Tag: Isaiah Wilson

NFL exec: Titans draft ‘mishaps’ aren’t being talked about enough

Both executives expressed concern about Caleb Farley’s medical situation.

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The almighty unnamed executives have spoken and weighed in on not only two of the Tennessee Titans’ 2021 NFL draft picks, but also other moves the team has made in recent years.

The Athletic’s Mike Sando spoke to numerous unnamed executives around the league, trying to get some inside insight into the NFL draft classes of every team.

One executive was critical of some of the Titans’ recent moves and said 2021 first-round pick Caleb Farley’s “medical was terrible.”

He also mentions how Tennessee drafted the troubled Isaiah Wilson in 2020 and now have a potential problem on their hands in 2021 fourth-round pick, Rashad Weaver, who has been charged with simple assault. Tennessee’s declining fifth-year options of past first-round picks was also mentioned.

“If the corner becomes a good player, God bless them, but his medical was terrible,” an exec said. “You look at the Isaiah Wilson pick last year. Then you have (Rashad) Weaver in the fourth round this year with an assault case that comes out. Then you go back and look at all the fifth-year options that were declined, and then the one they picked up was for Adoree Jackson, who they cut. There are a lot of mishaps there that it seems like just aren’t being talked about.”

Since taking over in 2016, general manager Jon Robinson has made seven picks in the first round. Only three of those picks are still on the team (Rashaan Evans, Jeffery Simmons, Caleb Farley).

Of the fifth-year option decisions that have come up in that span, the Titans have declined three of the four (Evans, Jack Conklin, Corey Davis), and the one Tennessee picked up (Adoree’ Jackson), never got off the ground after the Titans released him earlier this offseason.

An unnamed general manager praised the Titans’ pick of North Dakota State product and offensive lineman, Dillon Radunz, who he believes can play both guard and right tackle at the next level.

However, the dark, shadowy general manager also expressed concern about Farley’s history of back problems, saying there was more worry about his past injury issues than with any other early-round player.

“We liked the North Dakota State guard they took (Dillon Radunz) in the second round,” the GM said. “He could play right tackle. But we were way more worried about Farley’s back than some of the other injuries for guys in the first couple rounds.”

While Farley has reassured Titans fans that he will be just fine moving forward, there is certainly reason for concern. For now, we remain cautiously optimistic that everything will work out with the Virginia Tech product.

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Former Dolphins OL Isaiah Wilson unveils new career path amid NFL flop

Former Dolphins OL Isaiah Wilson unveils new career path amid NFL flop

The tenure of 2020 first-round draft selection Isaiah Wilson was about as brief as you can be in the NFL — just a few days in length. The Dolphins showed little tolerance for Wilson’s off-field issues after taking him on with a low-risk roll of the dice at the start of the league calendar year. Miami exchanged a 2021 7th-round draft choice for a 2022 7th-round draft choice and Wilson, who was picked at No. 29 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft but quickly wore out his welcome with the Titans.

His stay in Miami was even more disastrous and it appears as though Wilson is trying to move on from the NFL all together after a one-year stay in the league. His next venture? A rap album.

Wilson released a 6-song, 16 minute EP and it has been met with the utmost of criticism on social media. Wilson’s outlook as a musician is still very much up in the air but the NFL doesn’t appear to be calling any time soon; so perhaps he’ll have better fortunes and find a more appealing lifestyle awaiting him on the other side of this career change.

The Dolphins, thankfully, still have a promising top-pick from the 2020 draft ready to man the right tackle position this upcoming season in Robert Hunt — but depending on how the board falls in the 2021 NFL Draft we could see Miami target another tackle and charge Hunt with learning to kick inside and play at guard for the long-term. That was presumably the hope when the team landed Wilson, but the former Georgia product clearly had other plans all together.

Taylor Lewan: Jon Robinson not to blame for Isaiah Wilson debacle

Taylor Lewan defended his general manager during a recent episode of “Bussin’ With The Boys”.

Tennessee Titans general manager Jon Robinson has drawn the ire of fans and media alike for the debacle that was his selection of offensive tackle Isaiah Wilson in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft.

