Tag Archive for: Miami Dolphins

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.

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 

The Dolphins’ best blocker on the block?

/0 Comments/in , /by

We know the Dolphins are rebuilding. They’ve loaded up on draft picks and salary cap money for next offseason, and they’re still contemplating starting Ryan Fitzpatrick over Josh Rosen, apparently, as clear a sign of tanking as any we’ve seen.

So naturally, they would be looking to offload some veterans for additional draft capital. Kiko Alonso? Sure. Reshad Jones? They’ve signaled that for a while. Kenny Stills? Well, that relationship seems to have soured for all the wrong reasons.

But Laremy Tunsil?

The only guy on this offensive line with a chance of keeping a passer alive?

Entering his prime?

All because he will be expensive — as elite left tackles should be?

Didn’t we just hear this about Xavien Howard, prior to the Dolphins’ top defensive player signing an extension? And isn’t Tunsil the Dolphins’ top offensive player?

But here we are, sort of….

Pro Football Network has some quality people, and they’ve been right on some things before. So this isn’t meant to say they’re making up this report.

I don’t believe they are. And trying to break news can suck. Trust us. You get played all the time. And sometimes you can’t report everything you want to. But it seems like a leverage play by someone, which is what happens in this business.

Trading Tunsil makes little to no sense, unless he’s engaging in an extended holdout, which he’s not. And our people shot it down pretty quickly.

Then the great Barry Jackson — we’re contractually obligated to say that — weighed in.

Jackson says that other teams have inquired about Tunsil, but that the Dolphins aren’t shopping him in any way. This is an important distinction that fans often forget. Just because another team asks about a player doesn’t mean the player will be moved, or that there’s even a chance he is moved. It means the player is good.

I’d expect Laremy Tunsil to be here a long time, to make sure that Dolphins quarterbacks live a long life.

 

Read more Dolphins news visiting our news and voices sections or visiting DolphinsMaven.com 

Kalen Ballage

Kalen Ballage rushing full speed towards Dolphins starting RB job

/0 Comments/in , /by

Kalen Ballage is getting a rare opportunity with Kenyan Drake down with an injury. The Dolphins are going to need a running back, so he’s responding to the call by making play after play. His speed and acceleration caught the Tampa Bay Buccaneers off guard both days they held joint practices, resulting in several touchdowns. That level of production does not go unnoticed, and it’s clear head coach Brian Flores is enjoying noticing them.

“Oh, I saw them.” He said during his Wednesday press conference.

It makes sense that Ballage is pushing himself with Drake out. At the start of training camp, he was the one who worked with the starters, only to eventually be overtaken by the Alabama speedster as the days went on. It appeared that Drake was ready to lock down the starting job, at least until these joint practices with Tampa. All of a sudden, he, QB Josh Rosen and WR Preston Williams are getting chances to work with the starters after being stuck under the veterans.

“I think young guys have to be able to come out here and make plays.” Ballage said Wednesday. “This (isn’t) college anymore. It’s not high school. In my opinion, age doesn’t really matter. I think you just come out here and if you can ball, you can ball. I think that’s a big part of it.”

He’s doing a good job of impressing the coaches, and those touchdown runs included good execution across the board. That’s precisely what coach Flores is looking for in his players.

“They all work together. It’s 11 guys.” He said. “If you put 11 guys in and they execute their responsibility, you’ll get a good play. Kalen did a good job of making a guy miss, and that’s how you get long runs, receivers blocking corners and secondary players, and that’s how you get long runs. It takes everybody.”

At this point, it’s impressive that Kalen Ballage is able to do as much as he’s doing. The Dolphins offensive line is an absolute mess, so these touchdown runs are a testament to the home run capability Ballage has in him. It also acts as a demonstration for what the offense itself is capable of.

“It’s something that I’ve always known.” Ballage said. “I think that it gets the best athletes and the best talents in space, gets them the ball and kind of puts the rest on us to make plays. I think that that’s something that’s real important.”

