As you may have heard, hot takes are kind of my thing. More accurately, bad hot takes. But as I sat down to work out the Dolphin’s 53-man roster I found myself struggling to think outside of the box.

The reason, this looks to be one of most obvious and apparent rosters the Dolphins have had in recent memory. This could mean one of two things.

1. Miami either didn’t do a good job of creating competition

2. They have finally built the depth we’ve been craving for on this team for over a decade.

​After breaking it down player by player, in an extremely amateurish way I might add, I’m going with the latter. So, without further delay, here’s my 2018 53-man roster prediction.

Quarterback (3): Ryan Tannehill, David Fales, Brock Osweiler

Ryan Tannehill is back. You might have heard. Most fans love it and the national media couldn't give a rip, going as far as to exclude him from many "notable players coming back from injury" lists this season. You know, those same national media guys that tried to convince you a retired Jay Cutler was an upgrade over Tannehill.

Sorry for those of you who bought into that.

Some thought we may see a name like Baker Mayfield or Josh Rosen in this group, but that was not to be. However, we did move on from Matt Moore after half a decade. The signing of Brock Osweiler doesn’t exactly give Miami fans warm fuzzies and reports out of mini-camp are David Fales has a leg up on Osweiler for the backup role.

Gase has history with both these men so it will truly be a best player wins scenario. I’m not sure he’s sold on either one of them enough to discard the other so I believe he will roll with three QBs considering the injury nightmare he’s dealt with at the position over the last two seasons.

Running back (3): Kenyan Drake, Frank Gore, Kalen Ballage

This is a nice group. Kenyan Drake wasn’t given enough touches his rookie year. A theme common with Gase and rookies not drafted in the first two rounds many times.

​A theme, I will add, I don’t love and feel will need to change this season but that’s a discussion for a different article.

Once Gase (forcibly) saw the light, it allowed him to move on from the crybaby fan favorite in Jay Ajayi and place the weight of the starting position on Drake. Leading into 2016, the word out of the Miami Dolphins facility was that Ajayi was the man, but we saw plenty of action to the contrary.

​Some similar moves may indicate they don’t have as much faith in Drake as some think, but I believe in this case it was just a matter of improving the position as a whole and making sure not to wear Drake out. He’s never been a guy, even at Alabama, to get a bunch of carries week after week. So the three players above are obvious in Drake, Gore and the rookie everyone’s excited about, Ballage.

​The reason for only keeping three will be apparent and explained in the next group. But I believe three will be the number with a fourth stashed on the practice squad.

Wide Receiver (6): Kenny Stills, Danny Amendola, DeVante Parker, Albert Wilson, Jakeem Grant, Isaiah Ford

There's much debate about whether Miami even keeps six wide receivers this season considering the logjam we now have at the position as well as tight end. But this team has a solid - barring injury - five-man receiver rotation who are absolutely going to make this team.

It only leaves one position left to battle for. Why keep six wide receivers and only three RBs? There aren’t any running backs after Ballage that you can’t risk losing to stash on the practice squad. However, you take a great risk cutting Ford to do the same.

Miami’s only play here would be to hide Ford and not really play him, then camouflage him as an early roster cut playing it aloof as if they really dislike him that much. We all know Gase is a fan of guile (see 2018 first round draft) but I don’t think he takes that chance here.

The big reason? 

​Right now, Ford is the guy to step up and take that bigger wide receiver role when Parker "Parkers" and gets hurt or forgets to eat breakfast or is late to the game, too busy trolling Dolphins fans on Twitter. They picked up Parker’s fifth year option but at $9 million-plus, I don’t see Parker making it to a fifth season, increasing the value of Ford.

Half of me wanted to have Parker traded before week one but I don’t think Gase is ready to give up on him even if I am. As for Carroo, this guy has been a healthy scratch in enough games to know where Miami stands there. We moved on from Landry aka “Salty AH” so we signed two free agents and we get Ford back to compete as well.

The writing is on the wall for this guy. I will add that it looks more like Miami has a good overall group with several twos and threes but I don’t really see a number one WR. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing. This group has enough talent, if used and schemed correctly, to give any defense trouble. More speed than I’ve seen as a group and plenty of shiftiness. 

Tight end (4): Mike Gesicki, Durham Smythe, MarQueis Gray, Gavin Escobar

After complaining for a decade about Miami not investing in the tight end position they go out and get super young, drafting a tight end in rounds two and four. Even as a rookie, Gesicki is likely to see a lot of action at the position.

He’ll probably be asked to do less tight end-like things at first and be lined up more like a slot receiver, especially in the red zone. But this position is far from fixed for 2018. Tight end is one of the hardest positions to make the transition from college to the NFL. Gesicki will appear lost and make many mistakes especially when asked to take on the full responsibilities of an NFL tight end.

Smythe is even less likely to see heavy snaps at first. Gase has never been one to put a lot on mid-to-late round rookies and there are plenty of examples of that over his first two seasons. Plan to see plenty of Gray and Escobar.

