Hurricanes Late Rally Falls Short, FIU Stuns Miami 30-24

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Hurricanes come out flat against FIU and Butch Davis in return to where it all started.

The Miami Hurricanes squared off with FIU Saturday on Marlins Park, a bittersweet return to sacred ground.

Since playing their final game in the iconic Orange Bowl in 2007, the Hurricanes have struggled to return to glory.

They would again fall into old bad habits and start the game with much malaise.

Their return to the home of five National Championship teams started off with an early Jarren Williams interception, leading to an FIU field goal and an early 3-0 lead.

FIU’s defense was solid to start the contest and fed off an energetic crowd, Butch Davis had them ready.

Panthers quarterback James Morgan also came sharp with some RPO and behind an offensive line that held their ground.

Morgan got the ball out quickly and opened the game 7-of-9 passing, moving the FIU offense easily against man coverage.

The Hurricanes looked a step slow against the quick passing of FIU and the Panthers would capitalize again.

Morgan hit Shemar Thorton for a 29-yard touchdown and the “home” team jumped on top 10-0 with just under four minutes left in the first quarter.

Miami has come out flat in numerous games this season, particularly after a bye week.

 

They were outscored 17-3 in the first quarter against North Carolina and 21-0 against Virginia Tech, both games were after an extra week off.

FIU was feeling it on defense and chirping, but started to get a little too confident.

The Panthers would pick up two personal fouls on defense which gave the Hurricanes offense some momentum.

Miami would lean on DeeJay Dallas during their third offensive possession which carried into the second quarter.

That drive showed promise but once again the FIU defense was up to the challenge, stopping Miami on fourth down.

Once again the Hurricanes were searching for answers in a game in which they were heavily favored.

The run defense was an early bright spot and FIU penalties on offense slowed them down.

Until…

 

It was about as bad of a first half for the Hurricanes as it gets, the offense was sluggish and the defense was on their heels.

The Hurricanes ended the first half down 13-0 largely in part because FIU has a local legend at kicker.

 

FIU kicker Jose Borregales is a fan favorite and his younger brother Andres is a 2021 Hurricanes commit.

The Hurricanes could not convert on the money downs in the first half, going 0-for-5 on third and fourth downs.

Some FIU shenanigans on defense may have contributed slightly.

 

Things would get a whole lot worse for Miami before they would get any better as they lost Dallas to an arm injury early in the second half.

 

Jarren Williams would throw his second interception of the game on that drive, FIU would convert into another field goal and a 16-0 lead.

Finally the Hurricanes offense would find some traction, the injury to Dallas led to Robert Burns getting some, well…burn.

He gashed FIU for 31 yards on just four carries and Miami would finally get on the board near the end of the third quarter with a 22-yard Camden Price field goal.

 

Morgan would continue to outplay Williams for most of the game, FIU again moved the ball easily into Miami territory on their first fourth quarter drive.

Then FIU would capitalize on one of the most egregious coverage lapses you will see on any level. Morgan would hit Tony Gaiter for a 13-yard touchdown, without a Miami defender within the 305 area code.

The Hurricanes would finally punch back with a nine play, 69-yard touchdown drive capped off by a 14-yard score by Cam Harris to make it 23-10 halfway through the fourth quarter.

FIU was flopping on defense enough to make soccer players look credible, much to the disdain of Williams and his teammates.

A real story of the game was a lack of a pass rush from Miami, Morgan got rid of the ball in a hurry all night.

Morgan would finish going 16-for-30 for 160 yards and two touchdowns, an efficient and effective performance.

Meanwhile Williams stat line was…not so great.

William completed 19-of-36 passes for 249 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions.

Those numbers were padded nicely in garbage time.

The Panthers’ offensive line is a team strength and neutralized Gregory Rousseau and the rest of the defensive line for the most part.

FIU started using the clock as the fourth quarter eroded and the outcome became inevitable.

