Reshad Jones

Miami Dolphins: Reshad Jones set to hit free agency

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Miami Hurricanes

Miami Hurricanes: Four-star tackle Michael McLaughlin commits to program

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In what is a huge commitment for the Miami Hurricanes football program, Michael McLaughlin committed to the program on Monday afternoon.

McLaughlin is the 27th overall offensive tackle in his class . He is the 45th overall player in his class from the state of Florida per the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

In addition to Miami, McLaughlin was also recruited by Boston College, Coastal Carolina, FIU, and Florida State.

Currently, the Miami Hurricanes 2021 recruiting class is stellar. It ranks fifth overall nationally and is second in the ACC per the 247Sports Team Rankings.

This is a big get for the offensive line, considering they just lost Zach Dykstra. Not only do they make up for the loss of Dykstra, they brought in a quality player. Dykstra was more of a depth piece. McLaughlin is a player that could be a starter sooner rather than later. It will be interesting to see how much his stock rises over the course of his senior season in the fall.

McLaughlin should be asset to Miami Hurricanes

What does McLaughlin bring to the program? For one, he is excellent in pass protection. When I watched his highlights, I saw him quite literally bully his man. He was able to set his feet, and execute his block. That type of rough play style McLaughlin brings will also be helpful with creating running lanes. Measuring in at six-foot-seven, 255 pounds, McLaughlin can very easily gain the upper hand on his man, and give the backs running room.

This was a huge get for the Miami Hurricanes. This only adds to the notion that they have been extremely active and successful on the recruiting trail. This offseason in particular, we have seen Miami really focus on getting quality players. After what was a difficult season last year, this is something that they definitely needed to do.

If they can continue to churn out solid recruiting classes, that will only mean good things for the program moving forward.

Miami Hurricanes

Miami Hurricanes: Zach Dykstra leaves football team

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The Miami Hurricanes are going to be down an offensive lineman. According to a report from Andrew Ivins, Zach Dykstra has left the football team.

Dykstra did not play at all this season. He appeared in one game back in 2018 playing against Savannah State.

Whether or not Dykstra will transfer to another school is unknown. According to the report, his name was not in the transfer portal late Wednesday, so  whether he decides to transfer or not is unclear.

This is a blow to the offensive line depth for the Hurricanes. He was the nation’s No. 61 overall offensive tackle prospect according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings. He signed with Miami in 2017.

Normally, losing a depth player would not be an issue. However, the Miami hurricanes really need a good season from their line. They are coming off the year in which they give up a ton of sacks. Giving up 50 sacks overall, that was the largest amount out of any Power Five school. There are some returners in the fold, as well as help on the way.

Looking at the 2020 recruiting class, Miami does have some line prospects at their disposal. Jaelyn Rivers and Chris Washington are two enrollees who could find their way onto the playing field. Rivers was a four-star prospect while Washington was a three-star prospect. Both of them have potential to make an impact on the line.

This hurts Miami from a depth perspective. Nevertheless, they should be able to make up for it on the line. Six returning players played in at least one game on the line last season. They are going to need to have a big season if Miami wants to succeed.

Especially with a revamped quarterback position, good production could lead to success offensively. In a crowded ACC, things need to be firing on all cylinders.

Miami Dolphins: Assistant head coach Karl Dorrell off to Colorado

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

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

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

Miami Dolphins wide receivers showed improvement in 2019

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

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

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

Miami Hurricanes

Miami Hurricanes: Program lands explosive RB in Thad Franklin

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The Miami Hurricanes continue to build their program. On Tuesday night, they landed the top 247Sports running back in Thaddeus Franklin.

Franklin comes from Chaminade-Madonna Prep and is a native of Hollywood, Fla.

He is the 11th overall running back in the 2021 class, and the 25th overall player in the state of Florida per the 247Sports Composite Rankings. In addition to Miami, Franklin held offers from Auburn, Baylor, FIU, and Florida.

Prior to his commitment on Tuesday, he recently received an offer from Texas A&M on January 23. In addition, he attended the South Carolina Junior Day on January 18.