​Why Escobar over Derby? With two rookies on the 53, you don’t have room to play games and experiment. Derby along with Gesicki and Smythe sound great in theory but that just isn’t enough experience for such an important position. It will be necessary to balance out the unit on the field and in the film room and I believe that Escobar, as unexciting as a pick that may be, does that. 

Offensive Line (9): Laremy Tunsil (T), Ja’Wuan James (T), Jesse Davis (G/T), Josh Sitton (G), Daniel Kilgore (C), Sam Young (T), Ted Larsen (G/C), Isaac Asiata (G), Eric Smith (T)

Dolphins fans are less worried about the offensive line than in recent years. That doesn’t mean it’s fixed or top 10. Just more likely Tannehill won’t be the most sacked QB in the league in 2018, and we’ve all seen what he’s capable of when given what most other QBs have in the way of time to throw.

As far as the mix of lineman it will be Laremy Tunsil and Ja'Wuan James manning the bookends with newly acquired Josh Sitton along with the exciting and young Jesse Davis at the guard positions. After the Dolphins moved on from Mike Pouncey, they traded for a reliable starting center in Daniel Kilgore.

This unit also has better depth heading into the season. Pay close attention to the mix of players they keep on the 53. We head into training camp with seven tackles alone. A clear goal this offseason was to make sure we have depth there. As you see above I have kept four pure tackles along with Davis who can play the position if asked to.

Also, with some age in the position it is necessary to be young where possible. I don’t believe they are ready to give up on Isaac Asiata just yet. Sam Young is old faithful and stays around another season. Ted Larsen is versatile and good when healthy but not being asked to start out of the gate unless injuries deem it necessary. Eric Smith rounds it off with checking both the youth and tackle depth boxes.
 
For those not doing the math along the way that’s twenty-five players so far. Definitely some debatable choices in the offense but nothing too crazy. We could probably go on for days about the offensive line at the eight and nine spots. Three RBs vs. Six WRs vs. 4 TEs vs. 3 QBs and so on. But in the end, we’re probably arguing over maybe four to five players total on offense.

Much different in past years where we were just hoping someone would step up and take the job because we hadn’t done what we needed to in the off season of addressing certain positions. One of the biggest reasons for this, the one I’m most excited about, it’s the best drafting the Dolphins have done in consecutive years since the Jimmy Johnson era. I think you’ll see that’s especially apparent on the defensive side of the ball. Catch the completion of this roster prediction in my next article where I break down the defense and special teams.

This story was written by Ron Canniff. Follow him on Twitter: @FinsBroadcaster

For his entire career, Miami Dolphins linebacker Jerome Baker has been an underdog. He's fought to make himself stand out in a crowd, fought through tough times and high pressure situations, and all of these battles have left him scarred.

Which is exactly what he wants.

"It’s pretty much I need that struggle." Baker said on Tuesday. "I don’t need anybody to take it for me. That pretty much was my whole college career. Coming in as a freshman, being behind some first rounders, Raekwon (McMillan) and all of those guys, they just sat me down and said, ‘You need all the pressure and all the hard times you go through. It’s going to pay off in the end.’ Honestly, it did and I kind of just stick to that. The hard times are going to come, but they’re not going to last.”

This statement was made in response to a question asked about the tweet that is currently pinned to Baker's Twitter account, which says: "Please don't fight my battles I need these scars."

Baker, who was drafted in the third round this year, recently signed his rookie contract, which will keep him in Miami for the next four years. But getting to this point was a challenge, one that he embraced and knows he came out stronger for it.

It was in the beginning, however, that Baker says was the hardest point of all.

“I would say my freshman year at Ohio State." he said. "That was the biggest hard time in my life. Coming in as a senior in high school and a star player, you think I’m going to come in and pretty much do whatever I want to do, be behind Darron Lee, Christopher Worley, Josh Perry, Raekwon (McMillan). They humble you fast. They try to bring you along, but they understand that it’s a growing process and they definitely helped me.”

Baker put together a decent stat line during his three college years, accumulating a total of 159 tackles, seven sacks and two interceptions, despite being behind the aforementioned players.

​​Now, after signing his four-year rookie contract with the Dolphins, Baker is getting the chance to once again work alongside is former Ohio State teammate, who according to reports, has already taken strong command of the defensive huddle and is instructing linebackers on where they need to line up.

That sort of thing is on the mental side of football, which Baker admits is something that dogged him somewhat during his freshman year in college.

“The physical part, I really never really questioned." he said. "It was more the mental part of, ‘I keep making the same petty mistake.’ And after a while, three mistakes turned into two, those two mistakes turned into one and next thing you know, you’re not making as many mistakes anymore. The mental part is what’s – with any athlete – is what’s the hard part. Once I got that under control, the physical part just took care of itself.”

​Baker's intensity has come through in practice, to the point where veterans have had to tell him to calm down since pads have yet to fully come on. But in a way, knowing he's giving it everything he's got all the time is a good indicator of Baker's determination to be great. The scars he's gained throughout the years have not faded, and he's using them to drive him to greatness.