Ballage’s opportunity to showcase himself stands to last a while, especially since Kenyan Drake has to wear a walking boot for an undisclosed amount of time. While coach Flores isn’t really concerned, indicating Drake will be ready for week one of the regular season at the latest, it doesn’t bode well for Drake with Ballage running full speed towards the starting job.

Kalen Ballage has had his struggles, but they appear to be past him. Back in college, he felt extremely underused. In his rookie season, he sat behind Drake and veteran Frank Gore. He appears ready to take charge, and he has a chance to prove it on Friday.

Dolphins-Buccaneers Joint Practice Notes DAY 2

/0 Comments/in /by

DAY 2

– LB Terrill Hanks comes off limping. Looks headed to the locker room. Something happened during warmup.
– Devante Parker and Kenyan Drake have been added to list of non-practicing players today.
– Hanks back out during stretch. No locker room.
– Fitzpatrick working with the 2nd stringers during warmup. We’ve moved back outside for whatever reason.
– Second string OL still Prince at RT, Fuller RG, Reed C, Holden LG, Sterup LT
– Orchard back with the 2nd string during warmup. Couldn’t see if Ledbetter was with him. That seemed rotational yesterday, anyway.
– Patrick Graham running some drills for the DEs.
– Charles Harris just shed the sled dummy so hard it almost hit Graham, “Oh damn Charles, you can throw it at me I’ll take it.”
– Perriman beats McTyer in 1v1.
– Godwin beats Xavien Howard in the end zone.
– Jomal Wiltz gets a win, Jalen Davis gets a win, overall, brutal 1v1 session.
– Kenny Stills and Fitzpatrick connecting with each other on 2nd unit.
– BIIIIIG run Ballage. Showed hella speed making that angle disappear. TD
– Preston Williams as gunner on punts. Defeated by the double.
– Preston up again as a gunner. Much better. But not as competitive as Armstrong or Wiltz.
– Headed inside. Monsoon breaks out, outside.
– Jesse Davis with a pretty good rep on Nassib.
– Jaryd Jones-Smith with a good rep as well.
– Isaiah Prince is responding today.
– Pit drill goes the Fins way today.
– Jaryd Jones-Smith is getting work in place of Jordan Mills at LT on 1st unit.
– Mike Evans a TD over Eric Rowe.
– Irwin open in the end zone. Fitz missed him.
– Preston Williams back on punt returns now. Why not?
– Preston Williams finally flubbed a punt return. Not bad for first try.
– First string defense stuffs the Bucs offense while the first string Miami offense nicely executed three in a row. Short pass to Ford, Ballage gain, and a tough catch thru a hard hit by Hurns.
– Rosen’s first string work was very decisive. Quick reads. Quick throws. Sharp.
– Bullet over the deep middle to Isaiah Ford by Ryan Fitzpatrick.
– Nick DeLuca with the pick.
– Kalen Ballage takes a RB screen to the house. He plays and looks fast.
– Jaryd Jones- Smith remains with 1st team.
– Chris Lammons still with the 1s. The first string D just allowed a huge in to the perimeter. – Rosen hesitated on a pass to Stills, not on the same page.
– Ryan Fitzpatrick a nice tall one for Brice Butler. Looks good running those square ins.
– Rosen failed to pull the trigger on a rollout last snap of goal line, first string work. Stills was open for a beat. He knew it.
– Jerome Baker breaks up a 50:50 ball in the end zone.
– Preston Williams al.ost makes a highlight catch on a fade in End Zone by Fitzpatrick. Had it. Couldn’t finish.
– Tweet: One of the biggest storylines here is Jaryd Jones-Smith stabilizing the line somewhat by stepping in for Jordan Mills at LT.
– Anthony Johnson of the Bucs just finished up team portion by catching a touchdown over the middle with Torry McTyer in trail.
– Rosen all day to throw. Took too long and threw a near pick trying to get it to Preston Williams.
– Mike Evans with a big catch over Xavien Howard that could’ve put him in the end zone.
– Touchdown to OJ Howard. Over Bobby McCain.
– Ryan Fitzpatrick just barely overthrows Brice Butler on a deep ball.
– Trent Irwin couldn’t get much separation on Sean Bunting there. Ran an out and Fitzpatrick threw it just wide.
– They just ran the same thing. This time connected. Other side of the field.
– Fitzpatrick begins to cook in the hurry up, Flag down. Walks them back.
– Fitzpatrick another no look pass to Nick O’Leary off the scramble. Big play. Big conversion.
– Aaron Monteiro let up a sack on 2nd down. That’ll hurt.
– Fitzpatrick getting a free play with 0:00 on the clock. Hail Mary. Incomplete.
– Fitzmagic pulls one out of his hat by finishing scrimmage with a bullet to Trenton Irwin just over the goal line. Fit between so many defenders the ball looked like it apparated.
– Nick DeLuca has sacks two practices in a row out here. And a pick. He’s got something.
– Cornell Armstrong saw that the whole way, breaks up and nearly picks off a pass in the end zone on the out.
– Rosen appears to get whistled for a sack and didn’t like it. Hurried into next play and holds ball forever. Finally dumps to Ballage.
– Minkah Fitzpatrick steps in front of a pass for the pickoff. Jerome Baker nearly got there on the speed rush.
– Practice Over

