J'Marcus Webb signing

Dolphins sign OT J’Marcus Webb

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The Miami Dolphins purged the offensive line after the preseason, leaving them without depth at the tackle positions. In order to mitigate that problem, Miami has signed veteran tackle J’Marcus Webb on Friday. The 31-year old journeyman was already suited up for practice that same day.

Throughout his career, Webb has started a total of 65 of the 81 games he’s played. However, the last time he’s been a regular starter was in 2015 with the Oakland Raiders. During that year, he put up a total grade of 63.3 per ProFootballFocus.

His last stint had him with the Colts in 2018, under current Dolphins OL coach Dave DeGuglielmo. Webb put up a fairly strong pass blocking grade, though his run blocking left much to be desired. Given DeGuglielmo’s familiarity with Webb, it makes sense why Miami would bring him in to be the new swing tackle, playing on the right and left.

After the Dolphins traded away Laremy Tunsil to the Texans and waived Zach Sterup (who is now on the practice squad), Miami’s need for bodies became dire. As of now, they have two candidates to start at left tackle against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. Jesse Davis, who has spent the entire preseason at right tackle, and Julién Davenport, who was acquired as part of the Tunsil/Stills trade. Davenport can be developed, but his lack of experience in this offense makes Davis the more likely candidate.

This leaves rookie Isaiah Prince, Miami’s 2019 sixth round draft pick, as the likely starter at right tackle.

J’Marcus Webb doesn’t project to be a part of the team’s long term future. But there is still a whole season to play, and injuries happen. The churning of the roster will continue through the season.

To make room for Webb on the roster, the Dolphins placed rookie LB Andrew Van Ginkel on injured reserve with a foot injury he’s been nursing for several weeks.

Christian Wilkins loves Miami’s defense headed into week one

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Headed into the 2019 NFL draft there were plenty of different directions the Dolphins could go with the 13th-overall pick. When on the clock, the Dolphins decided to focus on the trenches by taking Clemson’s Christian Wilkins to be the anchor of the defensive line.
With a solid preseason in the books, Wilkins met with the media before his NFL debut on Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens:
How excited are you for your first game?
“I’m excited as I have been for every other game in my life, pretty much; but this one is obviously a little different, it being my first game – my first official NFL game,” Wilkins said. “I’m just excited. I’ve just got to prepare every way I do for every game. I can’t get too overexcited or play too emotional or anything like that. I’ve got to play within myself, but I’m definitely looking forward to it.”
You said you could bring that championship mentality to Miami, how is that going?
“I just feel like I’ve got to bring the right mindset every day – just the mindset to get better and make those around me better as well because it’s not just me out there,” Wilkins said. “It’s a team effort. Hopefully just some of my good energy, my positivity will rub off. Like I said, just make all of those around me better. That’s the biggest thing. I just always try to have a good mindset
each and every day and get one percent better each and every day.”
What will we see from Miami’s defense out there?
“I love our defense. I think we’ve got a lot of good guys – guys who work really hard,” Wilkins said. “Just the group – there are good players at every position at every level, too. So just building that chemistry is huge for us and we are getting comfortable playing with one another and just creating a certain level of accountability for one another. That’s really important because that’s what allows the defense to be great.”
How do you feel about your progress since the start of camp?
“I feel pretty good, but I’m never satisfied,” Wilkins said. “That’s just the mindset I try to bring every day. I just feel like I can always get better at something, but I definitely see the improvement which is good, which is encouraging. I’m definitely not where I want to be, not even close to being able to scratch the surface on my potential as a player. There’s just a lot of parts of my game I really want to clean up and get better at. I’m definitely happy with my progress, but still not satisfied.”
Wilkins started three of the four preseason games for the Dolphins and finished the summer with seven tackles, five of which were solo. The Springfield Massachusetts native also registered a sack and looks to be an anchor for Miami’s defense for years to come. The Dolphins welcome the Ravens to Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday with kickoff scheduled for 1 p.m.

Crashing from Grace: Antonio Brown is his own worst enemy

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Antonio Brown is not making things easy on himself.

A  lot can change in a year. Just ask Antonio Brown. The National Football League superstar was once at the pinnacle of his profession. Once the best wide receiver in the game, it appeared that nothing could take him down. however, in the last year he has become his own worst enemy.

As I’m writing this, many are still trying to figure out the details of Brown’s suspension from the Oakland Raiders. Although this is big news, it is just the tip of the iceberg. This is something that has been manifesting for the past year now. If anything, his departure from the Pittsburgh Steelers sort of set the Antonio Brown train wreck into motion.  On March 10, the Raiders acquired him from the Steelers for a third and fifth-round pick. Following the deal, they reworked his contract. a three-year deal with a maximum of $54.125 million, it was certainly a healthy investment from Oakland.