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

Football that is played in June doesn’t typically register very high on most fans' radars, as that time of year is when rookies and new players get acclimated to a team’s playbook.

The emphasis is on learning more so than the actual execution, although this season, head coach Adam Gase has made it clear that learning, understanding and executing the plays are a crucial trifecta that all players are expected to master this season. Gase has been critical on several occasions of players not knowing the playbook and/or not being prepared on gameday. Thus the first day of rookie Offseason Training Activities (OTAs) this season was spent in the classroom.

Once on the field, coaches are paying attention to which players are getting it done.

“This rookie class has done a good job of trying to catch up as fast as they can and just really use their speed and what they know to their advantage,” says Gase.

​And he singled out two players that are doing well: linebacker Jerome Baker and running back Kalen Ballage.

“I think you can see both of those guys, the longer we've gone, the less mistakes they make and the faster they're able to play,” said Gase. “When you're fast and strong and just have football instincts, you can let those take over. At least if you screw up, you're going 100 miles per hour.”

As for Ballage, Gase was effusive. 

“He's progressing quickly." he said. "It's a lot on your plate as a rookie running back, especially when the defense starts to get into some of their exotic stuff on third down and you're still trying to figure out some of the basic things that you're doing in the offense. He's working hard. He's consistently been one of those guys that's always trying to find a way to get extra time with other players. I know (Kenyan) Drake has spent a lot of time with him just trying to really nail down the offense and then adjust to the defense when they're doing certain things.

“We've been just trying to do as many things as possible in the spring to get him used to things because once you hit training camp, you don't have a ton of time to spend on one specific thing. A lot of things are going to be flying at him once we hit training camp, so the more that he knows now, the more reps he gets and the more defenses he sees – the adjustments – then the better it's going to be for him down the road."

Offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains loves his new running back’s prototypical size and speed, saying, “When he walks through the door, you draw them up like that. He's big, he's good in protection, can catch the ball, can be a matchup issue in the passing game. You want guys that can play on all three downs. I think Kalen fits that vision. He can catch the football. He can be a weapon out of the backfield; but he's also big enough in pass pro.

“Where he needs to grow is the NFL game and nickel protections and learning that stuff, because that's obviously the biggest transition in the NFL - going in there and you've got odd defenses and you've got spinners and floaters and trap blitzes and all of those things. He's got to master that stuff. The more exposure that he gets, the better he's going to get at it.”

Spinners and floaters and trap blitzes?

“All of that stuff, yes it sounds confusing. Says Ballage. “It was kind of confusing to me in college when I first heard that stuff, and now I'm getting more detailed about it in the NFL. There's tricks to the trade. Everything on defense, every blitz that they have coming, we have something to counteract that.”

Although running back Frank Gore is a 14-year veteran in the NFL, he’s new to the Dolphins playbook. Paired with second-year back Kenyan Drake, the running back room is young, and the three running backs have helped each other figure out the intricacies of the offense. And the speed of the NFL game, something many rookies struggle with, is certainly keeping Ballage on his toes.

“I think practice one day we just started going super fast,” he relates. “I'm from a no-huddle offense at Arizona State, I've been in the no-huddle stuff and going really fast. But going really fast and not knowing all of the plays is completely different. There were a few times where my mind is running 100 miles per hour trying to figure things out.”

Ballage models his game after Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson and Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell, two players he’s studied and who both have a similar body type to Ballage. But more so than just that, Ballage sees what those two have done in the NFL and wants to pattern his career in the same mold.

“They've lived up to the hype, so that's where I'm trying to get next,” he says. “I don't have one specific mentality in anything that I do. I try to do everything. I want to score every time I touch the ball. That's kind of how I am … when I catch the ball, I want to make a difference in the passing game.”

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

Once again we find ourselves revisiting the alleged "culture change" that took place during the 2018 retooling of the Miami Dolphins roster. Gone are the likes of Mike Pouncey, Jay Ajayi and Jarvis Landry, the latter of whom could not help but take shots at his former team for reasons unknown.

​Given the statements made by Landry in that interview, one can only assume that he is extremely bitter and borderline ungrateful for what his time in Miami has done for his career, earning him a massive paycheck.

That type of mentality also has no place on a team where simply that - the team - is meant to become the main focus. Once again, we recap what has happened since 2017, where Adam Gase came out in late October after their humiliating defeat at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens and essentially called out his whole team for being lazy.

“I don’t think it’s a retain information thing." Gase said. "It’s we’re not putting the work in. That’s what it comes down to. If you can’t remember it, you shouldn’t be in the NFL. At the end of the day, guys have got to actually take this stuff home and study it. They’re not going to just learn it all in meetings. We’ve got to find guys that will actually put forth effort to actually remember this stuff and really, it starts with our best players.”

Nearly a year later, that quote still speaks volumes towards what Gase wants from the players on his team. He doesn't just want talented players, he wants driven players who will put in the extra work to become great, players who eat, sleep and breathe football...players who realize that the culture needed to be changed.

