The Miami Dolphins traded back with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the seventh round to acquire an extra seventh for 2018, and with the pick they traded back for, they drafted Virginia Tech wide receiver Isaiah Ford to officially bring their time in the draft to a close.

Ford, who is 6-foot-1 and 194 pounds, ran only a 4.61 40-yard dash at the combine, indicating that his role might be as a slot receiver since he doesn't possess great long speed. However, he is an excellent route runner, and scouting reports state that he is very good at shaking off press coverage, making him an intriguing prospect.

Ford will not compete with the likes of Leonte Carroo, Jakeem Grant and Rashawn Scott for a spot in the wide receiver corps, which is spearheaded by established starters Kenny Stills, Jarvis Landry and DeVante Parker, who Ford has been compared to.

All through his college career, Ford was recognized for his excellent production at Virginia Tech. In his freshman year, he earned honorable mention All-ACC honors, as he led his team in receptions (56), receiving yards (709), and receiving touchdowns (six).

His production increased in his sophomore year at Virginia Tech, as he earned first-team All-Conference honors and set school records in receptions (75), yards (1,164) and 11 touchdowns. His next season had him earn second-team All-ACC honors along with a stat line of 79 catches, 1,094 yards and seven touchdowns.

Now with the draft over, it's time to start keeping an eye on undrafted free agents, which means the Dolphins will have to compete with other teams to get their hands on whatever talent is left to be had.

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @LuisDSung

The Dolphins spent their second fifth-rounder on a defensive tackle, and now with the sixth-round pick they acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles, Miami doubled down and drafted defensive tackle Vincent Taylor out of Oklahoma State.

Taylor, who is 6-foot-3 and 304 pounds, was displaced from his home in New Orleans when Hurrican Katrina hit, resulting in him landing in San Antonio, and he found the sport of football to help him cope with the transition.

"We lost everything we had." Taylor told the media after he was picked."My roof caved in. Losing everything and now hearing my name called is a blessing."

Taylor blocked five kicks at Oklahoma State; he mentioned they started practice at OSU with special teams and he went all out, giving him a technical fifth blocked kick. He was named a 2016 first-team All-Conference selection, and he has good strength and is active with his hands at the line of scrimmage.

With the selection of Taylor, the Dolphins now have Ndamukong Suh, Jordan Philips, Lawrence Okaye, the previously drafted Davon Godchaux, and Julius Warmsley at the defensive tackle position. 

It won't be easy, but the young Oklahoma State standout models his game after Ndamukong Suh, and he is determined to show that he is worthy to play alongside him.

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @LuisDSung

Now the interior of the defensive line has been addressed, as the Miami used their second fifth-round pick on LSU defensive tackle Davon Godchaux, a 6-foot-3, 310 pound player who accumulated 6.5 sacks during his 2016 season in college.

"I thought I would be taken in the third round." Godchaux said. "The Dolphins got them a steal."

NFL.com's Gil Brandt had Godchaux ranked as a second round prospect, so by that evaluation, the Dolphins did indeed get a steal by drafting him. It's clear that Godchaux also has a lot of confidence, which will help him going in as he competes with incumbent starter Jordan Phillips for playing time alongside star DT Ndamukong Suh.

Godchaux's drop in the draft could potentially be connected to the fact that he was arrested in late September and charged with false imprisonment and domestic abuse, although the charges were later dropped altogether. Now, Godchauz can attempt to take on double teams and clear the way for Suh.

The road to the NFL was rough for Godchaux, as he watched his brother get killed in a drive-by shooting. LSU stuck by him, and now Miami will continue where LSU left off.

With only a couple of picks left to be made, the Dolphins will have to choose wisely, as every pick counts in a draft so loaded with young talent.

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @LuisDSung

The Miami Dolphins have finally decided to address the gaping hole at left guard, as they traded up in the fifth round to draft offensive lineman Isaac Asiata out of Utah. Miami gave up pick number 166 and 184 to the Philadelphia Eagles for picks 164 and 194.

Asiata, a 6-foot-3, 323 pound lineman, is capable of playing both guard and center, and is projected to compete for the team's starting spot at left guard, solidifying the offensive line and giving running back Jay Ajayi powerful leverage to run behind in the running game.

Known as a mauler in the run game, Asiata has at times displayed some recklessness in his blocking, but his brute strength will make him an asset in an offense which is centered around running the football. He will also have a great challenge in the AFC East due to the abundance of great interior defensive lineman.

​The Dolphins have been targeting Asiata for quite some time, and many draft pundits insist that the 323 pound lineman would have been picked a lot earlier if it weren't for a knee injury he'd suffered, meaning that as long as he's healthy, Miami will have managed to pull off a massive steal.

"I believe an offensive lineman needs to play with intellectuality and brutality." Asiata told the media after being picked.

Miami still has another pick to make in the fifth round, so stay tuned.

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @LuisDSung

Two years ago, the Buffalo Bills traded linebacker Kiko Alonso to the Philadelphia Eagles for running back LeSean McCoy. And apparently McCoy has somehow deemed that to be a slight to his reputation, and for some reason decided to have a grudge match with Kiko.

As first reported by Palm Beach Post writer Joe Schad, McCoy got just a tad irritated when the Miami Dolphins linebacker posted a picture on his Instagram page of Alonso tackling McCoy. He made several comments on Alonso’s post alluding to the linebacker’s talent and contract.

His first comment:

“boy ya dad wish u was as good as me… n ya new contract garbage lol my 2011 money”

With terrible grammar and non-existent spelling skills not serving as any kind of impingement to McCoy (better stick
with your day job, LeSean), he continued with a second comment:

“take me off ya page u BUM”

There are some math and memory issues here as well, since Alonso recently signed an extension with Miami for three years and $28.8 million. McCoy signed a similar 5 year, $45 million contract while with his original team, the Eagles. But his current contract with the Bills is a 5-year, $40 million deal, less per year than Alonso.

So, jealous much, LeSean?

The cheap shots continued when McCoy appeared on ESPN's First Take on Friday, when one of the hosts pressed McCoy about the earlier incident on Instagram. McCoy at first pretended like he had no idea who the host was referring to, then he asked the Philadelphia crowd how they felt about Alonso, which resulted in resounding boos.

​McCoy then continued, not wasting another opportunity to continue his verbal assault against one of Miami's top linebackers.

"I'm just being honest," McCoy said. "I mean he's solid, I'll give him that. He's alright. He's nothing that you would talk about at this First Take table, but he's OK.

"It was more just, you know, you put me on your page like you made a big tackle. If you look at the stats I had like two touchdowns for a buck-fifty. It didn't make sense to me. You know? I didn't like that. Don't put me on your page. Like, c'mon."

That could have been it, but then when Stephen A. Smith started to talk to McCoy once more, the spiteful running back quickly added: "His dad probably wishes I'm his son."

Low blow, LeSean.

Thankfully, as McCoy continues to berate the former Bills and Eagles linebacker for one measly picture that was posted to celebrate the signing of a new contract, Kiko Alonso has maintained his composure and cool, merely commenting that the harsh words were "strange."

Clearly, this feud is largely one-sided.

This story was written by Eldon Jenson. Follow him on Twitter @EJFootball

When the Miami Dolphins made their third round pick late Friday night, the 97th pick of the NFL draft was pretty happy to find that he’d be playing in Miami.

“I feel like I fit that scheme well,” says new Dolphins cornerback Cordrea Tankersley. “I feel like (the Dolphins) have an aggressive style, which I had at Clemson. I think I fit that mold pretty well."

Tankersley was the leader of a championship secondary with Clemson in 2017, but had to work very hard to get there. He spent two years mostly on special teams for the Tigers before earning a starting job and establishing himself as a physical corner who can shut down an opponent’s number one receiver.

He also fits the ‘long and lean’ mold that Dolphins defensive coordinator Matt Burke prefers. Adding in speed that few wide receivers in the league can match, general manager Chris Grier liked the raw talent he sees in his new addition, and compares him to another Clemson product that already resides on the Dolphins roster, starting cornerback Byron Maxwell.

Asked what he likes about his latest acquisition, Grier effuses, “His size. He's long limbed, he's over 6-foot, 200-pound guy. He ran a 4.38 (40-yard dash), so you can see a lot of the traits. As a press corner, those are a lot of the things you look for. We think (there is) a tremendous developmental upside for him to get better as a corner."

Despite a six-year age difference, Tankersley and Maxwell already know each other well, having gone to the same college.

“Me and Byron have a close relationship,” said Tankersley. “I watched Byron play when I was being recruited out of high school, so I'm quite familiar with his game. I kind of model my game after him. Being on the same team as him and having the opportunity to play opposite of him, that's a blessing."

Tankersley also wasn’t afraid to display a bit of bravado in comparing himself to Maxwell.

"He's one of those bigger corners that can match up with anybody across the board, and I feel like I can match up with any (wide receiver) in the country or the NFL," said Tankersley. “So I feel like I fit the mold same as him - somebody who is going to go out there and play confident football."

Long on talent, and never short on confidence – that’s a good combination. Most draft analysts have rated Tankersley as one of the best defensive backs available in this year’s draft. If he works as hard for the Dolphins as he did in college, the team may have found a great fit in their secondary. And he’s ready to prove his worth.

"They're a great man (coverage) team. They run a lot of man. They want to match up. I feel like I fit their team.”

​This story was written by Eldon Jenson. Follow him on Twitter @EJFootball

The second and third rounds of the 2017 NFL draft fell in such a way that the Miami Dolphins were able to pick the guy they wanted both times, as they drafted Ohio State linebacker Raekwon McMillan and Clemson cornerback Cordrea Tankersley.

Both times, these players were ones that Miami had been targeting for a while now, and the team couldn't be more satisfied with themselves.

But what did the fans feel about these two picks? Especially considering there were players like Zach Cunningham on the board, or guards like Dorian Johnson? Here are just a few of the reactions.

While most fans are willing to trust in the judgment of head coach Adam Gase after the playoff berth he led the team to in 2016, there is still some skepticism regarding the overall choices being made by the front office.

It is indeed true that the Dolphins still need offensive line help. The left guard position is in flux and center Mike Pouncey is still injured and is trying to recover from his hip issues, making it even more imperative for Miami to address the line before the draft comes to an end.

The Dolphins have four more picks to make in this draft unless they make a trade, so there's still time to address the issues. Although, this late in the draft, it might be best to simply take the best player available and find a way to make him fit.

