Josh Rosen

Josh Rosen taking role as Dolphins backup QB in stride

/0 Comments/in , /by

Immediately after the end of the final preseason game on Thursday night, head coach Brian Flores announced that veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick is the starting quarterback for the 2019 season. Young player Josh Rosen, who put together an impressive preseason and was acquired during the draft in exchange for a second round pick, now has to ride the bench until such a time as Flores deems him ready.

“I’ve said multiple times, I think he’s improved greatly over the course of training camp.” Flores said. “This is a young kid who works extremely hard. It is important to him. He’s talented, but playing quarterback in this league – it takes some time. He’s in a new offense, and I think he’ll get there. I do. I really do. That’s a conversation we had. I think he’ll get there at some point. When? I don’t know, and a lot of that’s up to him. He knows that. No knock on him, but he has worked extremely hard, but I think he will get there. This is a talented player. We’re excited about him.”

The logic seems simple. Let Rosen start, and if he shows he can handle the job, then the Dolphins don’t need to draft a quarterback in round one. But apparently, Miami has a different plan in mind for him.

Reaction from Josh Rosen

Any young player who gets told they won’t be starting is going to be disappointed. In Rosen’s case, he has a reputation dating back to college for not handling adversity well. According to Flores, however, things were different this time.

“They both handled it well. These are two of the most professional guys I have been around. They both handled it really well.” Flores said. “Obviously, ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) was excited. Josh was a little disappointed, but at the same time, he looked at me and said… well, I will keep that conversation between he and I.”

As for Rosen himself, he admits that he had a rough start to his Dolphins tenure.

“Coach (Flores) challenged me pretty early in training camp as I wasn’t playing very well because I was just sort of drinking water from a fire hose.” He said. “I think a lot of that had to do with focusing on my day-to-day and not trying to worry if Coach was looking or make sure I impress him here or this … I think it’s only time that this team is mine, but until then I’m going to be as supportive a backup as I can, and like I said, push him every single day.”

Josh Rosen taking this in stride is encouraging. One of the main criticisms Flores has for him is that his body language is not ideal. Strangely enough, however, Rosen may be disappointed, but he doesn’t seem that upset.

What’s next?

Development is still going to be priority number one for Rosen. After the debacle that was his rookie year, he’s trying to change his mentality towards his career.

“Last year everything kind of flipped pretty quickly.” He said. “They told me at the beginning of the year I was supposed to sit out and try and learn behind Sam (Bradford) and play that Year 2 and get ready to get, and that didn’t happen. I think any sort of projection of where my career should be is kind of irrelevant, or really difficult to pin down, I guess you could say at this point. That’s why I’m really focusing on what I can do day-to-day. In terms of my progression as a quarterback, I think I’m substantially better a quarterback now than I was three weeks ago and a way better quarterback than I was a year ago.”

His improvement is undeniable. The only real question at this point is this: will he improve fast enough to win the starting job in 2020? It’s almost guaranteed at this point that Miami will draft a quarterback in round one of the 2020 draft, which means the level of competition for him will be much higher than an aged veteran with an average ceiling. Maybe he’ll be traded again next offseason, or he’ll be forced to remain a backup. Or, he could become the starter after all.

Whatever the future holds for Josh Rosen, he’s taking it in stride and remaining focused on his own growth. How’s that for improved body language?

“On this progression, I think the future is pretty bright.” He said. “I’m excited. I wouldn’t say it’s a setback, but the temporary – it’s not even a hurdle to cross over; it’s part of the journey.”

Dolphins name veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick starting quarterback

/0 Comments/in , /by

Shortly before the end of the final preseason game, head coach Brian Flores announced he would name the starting quarterback after the game ended. The oddsmakers turned out to be correct after all. Veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick is the Dolphins starting quarterback over young prospect Josh Rosen.

The decision to name Fitzpatrick over Rosen flies in the face of Flores’s declaration that the best player would win the starting job. Over the course of the preseason, Rosen performed better than the 15-year veteran, yet the competition ends with Fitzpatrick victorious. One has to wonder if the starting job ever up for grabs to begin with. It seems not. Fitzpatrick performed better early on in practice. Rosen closed the gap quickly, however.

Flores stated during the press conference that Ryan Fitzpatrick starting was the best decision for this team. The decision was made over the course of the last week. Which means, somehow, Rosen’s performance in week three of preseason meant nothing to Flores. The rookie head coach insists that Rosen is talented, but he isn’t ready yet.

