,hen you’re a 7th round pick, your chance to shine in the NFL may never come. When it does come, you have to be ready to step into your role as if you’ve been doing it your whole career.

And when you’re Isaiah Ford, whose rookie season was ruined by a knee injury before it even started, you have to work hard to keep the attention of the coaches and staff, so you can hang onto a roster spot in hopes of someday getting your chance to step on the field and shine.

Ford has done just that, impressing two Miami Dolphins coaching staffs enough that he’s hung on to the fringe of the roster through three seasons, and finally got a chance to show what he can do when two wide receivers went down to injuries Sunday against the New York Jets.

Head coach Brian Flores says he constantly tells players to accept the role they have and stay focused.

“Early on, we tell them, ‘look, it’s going to be a small role and your role will grow," He said. "The opportunities you get will be the ones you create for yourself.’”

Ford has seen spot duty in the past two seasons, bouncing from the active roster to the practice squad after twice being cut. Before Sunday, he’d appeared in five games, with two catches to his name. He tripled that with six catches for 92 yards on Sunday, and impressed Flores.

“I thought Isaiah - he stepped in,” said Flores. “Played every position from a receiver standpoint, got some (defensive) guys lined up, made some big catches and made a nice run after catch there in the third quarter. I thought he really played solid overall. Young guys stepping in, getting an opportunity, stepping up, making plays - that’s always good, and hopefully we can build on that.”

​With three games left to the season, and wide receivers Albert Wilson and DeVante Parker expected back in the lineup, Ford may not see the opportunities that he got on Sunday for a while, but he appreciates finally having a chance to show what he can do, and hopefully earn an increased role in a crowded wide receiver room. In addition to Wilson and Parker, Jakeem Grant and Preston Williams, both on IR with injuries, will likely return next year as well, which could push Ford back to the edge of the roster.

Or maybe he showed enough to solidify a more stable spot on the roster. Ford certainly hopes that’s the case.

“Any time you get the opportunity, you want to make the most of it,” Ford says. “I think that I’ve prided myself on preparing and studying and practicing as if I was the starter, so when that time came that I would be prepared. So I think (my performance) was a reflection of that.”

Work hard. Do your job. Be ready. Yep, sounds like a Brian Flores kind of player, doesn’t it?

And in true starter fashion, Ford takes a team-first stance when asked if his performance reflected a moral victory for him personally.

“There’s no moral victory. We lost the game, got the corrections from it. Now it’s time to move on.”

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

Sunday was frustrating for many Miami Dolphins fans, players, and coaches. But one player in particular felt the most frustration postgame.

When asked by reporters about his thoughts on the overturned DPI call on a 3rd and long play, Nik Needham did not mince words.

“Honestly, it’s just trash," Needham said. "Like, we had a chance to win the game, and so, that’s it…”

It’s not the fact there was evidence of defensive pass interference on the play. Replay does show Needham wrapping his arm around the receiver's shoulder pads. It was the manner in which the penalty was called.

The Jets were faced with 3rd and long, nowhere close to field goal range, no timeouts. In other words, almost no chance of getting into position to win the game. However, in odd fashion, the game clock stopped, and the referees seemed to take a lot of time to get the ball back to the line of scrimmage, and wait for a signal to restart the clock for the Jets to run their inevitable 4th and long Hail Mary.

Keep in mind, the game was played in New York. Guess where the replay officiating crew is headquartered? Just saying. But I digress.

After what seemed like an eternity, the officials stop the clock and review the play for defensive pass interference. To the complete dismay and shock of Coach Brian Flores and the rest of the Dolphins, the call was overturned. Not only did this give the Jets extra yardage, but more importantly, a brand new set of downs to help Sam Darnold get the Jets into field goal range to kick the winning field goal.

Needham added that officials “didn’t call anything all game until the last play,” and many will note the inconsistency of NFL vice president of officiating Al Riveron, citing “clear and obvious” evidence of interference on this play when so many other replay reviews have allowed similar no-calls to stand.

However, Coach Flores understands that wins and losses aren’t based on just one play.

“Yeah, it was a tough game, hard-fought by our team." Flores said. "I’m proud of the way our guys played. They played hard. We had some guys go down, we had guys step in and make plays. We just didn’t make enough plays to win.”

Officiating has been under scrutiny since the beginning of the season. The Dolphins have not been the only team that have been hurt due to overturned calls, or in some cases, lack of overturned calls that maybe should have been.

In the end, Miami falls to 3-10 on the season. But it was a game that may go down as one with an asterisk for many Dolphins fans, especially against the rival New York Jets. This game may be a hard pill to swallow, but the Dolphins have two winnable games against Cincinnati and the Giants to look forward to. Both teams have losing records, and essentially, fighting for the #1 overall pick in April’s draft.

“Like Coach Flo said after the game, it’s a lot of other stuff,” Needham said. “We can’t just blame two plays or blame one person or blame one other guy. We could’ve all had a great game and not even have the game close like that.”

