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By: Brandon Liguori For the second consecutive season under Brian Flores, the Miami Dolphins open the season 0-2, dropping a 31-28 decision in its home-opener vs. Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills (2-0) Sunday afternoon at Hard Rock Stadium. The good news? Well, the Dolphins did not cough up 59 points on the defensive side and score just 10 on the offensive side like they did a season ago in their 2019 home-opener vs. Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens. The bad news, however? Josh Allen absolutely torched Miami’s secondary. Allen tossed an eye-popping 417 yards on 24 completions to go along with four touchdown passes and a 147.0 quarterback rating, too. Allen’s 417 yards and four touchdowns are both career highs. The former Wyoming product has been known for making guys miss using his legs, but his electric arm was the difference Sunday and Allen deserves a ton of credit.  Ryan Fitzpatrick, who was seeking a bounce-back performance after his three-interception day seven days ago against the New England Patriots, looked comfortable under center despite three Buffalo sacks. The 16-year veteran kept the Dolphins in the game all afternoon, firing touchdown strikes to DeVante Parker, who was a limited participant in practice throughout the week due to a hamstring injury and Mike Gesicki to cut Buffalo’s lead to five, 31-26, late in the fourth quarter. Gesicki’s 130 receiving yards led all Miami receivers. Not even a 36-minute lightning delay slowed down Allen, who finished off his masterful performance with a 46-yard touchdown bomb to John Brown and newly-acquired Stefon Diggs, leading all receivers with 153 yards. The Dolphins have coughed up 52 points in two games and a challenging schedule lies ahead. You can call this contest a “rip and throw away in the trash.” Why? The Dolphins’ next opponent, Miami’s lone prime-time contest, is four days from now, an in-state battle against Gardner Minshew and the 1-1 Jacksonville Jaguars Thursday, who suffered a three-point defeat Sunday against the Ryan Tannehill-led Tennessee Titans. You can follow Brandon on Twitter @BrandonRLiguori By: Jason Sarney The Miami Dolphins open Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday to play hosts to the Buffalo Bills and up to 13,000 fans. The home team will be one of the few franchises across the NFL to allow fans in the building. With the amount of work and preparation the organization did to literally be certifiably safe, you can rest assured that an equal amount of time and effort and care is being put into the on-field game-plan for tomorrow’s AFC East bitter rivalry. During the week of preparation and Zoom sessions, safety and team leader Bobby McCain put it clear as day… “It’s a division rival game. They don’t like us; we don’t like them.” The Buffalo and Miami rivalry is perhaps the deepest in the AFC East from the time of the 1970’s all the way to the key punches of this article. These key punches are a lot more vociferous from yours truly, as I had the pleasure of living in Buffalo for four seasons as a college student. The animosity and hatred the Bills have for the Dolphins can be traced back to several justifications why. Namely, the 1970’s didn’t see the Bills defeat Miami at all. Not a single victory. The Dolphins went 20-0 in that decade against the Bills, and we all know a few more awards and accomplishments from that era for the Fins. The 80’s arrived and a few season’s in saw the great Dan Marino done the aqua and orange. While taking a loss in his first match-up against the Bills as a rookie, Marino and the Dolphins swept them in three straight seasons from 1984-1986.  As the nineties approached, Jim Kelly’s K-Gun offense was rivaled to Marino’s lightning quick release and pristine delivery of the football to anyone who had an inch of a window to receive it. As the Bills became an AFC powerhouse with four unsuccessful trips to the Super Bowl from the 1990-1993 season’s, Buffalo ended Miami’s run twice en route to the league championship game. The 2000’s were a wash at 10-10, and in only two occasions was there a split. Mathematically, that would mean each team swept the other, four times to open the century. The last decade has been arguably the darkest for Miami, and in terms of the Bills rivalry, the last time they got the better of them for a sweep in one season was back in 2016. The Bills finished 2010-2019 with a 12-8 record against the hated counterparts. The Bills did in fact sweep Miami last season, as the Dolphins were amid year one of their rebuild. The next phase of this rivalry starts tomorrow as the 2020’s decade