That's what the Dolphins have done, and it was back in early May that I wrote a story explaining how the addition of veterans Frank Gore, Danny Amendola and Josh Sitton were already paying dividends. Players were watching and mimicking the actions of these seasoned veterans, emulating their preparation and coming to the realization that individual success does not equate to team success.

If you want to win, stop drinking your own Kool-Aid and do what's best for the team, even if that means you have to take yourself out of the spotlight. The likes of Ajayi and Landry, clearly had issues with that concept, and now they are gone, and showing just how bitter they are to the rest of the league through scathing remarks about their former coach and teammates.

Real team players, eh?

​Now, there's no more room to be lazy, no examples to be followed except for the ones who are putting in a massive amount of work to be the best that they can be. First-round draft pick Minkah Fitzpatrick - a rookie who is receiving rave reviews from the coaching staff for the work he's putting in - is the one who said: "There's no extraordinary without extra."

That is the culture change.

Being great requires a lot of work, extra work, work that you do without necessarily being supervised by your coaches and being instructed to do it. Players have to want it, players have to volunteer to do that extra study, and only now does it seem like they're starting to understand that. Take, for instance, the recent statement made by wide receiver Jakeem Grant:

"I feel like in previous years, I didn’t have it all down." he said last week. "Now that my head is all the way in the playbook, I feel a lot smoother and I feel a lot of confidence going into OTAs and into mini-camp. It feels great because now I don’t have to think about what I have on this play or what I have on this or that. Knowing what you have, that builds confidence. This is going into my third year. I’ve got to make the most of it."

​Think about that. It's Grant's third year, and only now is his head "all in the way in the playbook," one has to ask where it was the previous two years. Was he distracted? Was he being encouraged to just go off of instinct by other players in the locker room who may or may not be here anymore? It's all speculation as we can never know for sure, but it speaks volumes that these new players get brought in, and all of a sudden the interest in being prepared skyrockets.

Rookie tight ends Mike Gesicki and Durham Smythe have been criticized by members of the media for not having much of an impact during organized team activities and mandatory mini-camp, with people going as far as to say that Gesicki in particular looks "lost" on the football field.

So that means he should be labeled as a bust already, correct? Of course not, that would be ridiculous. But, what we can look at is this: what is he doing to try and find his way? Is he following in the footsteps of the players who have since departed, or is he embracing the culture change and going out of his way to try and figure out what he's doing wrong?

The answer, thankfully, is the latter, as Gesicki and Smythe went ahead and borrowed an unused white board to make an attempt at boosting their learning speed.

"(Tight Ends) Coach (Shane) Day is unbelievable when it comes to his teaching strategies and how he wants us to learn and all of that kind of stuff. That was something that he suggested. I grabbed the white board and me and Durham (Smythe) got in the hotel room – me and him are roommates – and he’s getting there, calling out a play, calling it out quick and you draw it up.

"We’re just trying to simulate the huddle and simulate knowing everything on the fly and not just your job, but knowing everybody’s job because I know for me, personally, I’ve got to know the Y, the F, the H, the X, the Z. I’ve got to be able to go anywhere and everywhere. There’s a lot to know. There’s a lot to learn, but I think that’s a very helpful strategy that me and him have been doing.”

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, the Miami Dolphins culture change in action.

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

Former Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jarvis Landry caught the eye of many a Dolphins fan today, and for all the wrong reasons, immediately triggering the masses with a comment he made during an interview with Cleveland.com reporter Dan Labbe.

Landry was asked if there is a Jarvis Landry the Browns haven’t seen, and Landry initially gave the standard politically correct and bland answer.

“I think (offensive coordinator) Todd (Haley) is going to give me the opportunities I need to, not show off my talents, but the things I can do,” he said. “I believe that I’m a complete wide receiver all around. Do I lack speed? Yeah. But a lot of guys lack speed. Jordy Nelson lacks speed, but he goes over 1,000 yards.”

And then the interview slowly eased its way off the rails, at least in Dolphinsland.

“The quarterback play is so important,” said Landry, “which has got me that much more excited about Tyrod (Taylor) and (Baker Mayfield) and the way that they’re throwing the ball out there. It makes me much more excited.”

And then this:

“It’s a lot better than what I had in Miami. I’m excited about that.”

Uh, yeah. Hugs and kisses to you too, Jarvis.

While Landry could well be talking about the quarterback play of last season, when Jay Cutler took over after Ryan Tannehill went under the knife for season-ending knee surgery, Dolphins fans were quick to jump to the defense of Tannehill, who paired with Landry for 288 receptions in Landry’s first three years in the league.

It also didn’t go unnoticed that Landry saw a career high in receptions (112) catching balls from Cutler.

To be fair, Landry did also mention some nice things about Tannehill and Cutler in that same interview.

"I think (Ryan) Tannehill's skill level and the way that he was playing the year we went to the playoffs before his injury was at a high level and he could have took us to a championship or whatever or whatnot, but it didn't happen. Things happen in the NFL and we moved past it and the next season we had Jay Cutler and I love Jay. I love Jay. I really do."