Williams would manage to spark a late drive with some nice passes to Will Mallory and Jeff Thomas before hitting a wide open Mark Pope to make things interesting.

Pope caught a 35-yard dime from Williams and the score stood at 23-16 with 3:10 left to go.

Mallory doubled his season reception total with four catches for 71 yards, and along with Harris and Burns were among few bright spots on offense.

When Dan Enos is trending on Twitter it is usually a bad thing for the Hurricanes.

Those good feelings for the Hurricanes’ faithful lasted all of 53 seconds as FIU tailback Anthony Jones would get those points right back with a 37-yard dagger.

 

Being down and out seem to wake up Williams and the offense as they again marched down the field for another touchdown in less than two minutes.

It would not be enough as FIU would recover the onside kick to seal it, with Butch Davis receiving a well deserved Gatorade bath.

FIU played a sloppy game in terms of penalties with 14 for 144 yards. However they did not turn the ball over once.

Yet they played with heart and exceeded the energy on the opposing team for the majority of the game.

The Hurricanes once again thought they could just show up and win.

One team from the 305 did, just not the one most expected.

Photo courtesy of Tony Capobianco.

FIU finally beats Miami, wins the city

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The Florida International Panthers beating the Miami Hurricanes 30-24 may go down as the biggest upset in Miami sports history.

It was fitting that the game took place at the site of the Orange Bowl and FIU was led by the same head coach that built arguably the great college football team in history in Miami before leaving for the NFL in 2001.

“We did everything we can, when everybody says you can’t,” FIU coach Butch Davis said. “To be [three]-touchdown underdogs … if you believe that you can, then you can.”

This was like the greasers beating the socials for the soul of the city. The private school with the proud legacy fell to the public upstart with none. One school has five national championships and plays in a NFL stadium. The other school’s stadium has a seating capacity of 20,000 and can barely fill it.

FIU has four times the amount of students as UM, which is usually the case when it comes to comparing public and private schools. The college football system puts down half of the conferences and makes those teams disqualified from competing for the national championship. FIU fans have no hope of their team making it to the playoffs. UM fans expect it every season.

Like their students, the players grew up wanting to put on the orange and green before calling FIU their home. Yet despite the Hurricanes being the school that invented swagger, it was the Panthers who brought it to the field.

“That used to be our dream school,” said FIU kicker Jorge Borregales, who converted 3-of-3 field goals — two of them from 50 yards or more. “Everybody knew Miami. Beating them today, it’s like, yeah, we’re here.”

“We wasn’t even calling them the University of Miami during the week,” FIU linebacker Sage Lewis said. “We were calling them the University of Coral Gables. We’re the true Miami school. We have more students internationally. We did it for the university and really for the world.”

FIU set the tone of the game through defense. An interception by Stantley Thomas-Oliver III set up a field goal by Borregales giving the Panthers a 3-0 lead.

Morgan threw nine passes once he got the ball back, moving the chains the capping it off with a 29-yard touchdown pass to Shemar Thornton to go up 10-0.

The Hurricane’s next two drives ended on turnover on downs and the Panthers closed out the first half with a 50 yard field goal. The Panthers then started the second half with Davis intercepting Hurricanes quarterback Jarren Williams. Jamal Gates also got into the action with a pick of his own in the third quarter.

A field goal by Camden Price finally got the Hurricanes on the board with a 16-3 deficit going into the fourth quarter.

A touchdown pass from Morgan to Tony Gaiter IV extended the Panthers lead to 23-3 early in the fourth quarter. Gaiter celebrated his score with a member of the FIU Army ROTC.

The Hurricanes offense finally got clicking with three touchdowns in the game’s final 11 minutes. a 14-yard touchdown run by Cam’Ron Harris and 35-yard touchdown pass from Williams to Mark Pope put Miami within six points.

