At the NFL Owners Meetings in Orlando, Florida this week, the coach’s breakfast interviews are the most anticipated soundbites of the NFL offseason, as it’s usually the first time fans hear from the coaches since the Super Bowl ended in February. This year didn’t disappoint, as Miami Dolphins head coach Adam Gase spent an hour talking to media while sipping his morning coffee, espousing on all things Dolphins.

It’s been a busy offseason for the Dolphins; in just two months they’ve made three trades, acquiring defensive end Robert Quinn, sending wide receiver Jarvis Landry packing to Cleveland when a long-term deal couldn’t be worked out, and acquiring 49ers center Daniel Kilgore to replace the recently departed Mike Pouncey.

The Dolphins also used some creativity with their salary cap, releasing tight end Julius Thomas, and defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, and then restructuring contracts for quarterback Ryan Tannehill and safety Reshad Jones. Those moves freed up enough money for the team to bolster the offensive line with the additions of guard Josh Sitton, the aforementioned Kilgore, and add a key cog to the offense with wide receiver Albert Wilson.

But it was the signing of a second wide receiver that stirred up the most interest, as the Dolphins signed former New England Patriot Danny Amendola. Gase was asked questions on that topic at the breakfast meetings, including more than a few wondering why the Dolphins added Amendola when they’d already signed Wilson.

"See? You guys all think I'm crazy, huh? That's the third person to ask me about it,” laughed Gase.

Gase quickly adds that the main reason he wanted to bring Amendola in was for his leadership.

“He's an experienced guy, a guy that's been in big games, made plays in big games,” said Gase. “He's been part of an organization that's won a lot, and he's a guy that can absolutely be a huge impact in our locker room. He can help other players on offense and help our team in general. I think it will be good for our guys to see how he works, how he does meetings, and how he goes about his business.”

Gase has an obvious affinity for Welker, noting, “I remember when we signed Wes in Denver, that was one of the biggest things that he did; when our young guys saw him practice, they were shocked because they couldn't believe how hard he went and how fast he did everything. There was no half speed or take this play off. It just didn't exist. He was full speed all the time."

And by getting Amendola, Gase sees the same potential for improving the locker room in Miami.

“By getting Danny, we have the type of offense that really fits him,” says Gase. “I think he creates a lot of separation. He's one of those guys that makes the quarterback's job really easy. He doesn't just get a little bit open. There's a big window there; the quarterback has a margin for error. It's something that we're excited about, and I think he brings that element; he's a winner. He's played in a lot of big games. He's won Super Bowls. He's made big plays in huge games - game-changing plays. I think he's going to be a great example for the rest of our locker room."

But before fans start thinking that Amedola or Wilson will fill the shoes of a 100-reception receiver in Landry, Gase cautions, “I'm looking at that as more of a group effort. We're probably going to spread it out a little more. Ball distribution will be a little more wide-ranging than one guy. We'll kind of see how we play this out and who is playing where. We'll probably have guys moving around in multiple spots.”

And with an abundance of new targets, Gase is excited to see how this offense plays out. Tannehill is going to have plenty of place to put the ball on each snap, and the two new additions at wide receiver are just the tip of the iceberg in that regard.

“I think between DeVante (Parker) and Kenny (Stills), and now you add Jakeem (Grant) in there and you add (Kenyan) Drake in there, now you've got Frank Gore. We've got a lot of guys that we're going to need to get the ball to."

​Fins up, Dolphins fans!

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

In perusing the Internet in my never ending search for more NFL information, I came across this concise and to the point comment from Judy Batista at NFL.com:

“What are the Miami Dolphins doing? “The Dolphins have positioned this as a necessary culture change after a 6-10 season, but the bottom line is they have shed a lot of top-level talent in the last two weeks. Gone are Jarvis Landry, Ndamukong Suh and Mike Pouncey. The Dolphins moved quickly on the offensive line, acquiring center Daniel Kilgore and signing guard Josh Sitton, and they added receivers Danny Amendola and Albert Wilson, as well as quarterback Brock Osweiler.

"The biggest addition, of course, will be the hoped-for return to health of quarterback Ryan Tannehill. But Suh and Landry – and Pouncey, when healthy – are dominant players at their respective positions and will not be easily replaced. The prism through which every Dolphins’ decision – every AFC East decision, really – has to be viewed: Does this get you closer to overtaking the Patriots? It’s hard to see that in South Florida right now.”

I apologize up front to Dolphins fans who really believe that their team will be better with these offseason moves but I couldn’t agree more with Batista. The difference is that I know what’s going on. What we are seeing is the influence of head coach Adam Gase’s up bringing in the league.

Gase cut his teeth as an offensive coordinator under head coach John Fox with the Denver Broncos. Fox, too, was a big fan of team culture. After falling out with team Executive Vice President of Football Operations John Elway, probably partly over what personnel changes needed to be made after a successful 12-4 2014 season that ultimately culminated in an early divisional round playoff loss.

Fox then moved on to the Chicago Bears and Gase moved with him. There, Fox and general manager Ryan Pace inherited a team with loads of offensive talent. The problem is that the most talented players were also a pain to coach. Brandon Marshall and Martellus Bennett were wonderful players on the field and gave full effort but they were difficult in the locker room and on the practice field.

Fox and Pace were faced with a choice - coach that talent and get the most out of it possible while live with and minimizing the headaches that sometimes came with it or… punt.

And punt they did, ultimately sending Marshall to the New York Jets and Bennett to the New England Patriots for peanuts.

The result of this improvement in team culture? Chicago went 6-10 in 2015, 3-13 in 2016 and 5-11 in 2017. And just like that, Fox was fired.

Gase may well be on his way to the same fate as he follows his mentor’s path. As he searches for more compliant and obedient football players he arrogantly believes that he can win with scheme if he has players who will try harder to get to the right place at the right time. There’s some truth to that and you may have to occasionally let a player go to accomplish it.

But the Dolphins aren’t letting one or two players. They’re making whole sale changes and, talent-wise, its been pretty consistently for the worse. For example, at slot receiver they’ve evidently decided quantity equals quality. Like you can stack Amendola and Wilson on top of one another and make one Jarvis Landry.

Unfortunately it doesn’t work that way.

It’s still a players game and talent ultimately prevails on the field. The key to unleashing that talent isn’t finding players to lead; it’s leading with what you’ve got. The key isn’t getting bunch of different players; it’s being a better coach. It too bad that Gase hasn’t come to that realization. The lack of perception is almost certainly going to burn him badly before its all over.

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel’s Dave Hyde related the other day about how, when he he co-hosted on the Joe Rose Show, former GM Charley Casserly was asked about the Dolphins move for a better “culture.” Casserly said, “Don’t sacrifice talent for character.”

Indeed.

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

One of the more familiar names in the Miami Dolphins defensive backfield will be missing this year, as safety Michael Thomas has signed a two-year deal with the New York Giants.

Thomas went undrafted out of Stanford in the 2012 NFL draft, and was signed by the San Francisco 49ers. Where he spent two years on their practice squad. Late in the 2013 season, the Dolphins signed him off the 49ers practice squad, and in his first NFL action, he broke up a pass in the endzone, and then intercepted Tom Brady in the endzone to seal a win for the Dolphins.

Thomas has been a special teams stalwart, serving as a team captain, and was a stabilizing player in the secondary for Miami, including 24 starts from 2014-2017. He leaves Miami with just the one career interception, but it was a play he and most Dolphins fans will remember the rest of his life.