This story was written by Ozzie Delgado. Follow him on Twitter: @ozziedelgadojr

The Miami Dolphins have had their share of troubles this season, but kicking isn’t one of them. Kicker Jason Sanders set a new team record for the most field goals in a game on Sunday.

The sophomore kicker, drafted in the 7th round of last year’s NFL draft, lined up for eight field goal tries against the New England Patriots, making seven of them to break a 20 year old team record for field goals in a game. Olindo Mare kicked six field goals for the Dolphins on October 17, 1999, coincidentally on the same field as Sanders’ feat (feet?).

“I think I’m confident with how I’m hitting it." Sanders said last Thursday. "I try to avoid all of the numbers and take it one week at a time. Quite honestly, I don’t even know what my percentage is right now and I don’t really want to know. I want to go out each week and treat it like a new week and build off the kicks that I’ve had like going into Sunday, building off that 51-yarder I had in this last week and use that confidence to get you through this week.”

Coming just one week after scoring the winning touchdown reception on a trick play against the Philadelphia Eagles, Sanders may very well be in line for player of the year for the Dolphins, as the one constant the team has been able to count on week in and week out.

"(We had) a lot of field goals. I think we moved the ball well today, but didn’t execute when we got down in the red area." said QB Ryan Fitzpatrick. "I think he did a great job all day. Seven is a pretty remarkable number of field goals in a game. Every time we really needed it, he kept hitting them, especially that last one. That was a great kick.”

To put Sanders’ day in perspective, he was just the third kicker in NFL history to attempt eight field goals in a game, and the eighth in NFL history to connect on seven field goals in one game. It’s a team record that is sure to stick for many years to come.

Another cool coincidence: Sanders wears lucky jersey number seven.

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

This article could honestly also be titled: Why we should stop worrying about "The Next Dan Marino."

It’s April 23, 2020. Miami Dolphins are on the clock. Roger Goodell is walking over to the podium, card in hand. The envelope is opened.

“With the (fill in the blank) pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Miami Dolphins select…”
 
And every die hard Dolphins fan collectively takes a deep breath, holds it…holds it…a little longer…
 
The next few words that come next from Roger Goodell’s mouth may be the most overrated and magnified few words you will hear for our fanbase. From the start of training camp, we have been hoping, praying, hanging everything on drafting the next Dan Marino. Is it Tua Tagovailoa (God I hope so)? Is it Justin Herbert (God I hope not)? Is it Jake Fromm? Is it Jordan Love?
 
So let me pose this question for you all…
 
What if the player that the Commissioner names comes in the form of a non-QB? Will there be mutiny in South Florida? Will there be fans calling for the heads of Stephen Ross and Chris Grier? I don’t know the answer to that, but what I will tell you is that our front office (Grier in particular) knows a thing or two about this beautiful game we call football.

So does Brian Flores. You know, the former scout for several years before he got into coaching.
 
They know the staff. They know the players. They know the schemes. They have the vision of what this team will look like in 2-3 years when we are competing for an AFC Championship. Brian Flores is more than a coach. He is a leader of men. He is a developer. He is, at his core, a teacher. Flores doesn’t need the best QB in the draft (whatever that means, completely relative) in order to win and create a culture of mental toughness and discipline.
 
Yes, the QB is the most important position in any sport. They are the drivers, the motivators, the leaders of the locker room and the huddle. Players gravitate towards their QB when they need inspiration and leadership. They look for that grit, that toughness, that cold-blooded mentality, that “get it done by any means necessary” attitude.
 
By no means whatsoever am I saying that we should not draft a QB in this upcoming draft. On the contrary, I love the approach the Dolphins took back when they drafted Rick Norton with the 2nd pick overall in 1966, and then came right back and drafted Bob Griese with the 4th overall pick in 1967!

Keep picking until you find your man! I actually love Khalil Tate from the University of Arizona. Tons of experience, huge arm, very mobile out of the pocket, and accurate when given time. Needs to clean up some things, but I will take a flier on him all day long in Round 5 or 6, even if we get a QB in round 1, and develop him for 2-3 years.
 
However, I am a huge believer in not settling for anything in life, and that includes the QB that you believe can turn the future of your franchise around for the next decade. Miami believed Rick Norton was the guy. Then they believed Bob Griese was the guy. The common denominator is that they believed one of those guys were elite, and can turn around a franchise. I’m of the belief that Tua is that guy. He’s smart, high character, great leader of men, perfect footwork, elite eye manipulation to sway defenses, good arm, very mobile, the list goes on and on. To me, Tua is the perfect combo of Drew Brees and Russell Wilson. If I was Chris Grier, I am not settling for anything less. It’s Tua or bust.
 
