Category: Miami Dolphins

Vision for Dolphins’ defense coming to life in recent weeks

The Dolphins’ defensive efforts have improved over the past month — bringing to life Miami’s vision for a fierce unit in South Florida.

The Miami Dolphins made a bold change of directions this past February when they decided to hire former New England Patriots head coach Brian Flores to serve as the next head coach of the Dolphins. Cam Cameron? An offensive mind. Tony Sparano? Blue collared — but still a former offensive line coach. Joe Philbin and Adam Gase? Two more offensive “visionaries” who turned out to be false promises.

When Miami hired Flores and the subsequent effort to open the season was nearly 100 points allowed in the team’s first two games, it was a gut punch. Here we go again, many surmised. But while it is too early in the process to determine what kind of head coach Brian Flores will ultimately be, we now know he’s definitely not a flop, as recent performances would indicate.

The Dolphins defense has come alive despite playing without three of their best players at the open of the 2019 season — defensive backs Xavien Howard, Reshad Jones and Minkah Fitzpatrick are all off the field for Miami, with Fitzpatrick traded and Jones and Howard battling injuries. The pass rush potency isn’t anything other than bottom shelf by NFL standards. And yet this defense is playing stout over their last 5 games.

Miami has conceded an average of 326 yards per game over their last five games. The team has forced 5 turnovers in their last three — after producing just two over the first six games. Eight sacks in the last four games versus five in the first five. And the defensive scoring is down considerably. Since Miami’s Week 5 bye week, the Dolphins defense is allowing under 19 points per game (18.8) if you adjust for Buffalo’s onside kick return for a touchdown and the New York Jets’ safety after an interception near their own goal line.

This is what the Dolphins envisioned this summer — even with the concessions in talent during a rebuilding year. Dolphins LB Jerome Baker said yesterday that this is the defensive vision Miami has been striving for since the summer.

“Yeah, if you just look at it, I just believe in ‘Coach Flo’ (Head Coach Brian Flores) and ‘P.G.’ (Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham),” said Baker.

“These past few games have just been what they’ve been coaching us up to do and we’ve definitely been having fun playing this defense. Just got to continue.”

It isn’t just fun to play — it’s fun to watch.

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Which QB would former Dolphins executive Mike Tannenbaum covet as QB1?

Mike Tannenbaum appeared this morning on ‘The Golic and Wingo Show’ to discuss which 2020 NFL Draft QB he would covet as QB1.

The Dolphins made the decision this offseason to relieve former Vice President of Football Operations Mike Tannenbaum of his duties with the team, instead electing to elevate general manager Chris Grier to total control over the Dolphins’ direction and philosophy as a football team. That decision has yielded a drastic change versus what Dolphins fans have been accustomed to for nearly a decade — an intriguing shift into unfamiliar territory that will provide Miami with much more flexibility in how they choose to approach their roster rebuild.

But what would the Dolphins’ quarterback preferences look like if Tannenbaum were still on the team? Would he like the hot new name, Joe Burrow? Or what about the Alabama prodigy, Tua Tagovailoa?

The correct answer? None of the above.

Tannenbaum preferring Oregon’s Justin Herbert to both Tagovailoa and Burrow is hardly surprising — but is a clear indication that the Dolphins made the right decision to elevate Chris Grier within the organization. This isn’t to say that Herbert will be a bad professional quarterback, he very well may be a very good one. But the justification of the position for Tannenbaum? It stems all around Herbert’s size, while ignoring that Joe Burrow is listed at 6-foot-4, 214 pounds and Tua Tagovailoa checked in last March at 230 pounds, according to Jim Nagy, the executive director of the Senior Bowl.

Never mind the fact that Justin Herbert has experienced a broken collarbone and a concussion thus far in his college career. To presume Herbert is durable and “built to last” because of his frame while ignoring Burrow’s frame and Tagovailoa only missing 6 quarters of action over two years of action is an old-school way of thinking — and quite frankly in ineffective one. The NFL has drafted “smaller” quarterbacks 1st-overall in each of the last two seasons, to prioritize a player over other contenders based on height and a misplaced faith in durability is all Miami fans need to know about the man who used to call the shots.