A touchdown run by FIU running back Anthony Jones put FIU out of reach with a 30-17 lead with 2:17 left in the game. The Hurricanes responded with a touchdown pass from Williams to Dee Wiggins but the onside kick attempt failed and the Panthers went into victory formation.

Manny Diaz is in his first year as head coach after three years as the defensive coordinator called the loss to FIU, “One of the darkest nights in this program’s history.” His Hurricanes are 0-3 after coming out of a bye week.

“We’ve got to do a lot better job getting our guys prepared for this kind of game,” Diaz said.

Diaz has heard the criticism from the fan base after starting the season 0-2 and not winning games in blowout fashion agains opponents that they don’t find to be in their level. Three straight wins quieted the fury and even had them thinking Orange Bowl but now it’s back and worse than ever.

“The noise is deserved,” Diaz said. “We need to get this fixed.”

Miami was never meant to have a rivalry with the likes of FIU and even Florida Atlantic. The first time UM and FIU played resulted in an infamous brawl that severed ties for a decade. The Hurricanes closed out the Orange Bowl in embarrassing fashion, losing 48–0 to Virginia in 2008. The old but iconic stadium was demolished to make way for Marlins Park but the Canes’ first game back on the sacred soil might have come with a much more sour taste.

As for FIU, this win might lead to more of its student fans feelIng confident in their football team and lend more support. Under Butch Davis, the Panthers are going to their third straight bowl game for the first time in program history. This may not be the only time the Panthers will be capable of beating the Hurricanes and that’s what must have Hurricane fans worried, especially the ones who didn’t go to FIU.

“I think it’s a rivalry after tonight,” Jones said.

Miami plucks another recruit out of Alabama as Worsham picks the Canes

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Wide receivers coach Taylor Stubblefield worked his magic on the recruiting trail and it paid off again as Miami received the verbal commitment of four-star receiver Dazalin Worsham. Worsham attends Hewitt-Trussville High in Alabama and is actually a former Alabama commitment. He posted a video on Twitter on Friday afternoon announcing his intentions.

“Really just like the whole vibe,” Worsham told 247Sports. “The coaches are energetic…I really like the offense and rtes routes and how it can prepare you for an NFL offense.”

This is also marks the second straight year in which the Canes have pulled a high-level recruit out of Crimson Tide territory as they were also able to add safety Christian Williams in 2018.

Stubblefield’s recruitment of Worsham began in the beginning of the summer when he de-committed from the Crimson Tide. Miami was able to get him down to campus for an official visit during Paradise Camp in June and while many thought a commitment to the Hurricanes was imminent, Worsham took his time and even flirted with the Crimson Tide for a bit, before deciding that Coral Gables was the place for him on Friday. 

Worsham had an incredible junior season with 87 catches for 1,022 yards and 13 touchdowns when he had the luxury of having Paul Tyson as his QB, who is currently a freshman at Alabama. 

This season, Hewitt-Trussville is rotating QBs and as a result, his numbers are slightly down at 54 catches for 427 yards through 10 games but it is worth noting that he will graduate as the school’s all-time leader in catches.

The Under Armour All-American becomes the 3rd receiver acommitted to Miami in the Class of 2020, joining IMG Academy’s Michael Redding (whom Stubblefield as also played a big role in recruiting) and Deerfield Beach’s Xavier Restrepo and it moves the Canes up one spot as they have currently hold the 16th best recruiting class in the country. 

It is highly possible that coach Manny Diaz may opt to add one more receiver, as it is unclear whether they will continue to recruit ex-commit Marcus Fleming out of Miami Northwestern. One name to keep an eye out for is Douglas Emilien, who is a late bloomer out of American Heritage in Plantation and will take an official visit to Coral Gables on the weekend before the Early Signing Period. 

Miami Heat: Jimmy Butler comes up big in homecoming contest

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Jimmy Butler went back to the place where he began his NBA career on Friday night. Much like he did for the Chicago Bulls all those years, he delivered for the Miami Heat in a big way. His efficiency and scoring prowess were on display in Miami’s 116-108 win.

