale.

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Miami Heat report card… so far

/0 Comments/in /by

Through 74% of the regular season, the Miami Heat have smashed even the most optimistic expectations set by media and sportsbooks before this year’s basketball calendar began.  In ESPN’s NBA preview, they predicted 49 wins for the outfit.  FiveThirtyEight set the bar at a 44-38 record.  Caesars Sportsbook forecasted 48.5 dubs.  

 

Currently, the Heatles sit at first in the east, with a 40-21 record and 23 games left.  Of the three predictions mentioned above, for Miami to reach ESPN’s more “confident” projection, the team would have to go 9-12 the rest of the season when at no point have they had more losses than wins.

 

For those that placed wagers following the advice of these outlets, chances of bets hitting are about as likely as Jesus making his epic comeback in this lifetime. 

 

A team has four primary facets. Here are their evaluations:

 

Executives

 

The work of the front office behind the scenes often gets overlooked, but those at this post are responsible for acquiring and assembling the pieces for the coaching staff to use.  Pat Riley and Andy Elisburg hit a grand slam this past offseason bringing in PJ Tucker, Kyle Lowry, Markieff Morris, Caleb Martin (What was Charlotte thinking?)and bringing back seven familiar faces.

 

The trade deadline passed and the only move made by the front office was swapping KZ Okpala to OKC in return for altering the conditions to the first round pick owed to the Thunder, making it lottery protected in 2025 and unprotected in 2026. The Heat also moved to $1.9 million below the luxury tax.

 

Coaches

 

This is perhaps the best year the team has had in terms of player development. Before the season began, the biggest question about this group was how much could their bench contribute.  Six weeks until the postseason, and the Heatles are #1 in the east in large part because they have the deepest rotation in the league.  

 

Adebayo and Butler missed meaningful time in December and January.  Down two All-Star caliber players, Miami slugged out a 10-4 record in games they both missed in that stretch.  Lowry, Gabe Vincent, Max Strus, and Tyler Herro were the Heat’s stabilizing forces in the backcourt.  Caleb Martin, Dewayne Dedmon and Omer Yurtseven deserve praise as well filling in for the frontcourt.

 

Yurtseven got minutes out of necessity and he ended up setting team records.   In 14 straight games, Yurt hauled in double-digit boards, establishing a new rookie standard in rebounding for big-men in Miami.   

 

Duncan Robinson hit a shooting slump in the early phases of the season, but from January until the All-Star break, The Longshot Pod founder has buried 39% of his deep shots.  Spo lowered Robinson’s minutes after November, until January, then gave an uptick in time for the last eight games played.  

 

When coach Spoelstra was put under the microscope about his sharpshooter’s struggles by the press, before Duncan found himself,  Spo always had his back.  In front of reporters after the Nov. 10 loss at Lakers HQ, Miami’s coach was asked about Robinson’s poor shooting (3/13 from deep) and said, “With 13 attempts, that could have been 18-to-20 attempts… I want him to play aggressively with almost a reckless abandon hunting for shots.”

 

Being a solid dude who never throws his group under the bus goes a long way.  Apart from that, Spo’s defensive schemes are the blueprint for the sixth best defensive rating and top paint defense in the NBA.

 

Starters

 

Butler- There are four rotation players that could have easily been All-Stars, yet only Butler was chosen.  This is one the finest years the Big Face Coffee don has had in the league.  He’s setting new career highs in free throw percentage (89.6% on 7.9 attempts) and offensive rebounding (2), to go along with his 22 points, six rebounds and six assists per game.

 

Adebayo- The Heat arguably have the best defender in basketball this season in Adebayo.  His strength, speed and lateral quickness at 6’9, allows him to protect the paint and roam out to the perimeter to harass opposing guards. Only a handful of matchups present a disadvantage for Adebayo.  

 

In the eight games played in February, Miami’s starting center is averaging 22 points (55FG%), 11 rebounds and a 3 dimes a night.  If Adebayo maintains this level of offensive production and efficiency, he’ll enter the conversation for best two-way players in the league.  

 

Lowry- The Heat’s lead guard doesn’t have eye-popping stats but his impact is “10X” what the numbers say.  Lowry’s ability to launch the half-to-full court outlet pass and organize the offense in the halfcourt, is one of the factors that helped raise the Heat’s offensive rating this season to eighth in the NBA (111.9) from 18th last year (110.6).

 

In year 16, Lowry is still sacrificing his body on defense by establishing his position before an offensive opponent gets to the same spot.  In charges drawn, #7 is second in the NBA, only two behind Blake Griffin. 

 

Tucker:  Tucker in his 52 games with Miami, at 36 years old, has unleashed tools of his game that previous instructors failed to incorporate in their plan of attack.  Almost a quarter of his field goal attempts come from within 3-10 feet of the basket while he never took more than 18.5% of his attempts from that zone in his career.  He isn’t just hurting matchups by splashing triples from the corner on catch & shoot opportunities.  Tucker can fool opponents if they give him enough space to put the ball on the floor, or if he eludes them rim rolling on a dribble hand-off.

 

Defensively, Tucker is savvy and strong enough to guard the outside and interior.  The ability to place him in different coverages, allows the Heat at some moments to have Adebayo guard the perimeter, which makes it more difficult for other team to make the entry pass to the paint or post on #13’s side of the court. 

 

Robinson- Despite his up-and-down season, Robinson is a historic marksman. Even when shots aren’t falling, #55’s steady movement on the perimeter often causes mismatches because his defender often times get tangled on a DHO or back screen that’s trying to free up Robinson.

 

Against the Charlotte Hornets in Miami’s last game before the break, Robinson splashed six triples in the Heat’s double-OT win, bringing his career total of 3-point makes to 702.  It only took him 216 career games.  

