Senior OL Donaldson opting to redshirt in 2020

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New offensive line coach Garin Justice will have a new challenge in front of him this season as Miami’s most experienced lineman, OG Navaughn Donaldson, has opted to redshirt this season in order to “focus on me”.

 

 

This is a big loss for the offensive line this season as he was slated to be the starter at right guard. He’s started 34 of the 38 games he’s played in, including all 12 in 2019. Donaldson even earned an All-ACC Honorable Mention during his freshman season 2017. 

 

Cleveland Reed is looking like the incumbent starter at right guard for the meantime.

 

The good news for Canes fans is that the 6’6” 363 lb. mammoth Donaldson should be ready for the Chik-Fil A Kickoff Game in 2021 when Miami faces Nick Saban’s Alabama Crimson Tide in Atlanta.

 

Luckily, Miami added a couple of transfers that can offset the absence of Donaldson. Most recently, Houston grad transfer Jarrid Williams announced his intentions to play out his final year of eligibility in Coral Gables and should fill in at one of tackle spots. 

 

The Canes are also awaiting on the eligibility of Florida transfer Issiah Walker, the former Miami Norland tackle who only spent a few months in Gainesville and made his move back home due to a family situation. If Walker’s waiver is approved, it would be no surprise if he gets immediate playing time at the left tackle spot. 

 

Bangin’ out West: Romello Brinson becomes 4th Canes commit from Miami Northwestern

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The floodgates have been as open as ever lately for Miami on the recruiting trail as they add another high-level prospect in four-star wide receiver Romello Brinson. He announced his commitment in an Instagram video in which he hosted friends and family.

 

Canes Commit: Romello Brinson

Brinson is ranked as the 25th best receiver in the nation according to the 247Sports Composite and 132nd overall. He’s the 4th Cane commit in this class from local powerhouse Miami Northwestern, joining CB Tim Burns, TE Khalil Brantley, and LB Ja’Corey Hammett, and now the second receiver to commit in the past week after Plantation’s Jacolby George. 

The name should sound familiar. Brinson had actually been committed to the Canes for a good chunk of 2019 up until November. Since, Brinson had put out a top-5 of Miami, Georgia, LSU, Alabama and Texas A&M. In May, he narrowed it down to UM and the Bulldogs.

On his scouting report from 247Sports’ Andrew Ivins, he’s “a big target with a long stride, shows good body control, and is a true deep threat with reliable hands.” Many scouts have considered Brinson a slightly taller version of former Northwestern receiver and NFL first-round pick Amari Cooper. Brinson caught 43 passes for 834 yards in his junior year with eight touchdowns. He helped the Bulls win the 5A state title in 2019.

It’s another big get for new WR coach Rob Likens. But a lot of credit should go to TE coach Stephen Field, who used to coach the Bulls and provided a big link for the Canes.

If he sticks, Romello Brinson adds much needed depth to the receiver room. The three upperclassmen wideouts on the roster are all eligible for the 2021 NFL Draft. 

As previously mentioned, Miami now has 4 commits in the class from Northwestern. But they are still in contention for another one. 4-star safety Kamren Kinchens is slated to pick between the Canes, Auburn, and Texas A&M in July.

How to Play Daily Fantasy Football

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While the 2020 NFL season is still  at risk and everyone is waiting for further announcements, the NFL DFS (Daily Fantasy Sports) will pave the way for bettors to gamble for the upcoming NFL games online. The NFL DFS is a creative way of playing the NFL games online while earning through the betting games you can wager on. 

In some trusted sportsbooks, there are options to play fantasy football, and most of these are for rookies or beginners. Below is the step by step process on how you can play and gamble for a daily fantasy football. 

Create A Roster And Scoring Settings 

The first step you have to do before playing the NFL DFS is to create a team and scoring board. Do know that each bookie sets a salary range that you can use for the team you build. It is also the basis of how much you can wager. In creating a DFS team, the rules are the same, which consists of  1 Quarterback, 2 Running Back, 3 Wide Receivers, 1 Tight End, 1 Flex, and 1 Defensive End.

These nine players must divide the given salary depending on the value at stake for their assigned position. As for the scoring, you can refer to the real NFL rules and scoring guidelines as it follows the same process per position. 

Do know that the defense and offense players have different scoring methods, and you must know this before playing. Familiarize yourself with the difference in every position and what would be the varying score methods for each.

Know The DFS Basics 

Although the DFS rules work the same as the real NFL games, you still need to know the basics since you are playing this game virtually. So, before you create a roster and scoring board, here are the DFS basics you must first comprehend. 

