Tag Archive for: NFL

Nothing Found

Sorry, no posts matched your criteria

Tag Archive for: NFL

Best and worst tweets from the Josh Rosen trade

/0 Comments/in /by

For some, what the Dolphins have done over the last two days has been impressive.  To others, it has been quite the opposite.

After day one of the NFL draft, much of #DolphinsTwitter was in perfect harmony over the Christian Wilkins pick.  Every. Single. Account. tweeted out the GIF of him doing a split at the National Championship game, and the provocative picture from the Ohio State game.  But for the second straight year, fans, experts, and analysts were all impressed with the Dolphins first-round pick.

And then day two came and the rumors that the Dolphins were interested in Josh Rosen had split twitter into their usual civil war.  No one knew what would happen.

Soon we would find out, the first domino would have to fall.

Miami traded down with the New Orleans Saints.

And then, the seemingly unexpected happened.

What came next was mass disarray and quality entertainment.

Here is the good, the bad, and the ugly from the Josh Rosen trade on Twitter.

Is Ethan Skolnick of Five Reasons the three-eyed raven?

 

 

And the best of all..

 

 

Dolphins seeking specific trait for their rebuild

/0 Comments/in /by

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

/0 Comments/in /by

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?

/1 Comment/in /by

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

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

Is Josh Rosen still in play for Dolphins?

/0 Comments/in /by

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?

Miami Dolphins take Christian Wilkins in first round

/0 Comments/in /by

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…

CK Parrot on the Dolphins draft options

/0 Comments/in /by

Chris Kouffman (@CKParrot) is everywhere.

(Well, he’s actually in Tampa watching tape and managing money, but you get what we mean.)

He appeared on more than five hours of draft previews on our popular Three Yards Per Carry podcast. He made a stop in with Brendan Tobin and Brett Romberg and our Kevin Mayer on the 790 The Ticket morning show.

And he popped in for an hour with Ethan Skolnick and Chris Wittyngham on the Five Reasons flagship podcast.

You can find that episode here. 

We spent a lot of time debating Josh Rosen — Ethan likes trading a third round pick for the Arizona Cardinals quarterback, and CK does not.

Here are some of CK’s takes on players who may be available to Miami at some point in the draft:

Jawaan Taylor, Florida (OT): “He is the best tackle in the draft. The best left tackle in the draft specifically is Andre Dillard of Washington State. And he’s going to get pushed up because he is a left tackle. But Jawaan Taylor is the best tackle period. He reminds me of Laremy Tunsil. He would give me pause certainly if he were available at that 13 overall pick, even looking at him next to a Jeffrey Simmons. But most likely they’re going to try to trade down.”

Isaiah Johnson, Houston (CB): “This is a guy that is a lengthy corner that has genuine speed and good hips. Whereas Greedy Williams is not going to help you much in the run game and support tackling, Isaiah Johnson has a different sort of attitude and will come up and hit you and be really physical. I’m not saying he’s better than Greedy Williams. He is a wide receiver convert and so it’s going to take him a little bit of time. But again, if you don’t care about 2019 as much, you will allow him to develop. I think that will be a fantastic pick for the Dolphins somewhere in Day 2.”

L.J. Collier, TCU (DE): “A Trey Flowers clone. If you watch him on tape and watch him play against offensive tackles, I counted like six times in two games that he just straight up punched an offensive tackle to the ground. It wasn’t that the tackle tripped on somebody. He just knocked his ass up. He’s got those heavy hands, he’s a very powerful passrusher, he’s got different pass rush moves. He can pass rush inside, outside. Really productive guy at TCU. He went to the Senior Bowl and Pro Football Focus had him with the highest pass rush win rate of anybody.”

For more evaluations, check out this story from Josh Houtz here.

 

Three Yards Per Carry: Mug Contest!

/18 Comments/in /by

We like giving you stuff here.

And since it’s NFL draft week, what better time to toast to whatever the Miami Dolphins do?

(Or choke on your coffee).

Three Yards Per Carry has you covered — as well as Xavien Howard, better than the Dolphins’ extra defensive backs.

Here are the Rules for the Mug Giveaway.

. Provide a List of Ten Names in this Format: (Player Name, Position, School, Draft Round)

(EXAMPLE: Kyler Murray, QB, Oklahoma, 1st Round)

. Whoever gets the most names drafted by the Miami Dolphins, Wins. The Tie Breaker is the Draft Round.

. Provide that List of Names in the Comments Below, make sure to include your Twitter Handle.

*Entries MUST be received BEFORE the 1st Pick in the 2019 NFL Draft is Made*
*Must Live/Ship in the Continental United States to be eligible*
*Up to Three Mugs will be awarded*

Good Luck!

Still chatter about Josh Rosen to Miami

/0 Comments/in /by

They’d love him in Aventura.

And Boca.

And at Toojay’s.

But would you want him as your quarterback?

There’s been some talk this offseason that has connected the Miami Dolphins to second-year quarterback Josh Rosen?

Why? Well, he’s breathing. Even after all those hits behind a bad line.