Efficiency was the name of the game for Butler

Butler was efficient with his shots on Friday. In 34 minutes of play, he went seven-of-10 from the field. He also made one of  two three-pointers. Most impressively, he managed to get to the free-throw line. Hitting 12-of-13 tries from the stripe, that equaled out to a 92.3 free-throw percentage.

Butler’s 27 points in a game was the most he recorded since November 7 against the Phoenix Suns when he scored 34.

He didn’t just score points on Friday. He also managed to do the little things well. Recording four steals,  five rebounds and seven assists, he was active in all phases. It is something that is becoming a common sight game in and game out for the former Marquette star.

A very welcome homecoming in big Miami Heat win

Friday, Jimmy Butler went back to where it all began.  drafted with the 30th overall pick in 2011, Butler carved out a nice career in Chicago. While in the Windy City, he was a four-time All-Star, was named to the All-NBA Third Team twice, and picked up other accolades along the way.

Perhaps the most impressive one was his Most Improved Player Award in 2015. The 2014-15 season was extremely successful one for Butler. He recorded 20 points and 38.7 minutes per game. He also started in all 65 games he played in.

Butler also managed to accomplish quite a bit in the playoffs. Particularly in 2015, his impact was felt for Chicago. He played in all 12 playoff games, averaging 22.9 points per game. He also showed his prowess defensively, averaging 2.4 steals per game. There is no doubt that he was a vital part of Chicago’s playoff appearances. now, Hopefully he will be able to bring the same playoff effort to the Miami Heat.

On Friday, Butler showed the same competitiveness he brought in Chicago. There is no doubt his impact has been felt, and despite all of his ups-and-downs throughout his career, he looks truly at home in Miami.

Florida Panthers: Aleksander Barkov providing consistency to young group

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Aleksander Barkov is having a heck of a season for the Florida Panthers to this point. Not only that, he is proving he can be a player of consistency. Last year, he recorded 35 goals and 61 assists. Totaling 96 points, that marked his second season in a row with at least 70 points. This year, he is on pace for another 70-point season.

With seven goals and 22 assists, he currently has 29 points on the year. There is a lot more beyond the individual numbers. Barkov is getting his points in bunches. Only Jonathan Huberdeau (30) has more points on the year

A scoring machine for the Florida Panthers

Barkov has recorded seven points in his last five games, beginning in Boston on November 12. Scoring two goals in that contest, he was an instrumental figure in the Panthers’ comeback win. Thursday night against Anaheim, he had another great game, recording two assists for two points. As a result, Barkov helped the Panthers secure another comeback win.

In 13 games in the month of October, he did not record a point four times. So far this month, he has been held scoreless only once.  In addition to his even-strength work, Barkov has been very effective on the power play. He has four goals on the year, and nine points in total. The four goals are good enough for third on the ream in that category.

It doesn’t matter what situation you put him in, he is going to be successful. On a young, resilient team like the Florida Panthers, his veteran experience is necessary. So far, he has accolades to prove it. He was named an All-Star in the 2018 season and won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy as a result of his excellent sportsmanship.

Goals are just a part of the equation

Watching him play is fascinating. He moves well with and without the puck, and his  snap shot is deadly. Particularly when screened, goaltenders have an even more difficult time picking it up. He has precision with his shot and is able to “wow” with his stick handling-skills. It seems routine to Florida Panthers fans, but it’s truly fascinating to watch him do it in real-time.

Hopefully, he can keep up his high level of play. The Florida Panthers have been clawing their way to wins. Led by Barkov and others, they have been a treat to watch, and have put the rest of the National Hockey League on notice.

Miami Marlins designate Wei-Yin Chen for assignment in 40-man roster crunch

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The Miami Marlins have finalized their 40-man roster by Wednesday’s deadline to set their 40-man roster in advance of the upcoming Rule 5 Draft. in order to protect prized prospects from being selected in the Rule 5 Draft a week from today at the conclusion of the Baseball Winter Meetings.