Player’s Latest Updates 

The players competing in DFS are the same as the NFL. You need to ensure that you get updated with the player’s latest information, especially if they get injured, which can affect your picking and betting games.

Vegas Odds

This factor is an essential one that you must learn when playing DFS football. These are odds set before the game will start. You can refer to the moneyline bets, points spread, and prop bets that a usual NFL game is holding as DFS does the same thing. Although you have the sole decision to decide what to bet, if you get updated with Vegas DFS odds daily, you might end up winning the whole game.  

Schedule

You also need to check each team’s schedule along with their opponents. This fact will help you in preparing for the right roster of matches and DFS betting effectively. Thus, knowing the schedule increases your winning chances.

Understand That DFS Overtakes Real NFL Games 

In real NFL games, match-ups are essential because it is how you decide your bets. If a bookie identifies the favorites over the dog, then you can start researching which entry you can successfully wager. In fact, real NFL games are harder to contemplate compared to DFS. 

Daily Fantasy football betting does not rely upon the match-up but the player’s stats. It means that if the player like the wide receiver generates a strong start, the team who got this player can win most likely the fantasy game. 

Get Updated With The Weekly Player Value 

As stated above, the player’s value is a crucial factor you must take note of before playing DFS. Each player, whether performing an offense or defense task, has a different value depending on their current statistics. Also, the prize associated with DFS depends on the amount set by the oddsmaker. 

Here are the current NFL players who dominated DFS football along with their fantasy points that you can consider in betting. 

  • Patrick Mahomes (QB) – 23.55 fantasy points 
  • Lamar Jackson (QB) – 22.75 fantasy points
  • Russell Wilson (QB) – 19.89 fantasy points 
  • Dak Prescott (QB) – 19.46 fantasy points
  • Deshaun Watson (QB) – 18.88 fantasy points 

Takeaway 

Daily fantasy football is an excellent way of earning a considerable amount of money if you mix obvious reasoning and thinking outside the box. Also, if you are new to the world of NFL, keep up with the latest news regarding this event, especially with the rules of the game. Therefore, if you want to leverage a new alternative way of fast earning, playing daily fantasy football is the right answer. Make sure to mind the process outlined above to get you guided in playing this betting game.

Running game should be better for Dolphins

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The Miami Dolphins were historically bad when it came to running the football during the 2019 NFL season. The Dolphins were last in the NFL in rushing with just 1,156 yards gained on the ground.

Six NFL players – Derrick Henry of the Tennessee Titans, Nick Chubb of the Cleveland Browns, Christian McCaffrey of the Carolina Panthers, Ezekiel Elliot of the Dallas Cowboys, Chris Carson of the Seattle Seahawks and Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens – gained more yards running the football last season than the entire Dolphins team.

Here’s a great trivia question to stump NFL fans – name the two quarterbacks to lead their team in rushing during the 2019 campaign. Jackson, who set a new NFL single-season rushing mark for QBs, was one of them. But if you got Dolphins QB Ryan Fitzpatrick as the other answer, you win a cookie.

In his 15th NFL season, Fitzpatrick, 37, rambled for 243 yards.

That total was enough to lead the Dolphins, and that stat is truly embarrassing. Miami needs to run the football significantly better this season in order for people in Florida to bet on the Dolphins as a legitimate AFC East playoff threat.

Beefing Up the Backfield

The Dolphins signed RB Jordan Howard as a free agent. Photo by: YouTube.com screenshot.

During the offseason, the Dolphins set out to address their needs in the backfield. Matt Breida was acquired in a trade with the NFC champion San Francisco 49ers. Jordan Howard, who’s had stints with the Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Bears, was signed as a free agent.

Among NFL running backs from 2016-18, only Elliott and Todd Gurley churned up more yards on the ground than Howard, 25, who gained 3,370 yards over that span. A shoulder injury limited him to 525 yards last season. Howard has also suited up for playoff teams each of the past two seasons.

Breida averaged 5.1 yards per carry for the NFC West champion 49ers last season. He rambled for 623 yards on 123 carries and scored one touchdown. Equipped with explosive speed, he broke 18 runs of 10 yards or more. On average, that means he made a big play 14.6 percent of the times when he ran the football.

A Net Gain

Historically, when the Dolphins run the football well, things tend to go well for them. Miami’s most recent playoff appearance came in 2016. That season, Jay Ajayi rambled for 1,222 yards on the ground. Miami was ninth in the NFL in rushing that season with 1,824 yards gained.