kicks-off. A rivalry that once again could see two quarterbacks amass dozens of battles against each other for years to come, yet that is not going to begin on Sunday, in all likelihood. This is still Ryan Fitzpatrick’s team, and although a lackluster performance last week up in New England, the former Buffalo Bill signal-caller is in major need of a rebound game. The veteran threw three interceptions against the Patriots, and while one came on a loss of footing by target Preston Williams, his second pick was simply a poor decision and the game-sealing 3rd interception in the back of the endzone was not the best placement when considering the coverage. Mike Gesicki was clearly held up and a flag most certainly could have been called, however the interception stood and that closed the door on a potential late-staged comeback for Miami. Finding a rapport with Williams and his other targets is paramount and that is clear from coach Brian Flores when he spoke to South Florida media this past Thursday. “I think it’s important to establish a connection with quarterbacks and all of the receivers, not just one in particular. That’s something that you build that rapport in practice, and hopefully it shows itself in the game. That’s why we go out there and practice.” Fitzpatrick plays with a necessary short-term memory as a quarterback. An ivy-league mind that is sharp enough to remember and learn from, yet not dwell on past mistakes and losses. “The best thing that I’ve learned is just to pour everything that I have into the next week of preparation, into the next game,” he said. He added, “a lot of it for me is just the week of preparation and how we’re doing practice Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, the discussions, the communications, the talk, making sure that everybody is into it and everybody knows that this is a new week. Those are the type of things you really try to focus on after a bad week.” The Bills enter Miami Gardens winners against the New York Jets last week, and they barely broke a sweat. While the Jets are looking perhaps worse than advertised, quarterback Josh Allen may be skewing north, and ahead of expectations. The mobile threat with a big arm has had his accuracy questioned, but former teammate and new Dolphins defensive end Shaq Lawson, is aware that this is a dangerous man. “That guy got better every year and I saw that develop his first two years as a player. He’s a dog. I said that when I was there. The guy is a dog and that’s what you need at quarterback and things like that,” Lawson said with clear admiration for the young Bill. With Miami allowing Cam Newton to run at will against them last week, Allen could find similar success unless something is done to spy the run-pass-option threat that he is. Perhaps the biggest key to victory is forcing Allen to beat the Dolphins with his arm, and not find repeated success with his legs. When discussing Allen and preparing for him, first-year Dolphin yet AFC East veteran, Kyle Van Noy, echoed Lawson’s appraisal. “Just, Josh’s growth each and every year has been big. You can see his strides. His reads are getting better. Everything about his game is getting better,” said the linebacker.  For the Dolphins to have a shot at defeating the Bills, they must force Allen to take his own shots downfield. Cornerbacks Xavien Howard, Byron Jones and rookie Noah Igbinoghene enter the Week 2 contest as the number 1 pass defense in the league which is an odd and stark contrast to the unit being dead-last in stopping the run. Another oddity was the lack of even a single defensive snap from second-year cornerback Nik Needham.
While the Bills pose a similar threat as the Patriots did, expect more throwing and receiver usage with those Bills targets who could be very dangerous in Stefon Diggs, John Brown and slot-threat Cole Beasley. It would not be shocking to see more of Needham, as both Beasley and tight end Dawson Knox could pose potential problems for Miami in the middle of the field. Flipping to the Bills defensive middle area of their unit, this is the exploitation situation for the Dolphins. Three total linebackers are listed as out for Sunday, Tremaine Edmunds and Matt Milano being the keys. Miami must take advantage of this, and Gesicki and Miami targets getting snaps in the slot should find openings to work and create yards after the catch. The running back committee can exploit potential second-level entry with the limited linebacking group as well as an extremely presently surprising offensive line performance from week one. Matt Breida and Myles Gaskin each gained a respectable 4.4 yards per carry, although Jordan Howard will look to rebound from a perplexing