This draft is just the beginning. Why, you say? Well, to start, we have the luxury of three 1st round picks. THREE! Guess what? If Tua is not there when we pick, I continue to build. Trade back for someone that is desperate for a QB like Herbert. (Man, does that guy have “bust” written all over him. JaMarcus Russell type of bust). Pick up their 1st round pick this year, 1st next year, and throw in a 2nd or 3rd rounder this year to boot. Build the OL, DL, and secondary. Pick up an elite starting running back (J.K. Dobbins please?). Continue to develop our existing players. This WR class is so deep, we can pick up a WR2 or slot guy in round 4 or round 5.
 
Oh, and by the way, we also have over $120M+ in cap space, so that helps. Bring in players like Matt Judon, Brandon Scherff, and Byron Jones. Veterans like that, especially in the trenches, will do amazing things for the confidence and development of our young guys like Dieter, Wilkins, Taco, and those we draft this year.
 
Last point, and arguably the most important to this article, as to why this draft is not as significant as people may think: the presence, mental toughness, discipline, knowledge, work ethic, and competitiveness Brian Flores and our new staff bring to the table is something that cannot be measured. It is something that is invaluable to the future of our franchise and our fanbase.

Flores, only 3/4 of the way into his 1st season as head coach, is already in the same tier as Mike Tomlin in my book. After “The Gase Experience,” I cannot tell you how much of a breath of fresh air it is to see a coach that not only knows what he is doing, but has the command of an entire group of men. Not only did he implement his culture change within three months into the season, he also has the buy-in from everyone else in the building, specifically Grier, the scouting staff, and Steve Ross.

Remember that time in training camp when reporters said there was trouble in the locker room, and that players were basically going to riot for trading all the top players we had? Old news. Remember when “analysts” on ESPN said we were being immoral for tanking? Yeah, eat crow. Flores turned all of that around. Flores turned this franchise into a respectable one that will be a staple in the NFL for a long, long time. Similar to that team up in the northeast, where Flores came from? Yeah, would be nice to take over that title when the head ball coach retires in 2-3 years. No one better or more capable to do it than Head Coach Brian Flores.
 
So why is this draft insignificant? Why should we stop worrying about who our next Dan Marino is? It’s simple: Brian Flores, Chris Grier, unlimited cap space, and the unwavering support from our owner, Stephen Michael Ross.

The combo of all of that has me nothing short of bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for the next decade. With Flores at the helm for the next decade (quite possibly more), it has never been a better time to be a Miami Dolfan (with the exception of that ’72 year.

That was a pretty good year, from what I hear).

This story was written by Ozzie Delgado. Follow him on Twitter: @ozziedelgadojr

When it comes to the Miami Dolphins 2019 season, there is no shortage of opinions. Just glance at Twitter or Facebook and you’ll see opinions posted on every topic you can imagine about the team, some by people convinced that their opinions aren’t just opinion, but should be chiseled in stone as fact.

Annoying? Yep. Especially to those like me whose opinions are always right (just don’t tell my wife I said that; she has this eye-roll thing she does and, well anyway…).

After watching the Monday night game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, even the national media weighed in on their perception of the Dolphins, especially after an all-out blitz on a 3rd-and-20 play resulted in an easy touchdown for the Steelers just before the half.

And that got me thinking: I'm convinced we as fans all suffer from something called perception bias. And before you quit reading and go post something about what a dumbass thing that is to accuse you (and you, and you, and even you) of, let me explain.

Think back to recent seasons and take a look at how you felt about a polarizing topic like, say Ryan Tannehill as the Dolphins quarterback.

If we hated Ryan Tannehill, then we spent every game dissecting his every play, noticing his flaws and picking out his mistakes. For every argument that Tannehill was a top-12 QB (as he was in 2016), there were ten arguments showing how he lacked pocket presence and took too many sacks.

If we loved Tannehill, we noticed every great play and every perfect throw. If someone criticized Tannehill in a post, we jumped in to say that no one would succeed behind that sieve of an offensive line, or posted a video showing a 50-yard throw that hit the receiver perfectly in stride for a touchdown.

And no matter what was said, no matter what happened in games, your opinion never wavered.

My point is, regardless of which side of the argument you stood, you viewed every game with that perception guiding your thoughts and opinions.

And that brings us to 2019, where nothing is more polarizing than the Ever-Loving Season of The Tank.

The same thing is happening this season. If you are convinced the team is tanking down to the coaching level, then every play that doesn't work is your evidence of that; every mistake proves your point.

If (like me) you believe the tank is only in the front office, denying good talent to a team that is otherwise doing all they can with the tools at their disposal, you look at that 3rd-and-20 play in that Monday night game and see that if pressure from the defensive blitz had gotten there a half-second sooner, Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph might have rushed the pass and thrown off-target, as he'd been doing throughout most of the night to that point when pressured. It was good play call; it just didn’t work as planned.