A half-dozen of Miami’s 23 postseason squads have featured a 1,000-yard rusher. The legendary unbeaten Super Bowl champion 1972 Dolphins featured a pair of grand runners. Larry Csonka ran for 1,117 yards, while Mercury Morris contributed an even 1,000.

There were 17 Dolphins playoff clubs that included a running back with 800 or more yards on the ground. Of those that didn’t, several teams – especially the Miami clubs of the early-to-mid-1980s – were prominently led in the ground game by a backfield by committee formula.

Miami’s 1984 Super Bowl team that lost to the 49ers included Woody Bennett (606 yards), Tony Nathan (558) and Joe Carter (495) in the backfield behind rookie quarterback Dan Marino. The following season, four runners went over 250 yards on the ground, led by Nathan’s 667 yards.

Running Still Matters

The NFL might no longer be the run-dominated league that it was in the early 1970s when Miami ruled as kings of the hill. Sharing the workload between Csonka, Morris and Jim Kiick, those Dolphins teams could continually punish and simply wear out a defense.

Certainly, today’s NFL is first and foremost a passing league but to suggest running the football has become an afterthought would be pure folly. Five of the top six NFL teams in rushing yardage during the 2019 season were all postseason participants. Two of the top three – San Francisco and Tennessee – played in their respective conference championship games. Baltimore, which led the NFL with 3,296 yards on the ground, also posted an NFL-best 14-2 regular-season record.

The Dolphins will need to run the ball to succeed this season, whether it’s with the veteran Fitzpatrick or 2020 first-round draft pick Tua Tagovailoa at the helm of the offense. Sending the rookie Tagovailoa on the field to figure out and adjust to NFL defenses without a capable running game at his disposal would be suicide for the kid.

Finishing 2-2 to close out a 5-11 campaign last season, Miami actually averaged 100.75 yards per game on the ground. It was a big increase over the Dolphins’ season average of 72.25 yards per game.

That’s where Breida and Howard could really make a difference in Miami. Last season, Breida was a dangerous weapon in San Francisco’s three-back system that saw him, Raheem Mostert (722 yards) and Tevin Coleman (544) all run for over 500 yards. They were the first team to suit up three 500-yard rushers in the same season since the 1978 New England Patriots.

Working in combination with two-time 1,000-yard rusher Howard, they could provide a dynamic duo in the backfield for Miami.

 

The 5 Best Dolphins of All-Time? Here’s one list.

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Over the years the Miami Dolphins have seen some incredible talents walk through their doors, even if not as many the past decade or so. The latest of those is Tua Tagovailoa, who is just one of several that could have bright NFL futures ahead, but instead of speculating over what lays ahead we’re going to look back at some of the stars from yesteryear.

Here is a list of five of the best to have donned the Dolphins jersey.

 

Number 5. Zach Thomas 

Even allowing for the fact that Thomas was a round five pick, his arrival in Miami was underwhelming to say the least. He had a decent college career at Texas Tech but question marks remained over his size and attitude.

By the time he retired after a 13-year NFL career, those questions had been well and truly answered. Seven Pro-Bowls, five first team All-Pro honours and he was twice named Linebacker of the year.

All bar one of his professional years were spent with the Dolphins – the other being at the end of his career in Dallas – and he called it a day having landed 1,700 tackles. Doubters, what doubters?

And he should be in the Hall of Fame.

 

Number 4. Dwight Stephenson

Stephenson was snapped up in round two of the 1980 draft after he’d been part of the Crimson Tide side that had just won back to back National Championships. He wasn’t the headline maker of the Dolphins but he was a big player and was a vital cog as they made two Super Bowls in three years during the mid-eighties.

Of course, Stevenson might be held in even higher regard had he not been forced to call time on his career after just seven years. Then again, five Pro-Bowls and five All-Pro awards in consecutive seasons along side winning the NFL Man of the Year award and being named in the 100th anniversary side isn’t a shabby legacy.

 

Number 3. Larry Little

For a brief moment it looked like Little had missed his chance to compete at the top when he went undrafted. The San Diego Chargers offered him a chance though and two years later he was jetting into Miami. Little wasn’t keen on the move but he quickly had an impact on the Dolphins. Fast forward five years and he had made three Super Bowls – winning two – and had been honoured with five All-Pro and four Pro-Bowls. From there on out Little was a Dolphin through and through before retiring in 1980.

 

Number 2. Larry Csonka

Csonka was a machine that would not be stopped. He was the Dolphins round one pick in 1968 but a couple of serious blows to his head early on in his pro career left things in the balance. He overcame the odds to return to the field. Thank goodness he did. Four seasons followed with Csonka an ever present in the team.