 

Bench

 

There’s an old proverb in basketball among coaches that goes, “You need talent to win, but you can lose with it.” 

 

The depth of Miami’s reserves is one of the main reasons this team sits atop the conference.  Everyone knows their role and doesn’t try to play outside of their game.  Of the 84 charge fouls Miami has drawn this season, 39 have come from the second unit.  

 

The Heat don’t just have deep shooting and scoring off the bench, they also have rebounding specialists.  Yurtseven and Dewayne Dedmon are like magnets attracted to the basketball on missed shots. Per 36 minutes, Dedmon and Yurtseven average a combined 7.6 offensive rebounds a night.

 

Herro is the leading scorer in the league off the bench, dropping in 20 points per game, but he’s surrounded by outside threats who can put the ball on the floor.  Guys like Vincent, Martin and Strus, who each have turned into dependable rotation players because of their commitment to themselves and the Heat’s developmental staff.  

 

Miami even has the luxury of having a 20-year lifer in the locker room in Udonis Haslem who never lets the team lose focus, stays ready for action and serves as the team’s self anointed bodyguard.  

 

The Heatles are still waiting for the return of Morris and Victor Oladipo.  Incorporating them will be difficult for the coaching staff to do as the season reaches its final phase and rotations are cut shorter.  But this gives Miami two quality weapons to use or keep in the armory just in case things go wrong.

 

Final Grades:

 

Executives: A

Coaches: A

Starters: A

Bench: A

 

 

For business window graphics, interior office signage, custom flags, custom banners and sign repair, reach out to SignsBrowardFortLauderdale.

Mateo’s Hoops Diary: Knicks Back to Their Sad Normal

/0 Comments/in , /by

Knickstape is dead. Everyday it gets clearer, what New York did last year was an outlier in their machine of everlasting mediocrity. As always, there’s not that many fingers to blame, but this time, the head coach is responsible for most of the friction.

 

For all of the Knicks personnel, it’s a good thing the All-Star break rolled around because now all the important figures can take this time to recalibrate and possibly look in the mirror.  Tensions must be high.  The last 11 days before their early spring break featured three losses after being up at least 20 points.  

 

The first meltdown came after New York had a 21-point advantage on Feb. 5 at Crypto.com Arena.  A week later in Portland, the Knicks took a loss, getting blitzed in the last 17 minutes of the game, dropping their 23-point lead in a 56-24 scoring run.  Then on Wednesday, the Knicks started their vacation early, giving up a difference of 28 points to the Nets in a defeat. 

 

That’s some coaching.  Judging by the body language of some of the players, it wouldn’t be a surprise if their instructor’s style and schemes were falling on deaf ears.  

 

By the looks of it, Thibs is not an easy dude to be around.  For those that haven’t seen him on the sidelines, whenever you inflict pain on your eyes catching Knicks ball, look for the guy pacing back and forth in front of the New York bench trying to break the record for most profanity spewed in 48 minutes.  It usually comes after a defensive breakdown or what Thibs perceives as a missed call by the refs. 

 

****

Loading
Loading...

****

 

Maybe the angry drill sergeant approach works when a club is winning at a high volume (other reasons for success should still be identified with this approach), but it sure doesn’t for this Knicks team.  Some could say it was successful for Thibs in his first season with the group (2021), but I would point back to that being a deviation from the norm in part because of how the roster is assembled.  

 

Thibodeau’s approach to coaching often involves yelling at his players in front of a packed house or demonstrably showing his displeasure by flailing his arms.  For example, late in the loss to the Nets on Wednesday, the Knicks left Seth Curry unattended in the right corner and failed to close out on his shot that converted in front of the Knicks bench.  Thibs could be seen waving his arms and verbally lashing out, close enough for his troops to hear as Curry slowly retreated.

 

Getting yelled at is verbally abusive and humiliating.  Thibs’ methods of verbal feedback are antiquated and likely a reason the Knicks look no different than what they did before they hired him.

 

Aside from being a grouch, ten years gone and still Thibs hasn’t learned from mistakes he made what seems like a lifetime ago.  It’ll be a decade this April since Derrick Rose blew out his knee in a game that was decided.  Then, when the current Knickerbockers (Thibs, Rose) repped the Bulls, Chicago was up 12 with 1:24 left in the game.  

 

If I’m not mistaken, in 2012, Rose didn’t play in 17 of the last 25 regular season games because he was nursing a groin injury. The last few nights the windy city assassin suited up for before missing almost a month, he was averaging 38 minutes.  

 

When Rose came back, it was for a game against the Knicks at MSG.  Thibs wasted no time scrapping a minutes restriction and played his reigning MVP just shy of 39 minutes in a one-point loss.

 

Twenty days later, in Game 1 of round 1 of Philadelphia-Chicago, Rose tore his ACL.  I’m not pretending to be a physician, or intending to say that heavy minutes caused the injury.  But I will say, it’s Thibs’ fault it happened.   Keeping a pivotal player on the floor during garbage time is sinful.  Rose paid the price for his coach and never got to where his career should have taken him.  

 

Then on Feb. 8, history repeated itself under Thibs’ watch in Denver.  With less than a minute to go in a match the Knicks had no chance of winning, RJ Barrett hurt his ankle stepping on Davon Reed’s foot.  Barrett limped off the court and missed the next four games.  He’s expected to be back after the week-long All-Star break, but his injury is another strike on Thibs’ rap sheet.

 

Life in the NBA comes at you fast.  Awards like coach of the year don’t guarantee job security.  The only thing that does temporarily is a consistent winning record.  So far, past the midway point of his second season in New York, Thibs’ record sits at 67-69.  Unless he wants to end up in the graveyard of the 12 other instructors the Knicks have had since canning Jeff Van Gundy, his outfit will at least have to make the play-in tournament.