It’s extremely difficult to justify the decision to name Fitzpatrick the starter at this point. Perhaps, in the beginning, it might have been different. But now there’s nothing to do but wait and see how the regular season plays out. Also, prepare for the Dolphins to draft a quarterback in the first round of 2020. Maybe they want a rookie to compete with Rosen next year. If that is the case, however, this was not a smart way to handle the situation.

Whether they draft Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert, Jake Fromm, or someone else, it’s clear that Rosen isn’t viewed as the solution to the quarterback problem. Truly a shame to see.

Luis Sung has covered the Miami Dolphins for numerous outlets such as Dolphins Wire for six years. Follow him on Twitter: @LuisDSung

Oddsmakers favor Ryan Fitzpatrick starting for Dolphins over Josh Rosen

/0 Comments/in , /by

Right or wrong, there’s something to be said about betting odds. Las Vegas has a way of knowing what’s going to happen any given season, even if their predictions don’t make sense in the minds of fans. They’ve even weighed in on who’s more likely to start for the Miami Dolphins come week one of the regular season. Will it be longtime veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick, or young prospect Josh Rosen?

So far, the oddsmakers favor Fitzpatrick.

To be fair, the odds were made back in late July. This is before Josh Rosen put together a fairly impressive preseason. But taking into account what head coach Brian Flores is saying, it’s starting to look more and more likely that Vegas is right again, even if the logic behind it is increasingly faulty.

“He played well, and that makes the decision harder.” He said this past Thursday after the preseason win against Jacksonville. “I think that’s pretty clear, clear and evident. But there’s – again, there’s other things at play here. ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) played well, I thought, and there’s some things – when you’ve got a young quarterback, again, I’m a proponent of not rushing that, not rushing the process for young players. So we’ll make the decision for what we think is best for Josh, ‘Fitz,’ and this team.”

The best decision for this team, he says. Best decision for Rosen, he says.

What else does Rosen need to do to prove he’s worthy of earning the starting job?

Flores has said that he wants Rosen to work on his decision making, to not take so many chances. However, most of Rosen’s chances seem to lead to positive results. In the end, that’s all that any coach can hope for, right? Isn’t it refreshing to have a QB who can improvise and make plays even when everything is crumbling around him? This goes for his potential as a franchise QB as well. He’s showing a lot of traits that suggest he can be a franchise QB. Someone who can lead a team to the promised land…after some serious investment into the offensive line of course.

And yet Las Vegas is saying Ryan Fitzpatrick is still more likely to start over Rosen. Is Flores just stubborn? Unwilling to let Rosen start over Fitzpatrick since one is a veteran and one is a young guy still trying to stabilize his footing? Josh Rosen needs to learn, and if 2019 is truly a wash no matter what, what is gained by starting Fitzpatrick over Rosen at this point?

Back in June, it was suggested that the best man should be the Dolphins starting quarterback. Brian Flores needed to make sure everyone knew that performance would dictate who plays and who doesn’t. Back then, Rosen was behind Fitzpatrick. After this preseason, however, it appears Rosen has outplayed Fitzpatrick in almost every aspect. Is that not grounds for starting? If Flores is honest, there should be no reason for debate.

Vegas always seems to be right, and Vegas insists Fitzpatrick is the man to start 2019. But if they are right, then a microscope needs to be placed on Flores and everything he says at this point. Even the players don’t know what’s going on at this point, since Flores doesn’t give updates.

“No, he really doesn’t. He keeps it plain and simple.” wide receiver Jakeem Grant said Sunday. “Everybody knows there’s a quarterback battle going on. We just get in and compete with both of them. It’s either we’re in with Josh (Rosen) or if we’re in with ‘Fitz” (Ryan Fitzpatrick). Either way it goes, we love those guys. They are both great, talented quarterbacks and I think that both of them can lead us to the promise land.”

Based on the preseason, it’s clear who’s more capable at this point. Josh Rosen should start. True, Las Vegas won’t appreciate it, but the Dolphins need to see what they have in Rosen, and the young UCLA standout has earned his chance.

Dolphins purge will lead to progress

/0 Comments/in /by

Jock Takes: The Dolphins purge has begun.

I expect the roster to look totally different by the end of the season, as well as a whole youth movement towards a rebuild.