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

After bringing him in for a visit, the Miami Dolphins have signed quarterback Brock Osweiler to a one-year deal. The financial terms of the contract have not yet been revealed.

The 27-year old Osweiler has had a very up-and-down career so far in the NFL, he was drafted by the Broncos back in 2012 in the second round, and played as a backup for future Hall of Fame QB Peyton Manning for four seasons, though in 2015 he got a chance to start for seven games after Manning suffered a foot injury.

In those seven games, Osweiler apparently did enough to convince the Houston Texans to sign him to a massive new contract in 2016, but he turned into a massive disappointment instead, and he was subsequently traded to the Browns in 2017, and got released by them before the season began.

Osweiler again landed in Denver and became a part of a three-QB rotation as the Broncos tried to find an answer at the position between Osweiler, Trevor Siemian, and Paxton Lynch.

None of those three ultimately amounted to anything.

Now, Osweiler will be reunited with Adam Gase, who was a Broncos assistant from 2012-2014, and he presumably knows the scheme that Gase wants to run in Miami, which would explain why Gase wanted Osweiler as a potential backup candidate. He now joins the incumbent starter Ryan Tannehill, veteran David Fales, and perennial practice squad member Brandon Doughty.

It is expected that the Dolphins will also find a rookie QB in this upcoming draft. The team has reportedly shown significant interest in Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield, UCLA's Josh Rosen, and Washington State's Luke Falk.

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

The Miami Dolphins have done some serious revamping to the offensive line this offseason, but now they've brought back one of the key role players on that line by re-signing offensive tackle Sam Young to a 1-year deal.

The financial terms are not yet known.

Young, who will turn 31 in June, can play both right tackle and left tackle, and he helped stabilize the right side of the offensive line when both Ja'Wuan James and Jermon Bushrod were dealing with injuries, starting six games in 2017; he's started in 20 of the 76 games of his career.

He is the third offensive lineman to be added to the roster this offseason, along with Daniel Kilgore - who was acquired from the 49ers in a trade meant to replace the recently released Mike Pouncey, and veteran Josh Sitton, who is here to finally lock down the left guard position after it being a revolving door for the past several years.

Young will add more depth to a reserve list that already includes veteran interior lineman Ted Larsen, second-year player Isaac Asiata, and center Jake Brendel who was given a restricted free agent tender offer.

As stated in the past, the moves being made by the Dolphins indicate that they believe they can make a real push to win this upcoming season, despite the mass exodus of the team's top talent. While Young won't make any highlight reels, he has been one of Miami's most solid backups for the past two seasons, so bringing him back is an excellent decision by the front office.

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

The South Florida community has lost one of its greatest icons, as billionaire businessman and former South Florida sports owner H. Wayne Huizenga has died at the age of 80.

“He succumbed to a decades-long battle with cancer. He was treated for cancer for years,” said Bob Henninger, executive vice president for Huizenga Holdings. “He fought a great fight. He died quietly.”

​Huizenga - besides being the former owner of the Miami Dolphins from 1994-2008 - was also the original owner of the then Florida Marlins and the NHL's Florida Panthers, and was also a devoted philanthropist, much like his Dolphins successor Stephen Ross, who he sold the team to after the end of the 2008 season.

“Wayne Huizenga was a seminal figure in the cultural history of South Florida. He completely changed the landscape of the region’s sports scene with his purchase of the Dolphins coupled with his pursuit of expansion teams in both Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League." Ross said. "Sports fans throughout the region owe him a debt of thanks for his stewardship of the Dolphins and for his vision and initiative to positively impact our community. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family during this difficult time.”

Huizenga is the only businessman to launch three different Fortune 500 companies: Waste Management, Blockbuster Entertainment, and AutoNation; with his philanthropic tendencies, Huizenga and his family supported the American Cancer Society, the Performing Arts Center Authority and the Make-A-Wish Foundation, among many others.

In the hearts of minds of those that knew him, he was also one of the nicest men they ever met.

“Mary Anne and I were saddened to learn of Wayne’s passing. No one was a bigger Dolphin fan than he was, and no one wanted to see the team win more than he did. He supported the team in every way possible, and no one could have asked to work for a better owner." said Hall of Fame coach Don Shula. “But as wonderful as he was as an owner, he was even better as a person. He was truly a great friend who showed compassion and caring for everyone he knew and many he didn’t, as evidenced by his wonderful work in the community. We lost a great family man, businessman, sportsman, philanthropist, and friend, but most of all, a great person. He will be missed.”

And that's just the tip of the iceberg, as many individuals close to Huizenga and the Dolphins organization took to Twitter to express their sadness towards the passing of a great man.

Hall of Fame defensive end Jason Taylor also had some things to say about the passing of Huizenga.

“I was deeply saddened to learn of Mr. Huizenga’s passing this morning." said Taylor. "Mr. H was an amazing man who was a part of my development from a young, wide-eyed rookie to an established, veteran player who was always treated with respect, fairness and kindness. It is hard to put into words how much I learned from him, both from our direct interaction, and simply by watching and marveling at his prowess as a businessman and a team owner.

"It is not a coincidence that every coach during his time as the Dolphins owner raved about working for him, and I can say from experience that as players, we felt the same way. Mr. H was class personified in the often cutthroat world of professional sports, and the mark he made on the Miami Dolphins, and the landscape of South Florida sports as a whole, can never be forgotten.”

There were also some words from former Dolphins legend Zach Thomas.

“I truly was saddened when I heard of Wayne’s passing." he said. “He truly cared for the Dolphins and did everything he could to help us win. But he also took a personal interest in everyone on the team, no matter who he was. I remember early in my rookie year, when I was still trying to earn a spot on the team, he stopped me in the hall, knew a lot about me, and asked me how I was doing. I couldn’t believe it, but that shows you the type of person he was.

“His kindness and generosity is really what defined him. He was a legend not only in business but in charity, and he made a difference in so many people’s lives. And in the end, it’s not the Dolphins, or even what he did for South Florida sports that will be his legacy – it’s what he did for the people of this community.”

There's no denying what Huizenga and his family meant to the South Florida community for all these years, and he will be sorely missed by all who knew him, as well as the Dolphins fans who grew to love the team under his ownership.

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

The Miami Dolphins are apparently still on the hunt for a viable veteran quarterback, as on Friday they brought in free agent quarterback Brock Osweiler for a visit.

Osweiler, 27, has a history with Dolphins head coach Adam Gase from their three seasons together in Denver, so it makes sense that Osweiler would be given an opportunity to speak with Gase now that he's a free agent.

The 6-foot-7 quarterback was given a massive contract by the Houston Texans back in 2016, but he only played one season there as his play was extremely disappointing; he was then traded to Cleveland along with a 2018 second round pick and a 2017 sixth round pick in exchange for a 2017 fourth round pick. The Texans then went on to draft DeShaun Watson, who lit up the league before tearing his ACL.

As for the Browns, they drafted DeShone Kizer, and Osweiler was released before the season even began. Osweiler then landed back in Denver, where he started four games and only completed 55.3% of his passes, and threw for five touchdowns along with five interceptions.

Osweiler has not shown much beyond being a decent backup quarterback, and he does have some familiarity with Gase's offensive scheme, so bringing him into training camp would not be a bad idea, but it almost definitely would not stop Miami from drafting a quarterback this year, which the Dolphins have expressed an immense amount of interest in doing.