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @LuisDSung
Contributions by Ian Berger. Follow him on Twitter: @ian693

The Miami Dolphins drafted Clemson cornerback Cordrea Tankersley with their third-round pick (97th) overall, finishing off day two of the draft and giving Miami another talented young corner to supplement the secondary and add much-needed depth at corner.

This also marks the first time in franchise history the Dolphins have taken defensive players in the first three rounds of the draft.

Tankersley, 6-1 and 199 pounds, is considered an excellent player in press and fits Miami's style of coverage. He also has good ball skills as he put up a total of eight interceptions in just two seasons as a starter at Clemson, meaning the Dolphins got excellent value for Tankersley late in the third round.

He's been honored for his play in college, as he was named a first-team All-Conference pick and third-team Associated Press All-American for his performance in Clemson's national championship season of 2016, intercepting four passes and breaking up a team-high 11 throws. He also has a lot of experience in special teams, having played it all four years of his college career.

According to Tankersley, he modeled his game after Byron Maxwell, and he also has a "close relationship" with the veteran corner. Now, they'll be teammates for the 2017 season.

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @LuisDSung

The Miami Dolphins finally addressed their need at linebacker by drafting Ohio State standout Raekwon McMillan with the 54th overall pick in the 2017 draft. With this selection, Miami drafted their first linebacker within the first two rounds of the draft since Koa Misi back in 2010.

Ironically enough, McMillan will now compete to try and take what up until now was projected to be Misi's starting job as the team's SLB.

The 20-year old McMillan has skill as a run defender, which will be key after the Dolphins turned in a 2016 season where they were ranked 30th overall against the run.

McMillan earned second-team All-Big Ten honors in his 2015 season, when he led the Buckeyes with 119 tackles (four for loss), four pass deflections and 1.5 sacks. He didn't get as many tackles in 2016, only getting 102 (seven for a loss), but he was still recognized for his play by being named a second-team All-American and first-team All-Big Ten selection.

Miami chose the tackling machine over other players such as LB Zach Cunningham and safety Obi Melifonwu, which means they're looking specifically for someone who can add some much needed strength against the run.

“This is an Alpha guy, a two-time captain, a guy who makes all the calls,” Dolphins General Manager Chris Grier said after the pick was made. “He is a tackling machine. He is a big body in the middle. The guy can run. This is a guy we feel really strongly about.”

Grier revealed that McMillan was the number one player on their board at any position at the time of their pick, indicating that the Dolphins thought very highly of his skill and his intellect. Though draft gurus felt otherwise. ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. stated that the pick would have been "great" if it were 1985 or 1995.

McMillan may not excel in coverage, but given the weakness against the run Miami has exhibited in recent years, this is projected to be an excellent move, now coach Adam Gase will have to make sure he develops.

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @LuisDSung

Harris was an early favorite of mine. The reason I loved him early was because of his suddenness and ability to work past an initial block. I don’t cry, I do push-ups, but man I shed a tear when I saw his combine performance. It hurt me.

​I know a lot of fans say “just stick to the tape,” but I am a big believer in freaks in the first way of drafting and I subscribe to the Justis Mosqueda Force Player formula, especially for edge players. He did much better in his pro day in certain areas which gave me relief, but I did lower him in my rankings due to athletic testing. You must trust the percentages. 

His lack of tested athleticism isn’t his only problem. He does grade poorly against the run. He can get straight up manhandle bullied. But sometimes he is his own enemy. Sometimes he tries to get fancy instead of taking on blocks and dropping anchor. And although he can play with good hand use I would like to see him get more violent with his hands, and a more violent punch.

In spite of all of his negatives I did end up giving him a late first-round grade. He does show great burst. He can get low and bend. He does have a phenomenal first step. He has a great spin move. He earned a big place in my heart when I saw he was partying with the Jack Links Sasquatch.

Edge Toolbox:

Rip: Harris displays a rip with violence on this play. Very violent, very effective. 

Spin: Harris has a lot of great counters he works off from his great get off. One of his famous counter plays is a wicked spin move.

Swim Move: Not only does Harris have a nasty get off, a spin move, and a rip move, he also has a really smooth swim move.

Bull Rush: Harris’s outside quickness makes him an effective bull rusher. An OT or OG must worry about the outside first step. Harris can convert speed to power.
​
​Here Harris is showing his ability to rush from the stand-up position.

Bends, dips, rounds corner: Harris can burst off the line of scrimmage and bend and dip around the corner as well as anyone in this draft.
​

Outside-inside: Harris’s burst allows him to easily come back inside. OTs must respect his outside burst and usually overcommit.

​Wide Formation: Here are some examples of Harris playing out of a wide stance. He can get low which makes the edge soft.

Effort: Harris’s big appeal to me is his mindset to stay in the play, keep working and hustle.

Inside Step/Gap Pressure: Harris consistently shows consistent gap pressure with a nice step. This is one way he can be useful against the run.

​When Harris uses his hands, and plays with decent leverage he can be effective against the run. I would like to see him be more violent with his hands but when he does what he needs to and plays proper run defense he can hold up.

Ineffective against the run: Harris is not a beast in the run game. He sometimes gets lost in the run game and rendered ineffective. Sometimes he puts himself out of the play by not dropping his anchor. Instead Harris will sometimes try to avoid a block which does a favor to the offense.​

​​Harris is sometime completely bullied in the run game. He needs to develop an anchor and use better leverage. 

This film review was done by Matthew Knowles. Follow him on Twitter: @blueflamespcl

It was made more and more clear as the countdown to 22 went on that Dolphins fans far and wide had come to an almost unanimous agreement that they wanted Miami to draft Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster with their first round pick.

But with all the red flags surrounding Foster, along with the way the Dolphins' draft board fell, Foster was passed on in favor of Missouri defensive end Charles Harris, which led to an initial reaction of disappointment after the frenzy the fans whipped themselves into at Hard Rock Stadium.

Though the initial reaction was one of disappointment, the fans at Hard Rock Stadium eventually calmed down and acknowledged the need to draft a young defensive end with Cameron Wake being 35 years old, and the risks that came with drafting Foster were too much for a team that's looking for a player who could contribute right away.

But that didn't mean that Twitter felt the same way as those at the stadium, as a lot of fans on Twitter were extremely agitated over the fact that the Dolphins passed on Foster for a player that had rarely been connected to the team during the whole lead up to the draft.

Some took it harder than others, obviously.

But all bursts of passionate emotion aside, the feelings were mixed regarding the decision to draft Charles Harris, with some loving, some liking, some neutral, and of course the raw and utter hatred of the pick that's come to be customary with every team's draft choices, no matter how good they may eventually be.

Here are just a few of the reactions from Twitter after Miami drafted the Missouri pass-rusher.

The reactions are clearly mixed and now Harris will have to prove to a split Dolphins fan base that he can be the star pass-rusher Miami drafted him to be.

Thankfully, he clearly seems up to the challenge, and he's ready and willing to do whatever it takes to show that the Dolphins made the right choice when they chose him over everyone else still on the board.

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @LuisDSung
Contributions from Ian Berger. Follow him on Twitter: @ian693

As I watched the NFL draft unfold last night, I was convinced that the Miami Dolphins were going to go with a defensive player when their pick came due. And on that front I wasn’t disappointed when the team selected defensive end Charles Harris out of Missouri.

I was slightly miffed that the Dolphins didn’t take a chance on linebacker Reuben Foster, but not really surprised. All indications this offseason have pointed to the team wanting players without baggage; self-starters who don’t need a carrot dangled in front of them each day.

Foster had red flags, and a key barometer to whether those flags could harbor more issues became apparent when the Baltimore Ravens passed him up with the 16th pick. GM Ozzie Newsome has close ties to the Alabama program and coach Nick Saban, probably closer than the ties with Miami head coach Adam Gase. Saban has a history of being honest in evaluations of NFL prospects from his program, and once Baltimore passed on Foster, I was pretty sure the Dolphins weren’t going to take him either.

Oh, and for what it’s worth, Charles Harris is going to be a very good player for Miami. You just wait.

Another player on the board whom was tied to Miami pre-draft was offensive lineman Forrest Lamp. But here again, I wasn’t surprised that the Dolphins didn’t select him. From the end of the season, the Dolphins have stressed the need to get quicker and better on defense, and I fully expected the first two rounds of this draft to be spent on that side of the ball.

In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Dolphins don’t select a lineman at all in this draft. After signing Ted Larsen to man the left guard spot, the team has the bodies to fill a quite serviceable offensive line. And heading into the season, the Dolphins will have four of their five linemen playing positions that suit them. Only right guard Jermon Bushrod is playing "out of position," per se.

And Bushrod should be much improved with another full offseason at right guard. Offensive line can be addressed later in the draft, or in the post-draft cuts that will be coming next month. Unlike many, I’m not greatly worried about this area. When healthy, we are already better than last year, and we have some good versatile backups in the mix.

And to those who say we need to put huge investments into the offensive line, let me point something out: the Super Bowl was just won by a team that patched their interior line with three guys paid a total of $1.54 million. Granted the Dolphins line doesn’t scare many, but it’s a serviceable bunch capable of getting the job done.

So what happens now? I fully expect the Dolphins second round pick to be used on a linebacker or defensive back. And then at the end of the third round, the team can look at a truncated Best Player Available (BPA). I’ve never truly supported the BPA approach as I believe teams should look at the best available positions that fit a need.

And no matter how you want to slice it, the Dolphins need this year is on defense.

​This column was written by Eldon Jenson. Follow him on Twitter @EJFootball

The Miami Dolphins have found a way to address a serious need at defensive end while also taking one of their top-ranked pass-rushers on their draft board, as the team drafted 22-year old Charles Harris out of Missouri with the 22nd overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft.

Harris, who is regarded as somewhat undersized for a defensive end, standing at 6-3 and 253 pounds, is described as an explosive rusher off the edge with a great burst and hands while also being able to utilize an impressive spin move thanks to his background in basketball.

​In his 2016 season for the Missouri Tigers, Harris accumulated 9 sacks and 12 tackles for a loss, and he was a two-time second-team All-SEC selection in his college career.

“The strengths of my game, you obviously see it on film." Harris said after being selected. "I get to the quarterback. I’m going to cause pressure, without a doubt. I’m going to get to the quarterback."

That's precisely what the Dolphins are drafting Harris to do, and General Manager Chris Grier revealed that Harris was one of two players in total that Miami had targeted at their spot in the draft, and that decision was made as early as an entire month ago back in March.