That is just one example, but I think it’s enough to make my point. I’m guilty of it, you’re guilty of it, everyone’s guilty of it. It’s not wrong or right, but it is something to strongly consider as you watch the rest of this season play out, and see discussion on which player is most deserving of the first overall pick in the NFL draft next April. See, you have a strong (and deeply biased) opinion on that too, don’t you? Told ya.

This season in general, every detail is being scrutinized through biased opinions, both by us and by local and national reporters. And if you approach a situation with a biased opinion, you'll only see what substantiates that opinion.

Think about that previous paragraph.

And keep that in mind the next time you watch the Dolphins play.

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

3. Bills RB Frank Gore: A 36-year-old Frank Gore is still a dangerous player. The veteran running back should have an explosive outing Sunday against a weak Miami defensive unit that allows nearly 170 rushing yards per contest. ​

It is safe to say that the Miami Dolphins this year, are not very good. Then again, for a little while the Dolphins haven’t been good. Upper management decided enough was enough, and blew it up.

Old news here, the Dolphins traded away starting QB Ryan Tannehill to the Tennessee Titans, traded Laremy Tunsil and Kenny Stills for a king's ransom, shipped Minkah Fitzpatrick out as well, and from the outside let everyone that had at least a little bit of talent go.

But what if, and hear me out, what if it was for a good reason? What if it was to help bring back a winning tradition to a once proud franchise, and what if the Dolphins front office was playing a little sleight of hand on us all? Let’s explore!

This team has a ton of holes. The most glaring hole seems to be the quarterback position. What’s the answer? Who’s the answer? The most obvious answer is to obtain the number one overall pick, and select Tua Tagovailoa with it. He has all the makings of a franchise quarterback. Strong, accurate arm. Makes great decisions. Really seems to be in command of his offense at all times. It was reported yesterday, that Chris Grier was in Alabama yesterday to watch Tua play. This screams that the Dolphins will take him first overall. But what if that wasn’t the case? What if this is the sleight of hand?

The Dolphins own three first round picks this year. What if I told you that none of them would be spent on a quarterback? You’d think I’m crazy! But what if I wasn’t? Let’s take a look at the direction the Dolphins could be going right under our noses without us all even knowing.

In terms of pass rush here, this guy has it all. A dominant edge rusher with the ability to get to the QB. Taking a look back at his last 16 games played in college, he has 16.5 sacks in those 16 games. He will provide the pass rush we need to help solidify the defense. Christian Wilkins would benefit from this pick, as teams may try to double team Young, which could free him up to make big plays.

Taking a look at CBS sports top prospects for this coming draft, there are five offensive line prospects inside the top 30, and several more just on the outside. The Dolphins are in desperate need of offensive line help and taking a lineman here could be more than beneficial.

Before Miami selects a quarterback and makes an investment, they should solidify the insurance.

Talk about a shocker right? The Indianapolis Colts struggled in terms of offensive line for two years. In the draft before last season, the Colts selected two offensive lineman in the first round. All that did was bring them back into the top ten in the league in terms of the line. Miami uses this formula to help protect the quarterback. Being able to protect the quarterback leads to better offensive production.

Three first round picks, no quarterback selected. I know what you're thinking. Who’s going to play QB? The answer to that question is already on the roster.

QB Josh Rosen gets a second season to develop and prepare as the starter.

Some of you don’t believe that Rosen is the answer. It’s hard to ignore that he’s been victimized by two bad franchises, zero offensive line help, and a lot of dropped passes. Rosen, behind two first round picks on the line and some free agency retooling of the receiving corps, should blossom into the QB the Dolphins need. And if he doesn’t, then Miami has the draft capital to then go and select QB Trevor Lawrence out of Clemson. Some are considering him the second best QB prospect behind Tua Tagovailoa.

It’s going to be a long season folks, but there will be bright spots. There is a light at the end of this very long dark tunnel. His name just happens to be Young and not Tagovailoa.

This story was written by Dakota Gabel. Follow him on Twitter: @DakotasForrest

Making bets can be a dangerous game. Make the wrong one, and you could find yourself in serious debt. Make the right one, and you're instantly a rich person.

There are plenty of ways to learn how to determine what bets to make as a Miami Dolphins fan. But some individuals evidently have a much grander plan.

According to Darren Rovell, one bettor has placed a total sum of $3,400 on the Miami Dolphins not winning a single game all season long.

The Dolphins odds of going 0-16 have been set at +500, which equates to a 16.7% chance (as stated by SBD). Their best chances to pick up a win will be home games against the Redskins (Week 6), Jets (Week 9), and Bengals (Week 16).

But if those games were happening this weekend, the Miami would be sizable underdogs in each. The Jets starting QB, Sam Darnold, should be back from the mono diagnosis that is currently sidelining him. As a result, it's likely that Miami is more than a field-goal underdog in every game this season.

Nevertheless, making a bet like that belies a confidence that the Dolphins are simply so bad that there's no chance they could beat anyone in 2019. There's proof to support this, as Miami is on course to set a franchise worst in point differential. So far, they've been outscored 102-10 in the first two games, and there are no signs that will improve anytime soon.