Practice MVP’s: Jaryd Jones-Smith, Kalen Ballage.

Chris Kouffman (@ckparrot) is one-third of the trio that does the Three Yards Per Carry (@3YardsPerCarry) podcast.

Dolphins-Buccaneers Joint Practice Notes DAY 1

/1 Comment/in /by

DAY 1

– Nice morning, for now. Ominous clouds promise some noon-ish nastiness. Humidity been ridiculous here last couple of days. Can’t even open my front door without having a hand towel.
– Chris Grier and Dan Marino among the onlookers today.
– TJ McDonald, Reshad Jones, Walt Aikens, Raekwon McMillan, Andrew Van Ginkel, Jakeem Grant, Chase Allen, Quentin Poling, Robert Nkemdiche, Cordrea Tankersley, Kiko Alonso OUT today.
– Isaiah Prince got made to stand on the corner.
– OL Coach GOOGS (Dave DeGuglielmo) being hard on the rookies. Made one to stand on the corner. “You don’t listen. Tired of talking to your ass.”
– Jordan Mills is still at LT in Indy Drills. Seems like he might start his 2nd game there this week.
– Godwin beats Eric Rowe on 1v1. on a fade. Follows up with a short catch.
– Godwin catches a short curl on Xavien Howard.
– Sam Eguavoen near pick…
– Tyrone Holmes stoned by Dotson. Wilkins gets nothing on #65.
– Godchaux pretty competitive with Ali Marpet. Beat him clean on 2nd rep.
– Charles Harris with a good rep on Boozer.
– Orchard has nothing for #67.
– Vincent Taylor good bull rush on #75.
– Akeem Spence and Dewayne Hendrix with ugly reps.
– Donovan Smith is beating up Dewayne Hendrix.
– Overall impression, I know from watching lots of All-Star work that pit drills favor the DL. But this didn’t look like it.
– Kalen Ballage with a nifty run up the middle.
– Rosen Sack. Blown block.
– Rosen, deep miss to Parker.
– Mark Walton beat in pass pro. Rosen sacked.
– Fitzpatrick working with #2’s now……
– Nice RB Outlet to Gaskin.
– Refs blow play action pass dead on Fitzpatrick. Sack.
– Preston Williams working with Rosen and 1st team.
– Strong reps from Kalen Ballage here.
– Nice Protection leads to a BIG pass from Rosen to Parker down the left sideline.
– Preston Williams with a sweet route and catch on the break.
– The 2nd team OL is awful.
– Kalen Ballage having a big day.
– 11v11 here.
– Good protection for Fitzpatrick. pass intended for Ballage, batted down.
– Gesicki with catch in the flat, for a 1st down. Deiter allowed pressure on the rep.
– Fitzpatrick to Parker on a sharp in-cut. Good pass.
– Fitzpatrick under pressure, over throws Stills on deep post.
– Preston Williams and Brice Butler working with the 1st team, some today.
– Fitzpatrick with good feel for floating to the best passing lane, Hits Ballage in tight coverage, but he can’t hold on.
– Kalen Ballage with another one. Getting a lot of work today.
– Fitzpatrick too tall for Ford on the end zone fade.
– Bucs offense is moving. Two in a row underneath to Breshad Perriman. Rowe in coverage. Godwin works on Rowe…XAVIEN HOWARD INT. great jump on the ball.
– 2nd unit in.
– Rosen, No huddle. good time, good protection. blown dead. Sack. Quick out to Hurns. Rosen holds it forever again…sack again.
– Blaine Gabbert doing Blaine Gabbert things. Sack..Nick DeLuca
– Moving to indoor facility due to lightning.
– 2018 1st round pick for the Bucs, Vita Vea is not practicing.
– FG work now.
– That is a 1v1 drill. The WR is supposed to win a majority of them.
– Fitzpatrick in Goal Line. Nearly picked off by Kentrell Brice.
– Hargreaves stops Parker’s fade route. No connection to be had.
– Brice Butler gets called for P.I (push off) in the end zone. Caught it though.
– Mark Walton sweep. TD
– Josh Rosen TD to Laird, who swept out the backfield while Rosen pulled the defense in.
– Godwin beats Eric Rowe for a TD.
– TD to OJ Howard on a quick out. Needham late in getting over.
– Lots of Yellow here. False Start on Bucs. Then Jameis Winston throws the Fade to Brate anyway, catches it on Wiltz. Flagged for a push off.
– Andre Ellington, diving TD catch on Jalen Davis.
– Missed throw to end practice, tried to get Hudson on the quick out, but give Hartage credit for hustling out there.