“The love for football oozes out of him." Grier said. "When you watch film, when you talk to the kid and ask questions as you try to get to know him as a person – to see if it matches with everything you are told as the schools and it does. He loves talking football and that is what he wants to do. For us, again, those are the traits we are looking for – those guys that love ball and it is the end-all, be-all for him, and that is truly what it is for this kid.”

Unfortunately, as talented as Harris is, there are some concerns regarding certain aspects of his game. He has shown a susceptibility to being pushed around by bigger blockers, and his inability to effectively set the edge and stop the run means Harris will - at least in the beginning - be utilized as a rotational pass-rusher rather than an every-down defensive end.

But Grier made it clear on Thursday that the team is not concerned with Harris's edge-setting ability, and they feel that the newest member of the Miami Dolphins will do just fine in that regard.

"Remember we talked in the pre-draft press conference we had, it was about things we are going to (do to) tweak the defense and doing things to help." Grier said. "So in the Wide 9, you can have players like this that can be good run-defenders. With his athletic ability and the stuff he can do – he is a tough kid. He can be better and he will be. We are very excited for his future.”

When the Dolphins went up to pick, they chose Harris over some other very talented players, not the least of which was Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster, who eventually went 31st overall to the San Francisco 49ers who traded back up into the first round to select the falling star before he became a second-rounder.

Miami refused to spend a lot of time talking to Harris before the draft in order to avoid tipping their hand and giving an indication that he was the player they wanted all along. Clearly, it seemed to work. Now the question is whether or not it will work out for the Dolphins in the long-run, as now Harris will have to share time with Cameron Wake, Andre Branch, Williams Hayes and Terrence Fede in the defensive line rotation.

Harris is only the first of seven total picks that Miami has in the 2017 draft. The Dolphins have one second-round pick (No. 54 overall) and one third-round pick (No. 97 overall) on Friday, and then on Saturday they will have three fifth-rounders (166th, 178th and 184th overall) and one seventh-round pick (233rd overall).

Friday’s second round begins at 8 p.m. and Saturday’s fourth round begins at noon. There's still a lot of talent to be had, and if Miami wants to replicate their miraculous 2016 season, they must make wise decisions.

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @LuisDSung

​Malik McDowell is one of the more intriguing prospects in this draft. There is no doubt he is a freak athlete. He has all the tools needed to be a Pro Bowl defensive lineman, but consistency as well as character concerns seem to be the issue with McDowell.
 
The Dolphins need a defensive lineman in this draft. Whether it is a defensive end or a defensive tackle, the Dolphins need to address the position, and McDowell just might be the guy for that. He is versatile enough to play the defensive tackle position as well as rotating in reps at defensive end in a 4-3 defense. 

​The Good:
 
McDowell is one of the more freakishly athletic prospects in the draft.  For being 6’6, 295 lbs, McDowell is extremely agile.
 
On this play, McDowell portrays tremendous agility and athleticism to avoid multiple offensive linemen, cleanly getting into the backfield to make a tackle for a loss.

​Here, he lines up at defensive end, displaying quick twitch ability to weave in and out around the right tackle for a QB hit.

​Outside of tremendous agility and athleticism, McDowell has violent hands, constantly using them along with great strength to get around offensive linemen for impact plays. Here are a few examples of his violent hand use.

Combining agility, quickness, and overall athleticism, McDowell has an advantage in the trenches with a very good first step.
 
On this play, McDowell’s first step allows him to shoot the gap between the center and right guard, getting into the backfield with ease.

​Here, McDowell lines up at end and explodes off the snap to avoid the center’s cut block for the QB pressure. 

​McDowell’s versatility allows him to move from defensive tackle to defensive end in which he has shown to be successful in defensive line stunts. Here are a couple examples.

​McDowell has shown great success in rushing the passer, whether it is using his violent hands, dominating with strength, or even simply beating the lineman with tremendous agility and athleticism, he can get the job done. Where McDowell struggles is his consistency with maintaining leverage in the run game.

​McDowell’s issue is playing high too often, but when he plays low and keeps technique, he has shown success. Here are a few examples of him playing low, displaying great leverage, and making a play on the ball. 

​Against a double team.

The Bad
 
McDowell’s bad plays can be, well, pretty bad.
 
McDowell has an issue of finding himself on the ground too often, whether it is from a double team or just bad technique. Plays like the one below take him entirely out of some plays, as he gets pushed to the ground easily by the left tackle.

​As mentioned before, McDowell’s main issues in run defense is his approach. Here are a few examples of him playing too high, getting pushed out of the play, creating open run lanes.

McDowell can find himself getting turned when leading with his shoulder. 

The Great
 
On this play, McDowell bull rushes the right guard with one hand to the ground, displaying brutal strength for the QB pressure.

​Here, McDowell showcases his freakish athleticism, where he is able to dip his shoulder, bend around the edge and eventually get the sack. A 6’6 defensive tackle lining up at end with the ability to bend like that is something special.

This film review was done by Hagop Taraksian. Follow him on Twitter: @HagopTaraksian

1. I found it interesting that Dolphins Executive Vice President of Football Operations Mike Tannenbaum was so anxious to make it clear that the Dolphins were open to trading back in the draft to pick up more picks.

The Dolphins have a huge advantage over much of the rest of the NFL for one reason - they are apparently satisfied that they have a good starting quarterback and don't feel that it's a need. That puts them in a position to take advantage of those teams that do.

Number 22 would ordinarily be a long way to trade up to get back into the first round to take a quarterback. But with so many teams with a need at the position, teams picking at the top of the second round may feel that that's what they need to do in order to get their guy. The Dolphins also have the Giants, the Texans, the Chiefs and the Saints sitting behind them in the first round.

This could definitely be the year to look at the team successfully trading back in what looks like a very deep draft at a couple positions of need.

2. I also have found the debate about whether the Dolphins should take a guard in the first round to be entertaining, seeing that it has led to some Sun Sentinel-on-Sun Sentinel infighting.

For what it's worth, I think Omar Kelly has the right on this debate. Dave Hyde seems to subscribe to the somewhat old fashioned idea that guards aren't that important and that they can be picked up late in the draft. The truth is that it depends on what kind of offense you are running and, especially, on what kind of quarterback you have.

If your quarterback is working mostly from the pocket, keeping a clean space in front of him is far more important than completely controlling a defensive end on the edge. Good pocket quarterbacks know when to step up almost by instinct and, given room to maneuver, they can keep their eyes down field if the pocket isn't too muddy. That's where a really good pair of guards can be extremely important.

Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill definitely falls into the category of a quarterback who could benefit from this kind of thinking. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to have been prevalent in the organization for some years with some really bad guard play coming from the likes of Dallas Thomas, Jamil Douglas and Billy Turner taking place in front of Tannehill. Meanwhile they have spent first round picks on tackles Ja'Wuan James and Laremy Tunsil.

The presence of Adam Gase may change all of that, however, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see the Dolphins go guard in the first round this year.

3. I've heard it said that the Dolphins did a good job of filling their holes in free agency so that they can go in any direction in the NFL.

Hogwash. As outlined above, guard is a need but it is far from the only one.

Cameron Wake is 35 years old and Andre Branch, Terrence Fede, William Hayes and Julius Warmsley are all below average defensive ends with limited upside. At the third linebacker spot the Dolphins are still sticking with Koa Misi despite seven years of direct evidence that he's not an adequate answer at the position. And, worst of all, at defensive tackle the Dolphins have Ndamukong Suh with a whiff of a hope of a dream that Jordan Phillips will somehow magically turn into a good, consistent player in his third year in the league on the other side.

That's no way to build a roster, folks.

The Dolphins got by with some poor defensive talent last year because they had some good coaching and there's no better evidence of that than the fact that Vance Joseph was hired as the Broncos head coach. This despite being the coordinator of a Dolphins defense that was statistically well below average (30th against the run and 18th in points allowed). Now Joseph is gone but much of the talent deficit is still there.

The Dolphins badly need to build at the line of scrimmage in this draft on both sides of the ball if they want to compete as an elite team. And they have a lot of work to do.

4. Speaking of Tannehill, as good as he was last year, he seems optimistic that there's still a lot of room for improvement in his second year under head coach Adam Gase.

“I’m looking to take a big step forward this year,” Tannehill said. “You’re kind of getting your feet wet, especially in the spring of your first year. You’re learning, you’re trying to take in as much information and new stuff as you can. Along the way, you miss a few things or you’re not as good at a few things as you’d like to be. You combine that with having a year of tape and film and just being in the offense, you should some big improvements throughout the spring. Zero in on the details, getting a little more comfortable with things and once you get into the season, you’ll see those things paying off.”

One of the smartest things the Dolphins have done in the last ten years is hire a head coach who can coach quarterbacks. Tannehill was barely an average quarterback before Gase arrived. Now he's arguably on his way to being in the upper third of the league if he's not already there.

If you've got a quarterback, you have the opportunity to compete every year. If you don't, the best you can do is the occasional spurt where you get lucky and stay healthy in virtually every other area. Coaching is a huge part of that and if your quarterback guru isn't the head coach, you are going to quickly lose him to another team.

In that respect, the Dolphins are set for a long time to come.

5. The Dolphins caught a little bit of a break when the New England Patriots opted to offer Buffalo restricted free agent Mike Gillislee a contract.

The Patriots hosted the restricted free agent on a visit last week and have made him an offer. The Bills did not match the offer to Gillislee, which means the Patriots will have him.

I've long held that Damien Williams is an undervalued asset for the Dolphins, one who is a valuable special teams contributor and one who I still think could share carries with a bigger back on many NFL teams.

6. One of the things that came out of the pre-draft press conference was that the Dolphins were making defensive adjustments that would eliminate the need to look for a prototype defensive end. This really shouldn't have come as a great surprise.

The Dolphins showed quite a bit of interest in signing defensive tackle Dontari Poe in free agency. Poe is a mountain of a man at 346 pounds who really fits best in a two gap defensive scheme.

A two gap scheme is one where a defensive lineman takes a blocker head on and is responsible for the gap on either side of him. A one gap scheme is one where a defensive lineman shoots a gap and is only responsible for that gap.

It is usually the scheme run by teams such as the Dolphins who, at least up until now, have expected their defensive linemen to penetrate and disrupt in the backfield. This certainly is what Ndamukong Suh will continue to do on his side of the field, meaning that the Dolphins might be planning to run one type of scheme on one side and the other type of scheme on the other in certain situations.

The guess here is that new defensive coordinator Matt Burke has decided to follow Adam Gase's lead on offense and adjust his scheme to the personnel and game situation. This means that fans can start looking for quite a bit more diversity and originality in how the Dolphins will handle their defense. It also means quite a bit more complexity and it should be interesting to see how the team handles it.