Let’s just be honest, the Dolphins will be bad. Intentionally. The purpose of the purge is to get Brian Flores’s guys in there, Tank for Tua.

However, that depends on how Josh Rosen performs at quarterback — once he’s finally the starter — and believe it or not positioning themselves for a playoff run in 2020-2021 season. They have cap space, draft picks, and other teams in the AFC will take a step back by that season. This upcoming season will be a trial and error season. We will get to see every young player get an opportunity to cement themselves as part of the rebuild.

The Dolphins have elite players who are young and in very important positions (LT Laremy Tunsil if he’s still here, LB Jerome Baker, CB Xavien Howard, and Minkah Fitzpatrick).

I believe if they want, they can move Minkah to corner permanently and have two shut-down corners. Also, with talks of adding Jadeveon Clowney you would get an elite pass rusher who would make more plays in Flores system then he did in Houston.  Look at Kyle Van Noy’s production under Flores in New England.

The Dolphins can afford to pay these players because they will have a quarterback under control for the next 4 to 5 years.  Now heading back to the purge conversation, I expect Reshad Jones, Kenny Stills, and Kiko Alonso all to be traded for draft picks or cut by next year. The Dolphins in one year will make amends for a lot of bad contracts during the Mike Tannebaum era. Ultimately Dolphin fans will forget about that era of mediocrity.

Then there’s Rosen. He’s not starting at the start of the season — Flores named Ryan Fitzpatrick the guy. But it’s just for now. Soon it will be Rosen. If he does well then you can draft and build around him with a strong offensive draft class in 2020. The 2020 class is full of offensive talent, probably the most talented class in some time. If Rosen is not playing well by week 6, then make full preparations to Tank for Tua.

If they are not comfortable with the QB’s in 2020 than they can draft receivers and offensive linemen and go all-in for Trevor Lawrence in 2021. Many are already calling him the best QB that college football may ever see.

The Dolphins have many options, however, the purge is a must to see the full potential of the roster going into the 2020 season.

GCL Marlins win division as Dorian cancels playoffs

/1 Comment/in , /by

Dorian is already impacting Florida sports.

The Gulf Coast League announced on Wednesday that the final two games of the season and the league playoff series has been canceled.

The decision was made in preparation of the incoming impact of Hurricane Dorian heading towards Florida.

“In an effort to ensure that all players, coaches and staff members have a chance to evacuate and prepare for the storm, we have decided to cancel the final two regular-season games, as well as the playoffs,” said Tim Brunswick, Minor League Baseball’s senior vice president of baseball and business operations. “After discussing the options with the teams, the decision to end the season early was the best choice for the safety of everyone involved as that is our top priority.”

Thursday, Aug. 29, will serve as the final game of the season. The GCL Marlins don’t have games scheduled for that day and have a half-game lead in the East division. The GCL Phillies West claimed the North division title and GCL Orioles clinched the South division championship. With the hurricane Dorian, they’ll have to settle for that achievement.

The GCL Marlins were comprised with mostly players selected in the 2019 MLB Draft. There was plenty of bright spots from the backfields of Palm Beach County’s spring training complexes. Shortstop Nasim Nunez posted a .340 on-base percentage with three more hits than walks and stole 28 bases. He was selected in the second round of the draft. Victor Mesa Jr., an 18-year-old outfielder who signed with his brother, Victor Victor, as an international free agent, led the GCL Marlins with a .284 batting average and a .764 OPS.

First baseman Zachary Owens had the second highest batting average with .280. He was selected in the 33rd round out of Eastern Michigan University.

Lorenzo Hampton, who played college ball at FIU, also batted .280 with a .747 OPS and led the team with 31 RBIs. He was selected in the 28th round.

Andrew Narni was drafted in the 16th round out of the University of Arizona and was the most impressive reliever of the group. He posted a 0.98 ERA in 13 games with 30 strikeouts in 18.1 innings pitched.

Anthony Maldonado (11th round out of Bethune-Cookman) and Zach King (13th round out of Vanderbilt) were two other impressive relievers on the GCL Marlins. King went 2-0 with a 1.65 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 16.1 innings. Maldonado struck out 15 batters in 11.1 innings and posted a 1.59 ERA.

Evan Fitterer was a fifth-round selection out of high school in California and the most impressive starting pitcher on the team. He started the most games of the group (8) and posted a 2.38 ERA with 19 strikeouts in 22.2 innings pitched.