Pricy pitcher Wei-Yin Chen was the odd man out and was designated for assignment. This means the Marlins now have seven days to try to trade him or release him.

Trading Chen will be difficult, as he comes with a salary of $22M in 2020. He finished the 2019 season with a 6.59 ERA in 45 appearances as a reliever.

“This decision was not about money,” Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill said on a conference call. “It was about building the best and deepest 40-man roster, to allow us to compete in 2020 and beyond.”

It may feel like a hard thing to do but it was also the right thing to do. Chen finished the season with a -1.1 WAR. That means any of the minor league prospects that were added to their 40-man roster would have a much more positive impact on their record than Chen.

Having signed a five-year, $80 million contract in 2016, Chen was supposed to be the missing piece to the Marlins’ starting rotation behind Jose Fernandez. Unfortunately, it never materialized. His best year was 2017 when he recorded a 3.82 ERA but that year was curtailed by injury. In 2018, he had a 4.79 ERA but somehow posted a 1.62 ERA in 13 home starts.

The Marlins opted to move Chen to the bullpen in order to load their rotation with young studs such as Pablo Lopez, Sandy Alcantara, Caleb Smith and Trevor Richards to go with Jose Urena at the start of last year. This experiment fell flat from the start and Chen was reduced to being the human white flag. It was better to move on rather than spend another season hiding him in the bullpen only to send him out when the game is already a lost cause.

Chen may end up with another team in spring training and try to capture a starting pitching role. It would most likely be for the league minimum and the Marlins will still be on the hook for vast majority of his 2020 salary.

Not the only expensive dump

Designating and potentially releasing Chen wasn’t the most expensive player to get left off a roster this week. The New York Yankees released Jacoby Ellsbury with $21 million remaining on the seven-year, $153 million contract he signed prior to the 2014 season. The Yankees are also on the hook for a $5 million buyout for the 2021 season. Ellsbury hasn’t played a game in the last two season due to injury.

Who made the Marlins 40-man roster

The Marlins filled their roster openings with pitching prospects Sixto Sanchez, Edward Cabrera, Nick Neidert and Humberto Mejia, along with shortstop Jazz Chisholm and first baseman Lewin Diaz. Those prospects, which the exception of Cabrera and Mejia, were acquired in trades. Sanchez, the No. 1 ranked Marlins prospect according to MLB Pipeline, was acquired in the JT Realmuto trade with Philadelphia. The Marlins got Neidert from Seattle for Dee Gordon, Chisholm from Arizona for Zac Gallen, and Diaz from Minnesota for a Single-A prospect and Sergio Romo.

The Marlins left out Will Stewart, Tommy Eveld, Bryson Brigman, Dylan Lee and Christopher Torres, which leaves them open for selection in the Rule 5 Draft. Eveld and Brigman were acquired in 2018 trade deadline period for veterans Cam Maybin and Brad Ziegler. Torres was a part of the same trade package as Neidert to the Seattle Mariners for Dee Gordan prior to 2018. Stewart was part of the Realmuto Trade and while his stats in Single-A weren’t so hot, he did show flashes of a potential big leaguer.

“It is a challenge, and it’s a good challenge to have,” Hill said. “As we’ve built the layers of talent throughout the system, we still believe he is a very good Major League prospect.”

If a player is taken in the Rule 5 Draft, he would have to make the opening day roster or be sent back to his original franchise.

Miami Heat: Duncan Robinson shoots his way to memorable night

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The Miami Heat got a big boost on Wednesday night.

The Miami Heat have themselves a spark plug. He goes by the name of Duncan Robinson, and his ability to convert from behind the arc was on full display Wednesday night. In a season where unheralded names have stepped up and propelled the Heat to success, Robinson put on a show for an excited AmericanAirlines Arena crowd.