Dolphins debut. DeVante Parker left last week’s game with a hamstring injury although he started strong. He practiced on a limited basis throughout the week, and Flores did not tip his hand all the way during a Friday press conference. “That’s probably going to be a little bit of a game-time decision. Obviously, he’s practiced on a limited basis all week. We’ll see on Sunday morning, really. But yeah, it’ll be a little bit of a game-time decision.” It seems clear that Parker is in the plans for Sunday, as this Week 2 rivalry game to open a brand-new decade commences at 1:00 at Hard Rock Stadium tomorrow. As good a time as any for win number one. You can follow Jason on Twitter @OrangeAquaman By Brandon Liguori Inside an empty and silent Gillette Stadium, which holds 65,878, Cam Newton out-muscled the Miami Dolphins’ run defense while scoring two rushing touchdowns in a 21-11 Opening Day victory. Newton, who was signed to a one-year contract during the off-season, is of course replacing six-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, yet still gave the Dolphins fits all afternoon. The former Carolina Panther completed 15 passes for 155 yards, but his offensive damage came from his legs, logging 75 yards on 15 attempts to go along with two touchdowns. Ryan Fitzpatrick, winning the quarterback competition over first-round draft choice Tua Tagovailoa, coughed up three interceptions Sunday afternoon and ended with a total QBR of a dismal 44.6.  “You can’t do that and win games in the National Football League,” Fitzpatrick said. Miami’s run defense, a unit that allowed over 130 yards a season ago, was gassed all afternoon, giving up a whopping 217 yards on the ground. On the offensive side of the football, Fitzpatrick’s unit lost two key pieces due to hamstring injuries: DeVante Parker, who tallied a career-best 1,202 receiving yards in 2019 and Jordan Howard, who scored Miami’s first offensive touchdown to cut the New England lead to 14-9 in the fourth quarter. Brian Flores, entering his second season as Miami’s leader, was unable to provide an update on Parker’s status for next week’s home opener vs. Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills, who took care of business vs. Adam Gase and the New York Jets, 27-17. Parker managed to lead the Dolphins in yards Sunday, totaling 47 on four receptions. The Dolphins were hoping for a much better outcome than a season ago, when Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens obliterated Miami at Hard Rock Stadium, 59-10. The team scored one extra point in 2020, but the result was the same and now the focus turns to a dangerous Buffalo Bills squad in Week 2. You can follow Brandon on Twitter @BrandonRLiguori By: Jason Sarney After months of speculation, guessing, predictions and false rumors, the 53-man Miami Dolphin roster is built…for now. The NFL had a deadline to trim rosters, and after a flurry of moves both cuts and trades, the 2020 Miami Dolphin roster is set, with a young team full of sub-25-year-olds who are hungry to show their talent. Perhaps the shock of is all was the finality of Josh Rosen’s career in Miami, which many speculated would result in a trade. While no NFL suitor bit on Miami’s offering, the former top-10 quarterback pick from two draft’s ago was released and will now look for his third NFL team in as many seasons. Another surprise, but more on the pleasant variety, was the shocking acquisition of rookie do-it-all star, Lynn Bowden Jr. out of Kentucky. The 80th overall pick in April’s NFL Draft joins a Miami offense of versatile threats on the ground and in the air, as Bowden can do both. Bowden was the recipient of the Paul Hornung Award in 2019 which is awarded to the NCAA’s most versatile player. As a player who caught, ran, threw, and returned…this award fit the Wildcat like a glove. Wildcat.  I digress…. yet marvel at the possibilities of an offense with Bowden, Matt Breida and Malcolm Perry in that famous offensive set with those pure-breed outside receivers in Preston Williams and DeVante Parker. To give you an idea of the now 10-player fraternity of Hornung award winners, a trio of talent who hoisted that award are guys like Odell Beckham Jr, and the consensus #1 and #2 back-to-back 2020 fantasy picks in the NFL, Christian McCaffery and Saquon Barkley. With Bowden becoming the 6th wide-receiver for the Dolphins, as he is tagged on Miami social media productions, he joins Williams and Parker as well as Jakeem Grant, Isaiah Ford and the versatile Mack Hollins. Interestingly enough, rookie Malcolm Perry, who was getting heavy work in training camp at the slot position among others, is listed as a running back, yet wears the number 10. This could be a tip of the hand scenario for Miami, especially with the release of Josh Rosen as Perry could now act as a 3rd emergency quarterback, thus opening up a valuable roster spot for young positional talent on either side of the ball. With a quarterback Buddy-Film in the making of veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick and rookie incumbent Tua Tagovailoa, rostering a pure 3rd quarterback does not make all that much sense, considering there are at least two position players that can be called upon in a break-the-glass condition to take snaps in a pinch.  