Tag: Miami Dolphins

Brian Flores didn’t have any interviews for head coach this year

Despite turning the Minnesota Vikings defense around in 2023, defensive coordinator Brian Flores didn’t get a head coaching interview.

In a typical year in the NFL, about a quarter of the league’s head coaches are fired, giving opportunities for coordinators and position coaches to move up the ranks. That was the case a few years ago for Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, as he went from being linebackers coach with the New England Patriots to Miami Dolphins head coach.

After a failed stint with the Dolphins that saw much turmoil — and even a lawsuit against the team, three other franchises and the league itself — Flores found himself among the coordinators, first with the Pittsburgh Steelers and now with the Vikings.

After a successful turnaround of the Vikings defense, which carried the team after Kirk Cousins’ season-ending injury, many thought Flores would be a hot name for several openings this season. That, however, seemingly never came to fruition, as Flores never even got an interview, much less a second chance at a head coaching gig.

It may be a bit surprising that Flores was left out in the cold this coaching cycle. However, if the Vikings defense has a repeat performance of 2023, and if the quarterback situation can be more settled leading to a playoff appearance in 2024, you have to think that Flores will at least get a handful of interviews when the coaching carousel begins to spin again.

Dolphins sign ex-Giants linebacker Cam Brown

The Miami Dolphins have signed former New York Giants linebacker and special teams ace, Cam Brown.

The Miami Dolphins have officially announced the signing of former New York Giants linebacker Cam Brown.

Brown, 26, was a sixth-round pick of the Giants in the 2020 NFL draft out of Penn State. He appeared in 60 games for the team, recording 35 tackles (24 solo), three QB hits and two forced fumbles.

Much of Brown’s production came on special teams, consistently drawing praise from the coaching staff. However, after the firing of special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey on Black Monday, Brown knew his time in East Rutherford was up.

In 2023, Brown earned a special teams grade of 65.3 courtesy of Pro Football Focus, finishing second on the team with five tackles (Carter Coughlin, 9). In 2022, he was fourth on the team with an ST grade of 71.5.

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Miami Dolphins expected to pick up Jaylen Waddle’s fifth-year option

Former Alabama wide receiver and Miami Dolphins star is expected to have his fifth-year option picked up.

Former Alabama Crimson Tide football wide receiver Jaylen Waddle was the sixth overall selection in the 2021 NFL draft by the Miami Dolphins. Pairing him with his former college quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has proven to be a very smart move. Now, Waddle is expected to have his fifth-year option picked up by the Dolphins.

Waddle broke the NFL record for most receptions by a receiver in his rookie season. Since then, star receiver Tyreek Hill has joined the team, which led to Waddle’s role on the offense shrinking some. However, that has not prevented him from being a valuable member of the team’s receiving corps.

In 2023, Waddle reeled in 72 passes on 104 targets for 1,014 yards and four touchdowns. He and Hill are often considered to be one of the strongest receiving duos in the entire league.

Miami’s general manager, Chris Grier, shared with reporters that the franchise plans on picking up his fifth-year option before the upcoming deadline to do so.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to cover Waddle and other former Alabama players in the NFL as the 2024 offseason progresses.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow AJ Spurr on X @SpurrFM. 

What are Graham Barton’s odds to be a first-round pick, according to Fanduel?

Graham Barton is a heavy favorite to be a first-round draft pick, according to Fanduel Sportsbook.

The NFL draft is no sure thing, especially with more than a week left before the first team is officially on the clock. However, according to Fanduel Sportsbook, former Blue Devils offensive lineman Graham Barton won’t need to fall asleep before his name is called.

Barton, who played left tackle in Durham for the past three years and started along the offensive line ever since he was a freshman, has some of the strongest odds available to be a first-round pick in next week’s NFL draft. Fanduel has him listed at -2000 to be one of the first 32 selections.

Despite Barton’s experience on the perimeter, he’s expected to move to guard or center where his smaller frame won’t be as vulnerable. The move also makes him one of the best prospects available as he recorded one of the highest relative athletic scores of any guard prospect ever during testing.

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The heavy odds make sense considering Barton has been mocked in the first round almost constantly since the start of the year. With playoff teams that need interior help littering the bottom of the board, from the Miami Dolphins to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it seems unlikely that the Blue Devil will last until day two.

Barton would be Duke’s third first-round NFL draft pick since 1987 after offensive lineman Laken Tomlinson in 2015 and quarterback Daniel Jones in 2019.

Odds
Will Graham Barton be a first-round pick -2000

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Get more betting analysis and predictions at Sportsbook Wire

Two Longhorns projected in first round of PFF’s latest NFL mock draft

Adonai Mitchell is commonly projected to the Buffalo Bills in the first round.

The 2024 NFL draft is roughly two weeks away. Continue reading “Two Longhorns projected in first round of PFF’s latest NFL mock draft”

Report: Wisconsin football, Luke Fickell losing a top staffer to the NFL

Report: Wisconsin football, Luke Fickell losing a top staffer to the NFL

Wisconsin football is losing key offensive analyst Rob Everett to the Miami Dolphins, according to FootballScoop‘s Doug Samuels.