What can he bring to the Miami Hurricanes? The answer is, he can bring a little bit of everything. Measuring in at 6 feet, 185 pounds, he is an interesting mix between a power and speed back. He runs hard, and is very difficult to tackle. Once he misses an initial defender, he is off to the races. That hard type of running style will certainly fit well with the Miami offense. The Miami Hurricanes want to be explosive and Franklin fits the bill. He has the opportunity to be a big-time playmaker.

Looking at the Miami Hurricanes 2021 class

Currently, the 2021 class is stacked. It is ranked fifth overall nationally and second in the ACC per the 247Sports Team Rankings. Franklin, a four-star running back, headlines a great class. In addition, guard Laurence Seymour, defensive tackle Savion Collins, and outside linebacker Chamon Metayer also hold a four-star distinction.

Franklin is a huge get for Miami as they look to continue building their program . He is a player that the program can build around. It will be interesting to see what other additions occur for the 2021 class. Miami is already building a solid group,  and it would be beneficial for the program to continue trying to add as much talent as they can to the class.

Alabama Athletics

Tua Tagovailoa Aces Three-Month Doctor Visit

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Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa’s hip looked ‘as positive as possible’ according to reports. Will the Dolphins draft the talented passer?

The NFL offseason is a long and grueling process.

No one truly knows what the team’s end game is, but if early reports are accurate, Tua Tagovailoa is at the top of their wish list. Acquiring the talented quarterback is an entirely different beast. And one that the Dolphins will soon have to make a franchise-altering decision on.

Is Tagovailoa worthy of the #5 overall pick? Absolutely.

Is he worthy of trading multiple draft picks to move up and secure the quarterback of the future? I believe so, but do the Dolphins?

That answer we may not know until April 23rd. But one thing we do know is that Tagovailoa is progressing quite nicely.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Tagovailoa’s three-month CT scan came back great.

There’s still a ways to go in Tagovailoa’s development, and the potential for AVN is still prominent. However, this is a massive win for Tua and his agent, who hope the QB can throw before April’s draft. One would assume that if he can showcase his skills to NFL teams and general managers, the likelihood that he would be a top-5 draft pick dramatically improves. As does the possibility that Miami–or any other team–would have to trade up to land The Left Arm of God.

In the end, there is no player in the history of the NFL draft that I wanted my favorite football team to draft more than Tagovailoa. And for years, Miami passed on elite quarterbacks, to settle for the safe prospect. Perhaps this is the end? Maybe, after twenty years of failing to address the most critical position in football with anyone other than Ryan Tannehill, a bunch of second-round draft picks, or aging veterans–maybe they finally land a once-in-a-generation QB.

The time is now. Tua Tagovailoa, No Matter What.

This article was written by Josh Houtz (@houtz) a lifelong Tua Tagovailoa stan.

Signing Day Surprise: Highly-ranked safety picks Miami

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Wow.

 

The Hurricanes received a big surprise early Wednesday afternoon when highly-ranked safety Avantae Williams committed to the Canes. The Deland High ranked as the second best safety in the class of 2020 and the 44th overall prospect in the country according to 247Sports. This now moves the Canes up to 12th in the national recruiting rankings for this class. 

 

https://twitter.com/CFBONFOX/status/1225114337540374530?s=20 

 

https://twitter.com/CanesFootball/status/1225111236137799680 

 


Williams was long rumored to be a lean to Florida for a multitude of reasons. Location was going to be a big factor considering he has two children. In addition, former Hurricane RB Lorenzo Lingard recently transferred to Gainesville and is a cousin of Williams. But in the end, it seems as if the longstanding relationship safeties coach Ephraim Banda had built won out. 

 

Banda had been recruiting Williams since he was in middle school and continued to recruit Williams after he switched his initial verbal commitment from Miami to Oregon in December of 2018. After he reopened his recruitment for the final time this past December, Banda’s efforts intensified amidst all of the interest from Florida. 

