When the Miami Dolphins signed 36-year-old, Ryan Fitzpatrick, to a 2-year, $11 million dollar contract in March, the organization was riding on a journeyman quarterback to lead the Dolphins in 2019. Not a smart idea.

Chaos occurred, nonetheless, in the 2nd round of the 2019 NFL draft this past Friday night.

The Dolphins traded their second round selection, number 48 overall, to the New Orleans Saints, thus resulting in Miami sinking down to pick 62. Miami, in full contact with the Arizona Cardinals, grabbed Arizona’s former first round choice in 2018, Josh Rosen. This was an ultimate steal for GM Chris Grier.

Why?

Well, the Dolphins are not completely committing on Fitzpatrick, who has battled injuries in recent memory, to lead the charge this upcoming season. Grier and the front office has confidence in Rosen, who struggled in his rookie season with the Cardinals, tallying just three wins in sixteen games. The upcoming summer will now present an interesting starting quarterback competition between Rosen and Fitzpatrick.

In 2018, the decision was simple: Ryan Tannehill earned the starting job, but did not carry consistent success on the playing field. Miami moved on from Tannehill after seven seasons, shipping the former 2012 first round selection to Tennessee.

Fitzpatrick has capability. Football fans saw it in Buffalo, in 2015 with the New York Jets and this past season in Tampa Bay. Fitzpatrick is going to give you great games and some victories, but Fitzpatrick is also going to give you the head-scratcher contests and a pile of losses, as well.

Rosen is fully prepared to compete for the job, all the same.

"I’m excited and ready for it. At the end of the day, I just want to come in and play football and compete and have fun." He said on Monday. "The timing on when I play or not – or if – that’s not up to me. It’s kind of similar to the situation the last couple of days. I just control what I can control and take each day by day.”

​If the Dolphins roll with Rosen as the man under center, the organization will be able to explore Rosen’s potential to the tee. Arizona was surprisingly fed up with Rosen after one season because new head coach, Kliff Kingsbury, basically slapped Rosen in the face by pulling in Kyler Murray with the first overall selection this past Thursday night, and fed up with their former head coach, Steve Wilks, too.

The Cardinals fired Wilks on the final calendar day of 2018 in his lone season with Arizona. When it is all said and done, May, June and July will be three intriguing months for both Ryan Fitzpatrick and Josh Rosen.

Gear up.

​This story was written by Brandon Liguori. Follow him on Twitter: @BrandonRLiguori

Before the draft there were several reports that came out stating the Miami Dolphins potential interest in Josh Rosen. I (like a lot of fans) could not wrap my head around this. I mean, how could I looking at Rosen's stats from his rookie season.

I know better than to say that it's all on Rosen considering he was on a terrible Arizona team with an even worse offensive line. But...I rationalized that he had Larry Fitzgerald and David Johnson by his side. He should be better than what his stats were right?

Then I thought, "Well...Miami could have made an effort to trade up for him in last year's draft right?"

I mean, Chris Grier was the GM last year so he clearly didn't like/trust Rosen to bring him in so there's no way he would this year!

Then when reports came out stating that Rosen was toxic to locker room culture and his cockiness rubbed people the wrong way, even his college coach acknowledged that he isn't easy to deal with. That has to mean something right?

Lastly (and the biggest reason for me), the compensation Rosen was going to require. A 1st rounder for a failed investment by Arizona? During our own rebuild? No way! I felt that way even after the reports came out stating we may trade a 2nd and even a 3rd in a draft where the middle rounds would have some value.

Then...the trade occurred.

I was a prisoner of an initial shock that said we traded a 2nd rounder and a 5th next year for him. I allowed myself to fall victim to all the negativity and chaos that followed Rosen. This was especially true because I felt the trade would impede us finding a true franchise QB in 2020 and pretend that recycled garbage can lead this team into the future.

That is when it hit me...three days after the news...I may be wrong and that is okay.

​I have seen numerous tweets, posts, and even a video of a fan who exposed himself as a fair-weather fan who masqueraded in Dolphins gear expressing his displeasure about the trade. I have seen journalists who know more, have seen more, and interact with "insider" sources about the team I love express their negative perspectives. I understand it and it's okay...it's also okay to acknowledge that we are holding a grudge that may not make sense and we need to be more open about this.

The reality is that Rosen was a smart QB who could dissect the concepts a defense threw at him. He displayed an arm and footwork that Miami has not truly seen in years. In regards to him being cocky, has that stopped other QBs from being great? And that was behind an atrocious offensive line that would have eaten the best QBs alive. In regards to Miami passing on Rosen last year, they very well could have because of the red flags Rosen had.

It is also very possible that Grier (who has my respect based on his work to date this offseason) wanted Rosen but was overruled by a stubborn Adam Gase (who hates personalities) and Mike Tannenbaum (who thought Mark Sanchez was a franchise QB). Teammates then came pouring out of the woodwork praising Rosen, wishing him well, and acknowledging that Miami has a keeper in Rosen...I wouldn't say that about a teammate I hate.

And then there was the trade and compensation...Grier was an absolute genius. He turned the 2nd round pick this year into a 2nd rounder next year (by trading down with the Saints), acquired a QB who would be the 2nd best QB if he were in the 2019 draft (maybe even the best?)  and really only surrendered a 5th rounder. I applaud Grier and his team to not only maneuver this trade but also the trust he has in Brian Flores and his staff to coach up this young pup.

And acquiring Rosen does not impede the team from drafting a QB next year whether Rosen fails or not. It is absolutely okay to have two QBs on our roster (and if you don't think so, look at the last 20 years the Dolphins had).

I refuse to be upset and lose faith in the Dolphins because I "feel" like I should. I'm not going to let others decide whether or not this trade was a good one. If you feel that way, that's fine and you have that right. But for those of you who switched (or are contemplating switching your opinion), it's okay. Don't let others keep you from accepting that you were guilty of being emotional. Don't be that person because you don't want to be wrong. Because you may be missing on something special in the making.

This story was written by Carlos Camacho. Follow him on Twitter: @DolfansVoice ​​

That’s not the whole story by a long shot. Any fair evaluation of this trade has to include the previous exchange where the Dolphins traded back from the 48th overall pick in the second round to the 62nd.

That’s because the Dolphins made that trade to set up the final deal for Rosen. Here’s how the trade breaks down assuming, as is the common wisdom, that future picks are worth a pick in the current year minus one round:

Add all of that up and here’s what that means. After all is said and sifted, the Dolphins got a top ten pick from 2018 and a potential starter for trading back to the third round and giving a fourth round pick. Can anyone honestly tell me that if the Dolphins had made that trade while sitting at 48 overall that they shouldn’t have taken it?

Ladies and gentlemen, that is a deal. The Dolphins not only didn’t get fleeced, they took the Cardinals to the cleaners. The Dolphins did the right thing here. They waited the Cardinals out and bargained hard and got their guy. And they did it in such a way that if Rosen doesn’t work out, they can let him go and figure that they didn’t lose that much. So those who want a quarterback in 2020 aren’t out anything by this deal.

The only real question is whether one year will be enough to properly evaluate Rosen. It certainly will take longer than that to fully develop him. But it says here that if the Dolphins know what they’re doing, they’ll at least have a good idea of what they have by the time the 2020 draft rolls around.

​And from what I can tell so far, they do know what they’re doing.

• Phil Rosenthal and Tim Bannon at the Chicago Tribune cover the draft’s winners and losers and don’t while not being stupid about it. Dolphins fans will want to skip to the last few.

In the meantime I’d like to add my own winner: Joe Klatt at the NFL Network. Klatt usually covers college football for FOX but he came on and did a great job during Day 2 of the draft breaking down the picks. I spent most of Day 3 wishing he was still there instead of Peter Schrager, who seemed to be there more for the entertainment value.

• Safid Deen at the Sun-Sentinel lists the known undrafted free agent signings for the Dolphins.

I’m not going to go down this list and pretend I know anything about these guys because for the most part I don’t. But I will tell you that when they hit the field this summer, you might want to pay attention. The Dolphins have a lot of roster openings and a lot of holes to fill. Some of them are gong to be filled by these signings.

And I’ll add this: if you want to evaluate Chris Grier as a GM, paying attention to how many of these undrafted free agents develop is one good way to do it. Good teams with good front offices and coaching staffs usually find a way to develop a few of these kinds of players into good, solid starters. And these guys are going to have more than the usual opportunity to show what they can do.