7. A lot has been made of how difficult the last six games of the Dolphins schedule are. They play the Patriots and the Bills two times apiece along with the Broncos and the Chiefs.

The New England, Denver and Kansas City games, I get. But, division rival or not, trouble with them in recent years or not, the Bills are still the Bills. They, along with the Jets, should be the reason why the Dolphins make the playoffs, not an excuse for failing to do so.

8. One of the more inexcusable actions to occur in the offseason was the way that the Washington Redskins handled the allegations by former Redskins player and radio personality Chris Cooley that GM Scot McCloughan was drinking again and that it was affecting the way that he did his job.

What was the response? Do nothing and say nothing, leaving it out there that McCloughan, a recovering alcoholic, was back off the wagon.

McCloughan was eventually fired by team president Bruce Allen, who effectively replaced him in the front office.

Allen now says that he talked to Cooley privately with McCloughan present.

Why didn't he respond publicly?

“There was someone who said on the radio that there was jealousy. Then, there was somebody who said we were trading Kirk Cousins for Tony Romo and giving the Cowboys draft picks. Then Chris said what he said. Then somebody said ‘X, Y and Z.’ I can’t keep up with sports-talk radio; I don’t ever want to keep up with sports-talk radio. If I had Twitter, maybe I would say, ‘This is false! This is false! This is false!’ . . . Every time somebody throws something against the wall to speculate, we’re not going to respond to all that. That’s what the media does. It’s impossible to answer all of the foolishness that’s out there,” Allen said.

Mike Florio at profootballtalk.com comments:

Of course Allen can’t be expected to respond to every single thing that’s said on sports talk radio. But this wasn’t just any old thing. This was a guy who works for the team speculating that alcoholism was affecting the team’s G.M. That would have been a time for the team president to speak up. Allen didn’t.

I don't ordinarily use this space simply to quote someone else and add "me, too." But this time I'm saying it with emphasis. Me, too!

This was an inexcusable way to treat an employee. The only thing that would have been worse would have been to falsely imply that the rumors were true, which Allen effectively did for weeks by simply not commenting up until the publication of this interview many weeks later.

9. One of the most enjoyable aspects of draft season for me is reading the anonymous quotes from NFL personnel scouts and executives that Milwaukee Journal Sentinel columnist Bob McGinn collects. There are always a few surprises here.

Probably the most interesting article of the series this year was the one that McGinn did on DeShone Kizer. Like many athletes are big football schools, quarterbacks are apparently worshiped on the Notre Dame campus and it evidently affected Kizer because McGinn's scouts absolutely eviscerated him.

“You look at that team, they’ve got players,” an AFC personnel man said. “There’s no way they should win just four games. It was because of this guy, the quarterback. Boy, at times he looked bad. He was so bad against Stanford in the first half that they benched him.”

“You look at that team, they’ve got players,” an AFC personnel man said. “There’s no way they should win just four games. It was because of this guy, the quarterback. Boy, at times he looked bad. He was so bad against Stanford in the first half that they benched him.”

An NFC personnel man described Kizer as a selfish player worried mostly about status and money.

“That’s what drives him,” said the executive. “It’s all about him. Prima donna. Thin-skinned.”

We all know its lying season in the NFL and its possible these three men are all hoping that Kizer will fall. But his own actions lately have seemingly backed this evaluation up.

On April 20, Kizer was quoted as comparing himself to Tom Brady and Cam Newton.

“Name a college quarterback who goes into the game-plan meetings on Monday and throws his notes at the coaches,” Kizer said. “No one else game plans the way I do. No one else prepares the way I do. No one else knows football the way I do. No one else is as big as I am. No one else is as powerful a runner as I am. Pat Mahomes might throw the ball 80 yards and I can only throw the ball 72, but I guarantee he can’t throw an out route the way I can. No one else can do what I can do. And I’ve truly figured out in this process, if I can maximize all my potential in every aspect of the game – this is bold – I do have the ability to be the greatest quarterback to ever play. Imagine taking Brady’s intellect and Brady’s preparation and putting it on a guy with Cam Newton’s body. Why can’t I be the greatest? The only thing stopping me from it is me. That’s what’s driving me now.”

OK, the guy is confident. Not very unusual if you are a quarterback. Probably a lot of them think it even if they don't say it.

But Kizer, apparently realizing how arrogant he sounded, decided to claim that his comments were taken out of context the very next day.

Not even drafted yet and he's already blaming the media? Apparently upon thinking about it (and probably talking to his agent), Kizer thought so, too. Because the NEXT day, he decided to effectively retract his claim and own up to the quote.

The point? Kizer's first instinct was to blame someone else after his misstep. He then decided that didn't sound too good either and that he'd better say what he had to protect his brand.

Sounds pretty much exactly like the kind of guy the anonymous evaluators were describing. Even his college head coach said that he needs more time to grow not only on but off the field.

As Miami fans know well a la Dion Jordan, most NFL draft picks don't fail due to lack of talent. They fail because they don't have the attitude it takes to succeed. And Kizer sounds to me like he's got a great deal of Ryan Leaf in him.

Bottom line, heaven help the team that spends a high draft pick to draft Kizer.

10. Miami fans, there is one thing you should always, always be grateful for.

Let's set the scene. It's 2014 and you've got the 22nd pick in the draft. You like Johnny Manziel.

Your GM and head coach don't agree. He's 5'11", can't see over his linemen and can't throw from the pocket, something that every good NFL quarterback has had to do well since the 50s. To top it all off, your scouts can't find one single person on the Texas A&M campus who is willing to say that he'll grow up.

But you're the owner and you like him.

So what do you do? You reportedly overrule everyone and take the guy no one wants.

And what happens? It's a disaster because, well, no one wanted him, he can't throw from the pocket and he never grew up.

Fast forward to 2017. You are again in the draft room and this time you are drafting first overall in part because, well, you hitched your wagon to Manziel in 2014.

Again, you want a quarterback. The top guy is someone from North Carolina named "Mitchell" Trubisky. You like him.
Your head coach - the only one of the three men making decisions at the top who is a football guy - doesn't agree. He's OK but he only started for one year in college and he needs a lot of development. Your head coach wants a sure fire impact player who is the consensus best pick in the draft, Myles Garrett.

But you are the owner and you want a quarterback.

So what do you do? Do you:

a. Learn from your previous mistakes, go with the football guy and take the slam dunk first overall player

or

b. Overrule him and take the quarterback. Again.

Who wants to bet that Browns owner Jimmy Haslam chooses "b"?

Do whatever it is that you normally do. Get down on your knees and bow your head. Turn towards Mecca and bow. Sacrifice a goat in your living room.

Do whatever it is and then say the following: "Thank you.”

“Thank you for not making me a Browns fan."

This column was written by Tom Shannon. Follow him on Twitter: @bearingthenews

Foster was my favorite film to watch in this draft. He makes an impact in every game on almost every play. I haven’t seen many prospects with his ability to analyze and react to a play as quickly as he does. I also haven’t seen many prospects that explode from a cannon the way Foster does. So why is a writer for a team that has a draft pick at 22 writing about a top 5 prospect?

If you have read my other prospect evaluations, you may notice I always have an athletic synopsis at the beginning of my articles. So, you may be wondering why Foster has no athletic data which raises a red flag. The fact that he doesn’t have athletic data isn’t a concern, anyone with two working eyes can see that he is an athletic freak.

The reason why he doesn’t have athletic data is the red flag. Foster and a medical worker at the combine got in an argument. That would be like getting in an argument with the secretary at a job interview.  If that was the only red flag there wouldn’t be any concerns with drafting Foster with a top 10 pick, and the Dolphins would have no chance of picking him at 22. But that isn’t the only red flag, that by far is the smallest red flag for Foster.

Foster has several red flags. Reports are that Foster may need another surgery on his shoulder. There are reports about concussions. There are reports about Foster’s character, which the combine incident didn’t help. That brings me to my next report, there is a report that Foster’s drug test was diluted.

​He claims, it was diluted because he was trying to flush out a sickness. It is up to teams to believe that story. Either way the pre-draft process has not been kind to Reuben Foster.

My only minor knock based on Foster's film is he does get caught on blocks occasionally. He sometimes is late with his hands.
​

Foster can avoid blocks well. He is slick with hopping around big offensive linemen running at him. He can side step blockers. He can also swim move blockers.
​

​I don’t think I have ever seen any player that can shoot the gap as quickly and effectively as Foster does. He reads and reacts so quickly. There are no wasted movements or wasted seconds on deciding what to do.

Foster can get out to the sideline quickly, he even can take a poor angle but still get there because of his speed.
​

​You would think that someone who is so aggressive and so fast would have a hard time recovering on misdirection. This is not a problem for Foster. He can quickly re-diagnose plays and fire to the 2nd direction. 

Foster’s read and react is insane. He is so quick to diagnose correctly and move on his assessment of the situation. As soon as he sees a key he jumps on it. No wasted movement or false steps. Foster simply sees it and explodes.
​

Foster likes to lay the lumber. This is a good and bad thing. He isn’t the largest person so it may lead to more injuries, but offensive players do have to fear him.
​

​There wasn’t much covering to do for Foster at Alabama. On pass plays he did three things, blitz, spy, or drop back into a zone. Based on his athleticism Foster probably could cover man to man, but I would never assert that he can since I haven’t seen much of any covering.
​

Good timing and so much explosion makes Foster a deadly blitz rusher.
​

This film review was done by Matthew Knowles. Follow him on Twitter: @blueflamespcl

Freaks in the first is my motto. Therefore, I have Jordan Willis over Derek Barnett in my rankings. Willis isn’t just a workout warrior. His athletic freakiness is apparent in his game. Willis’s get off is his biggest strength. He gains so much ground when he explodes out of his stance once the ball is snapped. He is not just a linear athlete; Willis has good lateral quickness to cross the face of the blockers and disrupt the backfield.

Willis has great technique and tools to win at the point of attack. Willis plays with great leverage and always plays with hat in hand, this means he has his hands ready to strike. Willis has violent hands that keep him consistently disengaged. And although it is his biggest weakness, Willis has some bend. I think his issue is his torque takes him past the point he needs to bend sometimes so he bends late.

His motor, athleticism, and technique gives him a high floor, which mean he will be a solid DE in this league.  I feel if he goes to the Dolphins and learns from his idol, Cameron Wake, his ceiling is limitless.