This means that even if Osweiler were to be signed, he would likely need to battle it out with a rookie for his roster spot.

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

As they head into the 2018 NFL draft, the Miami Dolphins have multiple holes in their roster to fill: backup quarterback, running back (in spite of the Frank Gore signing), starting tight end, third linebacker, starting defensive tackle, and possibly others (depending on one’s view of the current players at positions such as starting quarterback and free safety).

At the same time, the Dolphins’ draft position (pick 11 overall) ensures that there will be high-quality likely starters available at every position, with the possible exception of starting quarterback. How should the Dolphins use their first pick to provide maximum value to the team?

Well, there’s a simple and reliable way to compare the values of draft candidates at different positions: replacement cost. Put simply, the value of a player is what it would cost to sign an equivalent player as a free agent.

To understand why, consider the situation of the Dolphins’ GM. The team is under a “salary cap” rule that puts a strict limit on how much the team may spend on players. The GM’s goal is therefore to acquire the best possible players for the team within that budget. Most of those players will be acquired on the open market, as free agents, at a price determined by the market. But every year, the team gets seven coupons, each of which allows the team to acquire a single player from a separate pool (draft-eligible college players) at a hugely discounted price for the following four years.

What’s the best way for our GM to use those coupons? Clearly, the optimal strategy is to maximize the discount they generate—that is, to acquire players whose total cost on the free agent market would be as high as possible. Every additional dollar saved this way, after all, is a dollar that can be spent on acquiring better free agents to play alongside the draftees.

This method explains why quarterbacks are drafted so early: given the high price of quarterbacks on the free agent market, drafting a starting quarterback provides the maximum savings compared to the replacement cost of signing an equivalent free agent. Place kickers, on the other hand, make less than just about any other position, so their replacement cost is very low, and drafting them provides very little value.

For other positions, the message is very clear: “high-value” positions—those that command top salaries—have higher replacement costs than low-value ones, and therefore should be preferred in the draft. Top defensive linemen, for instance, earn over $17 million a year these days, whereas the top tight end makes about $11 million, the top strong safety less than $10 million, and the top running back less than $9 million. So based on replacement cost, a team that has needs both on the defensive line and at running back would benefit about as much financially by drafting a fairly average starting D-lineman as by drafting an all-pro running back.

Things get a bit trickier when factoring in team needs. For example, drafting two top quarterbacks may save a huge dollar amount compared to signing free-agent equivalents, but since only one can play at a time, much of the savings from the second pick would be wasted on a backup. A couple of rules can help:

1. When replacing a player already on the roster, subtract from the savings any money that can’t be recouped by cutting or trading the player. For example, if the current player is under contract, and would incur “dead money” if cut or traded, then that dead money reduces the savings accrued by drafting his replacement. On the other hand, if the current player is making free-agent money and can be cut without incurring a “dead money” loss, then the savings from that cut can still be counted towards the value of the drafted player, since it can immediately be applied to sign other players. If the current player is on a rookie contract, then the savings (compared to his replacement value) lost by not keeping him (and not recouped through a trade) must be subtracted from the savings accrued by drafting his replacement.
   
   
2. It’s reasonable to set a ceiling on the player value one wants in a backup role, and to not count savings beyond that ceiling for players drafted into such a role. Returning to the backup quarterback position, a GM can decide that it’s simply not worthwhile to pay for a backup QB who’s better than, say, a $10 million/year free agent, and therefore to ignore any savings obtained beyond that cutoff when evaluating draft candidates for that position.
   
   

Now let’s look at the Dolphins’ options. The Dolphins already have heavy, inescapable investments at starting quarterback, wide receiver and defensive end. Among the positions of need, defensive tackle is the clear winner in terms of replacement cost—unsurprising, given that the Dolphins’ top defensive tackle last year, Ndamukong Suh, was just cut because his salary was too expensive.

The other positions of need simply don’t meet the replacement cost test. Top linebackers, running backs and backup quarterbacks don’t cost nearly as much on the free agent market as top defensive tackles do.  Free safeties cost almost as much, but since the Dolphins already have two highly-paid safeties under guaranteed contract, the savings from drafting a third one would be greatly reduced.

Another intriguing option involves high-value positions such as cornerback and left tackle where the Dolphins have starters on rookie contracts. If the team believes that it can obtain a high-value prospect at pick 11 at one of those positions, and recoup the current starter’s replacement cost via trade, then that option is worth consideration. Of course, the big “if” makes this option somewhat riskier than the defensive tackle route. 

What about trading back? The “replacement cost” method can help there, as well. We could calculate the average savings on replacement cost obtained by every pick in the draft, using, say, the last five or ten years’ worth of draft data, and estimating the savings accrued for each draftee per year as the fifth-year salary of that draftee. We could thus come up with a definitive answer to the question, “how much is a given draft pick worth to a team?”, and use it to compare values of picks for trading purposes. A selection of lower picks that results in an overall equal or greater savings in replacement cost would be a good trade, while one that reduces the total savings would be a bad one.

The writer of this "Voice of the Fan" story goes by Football Noob. Follow him on Twitter: @PhinsNoob

Per SiriusXM Radio's Craig Mish, the Miami Dolphins have signed a player almost as old as their head coach. Running back Frank Gore met with the team on Thursday, and the Dolphins wasted no time in inking the 13-year veteran to a one year deal. The 34-year-old (will turn 35 on May 14) is latching on with his third NFL team in his 14th NFL season.

The contract is for one year and will pay Gore the veteran minimum; he'll have a minimum salary of $1,015,000, but only cost $630K against the salary cap, with a total of $90K in bonuses, which would raise his maximum potential cap hit to about $720K, per the Miami Herald's Armando Salguero.

Gore, who played for the University of Miami, was a third round pick for the San Francisco 49ers in the 2005 NFL draft, and earned five Pro Bowl nods during his time on the left coast. He spent the past three seasons playing for the Indianapolis Colts, proving to be a reliable and ageless wonder.

Gore was the NFL's 19th ranked rusher in 2017, racking up nearly 1,000 yards rushing for the Colts despite running behind a sub-par offensive line.

Gore’s career stats rival those of some of the best running backs in NFL history. He has rushed for 14,026 yards, the fifth most in the NFL, and joins Walter Payton, Emmitt Smith, Barry Sanders, and Curtis Martin as the only backs to surpass 14,000 yards. He’s scored 94 touchdowns (77 rushing, 17 receiving), and has added another 3,672 receiving yards to his totals yards from scrimmage. He is the only running back to amass 1,200 yards from scrimmage for 11 consecutive seasons, and is tied with Payton and Smith with 13 seasons of at least 500 rushing yards.

But Gore has proved to be an ironman on the field, not missing a single game in the past seven years. Playing behind shaky offensive lines, his yards per carry dwindled in Indianapolis, and his three seasons there are the only ones of his career where he failed to average at least 4.1 yards per carry.

The Dolphins were looking for depth in the running back corps, as the only backs previously on the roster were Kenyan Drake and Senorise Perry. As evidenced by recent free agency moves, Head coach Adam Gase appears to be looking for leadership across the roster, and Gore would certainly fill that role.

While the 5-foot-9, 217 pound Gore has lost some of his spryness with age, he’s a savvy veteran who takes amazing care of his body, and will certainly help the young stable of running backs from a leadership perspective.