 

Listed at 5’11” and 170 lbs., Avantae has shown in camps and games that he is a very physical safety and is not afraid to lay down the hammer despite his small frame. He also brings good ball skills that should only improve once he enters the weight room and it would not be surprising at all should he see playing time this season.

 

Williams becomes Miami’s fourth safety in the Class of 2020 recruiting class, joining South Dade’s Keyshawn Washington, Champagnat Catholic’s Jalen Harrell, and Miramar’s Brian Balom.

 

Miami’s only other signing on Wednesday was four-star cornerback Isaiah Dunson from Tucker, GA. 

 

Stay tuned to Five Reasons Sports for more coverage on the Canes as we get closer to the commencement of spring practice. 

 

Kansas City Chiefs: Damien Williams saved his best for last

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

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

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

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

Williams anchored Kansas City Chiefs rushing attack

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

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

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

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

Super Bowl LIV: Kansas City Chiefs orchestrate comeback win over 49ers

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It was an exciting game Super Bowl as the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers 31-20. In the process, they rallied from 10 down for their first Super Bowl since 1970. The 49ers scored the first points of the game on a field goal by Robbie Gould. From then, the two teams traded barbs. A 10-point swing in the third quarter helped the 49ers take a 20-10 lead.

However, you can never count out the Kansas City Chiefs. With a 10-point deficit, they scored 21 unanswered points. Damien Williams and Travis Kelce played huge roles in the game. Kelce scored the first touchdown in the fourth quarter, closing the gap with 6:13 left. Williams scored two touchdowns, following the tight end’s contribution. With 2:44 remaining in the game, Williams caught a  five-yard pass from the arm of Patrick  Mahomes. That put Kansas City ahead 24-20.

With the game already in hand, Kansas City would score once more. Following a drive from San Francisco that would yield no points, Williams ran 38 yards to paydirt. Scoring a touchdown, he would put the Chiefs up by a 31-20 margin. That would seal the deal and give Kansas City the victory.

Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes wins MVP

The MVP for this game was Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes. He went 26-of-42 on the evening. Throwing for 286 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions, he averaged 6.8 yards per reception.

He also proved to be effective running the football, carrying the ball nine times for 29 yards and a touchdown.

Although some of his throws were not pretty, he made the right ones in order to set Kansas City up in good field position. It seemed like he executed his trademark on-the-run throws when he needed to. He kept the chains moving and moved the ball down the field. He did a little bit of everything in this game, and it was the type of game where he showcased all the skills he can bring to the table.

Super Bowl LIV

Five Reasons Super Bowl LIV Mashup

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The Five Reasons Super Bowl LIV mashup brings you news and notes from all angles of the big game.

Super Bowl LIV in Miami was another huge win for the Magic City.

The eleventh Super Bowl played in Miami was one for the ages when the dust settled.

Perfect weather greeted fans at a Hard Rock Stadium venue equipped to the nines for the event.

A showcase of all that is good in Miami and the surrounding areas.

The action on the field was supplemented by a lot of interesting content off it.

Kansas City and San Francisco gave the 100th NFL season a worthy ending.

Fox broadcasted the game with  Joe Buck on commentary and Troy Aikman with analysis.

They went with a new graphics package for the broadcast which was underwhelming.

 

Erin Andrews covered the 49ers sideline with Chris Myers on the Kansas City side.

Fox had a nice pre-game show sponsored by YouTube, with Devi Lovato singing a powerful national anthem.

 

World War II veterans, each at least 100 years old, were on the field for the coin toss adding a nice patriotic element.

San Francisco won the toss and deferred to the second half.

A bold vote of confidence for their defense giving Patrick Mahomes first opportunity to make an impact.

It paid off as Mahomes threw two incompletions and the Chiefs went three-and-out.

San Francisco’s offense rewarded their defense as they quickly flipped field position thanks to the dynamic Deebo Samuel.

 

Kansas City’s defense tightened up when the 49ers hit the red zone, holding them to a field goal.

Robbie Gould opened the scoring to make it 3-0 with 7:57 left in the first quarter.