Of those four years, the final three ended in Super Bowl appearances with the Dolphins triumphant in 1973 and 74. Csonka was named Bowl MVP for his contribution in the latter. He moved on after that but couldn’t stay away and returned in 1979 for one last season, which saw him awarded the comeback award after recording a career high of 12 rushing touchdowns. Who says ‘never go back’?

 

Number 1. Dan Marino

Then there was one – Dan Marino. Who else? We’ve touched on the team that dominated in the early to mid-seventies and it’s fair to say that if Marino played then, he would not have looked out of place.

For 17 years he loyally served the Dolphins as he carried them to 10 play-off appearances but, sadly, just one Super Bowl, which ended in defeat. If anyone deserved the glory of a Super Bowl win then it was Marino too. However, just like a horse who underachieves in the Kentucky Derby odds, Marino never quite made it as far as he deserved.

Over his career he threw more than 61,000 yards with his second season seeing him throw 48 touchdowns and 5,084 yards – records that stood for 20 and 27 years respectively. We could list all his honours but, quite frankly, that would be exhausting instead we leave you with the thought that this is just a snapshot of what Marino achieved – nine Pro-Bowls, five years of leading the league on passing yards, another three where he led on passing touchdowns, a league MVP award and a place in the Hall of Fame.

There you have it, five legendary Dolphins. Over to you, class of 2020, just some small shoes to fill.

 

Miami Hurricanes

Miami Hurricanes in curious spot in Street & Smith’s ACC rankings

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It’s that time of year again. The preseason lists have come out, and the Miami Hurricanes are not getting much respect, at least from one publication. Street and Smith released their projected rankings for the Coastal Division in 2020. Miami finished fifth.

North Carolina tops the list, followed by Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh, and Virginia. The publication references Miami’s 13-16 record since the 2017 season.

Mark Richt certainly is not going to walk through the door anytime soon. However, Miami quickly reloaded this offseason and put themselves in a much better position to compete.

They were able to land coordinator Rhett Lashlee, who quickly put his stamp on the program in recruiting. It started with landing D’Eriq King, Since then, the program has added names such as Quincy Roche and Jarrid Williams. Are the pieces new? Yes, they are. That’s part of what made Miami’s offseason rebuild so impressive. They were able to get a new influx of talent in a short amount of time.

Miami Hurricanes played ACC tough in 2019

I get that these moves may contribute to some growing pains. That may be why Miami is penciled into the fourth spot in these rankings. However, consider last season. They were able to beat Virginia by a 17-9 score on October 11. They narrowly lost to UNC on September 7 by a 28-25 margin.

With the new talent the program has, they should definitely be higher. I would certainly argue that they got better this offseason. I think any regression that they are probably going to suffer will be due to players playing with each other for the first time and not based on skill. However, you never know.

It will be interesting to see what this edition of the Miami hurricanes can do. It is evident that Manny Diaz and his staff have a plan. Next, it’s all about execution.

Transfer U: D’Eriq King’s former LT Williams joins him at Miami

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Over the past couple of years, Canes coach Manny Diaz made the most out of the transfer portal, landing valuable contributors such as KJ Osborn, Trevon Hill, Bubba Bolden, and even a few more this year in Quincy Roche and D’Eriq King. Diaz found himself yet another possible gem from the same school as King in Houston grad transfer Jarrid Williams. 

 

 

Williams picked the Canes over FSU, Baylor, Ole Miss, and USC. The offensive lineman will play his final year of eligibility in Coral Gables and if everything goes as planned, Williams should win a starting job at one of the tackles spots to protect King once again.  

 

Williams played three seasons at Houston, with his best one coming in 2018. While blocking for King at right tackle, he earned All-AAC honors from Pro Football Focus, allowing only 12 total pressures amongst 465 pass-blocking snaps to finish with a 98.5 pass-blocking efficiency rating. 

 

2019 was not as pleasant for Williams. Similar to King, he played in four games before suffering a season-ending injury. Because he already used his redshirt in 2015, Williams had to apply for a medical hardship waiver to preserve a year of eligibility, which was granted.

 

Houston coach Dana Hoolgorsen expected Williams to return (like he also did with King) but Williams elected to enter the transfer portal in late April of this year. 

 

Miami had quite possibly the worst offensive line in the country last year, allowing 51 sacks. Much needed help for offensive line coach Garin Justice will arrive in 2020 as they now add Williams, Florida transfer Isiah Walker (if granted a hardship waiver to play immediately), as well as 2020 signees Jalen Rivers and Chris Washington. 