Gore has always said that he wanted to end his career by coming back home to Miami, and now that desire has come through. The Dolphins will likely draft a rookie running back as well to complement Gore and Kenyan Drake.

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

The Miami Dolphins are looking at the possibility of adding a player almost as old as their head coach. Running Back Frank Gore is meeting with the team, as the 34-year-old (will turn 35 on May 14) is looking to latch on with his third NFL team for his 14th NFL season.

Yep, 14th NFL season.

Gore, who played for the University of Miami, was a third round pick for the San Francisco 49ers in the 2005 NFL draft, and earned five Pro Bowl nods during his time on the left coast. He spent the past three seasons playing for the Indianapolis Colts, proving to be a reliable and ageless wonder.

Gore’s career stats rival those of some of the best running backs in NFL history. He has rushed for 14,026 yards, the fifth most in the NFL, and joins Walter Payton, Emmitt Smith, Barry Sanders, and Curtis Martin as the only backs to surpass 14,000 yards. He’s scored 94 touchdowns (77 rushing, 17 receiving), and has added another 3,672 receiving yards to his totals yards from scrimmage. He is the only running back to amass 1,200 yards from scrimmage for 11 consecutive seasons, and is tied with Payton and Smith with 13 seasons of at least 500 rushing yards.

That’s a lot of miles, folks.

But Gore has proved to be an ironman on the field, not missing a single game in the past seven years. Playing behind shaky offensive lines, his yards per carry dwindled in Indianapolis, and his three seasons there are the only ones of his career where he failed to average at least 4.1 yards per carry.

The Dolphins are looking for depth in the running back corps, as the only backs currently on the roster are Kenyan Drake and Senorise Perry. As evidenced by recent free agency moves, Head coach Adam Gase appears to be looking for leadership across the roster, and Gore would certainly fill that role. While the 5-foot-9, 217 pound Gore has lost some of his spryness with age, he’s a savvy veteran who takes amazing care of his body, and would certainly help the young stable of running backs from a leadership perspective.

At this stage of his career, Gore isn’t likely looking for a major contract, and could be an affordable addition. The Dolphins also met with DeMarco Murray earlier this month.

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

Many people are viewing all the talk about a "culture change" as an excuse to get rid of the Miami Dolphins' most talented and popular players. The likes of Ndamukong Suh, Jarvis Landry, Mike Pouncey, and even Jay Ajayi have all fallen victim to this alleged change that head coach Adam Gase is supposedly trying to make.

The national media - of course - is raising an eyebrow at the decisions being made by Gase and the rest of the front office this offseason, and the fans are skeptical as well; understandable, given that it's hard to picture any team as "improved" after losing so much of their top talent.

Ndamukong Suh was a top three player at his position.

Jay Ajayi almost singlehandedly carried the Dolphins to the postseason in 2016.

Jarvis Landry holds the NFL record for most receptions in the first four years of a career.

Mike Pouncey has been a locker room leader and a staple of the team since being drafted in 2011.

Now they're all gone, all in the name of "culture change," which seems to now be a buzzword for "this player was a problem."

Clearing up cash was another reason, but teams don't generally admit that being too expensive is the reason players get traded or released. Right now, the focus is on this culture change, and no one seems to be a fan of it since most of their favorite players have hit the road.

What kind of a culture change kicks out the players a team needs to win?

The honest truth is, Miami wasn't winning with these players, and as we're finding out now, this is exactly what the Dolphins needed.

Recall back in February of 2016, when owner Stephen Ross first hired Adam Gase to be the head coach of the Miami Dolphins; Ross felt that Gase could become the next Bill Belichick.

“Instead of getting a retread that really hasn’t had a great track record as head coach, I was looking for somebody that really could be the next, if you will, Bill Belichick, Bill Parcells, you know, really great head coach, and I think we got one," Ross said.

And after making the playoffs in 2016, Gase looked like a genius, the culture change was starting; he cut players who weren't playing well - Dallas Thomas, Billy Turner - and benched players who either were going through a slump or felt they were more important than the team, aka Jay Ajayi.

Then in 2017, he made some mistakes, not the least of which was signing Jay Cutler after the loss of Ryan Tannehill for the year. Skepticism began to grow and some fans called for Gase to be fired, the culture change had failed and he was shipping out strong personalities instead of dealing with them.

But let's look at why these players were removed, starting with Jay Ajayi. Recall that in 2016, Ajayi was benched in favor of veteran running back Arian Foster; it was reported that the reason for this was because Ajayi was feeling entitled and needed to be reminded that he was not bigger than the team. He came back and had a breakout season. So why was Ajayi traded in the middle of 2017? Hadn't he learned his lesson?

Nope.

Ajayi again began to get frustrated with the coaching staff, despite already being used as the main running back; we were then told that Ajayi apparently would wave off his replacements during games, not allowing them to come off the sidelines despite the coaches telling them to. Ajayi refused to obey the coaches because he wanted to be the guy.

So he was traded to the Eagles, and Ajayi showed his true colors, taking shots at Adam Gase on more than one occasion after joining his new team.

Jarvis Landry was the team's top target and playmaker, and he was also a major fan favorite, but he and Gase got into an argument on the sidelines during the second-to-last game of the season when Gase called for a screen pass to Jakeem Grant (which Cutler threw incomplete) instead of Landry. It was also reported that Landry wanted a contract around $16 million per year to stay in Miami long term.

Miami offered $13 million, he didn't take it, Landry got traded to the Browns for a pair of draft picks.

Mike Pouncey played all 16 games of the season for the first time since 2012, but it was plainly obvious that he was no longer the Pro Bowl center that was able to dominate incoming defensive tackles. Pouncey was then asked to take a pay cut, and he refused to accept it. Miami then released him and saved $7 million in cap space, quickly replacing him by trading for 49ers center Daniel Kilgore.

As for Ndamukong Suh, it was rumored that he too was asked to take a pay cut, which of course he refused. The Dolphins designated Suh as a post-June 1st cut, and will get $17 million in cap space that they'll use to pay their rookie class, although it does come with a severe dead cap penalty that will be spread out over the next two seasons.

The reason this actually does have a lot to do with culture change is because Adam Gase is putting a stronger focus on the concept of "team."

Going back to Ross' comments regarding Gase possibly being the next Bill Belichick, one of the most known traits of the Belichick era in New England is that no one is larger than the team; if you wanted more money than the team was willing to offer, you were out; if you had an issue with how Belichick was using you or you wanted to do more or less, you were out; if your personality led to you not fitting the culture of the team, you were out.

If you had your best interests at heart instead of the Patriots' best interests, you were out.

That is the culture that Adam Gase is trying to put into Miami, and that means there are going to be a lot of decisions made that fans will not agree with, much like when the Patriots moved on from the likes of Chandler Jones or Jamie Collins, both considered staples of their defense at the time.

Jarvis Landry did not want to accept the $13 million dollar offer to help the team, he wanted more for himself. He is now gone.

Jay Ajayi did not want to come off the field despite coaches wanting to let someone else take some snaps, he wanted the play time and spotlight for himself. He is now gone.

Mike Pouncey and Ndamukong Suh both did not play up to the worth of their contracts and the team asked them to take pay cuts so there would be more room to improve the team and help them win, they refused to do so. They are now gone.