"The thing is, I just try to keep a positive mindset through all of it." DT Christian Wilkins said on Wednesday. "The good, the bad, the ugly, I just feel like it is part of the process. Whether I have a good play, a bad play, a good game or a bad game, whether we win or we lose, it’s just all a part of the process. Just have that mindset that it’s just a part of being a pro now. I’m going to be exposed to different things I’ve never been exposed to, be a part of different things I’ve never been a part of. You just have to keep a mindset of you’re here to get better."

It's been tough on the players, hence the mass exodus of talent. Minkah Fitzpatrick, now traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a first round pick in 2020, made it clear he wanted to leave Miami. One could speculate it had more to do with the apparent intention to lose than his position, but it's his position that is on the record.

Will things get better in 2019? Unlikely. And GM Chris Grier seems unconcerned with the now, choosing to look at the big picture.

“We’ve talked about building this long-term with sustained success right away, and for us, we’ll be very aggressive." He said. "We’re not going to sit here on a bunch of money or anything. The plan is to build a winner here. No one likes losing. We’ve talked about building a team that’s going to win and compete for championships for a long time instead of being in this one year, and then you fall back for two or three. Again, it is a long-term vision, but we will be aggressive.”

​So the future, if all goes well, will be bright. But for now, that bettor seems to be on course for a huge payday. Then again, all it takes is one win for that all to be ruined. So make sure you use discernment and do research before taking that kind of a leap of faith.

“I’m such a baby ‘cause the Dolphins make me cry.”

Darius Rucker said it best and it’s never been more fitting. Being on the wrong side of 102-10 over the last two games - albeit against playoff teams. Normally there is a green shoot somewhere to latch on to but all I see is a Sahara wasteland with humidity.

From all the fans I know and talk to on the daily, many are upset but they are also doing their best to buy into the program. If it were anyone else other than a Belichick disciple I think it would be even tougher to take, but that’s all we really have right now, a singular vision of New England South!

That plan doesn’t always work out and I would even say most of the time it hasn’t worked. Even Josh McDaniels failed miserably in Denver but somehow in New England he’s a genius. Is it because he is under the wing of the greatest modern-day coach? Or is it because he has a selfless QB in Tom Brady who is all in on being the greatest spinner of the football for generations to come?

I’ll go with the latter and remind everyone that Brady has never broken the salary cap bank. He is smart with his body, mind and money. Tom Brady makes $15 million a year, not even enough to break the top half of paid quarterbacks. The Patriots plan is to pay above average and good players in mass and not typically set contract records. Tom Brady allows them to fill the roster with support. That just doesn’t happen and may never happen again.

But I digress, we don’t have to be Patriots South. But we do need a quarterback. Stephen Ross is a businessman. He doesn’t like losing money but with the Dolphins he is so desperate to bring a winner to town that he has given the keys to the franchise to his guys. You must understand that in Miami we have to be competitive to sell tickets. The strategy of years past has always been bring in a couple of overpaid free agents not to fill holes but rather sell tickets.

Taking this approach is a losing one. Revenue is somewhere in the $400 million-dollar range. Ross has essentially written a $200-$300 million-dollar check to get this thing right over the next couple of years. What fans are buying jersey’s right now? Season Tickets? Parking Passes? For that matter, how excited are South Florida transplants to come to the games?

Stephen Ross deserves all the credit in the world for throwing the kitchen sink at getting this thing right!

There are few owners with the resources of our owner and many that do aren’t willing to go to this extreme to bring the Lombardi home to a franchise with lots of rich history. We host all the Super Bowls; it’s been a very long time since we had one and Ross for damn sure is trying. You can bitch and moan about the process and micromanage the decisions as expert Monday morning quarterbacks but none of us have real world capital on the line.

To be honest, we might as well say the Miami Dolphins are living under the curse of Aaron Rodgers and Matt Ryan. We literally drafted a RB with an average career of 2.57 years and a Left Tackle that never even made it to his second contract. Parcells once said he didn’t want to give top overall pick money to a quarterback. Think about how dumb that sounds now? Saved $10-$20 million on a draft pick so that we spend hundreds of millions on multiple team rebuilds?

Let that sink in for a minute.

Mike Shanahan proved that you can get a running back anywhere, yet the Miami Dolphins took a prototype that wasn’t even the main starter in college. Oh, wait we did that with Drake too. At least he wasn’t the second pick overall. But back then the fan base was thrilled! That excitement didn’t age well.

At this point, I want to give every young guy on the roster a chance to be veterans on this team in a few years. We have a few pieces to build around and the year should be considered preseason from here on out. Josh Rosen, Preston Williams, DeVante Parker and Mike Gesicki, should all be lined up on offense. Sign some other teams practice squad guys, take a shot on some Offensive Lineman that are way down on the depth chart on teams that are loaded. Don’t buy any jersey’s this year, wait till next. We will have our franchise quarterback soon. Just survive and put your knives away. Trust the process.

