Miami Hurricanes: D’Eriq King set to visit Coral Gables this weekend

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The Miami Hurricanes will have a big-time visitor this weekend. Former Houston quarterback D’Eriq King will take a two-day tour at the University of Miami, beginning Friday.

King would be eligible to play right away and that would be great news for Miami. He is just one of three quarterbacks with 35 passing touchdowns and 13 rushing touchdowns in a season.

As noted in a report from Andrew Ivins, a recruiting guru who is a regular contributor to the 5 Rings Canes podcast on the Five Reasons Sports Network, the quarterback has been talking with Miami offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee.

King is exactly what the Miami Hurricanes need

This would be a much-needed upgrade for the Miami Hurricanes. Poor quarterback play has plagued them throughout the last couple of seasons. King would have a chance to add stability to the program for at least two seasons. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining.  Perhaps even more exciting, he would be eligible to play right away.

Miami is going to have to compete with other big-time schools for King. LSU, Oregon, Arkansas, and Ole Miss have also been on his radar. The Hurricanes certainly have their work cut out for them when it comes to battling with other teams for King.

This would be a huge get for Miami just in terms of production. The Hurricanes ranked 99th in the country in 2019 with 22.3 points scored per game. They also ranked 103rd in the country with 348.3 yards per game. With 7.2 yards per pass attempt, that ranked 73rd in the country.

King would provide an instant splash to the Miami offense and would electrify a passing game that is struggling at the moment. Not only that, it would be the first big development for Lashlee since joining the staff. It would certainly provide a jolt into the Miami quarterback room, and would make the ACC a lot more interesting come the fall.

Download the 5 Rings Canes podcast for more, wherever you get your podcasts.

Tua Tagovailoa will work out for teams in April

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Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will work out for teams in April, according to his agent Leigh Steinberg.

Before the 2019 Miami Dolphins ever took the field, it was believed by many that the plan was to draft Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa, no matter what. And with each passing win, it seemed less and less likely that the plan would come to fruition. But then, Tagovailoa suffered a season-ending hip injury, which once again made this dream a reality. Now, with less than four months until the 2020 NFL Draft, new information could change teams’ outlook in April.

According to Tagovailoa’s agent Leigh Steinberg, the promising young QB is expected to be fully healthy and able to work out for NFL teams before the draft.

In Tagovailoa We Trust

No one can honestly say whether or not Tagovailoa will be fully healthy. As it is my belief, there are several hurdles between now and April that he must overcome. But for a player that at one point–many believed may never play football again–this is big. And for teams like the Miami Dolphins or even the Los Angeles Chargers, they must now start to devise a plan to figure out how to land the Left Arm of God. 

Truth is, Chris Grier and his henchman have done what needed to be done, to acquire as war chest of draft picks. They have the ammunition to move up and down the draft board as they deem fit–and it is my understanding they will do so for the right player. Tagovailoa, when healthy, is absolutely worth trading up for. And if he is the QB the team coveted since day one, the decision is easy.

When healthy, Tagovailoa is one of the best QBs to ever play collegiate football. Now, he has the opportunity to take his talents to the NFL-to South Florida. Now it is up to the Miami Dolphins to make that a dream a reality.

In all my years covering the Dolphins, there is not a prospect I can remember wanting more than Tagovailoa. I just hope Miami’s front office feels the same way. Because missing out on a prospect like Tagovailoa, could rival passing on Drew Brees or Aaron Rodgers. It’s time to get out of the 7-9 and 8-8 hell the team has been trapped in for the last 20 years.

Save us Tua Tagovialoa, you’re our only hope.

 

This article was written by Josh Houtz (@houtz) and he really, really wants the Dolphins to draft Tua Tagovailoa.

 

Miami Dolphins: Several coaching staff changes made Sunday

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The Miami Dolphins made changes to the coaching staff on Sunday

The Miami Dolphins are going to have some new coaches next year. Robby Brown will be named to the quarterbacks coach position per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. For those unfamiliar, he worked with Chan Gailey in New York while both were with the Jets.

Brown has an extensive football background. He was most recently a member of the West Virginia coaching staff. While there, he was the special assistant to the head coach. He was also the senior analyst for the offense. He was hired in March 2019. According to his West Virginia biography, one of his jobs was to help out with the game planning for the coaching staff.

Miami Dolphins make other changes to coaching staff

Another major move occurring on Sunday was the loss of Patrick Graham to the New York Giants. He was in his first year as the defensive coordinator for the Dolphins. Miami gave up 494 points on the year, most in the National Football League.