The Dolphins are putting together a true team-based culture now. Not in the sense that teammates support each other and it's all for one and one for all, but one where players need to have the team's best interest in mind, and if they don't, then they will be removed to make room for someone who wants to help the team more than themselves.

Many will say that I have no business comparing the Dolphins to the Patriots, especially in this context. New England has been the greatest football dynasty in NFL history while Miami has struggled to even reach the playoffs for the past decade and half. This is true.

What is also true is that once upon a time, the Patriots had to prove they were the league's newest dynasty, and it's that culture that had a big part in them getting to that point.

They had to start somewhere, and now the Dolphins are attempting to make that same new start, changing the culture to a team-based mentality.

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

With all the high profile releases and trades this offseason, there was some speculation as to whether or not star pass rusher Cameron Wake would remain with the team, but that speculation was shut down as the Miami Dolphins guaranteed $3 million of Cameron Wake's 2018 salary, ensuring he stays in Dolphins colors for at least one more season.

Wake has stated in the past that he would like to end his career having played for only one franchise, and he'd like to end up on the Dolphins' Ring of Honor one day. It's been reported that both sides have even worked on a possible extension so that he isn't playing on the final year of his contract, but no deal is imminent at this time.

At 36 years old, Wake will be playing his tenth year in the league, and is coming off a 36 tackle, 10.5 sack season as Miami's pass rush specialist; he's accumulated a total of 324 tackles, 92 sacks, and 21 forced fumbles during his time with the Dolphins; an incredible accomplishment for someone who merely used to be a CFL standout.

The defense has a tantalizing array of pass rushers on the roster now, including Wake and recently acquired defensive end Robert Quinn, who will likely pair with Wake on the opposite side of the line and drive quarterbacks insane; also on the team is 2017 first-rounder Charles Harris, as well as veteran Andre Branch.

William Hayes is also expected back as a deal has reportedly been agreed to, but not yet signed.

With this move, it is clear that Miami is not treating this offseason as a rebuild, as retaining Wake at this age rather than attempting to trade him while he still has worth to a contending team indicates that the Dolphins believe they can win now with the roster they are putting together.

Hopefully, that belief will become a reality.

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

On this week's episode of PhinManiacs Live, the crew discusses all of the craziness surrounding NFL free agency and the moves that the Miami Dolphins have made so far.

This includes, of course, the releases, the trades, the signings and the rumors surrounding the team, and what they should do next as this second wave of free agency begins.

All this and more on this week's episode of PhinManiacs Live.

If you'd like to call in, you can by calling 954-376-5704, or you can always tweet us questions using the hashtag #PhinManiacsLive on Twitter.

The Miami Dolphins recently parted ways with 3-time Pro Bowler Jarvis Landry, trading him to the Cleveland Browns for a pair of draft picks and to save nearly $16 million in cap space that would have been added to the cap due to being franchise tagged.

In doing so, Miami also moved on from a player, that in the first four years of his career, broke the NFL record for number of receptions in his first four years with a total of 400, and accumulating over 4,000 yards, That type of production is not something easily replaced.

However, newly acquired wide receiver Albert Wilson, formerly of the Kansas City Chiefs, insists he's ready to fill Landry's shoes.

“It was a great opportunity." Wilson said. "We had some other options and when we lined everything up and saw what was the best thing for me and when … (Jarvis) Landry did a great job down here. He did a lot for the team. They split their ways and I felt like it was a perfect opportunity for me to step in and do some great things for this team.”

Strangely enough, Wilson seems to bring a lot of the same tools to the table that Landry once did, including his tendency for forcing missed tackles. In 2017, Wilson caused 15 missed tackles, ranking him third in the NFL amongst wide receivers, behind only Detroit's Golden Tate, and - ironically enough - Jarvis Landry.

What should be noted, however, is that though Wilson has two less forced missed tackles than Landry, he was able to do it in a lot fewer receptions, as Wilson only caught 42 passes, while Landry caught 112. That's a near 1 to 3 ratio in receptions, and Wilson still made that many defenders miss last season.

Also like Landry, Wilson also has the capability to line up in the backfield, and with his 4.43 speed, he can line up basically anywhere, much like Landry did in Miami.

“I’m pretty versatile." Wilson said. "I can stretch the field down field or I can pretty much get the ball in my hands quick and can make something happen. I pretty much have experience with the slot, outside and lining up in the backfield. Pretty much whatever they need me to do, I’m pretty much up for it.”

​It will take some doing before Wilson can earn the trust of an irate Dolphins fan base who's just lost one of their favorite players, Landry brought energy and fire like no one else on the team, which was why he was nicknamed 'Juice' in the first place.

But, even in that regard, Wilson says he can offer that too.

"That’s just who I am. It comes with me." he said. "As soon as I wake up in the morning, the energy is there and that’s part of my game. I feel like it helps the offense; not just the offense but it helps the defense. So when I come out there and I strap it up, I bring the energy. You’re going to get a dog out there that’s ready to put up a fight every battle and I feel like when somebody is fighting and giving it all you’ve got next to you, that man next to you is going to want to fight and give all he has."

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

On Friday, the Miami Dolphins officially announced the signing of 4-time Pro Bowl guard Josh Sitton to a 2-year, $18 million dollar deal in an attempt to finally solidify an offensive line that has been average at best and porous at worst over the past several seasons.

Now, with Sitton, who was the fifth-ranked guard in the NFL last season, not only do the Dolphins have someone who can much more efficiently protect quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who will be attempting to come back from an ACL injury suffered in 2017's training camp, but they also have someone who is prepared to offer leadership and mentoring to young players who need more experience.

In this case, Sitton will be charged with helping along the growth and development of young left tackle Laremy Tunsil, who struggled in his first year at that position in 2017.

"That was something that I brought up myself." Sitton said. "I think that I am that. I’ve always been that type of player, to give my knowledge or whatever to anybody that is younger than me, and especially going into Year 11 now, I’ve learned a lot, a lot thing. I think it’s your duty as an older guy to bring those young guys along with you. So, yes; that was something that was brought up and that was something that I brought up myself."

With Sitton's veteran leadership at left guard, Tunsil will be given some much needed support as he attempts to regain the elite form he had in college that made him a first round pick; knowing that Sitton is not only willing, but eager to take up the role of mentor, gives much hope for the future of Tunsil's career as the Dolphins' potential franchise left tackle.

“I think that the experience in this league is invaluable." Sitton said. "You learn things over the years and you continue to learn. You learn smarter techniques. You learn to watch defenses. You learn to look at coverages. You learn so many small things that as a young player, you don’t realize. You’re so focused on yourself as a young player, and your own technique and things like that. As you grow, you learn these different things, and those are the things that I’ll be able to help him with – the small things from a step here, a step there, an angle here, an angle there, watching the linebacker if he moves over a couple of feet.

"It’s really small detail things that you don’t think about as a young player because it’s such a difficult position. It shows you how good a left tackle has to be to be putting all of your focus on the guy, that speed rusher coming off the edge. So just little things about the game that you probably aren’t thinking about as a young player, I’ll be able to help him with those things and help him grow as a pro and learn how to be a pro in this league. Hopefully I can teach him a lot about longevity in this league and how to achieve that because it’s taken me a few years to figure out how to train my body and do certain things to be able to play for a long time. Hopefully I’ll be able to teach him a lot of things.”