• •Scott Bordow at the Arizona Republic reviews the pick of quarterback Kyler Murray for The Athletic:

Cardinals general manager Steve Keim said he didn’t want to take Kyler Murray after trading up to get Josh Rosen in the first round last year but he was won over by Murray’s talent. This is a gamble for Arizona. Few teams had Murray as the No. 1 player in the draft and it’s fair to wonder if the Cardinals would even have considered Murray if they hired anyone other than Kliff Kingsbury as coach. This will either work out spectacularly for Arizona or cost Keim and Kingsbury their jobs someday.

My guess is that Bordow is right. The Cardinals don’t take Murray if anyone other than Kingsbury is the head coach. The reason is simple. Murray fits what the Cardinals want to do out of the box whereas any other coach outside of Seattle would have had to change their entire offense to make Murray work. Murray’s size makes him less than suitable for an offense that relies on sitting in the pocket and finding the open receiver.

I tried to figure out where the next likely landing place for Murray was if he got by the Cardinals. My guess is that it would have been a long way down the list. Murray not only landed in the perfect spot to take advantage of his talents. He may have landed in the only spot.

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

After a whirlwind second day, the Miami Dolphins settled in with four fairly uneventful picks as they finished out the 2019 NFL draft.

With no pick in the 4th round, due to their trade with the New Orleans Saints that netted them a second round pick in 2020. So fans had to wait until the fifth round to see their team on the clock again. They then took the teammate of their 3rd round pick, in Wisconsin’s Andrew Van Ginkle.

Ginkle is a 6’-3”. 241 pound linebacker who started his collegiate career with the University of South Dakota, then transferred to Iowa Western Community College before landing with Wisconsin for his junior and senior years. Unimposing and lean, Van Ginkle likely fits in as a special teams contributor, but given the lack of depth at linebacker, could see the field in that role.

In the 6th round, the Dolphins went back to filling in the offensive line, selecting 6’-6”, 305 pound tackle Isaiah Prince out of Ohio State. He was a team captain and won all-conference honors his senior year, and is expected to be given a shot at filling in Ja’Wuan James spot at right tackle for the Dolphins.

In the seventh round, the Dolphins had back-to-back picks, and used both on the offensive backfield, selecting fullback Chandler Cox, and following up with running back Myles Gaskin.

Cox is a 6’-1”, 243 pound senior out of Auburn, who displayed good hands and route running out of the backfield. He was used as a Wildcat quarterback at times, and is considered a heady prospect who could contribute on special teams, although he’s the only fullback on the roster right now.

Gaskin, 5’-9” and 205 pounds, come in on the small side, but makes up for that with blinding speed (he won the Washington state high school championship in the 100 meters. He was the first PAC 12 running back to rush for 1,000 yards all four years of his career, and could earn a role behind starting running back Kenyon Drake with a solid training camp.

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

If you are an NFL football fan, chances are pretty good that you have watched the 2014 football film Draft Day starring Kevin Kostner, Jennifer Garner, Denis Leary, and slew of other notable NFL players, analysts and other recognizable sports related individuals.

The premise of the movie is that the General Manager of the Cleveland Browns, Kevin Costner, is rebuilding his team through the NFL draft. The movie focuses much of its time on the team’s preparation for draft day, the team leadership’s internal struggles between Costner and the team’s head coach, Denis Leary, to agree on what the team needs are, and then the actual NFL draft.

By the end of the movie, the Browns General Manager, Costner, ends up gaining leverage on one of the other NFL teams (Seattle Seahawks) and the Browns ultimately move from beginning the draft with one 1st round pick to ending the draft with three 1st round selections. The movie concludes with the Cleveland Browns appearing to have their roster in a significantly better place with their new additional players.

On Friday, the Miami Dolphins did their best Draft Day movie impersonation. 

With Chris Grier being the Miami Dolphins version of Kevin Costner and Brian Flores taking the Denis Leary coach role, the Dolphins made some great draft day moves which in turn created significant value for the team with the eventual trade for quarterback Josh Rosen from the Arizona Cardinals.

Although fans will most likely never know what conversations were held between Grier and the Cardinal’s General Manager, Steve Keim, the leverage was clearly in favor of the Miami Dolphins after the Cardinals selected Kyler Murray with the first overall selection in the draft and after quarterbacks were selected by the New York Giants and Washington Redskins.

Imagine the phone conversations between Keim and Grier as the 2019 draft was about to begin and the Cardinals were set to pick Murray.  “Rosen for the Dolphins first round pick?”  “No thank you”. The Dolphins made a smart pick with Christian Wilkinson at number 13.

Then, day two of the draft begins and Keim calls Greir again wanting the Dolphins number 48 pick. “Rosen for the Dolphins second pick?”  “No thank you.”  Instead, a draft pick trade gets done with the New Orleans Saints to swap second round picks in 2019 where the Saints pick up the 48th pick and Dolphins pick up the 62nd pick and the Dolphins also pick up the Saints 6th round pick in 2019 and a 2nd round pick in 2020.

Then, Chris Grier’s phone rings again. “Oh, hi Steve”, he says. There was surely some haggling about what other compensation was to get moved in a draft trade for the Dolphins 62nd pick, but the final agreement was that the Dolphins send their 2019 2nd round pick and their 2020 5th round pick for Josh Rosen, who was a number 10 draft pick the prior year.

There are plenty of naysayers who think that Josh Rosen is a bust, which is completely understandable based on his rookie year performance. However, if you think about it, the Miami Dolphins will be paying him less money over three years than they are paying Ryan Fitzpatrick for two years. And, when the dust settled on day two of the 2019 NFL draft, the Miami Dolphins only ended up giving up a 5th round pick in 2020 for a 1st round selected player from last year's draft. That’s a pretty good deal!

Obviously, the Dolphins did not gain three 1st round draft picks out of the whole deal, similar to the Draft Day movie, but what they did obtain is a quarterback that many analysts during the 2018 draft process called a top 10 draft talent with a very small monetary and draft capital price tag. And, the moves that the Miami Dolphins leaders made during day two of the NFL draft were nothing short of brilliant, similar to the Browns organization in the movie.

At the end of the movie Draft Day, the Cleveland Broward organization appear to be heading in the right direction. The Miami Dolphins appear to be doing the same!

Fins Up!
 
This article was written by Ian Berger. Follow him on Twitter: @ian693
​

After standing pat in the first round of the NFL draft and selecting Clemson defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, the Miami Dolphins waiting until they were on the clock with the 48th overall selection when they.. well.. they didn’t select anyone, instead trading the pick away to the New Orleans Saints.

The Dolphins traded away their second round pick (48th overall) and fourth round pick (116th) in 2019 for the Saints second round pick (62nd) and sixth round pick (202nd) in 2019, plus the Saints second round pick in 2020.

​With that late second round pick, the Dolphins were on the clock again when they consummated a trade with the Arizona Cardinals for quarterback Josh Rosen.

The Dolphins sent their just-acquired second round pick from the Saints (62nd) plus a 5th round pick in the 2020 draft to Arizona in return for Rosen.

The Dolphins, if they are awarded two expected compensatory picks, will now have a total of 13 picks in the 2020 NFL draft.

In the third round, the Dolphins missed out on defensive end Chase Winovich (the New England Patriots selected him one spot in front of Miami), and selected guard Michael Deiter, a 6’-6” 328 behemoth from Wisconsin. Deiter has played center, tackle, and guard and was selected as first-team All-Big-Ten at tackle (2017) and guard (2018). He was the Big Ten offensive lineman of the year in 2018.

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

After all was said and done, the Miami Dolphins stuck to their plan on Thursday night, selecting massive defensive tackle Christian Wilkins with the 13th pick in the 2019 NFL draft. The Dolphins were widely expected to explore trade-down possibilities, but when their time came, they went with the player they felt was the best on the board.

Wilkins is a 6’4”, 315 pound behemoth from Clemson, and immediately gets penciled in as the starting at a position where the Dolphins had a glaring need.

Wilkins won numerous awards in his collegiate career, including being a three-time All-American (2016-18), was a finalist for the Bronco Nagurski Trophy in 2016, winner of the Bill Wills Trophy in 2017, the William V. Campbell Trophy in 2018, and the ACC Jim Tatum Trophy in 2018. He anchored the defense for two national championship teams in 2016 and 2018.