As for the running back room, newly acquired Breida will handle many 3rd down pass-receiving situations and should factor in nicely with around a dozen or so actual carries a game to complement Jordan Howard. Howard, who is used to training in the South Florida sun, could be the grinding type of lead-securing runner Miami needs desperately. A guy like Howard can turn a four-point lead with 8:00 minutes to go, into an 11-point victory after a last-minute touchdown on the goal-line ices the opponents…. hopefully on the road up North in December. Fullback Chandler Cox enters year two, and hopes to see the field more than he did in his rookie year and 2nd-year runners Myles Gaskin and Patrick Laird add depth to the room as well. The success of the running game and overall offense is directly correlated with the offensive line. A line that is still yet to be solidified, with a new group of free agents and rookies that need to mix with a returning veteran like Jesse Davis and second year guard/center project Michael Dieter and 4th year tackle Julién Davenport. Tackle Adam Pankey enters his third season and is joined by rookie linemen, Austin Jackson, and Robert Hunt. The guards are made up of free agent and former top-10 pick, Miami hometown-hero Ereck Flowers. Ex-Patriot and league veteran Ted Karras, is a center who will be a valuable mentor to a young line. Impressive rookie, Solomon Kindley is looking like a very solid guard and rounds out the blocking group. The extension of the line are a few tight ends that will make more money blocking than catching in newly acquired Adam Shaheen and vet Durham Smythe. The receiver labeled tight end, Mike Gesicki, will be lined up off the line mainly, and could see several slot snaps as well as outside the numbers opportunities to utilize his athleticism. Defensively, the Dolphins are looking best from the secondary down. The loaded unit has two luxury items in Xavien Howard and free agent signing Byron Jones. With stellar youthful depth at the position, as well as the fact a Brian Flores coached secondary is in need of several lock-down corners, 2nd year undrafted up-and-comer, Nik Needham is competing with rookie 1st-rounder Noah Igbinoghene for overall snaps and specific nickel-corner duties. At the moment, with Xavien Howard uncertain to play Week 1 against New England in just seven days, this depth is paramount for a full season of success for Miami. The recent rumor of a trade idea of Needham, which was not substantiated by any viable source, is not prudent based on the depth Flores commands in his secondary.  The depth is also helped by Jamal Perry as the corners are joined by safeties Eric Rowe, Bobby McCain, Clayton Fejedelem and rookie Brandon Jones. Kavon Frazier, who was named Special Teams captain, is part of that safety group as well.
Moving to the linebacking corps, which took a huge pre-season hit after Vince Biegel suffered a practice injury ending his 2020, the group is youthful and full of potential. Free agents Kamu Grugier-Hill, Elandon Roberts and leader Kyle Van Noy all have played for Flores, so they know they come to a system with familiarity. Calvin Munson and Sam Eguavoen are both NFL sophomores who earned another season after an impressive camp. Andrew Van Ginkel could see plenty of reps this season due to the Biegel injury mixed with the recent trade a week ago of Raekwon McMillian to Las Vegas. Van Ginkel came on strong in 2019 following a foot injury and had a solid December. Jerome Baker, who enters his third and most important season as a Dolphin, has the potential to be a viable team producer and leader within this team. Rounding out the defense is the group that can make this unit dominate, and that is the trench-men on the line and those who are tasked with rushing the passer, or at least helping others do so. That defensive line is built from the middle out, with veteran Davon Godchaux in a contract year leading the group. After a gradually improving and solid rookie season, young leader Christian Wilkins looks to continue his rise and is joined by Zach Sieler and rookie draft-day