Well, it wasn't a total shot, right?

Except for the part where he is just flat out wrong, as he stated that the Miami QBs didn't want to get together to throw in the offseason, which Browns QB Tyrod Taylor was willing to do.

"As soon as I found out he was coming, I texted [Taylor]: 'Let's do it.' Found out when he was coming up here, we all came up here for the press conference, we did the press conference, then we did the thing in Miami where we got everybody together and then we're back here. And we've got something else planned when we leave here right before training camp and stuff like that. I love it," Landry said. "Again, I didn't do that in Miami with the quarterbacks because they didn't want to do it. I would say that the chemistry and the type of guys that I'm around here makes me that much more excited because I know I'm going to be pushed at all levels at all times."

There's just one problem though...it's a known fact that Ryan Tannehill has always displayed a willingness to get together with his receivers in the offseason, and he has always done it. Has Landry just forgotten? Was he not invited? Is he just lying through his teeth? If so, why? This whole interview is bizarre to say the least.

Will it be long before we see bumper stickers in Miami that say “My two favorite teams are the Miami Dolphins and whoever is playing the Browns?"

This writer thinks that come winter, Landry will be wishing he was still catching balls from Tannehill.

At the least, we can now expect Dolphins fans to be watching Landry’s play while (wildly hopeful projection alert!) Ryan Tannehill throws for career highs in yards and touchdowns this year.

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

During the 2017 season, the Miami Dolphins linebacking corps could be generously summed up in a single word.

Suspect.

When projected starting middle linebacker Raekwon McMillan went down with a torn ACL in the preseason, the Dolphins scrambled to assemble a group to man the second tier of their defense. Kiko Alonso and Lawrence Timmons manned two spots throughout most of the season, and the third spot was filled by a combination of Mike Hull, Chase Allen, and a guy the team traded away a  2018 fifth round pick to the New Orleans Saints to acquire.

Enter Stephone Anthony.

So far in 2018, Anthony is leading the charge to fill the third starting linebacker spot alongside Alonso and McMillan. Appearing in just eight games last year, he was limited to 133 snaps on defense.

And while it’s expected that Anthony, a former first round draft pick in 2015, would be listed ahead of rookies Jerome Baker, Quentin Poling, and Mike McCray, he’s also taking snaps ahead of Hull and Allen as well this spring.

“He earned it the same way all guys earn it - he's been working hard,” says defensive coordinator Matt Burke. “It's always difficult … to come in the middle of the season, come from a different scheme, and pick things up. Obviously, we had some injury issues last year and some other things at that position, which kind of sped that process up. But he works really hard. He works really, really hard.”

While the rookies in this year’s draft class were brought in for their speed and coverage skills (a noted sore spot on last year’s unit), they’ll likely post their initial contributions on special teams, leaving Anthony as the starter for now. That could change when fall rolls around, but for now, with a 6-foot-4, 240 pound body coupled with good speed, Anthony falls right into the body type that Burke seeks for his defense.

“Steph's been here, he has a little bit of history in the scheme,” said Burke. “So I think there's a bit of comfort level with him in terms of knowledge. I think a lot of our other linebackers are younger guys right now … That is more the dynamic of trying to let the younger linebackers kind of get up to speed a little bit before we totally throw them in the fire.”

Burke admits that things are fluid right now, as they flip-flop guys into certain spots and work through different dynamics to see who best fits, and also get players more time at different spots, so they learn the intricacies of each linebacker spot. But as of right now, Burke wants to see what Anthony brings to the table.

“I think it's good for him to have a full offseason,” says Burke. “It's tough coming in, transitioning from one system to another, so I think we're trying to really overload him a bit and give him a full offseason, a full year of coaching with us, and see what he can do."

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

Will Ryan Tannehill's knee hold up under pressure? That's the question everyone is asking, whether they're a fan of the now veteran quarterback or not. Tannehill hasn't played an NFL game since 2016, and he re-injured his knee after running to the sidelines during training camp of 2017, leading him to miss the entire season and forcing the Dolphins to sign a retired Jay Cutler to take over.

Naturally, there is some hesitation to trust that things will be different this time.

Last year, I wrote a story about how I believed that Tannehill's sprained/partially torn ACL and MCL would be able to heal naturally, and I provided personal testimonies of people who opted to forgo surgery in favor of letting the body do what it's designed to do and heal on its own.

While I stand by the fact that it can happen that way, Tannehill didn't have the luxury of time on his side. Clearly, I underestimated how much time is necessary for an injury like his to heal on its own properly, so this time around I was all for Tannehill getting the surgery, which he did.

So why is there even more distrust than ever? Shouldn't him getting the surgery make people more willing to believe he'll be healthy? Not less?

This is why I am here to try and put these fears to rest. This time, instead of just basing it off of my own personal observations, I went ahead and asked professional orthopedic surgeons what everyone should expect regarding knee injuries, and by extension, Ryan Tannehill's recovery.