Cam Cameron said it best, “Fail forward fast!”

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

Coming from New England and introducing the new TNT Wall players had to run to when they made a mistake, many people thought this would be the most disciplined football team Miami has had for a while. That was not the case. Throughout the whole game, many fans say the only bright spot was Preston Williams getting his first touchdown catch. Fans and the media roasted the Dolphins secondary and the offensive and defensive lines, as they were by far the worst three position groups.

After the abysmal Ravens game, not only did some players want out, but some players were unhappy with the coaching staff as well. Players feel like the coaching staff is not good at adjusting mid-game and putting players in the wrong position to be successful.

Two players that played below expectations on Sunday were Bobby McCain and Minkah Fitzpatrick. Both players are now playing safety when they both played corner last year. McCain was considered one of the top slot corners in the league while Fitzpatrick was saw as a top young corner. Now both players are adjusting to a new system and position while their previous position (cornerback) is considered one of the worst position groups on the team, outside of Xavien Howard.

The Dolphins now have a locker room full of players who: do not believe in the coaching staff already, are mad the team is not serious about winning for future success, tired of playing out of position, and most importantly, are not having fun. After taking a look back at everything can you blame for the players for getting mad, or for requesting a trade?

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

1. I was looking forward to seeing Lamar Jackson have to pass the ball this game. Unfortunately there was little reason for him to have to do it early. The Dolphins run defense was extremely poor to start. The defensive linemen couldn’t keep the blockers off of the linebackers and they were not free to move to the ball. This is essential to the success of the Dolphins defense.

2. I was, perhaps, most disappointed with the defense up the middle which, coming out of the preseason, I had as a Dolphins strength. Needless to say, they have some roster building to do here.

3. Once the Dolphins started to concentrate on stopping the run, it opened up the passing game for Jackson. And he did not disappoint his defenders. He had a great game passing the football. He dropped some beautiful deep passes for touchdowns this game. A mobile quarterback who can really throw an accurate ball could change the game. Looking forward to watching him against a better defense.

4. Dolphins pass coverage was really poor. They gave up a deep ball in the first half rushing 3 men with the other 8 in coverage. And yet, the Baltimore receiver still go behind the defense. Everyone not named “Howard” was culpable. Jomal Wiltz, Eric Rowe, Walt Aikens, Bobby McCain. All had poor fundamentals in coverage at some point. This has to be cleaned up.

5. I’ll give this much to the Dolphins defense. They didn’t give up. They were still fighting for pride in the 3rd and 4th quarters despite the blowout. That’s encouraging.

1. Baltimore came out putting pressure on a suspect Dolphins offensive line. It was obvious that the plan was to hit Ryan Fitzpatrick as often as possible. No quarterback likes to be hit but the older quarterbacks really, really don’t like it and they tend to get gun shy. To a certain extent this strategy worked. Fitzpatrick’s interception in the first quarter came with no one really in the vicinity.

2. Having said that, Fitzpatrick didn’t really fall apart under pressure. once the Ravens built a big lead and backed off just a bit late in the second quarter, he was given more room to work and he took advantage. He was reasonably accurate under those conditions and the Dolphins started to move the ball just a bit.

3. I thought it was interesting that the Dolphins thought they could beat the Ravens defense by attacking the edges. They came out with some passes to the outside to Kalen Ballage and to Albert Wilson on the wide receiver screen. Baltimore quickly adjusted and shut it down. But I think it's an indication that the Dolphins, at least, think they might have a bit more speed to the outside than people think.

​4. If you are going to have Albert Wilson in the wildcat, could you at least be more creative than a run right up the middle?

5. Kudos to DeVante Parker with a nice catch in the second quarter. The Dolphins need him to make more of those - indeed, have needed him to make more of those for years now.

1. Special teams were poor, Jakeem Grant had a flashback to the stone hands he had his rookie year as he fumbled away a punt return deep in Dolphin territory. A Ravens fake punt gave them the ball on the Ravens ten yard line. They converted that into a touchdown.

2. Preston Williams had an awful drop in the endzone that cost the Dolphins four points as they settled for a field goal. Allen Hurns had a big drop in the second quarter. That needs to be cleaned up.

3. Other than Grant's bobbled punt, we also had the Fitzpatrick interception. Baltimore had no turnovers. Poor start with Josh Rosen as he threw an interception on his first set of downs as a Dolphin. Marlon Humphrey made a good play on the ball.

4. What is the deal with the defensive holding calls on the Dolphins? Time after time these penalties killed them this game. Again, that needs to be cleaned up.

5. I understand that the Dolphins are out-manned on the field and I’m willing to cut them some slack because of that. But there is no excuse, no matter what the talent level, for poor fundamentals. Poor tackling, penalties, turnovers, poor technique in coverage. These things go beyond talent. The one thing that Dolphins fans have to look forward to is seeing the improvement in the play of their young players. And there’s a lot here to improve on.