The defense gave up 397.8 yards per game which was third -most in the league. Giving up six yards per pass, that was also third -most in the league. However, Miami spent most of the year reshuffling and retooling the defense. Statistics certainly do not tell the whole story.

Josh Boyer was promoted to the position of defensive coordinator as a result. Last year was his first season with the Miami Dolphins. He served the roles of defensive pass game coordinator and cornerbacks coach. Miami ranked 12th in the National Football League with 13 interceptions on the year. They were tied with four other teams in that category.

it will be interesting to see how Boyer and Brown ease into their new roles. There has been a lot of turnover on the part of the coaching staff so far this offseason. Brian Flores wants to make sure he has everything right heading into 2020.

Ryan Tannehill One Game from Super Bowl (in Miami!)

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How to feel about this?

There’s never been a seven-year itch quite like what was caused by Ryan Tannehill’s tenure as Miami Dolphins quarterback, the itch to see something new. He was good here, but never great, and just as he started to get closer — playing at a higher level during a 8-5 start to the 2016 season under Adam Gase — he got hurt, missed a season, returned and got hurt again. So even the durability argument, the one that was always in his favor, was lost.

Remember?

That was the shoulder, after the knee.

Most agreed that it was time to move on.

Even those who didn’t think Tannehill was terrible.

 

But now, what to make of Tannehill moving on to the AFC Championship in his first season as a Tennessee Titan, with the Dolphins paying most of his salary?

 

How to handle the possibility of Tannehill going on the road for a third time, now against either Kansas City or the Laremy Tunsil/Kenny Stills Houston Texans, and playing in Steve Ross’s stadium for Super Bowl LIV? And how much does it matter that Tannehill has thrown for about half as many yards in the Titans’ two playoff wins as teammate Derrick Henry has rushed for? (Check Luis Sung’s excellent column on Henry’s free agency and the Dolphins here).

Here are some of the top Tanny takes from Twitter:

 

A meme got put to good use:

There was Tua talk, of course, especially with the Alabama QB in Miami for the weekend:

 

And this from Jeff Darlington, who knows Tannehill as well as any national reporter, probably sums it up best:

Tua Tagovailoa

Tua Tagovailoa takes a weekend getaway to Miami

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Tua Tagovailoa made the the trip down on Friday.

Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was spotted in Miami on social media. Could he have been visiting the Miami Dolphins on Friday?

Tagovailoa is expected to be a top quarterback in the 2020 NFL Draft. As the Dolphins hold the fifth overall pick, he could be in a spot to become a Dolphin. This is something that many Miami fans believe is the first step towards rebuilding the future. It is certainly hard to disagree with them.

Friday night, he posted on his Instagram story that he was in Miami. He also was able to visit with Larry “The Amigo” Milan. The latter posted it on his Instagram profile. At the very least, we have tangible proof that the star quarterback is checking out potential future surroundings. That is certainly intriguing to say the least.

What does this all mean? We can’t say for certain, but my guess is that Miami really likes what Tua brings to the table. He is the playmaker Miami has been lacking for years. They have longed for a quarterback with his arm strength and accuracy, and now it looks like he has fallen right into their laps. I would be a little worried in regards to his injury from last year. However  with the fifth pick, Miami should take the best player available. He certainly fits into that category.

To me this is a sign that Tua is doing his homework. He’s doing a little pre-draft scouting if you will. Miami Dolphins general manager Chris Grier has done plenty of scouting on his own, having watched the quarterback in several games. He was on hand to watch Tagovailoa take down Ole Miss in a seven-touchdown day. It’s no secret that the Dolphins as an organization love what the quarterback brings the table.

The fact that the former Alabama Crimson Tide star was in town Friday is certainly significant. It could be the start of a fruitful relationship between organization and player.

Alabama Athletics

Tua Tagovailoa announces he will enter 2020 NFL Draft

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Tua Tagovailoa is headed the to National Football League.

It was decision day for Tua Tagovailoa on Monday. Would he stay at Alabama, or declare for the NFL Draft? The good news for Miami Dolphins fans is, he is heading to the professional ranks.

Tagovailoa passed for 2,840 yards, 33 touchdowns and three interceptions. The three interceptions were tied for third-least in college football. The 33 touchdowns were tied for eighth-most.

For his Alabama career, Tagovailoa threw for 7,442 yards, 87 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. His best season for the Crimson Tide came in 2018. As a sophomore, he threw for 3,966 yards, 43 touchdowns and six interceptions. The 206.9 quarterback rating he recorded in 2019 was the best number of his Alabama career.