Willis has phenomenal all around technique and great leverage. Also, Willis’ hand use is phenomenal. It keeps him clean and he stays disengaged with blockers on both running and passing downs. Willis uses his hands and strings his hand use with a swim move or a rip. ​

Willis has a varied tool box to choose from. He has a nice spin move, good use of rip and spin and he is good with going up field then back to the inside. I would love to see Willis develop more bend but he does show he can bend the edge without slowing down.
​
Spin Move

Push and Pull/Rip and Swim

​Bend and Dip 

​Willis generates so much force from his get off and from great leverage that he is a very good bull rusher. He can push OT’s back into the pocket consistently. He can even bull rush with one arm. 

​Willis has a great stunt game. He is too quick for most guards to pick up. He also has nice timing for the other blockers to engage or move on to other responsibilities. Willis has a nice burst to pursue the QB once he hits the hole.

​When you have an amazing athlete who is always disengaged and always hustling, then you get a player that makes positive things happen on your defense. Hustle is also contagious. 

​Willis will benefit in playing in a Wide-9 defense, because yes he can bend, but it isn’t a consistent strength of his.  He is very disruptive when he played in a wide formation at KSU. He crushed the pocket and made the QB move up in the pocket and evade.

​Suh would benefit a lot from the pressure Willis causes which if doesn’t result in a sack, usually results in the QB having to move up in the pocket.

​Willis’s inside game is really strong. He is too quick laterally for most offensive linemen to handle him. He can cross the blocker's face consistently and cause disruption and the running back to stop and redirect in the backfield. 

​Willis has a knack for being a disrupter in the backfield, it may be Willis swiping the ball out of the QB's hands if he doesn’t get to the QB for a sack. Or a tackle in backfield to cause a fumble. Here are two example of Willis using great get off to generate a turnover.

This film review was done by Matthew Knowles. Follow him on Twitter: @blueflamespcl

The Dolphins Cancer Challenge has become the largest cancer-themed fundraiser in all of professional sports, and last year the Miami Dolphins added a brand new element to it in an attempt to further increase its influence...and now they're doing it again.

On Friday morning, the Dolphins hosted their second annual DCC Celebrity Golf Tournament at Turnberry Isle Miami, where cancer fighters and survivors were able to enjoy a round of golf with some of their favorite professional athletes all across Florida, including Dolphins Pro Bowl safety Reshad Jones, quarterbacks Matt Moore and Brandon Doughty, offensive linemen Jermon Bushrod, Ted Larsen and Sam Young, and even Florida Panthers center Derek MacKenzie.

"On a fan basis, obviously a lot of us are Dolphins fans, and they had a great season," said MacKenzie. "A lot of times our schedules collide, but when they don't, I know the guys like taking opportunities like this. Just to be a part of something like this with the Panthers and the Dolphins is definitely something pretty special."

This event got a major upgrade for its 2017 run, as last year they were only able to use one golf course. This year, they were able to fill up both golf courses, which only adds to the amount of money that can be raised in the name of cancer research.

"Turnberry's been gracious enough to give us both golf courses, we're doing it on a Friday so hopefully we'll have some fun that'll roll into the evening." said 2017's CEO of the Dolphins Cancer Challenge David Fader. "I hope we raise a whole lot of money and bring awareness to cancer, we're very proud to say that every dollar that we raise today goes directly to the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center."

As it's often stated, cancer has touched everyone in some way, shape or form, whether directly or indirectly. For Dolphins QB Brandon Doughty, he recently had cause to celebrate, which made his presence at the tournament all the more significant.

"Actually, my mom had cancer for about a year and a half," said Doughty. "She just became cancer free about two or three weeks ago, so that was cool. We actually had a friend named Spencer back at Western Kentucky, he just became cancer free ... It's something that I hold dear to my heart and something that I'm passionate about, so definitely have to support the cause for sure."

Over $16.5 million dollars have been raised by the DCC since its inauguration back in 2010, and its seventh year is already shaping up to be one of its most successful. With all of the growth the DCC has undergone since its beginning, it's even reached a point where people are beginning to recognize it just by name alone.

"DCC is becoming quite a buzz word," said Fader. "Needless to say, people come out and experience our bike event or they come see this golf event and the word of mouth just sells itself, it's quite easy."

There's still plenty more to be done as 2017 continues, and as long as cancer is a problem in the world, you can be sure the Dolphins will be there to make sure they do their part in mobilizing the world of sports to help find a permanent solution.

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @LuisDSung

Following are excerpts from the official press release from the Miami Dolphins as they released their 2017 schedule.

The Miami Dolphins today announced the team will kick off the 2017 season at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 10 at 1 p.m. against Tampa Bay. It is just the second time since 2011 the Dolphins have opened the season at home.

The Dolphins are scheduled to have four primetime games, the most since the 2004 season, including three in a row from Weeks 8-10. It is the first time in franchise history the team will play three straight primetime games. Miami will first appear in primetime on Thursday Night Football in Week 8 (Oct. 26) at Baltimore. In Week 9 (Nov. 5), the Dolphins will host Oakland on Sunday Night Football. The following week will feature Miami at Carolina on Monday Night Football on Nov. 13. The Dolphins will also play on Monday Night Football in Week 14 (Dec. 11) when they host New England.
 
Miami’s home schedule features an impressive slate of opponents, including the past two Super Bowl champions – Denver and New England. The seven teams the Dolphins will host at Hard Rock Stadium were a collective 65-47 last year and all but two of them had winning records in 2016.
 
As a whole, the Dolphins will play the AFC and NFC champions from each of the past two seasons – Denver, New England, Carolina and Atlanta. Of Miami’s 16 games, three will come against teams that played in Super Bowl LI, five will be against 2016 playoff teams and eight will take place against teams with a winning record last season.
 
Miami will travel to London for a regular-season game for the fourth time in team history and kick off at 9:30 a.m. Eastern time on Oct. 1 vs. New Orleans. Miami won a 2014 meeting with Oakland at Wembley Stadium but fell short in a 2007 meeting with the New York Giants and a 2015 showdown against the New York Jets.
 
The Dolphins will also play two road games in new NFL venues. In Week 2 (Sept. 17), the Dolphins will play the Chargers at StubHub Center in the Chargers’ first regular season home game since returning to Los Angeles. In Week 6 (Oct. 15), Miami will play in Atlanta’s brand new venue, Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
 
The Dolphins also announced dates and times for their four preseason games. The first game vs. Atlanta will be played on Aug. 10 at 7 p.m. In Week 2, the Dolphins will host Baltimore on Aug. 17 at 7 p.m. The team will play at Philadelphia in Week 3 on Aug. 24 at 7 p.m. before wrapping up the preseason at Minnesota in Week 4 on Aug. 31 at 8 p.m.
 
MIAMI DOLPHINS 2017 PRESEASON SCHEDULE
DATE                     OPPONENT                                 STADIUM                                   TIME (ET)
Thurs., Aug. 10        ATLANTA FALCONS              Hard Rock Stadium                  7 p.m.
Thurs., Aug. 17        BALTIMORE RAVENS           Hard Rock Stadium                  7 p.m.
Thurs., Aug. 24        at Philadelphia Eagles          Lincoln Financial Field            7 p.m. 
Thurs., Aug. 31        at Minnesota Vikings              U.S. Bank Stadium                   8 p.m.
 
 
MIAMI DOLPHINS 2017 REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE
DATE                     OPPONENT                                        STADIUM                                            TIME (ET)
Sun., Sept. 10         TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS         Hard Rock Stadium                          1 p.m.
Sun., Sept. 17         at Los Angeles Chargers               StubHub Center                                4 p.m.
Sun., Sept. 24         at New York Jets                              MetLife Stadium                                1 p.m.
Sun., Oct. 1             NEW ORLEANS SAINTS                Wembley Stadium (London)           9:30 a.m.
Sun., Oct. 8             TENNESSEE TITANS                      Hard Rock Stadium                         1 p.m.*
Sun., Oct. 15           at Atlanta Falcons                            Mercedes-Benz Stadium                1 p.m.*
Sun., Oct. 22           NEW YORK JETS                            Hard Rock Stadium                          1 p.m.*
Thurs., Oct. 26        at Baltimore Ravens                       M&T Bank Stadium                            8:25 p.m.
Sun., Nov. 5            OAKLAND RAIDERS                      Hard Rock Stadium                           8:30 p.m.*
Mon., Nov. 13         at Carolina Panthers                       Bank of America Stadium                8:30 p.m.
Sun., Nov. 19          BYE WEEK
Sun., Nov. 26          at New England Patriots                Gillette Stadium                                 1 p.m.*
Sun., Dec. 3            DENVER BRONCOS                     Hard Rock Stadium                           1 p.m.*
Mon., Dec. 11         NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS          Hard Rock Stadium                           8:30 p.m.
Sun., Dec. 17          at Buffalo Bills                                  New Era Field                                    1 p.m.*
Sun., Dec. 24          at Kansas City Chiefs                     Arrowhead Stadium                         1 p.m.*
Sun., Dec. 31          BUFFALO BILLS                             Hard Rock Stadium                          1 p.m.*
* Game subject to flexible scheduling in Weeks 5-17

For the fourth straight year, a select number of games will be “cross-flexed,” moving between CBS and FOX to bring potentially under-distributed games to wider audiences. Some of those contests were announced today while the remainder of “cross-flexed” games will be decided during the season.
 
“Flexible scheduling” will be used in Weeks 5-17. Additionally, in Weeks 5-10, flexible scheduling may be used in no more than two weeks. In Weeks 5-16, the schedule lists the games tentatively set for Sunday Night Football on NBC. Only Sunday afternoon games are eligible to be moved to Sunday night, in which case the tentatively scheduled Sunday night game would be moved to an afternoon start time. Flexible scheduling will not be applied to games airing on Thursday, Saturday or Monday nights. A flexible scheduling move will be announced at least 12 days before the game. For Week 17, the Sunday night game will be announced no later than six days prior to Dec. 31. The schedule does not list a Sunday night game in Week 17, but an afternoon game with playoff implications will be moved to that time slot. Flexible scheduling ensures quality matchups in all Sunday time slots in those weeks and gives “surprise” teams a chance to play their way into primetime.
 
2017 Schedule Notes
 
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Sunday, Sept. 10 at 1 p.m. at Miami)
·         The Last Time (HOME): Miami 25, Tampa Bay 23; Nov. 15, 2009
·         The Last Time (OVERALL): Tampa Bay 22, Miami 19; Nov. 11, 2013
·         The Series: Tied at 5-5
·         Miami is 3-1 all-time in home games vs. Tampa Bay.
·         Three of the past four meetings have been decided by three points or less.
·         Despite being the closest NFL team to the Dolphins (only 271 driving miles from Raymond James Stadium to              Hard Rock Stadium), the two teams have met just five times in the past 25 years.
 
