Dolphins seeking specific trait for their rebuild

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The Dolphins have been a dull football team for a long time.

And while it would be an unfair accusation to say they’ve been a dumb one too, they haven’t exactly been marked by their overall intelligence. Unlike the Patriots, who seem to adjust to every circumstance, between or within games,the Dolphins have struggled to make the proper play when it matters — in part because they don’t seem prepared.

It appears, now that they are basically run by former Patriots, that they are determined to address that.

This applied to the Dolphins’ third round pick too…

Will this translate to success? It’s impossible to say. When Bill Parcells came in, back in 2008, the slogan he, Tony Sparano and Jeff Ireland used their first season was “Smart. Tough. Disciplined.” It was even etched in the wall in the auditorium. It worked the first season. Chad Pennington never made a mistake, the receivers ran tight routes, the defense was opportunistic, and the Dolphins went 11-5, a record they haven’t replicated since. But they stumbled their next three seasons, and that regime was out.

This one is trying the strategy again.

That doesn’t mean every player will be a mensa candidate. But the emphasis is obvious, and welcome.

 

Dolphins acquire Josh Rosen for two picks

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Over the past 15 years, under four different regimes, the Miami Dolphins have spent second-round picks — either in the draft or in trades — on five different quarterbacks.

A.J. Feeley.

Daunte Culpepper.

John Beck.

Chad Henne.

Pat White.

Hopefully, the sake of Chris Grier — who has been here all this time — this will go better.

After trading down out of the No. 48 overall spot (second round) to accumulate more picks (including this year’s No. 62 plus a 2020 second-rounder) from the Saints, Grier send that No. 62 slot to the Arizona Cardinals for Josh Rosen, drafted No. 10 overall out of UCLA just last spring. The Dolphins also threw in a 2020 fifth-rounder, which was contrary to initial reporting.

Rosen — who struggled badly with a terrible team — will now compete with veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick for the starting job in 2019, and perhaps carve out a long-term position on the team, though it may not be as a long-term starter if the Dolphins are bad enough to draft an elite quarterback in 2020.

Chris Grier addressed the media shortly after the trade.

Here are the key quotes:

This might make this tryout palatable to fans:

 

And here’s a factoid:

If the Dolphins keep No. 48, who should they take?

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The Dolphins have the 16th pick in the 2nd round (#48 overall) and the 15th pick in the 3rd round (#78 overall).  After taking Christian Wilkins 13th overall, the Dolphins have gone a long way to solving their issues on the interior Defensive line, but they have Nothing on the Edge, are under staffed in the secondary, and can use Linebacker depth.  The work on Defense has just begun.  Good thing they got some draft luck as the entire NFL conspired to ignore the entire Secondary group till the Giants took Deandre Baker at #30 (This writer’s CB2).  Then we have the Rosen trade drama, and Drew Lock possibly dropping to #48. What happened to Jawaan Taylor?

It’s an intriguing day 2.  So here is the wishlist (in order of preference) for pick #48:

1. Greedy Williams, CB, LSU

2. Chase Winovich, EDGE, Michigan

3. Rock Ya Sin, CB, Temple


4. Jawaan Taylor, RT, Florida


5. Drew Lock QB, Missouri

6. Eric McCoy, C, Texas A&M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skTg8cDxcHA

7. Nasir Adderley, S, Delaware


8. Juan Thornhill, S, Virginia


9. Hakeem Butler, WR, Iowa State

10. Cody Ford, OG, Oklahoma

Report: Dolphins Close To Trade For Josh Rosen

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Dolphins fans might have been disappointed they didn’t get their quarterback on Day 1 of the NFL Draft, with Dwayne Haskins on the board at 13, but they might get their guy on Day 2, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network described trade talks as “Dolphins or bust” earlier today and that the trade could be finished as the Dolphins are on the clock.

Further reporting from NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo has the Dolphins potentially asking for a later round pick as well from Arizona because they feel giving up the #48 pick would be too much.

Dolphins fans should definitely stay tuned here and to Day 2 of the draft tonight.

Day 2 options for the Dolphins

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The NFL draft resumes Friday night, and the Dolphins have picks in the second (48) and third (78) rounds.

There are plenty of options at positions of need — because, for the Dolphins, every position is a position of need.

Here’s more, this from Chris Kouffman…

 

Look for a new episode of Three Yards Per Carry to post on Friday afternoon.

 

 

Christian Wilkins: ¿la escogencia correcta de los Dolphins?

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Christian Wilkins fue el escogido por los Miami Dolphins con su primera escogencia la noche de este jueves en el Draft de la NFL.

Para muchos analistas los Dolphins iban a buscar a un mariscal de campo, pero Miami decidió volver a la ruta de los tackle defensivos.

Wilkins es un personaje, y ya ha dado sus primeras muestras de quien puede ser.

Anoche casi tumba al comisionado Godell de la emoció que tenía por firmar como profesional.

Además, demostró sus dotes de bailarín:

¿Porqué escogieron a Christian Wilkins y no a un quarterback?

Los fanáticos de los Dolphins no estaban contentos con la escogencia.

Preferían a un mariscal, pero ¿qué le trae Wilkins a Miami y a los Dolphins?

Ethan Skolnik y Chris Wittyngham lo analizaron en una edición especial de Five Reasons Flagship:

Además, Ricardo Montes de Oca, Leandro Soto y Alejandro Villegas tuvieron la oportunidad de conversar con Eduardo Martell, comentarista en español de los Dolphins de Miami:

Five 1st Round Picks From South Florida In NFL Draft. None From UM.

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As most first rounds are, the NFL Draft saw South Florida represented well beyond just the Dolphins picking at 13. Five players from the Dade/Broward area were selected in the opening 30 picks.