But during an episode of the “Bussin’ With The Boys” podcast, left tackle Taylor Lewan defended his general manager, saying Robinson doesn’t deserve blame for the epic failure that was the pick of Wilson (H/T Michael Hogan of Sports Illustrated).

“I think a lot of people are upset with Jon Robinson for picking him in the first round,” Lewan said. “However, I think with the Zoom stuff and how the draft went, it’s really hard to get a good feel on guys. There’s a big difference between shaking somebody’s hand and the Zoom thing popping up and having a real conversation. It’s easy to fake that stuff. I don’t think Jon’s to blame at all.

“I think the kid [Wilson] needs help.”

Wilson played four snaps during his one season with the Titans and ran into a slew of issues, leading to the team cutting ties with him via a trade with the Miami Dolphins this offseason.

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The Dolphins would go on to release Wilson just three days after the trade was made official on March 17 after the 22-year-old showed up late to his physical, team orientation, and didn’t show for voluntary workouts he had previously committed to.

Like the Titans, the Dolphins offered the Georgia product help at every turn, but those offers were declined.

While there’s no question that evaluating prospects last year was more difficult than ever and nobody could have foreseen just how bad things would turn out with Wilson, a general manager is always going to foot at least some of the blame in a situation such as this.

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NFL.com grades a pair of Miami Dolphins 2021 player trades

NFL.com grades a pair of Miami Dolphins 2021 player trades

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The Miami Dolphins have been plenty busy already this offseason. Not only has the front office been heavily scouting a busy first 50 selections in the 2021 NFL Draft, the team has signed a slew of free agents to take care of secondary needs on the team and landed a big fish wide receiver in Will Fuller via free agency as well. But the

Benardrick McKinney Trade

Terms: 

Dolphins receive LB Benardrick McKinney & 2021 7th-round selection
Texans receive DE Shaq Lawson & 2021 6th-round selection

“Houston’s grade: C
Miami’s grade: B

A former Pro Bowler, McKinney wanted out of Houston and got his wish. He missed all but four games a year ago due to a shoulder surgery, but looms as a plug-and-play starter for Miami beside Jerome Baker at inside linebacker. Houston dumps his $28.5 million salary through 2023 in exchange for Lawson, an enticing first-round athlete yet to fully realize his promise. The Dolphins have landed a proven asset; the Texans are hoping Lawson’s best stuff is still to come.” – NFL.com

If McKinney is able to recapture his prior form as a player, this may end up being an even bigger win for the Dolphins. Both players give you the feeling that they are what they are at this point in their careers. Lawson plays the more valuable position. But McKinney is the better player.

Isaiah Wilson Trade

Terms: 

Dolphins receive OT Isaiah Wilson (since cut) & 2022 7th-round selection
Titans receive 2021 7th-round selection

“Miami’s grade: F
Tennessee’s grade: D

A wretched mess. Three days after officially acquiring the flat-lining first-rounder, Miami released Wilson to the wind. It didn’t take the Dolphins long to realize what Tennessee learned through his painfully ponderous rookie campaign: Wilson doesn’t appear enamored with the concept of a career in the National Football League. I’m giving the Titans a “D” because they score no points for completely botching last year’s chance at a first-round talent.” – NFL.com

The wheels on this trade have completely fallen off already. The deal is processed. And Wilson has already been cut. But giving the Dolphins an ‘F’ for a trade that offers no negative financial implications and only a deferred 7th-round draft pick seems a bit harsh. This was a no risk, all reward deal for Miami. But no reward doesn’t make this a complete failure for the Dolphins — it was still good process to take the calculated risk.

Report: Isaiah Wilson was arrested again before Titans traded him

Isaiah Wilson has had multiple run-ins with the law in less than one year.

Former Tennessee Titans 2020 first-round pick and offensive tackle, Isaiah Wilson, reportedly had yet another run-in with the law a few months before the team traded him to the Miami Dolphins, and just days before the Titans played the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.

According to John Glennon of Broadway Sports, Wilson’s latest indiscretion occurred on January 7 and allegedly involved a high-speed car chase in Georgia, where he was eventually apprehended at gunpoint.