Robinson scored 29 in total, and he had himself quite a night. Then again, it was just another impressive contest in what has been a great season for him. At first glance, his statistics are not eye-popping. In 12 contests the season, he has averaged 9.7 points per contest.

However, he has had three games of at least 20 points. His 21-point outburst against Minnesota on October 27 was his first one. His 23-point outburst against the Houston Rockets was his second one. Wednesday evening, he dominated the Cavaliers for 29 points. Unlike the old adage that goes “bad things come in threes”, this is quite the opposite.

Sure, 29 points is impressive. However, when you break records, it means that much more.

Robinson enters Miami Heat record book

Robinson recorded eight three-pointers in the first half. Prior to Wednesday night, the record for three pointers in a half was six. Wayne Ellington achieved that mark in the second half of a 2006 game against the Toronto Raptors.  Safe to say, it had been a while since that record was broken.

A personal record was also shattered as Robinson’s career-high for points was 23. He recorded that mark under the roof of the Crisler Center at Michigan. It was only fitting that his college coach was there to watch him achieve the feet Wednesday night. However, his coach was not watching from the stands.

John Beilein is in a different role as head coach, having traded in his Michigan Maize and Blue for Cleveland Wine and Gold. It’s funny how things come full circle.

If anything, Robinson’s performance on Wednesday night was a reflection of what the modern NBA has become: Three-pointers are putting a strangehold on the NBA That’s not a knock on what Robinson did Wednesday night either. If anything, it shows that Robinson has the skills to be an impactful player in this league.

With Robinson playing all 41 games for Michigan in the 2017-18 season, there is no doubt he is a fierce competitor.  Having been a part of several successful Michigan teams, Robinson has always been prepared to succeed.

He showed it on Wednesday. He is becoming a key contributor for a team who has received enormous contributions from unexpected sources.  In a season where many have doubted the Miami Heat, he is proof that success comes in many forms.

Inter Miami Adds MLS Talent Through Expansion Draft

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Five selections were made on Tuesday night in the MLS Expansion Draft for Inter Miami, thus bringing more new names to the club’s first ever roster. The draft provided both expansion teams, Inter Miami CF and Nashville SC, the opportunity to add players from other MLS clubs onto their roster. Inter Miami had the first pick.

A breakdown of Inter Miami’s Picks

Ben Sweat went off the board at number one and was just an overall logical pick. Left back in MLS is one of the thinnest positions league- wide. Being able to bring on someone like Sweat is extremely valuable. Although losing his starting role last year for NYCFC, Sweat has proven throughout the years he’s a reliable piece on the backline. He also fills in a position Inter Miami have not yet been able to fill. Sweat is also a Florida native, and having gone to USF and playing in Florida conditions growing up, the climate down in Fort Lauderdale come Spring should serve no issue. The 28 year old has also made two international appearances with the US Men’s National Team, debuting in October of 2018. His experience in MLS with both NYCFC and Columbus Crew will provide Sweat a leadership role on and off the pitch.

After Nashville SC went on to take Abu Danladi with their first pick, Paul McDonough announced that Inter would take a right back with their second pick. Filling out the back line seemed to be the priority for Inter Miami coming into the Expansion Draft as Alvas Powell is set to be making his way down to South Beach. The Jamaican International will most likely start at right back playing across from Sweat, and his youth and experience is something Inter Miami hope to rely on.

Powell debuted for the Jamaican national team in 2012 at 18 years old. Since then he’s gone on to be capped 43 times. It’s a remarkable record at a youthful age. Powell is a player to look forward to for Inter fans as he’s even scored six goals in his MLS career dating back to 2013. From Portland to then the expansion team FC Cincinnati, Powell has gone through the beginning of an MLS franchise before, so that experience will also be valuable.