Most of these guys will move on to the next stage, which will be Batavia. The Muckdogs are also experiencing success in the New York-Penn League and the Clinton Lumberkings punched their ticket into the Midwest League playoffs. These are certainly good signs for an improved farm system.

Anthony DeSclafani went full circle on the Marlins

/0 Comments/in , /by

Anthony DeSclafani did what many pitchers have done this year: dominate the Marlins offense.

The Miami Marlins once again fell to the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday. This time it was Miami’s 18th shutout loss of the season, three of such came against the Reds, who are one win away on Thursday to complete the season sweep.

Wednesday was a bit different because Reds pitcher Anthony DeSclafani threw his longest outing of the season. He tossed seven scoreless innings allowing two hits with eight strikeouts and only one walk.

“My last few outings I’ve felt very good,” DeSclafani said. “Trying to get ahead and mix speeds. I made the pitch when I needed to and had some defensive plays. It’s all good.”

DeSclafani entered the game with a three-run advantage thanks to a first-inning home run by rookie Aristides Aquino off Marlins starter Sandy Alcantara, who finished with one extra run and eight strikeouts in six innings.

“I just missed one pitch,” Alcantara said of the homer to Aquino. “After that I was competing. I just want to finish strong.”

DeSclafani went full circle with this start in Miami. His career started with the Marlins in 2014 and was traded to the Reds for starting pitcher Matt Latos in the offseason leading up to the 2015 season. Months later, the Marlins shipped Latos and first baseman Michael Morse to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a mid-season trade for three prospects including stater-turned reliever Jeff Brigham.

Both DeSclafani and Brigham finally pitched in the same game. Brigham came into the game in the eighth inning and gave up a solo home run to third baseman Eugenio Suarez. It was his fourth home run in as many games and 38th of the season.

Preseason sack leader Nate Orchard close to earning Dolphins spot

/0 Comments/in /by

Nate Orchard could make the Dolphins roster. The 2019 season is about discovering who can have a long-term impact on the Miami Dolphins. While looking for diamonds in the rough, the Dolphins may have discovered Nate Orchard.

The 26-year-old has only 69 career tackles in his six-year NFL career, but it seems he has found his niche in Miami’s new defensive system under first-year coach Brian Flores and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.

“Yeah, I love the system,” Orchard said on Tuesday. “Patrick Graham knows what he’s doing. He’s able to put guys in positions to be successful and he’s doing that with me and a bunch of guys. He sees my skill set and what I can bring to the table, allowing me to stand up and have my hand in the dirt, as well.”

Orchard, who is listed as a linebacker, has the flexibility the Dolphins are looking for on the defensive side of the ball. He has even spent some time as a defensive back.

“Yeah, I did that with [Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator] Kalani Sitake when I was at Utah,” Orchard said. “So yeah, I’ve had experience. I’ve been in the league for five years now, so you get your hands in a little bit of everything.”

While he can do a little of everything, but Orchard is making noise this preseason as the league-leader in sacks with four after a two-sack performance against Jacksonville.

“I feel really comfortable with what we’re doing,” Orchard said. “They’ve moved me from a 5-, 9- or a 6-[technique], stand up, have my hand in the dirt. I’m comfortable being able to move around and play to my strengths.”

Keep in mind, the Dolphins are looking to find players who can rush the passer, Orchard knows he needs to continue to work in order to secure a spot on the 53-man roster.

“You’ve got to be able to block out the noise,” Orchard said. “Knowing what’s at stake, it’s tough. But at the same time, don’t let it take away from your game. Be who you are and approach each game, each snap, as if it was your last and just enjoy it as much as possible.”

Orchard, who wears the number four, may have a shot to even push for a starting job across from Charles Harris. The fourth game of the preseason may not mean a lot for most teams, but for the Dolphins, it is the last opportunity for a handful of players to prove they deserve a spot on an NFL roster.

The Dolphins play the Saints on Thursday night with kickoff scheduled for 8 p.m.

Jadeveon Clowney/Miami Dolphins tracker

/0 Comments/in /by

Jadeveon Clowney and the Miami Dolphins. You know how this works. Smoke, then fire.

Right now, we’re starting to cough a bit.

The Miami Dolphins have been rumored to have a strong interest in disgruntled former No. 1 overall pick (2014) Jadeveon Clowney of the Houston Texans. Clowney’s relationship with the Texans has soured over contract extension talks, and he’s even fired his agent Bus Cook, the guy best known for representing Brett Favre and having a fabulous ‘stache.