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Three stars of the game in Dolphins’ 16-12 victory over Colts

Who were the three biggest performers in Miami’s 16-12 road upset over the Indianapolis Colts? Here are our three stars of the game.

The Miami Dolphins’ defense was the star of yesterday’s win over the Brian Hoyer-led Indianapolis Colts. Is that in impressive feat? Maybe not for some teams in the NFL — but the Dolphins aren’t your average football team. The Dolphins’ roster is depleted by trades, injuries and financial decisions and the argument could be made that the Dolphins are the least physically talented football team in the NFL.

But they’ve now won two in a row — last week against the Jets courtesy of an explosive second quarter offensive show and now against the Colts after a stout defensive stand in the final seconds to force Indianapolis to turn the ball over on downs.

The momentum is real. The players are playing committed football and the Dolphins will still have their treasure trove of picks at the end of the day. This is a fun time to watch the Dolphins’ plan for player development come alive. Some of those developed players were the biggest contributors in Miami’s win — here are our three stars of yesterday’s win over Indianapolis.

3rd star – WR DeVante Parker

Parker let a ball slip through his fingertips in the end zone early in the game — a catch that could have pushed the Dolphins to an insurmountable early lead with the Colts’ back-up quarterback in. He couldn’t finish the play but more than made up for the missed opportunity with some clutch plays in the second half to help revive Miami’s offense.

Parker made several chunk gains, including catches to extend drives on third down. Parker finished the game with 5 receptions for 69 yards with a long of 21 yards — a very nice showing.

2nd star – LB Jerome Baker

Baker was everywhere against the Colts, shaking off an injury to return to the game and continue to impact the game within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage with his range. Baker finished the game with 7 solo tackles, a sack, a tackle for loss and a forced fumble, continuing his strong stretch of play as Miami’s biggest impact defender.

Baker is thriving in his role as Miami’s emotional and verbal leader on defense — we’re now seeing the version of Baker that this coaching staff envisioned when he was receiving rave reviews over the summer.

1st star – CB Nik Needham

What a turnaround for Nik Needham. Needham had a pretty rough start to the season, but the staff seemed to see something in the youngster. They’ve stuck with him, even after a disheartening showing against the Pittsburgh Steelers in primetime just a few weeks ago.

Fast forward to yesterday and the Dolphins’ rookie cornerback made several critical plays, including a diving interception and the tackle on Colts TE Eric Ebron on Miami’s 8-yard line on Indianapolis’ final play, a 4th and 10 pass that came up a yard short.

Needham stepping up was critical to Miami’s defensive effort — now can he string some winning weeks together?

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Why Dolphins’ hopes of drafting Tua Tagovailoa are alive and well

The Dolphins have high hopes of drafting a top quarterback this offseason – namely Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa. Those hopes are alive and well.

The Miami Dolphins’ search for the heir to Dan Marino in South Florida has been a long and labored one. Miami has kissed a lot of frogs while searching for its prince — many of whom didn’t last more than just a handful of games as the starting quarterback. The closest Miami has come to replacing Marino over the last 20 years was Ryan Tannehill, a former top-10 draft selection who showed promise over his first three seasons before failing to further develop as a player — ultimately leading to the Dolphins’ decision to part ways with him this past offseason.

Tannehill is now in Tennessee, quarterbacking the Titans. And the Dolphins are once again looking for the answer. The popular pick for Miami’s next move is Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa, who has been widely considered the country’s top QB prospect and a shoo-in to be the first overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

But with the Dolphins now two games ahead of the Cincinnati Bengals in the win column, landing the No. 1 overall pick now seems like a pipe dream. And with it go the chances of drafting Tagovailoa — right?

Wrong.