Wilkins completed his undergraduate studies early, receiving a degree in Communications Studies from Clemson in December 2017. If finishing a bachelors degree in two and half years wasn't impressive enough, he will walk across the stage in Clemson next month to receive a masters degree in Athletic Leadership.

He finished his collegiate career with 192 tackles (40 for a loss behind the line of scrimmage), and 16 sacks.

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

Christian Wilkins is the exact player that Miami is looking for. He has unmatched character and is very versatile. During his time at Clemson, Wilkins was a very respected leader on and off the field and also won the Campbell Award this past year. The Campbell Award is the academic Heisman.

At 6’3” and 315 pounds, Wilkins can play anywhere on Miami’s defensive line, whether it is interior or on the edge.. His 51 tackles and six sacks show that he is a stout defender against the run and pass. This past year, Wilkins also scored two rushing touchdowns as he was used to punch it into the endzone on offense at the one yard line.

Building the trenches is a huge need for the Miami Dolphins. Lindstrom is one of the best linemen in the draft and will be a day one starter in Miami. He has elite athleticism which is very important in today’s NFL. Due to his build and athleticism, he can play anywhere on the offensive line.

At Boston College, he started at both tackle and guard and with Miami’s offensive line injury history, that is important. For the NFL, he will be better suited for guard or center since he does not have elite length.

Ximines was once considered a first round pick but due to so many other players playing for bigger name schools, his name has been lost. The moment he stepped onto the field at Old Dominion, Ximines was a beast. He led Old Dominion in sacks and tackles for loss since his redshirt freshman season.

At 6’3” and 253 pounds, Ximines was all over the field this past season and his stats show it. He had 58 tackles, 12 sacks, four forced fumbles, and one interception A player like Ximines would excel in Brian Flores’s new defense since Ximines has the ability to play in both a 3-4 and 4-3.

Saunders is one of the drafts most intriguing prospects. You might know him as the defensive tackle that recently gained popularity for doing a at backflip at 324 pounds. Although he is 324 pounds, he is only 6 feet tall. Even though he is a bit undersized, he is a very athletic and aggressive player.

Since he went to a small school, he had doubts that he never played against NFL competition. Once he went to the Senior Bowl and impressed scouts, those talks stopped.

This past season he had 72 tackles, 13 tackles for a loss, and 6.5 sacks. Saunders does have some conditioning issues, but in Miami, he will be a rotational player so those are not such a big deal. If Saunders does pan out to be an eventual starter, Miami would have found a diamond in the rough.

Westry is perhaps one of the most intriguing prospects in this draft. He is 6’5” and 199 pounds with 33 ¾” arms and ran the 40 yard dash in 4.31 seconds at his pro day. Again, he is 6’5” and a corner. Due to his size, Westry has an unlimited amount of potential. The reason why he is such a late round pick is due to his production and talent.

This past season at Kentucky he was not a starter and only had 21 tackles and two passes deflected. During his four year career at Kentucky, Westry only has three interceptions and 12 pass deflections. Having numbers like those are unacceptable for any corner, let alone one that is 6’5”. That being said, drafting Westry would be based off solely on potential and what Brian Flores thinks he can do with him.

The Miami Dolphins already have two good running backs in Kenyan Drake and Kalen Ballage, but neither of them are true power guys. Hills would be the perfect compliment to both Drake and Ballage. At 6’2” and 218 pounds, Hills is a back that can get you that extra yard when you need it most.

He is from a small school so the competition he faced was not the best. He did play at the University of Delaware for three years but during those years he dealt with injuries and academic issues. Hills has boom or bust potential, but due to his injury history, and playing at a small school, his stock has fallen.

This story was written by Tanner Elliott. Follow him on Twitter: @Elliott302Tj

• Dave Hyde at the Sun-Sentinel comments on something that I think has had us all a bit puzzled.

"By far, the most common question about the Dolphins after the rhetorical tank-of-no-tank (seriously?) is this: Why was Chris Grier promoted to king-of-his-world powers when his drafts seem mediocre the past three years?"

I think the answer that you'll get from most fans is that it's because Mike Tannenbaum was defacto general manager and Adam Gase had too much influence over personnel. And they’d have a point. But only to an extent.

I have little trouble believing that Tannenbaum and Gase had strong opinions about who the first and second round picks should be. But after that, more and more it becomes scouts work. And that’s Chris Grier’s domain.

So how has Grier done with those crucial mid and late-round picks? Hard to say. He’s only presided over three drafts but let’s take a look. Also note the results of an informal poll among our PhinManiacs writers (1 = poor, 5 = excellent)

(Yes, I know its stupid to grade recent drafts. But for the sake of the exercise, let’s do it anyway.)

2016:

3rd round: Kenyan Drake
3rd round: Leonte Carroo
6th round: Jakeem Grant
6th round: Jordan Lucas
7th round: Brandon Doughty
7th round: Thomas Duarte

PhinManiacs writers scores: 3.0 out of 5

This was, indeed, not great. Drake has been a solid contributor but they needed him to develop into the main running back. He had the opportunity last year but it seemed that no one associated with the team was beating the drum to put him in that position, reportedly due to some maturity issues. Carroo has been waived after what was a less than productive career but Grant was a hit. I think a good draft would have had at least a solid contributor in at least one of those last three names.

2017:

3rd round: Cordrea Tankersley
5th round: Isaac Asiata
5th round: David Godchaux
6th round: Vincent Taylor
7th round: Isaiah Ford

PhinManiacs writers scores: 3.0 out of 5

Really hard to tell only two years out from this draft. Tankersley has been a disappointment when called upon to play. I’d call both Godchaux and Taylor hits as they would both be solid members of the rotation on the defensive line this year without the scheme change. It wouldn’t have been a good defensive line but they’re still both starters.

A lot will depend on how Asiata turns out. At the moment, he hasn’t impressed anyone in limited exposure but he’ll likely get his chance to compete to start this year.

2018:

3rd round: Jerome Baker
4th round: Durham Smythe
6th round: Kalen Ballage
6th round: Cornell Armstrong
7th round: Quentin Poling
7th round: Jason Sanders

PhinManiacs writers: 3.8 out of 5

Like our writers I feel better about this class than the previous two. Again, it's still early but already pretty good. Baker and Sanders are already solid hits and Ballage shows some signs of developing into one. It’s discouraging how little the others have contributed but I think it's hard to ask for more than three good hits out of six in these rounds.

My conclusion is that Hyde’s characterization of Grier isn’t unfair. But I also think the fans have a point.

To have really called those picks excellent, I would have liked to have seen just one more good hit in each of those years above. But it's fair to say that if you give Grier a free hand on those early round picks, his record in the later round should give fans some signs of hope.

• Marc Sessler at NFL.com ranks the quarterback draft classes of the millennium. The 2017 class came in at number seven and, as all three quarterbacks have become Pro Bowlers within just two years, it arguably should have been higher.

Why is that significant to Dolphins fans? Because that class was denigrated at least as much as the 2019 class is currently being criticized.

“So many people said it wasn’t a strong quarterbacks class,” [Mitch] Trubisky said.

​Added [DeShaun] Watson: “We all remember that. Patrick [Mahomes] has said it. Mitch said it. I’ve said it. And we all put that in the back of our heads, went to work and started grinding. … The whole time leading up to that draft, no one thought we would be where we’re at now. Especially after Year 2.”

Those opinions caused both Watson and reigning MVP Mahomes to fall into a range where teams that know what they’re doing could trade up and get them while teams that don’t know what they’re doing took a pass.

It just goes to show how little the prevailing media opinion should influence fans’ attitudes toward the draft. If you are praying that the Dolphins don’t take a quarterback because "all of the potential first rounders would have ranked behind all of last year’s first rounders," you should remember: it’s all been said before.

• Armando Salguero at the Miami Herald thinks that the quarterback class is “good” but wonders if the Dolphins will take the gamble.

Fair enough. But here’s the problem. Teams that have a need at quarterback, or any other position, have a bad habit of finding that they like the players.

You hear ex-NFL personnel men talk about this all the time. You always say you’ll take the best available. But somehow the best available usually ends up being at a position of need. You pay more attention to those prospects and they tend to get pushed up your board.