There was briefly some question as to whether or not Sitton would end up on the left side of the line, as Sitton spent his college career and the first five seasons of his career on the right side. But Sitton made it clear that now he prefers being a left guard above all else.

"After I made the switch in 2013, I don’t know what it is." he said. "It’s just the way my body works, the way my hips move or something. I just like the left side better. I’ll obviously play wherever these guys need me to; but I think I’m better on the left side. The difference is, if you’re used to something, used to those body motions, and you make a switch, it’s difficult. I can compare it to trying to wipe your ass with your opposite hand. That might be a little bit too much for you all. But it’s different when you’re not used to a position.”

That metaphor - though somewhat crude - gets the point across effectively. When Tunsil acted as the team's left guard in his rookie year, he had to learn an all new day of doing things, and now he's trying to get back into his groove at a level much higher than his college career. Now, Tunsil will get a boost through Sitton, and the offensive line projects to be that much stronger as a result.

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

ESPN reports that the Miami Dolphins are bringing back quarterback David Fales on a 1-year contract, giving the team some measure of an insurance policy should something go horribly awry in 2018.

Fales, 27, was a restricted free agent who did not receiver a tender from the Dolphins, one that would have paid him at least $1.9 million dollars. This may be because Miami felt that they could get him on a contract that was even more of a discount.

As the fourth option quarterback in 2017, Fales saw significant action in the final game of the season after starter Jay Cutler received just one series before his day ended. Fales proceeded to complete 29 of 43 passes for 265 yards, a touchdown, and an interception, and he was almost able to rally the team back from a large deficit before ultimately falling short.

Back in January, coach Adam Gase stated that he liked what he saw out of David Fales, and his return to the team reflects that impression he claimed to receive.

However, despite Gase's apparent faith in Fales, it's also no secret that the Miami Dolphins are in the market for a quarterback in this year's draft, possibly as early as the first round if one becomes available.

As for Matt Moore? He is not expected to return.

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

Organizational structure should be developed before anyone is hired and remain consistent throughout ownership of franchise. Not having a documented organizational chart, and/or not following the chart leads to confusion, dissension and inevitably a power struggle. The most common organizational structure for NFL teams is:

​Another possibility for organizational structure is shown below, where the G.M. would report directly to the head coach and the head coach to the owner:

​I am in favor of the first example but both examples have proven to be successful for franchises.

​Distinct responsibilities need to be assigned to each member of the organizational structure. For the purpose of assigning responsibilities, I will do so based off the first example of organizational structure. Responsibilities will be set as follows:

Owner/CEO –

• Define organizational structure, responsibilities, goals, (short & long term), philosophy, team identity, time frames and expectations.
• Hire GM/VP that has same team philosophy and desire to build team to match owner’s/CEO’s vision for team. 
• Convey expectations of GM/VP to the GM/VP.  Hold GM/VP accountable for not meeting expectations. 
• When necessary and justified relieve GM/VP of duties. 
• Beyond the aforementioned the owner/CEO should be disassociated from team player personnel and activities.

GM/VP–

• Perform complete rebuild based on team goals, identity, concepts, philosophy and strategies.
• Meet Owner’s/CEO’s expectations/goals.
• Hire Head Coach to implement owner’s/GM’s vision for team. 
• Hire Director of Scouting to identify and evaluate players to match skill sets requested by Head Coach.
• Define and convey expectations of Head Coach and Director of Scouting. 
• Work with Head Coach and Director of Scouting to sign and draft players matching the skill sets as requested by the Head Coach and identified by the Director of Scouting. 
• Re-sign current players to extensions as requested by the Head Coach.  (The GM/VP shall not sign/draft players that have not been identified by the Director of Scouting as meeting the requested skill set of the Head Coach). 
• Develop player contracts that include incentives based on individual, unit and team success.
• Orchestrate trades that bring in additional draft picks and/or players of value not on high-dollar contracts.
• When necessary and justified relieve Head Coach and/or Director of Scouting of duties. 
• Provide fan base with realistic expectations of team building progress.
• Cut/trade high salary players that do not identify as core players.
• Establish draft strategy – “Greater # of picks = Greater # of successful picks” based on percentages.  Trade down, not up.  Build through draft, not free agency.  Free agency to be used for stopgap low salary players and when realistically 1-2 high salary players away from championship contention.

Head Coach – 

• Identify core players with desired skill sets, (must be leaders, teachers, dominant and have 5+ years of solid future play left in their careers).
• Meet owner’s/CEO’s and GM’s/VP’s expectations/goals.
• Hire coordinators, assistant coaches, player development coaches and quality control team.
• Establish player development coaches. Assign each player on rookie contract a player development coach to improve skills and evaluate game and practice tape. (Development coaches will be expensive but Ross has never been afraid to spend money for the team and this is expense will pay dividends).
• Develop young players.
• Implement owner’s/GM’s vision for team. 
• Game plan based on weekly opponent.
• Convey player skill sets desired to Director of Scouting.
• Define and convey measurable player expectations, codes of conduct and player management team members.
• Meet weekly with player management team members from each unit to gather input and discuss issues preventing greater success.
• Meet with quality control team to discuss findings of player audits.

​Director of Scouting – 

• Hire college and pro scouts to evaluate college and pro players.
• Work with Head Coach to identify players with requested skill sets.
• Develop ranking charts for college and pro players matching requested skill sets.
• Supply ranking charts to GM/VP.

To elaborate on the aspect of this system that will lead to greater team success, it begins with applying accountability in player contracts. Players who are seniors in their specific units, (O-line, WRs, RBs, TEs, QBs, D-line, LBs, Secondary, Special Teams) should become part of the player management team and receive incentives based on the production of their overall unit.

The player management team should meet with the head coach weekly to discuss issues/players preventing greater success. All players should receive incentives based on the success of their unit but not to the degree of the players that are part of the player management team. The head coach will review the recorded results of measurable player expectations from the week before with the player management team as well as conveying the expectations for each of the team units for the upcoming week.

The player management team is responsible for working with players in their unit to improve overall success of the unit as well as players individual success. This system will instill the value of players holding each other accountable at all times.

Players taking part in conduct on or off the field that results in outcomes detrimental to the team will be held accountable by their fellow players due to the effect on contract incentives. The end result will be continual improvement in each unit and over team success.

To ensure players recognize management’s commitment to the players accountability/management system players should not be replaced by high salary free agents. For example, if a starting QB is injured in preseason, management will not dive into free agents to replace the injured starting QB, rather the next QB in line will replace the starter and management will evaluate if a backup QB addition is warranted.

Elite free agents will avoid being added except in a situation where the team is a contender missing only a piece or two to get them over the top, (i.e. Patriots brought in Darrelle Revis as a 1-year rental and won a SB with him).  Generally free agents should be slightly above average players coming off their rookie contracts who have steadily improved over their rookie contract.

This free agent strategy leads to the possibility of free agents reaching elite level while under a low salary.  Again, free agency should be limited to addressing gaps and when needing a missing piece to win Super Bowl. This system will also lead to additional compensatory picks and less salary cap issues.

This system can be implemented through a complete rebuild only, including front office, scouting department, coaching and most importantly the owner must buy in and convey his full to support when hiring department heads. Additionally the incoming GM must be committed to ridding the team of current high priced contracts.