 

Plantation WR George recommits to Miami

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Persistence paid off for the Miami Hurricanes coaching staff as Class of four-star wideout Jacolby George out of Plantation High has re-committed to the U. 

 

 

The 5’11” George decided to make the decision public a few days earlier than expected as he initially had his announcement slated for June 6th. He picked the Canes over Pittsburgh, Georgia Tech, West Virginia, Penn State, and UCF.

 

Ranked as the 34th-best wide receiver and 178th overall in the Class of 2021 according to 247Sports, he was previously in the fold from June to November of last year before he re-opened his recruitment. Since then, George pieced together a great junior season. 

 

He compiled 1,030 receiving yards on 46 catches with 17 touchdowns for the Colonels, leading them to the second round of the 7A state playoffs.

 

George is now the lone wide receiver commit in this recruiting cycle for the Canes and this is also the first commitment for new WR coach Rob Likens after joining the staff in February. 

 

With George back in the class, Miami’s 2021 class moves up four spots in the 247Sports class rankings, from 15th to 11th and out of the 15 commits, it is interesting to note that 12 of them hail from South Florida.

 

Miami reels in big fish at LB as Troutman finally commits

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After he had indicated that an impending commitment to Miami could come in the very near future, 3-star linebacker Deshawn Troutman finally made the announcement official on Wednesday night on Twitter.

 

 

He chose the Canes over FSU, Minnesota, and Kansas State, and his commitment will be credited to OC/LB coach Blake Baker and TE coach Stephen Field. 

 

Troutman is currently ranked as the 38th best inside linebacker in the country in the Class of 2021 according to the 247Sports Composite. He currently plays at Edgewater High in Orlando but he is originally from South Florida, as he made the move up north for his freshman year of high school. With the help of Troutman’s 89 tackles, Edgewater went 13-2 this past season with an appearance in the 7A state title game.

 

Troutman joins Ja’Corey Hammett and Tyler Johnson as the 3rd linebacker in the 2021 recruiting class. 

 

Miami’s linebacker corps next season is expected to be very inexperienced so adding a player of Troutman’s caliber will be a big addition to the depth. Miami’s eldest linebackers in 2021 will be Bradley Jennings and Waymon Steed, who’ve both dealt with a plethora of injuries so far in their respective careers.

 

Initially, there was concern over Miami not recruiting St. Thomas Aquinas linebacker Jaydon Hood harder. As a result, Hood committed to Michigan. But after watching some of Troutman’s film, it’s obvious that despite his 6’1”, 205 lb. frame, he is one of the fastest and harder-hitting linebackers in the state. I really think coach Baker found himself a gem in Orlando.

 

Dolphins’ Ryan Fitzpatrick on Tua: “Loved Watching Him”

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Dolphins’ quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and defensive tackle Davon Godchaux met with the South Florida media earlier today.

(Note: all quotes are paraphrased. Official quotes will be out later today.)

The two players spoke on multiple topics, but the biggest takeaway from this was that the future is bright in Miami.

First, Godchaux met with the media. And between trying to ride 40 miles on his bike and endless zoom meetings, he’s excited for the 2020 Dolphins.

Here’s what he had to say when asked his thoughts on what the Dolphins did this offseason.

Obviously, all the fans wanted a quarterback. That’s big drafting Tua. He had a great career at Alabama….Miami added depth and continued to get stronger, younger… Coach Flo is going to be consistent and expect great things out of you.

He then spoke on what is most important in football.

Lastly, GODchaux discussed what he believes is the process to building a winning franchise.

Everybody wants to win, but everyone has to take the steps to win. New England didn’t win overnight. It takes time to build the process. It’s always a process. I think it’s our time. Why not the Miami Dolphins? I think we kicked it off with a good draft…Sky is the limit

Focus then shifted to Dolphins’ QB Ryan Fitzpatrick. And the first thing everyone noticed was his epic facial hair, which has not been groomed since barbershops closed down.

Fitzpatrick’s main talking points were obviously rookie QB Tua Tagovailoa and the addition of offensive coordinator Chan Gailey this offseason.

When asked his thoughts on the Dolphins drafting a QB in round one:

It was expected. Tua happened to be the guy in that spot. They obviously really like him. I plan to be myself. To be an open book…but i’m also going to express my opinions and thoughts. I’m excited for him to be here. I loved watching him play in college.

He wrapped things up with his thoughts on Chan Gailey.

The Dolphins have a lot of new faces on both sides of the football. And players and coaches look forward to getting back into the facilities.

One thing however, is clear, and that is on paper; the Dolphins look much improved.

And for two of Miami’s veteran leaders, the sky is the limit.