For this story, I interviewed Dr. Alejandro Posada and Dr. Alfred Desimone, both of whom have specialties (or subspecialties) in sports medicine and are well-acquainted with what ACL injuries in the NFL entail. So the first thing I did, naturally, was explain the Tannehill situation to them, explaining the partial tear and Tannehill's initial decision to let it heal naturally.

Dr. Desimone made it perfectly clear what he thinks about that initial diagnosis.

"In my opinion there is no such thing as a partial tear." he said. "Any compromise to the Anterior Cruciate
Ligament will often cause instability to an athlete’s knee, especially if he is a high demand professional athlete."

Well then, that's pretty significant.

And Dr. Desimone seemed to be proven right when Tannehill completely tore his ACL in camp of 2017. It was non-contact, he didn't get touched, and he got hurt anyway.

"I knew it wasn’t good." Tannehill said in late May. "Honestly, I wasn’t really processing all of that. I just knew it was bad. I don’t know. I kind of went into a shock a little bit of ‘I can’t believe this is happening.’ It’s been a long time since then and it’s tough to go back to that state but I’m a long way from there and feeling really good right now.”

Despite what happened, Tannehill said that he wouldn't change the way he handled the situation, though he did admit that he wished he'd gotten a different opinion. But, as Tannehill said, that's in the past. Now, things seem to be progressing well, and his knee appears to be as strong as it ever was.

This goes hand-in-hand with the reports that Tannehill was out jogging up and down the stairs just a few months after his surgery. According to Dr. Posada, this meant that Tannehill was essentially getting back to work as early as possible.

"There are different stages. The earliest people should consider running is about three months," Dr. Posada said. "You can start jogging at about three months, sometimes a little bit earlier. Before that, what you do is you get the motion back, you get the strength back, they can do some bike riding, they can do some slides, side to side on a sliding board. But running can sometimes cause swelling and slow down the recovery."

From what we can tell, Tannehill did not suffer any such drawbacks, and his recovery went as smoothly as it possibly could have. He worked tirelessly to get his knee back in working order, and linebacker Raekwon McMillan even credited Tannehill with helping him through his own ACL struggles.

​So Tannehill got the surgery, there were no drawbacks, and Tannehill is doing well in practice so far. All of this is good news. But the million dollar question is this, and it's the one everyone is asking. How much of an injury risk is Ryan Tannehill now? How likely is it that he'll get hurt again?

"Probably the risk is about anywhere between eight and ten percent of re-injuring the knee going back at a reasonable time," Dr. Posada said. "I mean if he doesn't go back prematurely, it's about ten percent. If he's going to injure it, he's probably going to injure it getting hit."

That seems obvious to hear, of course he has a chance of getting inured if he gets hit...but that's the same risk no matter who the player is, and that's the part that needs to be kept in perspective. Tannehill's risk of getting injured again is not that much greater than anyone else's. The reconstructive surgery, assuming it was done correctly (it seems to be), is meant to make sure that Tannehill doesn't have another incident like he did in training camp last season.

So with that answered, the question then becomes this: what are the chances Tannehill can return to his pre-injury form? Is Miami doomed to play with a QB under center who's only a shadow of what he used to be?

"Returning to activities to a level or greater than prior to injury really has to do with proper compliance and strengthening." said Dr. Desimone. "Often athletes sustain this injury because they are weak or have an imbalance in musculature. It is very possible to return in a much improved state if in fact an athlete becomes very compliant with their strengthening regimen. If the procedure is done correctly and the athlete remains compliant with regards to the stretching and strengthening protocols subsequent to surgery, the athlete should be able to return in a full unrestricted manner to sports."

So Tannehill could come back stronger than ever, if he's been compliant with his recovery regimen. Has he though?

"Throughout the rehab process, you’re pushing it. I’m grinding it out, I’m running, I’m cutting. I’m doing a lot more agility and movements that I won’t really be doing playing football." Tannehill said. "The knee has been tested to the ninth degree of pushing it as far as it can go. When I’m out on the field, I’m just playing football. It’s past thinking about it or questioning it. Now it’s just go out and do my job.”

There you have it. With surgery and rehab behind him, and Tannehill having done everything he can do to optimize his situation, there's no reason to believe he's anymore of an injury risk than anyone else. There's no "natural healing" to scratch heads at. He had the surgery, and these two orthopedic experts have given their insight into what can be expected to happen.

What is left to question?

As we wrap this up, I will leave a list of notable players who suffered ACL injuries in their careers and came back just as strong as ever, if not stronger, just to put the final nail in the coffin.

2005/2006: QB Carson Palmer
2007/2008: QB Philip Rivers
2006: QB Donovan McNabb
2014: QB Carson Palmer (yes, again)
2011: RB Adrian Peterson

That's just a small list. There are other examples, but I feel the point has been made.

Is Ryan Tannehill a risk to get injured? Of course he is, but the same can be said for anyone who has ever played in the NFL. Cameron Wake was supposed to end his career after suffering a torn Achilles, but he's still sacking QBs. There's no reason to believe Tannehill is suddenly made of glass.