He had a very impressive resume while at Alabama. Winning the national championship, being named MVP of the 2018 Orange Bowl, and All-American honors were just some of the things he won in 2018 alone.

Miami Dolphins were able to get successful bridge year Tua Tagovailoa

His decision to declare for the NFL Draft is a very interesting one as it relates to the Miami Dolphins quarterback position. Ryan Fitzpatrick had a great year for Miami, throwing for 3,529 yards, 20 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. If the goal was for Fitzpatrick to simply be a bridge to a future quarterback, he did a great job of holding down the fort.

The Miami Dolphins have the fifth overall pick in next year’s draft. There is speculation that Tua will be there for the Dolphins to select with the fourth overall pick. They would be wise to draft him. Even with the injury he suffered last year, he has unquestionable potential to be the quarterback of the future. He has tremendous arm strength, and the mobility needed to be a quarterback in today’s National Football League.

The motto adopted by many Miami Dolphins fans was “Tank for Tua.” At the end of the day, it appears the Miami Dolphins were able to win a bit and have their shot at the quarterback anyway. This is setting up to be a fun offseason for the Miami Dolphins. Now, the waiting game begins for the NFL Draft.

Down goes New England, social media credits Miami with assist

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The divisional round of the NFL playoffs are looking different this year. The Titans defeated the New England Patriots 20-13.

Social media has given Miami credit for an assist in taking down the evil empire.

It didn’t take long for the internet to take it a step farther with photoshop.

The Dolphins defeated the Patriots 27-24 in Week 17 of the regular season, which dropped New England to the third seed in the AFC playoff picture. The Patriots also lost a bye and was forced to play a feisty Titans team that has the running game and defense to win on the road.

Even coaches praised the Dolphins for the Week 17 win.

The Dolphins spent the year transitioning from the worst team in the NFL to a competitive bunch that won five of its last nine games. Miami also defeated two division champions in the month of December (New England and Philadelphia).

However, this is far from the end of New England. Tom Brady has said that he isn’t going to retire and will likely be back next season, but it remains up in the air if the Patriots will give him the contract he is searching for.

It is also up to the Miami Dolphins to carry the current momentum into 2020.  If the Dolphins can hit on most of their war chest of draft picks and make some strong decisions in free agency, Brian Flores will have the opportunity to fight for an AFC East crown that looks like it may be up for grabs.

Miami Dolphins

Dolphins ink eight to future contracts

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There’s been little to no days off for Chris Grier and the Dolphins front office since Brian Flores was named the franchise’s new head coach last year.

To break the 7-9 cycle the Dolphins tore down the roster.

As a result, Miami used 84 different players throughout the season as they searched for players who could become contributors for years to come.

Grier and Miami’s scouting department discovered players who can positively impact the team for many years. Nik Needham, Preston Williams, and Sam Eguavoen are some of the diamonds found in the rough.

The grind continues just days into the offseason as linebacker Jake Carlock, linebacker Terrill Hanks, wide receiver Andy Jones, tight end Chris Myarick, tackle Chidi Okeke, defensive tackle Durval Queiroz Neto, wide receiver T.J. Rahming, and wide receiver Terry Wright all signed future contracts with the Miami Dolphins.

Who are they?

Carlock spent the last two months of the regular season on Miami’s practice squad after signing with the Giants in May as an undrafted free agent.

Hanks, a Miami native, along with Myarick, both spent the entire season on Miami’s practice squad. Hanks was a four-year starter at New Mexico state and Myarick was a two-year starter at Temple.

Jones jumped around and has played eight games in the NFL with three starts as a member of the Lions.

Okeke was a two-year starter at Tennessee and earned All-Ohio Valley Conference honors in 2018.

Queiroz Neto joined the Dolphins in 2019 as part of the International Player Pathway program. He was a judo champion before switching to football.

Rahming was a four-year starter at Duke and earned third-team All-ACC honors in 2018.

Wright scored five receiving and a rushing touchdown as a two-year starter at Purdue.

The Dolphins continue their due diligence in an attempt to rebuild the roster from the ground-up. Miami will have a busy offseason with over $100 million in cap space and a war-chest of draft picks.

 

Zach Thomas header

Miami Dolphins: Zach Thomas named Hall of Fame finalist

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The Miami Dolphins legend is one step closer to the pinnacle of football.