So, yes, absolutely. The Dolphins shouldn’t take a quarterback just to take one. They have to believe in him. But don’t be at all surprised if they find that they believe in one of the ones that are right in front of them.

• Assuming that the Dolphins don’t go quarterback in the first couple rounds, I absolutely agree with what I’ve heard and read from most fans and media members - that building the line of scrimmage is the way to go in this draft.

Having said that, the pass rushers have gotten the most first round attention - with some justification. But don't sleep on the defensive tackles. Experts are calling this class of interior defensive linemen one of the best ever.

It's not as flashy as the sack generators - and the Dolphins could certainly use some with Charles Harris being their best option right now. But nose tackle is a big deal if you are going to spend any time in a three man front as the Dolphins are apt to do next year. There would be nothing wrong with drafting a big man who can move, either there or at defensive end.

• Just a quick note as we wrap up the pre-draft phase of free agency. I understand why many will disagree but Eric Rowe could be the Dolphins best signing of the period.

New head coach Brian Flores should be intimately familiar with Rowe and he must have liked what he saw. He was a depth piece in New England but it's possible that Flores thought he could be more.

Rowe is only 26 years old and is far from his peak. Identifying and developing young players who are on the rise is what the game is all about right now. Rowe could be a very nice, affordable answer on a team that is re-building and that is about to sign Pro Bowl cornerback Xavien Howard on the other side to a lucrative extension.

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

Por los pasados 18 años los Dolphins de Miami han estado en busca de ese jugador que llene el vacío dejado por Dan Marino tras su retiro como jugador activo. La lista comienza con Jay Fiedler y termina con Ryan Tannehill. Aunque todavía no se sabe a ciencia cierta si finalmente con Tannehill se cierra ese capítulo, o si por el contrario es un capítulo adicional a la larga lista de mariscales de campo (QBs) que han vestido el uniforme de de los Dolphins a partir del año 2000.

Con los nombramientos de Chris Grier como Gerente General (GN) y Brian Flores como dirigente en propiedad (HC) se ha levantado una ola de especulaciones y quizás una nueva esperanza en los dolfans de volver a tener en Miami un equipo ganador. Grier y Flores parecen estar de acuerdo con el dueño de los Dolphins, Stephen Ross, en realizar un verdadero trabajo de reconstrucción, ahorrando dinero y desarrollando talento joven. Atrás quedan los grandes nombres en la agencia libre y el gasto excesivo en contratos generados por Mike Tannebaum.

El trabajo de Grier durante la temporada muerta ha sido elogiado por la mayoría de los cronistas deportivos que cubren el área de Miami. La decisión de no invertir grandes sumas en jugadores como Teddy Bridgwater, además de lograr obtener turnos en los próximos sorteos de novatos a cambio de Ryan Tannehill y Robert Quinn ha sido una de las movidas más comentadas por toda la afición de los Dolphins. Con la firma de Ryan Fiztpatrick como mariscal de campo (QB) Grier le garantiza a Flores tener a alguien con experiencia detrás de la línea ofensiva al comenzar la temporada el próximo mes de septiembre.

Pero la temporada muerta no ha terminado todavía. Falta la parte más importante: el sorteo de novatos de 2019. No es secreto que los Dolphins necesitan conseguir un mariscal de campo (QB) de futuro, aunque la situación no es nada fácil cuando se toma en consideración cual es el turno que les toca en el sorteo. Se han mencionado una serie de nombres, pero principalmente se ha mencionado consistentemente como los principales prospectos: Kyler Murray, Dwayne Haskins, Drew Lock, Daniel Jones y Will Grier entre otros.

Con el pasar de las semanas y en las cercanías del sorteo el valor de estos jugadores comienza a cambiar. En un principio el valor era asignado a base números y videos, asignados dichos valores por los analistas deportivos. Entonces comienza la segunda fase pre sorteo: los trabajos a puertas cerradas de estos jugadores con los equipos en necesidad y las entrevistas con los cuerpos técnicos.

Aquí es donde comienza realmente la valorización real de uno u otro jugador. Tal cual, el caso de Baker Mayfield en el pasado sorteo, que en 48 horas pasó a ser el jugador preferido en el sorteo. Igualmente este año los valores han comenzado a cambiar, Kyler Murray continua siendo el preferido, pero Drew Lock está comenzando a sobrepasar en muchas tablas a Dwayne Haskins.

Incluso de los Giants de New York se dice que es casi un 95% seguro que reclamen a Daniel Jones sobre Haskins. Haciendo un análisis responsable, no debemos esperar que los Dolphins arriesguen turnos para tratar de conseguir a Haskins, este podría estar disponible en el turno número 13. Esto le daría a los Dolphins un jugador de gran talento para desarrollo como mariscal de campo sin tener que sacrificar turnos de este o futuros sorteos. ¿Pero, qué pasaría si Haskins es reclamado antes de llegar el turno de los Dolphins? ¡NADA, sencillo, no pasaría nada!

Ya que los Dolphin han estado entrevistando talento para añadir a la línea ofensiva y estarían seleccionando un tacle ofensivo en la primera ronda y muy posiblemente en la segunda. De hecho, si Haskins es seleccionado antes del turno 13, muy bien podríamos ver a Grier haciendo un cambio hacia atrás en los turnos para obtener turnos adicionales en el sorteo. Ya que es de todos conocidos que este sorteo es uno muy completo y lleno de opciones de calidad para reforzar la línea ofensiva.

Ya en la tercera ronda podríamos ver a los Dolphins tratar de conseguir a uno de estos dos candidatos Will Grier o Jarrett Stidham, ambos jugadores también son observados con detenimiento por varios equipos, incluidos los Patriots de New England. Cabe señalar que el valor de Grier en el listado de los mariscales de campo (QBs) ha ido en ascenso a un nivel acelerado y su nombre ha comenzado a mencionarse tanto como el de Lock y Haskins.

De Stidham podemos decir que es un prospecto natural, y aunque su brazo no es poderoso, se debe resaltar su habilidad para tomar decisiones rápidas en situaciones de juego que comprometen la línea ofensiva, poniéndolo como el jugador más táctico y frio a la hora de cambiar el patrón ofensivo en una jugada.  Stidham, junto al gigante Tyree Jackson, podría ser los jugadores sorpresas del sorteo (dark horses), ambos jugadores han sido, junto a Easton Stick, atentamente observados por los Dolphins. Uno de ellos podría ser la selección de mariscal de campo (QB) de los Dolphins en este sorteo.

Por el momento todo es especulación en el área de Miami entre los comentaristas que cubren la NFL. Ya faltan pocos días para que comience el sorteo de novatos de 2019. Tendremos que esperar a ese momento para saber si los Dolphins van en busca del jugador franquicia, o si los dolfans deberán esperar al sorteo de novatos del 2020.

Esta historia fue escrita por Francisco “Kico” Gonzalez. Síguelo en Twitter: @KicoLares

When you’re drafted 22nd overall in the first round of the NFL draft, high expectations follow. And at the moment, the Miami Dolphins 2017 first round pick, defensive end Charles Harris, knows he needs to step up his game this year.

After accruing 117 tackles and 16 sacks in his final two years at Missouri, Harris has seen just 38 tackles and a measly three sacks in his first two professional seasons. And while a calf injury limited him the second half of the 2018 season, those numbers fall far below what the team and fans expected.

The Dolphins have purged their roster of older, aging veterans, leaving Harris as the veteran pass rusher on the roster. And with a defensive-minded head coach at the helm, bigger things are expected from Harris as the 2019 season gets underway.

“He’s got size, he’s got speed, he’s got athleticism,” says Dolphins head coach Brian Flores. “He plays hard, does a lot of things that we like as a staff. He’s an interesting player on our team. I’m excited to work with him.”

As we enter draft week, the talk is all about what to do with that first round selection number 13. It is fairly clear what fans feel about the core needs. Many are looking to fill vacancies left by the departures of Cameron Wake, Robert Quinn, and are still reeling a year later from the departure of Ndamukong Suh. There are glaring needs at right tackle as well with Ja’Wuan James moving on.

