Tag: Cameron Goode

Grading the Dolphins linebackers after their 2023 season

A look at Miami’s linebackers, and the year they had in 2023.

The Miami Dolphins finished their 2023 campaign with an 11-6 record and made the postseason for the second time in as many years under head coach Mike McDaniel. Unfortunately, it came to an end with a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the wild-card round.

While other teams are in the midst of their playoff run, it’s time to do some reflecting on the team in South Florida.

Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll be reviewing and evaluating different positions for the Dolphins in 2023. Today, we’ll look at the linebackers.

Dolphins officially place trio of LBs on IR

Dolphins officially make five roster moves, all at LB.

The Miami Dolphins, after their loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night, officially made five roster moves on Tuesday related to injuries at linebacker.

The team announced that linebackers Jerome Baker (wrist), Andrew Van Ginkel (foot) and Cameron Goode (patellar tendon) have been placed on season-ending injured reserve. Baker and Goode are both under contract for next season, but Van Ginkel is set to hit free agency.

To fill the open roster spots, Miami officially signed Justin Houston and Bruce Irvin.

It’s also been reported that they’re signing Malik Reed to their practice squad.

That would leave the team with one open spot on the 53-man roster. This could mean that the Dolphins will sign Melvin Ingram from their own practice squad and sign Reed to their practice squad before Saturday’s game. Or, maybe there’s another corresponding move coming completely.

Dolphins signing veteran LB Justin Houston

Miami adds veteran help on the edge.

The Miami Dolphins have had some real issues on the edge, as they’ve lost Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips, Andrew Van Ginkel and Cameron Goode for the season to injury.

That has left the team with just Emmanuel Ogbah, Quinton Bell and Melvin Ingram between the active roster and practice squad, so it makes sense that they’d be looking for help.

According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the Dolphins are signing veteran linebacker Justin Houston for their playoff run.

Houston, 34, has been in the league for 13 seasons, spending his first eight years with the Kansas City Chiefs. With Kansas City, he earned one All-Pro nomination and Pro Bowl honors four times. Since 2019, he’s spent two years with the Indianapolis Colts, two years with the Baltimore Ravens and part of this season with the Carolina Panthers.

In seven games in 2023, he’s recorded nine tackles (two for a loss), a pass defensed and a half-sack, but in his career, he’s amassed the third-most sacks of any active player (behind only Von Miller and Cameron Jordan).

Houston may not be the edge rusher that he once was, but he could certainly help a group that’s in desperate need of assistance.

Dolphins LBs Jerome Baker, Cameron Goode, Andrew Van Ginkel out for the season

Dolphins get more bad injury news.

The Miami Dolphins have struggled to stay healthy at the linebacker position for the entire second half of the season.

Before this week, Jaelan Phillips suffered a torn Achilles against the New York Jets, Alexander Johnson suffered a torn Achilles at practice and Bradley Chubb tore his ACL against the Baltimore Ravens.

Then, in the Week 18 battle against the Buffalo Bills, Miami lost Jerome Baker, Andrew Van Ginkel and Cameron Goode.

On Monday, head coach Mike McDaniel revealed that Baker has had wrist surgery already and is done for the year. Goode’s injury, which took place on the punt-return touchdown, is a season-ending patellar tendon tear. Van Ginkel will also miss the restnof the year.

That means, that, on the edge, the Dolphins only have Emmanuel Ogbah as a healthy rusher on the active roster. They do have Melvin Ingram and Quinton Bell, who they can bring up from the practice squad, but they’re extremely thin.

Then, on the interior, Miami has David Long Jr., Duke Riley, Calvin Munson and Channing Tindall. Munson and Tindall have played 12 defensive snaps for the Dolphins each this season.

This is not an ideal situation going against the defending Super Bowl champs on Saturday. They’ll need to do some quick scouting to find bodies to fill out their roster and practice squad, and they should look for someone with experience, especially in Vic Fangio’s system. Even then, it’s tough to find real help at this point in the year. Miami may just be stuck with what they have.

Chris Tabor on Johnny Hekker’s head butt: He is so passionate

Panthers ST coordinator Chris Tabor spoke about the many talents of P Johnny Hekker on Thursday.

Carolina Panthers punter Johnny Hekker may be a triple threat. He can kick, he can throw and he can head-butt.

Special teams coordinator Chris Tabor took some questions this afternoon, just a few days ahead of the team’s Week 8 matchup with the Houston Texans. He was asked about the dual-dimensional talent of Hekker, who nearly tossed for a first down on a fake punt in the Week 6 loss to the Miami Dolphins.

“You always gotta be aware of the skill set he has, and throwin’,” he said. “And just flippin’ it from myself playing against Hekker when he was with the Rams, it just makes you work on some other things because he is such a good thrower. I mean, in theory, he can really be like a third-string quarterback. You do see some different things, maybe at midfield or at certain down and distances. I think it’s just all part of it.

“But I wish we would’ve converted on that fake down in Miami. But I’m glad we gave it a shot there, and keep it goin’.'”

That shot saw Hekker, who carries a career passer rating of 84.2, connect with wideout Laviska Shenault Jr. for a 7-yard gain. Unfortunately, the Panthers were trying to convert on a fourth-and-8, so no dice.

Hekker would also grab some attention with his “head butt” of Dolphins linebacker Cameron Goode. Tabor was then asked if he’d ever had a punter complete a pass and a head butt in a single game.