SOUND AFTER PRACTICE:

BRIAN FLORES- Flores talking up Ledbetter a bit after being asked, but makes it a point to improve the consistency.
BRIAN FLORES- Asked about DE position, signed Nkemdiche and rumors about Clowney, Flores insists the guys we have are doing a good job. Every player needs to improve.
BRIAN FLORES- “Sometimes, you don’t know where he is.” Expressed skepticism about teams avoiding Xavien Howard in coverage.
BRIAN FLORES- Every team has its core identity and you’re gonna run that. About 50% of what you play in a game is stuff you ran last week. (Pushes back on the idea the practice was “basic” so as not to give away things to the other team)
BRIAN FLORES- On if they’re developing a core identity. Absolutely. As you start to get more live-ish, your core identity takes shape.
BRIAN FLORES- Fitzpatrick has been one of the best mentors Rosen has had in the sport. Been selfless. Ability to identify things is special.

JOSH ROSEN- He’s gonna absolutely fight his balls off. (Rosen on Fitzpatrick still competing to start despite being selfless and a mentor)
RYAN FITZPATRICK- “Having been on 8 teams this has happened to me more than once.” On seeing familiar faces in the room.
RYAN FITZPATRICK- Fitzpatrick mentions that in teaching the other QB’s, there are experiences and insights he can given them, but also scars that have developed from mistakes made, that he doesn’t want others to make.

Practice MVP’s: Xavien Howard, Kalen Ballage.

Chris Kouffman (@ckparrot) is one-third of the trio that does the Three Yards Per Carry (@3YardsPerCarry) podcast.

Preston Williams header

Why did teams pass on Dolphins’ Preston Williams?

/0 Comments/in /by

He goes by the unicorn.

But there isn’t just a solitary reason why a player of Preston Williams’ talent was available to the Miami Dolphins after the draft.

Our Chris Kouffman (@CKParrot) called this when the Dolphins signed Preston Williams, gushing over his tape. And even as Williams flashed on the Davie field, day after day, other media types compared him to former Dolphins camp mirages at the receiver position.

He’s not.

He’s real.

Pro Football Focus gave him the highest grade (93.0) on the entire team in the preseason opener against Atlanta. And it’s clear he’s not just making the team, but could eventually emerge as a starter.

So how the heck did the Dolphins get a crack at him, without picking him in any of the seven rounds.

Kouffman’s thread today is instructive.

Click below and read it all.