Here are the details, per Glennon, who cites the police report:

According to the Barrow County Sheriff’s Department incident report, the pursuit of Wilson began at about 3:50 a.m. on Jan. 7, when Officer Stephen Kinney observed a dark-colored Dodge Charger with Tennessee license plates fly past him traveling eastward on University Parkway. Activating his radar, Kinney clocked the vehicle going 123 miles per hour, then activated his emergency lights and siren in an attempt to catch the vehicle and initiate a traffic stop.

Kinney began to catch up to the vehicle before he noticed it accelerating away, and he advised his dispatch office that speeds of the chase had reached 140 miles per hour, according to the report. A second officer joined in the pursuit at about that same time.

According to the police report, the original responding officer stopped his pursuit because of the high speeds the car was traveling at.

The car was eventually discovered crashed on the side of the road by an undercover ICE agent, who held the occupants, one of which was Wilson, at gunpoint.

Wilson was charged with “fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer for a felony offense; speeding in a construction zone; reckless driving; marijuana possession of less than one ounce; possession and use of drug-related objects; and reckless conduct.”

He was released from custody on January 8 after posting a $7,000 bond.

Prior to his only season in Nashville, Wilson was also arrested on suspicion of DUI after doing donuts in an intersection led to him crashing the vehicle he was driving.

On March 8, the Titans finally decided to part ways with the troubled Georgia product, sending him to the Dolphins.

Wilson’s time with the Dolphins was brief to say the least. He was released just days after the trade was made official on March 17 after showing up late to his physical and team orientation, and not showing up to voluntary workouts. Wilson has since cleared waivers and is a free agent.

What are the cap ramifications of Dolphins cutting OT Isaiah Wilson?

What are the cap ramifications of Dolphins cutting OT Isaiah Wilson?

It did not take very long for the Miami Dolphins to come to accept what the Tennessee Titans already knew — 2020 1st-round offensive tackle Isaiah Wilson is no where near ready to play football in the NFL. And so the Dolphins, who traded for Wilson at the start of the league calendar year this past week, announced yesterday that Wilson had been waived from the team.

But with the transaction made just a few days ago, one has to ask what kind of financial implications may linger from the Dolphins’ gamble of Wilson. After all, rookie contracts feature significant amounts of guaranteed money over a player’s first four years of contracts; so Miami taking on a guaranteed contract just to cut Wilson in the immediate aftermath of the deal would be a disastrous move.

Fortunately for the Dolphins, the prior misconduct of Wilson throughout the 2020 season voided all of Wilson’s guaranteed money. And so the Dolphins were able to rest easy knowing that there will be no lingering implications of the team’s salary cap when they made the move.

In all, the Dolphins swapped 2021 & 2022 7th-round draft selections along with the exchanging of Wilson. But now that Wilson has been cut, the Dolphins’ cap will reflect as though he was never in Miami in the first place: there will be no dead cap for 2021 or beyond. And Miami will recoup all of Wilson’s scheduled 2021 salary of $1.1M.

The only lingering hint of the Isaiah Wilson gamble from Miami is that the team must wait 12 months for their 7th-round pick — the Titans will continue to hold Miami’s 2021 selection as an initial part of the deal. A risk well worth taking on for the potential reward, but a risk that fell short none the less.

Titans players react to Isaiah Wilson getting cut by Dolphins

Isaiah Wilson’s short NFL career may already be over.

It’s never easy to watch a young player like Isaiah Wilson, who was a former first-round pick of the Tennessee Titans in 2020, throw away his career in the manner he has.

After running into a slew of issues during his first season in Nashville, the Titans decided Wilson was no longer worth the trouble and shipped him off to the Miami Dolphins in a deal that also saw a swap of seventh-round picks.

It was a move we never thought would work out for Miami, especially considering the 22-year-old was going to South Beach and already had a propensity to party.

As it turns out, we were right. After Wilson was late to his physical, orientation and didn’t show for a pair of voluntary workouts he was committed to attending, the Dolphins cut him.

Chances are we’ve seen the last of Wilson in the NFL after this, unless he can do a complete 180. There is no evidence to suggest he’s capable of such a transformation, though.