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

In a move that took both fans and peers by surprise, the Miami Dolphins traded away two players that had been seen as essential parts of their rebuilding process. Laremy Tunsil, the Dolphins first round draft pick in 2016 and just 25 years old, and Kenny Stills, the 27-year-old wide receiver who was arguably the most consistent part of the team’s wide receiving corps, were traded to the Houston Texans.

In exchange for Stills and Tunsil, as well as a fourth round draft pick in 2020, the Dolphins received the Texans 2020 first round draft pick, their second round picks in 2020 and 2021, and two players viewed as role players in linebacker Johnson Bademosi and offensive lineman Julien Davenport.

Tunsil, whose draft stock famously fell in the 2016 draft when a video of him smoking pot surfaced as the draft began (Tunsil claimed his phone was hacked), and Stills, who ruffled the feathers of owner Stephen Ross with criticism on equality front, were both still considered young enough and good enough to be part of the rebuilding process the team in undergoing. But ultimately, every player has his price, and the Texans came calling with an offer that couldn’t be ignored.

The move leaves the Dolphins with concerns on the offensive line, a unit that has yet to see five consistent starters on the field together. But the Dolphins had a plethora of wide receivers, making departure of Stills easier to absorb.

The Dolphins now have a total of 22 picks in the next two NFL drafts, including at least 13 in next year’s draft, which is viewed as QB-heavy by most experts. But the on-field talent for 2019 is viewed as one of the weakest in the league.

Buckle up, Dolphins fans, it’s going to be a long year.

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

​There are those who believe that the Miami Dolphins will win only one game in 2019. Then there are those who believe this team can win more games than anyone's expecting. Who's right? Only time will tell, and the emergence (or failure) of Josh Rosen will likely have a lot to do with how bettors decide to approach the season.

With the recent increase in sports betting, trying to figure out how to make a profit isn't as easy as just deciding who will win week in and week out, there's way more to it than that. That's what this primer is meant to do: give an idea of what kind of bets there are to make and what works best for anyone looking to place a bet.

But this is where things get interesting. If the Dolphins are truly as bad as everyone is predicting, then betting on Miami any given week could potentially lead to big winnings if the gamble pays off. However, what sort of things should factor into making that decision?

If there's anything to really look forward to in 2019, it's the growth of a young defense. The Dolphins have young players who are emerging as potential superstars, as well as Pro Bowl cornerback Xavien Howard, who himself is also a young player in his own right.

Take into account the play of Jerome Baker, and apparent hidden gem Sam Eguavoen. Between those two, Miami has a linebacker duo who can go from sideline to sideline, cover running backs and tight ends, and shoot gaps in pass rush. All these traits were displayed in the preseason, and could give opposing offenses a reason to respect the Dolphins defense.

Then you have Minkah Fitzpatrick, who's projected to play in his best spot, at slot cornerback. True, it moved Bobby McCain to free safety, but with the exception of a few moments where his physical limitations got exposed, McCain has handled the transition admirably, while Fitzpatrick gets to focus on becoming the playmaker he was at Alabama.

The only true weak point for Miami is the pass rush. Charles Harris has shown improvement, but he's still nowhere close to meeting the expectations placed on him as a first round draft pick. As for Tank Carradine and Nate Orchard, they have something to offer as depth players, but not as true starting material. The Dolphins pass rush will have to be schemed in order to be effective, unless Miami does something drastic like trade for Texans rusher Jadeveon Clowney.

​This should come as a surprise to no one, but the offense is not firing on all cylinders. Once again, Miami's offensive line is a disaster, and the scheme has to adapt to the inability to protect the quarterback and open up holes for running backs. That isn't easy to do no matter who's in charge.

Rookies Michael Deiter and Shaq Calhoun have struggled at the two guard positions. Frankly, that's putting it mildly. However, they are young and learning. Perhaps in time, they will figure it out. But for right now things are going to be difficult for the Dolphins to put points on the board. That should be taken into account if one wants to place a bet.

However, things are not hopeless. The weapons Miami has at their disposal are fairly impressive. Kenyan Drake and Kalen Ballage are a good duo of running backs, while Kenny Stills, Albert Wilson, Jakeem Grant, and up and comer Preston Williams is a corps loaded with potential.

Truly, this offense hinges on how well the quarterback, whether it's Josh Rosen or Ryan Fitzpatrick, adapts to pressure they'll be facing. The weapons can bail them out of jams if necessary, but they'll have to improvise around the pocket a lot for the team to find success scoring points.

​A lot of losses the Dolphins have suffered over the past several years have been due to coaching that was...less than ideal. But so far, this new coaching staff has done more good than harm. Philosophies are being put into place that demand excellence, but don't come off as arrogant.