Inter Miami brings a veteran, MLS star to the fold

A true MLS veteran was next taken by Inter Miami as Lee Nguyen, a name most MLS fans are extremely familiar with, will be joining “La Familia.” Nguyen, the once attacking midfielder saw a much deeper role last season as instructed by Bob Bradley of LAFC. Though it seems from the outside like a good move as LAFC won the Supporters Shield with the best record in MLS, Nguyen’s natural role is playing as a number 10. Throughout his 239 games played in MLS, most of the 54 goals he’s scored has come from that position.

With his experience does come some age. At 33, it was questioned whether or not Nguyen would be the player taken from LAFC in the draft or if it would be Tyler Miller. Inter Miami are confident with taking  Nguyen. He is an experienced player whose also seen time with the National Team. So look for Nguyen to be feeding in balls and sharing some interplay with the likes of Julian Carranza up top from his natural attacking mid position.

McDonough then announced that with Inter Miami’s fourth pick, they’d be taking Luis Argudo from Columbus Crew. This was much of a lesser- known pick by Inter compared to the previous three. Argudo had only entered the league from the MLS SuperDraft in 2018. At 23, Argudo is a young talent with a lot to prove. However, he’ll fit right in Miami. He’s bilingual and claims to represent both Colombian and Ecuadorian heritage along with being American. What also should be noted, Paul McDonough spent time as an assistant at Wake Forest University, which is where Luis Argudo attended college. This pick was influenced by the potential, and most likely the connection to a player from the front office, which gives insight on Argudo’s character.

Meredith will be a valuable piece to team

With Inter Miami’s final pick in the MLS Expansion Draft, they took a Seattle Sounders’ fan favorite in goalkeeper Bryan Meredith. Though he spent a lot of time as a backup in Seattle, Meredith will absolutely compete for the starting goalkeeper spot. He’s also a player any club loves to have around. He was extremely active in Seattle’s community and is also active with the MLSPA.

It’ll be great for Inter Miami to have a guy like this at least in the locker room. Time will tell if he cracks the starting lineup on March 14th against the LA Galaxy. With Tyler Miller becoming a free agent after not being taken in the Expansion Draft, arguably the best keeper in the league is up for grabs. The reports to come out of Los Angeles told that LAFC and Miller were not agreeing to terms. If Inter are willing to throw around some cash, Miller could be headed down to Miami when the free agent period opens up. That would give Meredith the ultimate test, but he surely comes as good insurance.

Inter Miami’s roster features several names

Inter Miami’s roster for the upcoming season now looks like this:

  • Drake Callender – Goalkeeper
  • Bryan Meredith – Goalkeeper
  • Ben Sweat – Defender
  • Alvas Powell – Defender
  • Christian Makoun – Defender
  • Grant Lillard – Defender
  • Lee Nguyen – Midfielder
  • Luis Argudo – Midfielder
  • Jay Chapman – Midfielder
  • David Norman Jr. – Midfielder
  • Victor Ulloa – Midfielder
  • Matias Pellegrini – Midfielder
  • George Acosta – Midfielder
  • Julian Carranza – Forward
  • Jerome Kiesewetter – Forward

 

Reshad Jones, back in 2020?

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With the placement of veterans Bobby McCain and Reshad Jones on IR, speculation as to their futures on the Miami Dolphins has begun.  As for Bobby McCain, his future here is not clear, and he is under contract till 2022 when he will be 29 years old. On Reshad Jones however, the writing has been on the wall for a while, that he does not figure in future plans, and would surely be cut before the 2020 season kicks off.

First of all, I consulted with one-third of the Three Yards Per Carry Podcast, Chris Kouffman (@ckparrot), to explain the machinations of Reshad’s 2020 contract:

“Only $2.1 of Reshad’s 2020 salary is guaranteed. If he’s working anywhere next year, I’d expect that fully offset. So cutting him will definitely save $9.5 million cash owed and probably save the full $11.6 million. The accounting number saved (i.e. ‘cap figure’) will be a little bit less than the above (probably about $8 million) but that doesn’t matter as much because the Dolphins have far more accounting space in 2020 than they could possibly use, thus what matters for the long term health of the team’s salary cap standing is the savings on new cash owed.”