The fan base will be excited to draft any of the quality defensive tackle or defensive end prospects. My personal belief is that quarterback needs will be more of a developmental prospect this year and not a franchise cornerstone. If something crazy happens that Dwayne Haskins makes it past the Giants and the Broncos, maybe the Dolphins find a trade partner, but he will not slide outside of the top ten. At this point, 2020 will be the year the Miami Dolphins participate in the quarterback market.

​So going into the draft, how do the Dolphins brass fill out the rest of the roster? They have the following picks to achieve this:

2nd Round (48)
3rd Round (79)
4th Round (117)
5th Round (152)
7th Round (235)
7th Round (236)

Mr. Irrelevant is pick 254, putting the Dolphins seventh round picks right in the middle. For the purpose of this article, we will focus on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th round selections. These middle round picks need starter potential and not special teams talent. That is the prism by which we will look at these picks.

I think the Miami Dolphins will take a top tier defensive line talent. My preference would be the intelligent leader of Christian Wilkins, but they may very well go with a splashier defensive end there. An argument can be made that beef in the middle of the defensive line can be found in later rounds to compliment what they already have in Davon Godchaux and Vincent Taylor. I’m not sure there is a Pro Bowler in that group, but if there is one, it will be Godchaux that takes the next step.

The second-round pick selection I have the Dolphins targeting Garrett Bradbury (center) out of NC State. He’s very strong with huge hands. His athleticism and quickness is unquestioned and was on display at the Senior Bowl. Being a tight end in high school contributes to his great feet. I think his strength (34 reps) and hand size will make him dictate the game at his will. Finally a solid replacement for Mike Pouncey.

Then, in my opinion it would be in the Dolphins best interest to go back to the interior offensive line and select Max Scharping (guard) out of Northern Illinois with their third-round pick. I really like drafting guys in the middle rounds from second-tier college programs. He played right tackle last year with a projection of sliding inside. That experience and possible line flexibility is the kind of pick the Dolphins desperately need. His wingspan is 80 inches and he is 6’6”. He will be a mauler at the next level and will be a great addition should the Dolphins organization see him as I do.

With the offensive line additions, I can see the Miami Dolphins burning a pick here on a developmental prospect at quarterback. With the fourth-round pick a prospect like Tyree Jackson (quarterback) makes all the sense in the world to me. Jackson left a year early so that additional development can happen on the Dolphins roster.

What better player to learn the position from than our current all-world smart guy Ryan Fitzpatrick?

​Jackson's got every tool in the book besides accuracy. If he completed more than 55 percent of his passes he would be considered a first or second-day pick. Think Bills QB Josh Allen here  But also, who were his skill position guys outside of Anthony Johnson? Tyree Jackson is the definition of developmental prospect with Cam Newton upside.

For the fifth-round selection I can see the Miami Dolphins keep it local and select Joe Jackson (defensive end) out of the University of Miami. He has all the tools to be successful. His issue is consistency. The write up on him is that he ran too hot and cold. His 2018 projection had him much higher than his current one.

This is a classic buy low opportunity. My only concern here is that he has a 3rd to 5th round projection so it’s likely a team takes a luxury shot on him in round three or four. Might be worth trading one of our next year picks to go get him. He can be coached up and fulfill his raw potential.

It is clear, the Dolphins absolutely must address the trenches this year. The back seven is actually in pretty good shape. If Miami can get some scheme help and produce creative pressure up front, the back seven will benefit. The skill positions are filled with exciting young players that the team will take the “next man up” approach with.

It is an exciting time to be a Dolphins fan. I don’t remember a time when we had so much confidence in the leadership of the team. This rebuild (oh, I mean youth movement) is the most exciting thing we've seen in a decade.

Embrace it, have fun, let’s go Miami!

This story was written by Steven Paulsen. Follow him on Twitter: @SarcasticPhin

The Dolphins voluntarily mini-camp has come to a close, and after Thursday's practice, reporters asked Miami running back Kalen Ballage a few questions about his rookie season and offseason. One of the big things that Ballage said was that he still keeps in contact with Frank Gore even though he signed with Buffalo this past offseason.

“A whole bunch. I’ve been talking to Frank almost every day.”

Gore was one of the first people Ballage met when he was drafted by the Dolphins last year.

Throughout his rookie year, Ballage went to Gore for advice and the two even warmed up together before every game as Ballage looked for ways to improve himself.

“Yeah. Obviously I’m not a guy that’s ever satisfied, really. I always want more out of everything so there were some things that I could have done better. I’ll have a chance to make it right this season.”

Just like most of the Miami Dolphins, Ballage looks to impress the new coaching staff enough to get more touches this season. He flashed potential multiple times last season and with only a handful of running backs on the roster, Ballage feels like his time is now. He's had his fill of fame from his 75-yard run against the Minnesota Vikings, and wants to focus on new challenges.

“I’m tired of that run – honestly – to be 100 percent honest." He said. I just want to move forward. I don’t necessarily want to go back to last season because we have new opportunities moving forward. I don’t want to dwell on that stuff but I’m excited about what’s going to happen moving forward.”

As OTAs get ready to start in May, how Ballage progresses and develops will definitely be a storyline to check in as we approach training camp.

This story was written by Tanner Elliott. Follow him on Twitter: @Elliott302Tj

Mark your calendars, Dolphins fans. The 2019 regular season schedule was officially released Wednesday night, and the Brian Flores era will open September 8th versus the Baltimore Ravens.

​Here is a complete breakdown of Miami’s 16-game slate:

The Brian Flores era will officially kick off versus Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens. This is a homecoming game for Jackson, who grew up in Pompano Beach. Jackson is expected to have many friends and families in attendance. 

The Miami Miracle feels so long ago, but the Dolphins will welcome Tom Brady and company to Hard Rock Stadium once again in Week 2 of 2019. In recent memory, Miami has given the Patriots a headache in South Beach, as New England has only won one contest there from 2013-2018.

The big speculation was the Dolphins would travel to AT&T Stadium on Thanksgiving Day, but instead, Miami’s first road contest of 2019 is against a tough Dallas squad, featuring Dak Prescott, Amari Cooper and tight end, Jason Witten, who came out of retirement to sign a one-year deal in March.

Miami will not see the Los Angeles Rams in 2019, but future Hall of Famer Philip Rivers will pay a visit to Hard Rock Stadium. The Dolphins knocked off Los Angeles to begin the 2017 season, after Chargers’ Young-Ho Koo missed a potential game-winner. 

​Miami will look at all NFC East teams in 2019, the first being the Redskins. Miami last defeated Washington in 2015, 17-10, but that specific quarterback matchup? Ryan Tannehill Vs. Kirk Cousins. Man, how times have changed. Now, Ryan Fitzpatrick will be facing off against Case Keenum, who was traded from the Broncos this offseason...unless, of course, they find a young QB this year.

​The Dolphins usually perform poorly at New Era Field. New Dolphins quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick makes his ultimate return to Bills Mafia.

Miami’s lone primetime appearance is against a new-look Pittsburgh Steelers squad. Gone are Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell, but the explosive JuJu Smith-Schuster can hurt any football team, and he will do so against the Dolphins. Fun fact: Miami and Pittsburgh squared off in 2007 on Monday Night Football. The final score? 3-0, Steelers.

Hey, Adam Gase, welcome back! The former Dolphins head coach makes his anticipated return to Hard Rock Stadium. A Miami victory would be nice. I am excited for Adam Gase’s post-game press conference, too.

​This was a game Miami should have won in 2018, ultimately dooming playoff chances. The Dolphins, leading 27-17 in the fourth quarter, were not able to stop Andrew Luck and the high-octane offense of the Colts late in the game. Miami lost this contest on a game-winning Adam Vinatieri field goal, 27-24.

​Bills quarterback, Josh Allen, ran all over the football field last season during the December meeting at Hard Rock Stadium. The hope is Miami’s defense can contain the former Wyoming product. Oh, welcome home, Frank Gore!

​Remember when the Browns finished 1-15 in 2016 and 0-16 in 2017? Time flies. Paced by Baker Mayfield, Jarvis Landry, Kareem Hunt, who will be back from his eight-game ban, and newly acquired Odell Beckham Jr., Miami will have their numbers stacked against them by a mile. Also, Cleveland in November is brutal, weather-wise. Happy Thanksgiving week!