This Voice of the Fan story was written by Curtis Knisley. Follow him on Twitter: @CurtisWKnisley

While the Miami Dolphins have already made plenty of moves this offseason, one of the few things that has yet to be addressed is the tight end position. After releasing veteran Julius Thomas, who was a major disappointment after trading for him from the Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami now only has MarQueis Gray, A.J. Derby, and Thomas Duarte on the roster.

That isn't going to cut it.

So, the best option for the Dolphins at this time - barring any unexpected changes of heart towards free agent Eric Ebron - is to draft a new one in this upcoming draft; there are plenty of options to choose from this year, not the least of which is Penn State's Mike Gesicki.

Gesicki weighs in at 6-foot-5, 247 pounds, and has a background in both basketball and volleyball, which many of the league's top pass-catching tight ends seem to stem from. He was a four-time letter winner in volleyball in high school, as well as his school's all-time leader in points in basketball, and state slam dunk contest winner.

In short, he is a phenomenal athlete.

But make no mistake, Gesicki has some drawbacks, including one fatal flaw that - if he ever managed to somehow fix - he could become one of the greatest tight ends in the league in no time...that flaw, is his blocking. 

Here against Michigan, which was ranked the third best defense in the country last season, Gesicki is tasked with blocking the blitzing DB. His goal is to help make a running lane for the running back on the direct snap, but all he manages to do is hold his ground somewhat; if he'd managed to get some push, the rusher would have had more room to go left rather than cut back inside into a wall of players.

On this play, Gesicki comes over from his H-Back spot to make a block on the defensive lineman, allowing for the Penn State QB to run his read option and run into the endzone. However, what must be noted is that all Gesicki really needed to do was briefly bump shoulder pads and get in the defender's way, and that's all he did. It unfortunately gets worse the more Gesicki is called upon to block.

It's a run play for Saquon Barkley - considered the draft's top prospect by many - and Gesicki needs to make a block on the linebacker in order to allow Barkley to get to the second level.

​Granted, Barkley never got past the line of scrimmage due to the DB immediately reading the play and pursuing him, but notice how easily Gesicki gets brushed aside by the linebacker, he never properly sets his feet or gets leverage, and the linebacker literally just pushes Gesicki's hands away and joins the chase for Barkley.

Once again, Gesicki is lined up as an H-Back, he runs up and puts a block on the DB which manages to push the defender a few steps back, but the moment the running QB starts heading their way, the DB sweeps Gesicki's hands away and throws him off balance, forcing the QB to have to make a move to escape the would-be tackler; thankfully, the QB is able to score so Gesicki's mistake doesn't cost his team anything.

Now is when it starts to get embarrassing. Lined up once more as the H-Back, Gesicki comes across to try and put a cut block on the defensive lineman so that Barkley has the option of cutting right. Instead of being aggressive, however, Gesicki seems to just lay down and almost curls in on himself to make himself smaller, and the D-lineman just waits a second to step over him.

Had there not been penetration on the left side, Gesicki's block may have managed to keep Barkley from getting caught from behind or even allowed him to have just enough time to counter right, but the way Gesicki seems to just apathetically lay down indicates that he does not particular enjoy acting as a blocker.

No technique or strength whatsoever to speak of. Gesicki - once again lined up as an H-Back - is tasked with blocking the RDE on this play, he plants his feet into the ground and barely puts forth an effort to get his hands on the defender. Quick throw saves potential disaster, but again this displays Gesicki's poor technique, strength, and overall willingness as a blocker.

Here's one of those very rare moments where Gesicki successfully executes a block. He picks up the linebacker and makes a small hole for the QB to run through on the read option, by the time the LB makes a spin move to break free of the block, the QB has already passed.

​Thankfully, what Gesicki lacks in blocking skills, he makes up for in his ability as a weapon. Here, lined up once more as an H-Back, he quickly accelerates off the snap and fluidly runs his route, turning to make the catch. Unfortunately, the pass falls incomplete as the ball is batted at the line of scrimmage.

This is where Gesicki could be of the most use to the Dolphins, acting as a seam threat and mismatch maker in the offense. Gesicki runs up from his H-Back position, makes a quick cut towards the middle of the field and reaches down to make the low catch for a first down, running right past the slot corner who appears focused on the potential read option run.

Also minor note, credit to Saquon Barkley for making that throw to Gesicki.

As previously stated, Gesicki spends most of his time slotted as an H-Back, here he comes across and ends up getting a reception on the screen. He chips off the defender and makes himself available to bail out his QB who's getting rushed by three defenders, something that Ryan Tannehill definitely could have used over the course of his career.

Gesicki lines up as more of a slot receiver this time, and he cuts inside and gets underneath the coverage. Pass falls incomplete however as the QB is hit as he throws.

​Gesicki again shows how dangerous he can be in the seam, he runs a slant into the middle of the field and would have been able to make a catch for a first down, but the throw from the QB is too high and too far in front for him to reel it in.

Gesicki also has excellent hands and has the ability to make great leaping catches in the air. For the sake of full disclosure, we must explain that in the NCAA, only one foot has to land in-bounds to be considered a catch as opposed to the NFL's rules where both feet have to land inside.

That said, Gesicki shows an excellent ability to track the ball in the air and shows no fear going up to get it despite having a defender right there with him. He stacks the defender with quickness and excellent route-running, forcing the defender to trail him; the QB unfortunately makes a rotten throw, but Gesicki demonstrates incredible body control, turning back around to nab it in the air.

The ability to high point the ball - especially at Gesicki's 6-foot-5, would give the Dolphins some much needed size in an offense that currently consists of mostly shorter receivers, sans DeVante Parker.

Another tough catch by Gesicki (though again only complete due to NCAA rules), what should be noted here is how Gesicki makes the catch with his hands even as he's falling backwards, rather than trying to body catch it. His acceleration off the line and his break towards the sidelines are also silky smooth, making Gesicki a very tempting offense weapon.

High pointing the football in the NFL is one of the most coveted traits that a player can show, here Gesicki bails his QB out of trouble as he leaps up and catches the heaved pass, coming down with it for a big play.

This again exemplifies Gesicki's determination and dedication to making the big play, and it shows off his hands and body control when acting as a receiver.

Gesicki has incredible athleticism for a tight end, no doubt a result of his volleyball and basketball background. Here Gesicki catches the quick screen after side-stepping an incoming defender; he turns the corner, hurdles a defender going low and still manages to gain an extra couple yards after he comes down, never losing sight of the marker.

Here Gesicki again shows off his ability to go vertical at any given moment, from the H-Back slot he runs into the flat to catch the low pass, then he quickly turns up field and leaps over the defender to get some extra yards.

While this is an excellent demonstration of his athletic ability, it is somewhat disconcerting to see, because in the NFL, players seldom get away with making leaps like that without sustaining some sort of injury. Nevertheless, it is fun to watch and good to know he has that athleticism if it's needed.

As one of the Miami Herald's beat writers is so fond of saying: "Who catches TDs in the red zone?"

Here is Mike Gesicki doing just that, he briefly engages the defender only to quickly get off the block and run his route towards the endzone, the play action lures in the DB and gives Gesicki an easy run for a touchdown, something that the Dolphins have not gotten out of their tight ends in years.

In closing, the best way to describe Mike Gesicki is that he's essentially a really tall wide receiver. He doesn't like blocking, and he isn't very good at blocking. So one bit of advice to any NFL teams (particularly Miami) who might be interested in drafting him...don't ask him to block unless you like losing yards.