It’s fair to call it a healthy investment because of the stuff that proceeded before the deal. Calling out JuJu Smith-Schuster for fumbling was, to put it lightly, a bad move. Sharing a locker room video on Facebook live following the Steelers victory was also not ideal either. He did apologize for it, so I have to give credit where it is due. For every step forward he may have taken, he always took two steps back. He was benched last December before Pittsburgh’s game against Cincinnati for a dispute with Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

I hate to say it, because I’m not a fan of big Ben, but Roethlisberger looks the best out of anybody following the Steelers drama. He still sits from his perch as the team’s starting quarterback.

Anyway, I digress.

Brown’s tenure in Oakland, for how short it has been to this point, has been eventful so far. From freezing his feet in a cryo- chamber to having a dispute over helmets, he has certainly made for good television. If anything, he may have been the most interesting part of this season of Hard Knocks. The dispute on Thursday with general manager Mike Mayock is just the tip of the iceberg to all the things that have led before it. It’s a shame that his legacy is being tarnished by his actions. He’s a very good wide receiver, and the numbers certainly don’t lie.

1,000 total yards in six straight seasons, 74 career touchdowns, and seven Pro Bowls. Those are just some of the accolades he has accumulated in his career. With so much talent, he is now throwing it all away. He was once feared by cornerbacks. Now, he is being feared by the entire National Football League because you never know what is going to happen next. The undoing of Antonio Brown is one of the most fascinating things I have seen. It’s not fascinating like exciting, it’s fascinating like “Wow, I can’t believe he self-destructed that quickly.” It’s sad really, and one of the more shocking stories in all of football.

Who knows what will happen next in this saga? As Antonio Brown has taught us, expect the unexpected.

 

Help the Bahamas donating at Marlins Park!

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You can help our neighbors in the Bahamas donating at Marlins Park!

The Miami Marlins Foundation will donate all 50/50 Raffle proceeds – and match those funds raised – from the upcoming homestand to the relief efforts after Dorian did a lot of damage in the Bahamas.

In addition, fans attending games this homestand can help donating $1 at any Marlins Park concession and round up their purchases at the Marlins Park retail stores. Donations by fans will be matched by the Miami Marlins Foundation.

Needed items include water, canned goods, can openers, mosquito spray, sunscreen, diapers, baby formula, first aid items, flashlights, batteries, and small generators.

The Marlins thank partners Pepsi, Sedano’s Supermarkets, W.B. Mason, and Goya for their pledged donations to the Marlins organization’s efforts.

For more information on the Miami Marlins, please visit the team’s official sites, Marlins.com and MarlinsBeisbol.com.

 

So you’re saying we (Dolphins) don’t have a chance?

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The Dolphins had the perfect season.

And now they have the imperfect roster.

So the Miami Dolphins have accomplished something remarkable already, at least if a computer simulation is to be believed.

They have absolutely no chance of playing in the Super Bowl in their home stadium this February.

Zero. Point zero.

None.

Nada.

Zilch.

Look:

That’s 10,000 simulations.

And not once does Josh Rosen hit Preston Williams in the back of the end zone with a perfect strike to capture the Lombardi Trophy.

The Dolphins were the only team with that distinction.

Seriously, anything could happen if you tried it 10,000 times.

They might even draft a good offensive lineman outside the first round.

 

We love football and of course we like seeing our teams in Miami going to the playoffs and giving us something to root for. We know it is a hard time in Miami sports, but we are glad we can be with you in these difficult moments. Just do not let us go. We will go through the painful season together, and then, at some point, everything will be alright. Stay with us. Keep listening to our Five Reasons Podcasts, please. 

The Heat have their Hero and Herro together

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The Hero and Herro.

Well, this was refreshing.

As the Dolphins tank away everything but their toilets at the Davie practice facility, we’re getting closer to the no-tank team in town getting rolling again.

The Miami Heat open training camp on October 1st.

The Dolphins will likely have lost four games by then.

So it was a welcome sight to see new alpha Jimmy Butler back in the United States after his extended European vacation — and even better to see him working with the Heat’s new kid hope, Tyler Herro.

Warm and fuzzy yet?

And no, that’s not Dion in the middle, as some suggested.

What is the best part of this photo, other than the Heat’s present and future together?

The attitude.

I have high hopes for the Heat season, and we have the Hero and Herro.

A Heat team with an uncluttered roster and a chip on its collective shoulder?

Sign us up.

Especially in light of what’s happening with South Florida’s other pro teams.