He's taken all the right steps, and he's done everything that can be expected of him. Now, all that's left is to get back to football and pick up where he left off in 2016. The knee is no longer a concern. It's not a concern to Tannehill, to the Dolphins, nor should it be to Dolphins fans. It's time to get back to football.

"I don’t question it and don’t really think about it." Tannehill said. "I’m just playing and trying to get back in the groove of playing football again. It’s been a while, so I’m knocking some dust off, getting back on the field, being in the pocket and moving around – command at the line of scrimmage and all of those types of things. It’s not as clean as I want it to be yet, but I’m getting better and just being on the field is a lot of fun for me.”

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

Saturdays are often associated with sleeping in and relaxing after a hard day's work, but this past Saturday, the Miami Dolphins threw that old stereotype out the window, as the organization teamed up with City Year Miami and got up at the crack of dawn for the 22nd annual Fins Weekend, all in the name of improving children's education.
 
“There’s a lot said about a community and an organization that can come together for the benefit of our youth,” Fins Weekend Chair Jeff Peck said. “I’m amazed by the amount of character within the South Florida community that this event revealed. It shows that we make our greatest impact when we come together and work toward a common goal.”
 
However, this year differed slightly from the years that preceded it, as instead of stretching the weekend out for two days, everything took place on the one Saturday. So both the fishing tournament and the golf tournament took place at pretty much the same time.
 
The reason for this change?
 
​​"It's a little different," said former Dolphins wide receiver and current senior vice president of special projects and alumni relations. "Ironically it sometimes puts organizations in a position where they gotta choose whether they wanna fish or golf, but it's an opportunity to pull everything in tighter. It's a long weekend, but when you can do everything on one day, and then have a big party culminating it at the end, you raise more funds, and also you have less of an expanse because you didn't throw two or three parties."
 
So the team split up, with some going fishing out in the open sea, with others staying on land and driving golf balls across the green of Crandon Golf. Nevertheless, despite the split attention, the team never lost sight of the united stand, regardless of where they were.
 
"It's a great event," said Dolphins cornerback Bobby McCain. "It's good to see people come out and enjoy themselves. Golfing, fishing, even with the party on Saturday, it's good to meet people and just be who you are around when they can see you without the pads on."
 
The first place winners of the golf tournament turned out to be Team Pepsi, with Mark Stokes, Gene Christman, Carl Carris and Ki-Jana Carter taking the prize: a flight on the team charter for a 2018 Dolphins away game.
 
But then the time came to head down to the Rickenbacker Marina, where the weigh-in for the fishing tournament began at 3:30, and it was there that many familiar faces made appearances for the first time in quite a while.
 
"It was awesome," said former Dolphins wide receiver Brian Hartline. "Nat Moore reached out, he reached out about coming back and my wife and I were on the first plane. He made it easy for us, it's so good to see younger players, so good to see older players and alumni, this event is always second to none so it's good to be a part of it."
 
Then there were alumni who had never taken part in the tournament, despite the event's 22-year history.
 
"It's a first time experience," said former Dolphins WR Chris Chambers. "I know the Dolphins have been doing this tournament for many years, one of the bigger events of the year ... everything I do is in the community, the Dolphins have always been great in the community, Nat Moore and the other alumni's been able to pull things together ... brings us closer as an organization as well."
 
Unity as an organization has been a major part of the Miami Dolphins' message this offseason, with all the talk of "culture change" and coming together as a team. The 2018 rookie class has been getting a crash course in that very concept, only this time it's more enjoyable.
 
"It's been awesome so far," said Dolphins tight end Durham Smythe. "Every event that we've done has been awesome but this one specifically, kinda getting out here and be able to do some fun things with people in the community. I actually love fishing. Did it all the time growing up, I actually have a trip planned in a few weeks. So I'm excited about it, it's awesome being around these fish and see how excited these people are getting about it."
 
The winners of the fishing tournament ​was Team Remix, with members Michael John Greisman, Rick Pruim and Alberto Suarez.
 
The event came to a close on Saturday night at the Miami Marine Stadium, where guests gathered to enjoy a live band, local fare, games, live auction and a fireworks show. This event is part of a four-year, $1 million dollar partnership between the Miami Dolphins and City Year Miami.
 
With all the work that went into this year's Fins Weekend, condensing all of the content into just one day, it's clear the franchise is more driven than other towards making a difference in the community. The culture change isn't just on the field it's off the field as well.
 
“This event is larger than just a fun day of fishing and golfing. It’s more than just a party and meeting the team you cheer for all season. This is a cornerstone event where the Miami Dolphins strive to do our part to make educational advances in our South Florida community,” Miami Dolphins Foundation Executive Director Jennifer Jehn said. “The Miami Dolphins Foundation has a commitment to being off the field champions. Fins Weekend is a reflection of the Dolphins’ work in leveling the playing field, aspiring to have teamwork at work."