Well, that clears some things up.  So where is the player in all this?  Back in September, Reshad Jones told the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson that he wanted to stay here for the “long haul”, through this rebuild:

But where do the Miami Dolphins land on this?  I can confirm that the Dolphins made repeated efforts to trade Reshad, but only under the most friendly circumstances.  A league source tells us that the most serious of the suitors was the Dallas Cowboys who required Miami to take on “too much” of his salary, which in turn, made the deal not palatable.

Head Coach Brian Flores has repeatedly stated how much respect he has for Jones, but has never offered bouquets as to his future, or standing on the team:

So what does the future hold? Having spoken to somebody close to the situation, not much else has changed, and cutting him this offseason is surely “the leader in the clubhouse.”, while trading him is always preferable. However, new thinking has come in, and there is a growing sense that Reshad Jones could be more valuable in uniform for the Miami Dolphins in 2020, than just a cleaner entry in their balance sheet.

The ultimate decision on whether Reshad Jones sticks here or not, could be Brian Flores’ and if it is, it could bode well for Jones to be here in 2020.  As for the front office, there is plenty of goodwill between them and Reshad Jones since the safety allowed a restructure of his contract in 2018 (he did however collect the same money).  Jones has consistently been accommodating to staff, and is considered “one of the good guys” among team personnel.

It could be as simple as the coaching staff seeing a bit of value in retaining Reshad Jones’ leadership, and experience to go with what is likely to be one of the youngest units on the team in 2020.  A Jones departure as of now, is seen as a loss to many in the organization. Reshad Jones has made a very good impression to many of the new faces in the organization to go with all the good will he retains.

In closing, the balance sheet could dictate the future of the Dolphins’ Safety, and most likely will, but there are many forces at play here that do not rule out a return to the Miami Dolphins lineup in 2020.  If I had to put an arbitrary number on his return, I would put it at 25%, but there are many in the organization, with influence, that do not share my pessimism of Reshad Jones prospects as a roster player on the 2020 Miami Dolphins.


Alfredo Arteaga (@Alf_Arteaga) is one-third of the trio that does the Three Yards Per Carry (@3YardsPerCarry) podcast.

Panthers top Flyers, move to 2nd in the Atlantic

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The Florida Panthers entered Tuesday’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers with a 10-5-5 record and sitting third in the Atlantic division, two points clear of the Buffalo Sabres.

With about 2:30 minutes left in the third period, Mike Hoffman put in the game clinching empty net goal to give the Panthers a 5-2 win, improving their record to an impressive 11-5-5 and now 2nd in the Atlantic.

This marks one of the best starts in franchise history. This start is happening thanks to a high attacking offense who ranked 2nd in the NHL in goals entering play.

“We played well enough to get 2 points,” Panthers forward Brett Connolly said post game. “Guys are starting to get their roles 21 games into the season, and it’s been fun to be part of the team.”

The one downside so far for the Panthers is their big splash free agent goalie, Sergei Brobvosky, who is off to the worst start of his career. Entering play, he had a .882 save percentage, which ranked 57th in the league. He’s also allowed 54 goals so far this season, which is the most amongst goalies. Bobrovsky seems to be on the rebound after saving 35 of 37 shots faced.

The Panthers were in need of a solid 60 minute effort going into the game and after an early goal by Travis Sanheim,  the Panthers started to get the game in their control, dominating puck possession in the first and second period.

The Panthers had a comfortable 4-1 lead most of the way through the second period, until the Flyers’ highly touted prospect Morgan Frost got one past Brobvosky in his NHL debut.

The Panthers finish off the homestand Thursday, then go on the road for a couple games before coming home again for a franchise record nine-game homestand.