“I haven’t,” he said. “That’s a first. That’s a first one. I will say this—the thing I love about him, he is so passionate and he’s such a competitor. I would never ever wanna change any of that with him.”

The contact to Goode resulted in an unnecessary roughness penalty on Hekker, one Tabor refused to touch.

“I’ll never go there, on any of the calls,” he replied with a laugh when asked about his thoughts on the flag. “Good try, but that won’t be answered.”

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Johnny Hekker not fined for Week 6 head butt of Dolphins LB Cameron Goode

Panthers P Johnny Hekker will not be fined for last week’s “head butt” of Dolphins LB Cameron Goode.

Johnny Hekker’s now-infamous “head butt” won’t result in a slap on the wrist.

As reported by Joe Person of The Athletic on Saturday afternoon, the NFL will not fine the Carolina Panthers punter for making contact with Miami Dolphins linebacker Cameron Goode last Sunday. The head butt in question came during the team’s Week 6 loss:

This is, obviously, great news for Hekker—who refused to even classify the bump as a head butt.

“It was not a head-butt,” he said with a laugh after the game. “There was no malintent. It was a moment where I was just walkin’ up and havin’ further conversation with the guy after the play. Got close, maybe got baited a little bit. And he flopped back and fell backwards and took the ref out in the process. The ref took offense to that, threw the flag.

“Put myself in a bad situation. Really, I gotta own that. It was nothing worth pursuing. The play was dead and over. There was no reason to go back after guys. It’s frustration in the moment and you gotta do like when you’re taught like a kid—just walk away. You just gotta walk away.”

Well, now he’ll be walking away without an expensive tab.

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Johnny Hekker refutes head butt of Cameron Goode: He sold it well

Panthers P Johnny Hekker went viral on Sunday for a “head butt” of Dolphins LB Cameron Goode. But he denies any ill intent.

And the Oscar goes to . . . Cameron Goode, linebacker, Miami Dolphins!

Sunday’s 42-21 loss for the Carolina Panthers featured many must-see moments—from Bryce Young’s fast and furious start to Tyreek Hill going out of his flippin’ mind. But punter Johnny Hekker’s head butt of Goode may have been the best highlight for many . . .

Here’s what Hekker said about it after the game:

“It was not a head butt,” he said with a laugh in the locker room. “There was no malintent. It was a moment where I was just walkin’ up and havin’ further conversation with the guy after the play. Got close, maybe got baited a little bit. And he flopped back and fell backwards and took the ref out in the process. The ref took offense to that, threw the flag.

“Put myself in a bad situation. Really, I gotta own that. It was nothing worth pursuing. The play was dead and over. There was no reason to go back after guys. It’s frustration in the moment and you gotta do like when you’re taught like a kid—just walk away. You just gotta walk away.”

Hekker was then asked if he and Goode touched helmets.

“Our face masks barely touched,” he replied. “The guy, I’m not sure if he practices that or how he sold it so well. But, legitimately, there was . . . I barely even noticed our helmets touched. I wish nothing ill against him. It is what it is. I put myself in that situation. I engaged with him in that way. Just embarrassed that I put the team in that kind of situation.”

Week 6 was a pretty eventful outing for Hekker. Along with the “not head-butt” that resulted in an unnecessary roughness penalty, the four-time All-Pro boot even got to show off his throwing arm on a fake punt in the first half—albeit an unsuccessful one.

So, unfortunately, the 12th-year veteran was the one ultimately getting faked out on the afternoon.

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Johnny Hekker ‘flattens’ Dolphins’ Cameron Goode with headbutt

Cameron Goode with some bad acting after a headbutt by Johnny Hekker

Johnny Hekker has a powerful leg. The Carolina Panthers’ punter also has a headbutt that would make the late Bobo Brazil proud.

Watch as he knocks over the Miami Dolphins’ Cameron Goode, who is 6-foot-3 and 245 pounds.

Then again, in the NBA,Goode would have been flagged for flopping.

Goode and Miami got the best of Hekker and the Panthers on the day.

As for Bobo Brazil:

Dolphins sign LB Cameron Goode off of their practice squad

He was elevated in the first three games.

The Miami Dolphins opened up two spots on the active roster on Friday when they placed River Cracraft on injured reserve and Erik Ezukanma on the reserve/non-football injury list.

On Saturday, Miami filled one of those spots, as they’ve signed linebacker Cameron Goode to their active roster from their practice squad, according to his agent.

Goode was elevated for each of the Dolphins’ first three matchups of the season. He’s played 48% of the team’s snaps on special teams and 7% of the snaps on defense.

If Miami wanted him to play again this year, he was out of elevations and had to be added to the 53-man roster.

Dolphins elevate WR and LB for matchup vs. Broncos

A veteran wideout gets his first elevation.

The Miami Dolphins are set to take on the Denver Broncos on Sunday afternoon at Hard Rock Stadium in a game that could see Mike McDaniel’s team to 3-0 to start the 2023 campaign.

Ahead of the game, Miami elevated wide receiver Robbie Chosen and linebacker Cameron Goode to the active roster.

Chosen was brought in as a free agent this offseason, and following a strong start to the offseason program, he struggled to make many plays in the preseason. He may be providing more help if Jaylen Waddle, who is in concussion protocol, is inactive.

Goode is up for the third time in three games, as he’s been assisting on special teams.

Players are only allowed to be elevated three times from the practice squad to the active roster, so Chosen has two more elevations, while Goode will need to be signed to the 53 if the Dolphins wants to use him again in 2023.

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