Miami will begin the December portion of the schedule versus the Eagles and quarterback, Carson Wentz. The Dolphins upset Philadelphia in 2015 on the road, 20-19. Former Dolphins WR Jarvis Landry made a spectacular grab in the endzone. I am really upset Nick Foles will not be in attendance, however.

​MetLife takeover will have to wait until the final month of the regular season. Miami will take on second-year man, Sam Darnold, and the New York Jets. Maybe there will be some snow. Maybe Fireman Ed will show up. Maybe Adam Gase’s group will score a ton of points on his former ballclub. Who knows?

​Hey, does this mean the Dolphins will get to stay in New York for an extra week? Miami, for possibly the final time, will match up against Peyton Manning’s brother, Eli. Another cold game in December. No bueno!

​Add this to the “Miami should have won this football game in 2018” category. Miami, ahead 17-3 in the final quarter, was outscored, 24-0 by the end of the game. By this time of year, we will either be talking playoffs, miraculously, or the 2020 NFL Draft prospects.

​What better way to close out the beginning of the Brian Flores era than a date with Bill Belichick? New England’s former defensive coordinator will pay a visit to a place where the Miami Dolphins have not walked out with a victory since… September 21, 2008. In simpler terms, when Ronnie Brown was tossing touchdowns to Anthony Fasano.  

When Miami Dolphins fans hear about a player gaining weight in the offseason, they can be forgiven for thinking, “Oh no, did he eat cake at Ryan Fitzpatrick’s kid’s birthday parties, too?”

Luckily that’s not the case with second-year tight end Mike Gesicki. While the new 88 on his jersey may look more slimming, Gesicki is reportedly up to 253 pounds after playing last year at around 240 pounds. Gesicki dedicated himself to getting better this offseason, especially in the oft-criticized area of blocking. And he found a secret way to add those pounds.

“Eat. Workout. The natural ways to do it,” he said dryly. “You don’t have to cover the Dolphins to know who Mike Gesicki is, he’s still working on blocking, he’s going to focus on the technique, all of that stuff. And obviously continue to refine his route-running and all of that kind of stuff.”

With the Dolphins bringing in offensive coordinator Chad O’Shea and tight ends coach George Godsey, both of whom spent time coming up in the ranks with the New England Patriots, the Dolphins offense could feature the tight end heavy formations that New England incorporates. Adding former Patriots blocking tight end Dwayne Allen adds to that plausibility.

“He’s awesome,” Gesicki said of Allen. “He’s an unbelievable guy, really natural leader. He does a great job vocally. He’s kind of like a second coach, honestly. If Coach Godsey is busy, I feel like I can go up to Dwayne and I can be like, ‘Did you see that route? What did you think? Did you see that front? Was that the right guy?’ All of that kind of stuff. He just grabbed me when we were walking off the field and still gave me coaching points. It’s cool to have that presence.”

Gesicki knows he has room to improve after catching just 22 passes last year for 202 yards and no touchdowns. And he also alluded to perhaps not being utilized to his abilities last year with what could be seen as a sly dig at the former coaching staff.

“I saw a lot of good and a lot of bad,” He said of last season. “A lot of stuff to improve on, and a lot of stuff that I can take in and bring into my game this year as well. But that was expected. I was 22 years old, playing my first year in the NFL, learning on the fly, and doing some things I’ve never been asked to do before. I’m somebody that can be my biggest critic. I was able to go back to the film and learn what I need to.”

And Gesicki certainly likes what he sees in mini camps so far.

“I love the coaching staff, love the attitude they’re bringing in. Everything that’s been going on these last three weeks I’m excited about. I’m thrilled to have (Godsey) as our tight ends coach. I’ve learned a ton even these past three days out here on the field with him. He has some great coaching experience, and to bring that in here and help not only myself but the rest of the tight end group has been very productive.

“I’ve been training each and every day with the mindset that I have to come out here and be the best version of myself, I think I’ve put myself in a position to not only be effective in the passing game, but also in the running game. I feel like I’m in much better shape than I was at this time last year. I think that’s when I’ll be at my best - when I play fast. I think last year, especially when I got here, the heat took me by surprise and I wasn’t in great conditioning shape. My thing is I need to go run fast, and run by people, and make plays in the passing game. So, it took a while to get into that shape to get there. I feel pretty good.

“If somebody has something positive to say to me and something that’s going to help me, I’ll take it.”

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

Hold onto your horses, folks. Training camp month is not here quite yet. However, the Miami Dolphins began voluntary mini-camp workouts on Tuesday morning, and one specific player did not participate: safety Reshad Jones.

Jones, who is currently Miami’s highest paid player on the roster, is due a base salary of $13,015,000 heading into the 2019 season. I want to clarify one thing to Dolphins fans and football fans across America: Reshad Jones does not want to be traded. During a press conference Wednesday afternoon, general manager Chris Grier stated he fully expects Jones to arrive when things become mandatory.

“I haven’t given him (Jones) permission to seek a trade." Grier said. "He doesn’t want a trade, at least he has not informed me. Reshad is going to be here. I’ve known Reshad as long as anybody here. I ended up going up before the draft and ended up spending a full day with him trying to get to know him … I ended up spending a lot of time getting to know him and trying to figure out who he was as a person. I like Reshad a lot.

"This is a voluntary camp. He chose not to be here. We’d love to have him here. He’s a Miami Dolphin, but he’s earned the right to do it. He’s not the only guy in the league doing it. It’s voluntary and we know how this game is for these guys. No, we have not given him permission and he has not asked.”

On Tuesday, head coach Brian Flores explained Reshad Jones wanted to train with his own personal trainer, as Jones is in the process of recovering from offseason right shoulder surgery. The Dolphins have made numerous moves already this offseason, shipping Cameron Wake and Ryan Tannehill to the Tennessee Titans, letting Ja’Wuan James sign with the Denver Broncos, releasing Danny Amendola who went to the Detroit Lions and trading Robert Quinn to the Dallas Cowboys.

Trading away Reshad Jones would be disastrous for the Dolphins, but would also result in extra playing time for two former Ohio State products: LBs Raekwon McMillan and Jerome Baker, as well as safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, who was coached by Nick Saban at Alabama.

Jones, a former 2010 fifth round draft selection out of the University of Georgia, started in thirteen of a possible sixteen games in 2018, producing 57 solo tackles, three interceptions, and playing in 89% of total team defensive snaps. As of right now, Reshad Jones’ primary focus for 2019 remains building a stronger body to prepare for OTA’s in early and mid-May, Training Camp in mid-July, preseason in early-August, and the regular season in early-September.

This story was written by Brandon Liguori. Follow him on Twitter: @BrandonRLigurori

The NFL draft is officially a little over a week away, we can almost hear the clock ticking away as teams scramble to make their selections. The Miami Dolphins have the 13th pick of the draft and there are multiple avenues they could take, they could trade up or trade down, draft an offensive or defensive player, or possibly select the future franchise quarterback.

​Below are the selections made by the PhinManiacs writers, do you agree or disagree with our selections?

With Kyler Murray, Dwayne Haskins, and Drew Lock all off the board in the top 10, the Miami Dolphins explore trading down, and find a willing partner in the Oakland Raiders. Dropping eleven slots to the 24th overall pick brings Miami an additional 3rd round (#66) and 6th round (#184) picks this year, plus a coveted second round pick in 2020. The Dolphins then take defensive lineman Christian Wilkins, a 6’4’’ behemoth from Clemson.

- Eldon Jenson (@EJFootball)

Christian Wilkins has the size and athleticism to line up at multiple positions along the defensive line. Scheme versatility is coveted in today’s NFL. With head coach Brian Flores’s background, he will love to have this guy’s set of skills to confuse opposing offenses.

- Steven Paulsen (@SarcasticPhin)

The Pittsburgh Steelers are still in search of someone in the linebacker corps to truly replace Ryan Shazier, someone who can cover, blitz, and run sideline to sideline, an all-around stud. There's a linebacker available in the first round who can do all of that well, and that's Michigan's Devin Bush. But the likelihood is that Bush won't be there for the Steelers to draft by the time they're on the clock at 20, and the linebacker depth in this draft is not exactly deep.

​So, the Steelers trade up with the Dolphins to get to 13 and draft Bush, which allows Miami to get their hands on an extra third rounder and maybe a pick for 2020. With their new 20th overall pick, the Dolphins select Greedy Williams out of LSU. Xavien Howard continues to negotiate with the team for a long-term contract, and Miami needs someone to be the Patrick Surtain to Howard's Sam Madison.