While this situation is certainly disappointing, it’s hard to have pity for Wilson. He has now blown multiple chances and clearly has no intent on capitalizing on an opportunity so many would give anything to have, all the while still collecting a significant chunk of change.

Shortly after the news broke, Wilson’s former Titans teammates took to Twitter to share their reaction:

Dolphins waive troubled OL Isaiah Wilson

The Miami Dolphins have waived former Tennessee Titans and Georgia Bulldogs offensive lineman Isaiah Wilson.

The Miami Dolphins have waived former Georgia Bulldogs offensive lineman Isaiah Wilson. Wilson had several off-field incidents during his rookie season with the Tennessee Titans. The trend showed signs of continuing into his time with the Dolphins.

The Titans were fed up with Isaiah Wilson’s inability to act like a professional and traded Wilson to the Miami Dolphins for an exchange of seventh-round picks.

In his brief stint with Miami, Isaiah Wilson showed up late to his physical, arrived late for orientation and missed voluntary workouts Wilson promised he would attend.

We hope Wilson can get some help in the coming months.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero detailed Wilson’s disappointing tenure with Miami:

The Tennessee Titans drafted the former Georgia football star No. 29 overall  in last year’s NFL draft, but Wilson played three snaps last season.

Wilson almost jumped off a two-story balcony to avoid police at a party in Aug. 2020. Next, Wilson was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list for a second time. He then crashed his car into a wall, receiving a DUI in the process.

In Oct. 2020, Wilson totaled his car in another car accident. On Dec. 2020, he was suspended by the Titans for violating team rules and was placed on the Reserve/Non-Football Illness list. Wilson was caught partying on a boat on New Year’s Eve leading up to a key Week 17 game with NFL postseason implications.

The Tennessee Titans look at Wilson as a first-round bust. The good news was Wilson had a chance to learn from his mistakes with the Miami Dolphins, but he immediately squandered that opportunity.

The Dolphins gave Wilson a shot and his behavior did not improve. Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores, who attended Wilson’s high school, was unable to fix Wilson’s issues.

What’s next for Wilson goes far beyond football and we wish him luck.

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Miami Dolphins waive all-time first-round bust Isaiah Wilson

The Miami Dolphins are the second team to have given up on 2020 first-round pick Isaiah Wilson

There have been many a first-round bust. However, Isaiah Wilson is among the elite when it comes to flops chosen in the initial round of the NFL Draft.

After an ugly rookie season in Tennessee, the offensive tackle was shipped off to Miami.

And now, the Dolphins have waived the former Georgia Bulldog offensive tackle from Brooklyn, NY.

Per Miamiherald.com:

Wilson is said to have refused team efforts to help him to get his life on track, continuing behavior that caused the Tennessee Titans to give up on him less than a year after drafting him in the first round.

Just in the short time since the Dolphins acquired him for late-round draft compensation, Wilson showed up late for his physical, late for his team orientation and skipped two optional workouts that he had committed to attend, the source said.

On Friday, a series of videos were posted on Wilson’s Instagram account of what appeared to be Wilson inhaling a vape and dancing shirtless on a car, but the Dolphins would have cut him even if those had not appeared, the source added.

Wilson was the 29th overall pick in the 2020 first round. He finished the season playing in one game, the Titans’ Week 12, 45-26 win against the Indianapolis Colts.

Twitter reacts to Dolphins cutting ex-Titans OT Isaiah Wilson

Isaiah Wilson’s stint with the Miami Dolphins lasted just three days.

Just days after the trade that sent former Tennessee Titans first-round pick Isaiah Wilson to the Miami Dolphins was made official, the Georgia product is already being cut by his new team.

According to Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald, Wilson was late to his physical, late to team orientation, and then didn’t show up to two workouts that he previously committed to, which prompted the Dolphins to let him go.

This end result shouldn’t come as much of  a surprise.

Wilson, who has shown he’s more interested in partying than having an NFL career, was never going to be able to avoid all of the distractions of South Beach to turn things around. This was inevitable, although we figured he would at least last a bit longer than this.

Shortly after news broke of Wilson’s impending release, Twitter reacted to the 22-year-old throwing away an opportunity at a second chance.

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