Miami’s hopes of drafting Tagovailoa are still very much alive and well, thanks to two developments since the summer. Miami deserves credit for one, while the other is a gift from the football gods.

The Dolphins’ massive pooling of draft capital, specifically first-round picks, has put them in position to bend the draft order to their will — short of pulling Cincinnati off of holding the top pick. If Washington or either New York team ends up in the No. 2 hole, Miami can easily swing a deal. Is that ideal? No, of course not. But if this is the price to pay for positive momentum and player development, so be it. This isn’t a luxury the vast majority of NFL teams can afford in rebuilding years. But it is for the Dolphins because of the arsenal of picks they have at this disposal via their trades of Minkah Fitzpatrick and Laremy Tunsil.

The other development is the arrival of LSU’s Joe Burrow on the scene. Do not dismiss the possibility of the Cincinnati Bengals opting to target Burrow, given his status as a two-year starter, his growth over two years at LSU, his origins as an Ohio prep prospect and his eligibility to participate in the Reese’s Senior Bowl, which will provide him with a huge opportunity to make a strong impression on a Bengals coaching staff who will get first crack at coaching the game.

If Cincinnati drafts Burrow, Miami can make its move for Tagovailoa. And if Cincinnati drafts Tagovailoa, Miami should gladly make its move for Burrow.

The “gloom and doom” of Miami being out of position to fix the quarterback position over two wins is misplaced and, most importantly, inaccurate.

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An updated look at Dolphins’ 2020 1st-round picks after Week 10

An updated look at where each of the Miami Dolphins’ 2020 1st-round picks sit in the NFL Draft order.

You just can’t stop the juggernaut that is the 2019 Miami Dolphins, what else can you say? In all seriousness, the Dolphins took advantage of playing QB Brian Hoyer in Week 10 of the 2019 season by notching a 16-12 victory over the Colts in Indianapolis. And in the process, the Dolphins have the first winning streak in Brian Flores’ tenure as the head coach.

Looking ahead, Miami’s posturing for the 2020 NFL Draft wasn’t greatly aided by the results of the NFL’s Week 10 action. The Dolphins won, the Steelers won and the Texans were off — all three of the picks Miami owns in the 2020 NFL Draft have either held steady or moved up the ladder from their positioning at this point in time last week.

So here’s where Miami’s picks currently stand, although you’d be wise to avoid hitting the panic button.

Miami’s Pick: 4th overall

Last week, this pick was the 4th overall pick in the draft — so Miami’s win wasn’t detrimental to their overall posturing. The Cincinnati Bengals now hold a commanding 2 game lead in the race for the 1st-pick in the draft. Considering the rest of each team’s schedule, the Bengals are probably going to hold the top pick. But Miami is still on track to finish with a top-5 pick and from there, they can use some of their extra ammunition to jump up and ensure they grab a top quarterback.

Pittsburgh’s Pick: 22th overall

Minkah Fitzpatrick is single handedly working to sour this pick as much as possible for the Miami Dolphins. Fitzpatrick continued to shine in Pittsburgh, notching an interception yesterday to ice a Steelers victory over the Los Angeles Rams. The Steelers are up to four straight wins and currently hold the 6th-seed in the AFC playoff picture, mostly aided by Miami’s defeat of the Colts, who otherwise would have held that spot.

There’s a lot of ballgame left this season. The Steelers have more winnable games ahead of them. It’s hard to see this pick finishing much higher than this, however. The Colts aren’t going away once they get QB Jacoby Brissett back and the Buffalo Bills are 6-3 and have several more winnable football games on the horizon.

Houston’s Pick: 26th overall

The good news: The Texans didn’t win yesterday. The bad news: they didn’t lose, either. The other good news? The Texans go to Baltimore next Sunday to play the red hot Ravens. This pick has been steady in the mid-20s and that should be the expectation for Miami fans when things are all said and done.