steal, Raewkon Davis from Alabama. The pass-rushers are all new, in free agents Shaw Lawson and Emmanuel Ogbah with rookie Jason Strowbridge from North Carolina. Setting the edge is paramount for this defense, and these vets will help in that task immensely. Finishing up the 53-man rosters are the specialists in long snapping rookie Blake Ferguson, Punter Matt Haack and his partner on the famous “Mountaineer Shot” touchdown, place-kicker Jason Sanders. Up next in the 2020 team building process is finding out on Sunday who the practice squad players are. And if last season was any indication, a name or two who could be on that practice group, could be on Miami’s 53-man roster in 2021…or sooner. You can follow Jason on Twitter @OrangeAquaman and on YouTube on The Fin Addicts Network By: Jason Sarney The NFL’s third leading rusher since 2016 sat down with South Florida media Thursday afternoon to discuss his first training camp with his new Miami Dolphin teammates. That player, believe it or not, is Jordan Howard who is behind only Ezekiel Elliott and Todd Gurley over the last four season in running back ground yards. Howard comes to Miami having already familiarizing himself with the South Florida heat, thanks to training there in prior off-seasons, so he looks forward to using that to an advantage this year. “Yea I used to train down here; practicing here in this heat is much different,” Howard said. “I know the advantages training down here.” Entering his fifth season and third with the team Howard was a Pro -Bowler as a rookie and has put together a career 4.3 yards per carry average which is a far cry from last season's overall running back output of 3.3 yards per carry for the year. Jordan has also scored 30 rushing touchdowns since 2016 which remarkably is only five less than the output of the entire Dolphins rushing attack combined in those same seasons all together. Jordan joins a committee of rushers and is certainly taking to the team concept as he is ready to handle his specific role to help move this offense. In a true team concept mindset, which is consistently obvious with each Miami player at this point, Howard says, “we are going to use all of the backs.” He adds, “they’re going to use us all to the best of our abilities"  Next up were two more new Dolphins, the first via trade in tight end Adam Shaheen, a former 2nd round pick of the Chicago Bears. He has battled injury in three seasons in the Windy City, and a change of scenery could lead to warmer receptions in Miami. While reflecting on his time with the team that drafted him 45th overall, he said, “the last 3 years, I’ve enjoyed them…The big thing for me is staying healthy. If I stay healthy, I think I can do the things needed from me.” Shaheen realizes there is an adjustment and a learning curve, but seems up for the task. “It was a little different to come in and learn a new system,” he stated. And true to any Dolphin player thus far, yet again, he made it clear that he has the team first mindset, and let media know he will play any area of the field to see it. Lastly was rookie first-rounder Noah Igbinoghene, who the Dolphins selected after a mutual appreciation which was likely solidified by a terrific Auburn pro-day. Igbinoghene cites coach Brian Flores and his mentality, in terms of having Miami as one of the teams he really wanted to play for. In addition to Flores, the young potentially tagged, “lock-down corner,” is thankful to be in the same defensive backfield as an idol of his, Xavien Howard as well as another player he has looked up to in Byron Jones. Specifically to Xavien Howard, Igbinoghene said that having him in the locker room and being on the field with him since returning from the PUP-list is helping him. “It’s a huge,” he said. “He’s somebody I looked up to coming up.” Igbinoghene, while impressive thus far in training camp, knows there is constant ability to improve one’s craft. When asked about what he has gotten better at this summer, he said, “just my overall technique. I feel like the game is really slowing down for me." The product of two Olympian parents has the athletic prowess, clearly, as he was a converted receiver and has been playing cornerback for just two seasons. Yet, as the theme continues, he does not seem to care where he will have to play if it gets him on the field. With special teams ability, as well as nickel-corner and boundary coverage ability, it is a safe play to assume many snaps are on the way for Igbinoghene. "I'm comfortable playing anywhere...I'm a baller at heart,” he said with swagger. Swagger is a byproduct of confidence, especially when there is production and God-given skill to back it up. When asked