Joe and Troy are old reliable, if you have watched a NFC game on Fox they kind of just blend in.

Matriculating the broadcast along if you will.

Fox does a good job of keeping things moving with a lot of statistical nuggets in between plays.

Commercial Controversy

The first cringe moment of the broadcast came with a polarizing commercial, care of the Commander in Chief.

 

I’ll just leave that alone for now.

The spot for Marvel’s Black Widow though.

 

A tentative first quarter culminated with a Kansas City touchdown drive for a 7-3 Chiefs lead.

 

Mahomes settled down after a shaky opening stanza with a nice drive, feeding Travis Kelce along the way.

He took a big hit and that seemed to wake up his teammates on offense.

Any joy that was experienced by a Dolphins fan watching the action heat up quickly turned to nausea during the next commercial break.

 

The Hard Rock Hotel went all out in their second quarter ad.

 

Back on the field the play heated up as San Francisco put together their best drive of the game to that point.

 

Jimmy Garoppolo would respond after an interception on the previous drive to lead San Francisco to tie it up at 10 apiece.

 

Both teams found their rhythm offensively in a quickly moving second quarter. Few penalties were called overall in the first half and the game settled into a nice groove in the second 15 minutes.

At the two minute warning, things got a little emotional during the commercial break.

 

A game which many thought would be close was exactly that as the score would remain tied going into halftime.

#PepsiHalftime

 

 

Well folks, we have our meme from Super Bowl LIV.

 

Whether you are a fan of Shakira or Jennifer Lopez, they definitely brought the energy for Pepsi Halftime.

 

JJ liked it.

 

If you came here for in depth analysis of the Pepsi Halftime Show, you came to the right place.

 

 

 

49ers Seize Second Half

Deebo Samuel was the star of the first half for San Francisco and he picked up right where he left off after halftime.

The 49ers would take the second half kickoff and drive right into Kansas City territory, adding a field goal for a 13-10 lead.

 

San Francisco would seize momentum with authority in the third quarter, completely shutting down the Chiefs offense.

Patrick Mahomes looked rattled for much of the game and threw his second pick with the 49ers leading 20-10 halfway through the fourth.

It started to seem like San Francisco was on their way to their sixth Lombardi Trophy.

 

The 49ers defense seemed to have an answer every time the Chiefs would get any kind of momentum on offense.

Jimmy Garoppolo was outplaying Patrick Mahomes.

Read that again.

It was an unconventional game at times, and not the best played in terms of execution.

Mahomes Fights Back

Mahomes picked a bad time to have a lackluster game by his standards.

Yet he, nor his team, did not quit.

Mahomes finally picked it up as the fourth quarter rolled on.

First a 44-yard completion to Tyreek Hill for the longest play of the game.

 

Then Mahomes hit Travis Kelce for a touchdown and Kansas City trailed 20-17 with just over six minutes left.

The Chiefs defense would force their first three-and-out of the game to give Mahomes the ball back with a chance to tie it up.

Or perhaps win it.

 

Damian Williams got to score a meaningful touchdown in Miami.

(He wasn’t done).

Kansas took a 24-20 lead as Mahomes went 5-of-5 for 60 yards and that score on the drive.

Mahomes completely flipped the narrative on his performance in one possession.

Jimmy G would get a chance to lead the 49ers back, and just missed Emanuel Sanders on a third down bomb.

Kansas City’s defense would bring heavy pressure on fourth down and Frank Clark would sack Garoppolo.

With all three timeouts and over a minute left, there was still hope for the 49ers.

Until it was dashed.

 

The final score was 31-20 Kansas City, with the Chiefs scoring 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter.

Super Bowl LIV was an unbelievably exciting end to the NFL season, a showcase of two tremendously talented teams.

By all accounts, Hard Rock Stadium and the Miami area hit this one out of the park.

Stephen Ross and the Dolphins organization deserve tremendous credit.

Hopefully the 12th Super Bowl for Miami in the not-too-distant future will live up to this LIV.