Brian Flores can do himself a favor by naming Rosen the starter at quarterback, since he's outplayed the veteran Fitzpatrick this preseason. From the very beginning, Flores has said that the best player will start, and that appears to be Rosen at this point, based on performance.

The offense and the defense's new schemes and how they're executed will have a lot to do with how bets should be placed on the Dolphins in 2019. Perhaps, it would be safer to bet small until there's some idea of how the team is going to come together. With their first regular season game being against the Baltimore Ravens, that's a huge first challenge.

Maybe you're not much of a betting person, but it's always a good idea to learn more about how the NFL views things from different perspectives. There's a reason Las Vegas always puts odds on teams. And scarily enough, they're right more often than not. If that's the case, maybe there's something to be gained by keeping an eye on these sorts of things.

Joint practice always offer unique insights that cannot be had anywhere else. True, it hasn't seemed to make a difference in the Dolphins annual results, but it's never a bad thing to test skills against opponents other than one's own teammates.

So with that in mind, as Miami prepares for their season dress rehearsal against the Jaguars, here are the top five things we learned from watching the Dolphins practice and play against the Buccaneers.

Just when it seemed like the Dolphins would never be able to find another CFL star after Cameron Wake (and that isn't for a lack of trying), enter linebacker Sam Eguavoen, whose aggressive play style and ability to get from sideline to sideline has earned him a spot with the starters.

In practice he was all over the place, and in the game he did the same, even forcing a fumble with a hard hit. Between him and Jerome Baker, the linebacker corps for the Dolphins seems bright. But he needs to continue these strong showings to give some extra insurance. Flashes are just that, until they become consistent.

To be fair, Williams received a fairly generous pre-draft evaluation by NFL.com's Lance Zierlein, comparing him to Martavis Bryant. In his first preseason game against the Falcons, Williams was a playmaker, earning him an instant cult status among Dolphins fans.

In practice against the Buccaneers, that status was protected. Williams was solid, breaking the proverbial ankles of Tampa Bay cornerbacks in one on one drills. But things took a sour turn during the preseason game. Williams was targeted several times by Josh Rosen in that game, only to drop three of the passes thrown his way.

It would be foolish to assume Williams has nothing to offer after one bad game. His undrafted status came as a result of a miserable pro day, but his film had some considering him a first round talent. He has some things in his game that need cleaning up, but Miami has plenty of time to make that happen.

It's always been said that Kalen Ballage was underutilized back in his college days. All it took was a practice injury to Kenyan Drake, and suddenly ​Ballage was speeding into the endzone like a bat out of hell. Both days of practice, Ballage scored multiple touchdowns while Drake was seen on the sidelines in a walking boot.

​Frank Gore's departure requires Miami to find a new workhorse back. Ballage is starting to show more physicality in his running style. If he stays on that path, he could become the clear-cut top back in the Dolphins offense.

This should come as a surprise to no one, but the second cornerback spot is a mess. Between Eric Rowe, Jomal Wiltz, and the much-maligned Nik Needham, no one has stepped up to prove they deserve the privilege of starting opposite Pro Bowl CB Xavien Howard.

Even Howard, to some extent, struggled against the Buccaneers in practice and in their preseason matchup. Should that in itself be a cause for alarm? Not necessarily, no cornerback is perfect. Even Deion Sanders got beat sometimes. But when the opposite starter is literally being used as fodder for a quarterback to abuse, there's a serious problem that needs to be addressed.

It doesn't seem like it matters who's in charge. Miami has had Jim Turner, John Benton, Chris Foerster, Jeremiah Washburn, Pat Flaherty, and now Dave DeGuglielmo returns for his second stint as the Dolphins offensive line coach after Flaherty's firing. All remains the same, however. The Miami Dolphins offensive line is not good, it's not even average. It's bad, very bad, and it feels like it's been very bad for over a decade.

Why? After investing in countless first round picks, talented young players with potential to be unleashed, it wouldn't be a stretch to say Miami should have found success by now. Nevertheless, the answer is no. All three of Miami's QBs ran for their lives throughout the Tampa Bay practices and preseason game, and that is going to make evaluation of the skill players a challenge.

Williams, an undrafted receiver out of Colorado State, shined Thursday night versus the Falcons, totaling 97 receiving yards on four receptions, a team-high. Williams’ 97 yards came at the hands of Rosen, so the two have presented great communication thus far.

​Williams is shooting for a starting role in this offense, so each exhibition contest is crucial for Williams. Look to see how Williams adjusts Friday night against Tampa Bay, and if he gets an opportunity to work with Fitzpatrick. ​

Dealing with a foot issue, Drake is expected to sit out the remaining three exhibition games. Drake was spotted Wednesday morning in a walking boot, and with the regular season opening in less than a month, that spells trouble.

Drake’s absence will result in extra playing time for Kalen Ballage, a 2018 fourth-round draft choice and Mark Walton, who is listed as the third string running back on the depth chart. Both have shown full capability handling the running game thus far. ​