Los Angeles Chargers (Sunday, Sept. 17 at 4 p.m. at L.A. Chargers)
·         The Last Time (AWAY/OVERALL): Miami 31, San Diego 24; Nov. 13, 2016
·         The Last Time (IN LOS ANGELES): First meeting
·         The Series: Miami leads 17-15 (includes four playoff games)
·         The Dolphins are 10-3 in their last 13 games against the Chargers dating back to 1995.
·         Miami is 7-11 all-time in games played at the Chargers (includes win on Oct. 27, 2003 in game moved to                     Tempe, Ariz. due to wildfires).
·         Miami is 6-2 all-time in games played in the Los Angeles area (includes games at Rams, Raiders, Super Bowl           VII and Super Bowl XVII).
·         The two teams have met in three consecutive seasons (2014-16) with the Dolphins taking two of the three                   meetings.
·         This will be the first of two stadiums the Dolphins will play in for the first time this season as the Chargers are               playing in the StubHub Center (Carson, Calif.) for the 2017 and 2018 seasons.
 
New York Jets (Sunday, Sept. 24 at 1 p.m. at N.Y. Jets | Sunday, Oct. 22 at 1 p.m. at Miami)
·         The Last Time (HOME): Miami 27, N.Y. Jets 23; Nov. 6, 2016
·         The Last Time (AWAY): Miami 34, N.Y. Jets 13; Dec. 17, 2016
·         The Series: N.Y. Jets lead 53-49-1 (includes one playoff game)
·         The Dolphins are 26-25-1 all-time at home against the N.Y. Jets.
·         The Dolphins are 23-28 all-time in road games at the N.Y. Jets.
·         Miami has won four of its past five (and seven of its past nine) road meetings at the N.Y. Jets.
 
New Orleans Saints (Sunday, Oct. 1 at 9:30 a.m. at London)
·         The Last Time (HOME): New Orleans 46, Miami 34; Oct. 25, 2009
·         The Last Time (OVERALL): New Orleans 38, Miami 17; Sept. 30, 2013 (at New Orleans)
·         The Last Time (IN LONDON): N.Y. Jets, 27, Miami 14; Oct. 4, 2015
·         The Series: Miami leads 6-5
·         Miami is 3-1 all-time in home games vs. the Saints.
·         This is the Dolphins’ fourth trip to London with all four games coming at Wembley Stadium.
·         Miami is 1-2 all-time in London with a win against Oakland in 2014 and losses vs. N.Y. Giants in 2007 and vs.             N.Y. Jets in 2015.
·         Running back Jay Ajayi was born in London, lived there until he was seven years old and is a British citizen.

Tennessee Titans (Sunday, Oct. 8 at 1 p.m. at Miami)
·         The Last Time (HOME/OVERALL): Tennessee 30, Miami 17; Oct. 9, 2016
·         The Series: Miami leads 19-17 (includes one playoff game)
·         Miami is 11-9 all-time vs. the Titans/Oilers at home.
·         The Dolphins have won three of their past five and six of their past nine home games against the Titans.
·         Miami is 9-5 in its past 13 games against Tennessee.
 
Atlanta Falcons (Sunday, Oct. 15 at 1 p.m. at Atlanta)
·         The Last Time (AWAY): Atlanta 19, Miami 7; Sept. 13, 2009
·         The Last Time (OVERALL): Miami 27, Atlanta 23; Sept. 22, 2013
·         The Series: Miami leads 8-4
·         Miami is 2-2 all-time against Atlanta in road games.
·         This will be the second of two stadiums the Dolphins will play in for the first time this season as Mercedes-                   Benz Stadium opens in downtown Atlanta for the 2017 season.
·         Miami’s last road win against the Falcons came on Sept. 21, 1980 in a 20-17 victory at Atlanta Fulton County               Stadium.

Baltimore Ravens (Thursday, Oct. 26 at 8:25 p.m. at Baltimore)
·         The Last Time (AWAY/OVERALL): Baltimore 38, Miami 6; Dec. 4, 2016
·         The Last Time (PRIMETIME): Miami 19, Baltimore 6; Sept. 17, 2000 (at Miami)
·         The Series: Baltimore leads 8-6 (includes two playoff games)
·         Miami is 1-3 all-time in games played at the Baltimore Ravens.
·         The Dolphins are 9-8 all-time in games played in Baltimore (includes games against the Ravens and Colts).
·         The two teams have met in the past four straight seasons (2013-16) with Baltimore taking three of the four                   meetings.
·         Miami is 2-2 in its past four games on Thursdays.
 
Oakland Raiders (Sunday, Nov. 5 at 8:30 p.m. at Miami)
·         The Last Time (HOME): Miami 35, Oakland 13; Sept. 16, 2012
·         The Last Time (OVERALL): Miami 38, Oakland 14; Sept. 28, 2014 (at London)
·         The Last Time (PRIMETIME): L.A. Raiders 13, Miami 10; Nov. 19, 1990 (at Miami)
·         The Series: Oakland leads 19-17-1 (includes four playoff games)
·         Miami is 10-8-1 all-time at home against Oakland.
·         The Dolphins have won seven of their past eight home games against the Raiders, dating back to 1992 (lone             loss was Sept. 30, 2007).
·         Miami has won five straight and 11 of the past 13 contests against the Raiders (last loss was Sept. 30, 2007).
·         This will be the Dolphins’ first appearance on Sunday Night Football since Sept. 26, 2010 vs. the New York                 Jets
 
Carolina Panthers (Monday, Nov. 13 at 8:30 p.m. at Carolina)
·         The Last Time (AWAY): Miami 24, Carolina 17; Nov. 19, 2009
·         The Last Time (OVERALL): Carolina 20, Miami 16; Nov. 24, 2013 (at Miami)
·         The Last Time (PRIMETIME): First meeting
·         The Series: Miami leads 4-1
·         Miami is 2-0 all-time at Carolina.
·         This is just the third time the Dolphins have played at Carolina and only the second time since 1998.
·         The Dolphins won each of their first four meetings vs. the Panthers (1998-2009) before falling in their last                     meeting on Nov. 24, 2013.

New England Patriots (Sunday, Nov. 26 at 1 p.m. at New England | Monday, Dec. 11 at 8:30 p.m. at Miami)
·         The Last Time (HOME): New England 35, Miami 14; Jan. 1, 2017
·         The Last Time (AWAY): New England 31, Miami 24; Sept. 18, 2016
·         The Last Time (PRIMETIME): New England 36, Miami 7; Oct. 29, 2015 (at New England)
·         The Series: Miami leads 53-50 (includes three playoff games)
·         Miami is 36-16 all-time at home against New England.
·         Miami is 17-34 all-time in games played at New England.
·         The Dolphins have won three (2013-15) of their past four home games vs. the Patriots.
 
Denver Broncos (Sunday, Dec. 3 at 1 p.m. at Miami)
·         The Last Time (HOME): Denver 18, Miami 15; Oct. 23, 2011
·         The Last Time (OVERALL): Denver 39, Miami 36; Nov. 23, 2014 (at Denver)
·         The Series: Miami leads 11-6-1 (includes one playoff game)
·         Miami is 7-1 all-time in home games vs. the Broncos with their only loss coming in the most recent meeting on             Oct. 23, 2011.
·         The Dolphins have won five of its past eight games against the Broncos, dating back to 1999.
·         Head Coach Adam Gase spent six seasons on the Broncos’ coaching staff and was offensive coordinator from           2013-14, helping the Broncos win the AFC Championship in 2013.
 
Buffalo Bills (Sunday, Dec. 17 at 1 p.m. at Buffalo | Sunday, Dec. 31 at 1 p.m. at Miami)
·         The Last Time (HOME): Miami 28, Buffalo 25; Oct. 23, 2016
·         The Last Time (AWAY): Miami 34, Buffalo 31 (OT); Dec. 24, 2016
·         The Series: Miami leads 60-45-1 (includes four playoff games)
·         Miami is 34-18-1 all-time vs. Buffalo at home.
·         Miami is 26-25 all-time in games played at Buffalo (includes win on Dec. 7, 2008 in Toronto).
·         The Dolphins swept the season series with Buffalo last year for the first time since 2011.
 
Kansas City Chiefs (Sunday, Dec. 24 at 1 p.m. at Kansas City)
·         The Last Time (AWAY): Miami 31, Kansas City 3; Nov. 6, 2011
·         The Last Time (OVERALL): Kansas City 34, Miami 15; Sept. 21, 2014 (at Miami)
·         The Series: Miami leads 16-13 (includes three playoff games)
·         Miami is 5-6 all-time at Kansas City, including an AFC Divisional round double-overtime win on Dec. 25, 1971.
·         The Dolphins have won their past two games in Kansas City, posting wins in 2008 and 2011.
·         This will be just Miami’s third trip to Arrowhead Stadium since 1991.

This information was transcribed by Eldon Jenson. Follow him on Twitter @EJFootball

“I love Lamp.” - Brick Tamland.

Words were never truer than those uttered by that dim-witted weatherman from San Diego.  San Diego I think that translates to a whale’s va- never mind. Even though I could riff on the movie, The Anchorman for another 10,000 words I will change gears to talk about one of my favorite prospects in this year’s draft. Forrest Lamp.

I must tell you a secret. I liked Lamp’s film better than I liked Tunsil’s film, and I am not referring to the film of Tunsil released ten minutes before last year’s draft. I must preface my secret by saying I do think Tunsil had better film than Lamp, but Lamp was so much more of a nasty animal in the way he plays than Tunsil was in his college film. Lamp got his jollies from pancaking and dive bombing defenders to the ground.

I know what some of you are saying, another offensive lineman in what would have to be the first round. But if Lamp is there it would be hard to move off him. He makes both the passing game and running game so much better. He gives versatility to the O-line with his experience at playing offensive tackle, which I think he could play at a high level in the NFL.

​His new position will be offensive guard which although a short bridge will be a presumptive bridge to cross that he will translate seamlessly to the guard position, and I will not give him credit for this but he has been doing extensive work at center in his preparation for the draft, and by all accounts has looked impressive at the center position.

​Again, I do not give him credit for this in his evaluation because he has never done it in a real game situation but it is something to consider.  If he can perform spot work as successful center he would be even more intriguing with Pouncey’s injury history. 