Need something to wear?..

Go to our merchandise section and check out our no tanking tee.

 

The Miami Heat seems to be the only Miami professional team that is not tanking (the Panthers are from Broward, so do they count?), and we will definitively be very close to the team, as usual, but this time, going very often to the arena, to provide you with interviews, live analysis before and after games and a lot of Alf complaining. Please check out Five on the Floor and Cinco Razones Deportes Network (for Spanish listeners). We will have a blast!

Tate Martell ‘s transition to receiver going smoothly

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When Tate Martell did not win the starting quarterback job at the University of Miami after transferring from Ohio State, he didn’t quit, he adjusted.

All the way to the other side of the field.

Martell began working with the wide receivers since Jarren Williams was named the starting quarterback and he has been welcomed with open arms by senior K.J.Osborn and the rest of the receivers.

“We accepted him. It was no nothing. We accepted him.” Osborn said after Wednesday’s practice.

Tate Martell had the advantage of having a strong grasp of the offense due to having to learn the whole scheme during quarterback competition. The knowledge he brought into his new crew not only helped himself, but his teammates improve.

“Like I said when Tate first got here, he’s very smart,” Osborn said. “He’s very smart. And he helps us out in the room. Like, if there’s a question about something, Tate, he’s got the answer. You know, quarterback reads, or line, or anything. He’s very smart coming from the quarterback position.”

The mental part of the transition may be smooth but the physical part wasn’t. He may have thought himself to be a mobile quarterback but even Michael Vick never ran as much as a wide receiver. The pains from practice served as an inadvertent form of initiation to the group, according to Osborn.

“He’s starting to get those wide receiver pains from running so much,” a laughing Osborn joked. “We trying to tell people on the team it’s different at wide receiver, like you run all day.”

Martell made his Hurricanes debut lined up at wideout against Florida. He’s still listed as a backup quarterback in the depth chart but he’ll be worth taking a look at over the course of the season.

 

Listen to pur podcast 5 Rings Canes clicking here. 

Canes QB Jarren Williams

Coach Diaz and Jarren Williams Discuss Improvements

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Coach Manny Diaz and Jarren Williams have a lot to prove.

First-year quarterback Jarren Williams showed us all a few Saturday’s ago why he was chosen to lead this Miami Hurricanes team as its starting quarterback. While it did not ultimately lead to the outcome we wanted(Miami lost to #8 Florida 24-20), most Canes fans believe he is the right choice.

Coach Enos did not mince words when describing Williams and his play against Florida, saying “He did not play well enough for us to win the game.” We understand that those words were more “tough love” than anything else, and Jarren embraced it, but it wasn’t all entirely untrue. Williams had a few opportunities early in that game to break it open and could not find the open man. Although the offensive line did not play well at all, there were times where he either held on to the football too long or put his head down and took a sack.

Today, Cane Maven was at practice and listened in on what Coach Diaz and Jarren Williams had to say on what the redshirt freshman quarterback has worked on improving since his first game and if his progression has changed as a result of the Florida game:

Coach Manny Diaz says, “if we would’ve thrown a touchdown pass on the last drive and won 27-24, we would not have come in here and done anything differently.” Williams later said, regarding what had changed, “my pocket presence, you know, not watching the rush” and “every play you have to keep your eyes down the field and if you have to run, you could run”.

Follow me on twitter @jazzsantana for all the latest Miami Hurricanes news.

 Check out the @5Rings_Canes podcast for your Canes insider news and analysis.

 Go Canes!

Wait, the Dolphins Will Play Football This Week?

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Now that the dust is settling on the Miami Dolphins offseason, there is actual football on the horizon.

The bloodletting has ceased (for now) and the Miami Dolphins will attempt to field an NFL roster Sunday when they host the Baltimore Ravens.

Cuts and trades have left the 53-man roster a barren wasteland void of talent or hope for this season.

Tank you very much indeed.

 

These teams are polar opposites in many facets, starting under center.

Ryan Fitzpatrick will start an NFL football game for his eighth team Sunday.

Lamar Jackson has seven career starts.

Jackson improved as the year went on after taking over for Joe Flacco, and the Ravens were actually a top ten offense in terms of yardage last year.

A lot of that was thanks to Jackson who was second on the team with 695 yards rushing, and Baltimore won six of his seven starts.

Miami was abysmal against the run last year allowing 10 teams to eclipse 100 yards on the ground.

They could be even worse this time around.

The game plan for Baltimore should be simple, pound the Miami front seven into dust on the ground.

Perhaps Vincent Taylor could have been of assistance.