about his confidence heading into a rookie season defending guys like Julian Edelman and Stefon Diggs, Igbinoghene was direct as can be, with palpable poise. “I approach the game like I am going to dominate every single game.” With a bit of a fun portion of the presser towards the closing minutes, Igbinoghene mentioned he has yet to receive a nickname to play off that five-syllable name. While it is never my business to take it upon myself to create nicknames, I will give it a shot. How about Noah “No-Gain” Igbinoghene? You can follow Jason on Twitter @OrangeAquaman and on YouTube on The Fin Addicts Network  By: Jason Sarney - predictions by @bleedaquaorange I appreciate the hard work of anyone in the area of football coverage and prediction. Sometimes a person just takes it to another level and goes ridiculously in-depth and a Twitter pal of mine @bleedaquaorange, put in some incredible effort to call the entire season. Each week, each score, through the Super Bowl and even gave us an MVP. It wasn't Tua. As you will see, time is clearly not an issue for @bleedaquaorange, and I wonder what it is he does with his life. Here is how the first three weeks unfolded as per our social media colleague here:  So he has the Dolphins at 3-0 to open, and with the Jacksonville Jaguars unloading, that Week 3 Thursday night match-up should very easily be looked at as an attainable victory. However, a road game to open against the Patriots, followed by a home opener against a playoff team division rival in Buffalo may not be a lock to send the Dolphins into Jacksonville undefeated. However, it isn't wildly unimaginable, but if it were ME, I would say 2-1 is the target in games 1-3, and I would take that happily. As I would take "Bleed's" version, just to make that clear.  The next trio of games was not has kind in "Bleed's" eyes, as two straight loses could very well be in the cars with games against Seattle and San Fransisco. A Denver match-up is winnable, so the Fins now stand at 4-2, which anyone in the world would take with this young team.  The Dolphins split the Los Angeles Hollywood Boulevard Series, as a loss against the Chargers and a win against the Rams is a solid split in this scenario, but I wouldn't be shocked if the outcomes were flipped. Miami, after a 3-0 start, seems very similar to past teams that cooled off over the past two decades, as a 5-4 record has people now nervous.  So essentially, "Bleed" is predicting a three-week bye, as the Dolphins beat the Jets, have a week off, and beat them again to get to 7-4. I would even take a split happily, and so would the Jets, as the 2010's decade closes with the Dolphins up 11-9. The Jets have only swept the Fins once this decade, and Miami has gone 2-0 twice in the last 10 season. Three times in the last 11 if you want to be technical.  Heading into the final stanza the Dolphins, according to "Bleed," with two weeks left to go have 9 wins already. With a last season pair of games against the Raiders in Las Vegas and a road trip to Buffalo, Miami has a ton of travel and should be exhausted from a long season full of unknown situations thanks to whatever Covid-19 does to 2019. Bleed has them topping the Raiders in Sin City, but get relegated to a loss in Buffalo in what is sure to be a frigid if not snow drenched affair. This hopeful scenario has Miami making the playoffs as AFC East division winners for the first time since 2008.  With a Division title predicted, and a Home game against the Chargers to open the playoffs on Wild Card weekend, "Bleed" has a battle of what could very well be two rookies drafted back-to-back at #5 and #6 in Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert, respectively.
Whomever the quarterback is to get Miami's first play-off win since Jay Fiedler nearly twenty years ago, they will travel to the home of current best quarterback on the planet, and reining Super Bowl MVP, Pat Mahomes. Ironically, "Bleed" has Miami ending the year in the home of the Kansas City Chiefs; the team that ended the 2019 season as champions in the Dolphins own home of Hard Rock Stadium. A special thank you to "Bleed," and if you take issue with this...his Twitter Handle is above. You can follow Jason on Twitter @OrangeAquaman and on YouTube on The Fin Addicts Network By: Jason Sarney Three Miami Dolphins met with the South Florida media Tuesday morning, and kicking things off appropriately, was 3rd-year place kicker, Jason Sanders. Offensive lineman Jesse Davis and running back Matt Breida joined later, but the kicker had the first shot. Sanders, who kicked for New Mexico in college, is the man who is 1-1 on career targets to TD reception ratio. Any Dolphin fan remembers him