Should the Dolphins acquire Clowney? Is he worth it? Depends what it costs. If it costs Laremy Tunsil, absolutely bleeping not. But the Dolphins do have a bit of a glut at the skill positions on offense of similarly talented players, and it’s not like the line (other than Tunsil) will give the quarterbacks any time to get the ball to them anyway.

Here are the latest tweets….

Make sure to scroll to the end as we update….

 

Follow hte coverage of the Miami Dolphins and the rest of the National Football League listening to our podcasts Three Yards Per Carry, The Fish Tank, Five Rings Canes or visiting DolphinMaven.com 

Jorge Alfaro’s power taking shape

/10 Comments/in , /by

Jorge Alfaro and his swing are coming back to their original shape.

The Miami Marlins lost 8-5 to the Cincinnati Reds but at least one of their young franchise cornerstones continued producing.

Jorge Alfaro hit his second consecutive home run in the sixth inning against Reds starter and former Marlins prospect Luis Castillo. The two-run had an exit velocity of 110.7 mph, with an estimated distance of 399 feet, according to Statcast. It’s the longest home run of his young career. 

“When he doesn’t chase, he’s pretty good,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “When he puts the ball in play — we’ve said it the whole time — he hits the ball hard. He’s been successful. I think that’s where we’ve got to make strides.”

Jorge Alfaro is now hitting .271 with a .429 slugging percentage, with a career high 14 home runs and 44 RBIs. There’s still time to finish the season with 20 home runs, which is the usual benchmark for power hitters. 

“I’m just trying to be on time,” Alfaro said. “That’s it. That’s all I’m trying to do, and look for a good pitch.”

Alfaro’s success at the plate is due to his ability to make constant contact. He entered the night with a 34.3 percent strikeout rate and a 45.5 hard-hit percentage. According to Statcast, that number is in the 86th percentile.

“He’s been swinging the bat good,” Mattingly said. “He seems better up there.”

J.T. Realmuto set the Marlins single season mark with 21 home runs in 2018. Alfaro was part of the return package in the February trade that sent Realmuto to the Philadelphia Phillies, and is currently at No. 9. For context, John Buck (2011), Miguel Olivo (2006-07) and Ivan Rodriguez (2003) are tied for the fifth most with 16.

Only two years separate Alfaro from Realmuto but the Marlins will have the Colombian catcher under team control until after the 2023 season. He’ll be 30 by then, but hopefully there will be a powerful finished product by then.

 

Paul Finebaum calls UM a “third world program”

/3 Comments/in , /by

Paul Finebaum opened the floor again.

Um, ESPN, about that no politics thing?

You remember how Dan LeBatard (our Dan LeBatard, of course) got heat internally for calling out the president’s racially-charged rallies?

Well, here’s the flip side of that.

Here is Paul Finebaum, known SEC shill and transparent provocateur, making a racially-loaded comment about the University of Miami, on ESPN’s airwaves:

What exactly do you mean there, Paul?

What would make us third world down here?

Our transportation system sucks. The Miami airport too. And yeah, there’s corruption.

But anyone who is associated with this area knows that “third world” isn’t referencing any of that. It’s referencing the populace…. much of which is brown or black.

That’s not a overly sensitive stretch. Just ask around.

This is a characterization that was all too common during the Heat’s Big 3 years. The national media constantly suggested that Miami didn’t “deserve” that team. Why? Well, sometimes they said it was because we weren’t passionate enough fans, too transient, all out on our boats. (You heard that a lot when national media members were cheering LeBron going back to “working class” Cleveland, i.e. more white).

But the other part of it was that we don’t look like other sports fans around the country, those pure fans from say, Boston.

“It’s a third world program if you ask me.”

Just say what you mean, Paul.

The caller did: “Well, at least no one was shot, I guess?”

Ha ha. That’s hysterical. No one shot. By Miami fans.

You forgot the word “thug.” Do better next time.

So Paul, nothing surprises us from you anymore.

Oh, and I’ve been to some of those SEC towns you love, where the Waffle House is deemed the equivalent of Ruth’s Chris — they both have butter! — and the unpaved roads to nowhere are lined with troopers waiting to pick up anyone who doesn’t answer to Bubba and have “Don’t Tread On Me” on his pickup’s bumper.

That world seems a lot more third than this.