Also, he was a hot prospect when the Arizona Cardinals jumped the Dolphins last spring to draft him out of UCLA at No. 10 overall. And now, the Cardinals have changed coaching staffs after one season, going from Steve Wilks to Kiliff Kingsbury, and Arizona picks first overall. So if they like Kyler Murray — and there’s smoke on both sides about that — they could take Murray and flip Rosen after just one season.

And the Dolphins need help at quarterback more than just about anyone.

Rosen was 3-10 last season, but just about anyone would have been, so it’s hard to judge him on that. He completed just 55 percent of his passes, with more interceptions than touchdowns.

That in itself is not disqualifying. The financial issues may be, as might compensation.

The positives: You get a look at a young quarterback a year before you really want to draft one (since the 2020 class promises to be infinitely better at that position than this one). And if you play him and he’s bad, you get higher in that next draft.

So, will the Dolphins do the Early Bird thing and grab Rosen before they really planned on getting a quarterback?

(We’re sorry. Enjoy the latkes.)

 

Photoshop by Josh Houtz.

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

QB or not QB? For Chris Grier, that’s the question

/0 Comments/in /by
DAVIE – In his final media session prior to next week’s NFL Draft, Dolphins general manager Chris Grier was less than effusive Wednesday in rating the quarterbacks who will be available.
Although Kyler Murray is expected to be selected first overall by the Arizona Cardinals, this year’s quarterback class isn’t as rich as last year when Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Josh Allen and Josh Rosen were taken in the first 10 picks.
“We thought a couple of those quarterbacks last year were really special,” Grier said. “I think this class is a good class of quarterbacks. I would say like all of them, this class probably has players that haven’t started as many games as you’d like to see, in terms of helping paint the picture for what they could be. So it’s a little more projection on a lot of them.”
For a rebuilding team that must secure a franchise quarterback before it can move into the category of ready to be a playoff contender, the odds appear against that being achieved in this draft.
It would be no surprise if the Dolphins select a defensive lineman or edge rusher with the 13th pick in the first round, or even an offensive lineman.
But mindful that team executives are always careful not to tip their hand prior to a draft, nothing can be ruled out based on Grier’s comments and inflections.
The Dolphins were to hold a private workout with Duke quarterback Daniel Jones this week, according to an NFL Network report, and it’s not their first contact with him. Jones, at 6 feet 5, 221 pounds, has size, arm strength and is relatively mobile.
Last season he threw for 2,674 yards, 22 touchdowns, and nine interceptions with a 60.5 completion percentage. He also ran for 319 yards and three touchdowns.
Jones also was a three-year starter in college, which checks one of the boxes Grier indicated that others are lacking.
Whether or not Grier and his scouts consider Jones as elite or a potential franchise quarterback is not known.
Regarding whether he sees any quarterbacks fitting that description in this draft, Grier said, “There could be. Quarterbacks have been so hit and miss. You go study them, it’s 50 percent or less end up becoming even good starting quarterbacks. But every class has one or two quarterbacks that can become a good player in the league.”
In the early stages of a major rebuild, the Dolphins have numerous holes to fill. The chances of hitting on a key contributor at No. 13 may be higher at other positions.
This draft is considered particularly rich in defensive line prospects, which Grier confirmed:
“I’d say there’s five really good players that you’d feel really good about — elite. But then there’s a lot of good players too.”
Here is how he rated the depth of talent at other areas that could benefit the Dolphins.
“I would say the receiver class is probably deeper than people would think. … You can get good value picks for the first three rounds,” he said. “I would say it’s a good offensive line [class] as well; a lot of potential of guys to be really good.”
In just over a week the Dolphins will be on the clock and the pressure will be on Grier to select multiple players to help get the wayward franchise back on track.
Although this is his first year heading the front office, Grier acknowledged Wednesday that he had final say in each of the past three drafts since becoming general manager. There have been some notable hits (Minkah Fitzpatrick, Laremy Tunsil, Xavien Howard) and the inevitable misses as well.
Is the pressure greater this time?
“I want every draft to be great,” he said. “You’re going to miss on guys and get criticized. But at the end of the day, when you build through the draft, it’s important. The most important thing is making sure that coaches and scouts are all on the same page of what we’re looking for so that we can try and eliminate the mistakes.”
It remains to be seen whether the consensus in the Dolphins’ draft room is pointing toward rolling the dice on a quarterback at No. 13.
High on Reshad Jones
Grier downplayed the absence of veteran safety Reshad Jones from this week’s voluntary minicamp. He said Jones has not asked to be traded.
“He doesn’t want a trade. At least he has not informed me. Reshad is going to be here,” Grier said. “This is a voluntary camp and he chose not to be here. We’d love to have him here, but he’s earned the right – and he’s not the only guy in the league doing it. It’s voluntary. We have not given him permission [to seek a trade] and he has not asked.”
Craig Davis has covered South Florida sports and teams, including the Dolphins, for four decades. Follow him on Twitter @CraigDavisRuns
More from Dolphin Maven