Kouffman will be credentialed for Five Reasons Sports in Tampa for the Dolphins’ joint practices against the Buccaneers this week.

Chandler Cox

Chandler Cox giving Miami Dolphins much-needed physicality

/0 Comments/in , /by

Think back to the last time the Miami Dolphins had a fullback. More than likely, the name Lousaka Polite springs to mind. Polite was the bruiser, they guy that was given the ball when it was third and short and Miami needed a first down. Unremarkable, but reliable, and steadfast. Since then, the Dolphins have made halfhearted attempts to find a replacement, but not until now, with Chandler Cox, have they add any success.

The last real fullback Miami had on the roster was Jorvorskie Lane. Serviceable, but he never lived up to Polite’s standards. Then the Dolphins tried to get Charles Clay to be an H-back type hybrid, playing both tight end and fulback. It soon became clear that Clay was more effective as a pass-catching tight end. There was also the reported pursuit of veteran fullback Vonta Leach, one of the best at his dying position, back in 2013. Ultimately, nothing came out of that, and since then the position has been in limbo.

Both Joe Philbin and Adam Gase decided to forgo the fullback position for the most part, putting strong emphasis on the passing game. Ryan Tannehill was tasked with making the offense run almost solely on his arm, with little to no investment placed in the running game. Only in 2016, with now free agent RB Jay Ajayi, did anyone get to see what the offense could look like when they started playing smashmouth football. Ajayi became an instant star, and the Dolphins made the playoffs for the first time since 2008.

But it wouldn’t last. Ajayi’s body gave out just as his ego kicked in, and Gase sent Ajayi to the Eagles where he won the Super Bowl in 2017. He didn’t contribute much to that victory, but it was a victory all the same. And once again, Miami’s rushing attack fell by the wayside.

Enter Brian Flores, who comes from New England. The Patriots know how important a strong running game is, and Flores made it clear Miami would remember that lesson. They would have a fullback, no questions asked.

“I think it adds a competitiveness, a grit, a toughness, to the team.” He said back in late May. “We want to run the football. I think having a lead blocker clear the way helps that, I value that position. I think it brings a toughness, a grit that I think I like in my team … Quite honestly, I played linebacker and I’ve had to deal with fullbacks. It’s not always the easiest thing to do. Wherever the league goes is where it goes; but personally, having dealt with a lead blocker, it’s not an easy thing to deal with.”

That much is true. With a fullback leading the way, defenders have to get through an extra player to bring down the running back. In that moment it might take to knock down the fullback, the running back could score a touchdown. That is precisely what happened on Thursday night against the Falcons. Mark Walton was handed the football, and Cox blocked two different defenders, leading to a score that gave Miami the lead.

Chandler Cox already has the respect of his teammates. With fullbacks being a dying breed, the fact he goes out there and does everything he can do to contribute makes him a rarity.

“He’s an Auburn guy, but you know, I won’t hold that against him.” Drake joked on Thursday. “He goes in there, he’s still out there doing his job, so I know he’s going to be tired up in this game, but he’s a rookie so he’s got to get his dues in, so I look forward to him doing a lot more for this season.”

Having a fullback is a luxury it seems, one that most teams decide not to have. With the NFL putting more and more focus on protecting quarterbacks, it’s clear that the league wants teams to throw more. But the effectiveness of a fullback can’t be denied. And some believe the position may yet see a comeback as Miami adjusts to having one.

“I think it will be, but it takes time to do that when you haven’t done that.” running back coach Eric Studesville said in late July. “It’s different to have another guy closer to you and he has to make decisions. There is a trust that builds in that. Chandler (Cox) has done a great job of coming in here. It started yesterday in pads right away. He’s physical with his pad level. We’ll all get better at that and we’ll get better feeling him and what’s going on. I think it adds another dimension to our offense and capabilities and what defenses have to prepare for.”

Chandler Cox adds an extra blocker, and he has the ability to run if necessary. He can catch, he can lead, he can back up the offensive line in the backfield, he’s the full package. And, he’s already adjusting well. Becoming a physical team after spending so long focused on finesse will take time. But Cox will do a lot to speed up the process.