Williams is the favorite corner in the draft by some analysts, while other have the likes of Byron Murphy or Deandre Baker above him. Nevertheless, Williams is a solid choice, and he (or one of the other two aforementioned corners) is likely to be available after a trade down. With the depth in the draft in the trenches, spending a 1st rounder on a corner still leaves plenty of talent available for later picks on the lines.

- Luis D. Sung (@LuisDSung)

None of the QBs in this draft are worth a 1st round pick, so, instead, Miami needs a CB opposite of Xavien Howard, and the focus shifts to Greedy Williams. At 6’3’’ tall, 184 pounds, Williams has the size to be an excellent corner in the NFL.

He’s shown a knack for getting to the ball with eight interceptions in two years and 19 pass deflections. He also recorded 71 total tackles in two years showing he’s not afraid to make a tackle when needed.

- Dakota Gabel (@DakotasForrest)

Clelin Ferrell would make a great replacement for Robert Quinn and he can even be used as a Trey Flowers type of player in Miami's new defensive scheme. Ferrell is good against the run and pass, he will immediately boost the Dolphins defensive line.

- Tanner Elliott (@Elliott​302Tj)

​With the 13th pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, the Miami Dolphins will be trading down in order to accumulate additional picks. We could see any of the later round teams trying to improve their draft position and give up picks to trade with the Dolphins.

Then, later in the first round, the Dolphins will address their defensive line by selecting Rashan Gary, an edge rusher out of Michigan. He probably won’t last too far into the 20s range of the 1st round, but the Dolphins will effectively fill a need right from the start.

- Ian Berger (@ian693)

By now, most Miami Dolphins fans have seen all the memes and jokes about quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick’s offseason weight gain. He readily admits he loves eating cake at his kid’s birthday parties. And he has a lot of kids, so the parties (and pounds) add up, and he’s now in what he tongue-in-cheek (or is that cake-in-cheek) describes as “peak off-season form.”

But that’s not all he had to say when he spoke during voluntary mini-camp this week. Fitzpatrick is a well-traveled QB with a head (and glorious full beard) on his shoulders, but he’s also well-spoken and smart in his approach to all thing’s football.

(Oh hey, speaking of that, did you know Fitzpatrick went to Harvard?)

And as he begins his first week of practices with his new team, Fitzpatrick is excited to get on the same page as his new teammates.

“We’ve got to learn to walk before we can start running,” He said. “It’s nice to get this extra work out here and start installing the very basics of our offense and our defense and our special teams stuff. We’ve got a long way to go, obviously. But in terms of the attention to detail right now, and the effort, all of that is good. But it’s always good on day one. We’ve just got to continue to stay with it and continue to get better with it each day.”

Fitzpatrick knows there is a lot to learn, and while he’s spent most of his career learning new offenses each year (The Dolphins are his eighth NFL team), he knows that getting everyone up to speed takes time and commitment.

“It’s so early in the process,” He said. “It’s offseason. I’m out here just trying to learn how to call a play in the huddle, and trying to get the guys lined up. And like I said, walking before we can run. There’s a lot of stuff going on right now on both sides of the ball where we’re really focused in trying to learn how to do our jobs the best way we can.”

For a guy heading into his 15th NFL season. Fitzpatrick has the enthusiasm for the game of a player much younger. And he’s learned a thing or two along the way, most importantly how to handle adversity when things don’t go as swimmingly as expected. Fitzpatrick has a reputation of being a hot and cold quarterback, and his career is defined by stretches of play when he rivals the best in the league, only to revert to stretches of polar opposite play. Yet he rises back up to fight another day each time.

“I love a lot of things about football,” Fitzpatrick said. “One of the things I love most is the adversity and having things not necessarily go your way, but leaning on your teammates and making sure that you’re the same guy in the building every day, the same guy in the huddle on every play, and going from there. That’s something I pride myself on. Last year, especially at the beginning of the year, it was nice for me to go out there and have some of that (early) success, but that was last year. I love being out there. I love being in the huddle with the guys and hopefully they’ll get a chance to feel that, and see that with me, and they’ll think the same way.

“I think in the last four or five years, I’ve really gotten better every year. And I think as funny as it sounds, I think my best football is still ahead of me, and that’s why I’m still playing.”

​However, Fitzpatrick is well-aware that the Dolphins are in rebuilding mode with an eye towards a future young quarterback coming in and manning the position. So he realizes his job isn’t a long term gig.

“I’ve been at this thing for going on 15 years,” notes Fitzpatrick. “I know the way the league works. I know for me, I put my focus and energy on doing the best that I can, and being the best player I can be. Things have tended to work out if I did that. That’s what I do. I put my energy in getting myself better and getting my teammates better. That’s all I focus on.”

He continued, “My whole career - and I think for everybody, not just here, but around the league - you can’t take anything for granted. You just have to go out and work as hard as you can. That’s what I’m here to do: put my head down, ignore any and everything that goes on outside of this building, and see if I can be the best player I can be, and make the guys around me better.”

And the grizzled veteran is ready to jump into the fray and help make this team better.

“I think every situation is different. We are going into this year with a fresh start, a fresh approach, and a lot of new faces, whether it’s coaches, or players, or people around the building. I think the one thing … that we stress and preach every day is we’re here to win. Everybody in this building, whatever it takes to get this team to win, that’s what you have to be willing to do. We’re making sure that everybody is on the same page with that. Winning is the most important thing.”

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

The countdown is officially on target, as the Arizona Cardinals are just days away from being on the clock as the first overall selection in the 2019 NFL Draft. Below are the future potential NFL stars who have met with the Miami Dolphins so far, who hold the 13th overall pick in the first round:

• Corrion Ballard (Safety, Utah)
• Ben Banogu (Defensive End, TCU)
• Nick Bosa (Defensive End, Ohio State)
• Venzell Boulware (Guard, Miami)
• Jordan Brailford (Defensive End, Oklahoma State)
• Blace Brown (Cornerback, Troy)
• Marquise Brown (Wide Receiver, Oklahoma)
• Yodny Cajuste (Offensive Tackle, West Virginia)
• L.J. Collier (Defensive End, TCU)
• Te’Von Coney (Outside Linebacker, Notre Dame)
• Maxx Crosby (Defensive End, Eastern Michigan)
• Jamel Dean (Cornerback, Auburn)
• Jhavonta Dean (Cornerback, Miami)
• Andre Dillard (Offensive Tackle, Washington State)
• Joe Dineen Jr. (Inside Linebacker, Kansas)
• Johnny Dixon (Wide Receiver, Ohio State)
• Nick Easley (Wide Receiver, Iowa)
• Kaden Elliss (Inside Linebacker, Idaho)
• Jaylon Ferguson (Defensive End, Louisiana Tech)
• Tyler Gauthier (Center, Miami)
• Emanuel Hall (Wide Receiver, Missouri)
• Terrill Hanks (Outside Linebacker, New Mexico State)
• Dwayne Haskins (Quarterback, Ohio State)
• Justin Hollins (Outside Linebacker, Oregon)
• Ka’dar Hollman (Cornerback, Toledo)
• Tyree Horton (Inside Linebacker, Grand Valley State)
• Alec Ingold (Fullback, Wisconsin)
• Trenton Irwin (Wide Receiver, Stanford)
• Tyree Jackson (Quarterback, Buffalo)
• Jalen Jelks (Defensive End, Oregon)
• Gary Jennings (Wide Receiver, West Virginia)
• Daniel Jones (Quarterback, Duke)
• Fred Jones (Defensive Tackle, Florida State)
• Tyree Kinnel (Safety, Michigan)
• Dexter Lawrence (Defensive Tackle, Clemson)
• Drew Lock (Quarterback, Missouri)
• Koda Martin (Offensive Tackle, Syracuse)
• Patrick Mekari (Guard, California)
• Aaron Monteiro (Offensive Tackle, Boston College)
• Jimmy Moreland (Cornerback, James Madison)
• Trayvon Mullen (Cornerback, Clemson)
• Byron Murphy (Cornerback, Washington)
• Kyler Murray (Quarterback, Oklahoma)
• Nyquan Murray (Wide Receiver, Florida State)
• Ed Oliver (Defensive Tackle, Houston)
• Charles Omenihu (Defensive End, Texas)
• Ravian Pierce (Tight End, Syracuse)
• Jachai Polite (Defensive End, Florida)
• Riley Ridley (Wide Receiver, Georgia)
• Brett Rypien (Quarterback, Boise State)
• Jeffery Simmons (Defensive Tackle, Mississippi State)
• Mike Smith (Inside Linebacker, Miami)
• Ty Summers (Inside Linebacker, TCU)
• Montez Sweat (Defensive End, Mississippi State)
• Sione Takitaki (Outside Linebacker, BYU)
• Jawaan Taylor (Offensive Tackle, Florida)
• Derrek Thomas (Baylor)
• Kahale Warring (Tight End, San Diego State)
• Tre Watson (Inside Linebacker, Maryland)
• Armon Watts (Defensive End, Arkansas)
• Greedy Williams (Cornerback, LSU)
• Quinnen Williams (Defensive Tackle, Alabama)
• Chase Winovich (Defensive End, Michigan)
• Oshane Ximines (Defensive End, Old Dominion)
• Devin Bush (Linebacker, Michigan)
  