But if you're looking for a weapon in the seam, someone to create mismatches against linebackers and unsuspecting slot corners or make tough catches near the sidelines, Gesicki is your guy. Head coaches - like Adam Gase - who value good tight end play in their offense, should keep a very close eye on this dynamic pass catcher from Penn State.

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

This team ain’t messing around.

Just moments after the Miami Dolphins announced that they were releasing veteran center Mike Pouncey, they swapped seventh round picks with the San Francisco 49ers to acquire his replacement in Daniel Kilgore.

The 49ers just signed Kilgore to a three year, $12 million extension last month, but they then signed free agent Weston Richburg from the New York Giants to a massive deal, making Kilgore expendable.

While Kilgore is only ranked four spots better than Pouncey in PFF’s rankings, he improved noticeably as the season wound down, which also coincided with the 49er’s acquisition of quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.

Kilgore, 30 years old, 6-foot-3 and 310 pounds, was a fifth round pick in the 2011 NFL draft. He will join newly-signed guard Josh Sitton on the revamped Dolphins offensive line as they hope to solidify a sore spot for the team in the past few years.

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

The Miami Dolphins made sure that one of their most reliable cogs stayed in place for at least one more season, as the team re-signed long-snapper John Denney.

Denney will enter his 14th season this year, all with Miami. He is a two time Pro Bowler and is one of the best long-snappers in the league. He will turn 40 years old during the upcoming season, but age hasn’t been an issue for the former BYU player.

Terms of the signing haven’t been announced, but it is expected to be in the same range of past season. Denney played for $980,000 last year.

As the only player born in the ‘70’s on the Miami Dolphins roster, Denney will surely be annoyed by the locker room’s musical tastes. But that’s a small price to pay, right?

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

The Miami Dolphins might be looking for more help on the offensive line than they already expected this offseason, as starting Pro Bowl center Mike Pouncey has requested his release and the Dolphins are reportedly granting that request.

According to the Palm Beach Post's Joe Schad, Pouncey was asked to take a pay cut and Miami did not want to do a longer term deal, despite still having three years on his current contract.

"I gave this city everything I had," Pouncey told Schad. "I'm heartbroken."

The move will clear about $7 million in cap space for the Dolphins, but leaves a hole in the middle of the offensive line. The Dolphins tendered backup center Jake Brendel earlier this week, and he may now find himself thrust into the starting role. Brendel practiced with the first team most of last season, as the team rested Pouncey’s healing hip injury, and Brendel filled in well when called upon in game situations.

Miami also has veteran Ted Larsen - who can play center - as well as Isaac Asiata, who was drafted in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL draft, who could potentially fill the role.

Pouncey was the Dolphins first round pick (15th overall) in the 2011 NFL draft, and was a three-time Pro Bowler in 2013-15 before a deteriorating hip injury limited him the past two seasons.

“At the end of the day I’m a Miami Dolphin for life,” Pouncey said. “This city gave me an opportunity to play in the NFL. I think it was awesome. I had a hell of a ride here. We'll see what the next chapter is. I know my career isn't over."

Despite insistence to the contrary from the Dolphins coaching staff, Pro Football Focus graded Pouncey’s play as ‘poor’ in 2017 and ranked him as the 27th overall center. He was guilty of several holding calls that cost critical field position during drives.

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

When the Miami Dolphins traded wide receiver Jarvis Landry to the Cleveland Browns for a pair of draft picks, they not only rid themselves of $16 million in salary cap commitment, but they also made sure to let the public know that this was another move in the name of changing the culture of the locker room.

And Wednesday night, Landry tweeted a thank you to his former team.

Well, sort of.

The full tweet (sic) read as follows:

While thanking the fans and his former teammates, noticeably missing from Landry’s tweet was the name of head coach Adam Gase, and any of the Dolphins current front office personnel. Dennis Hickey was the General Manager when Landry was drafted in 2014, and Phil McGeoghan was the assistant wide receivers coach that year and wide receivers coach in 2015 (currently the wide receivers coach of the Los Angeles Chargers).

Apparently there is no love lost between Landry and the current regime. Landry, due to be a free agent this summer, wanted to be paid like a top five wide receiver, but the price that the Dolphins were willing to pay was more in line with his expected value, and they didn’t budge. While commendable in that regard, the Dolphins clearly drove a wedge between themselves and Landry, or more accurately, his agent, who apparently over-inflated Landry’s value.

The Dolphins are set to replace Landry with two quick free agent receivers, Albert Wilson and Danny Amendola, and will likely show a more vertical offense this Fall

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

The Miami Dolphins kicked off the 2018 free agency season with a flurry of activity, and the push to add capable players at key positions continues as the team signed former Green Bay Packer and Chicago Bear guard Josh Sitton to a 2-year deal, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport says that the deal is worth about $18 million, with a base value of $15 million and $8 million in guaranteed money.

Sitton, 6-foot-3 and 320 pounds, has ties to the current coaching staff in Miami, as offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains was Sitton’s offensive coordinator in Chicago the past two seasons. He is a four-time Pro Bowler and won a Super Bowl ring with the Packers in 2011.

PFF had him ranked as the fifth best guard in the NFL in the 2017 season, 10th in pass protection and sixth in run-blocking.

Sitton was drafted by the Packers in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL draft, and is a Florida native, born in Pensacola and playing his college ball at Central Florida. He’ll be 32 years old when the 2018 season kicks off. He’s played both guard spots as well as left tackle in his career.

This signing comes right on the heels of the Miami Dolphins granting center Mike Pouncey his release after he refused to take a pay cut, which means Sitton will be the one in charge of helping out Laremy Tunsil and - presumably - Jake Brendel who could take Pouncey's place at center.

Miami has not had a high profile guard on their radar since the days of pursuing Evan Mathis. Only this time, the Dolphins got their man, and despite the loss of Pouncey's name, the offensive line appears set to be the strongest it's been in years, which should make Ryan Tannehill very happy.

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

The Miami Dolphins have done a lot to bolster their pass rush for 2018 so far, but with the recent release of All-Pro defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, there was a need for a boost in run defense. Late Wednesday night, Miami took care of that need by re-signing defensive end William Hayes to a 1-year deal.

NFL Network's Mike Garafolo was the first one to report this news; the financial terms have yet to be revealed.

Hayes, who will turn 33 in May, has versatility as he can play both DE and DT, but he missed six games in 2017 due to a back injury; while he was healthy he was a key rotational player on the defensive line, acting as an amazing run-stopper and making several big plays, despite having a rather low stat line of only 19 tackles and one sack.

​But when Hayes made tackles, he made tackles.

Hayes, just like his former (and now current) teammate Robert Quinn, was traded to the Dolphins from the Rams in exchange for a a draft pick, this one being a sixth-rounder. Miami also got a seventh-rounder as a part of the deal, and Hayes turned out to be one of the Dolphins best trades in years before his injury.

Now what he's returned, he will become the third player on Miami's defense that recently played for the Rams, along with Quinn and safety T.J. McDonald.

Hayes was originally on a 2-year deal, but he requested to have it shortened last season so he would get an opportunity to test free agency. The team granted that request, and he later admitted to regretting it. Clearly, if he's decided to return again, he meant what he said. Now, he'll be free to search for mermaids and torture running backs for one more year with the Dolphins.

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