as the receiving end of punter Matt Haack’s toss to him in the endzone against the Eagles. A moment and play that will forever be known as, “The Mountaineer Shot.” Joking aside, Sanders was asked if we will be seeing another trick play from him in 2020, and appropriately to the new Miami Way, the kicker played it cool and coy. “There’s no secrets coming out,” he said. More importantly Sanders knows that the task for him is to improve on his overall accuracy and consistency. “I had a lot of big kicks, it was a slow start, but I had a lot of big kicks, big plays,” Sanders said of his 2019 season. Sanders was a 90.0% accurate kicker in 2018 yet regressed in 2019 with a 76.7% figure. Sanders detailed how he has a few skills beyond the average NFL place-kicker, in addition to pass-catching, as he is the team’s de-facto emergency punter. “We’ll mess around every once in a while. I would say I’d be a good emergency punter.”  Veteran lineman, Jesse Davis sat down to chat with the media and made it clear that he is yet another player who is willing to play wherever he is needed, and simply put team first. Whether tackle or guard, Davis will give max effort.
“You know, I kind of bring a lot to the table with both of those positions,” he said. “It doesn’t really matter to me where they stick me.” The Miami Way In addition to position flexibility, it seems any Dolphin with more than a few season’s under their belts have become leaders, and this is very much including Davis. With three rookies on the offensive line alone, the leadership of him and fellow veteran Ereck Flowers is paramount. When discussing that component of his role, Davis spoke highly of the rookies, namely Solomon Kindley and Robert Hunt. “It’s been good. Moving around has been my forte’ now. Moving around with those guys it’s been good. They’ve been receptive of things.” He adds,“just helping them get where they need to be.” Davis continued his high praise of those two young blockers, and stated, “they are big guys, they can move people. They are smart, they are very coach-able people.” He added, “they are two good rookies and I am glad we have them on our team.” Davis knows there is a lot of work to do in improving last season’s dead-last overall ranked line. In comparing the unit from this time last year to now, the major difference at the start of September is clear to him. “I feel like we are more solidified at positions than last year. We had a lot of guys to come in and we didn’t know where they were going to be including myself.” The other huge question mark is the quarterback room, and when discussing rookie Tua Tagovailoa Davis says, “he’s been good. Every week he is more vocal.” And when it comes to that left arm of his, Davis marveled, “it’s fun to see him playing out there and throw that deep ball.” Bringing the presser home was homerun-hitter in runner Matt Breida. The draft weekend trade acquisition in April from the San Francisco 49’ers make the Dolphins backfield a potential nightmarish committee. With a full room of young, talented backs, Breida knows all will see action. “I think they are gonna use all of us,” he said. “Me, Jordan [Howard], Myles [Gaskin], Patrick [Laird]..." As how and when each weapon will be deployed, Breida played the Miami Way card once again. “I don’t want to give away any secrets…you all have to wait until Week 1.” Continuing the theme of team first and tight-lipped concealing of anything in-depth within team strategy, Breida is a born salesman as well as a true team player as per many of his new teammates. When asked about his ability to be a three-down back as opposed to potentially a specific 3rd down back, “The Cheetah,” said, “man, I’m a football player at the end of the day. What they ask me to do I am going to do.” With the main points of business out of the way, Breida once again put the salesman hat on, and turned promoter. When asked about the famous foot-race that must happen with Jakeem Grant, Breida set the distant unofficial date. “Oh, man, we are going to have to wait until the off season for that.” Then, in a professional wrestling-like shock, Breida announced a potential third man. “We are going to get someone else in there, not going to mention names,” he said. You could almost hear wrestling commentator Tony Schiavone freak out in the distance. In true form, Breida, with a smile as long as his run against the Cleveland Browns last season, would not tip the hand to who this other “outsider” is…."I can’t; you know I gotta leave a little tease.” Well played, Matt. Well played. You can follow Jason on Twitter @OrangeAquaman and on YouTube on The Fin Addicts Network |
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