  

This story was written by Brandon Liguori. Follow him on Twitter: @BrandonRLiguori

I know what every Miami Dolphins fan is used to in free agency: The BIG splash, the I-don’t-care-how-much-he-costs player, or the headline of “the Miami Dolphins have won free agency”. Clearly, looking back at how the Miami Dolphins have performed over the past 5 years, the shelling out of high dollars for expensive players has not worked for the team.  But, instead of spending big bucks on expensive players, the Dolphins have taken a very different approach to the 2019 offseason. That’s why the Miami Dolphins deserve an “A” grade for this year’s NFL free agency period.

First, in order to truly understand how much the Dolphins free agency decisions of the past were bad decisions, you have to look at some of the highest price tags and some of the ages of the free agents that the Dolphins picked up:

• 2015 - Ndamukong Suh – 6 year, $114 million with $60 million guaranteed
• 2013 - Mike Wallace – 5 year, $60 million with $30 million guaranteed
• 2014 Brandon Albert – (30 years old) - 5 year, $47 million with $25 million guaranteed
• 2013 Dannell Ellerbe – 5 year, $35 million with $14 million guaranteed
• 2013 Philip Wheeler – 5 year, $25 million with $13 million guaranteed
• 2017 Lawrence “AWOL” Timmons – (31 years old) 2 year, $20 million with $11 million guaranteed
• 2018 Josh Sitton (31 years old) – 2 year, $18 million
• 2016 Mario Williams – (31 years old) 2 year, $17 million with $11.9 million guaranteed
• 2017 Jay Cutler (34 years old) – 1 year, $10 million

In total, the top earning free agents that the Dolphins picked up from 2013-2018 totaled $346 million with a guarantee of $193 million.  And, collectively, the Miami Dolphins record during that period was 45-51 with one playoff appearance. Its safe to say that the Dolphins didn’t get the return on investments that they were hoping for.
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In addition to looking at the most expensive players, by reviewing the Top 100 free agent lists, as stated by ESPN, it illustrates that the Miami Dolphins loved to make splashy free agent players selections from the Top 100 list (not including the free agents that were re-signed with the Dolphins):

• Prior to the 2014 season, the Miami Dolphins picked up the 7th ranked free agent in Brandon Albert
• Prior to the 2015 season, the Miami Dolphins picked up the top ranked free agent in Ndamukong Suh, and the 28th ranked free agent in TE Jordan Cameron
• Prior to the 2016 season, the Miami Dolphins picked up the 7th ranked free agent in Mario Williams and the 30th ranked free agent in Arian Foster
• Prior to the 2017 season, the Miami Dolphins picked up the 18th ranked free agent in T.J. McDonald, the 35th ranked player in Jay Cutler, and the 51st ranked free agent in Lawrence Timmons
• Prior to the 2018 season, the Miami Dolphins picked up the 54th ranked free agent in Josh Sitton, the 67th ranked free agent in William Hayes, and the 88th ranked free agent in Danny Amendola

The Miami Dolphins made it a habit of picking up players that were successful with other teams. However, the majority of those players never made an impact with the Dolphins to match their lofty paychecks. Part of the problem was that the players were just older and their skills and abilities were on the decline. However, the other part of the problem was that the coaching team did not utilize the players to put those players in the best position to succeed, which is part of the reason that the Dolphins coaching staff has been a revolving door for the so long.

And this brings us to the 2019 Free Agent signings. To date, guess how many Top 100 free agents the Miami Dolphins have signed during the offseason?  None. . zero. . nada. For a franchise that has always been a Breaking News top sports story for their free agent signings in the past, the Miami Dolphins have been one of the quietest teams in the NFL when it comes to signing high priced players.  

The Dolphins most lucrative offseason signing went to Ryan Fitzpatrick, who signed a two-year $11 million deal.  When looking at the mega contracts that the Dolphins have paid out in the most recent years, this top signing is at a fraction of the cost of prior year players.  Then the next largest free agent signing was TE Dwayne Allen for a two-year $6.5 million deal, followed by CB Eric Rowe for a one-year deal at $3.5 million and most recently G Chris Reed for two years at $3 million.  What a difference a year makes!

The new Miami Dolphins free agent philosophy doesn’t mean that the Dolphins are going to be playoff contenders in the upcoming season. But what it does mean is that the Dolphins organization is changing their strategy from spending exorbitant amounts of money for older talent to bringing in specific pieces at decent prices and then drafting and planning to develop their own players. What it means is that the Dolphins, if they do it right, can develop their young talent and then be able to afford to retain that talent once the players have been developed. And what it also means is that the Miami Dolphins have decided that what they’ve been doing in the past has not been working and its finally time to do something different. And that, my friends, is why the Miami Dolphins deserve an A in free agency.

And maybe making changes to their free agent philosophy is just a start to what the Miami Dolphins needed in order to shift the team culture to that of a winning organization. Only time will tell.

This article was written by Ian Berger. Follow him on Twitter: @ian693

With the AAF collapsing earlier this month, former AAF players are now starting to sign with NFL teams. One of the most active teams in signing those AAF players are the Miami Dolphins.

The Dolphins have signed seven former AAF players, Michael Dunn, Jayrone Elliott, Kenneth Farrow, Jaryd Jones-Smith, Tyrone Homes, Reece Horn, and Joey Mbu.

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​These moves come as very surprising to Dolphins fans since Miami has been relatively quiet in free agency so far. The reason why Miami signed these seven players compared to any big name free agents is because the Dolphins are having a true culture change. Miami is no longer looking to break the bank on high profile players because they want players who will be good scheme fits and good in the locker room.

These seven AAF players have a chip on their shoulder and are willing to do anything to succeed in the NFL. Signing these AAF players is also like signing undrafted free agents after the draft since all of these players have potential and raw talent.

The Dolphins are staying true to building this team the right way and they have showed the fans that with this free agency. The AAF players they signed will compete for a starting spot and push the returning players to do even better. These AAF signings are just the beginning of the new culture of Miami.

This shows the Dolphins no longer want to be known as the laughing stock of the NFL or even the place where people only go there for the big contracts or no income tax. Miami has started to change not only their culture but also their image around the NFL.

This story was written by Tanner Elliott. Follow him on Twitter: @Elliott302Tj

When the Alliance of American Football shuttered its doors unexpectedly, its season unfinished, and without an official champion crowned, several of the top players started drawing interest from NFL teams. And the Miami Dolphins have managed to sign one of the best of the bunch.

Jayrone Elliott, a defensive end who led the upstart league with 7.5 sacks playing for the San Antonio Commanders, was rumored to have drawn interest from at least four NFL teams, including the Dolphins, Baltimore Ravens, Arizona Cardinals, and the Oakland Raiders.

It won’t be Elliott’s first shot at the big league, as he played in four games over three NFL seasons for the Green Bay Packers from 2014-16. He was cut in preseason by the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints in the past two seasons.

Elliott is 27 years old, stands 6'3”, and weighs 255 pounds. He played collegiately for Toledo. In addition to his sack total, he also forced four fumbles in his stint with the Commanders. If he proves himself, he could find playing time with the Dolphins, as the defensive line is sorely lacking as the NFL draft approaches.

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