The Bad

For some reason when a blitz rusher or a faster guy is rushing into Lamp’s inside he panics. His technique goes out the window and he becomes average. 

The Good

The above issues are strange because Lamp usually handles stunts well. Here are two examples of him taking on a stunt defender. 

​Lamp is great firing off the snap, nice choppy steps matched with amazing leverage technique, add in a whistle to whistle play mentality and you got yourself an amazing run blocker. 

​Lamp is a smooth athlete especially when it comes to lateral movements. He gets out in space quickly. 

​Lamp’s athleticism helps him get to the second level. He is seamless with his movements and eats up space quickly.

​Lamp is my type of football player. I love players that like to hit and that play like pit bulls. I want ten guys on offense that want to slam the opponent to the ground and have the other team or referee pry them off. Lamp is that guy. He would bring a nastiness to this offensive line. 

​The one knock on Lamp for why he shouldn’t play OT in the NFL is his short arms. This will not be as much of a problem as some think because of his foot quickness which allows him to mirror. I don’t believe you necessarily need length if you can mirror pass rushers.  

​Lamp has an impressive kick step. I even had to watch a couple of plays several times to see if he had committed a false start. His kick step is another reason why I think he could handle OT responsibilities. He eats up space so quickly and gets to his landmarks. His fluidity and athleticism more than makes up for his T-rex arms. I am totally joking please don't kill me Mr. Lamp.

This film review was done by Matthew Knowles. Follow him on Twitter: @blueflamespcl

​​Jarrad Davis has all the tools to be a perennial All-Pro NFL linebacker. He is athletic and instinctual. But is he the right fit for this current Miami Dolphins team.

​The Dolphins need a linebacker, but with the free agent acquisition of middle linebacker Lawrence Timmons, and the recently extended Kiko Alonso, Kiko can play middle linebacker in a pinch but is better suited for weak side linebacker. Could we move the 234 pound Timmons to play SAM? Maybe but there is no indication that he would be a good fit at SAM linebacker.

One argument for the Dolphins to draft Davis is that talent trumps fit or need. If Davis bulks up a little he could be the future middle linebacker when the 31-year-old Timmons' 2-year contract expires. He would also be the only true cover linebacker. Alonso is our best coverage linebacker and by my analysis that is not a good thing.

​Another argument is special middle linebackers with great leadership are hard to come by and make a huge difference with any team. If the Dolphins think he is a special talent that will be a future HOF at the MIKE position, then I think he should be in the running for the pick at 22. 

The Bad

My biggest concern coming away from watching Davis’ film is if he can play middle linebacker. If he wants to play middle linebacker, he will need to bulk up a little or learn how to avoid and skirt blockers. He can stack and shed against lesser competition but when he played big boy football against Bama and LSU he got bullied several times.

On some plays, he was pushed back to the point where he was 5-10 yards away from the ball carrier. Here are two examples of him getting latched onto by a blocker and rendered useless.

​Davis is very aggressive and plays at 100%. This is a good thing but the one negative side effect is sometimes that high octane hustle results in unnecessary roughness penalties. Some plays are bang bang plays, other plays are just bone head plays that cost the team. Here are two examples. 

​The Good

Davis has tremendous acceleration. On this play, he reads the play action then moves to the quarterback. Once he sees the opening he becomes a missile to the quarterback for a vicious sack. 

​Davis takes on a block with enough strength to send the blocking receiver backward, he then makes a nice tackle. 

Davis is excellent in coverage. He can run with a lot of athletes. Here are three examples of his coverage skills. 

​Davis shows excellent awareness and reaction on this screen pass. He sees it develop and is quickly on the receiver for the tackle. 

​Davis can blitz effectively, On this play he is able to time the snap to disrupt the backfield. 

​This film review was done by Matthew Knowles. Follow him on Twitter: @blueflamespcl

The big name on Dolphins draft Twitter's wish list is Haason Reddick, and rightfully so. Reddick is a very intriguing defensive chess piece prospect who offers versatility and a high ceiling. There are high hopes that Reddick could make a seamless transition to middle linebacker.

Nothing I have seen makes me think he will quickly move over to middle linebacker but that is what makes him a very good candidate for the Dolphins. He can play SAM linebacker/rotating edge defender and slowly transition to the middle linebacker position while learning from one of the best MLBs in Lawrence Timmons.

But if we do not get Reddick there are others in this draft who offer versatilely while also can learn from all pro players to become ultimate chess pieces for the future. Those players are T.J. Watt and Tyus Bowser. Both player could start immediately at SAM linebacker while learning how to become better edge players from future Hall of Famer Cameron Wake. Nothing I have seen from Reddick’s film tells me he is anywhere closer to being a MLB than either Bowser or Watt as well.

All three have similar strength and weaknesses to each other.

They all have a great motor. They all have success as an edge player but could learn some counter moves and different techniques to make them better. They are all freak athletes who seem to love football. Finally, we would be lucky with any of these three players.

​Reddick isn’t the most physical when it comes to shedding blocks, but on this play, he shows the ability to work through the block and rally to the ball carrier.

​Reddick tries to avoid the block on this run play, but sometimes a linebacker just needs to take on the defender and force the running back to slow up and change directions. Due to Reddick’s decision to avoid the block, the running back doesn’t even have to slow down on this run to a touchdown. I have seen an avoidance of blocks on more than one occasion.  

​Reddick has a good first step and quickness to get backside pursuit on run plays. Here is an example of this where Reddick makes a play in the backfield with his quickness. 

​Reddick starts the play as if he is going to defend the slot receiver. Then he sneaks into a blitzing stance at the line of scrimmage. This will be a role that I see him doing a lot in the NFL. He gets pressure on the QB even though he is held. 

​Reddick displays an amazing first step on this play. I am not sure if he jumped offsides but it was too close to call. He is able to round the corner and get the sack.

​Reddick shows good awareness and quickness on this sideline pursuit against a fly sweep. Reddick diagnoses the play quickly and runs step for step with the ball carrier to make a tackle around the line of scrimmage. 

A lot of people are already crowning Reddick as a stud off the ball linebacker in the NFL. I am not saying he won’t be but I did see things that concerned me about his instincts. I saw hesitation when he played a ton of snaps at middle linebacker at the Senior Bowl.

This is a tough example because there is a lot going on during this play but I would like to see Reddick attack faster. If you are going to be wrong, you need to be aggressively wrong. 

​Reddick is lined up as a stacked linebacker. He does a good job of quickly reacting to the play but takes a bad angle. This is a more correctable offense than instincts therefore less concerning than instincts and hesitation but it is something to consider. The clip has the landmark indicated by ^ where Reddick should have been running to as soon as the ball was out. 

If Reddick is a Dolphin this is how I would like Reddick to be used on passing downs. He closes quickly so putting him in a wide formation and letting him rush the passer makes perfect sense. 

​Reddick will probably start his NFL career as a SAM linebacker until he learns the Ins and Outs of the middle linebacker position. As a SAM he has to set the edge. He showed a number of times that he is able to do this. Here is an example of one instance.

​Reddick was a DB coming into Temple, so I am assuming he has a little bit of coverage ability in his muscle memory. Until I see a prospect do it I will not say for certain he can or can’t. He will mainly be dropping into curl zones and flats curl zones like on this play. 

Watt’s biggest strength is his pass rush. He is quick, has a good first step, and strong hands. Watt knows how to use his hands. On this play Watt uses his hands to swipe the left tackle's hands away then rounds the corner and puts great pressure on the QB.   

​Watt blitzes from a stacked linebacker position. He is too quick for the center or guard to pick him up and is too strong for the running back to have any chance at blocking Watt. Watt quickly sacks the QB. 

​Watt’s hand technique is impressive. He works through the wash to get to the ball carrier for a tackle for loss. Then he wraps up the ball carriers with a perfect form tackle. 

​Watt shows good bend to run the track and he shows great strength to keep the offensive tackle off of him with one arm. 

​Watt’s first step is a major strength. Here is an example where he crashes the backfield for a tackle for loss.

Watt is too quick for guards and tackles when he attacks the gaps. He has great lateral burst and closing speed to take advantage of stunts.

This isn’t sexy and the result is a touchdown scored against Wisconsin, but I love how Watt is willing to “jump on a grenade” and take on a big blocker to clog up a running lane for the ball carrier. He does this a lot against big pulling guards. Watt doesn’t try to make a business decision and avoid contact. He takes on the block. 

​Watt does the little things well. He is a very selfless player that constantly plays with heart. On this play Watt crashes the edge which allows the secondary defenders to make a clean tackle. 

​Watt’s biggest weakness is coverage. He isn’t awful but he doesn’t have a great feel for consistently locating his man without turning and looking for him in zone coverage. He is athletic enough to be able to learn simple hook zone concepts. I also think he can learn to play man against tight ends, but again I won’t testify without evidence. 

Bowser does a great job of showing off his dawg on this play to fend off a block to get to the screen receiver. 

​Bowser sets the edge consistently even though being a little light. He takes on the pulling guard to force the running back inside. 

​Bowser is quick with his first step, fast to react and good closing speed to make a tackle in the backfield on this play. 

​Bowser shows the ability to dip and bend underneath the OT’s block on this play. Admittedly, Bowser needs to show this ability more often but this play shows he has the capability, he just needs to develop it more. 

​Bowser has a quick outside step which makes going inside possible. Blockers aren’t quick enough to block both inside and outside against Bowser so they must commit to one side. 

​On this play, Bowser shows his ability to blitz from the 2nd level. He doesn’t get a sack but flushes the QB out. He would probably have gotten a sack but was held on this play. 

​Bowser shows his ability to make a tackle as a stacked linebacker. Bowser makes a wrap up tackle. I am not trying to say Bowser can move to middle linebacker but he can play a little stack linebacker. 

​Bowser shows great first step, dip and bend to win the edge. He would easily have gotten a sack or at the very least put immense pressure on the QB if he wasn’t held.  

​One of Bowser's best strengths is his ability in coverage. He is able to drop in zone or cover man 2 man smoothly and naturally. He eats up a lot of space quickly. This play shows this as he pulls in the interception.

This film review was done by Matthew Knowles. Follow him on Twitter: @blueflamespcl

If you ask anyone on Fins Twitter about Zach Cunningham, you will either get two answers. He is a first-round top 10 pick. Or he is an outside of the top 50 prospect in this year’s draft. Both answers are correct.

Zach Cunningham is the most frustrating player to evaluate this season. One play he will make a play that only a handful of players in the NFL could make, then the next play he will take a bad angle and miss an open field tackle. 