Mark Ingram still has a lot left in the tank at age 29, before the emergence of Alvin Kamara he started to put up excellent numbers in New Orleans with two consecutive 1,000-yard campaigns.

Look for Ingram out of the backfield as well, he has averaged over 43 receptions over the last four seasons.

The departure of Kiko Alonso won’t hurt the pass coverage at least.

Could we see Some Early FitzMagic for the Dolphins?

On the other side of the coin is the savvy veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick, who comes out guns blazing in the September heat.

 

 

Who can forget the swag that was FitzPatrick during the early part of last season.

He put up three straight 400-yard performances to start the season.

Elite.

Then he went full journeyman.

In that third game last year, Fitzpatrick threw three interceptions after just one in the first two games.

Tampa Bay took the loss in that one and in five straight games to follow. In those losses Fitzpatrick threw eight picks versus just six touchdowns.

That’s the Fitzpatrick most of us expect.

He does have some weapons in Preston Williams, Albert Wilson, Jakeem Grant, and Mike Gesicki so there will be some moments.

However the back line for the Ravens is an opportunistic and savvy group in their own right, windows will be tight for Fitzpatrick.

Same Ol’ Ravens D

Safety Earl Thomas joins the Baltimore secondary after a tenuous departure from Seattle. The departure of Eric Weddle left a void in that group and Thomas has the experience to adjust quickly and lead a talented bunch.

 

Baltimore was the top rated overall defense in yards allowed while holding opponents to just 3.7 yards per carry.

Expect the Ravens to stack the box and dare Kenyan Drake and Kallen Ballage to put their foot down and earn the tough yards.

That could be a challenge behind what remains of the Miami offensive line.

 

Hopefully the big boys find their parking spots prior to Sunday, they will likely want a quick escape after the final whistle.

If (when) Miami gets behind the chains, Baltimore can pin their ears back and force Fitzpatrick into mistakes.

There is very little optimism for the Dolphins faithful but home games can take on a life of their own.

Should Miami be able to hang early and stop the Ravens offense, they could keep it close for a while.

Unfortunately it shapes up to be a long day in Miami Gardens, Baltimore simply has too much depth and overall talent.

These teams have a lot of history, including the 40-0 dismantling of Miami in 2017 which will be remembered for an Alonso hit on Flacco more than anything else.

Prediction: Ravens 27, Dolphins 17

Follow us on Twitter for more Miami Dolphins news @SportsWaveDave and @5ReasonsSports.

Make sure to check out and subscribe our Dolphins podcasts Three Yards Per Carry and The Fish Tank.

Mike Gesicki trending in right direction for the Dolphins

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After being drafted in the second round out of Penn State, the Dolphins had high expectations for Mike Gesicki.

Every team is searching for the next Rob Gronkowski or Travis Kelce and the Dolphins thought Gesicki, the 23-year old from Lakewood New Jersey, could fit that mold.

Mike Gesicki had a subpar 2018 season with Adam Gase at the helm. He finished with just 22 receptions for 202 yards, but nobody was expecting him to come in and perform as a top-tier tight end as rookie.

Under a new staff lead by Brian Flores, the Dolphins are focused on developing young talent and tight ends coach George Godsey is liking what he sees from the second-year tight end.

Where has Gesicki made the most progress?

“He’s had a good preseason – both the run game and pass game,” Godsey said. “His conditioning is improving throughout the course of not only spring, but the fall. He’s got an upward trend right now. He’s caught some passes in the preseason, made some big plays. Of course, now is when it counts.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ml-r_GJ3RF0

How high is his ceiling?

“He’s a young player, so there’s a lot of room to improve,” Godsey said. “Obviously, there are some things we’re doing with him now that he’s unfamiliar with from college. For everybody, there’s a certain growth period, especially as you get into the league, not only learning your role, but the personnel and how to study the opponent and how you fit into the game plan and then performing when your number is called.”

How does added weight help Gesicki with technique?

“All that goes together – technique, physical stature and then getting open at the top of the route. All of that stuff really is important when you’re running routes,” Godsey said. “At this level, one of them can’t just be your strength. You have to excel in all those different phases of running routes. Mike is learning that. And then you have to catch the ball. All of that stuff really factors into it. You can run a great route, you can get open, and then if you don’t finish the play, then it’s all for naught. It’s the same thing – if you can’t get open, then you’re not even an option. He understands that and I think all of those things are going to help him become a better player.”

Mike Gesicki is listed as Miami’s starting tight end as the Dolphins welcome the Baltimore Ravens to Hard Rock Stadium for week one of the NFL season on Sunday.

 

Listen to our podcasts The Fish Tank and Three Yards Per Carry, with the best analysis of the Miami Dolphins, clicking here.