A Miami Dolphins legend is one step closer to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Linebacker Zach Thomas was announced as a finalist for the 2020 class on Thursday.  Thomas was named a semifinalist in November.

Zach Thomas had a tremendous career with the Miami Dolphins. He recorded 1,633 tackles with the Dolphins in a 12-year career. He started in 182 out of the 184 games he played in. His best year came in 2006. Recording 165 tackles, he also registered three sacks. Playing in all 16 games that year, he was truly a workhorse.

Thomas made the Associated Press All-Pro First Team six times. He made the Second Team once in 2001 as an inside linebacker.

The Texas Tech standout joins a class that includes Steve Hutchinson, Alan Faneca, Torry Holt, Troy Polamalu, Richard Seymour, and Reggie Wayne.

It’s time for the Miami Dolphins great to be in Canton

I have to say this, it’s about time. He truly was a tremendous linebacker for the Miami Dolphins. He was truly consistent year in and year out. Thomas never took place off, and was a tremendous part of the Miami defense. Thomas recorded six seasons of at least 150 tackles in a row. Not only that, he started in every single game five times in his career. With how ferociously he played the game, that is also remarkable.

Not only that, he played both the inside and middle linebacker positions. He was truly somebody defenses had to watch out for, and he was someone they had to gameplan against. Thomas was one of my favorite linebackers to watch growing up, and it’s great to see him get this nod. Hopefully, he will be able to get his call to the Hall. He is going up against a stacked class. I will just say this: Getting the opportunity to watch a potential acceptance speech in Canton would be pretty sweet.

 

Running Back, not QB, may be Bigger Need for Dolphins

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December 29th marked the end of the 2019 season for the Miami Dolphins.

Welcome to the offseason.

Each day it seems a new rumor or theory rises to the surface. How will the Dolphins rebuild the roster?

Fans, and owner Stephen Ross, agree that the Dolphins are in need of a franchise quarterback.

While it is undeniable that a franchise quarterback is needed in order to create a franchise worthy of competing for a Super Bowl, is finding a quarterback the top priority?

It seemed that the Dolphins were starting three or four new players each and every week. Some continuity within the roster proved Miami wasn’t as awful as some thought.

The Dolphins defeated two division winners in December (Philadelphia and New England) and saying that Ryan Fitzpatrick was the best quarterback in the AFC East may not be too farfetched.

 

Fitzpatrick completed 62 percent of his passes for 20 touchdowns, 13 interceptions and 3,529 yards. He had more passing touchdowns than Sam Darnold and tied Josh Allen, but threw for roughly 500 more yards.

Tom Brady threw for four more touchdowns and roughly 500 more yards, but started two more games than Fitzpatrick. It is important to keep in mind that the point here isn’t to say that Fitzpatrick is better than one of the best quarterbacks of all time.

However, bringing Fitzpatrick back would likely be a better option for the Dolphins than forcing a top-pick on a player Chris Grier and Miami’s front office is not sold on.

There is one stat from Fitzpatrick that must change headed into next season.

The Dolphins need to address the running back room

Fitzpatrick’s 243 yards on the ground was the most by any player by the Miami Dolphins in 2019.

The Dolphins started the season with Kalen Ballage, Kenyan Drake and Mark Walton as the team’s top backs. The room quickly crumbled.

Drake was traded after reports came out that he didn’t want to re-sign with the team.

Walton had a few strong games, but will likely never be on a football field again after some legal issues.

Ballage finished the season with three touchdowns with a steady 1.8 yards per attempt on 74 attempts on the year before suffering a season-ending injury.

Patrick Laird, Myles Gaskin and Samaje Perine were alright in limited time, but the Dolphins have the salary cap space and draft capital to give the position a major facelift.

Eight of the top 11 rushing teams earned a spot in the NFL playoffs. Despite the modern day “pass happy” NFL, there is still plenty of reasons to establish the run.

Fans want to a quarterback and who could blame them?  What would help a young signal caller more than an established running game? For that, it should be reasonable to want the Dolphins to pick one or maybe even two running backs in the first five rounds of the NFL draft.

If the Dolphins don’t want to “waste” the picks in the backfield, there are already some interesting rumors around the free agent class of backs.

After Gordon there are a still a few other names to keep an eye on.

The Dolphins have plenty of work to do this offseason. It is clear that the team needs to find the quarterback of the future, but running it back with Fitzpatrick wouldn’t be the worst outcome for the franchise.

The Dolphins cannot afford to average a league-worse 72 yards per game on the ground in 2020.