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

Cornerback Bobby McCain has improved every year since being drafted back in 2015 as a fifth-rounder, and after finishing 2017 as the Miami Dolphins' highest ranked corner (according to Pro Football Focus), he's being rewarded for his hard work with a four-year, $27 million dollar extension with $13 million guaranteed.

The money is available thanks to the post-June 1st designation release of Ndamukong Suh, which freed up an extra $17 million dollars.

This deal makes McCain the highest-paid slot cornerback in the NFL, and guarantees that he will be a part of a young secondary that includes Xavien Howard, Cordrea Tankersley, and recently signed safety Minkah Fitzpatrick for years to come.

The first indication that something was in the works occurred back on Tuesday, when he was asked about a potential contract extension. After several seconds of awkward "ums" and "I means" he was able to blurt out a forced answer stating he was going out to play his best ball.

Suspicious indeed.

And the suspicions were confirmed on Friday when it was announced he'd signed his new contract.

"There were talks," McCain admitted on Saturday at the Fins Weekend golf tournament. "We've been talking about it for a little while, but nothing was guaranteed ever, and I really didn't wanna jinx it at the time. So I was just gonna leave it alone."

Now that the pen has been put to paper though, McCain has made it clear that his approach to the game is not going to change despite the increase in salary.

"I'm just gonna go out and just be me," he said. "Be who I am and bring what I can to the table and try to help this team win. At the end of the day, whatever my role is gonna be, I'm gonna be the best at it."

It should be noted, at this point, that the projected role for McCain is not likely to change anytime soon. He has been - and likely will continue to be - the Dolphins' nickel cornerback. This does not mean, however, that McCain is limited to playing inside.

McCain played 402 snaps in coverage in 2017, and allowed only 44 receptions on 65 targets. Those catches went for a total of 431 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. In the rare moments he played on the boundary, opposing quarterbacks only completed 6 of 11 attempts for a total of 64 yards.

“Well we haven’t restricted him (McCain) to boundary or field." defensive back coach Tony Oden said on Wednesday. "All of these guys are going to have to play corner at some point. I look at all of these guys as corners, not necessarily pigeonholed as a nickel at all. I need him outside and I’m going to need him inside. If he’s in the game, it’s going to happen. If we don’t practice that, I can’t expect him to compete and excel at an elite level if we haven’t practiced it. So all of these guys will rotate through – right, left. There’s no boundary or field. Just go get it.”

That's what McCain has tried to do his whole career, and it finally paid off for him. And the 24-year old could not be happier.

"It feels great," he said. "It feels great to be rewarded for what you've done. And like I said, I'm not done. I'm not done working, I'm not done grinding, it's only going to get better from here, and I appreciate the Dolphins organization for believing in me."

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

When the calendar turned to June, the Miami Dolphins suddenly found themselves with $17 million dollars in extra cap space to play with, thanks to the post-June 1st designated release of All-Pro defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.

As soon as the cash came in, Executive Vice President of Football Operations Mike Tannenbaum got to work, and it was soon announced that the team had signed their 2018 first-round pick Minkah Fitzpatrick to a four-year deal worth $16.4 million, which comes with a $10 million signing bonus.​​

As the 11th overall pick in the draft and receiving some of the highest praise ever given from Alabama head coach Nick Saban, Fitzpatrick will be expected to contribute right away in Miami's secondary. He joins veterans Reshad Jones and T.J. McDonald in that group of safeties, and his skill set offers much-needed coverage support, as both Jones and McDonald are better suited as strong safeties.

Fitzpatrick, on the other hand, is well-known for his ability to roam the middle of the field and make plays in coverage, and Jones is excited to have someone like that on the roster.

“It’s about time." Jones said back in late May. "We haven’t drafted a safety in a while. I think it was about time for us to get another defensive back in the room. I didn’t really have a reaction. I think it was helpful. I think it was a good move.”

Early reports from organized team activities (OTAs) indicate that Fitzpatrick has already hit the ground running, and the team is going to bring him along at whatever pace Fitzpatrick shows he can handle.

“He’s a rookie. That’s what it is. He’s a rookie." said defensive backs coach Tony Oden. "He’s doing a good job. He’s smart. He’s all of the things that we thought he would be. We’ve just got to bring him along, just like he’s a rookie, and give him what he can handle. We’re not going to slow his progress up one way or the other. We’re just going to take it day by day.” 

But given his reputation at Alabama, it shouldn't be long before Fitzpatrick starts making waves in the Dolphins secondary.

“I always start off with saying he’s a rookie." said Oden. "He’s definitely that; but you can tell he’s played in a lot of football games. He’s a very good communicator. He works hard. He wants extra study. So those things are kind of mature, or mature-r than most. He’s fallen in line with exactly what we thought he would be.”

The Dolphins also signed three other rookies: cornerback Cornell Armstrong, linebacker Quentin Poling, and kicker Jason Sanders. This leaves tight ends Mike Gesicki and Durham Smythe, linebacker Jerome Baker, and running back Kalen Ballage still unsigned, though that is likely to change very soon.

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