THE GOOD:

Cunningham is athletic and long-armed. This helps him run past blocks or easily stack and shed blocks. He is very aggressive and closes on players quickly. He can also cover well so he is a three-down linebacker. 

THE BAD:

Cunningham gets too aggressive at times. He over-commits on plays. He is a missed-tackles, arm tackling no-no film generator. He does stuff in games that would make me as a defensive coordinator go bald and grey due to inconsistent instincts. He also needs to bulk up a little to play with the big boys in the NFL.

QUESTIONABLE INSTINCTS:

When watching Cunningham’s film, I am always blown away by his ceiling, but I am always left frustrated with his very questionable instincts. On this play, Cunningham chooses the right gap but suddenly chooses another gap for no apparent reason.

It is never a good idea for a defender to leave his feet because if you miss you are out of the play. This is another example of Cunningham’s headache causing plays.

​Cunningham has real issues with his tackling. I can do an entire breakdown of Cunningham missing tackles. On this play, he misses another tackle in the open field. Cunningham needs to work on this aspect of his game. 

Cunningham is very aggressive which is a great thing. But teams that like to run misdirection will exploit an aggressive player like Cunningham. He needs to find a different speed and learn how to float. This means he needs to see it first then react.

​Before seeing the Georgia Tech game, I knew he would have trouble with this type of offense due to how aggressive he is. On other plays, just like this play he gets aggressive which makes him over-commit to an option and take a bad angle. 

​Cunningham is athletic, so it is no surprise that he is good with second direction. On this play Cunningham gets caught up with the play-action and runs to fill the gap. But once the QB throws the ball out to a bubble screen, Cunningham is right on the ball carrier to make a stop. 

​One of Cunningham’s strengths is his ability to stack and shed a blocker. He does just this on this play. Cunningham takes on the blocker, gets great leverage and sheds blockers to make the tackle on the ball carrier.

​Cunningham displays the ability to blitz effectively on this play. He has good strength to brush off blocks from RBs and good closing speed to eat up space. 

​Cunningham is very good about seeing it, reacting to it quickly, and filling a gap. He does this on this play. His tackling is once again suspect but everything else is on point. 

​Cunningham has long arms which he uses to flow through traffic and keep blockers off him. He does just this while rallying to the ball carrier. 

​Cunningham has shown good man coverage in his film. Cunningham runs with the RB who leaks out of the back field. The QB throws to the RB and Cunningham deflects the ball away. 

This film review was done by Matthew Knowles. Follow him on Twitter: @blueflamespcl

Every March, when NFL free agency commences, hope springs eternal amongst fans of the Miami Dolphins, and indeed fans of every team in the NFL. Bright, shiny baubles are on display all across the league, as teams explore the possibilities of adding talent to their rosters with veterans who can make an immediate impact on the field of play.

And more often than not, teams find out that there was a reason the player they signed was available in the first place, and they overpaid for average talent, rather than the superstar they thought they’d gotten.

The Dolphins have been active participants in free agency every year, and this year was no exception. But if you look closely, you can sense a difference in the approach of this second-year regime.

In the recent past, the Dolphins, with lots of money to spend, have doled out huge contracts to lure the top talent to South Florida in free agency. In 2013, they made wide receiver Mike Wallace one of the highest paid receivers in the league. In 2014, they lured left tackle Branden Albert with a high-end contract as well. And defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh became the highest-paid defensive player (at the time) when the Dolphins signed the prize free agent of the 2015 season.

But there has been an internal shift since head coach Adam Gase came aboard, as the Dolphins are looking to build from within, using the draft to add young talent, with the intent of developing their own and filling in needed spots with lower-priced free agents. They brought linebacker Lawrence Timmons, offensive guard Ted Larsen, and safety Nate Allen aboard for relatively affordable contracts, and continue to explore adding possibly one more free agent before the NFL draft at the end of April.

They’ve also extended the contracts of several other players, most notably wide receiver Kenny Stills and safety Reshad Jones, keeping core talent in place, hoping that the continuity of retaining in-house talent outweighs splashy (and high-priced) new signings.

And that’s a good thing.

Free agency in the NFL is not the bargain that many think it is. In fact, in the past three seasons, the teams that spent the most money on free agents (Jacksonville Jaguars, Oakland Raiders, and New York Giants) with an average of nearly $430 million per team spent on free agents, averaged a paltry 18-30 record over those three years.

By comparison, the three teams that spent the least amount of money in free agency (Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Carolina Panthers), only forked out an average of $70 million per team, and did remarkably well, with an average record of 30-18 over the past three years.

The Dolphins are indeed being very wise in their new approach, and here’s why.

When the current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) went into effect in 2011, a rookie wage scale was instigated, which set a predetermined scale for rookie contracts based on where they were drafted. That in itself translates to this result on the field: teams that draft well end up with some of their best players under contract for four or five years at salaries that are far below market value.

Add in another key component of that 2011 CBA – the salary cap has increased from $120 million in 2001 to $167 million this season – and teams find themselves in position to use available funds to retain their own players. Not only that, but most teams are able to do so while paying slightly under market value, as many players (and agents) are realizing that while chasing the almighty dollar is nice, playing in a familiar scheme, knowing where they fit in with schemes, coaches, and teammates oftentimes wins out over a few extra dollars.

There are certainly exceptions to the rule, with one or two immensely talented players hitting the market each year. For instance, no one will deny the impact that Suh has made for the Dolphins.

But by and large, the smart NFL teams know not to splurge in free agency, instead allotting that money towards keeping their own talent intact, drafting well, and hoping for the luxury of developing young talent to replace their own free agents. Should the player’s situation (age, injury history, salary demands) put them in a position where it is better for the team to let that player sign elsewhere rather than chew up a sizable portion of their salary cap, so be it.

And the Dolphins, as recent moves made by the team indicate, are realizing this.

And they are playing it smart.

This column was written by Eldon Jenson. Follow him on Twitter @EJFootball

On the second day of the 2016 NFL draft, the Miami Dolphins made a trade with the Minnesota Vikings that gave away the team’s sixth round pick in that draft, plus their third and fourth round picks in the 2017 draft, all to get a third round pick that they used on a player that wasn’t a need (wide receiver Leonte Carroo). This happened after earlier in the day, the team had traded away their fourth round pick in that draft in order to move up just four spots in the second round.

A gnashing of teeth ensued, garments were rendered, and curses echoed throughout the land.

Or maybe that was just at my house.

I was livid at the time. Why were the Dolphins trading away valuable picks, many of them? I’m not convinced the Dolphins couldn’t have gotten the same players, or very equal value, if they had stayed put with their original picks. And I tweeted as much. I’ve always believed that you never mortgage your future for the unknown, and that’s exactly what Miami did.

Calm down, I was told.

Relax, they said.

The Dolphins will fill those spots with free agents, and all will be well again in Dolphinsland again.

And one follower even told me to delete my tweet before I ended up looking like a fool (which I regrettably did).

Well, we did do quite well in free agency. Add in a heavy dose of new head coach Adam Gase’s winning ways, and the Dolphins ended the 2016 season with a 10-6 record and a playoff spot.

So was I wrong to believe that giving up valuable future draft picks was such a terrible thing to do?

Nope.

As it stands right now, the Dolphins enter the 2017 draft with seven picks. Only three of those are from their original rounds (1st, 2nd, and 5th).

In addition to being without their third and fourth round picks, the team traded their seventh round pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars in a trade that netted tight end Julius Thomas. Then they sent their sixth round pick to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for defensive end William Hayes and the Ram’s seventh round pick.

I’m not criticizing those late round moves. In those cases, the cost is minimal, as late round picks are typically used for depth and development, and the team traded away two late picks (and recouped one) to acquire two players that are expected to make an impact on the field right away. Smart gamble, in my mind.

In a calculated gamble, due to having lost several high-priced free agents last year (Rishard Matthews, Lamar Miller, Olivier Vernon), the Dolphins were awarded three compensatory picks in this year’s draft, a third rounder and two fifth rounders. Smart gamble number two, and it paid off handsomely.

But if not for those three picks being added, the Dolphins would be looking at a very sorrowful draft indeed.
As it stands, as of today the Dolphins will have the following picks this year:

1st Round - 22nd overall.
2nd Round - 54th overall
3rd Round (Compensatory) - 97th overall
5th Round - 166th overall
5th Round (Compensatory) - 178th overall
5th Round (Compensatory) - 184th overall
7th Round, from Rams - 223rd overall

Great, you say, we still have seven picks, so it’s all good, right?

But let’s put those picks into perspective. The Dolphins will have just two picks in the first 96 picks, and just three in the first 165 selections.

Had the Dolphins simply stayed put with their previous picks, they would have EIGHT picks in the first 184 selections.

And you may have already heard, this year’s draft is a very deep one in several positions where the Dolphins have needs.

Had the Dolphins stayed put in 2016, they would have two third round picks this year (their own plus a compensatory pick). They would still have their own fourth round pick.

Add in those extra fifth round compensatory picks, and the Dolphins would be sitting on a bonanza of picks, letting them draft nine players this year, and that is in addition to still having Thomas and Hayes.

With new rules now allowing compensatory picks to be traded, the Dolphins would have the ammunition needed to move up in the draft, should they choose to go after a much-needed player. And they could do while still retaining their core picks.

Instead of having just three picks in the first four rounds this year, the Dolphins would be sitting pretty with FIVE picks in those first four rounds. And I remind you again that the Dolphins have deep needs at linebacker, guard, and on the defensive line, all areas with tons of depth in this year’s draft.

But nope, didn’t happen. The Dolphins brass, led by vice president of football operations Mike Tannenbaum, mortgaged the future last year, sacrificing picks in this year’s draft, even though they knowingly ignored the defensive side last year, leaving them on the short side as they approach this year’s draft.

Do I sound bitter?

Yeah, I am. And in hindsight, I was exactly right in questioning the trades in last year’s draft.

But my point in all of this is, I strongly caution folks who hope that the Dolphins trade up in the draft again this year.

To me, it’s just not worth the cost to move up a few slots unless you KNOW the player you are bringing in is a Day One starter. That wasn’t the case last year. And it doesn’t matter where the pick resides, Dolphins fans should be very well aware by now that no player in the NFL draft is a guarantee. Just look at Dion Jordan for further proof.

​The draft is hard enough without losing future chances.

So please, Miami Dolphins, don’t mortgage your future for the unknown.

Don’t make me gnash my teeth again this year!

​This column was written by Eldon Jenson. Follow him on Twitter @EJFootball