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Brian Flores’ work is Dolphins’ most exciting development

The Miami Dolphins are showing signs of live under head coach Brian Flores, with a lot of young players showing impressive growth.

What a weird season, when there’s pessimism after two consecutive wins for a team whose roster is as thin and talent deficient as a what we see this year in Miami. Dolphins fans everywhere should be thrilled with the work of Brian Flores and his coaching staff — given the way they’ve seen players buy into their process and approach. The Dolphins came into the year with over 60% of their roster brand new in 2019, but many of them coming as former busts or as undrafted free agents.

That gave the general public the perception that the Dolphins are something of an “island of misfit toys.” There were jokes that the Dolphins would lose to XFL teams and college teams. The morning shows bemoaned the Dolphins for putting players on the field and risking their health because they’re not good enough to be on the field.

Suddenly, this same group of players (sans CB Xavien Howard, S Reshad Jones, C Daniel Kilgore, RB Mark Walton and others) is good enough to win two consecutive football games in the NFL?

Maybe the Dolphins just took a lot of low-risk, high-reward investments instead? And Miami certainly hasn’t hit on all of them — QB Josh Rosen and DL Robert Nkemdiche are the two notable swings and misses. But what about LB Vince Biegel? What about OL Evan Boehm? Moving Bobby McCain to safety? DE Taco Charlton? The Dolphins are seeing several of their young investments really flip the switch and become constant plus contributors, which is an indication that Miami’s coaches are connecting with their players.

These are all players who can be contributors for Miami in 2019, 2020 and beyond — which is a root approach to this season for the Dolphins. Find who you can build around, who is a complementary player, and develop them. Polish them and get them comfortable with the Dolphins’ playbook and their role.

Seeing that come to life? That’s exciting, because it means Miami’s vision for what this team could and should look like two years from now is rooted in reality and not a pipe dream. And that deserves to be celebrated.

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Dolphins 2020 offseason still aligned to go to plan

The Miami Dolphins are 2-7 after winning in Week 10 against the Indianapolis Colts — but they’re still aligned to do everything they want.

With a win on Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts, the Miami Dolphins find themselves with a surprising amount of momentum entering their Week 11 context with the Buffalo Bills next Sunday in Miami Gardens. There’s no way the Dolphins could end up with a three game winning streak — right?

It doesn’t matter. Because Miami could win half their games the rest of the way and Miami will still be in position to do what they want in the 2020 NFL Draft. No, the Dolphins probably will not be in a position to pull a quarterback needy team like the Cincinnati Bengals out of the 1st-pick in the draft. But there are two star quarterback prospects in this year’s NFL Draft in LSU’s Joe Burrow and Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa — and Miami has everything they need to get him already: ammunition.

Many will gripe that the Dolphins are winning themselves out of position to draft a top quarterback, which is of course nonsense. Miami won yesterday, as did the previously 1-7 New York Jets and the 1-7 Atlanta Falcons. Miami entered the day with the 4th overall pick in the 2020 draft order and left the day with, wait for it, the 4th overall pick in the 2020 draft order.

And of course none of the other teams in the top-10 have three 1st-round picks in 2020 and another two 1st-round picks in 2021. Miami has a plan. They’ve already executed a big bulk of the legwork on that front to collect assets. And because they’ve already pooled those assets, Miami will have every opportunity to move into the top few picks of the 2020 NFL Draft for a top quarterback.

Everyone has a price. And the precedent of trading up for quarterbacks in recent history is such that Miami could trade up to the 2nd pick when things are all said and done and still have a second 1st-round pick in 2020, and still have one pick in every round of the 2020 Draft, too.

That’s the plan. That’s always been the plan. Have the assets to make noise and crash the party for an elite talent. Not “lose ’em all.” And so as the Dolphins continue on, keep that context — there’s going to be a lot of noise that’s going to deter the progress we’re seeing from the Dolphins given the sacrifices this will cause in acquiring a quarterback. For most teams, it’d be a legitimate gripe. Not for the Dolphins.

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