Nick Bosa, the Fort Lauderdale product who went to St. Thomas, went 2nd to the 49ers.

Devin Bush, the Flanagan alumnus from Pembroke Pines, went 10th to the Steelers, who traded up to get him

 

Brian Burns, from Plantation and American Heritage, went 16th to Carolina

Hollywood Brown is from… Hollywood, Florida and went 25th to the Ravens

Deandre Baker went 30th to the Giants, who also traded up to get him, and went to Miami Northwestern

The talent in our communities is staggering. Unfortunately, from a college point of view, none of those players went to UM. Bosa followed his brother to Ohio State. Bush came out of Michigan. Brian Burns from FSU. Hollywood Brown went to the least Hollywood place in America, Oklahoma. And Deandre Baker went to Georgia.

While none of this is a particular indictment on anyone currently in the program. Nor is there any reversing the reality that major college football programs are going to come to Miami and Fort Lauderdale on the lookout for the best players in America.

But we really won’t see the University of Miami back at the highest levels of college football until the commissioner starts saying “from the University of Miami” at the end of these picks. Which seems obvious, but Manny Diaz has a lot of work to do to regain his turf.

Everyone is here now, but this talent base is the reason why UM should always be at the top of this sport. And it’s his job to win these recruiting wars and have the NFL stars stay in their backyard and win ACC Championship for the Hurricanes.

Chris Grier isn't a perfect general manager, but he does not deserve to be fired.

Is Josh Rosen still in play for Dolphins?

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Chris Grier didn’t give anything away.

And neither have the Arizona Cardinals… yet.

Following the selection of Clemson defensive tackle Christian Wilkins in the first round, the Dolphins GM was asked about interest in now-displaced Cardinals quarterback Josh Rosen — interest everyone knows the Dolphins have.

Grier demurred, and the media moved to other topics. But as the draft moves to round 2 on Friday, and the Cardinals now have a new franchise quarterback (No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray), the Rosen-to-Miami stuff isn’t going away.

It sure appears — now that Giants and Redskins have also drafted quarterbacks — like the Dolphins have considerable leverage, as the only team really in play.

So what would it take?

Well, the chatter was about a third-round pick, and maybe the Cardinals hold out for that or more, and deal with the consequences of having an unhappy quarterback in their camp.

Especially after this all-time @OldTakesExposed tweet:

And they seem to be using Adam Schefter to get some leverage back:

Could Rosen be a redemption story? Here?

Caleb Smith: el as de los Marlins en Abril

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Caleb Smith ha lanzado como un as de rotación durante sus primeras cinco aperturas en 2019.

Los Marlins vencieron 3 a 1 a los Filis la noche de este jueves gracias un jonrón del dominicano Starlin Castro en la parte alta del décimo inning en el primer juego de la serie de fin de semana que Miami disputa en Filadelfia.

Para los Marlins fue la cuarta victoria en los últimos seis encuentros, tras vencer dos de tres en la serie ante Washington y dividir en Cleveland.

Caleb Smith y Aaron Nola se enfrascaron en un duelo típico de dos número uno de rotación.

Smith es el quinto en el esquema de Miami, pero en la práctica ha funcionado como un stopper.

Sus cinco salidas han sido de calidad, incluyendo dos ante los propios Filis de Filadelfia.

Para Smith, esta ha sido una prueba de fuego.

Se ganó su puesto a pulso en el Spring Training, y ha dejado bien parado al cuerpo técnico de los Marlins, que lo escogió por encima de Wei-Yin Chen.

Los números de Caleb Smith en Abril

Caleb Smith está entre los zurdos con más abanicados por cada nueve innings, con 37 en tan solo 29 innings.

El zurdo de Texas ha sabido salir de las situaciones complicadas que ha enfrentado en lo que va de campaña.

El jueves, retiró a Bryce Harper y Rhys Hoskins con hombre en tercera y un out, para sacar el sexto inning de los Filis y cerrar su gran actuación.

A Smith aún le falta ir más allá del sexto episodio.

Nunca ha pitchado más de seis innings, y ese quizás sea su próxima meta.

Por ahora, los Marlins seguirán cuidando ese brazo que se está convirtiendo poco a poco en la referencia de esta joven rotación.

Miami Dolphins take Christian Wilkins in first round

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The Dolphins had a shot at a quarterback.

But they’ve taken only three in the first round in 42 years, and that didn’t change Thursday.

Miami passed on Dwayne Haskins at No. 13, and didn’t trade down as many expected, instead taking two-time collegiate champion defensive tackle Christian Wilkins.

Wilkins introduced himself to the NFL by screaming as he emerged from the green room, and then shoulder-bumping NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, the most affection that any NFL player has ever shown Goodell.

“Man, I’m just so excited, man,” Wilkins told pseudo-interviewer Deion Sanders. “This is awesome.”

Clemson University thought so, too.

He tends to be excited a lot…..

NFL Network analysts were excited too. A couple of them said they had Wilkins much higher, touting his athleticism and leadership.

“I really love this pick, because he relies on his quickness,” former Panthers receiver Steve Smith said on NFL Network. “He has active hands.”

Dolphins GM Chris Grier addressed the media, and said that they considered the quarterbacks available, but that “Christian was higher on the board for us, the highest player on our board.” He spoke highly of Wilkins’ intelligence, noted that Wilkins had an “elite skill set for his position,” and referenced Wilkins’ charisma.

“He told us it was the best decision we ever made when we picked him,” Grier said.

Dolphins players welcomed him on Twitter.

 

 

Wilkins addressed the media by videoconference.

 

He was, um, excited.

 

The national media liked it too…