Everett joined the Badgers program entering the 2023 season. He previously spent a year under Phil Longo at North Carolina, then followed the offensive coordinator to his position at Wisconsin. FootballScoop writes that Everett was a “senior offensive analyst for the Badgers, where in addition to working with the Wisconsin quarterbacks, he worked on opponent breakdowns, scouting reports and leading edge football technology.”

Related: Evaluating the Big Ten’s next targets for conference expansion

The assistant also coached Wisconsin’s wide receivers in preparation for the 2024 ReliaQuest Bowl after position coach Mike Brown left for Notre Dame.

He is reportedly off to the NFL. Samuels reports that Wisconsin “already has new staff in place and isn’t looking to fill openings related to this move.”

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion. Follow Ben Kenney on X.

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Ex-Titans DL Teair Tart is signing with Dolphins

Former Titans DL Teair Tart is signing with the Dolphins.

Former Tennessee Titans defensive lineman Teair Tart has finally found a new home in free agency.

According to Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz, Tart is signing with the Miami Dolphins. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reveals it’s a one-year deal but didn’t disclose the financial terms.

Tart is the second former Titan who is taking his talents to South Beach this offseason after center Aaron Brewer also signed with Miami. They both reunite with former Titans linebacker David Long, also.

Tart was an undrafted free-agent signing of the Titans in 2020 and worked his way into a starting role by 2021, where he proved to be a force in the run game but didn’t offer much as a pass-rusher which, in tandem with conditioning issues, prevented him from getting more snaps.

Things started going off the rails for Tart in 2023 after he appeared to be unhappy with the fact that he had to play on a one-year tender instead of a long-term contract.

From there, Tart had attitude and effort issues, which led to the Titans letting him go late in the season. He then latched on with the Houston Texans, where he appeared in two games and played just 29 snaps on defense before being inactive during the playoffs.

Tart is no doubt a difference-maker in the run game, but he’s got some work to do if he wants to truly maximize his potential and eventually cash in on a lucrative, long-term deal.

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Former Texans DL Teair Tart signs one-year deal with AFC East franchise

The Houston Texans lose another defensive lineman from their AFC South-winning roster to free agency.

Teair Tart won’t be headed back to Houston for the 2024 season.

The former Texans defensive lineman and Miami Dolphins agreed to terms on a one-year deal, according to Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz. Much like in Houston, Tart will serve as a priority rotational lineman in South Beach behind Benito Jones and Isaiah Mack.

Tart, 27, split time last season between the Tennessee Titans and Texans. He started the first 11 games in Nashville but was waived following a win over the Dolphins in early December.

Houston picked him off waivers, hoping to sturdy its trench play en route to a postseason push. Tart played in two games, recording three tackles, two pressures, and a tackle for loss.

Despite being a starter for the AFC South rival, Tart was inactive in both playoff games last winter following the regular season-finale win over the Indianapolis Colts. He recently visited with the Cincinnati Bengals, but left without a contract in his hands.

The Texans still could benefit from bolstering their interior defensive line despite adding former Titans lineman Denico Autry. Houston let Sheldon Rankins walk in free agency after a breakout season and later traded starter Maliek Collins to the San Fransisco 49ers in exchange for a seventh-round pick.

Atury, who turns 34 this offseason, primarily played as a defensive end in Mike Vrabel’s 3-4 defensive scheme, meaning his adjustment back inside could take time. The Texans also signed former Jacksonville Jaguars starter Foley Fatukasi following his release this offseason.

With two second-round picks, the Texans could find their long-term three-tech early in the draft. Several prospects linked to Houston include Florida State’s Braden Fiske, Texas’ T’Vondre Sweat, Michigan’s Kris Jenkins, and Ohio State’s Michael Hall Jr.

In 47 games, Tart has 79 tackles, 2.5 sacks, an interception and a fumble recovery.

Graham Barton’s consensus first-round landing spot, per Mock Draft Database

First-round offensive lineman Graham Barton has a couple teams who frequently grab him in mock drafts, but one squad shows up more than the rest.

Duke offensive lineman Graham Barton has been a consensus first-round pick through the mock draft process, but where exactly will he end up?

According to Mock Draft Database, Barton is the most common choice for the Miami Dolphins with the 21st overall pick.

The site aggregates mock drafts from all over the internet, and the AFC wild-card team takes Barton with a 14% frequency in recent mocks, more than any other player.

A USA TODAY Sports mock draft released on Wednesday had Barton going to Miami with the 21st pick.

Barton is the 26th-ranked player on the site’s consensus big board, second only to Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson among interior offensive linemen.

Tampa Bay, Seattle, Dallas, and San Fransisco have also shown up as frequent suitors for the former Blue Devil.

Graham Barton goes to playoff team in new USA TODAY Sports NFL mock draft

Barton, the Duke offensive tackle, went 21st overall in USA TODAY Sports’ newest mock draft, but which NFL team did he end up with?

USA TODAY Sports released a new mock draft on Wednesday in light of the Buffalo’s blockbuster trade to send Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans.

While the new wide receiver market doesn’t affect the draft status of Duke offensive lineman Graham Barton much, the former Blue Devil remained a first-round pick in the new projections.

Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, who wrote the story, slotted Barton as the 21st overall pick to the Miami Dolphins.

Barton, who played tackle at Duke, will presumably play guard or center in the NFL due to his slightly smaller frame, but the USA TODAY Sports writer doesn’t think size will be an issue.

“Don’t be surprised if Barton is taken ahead of some of his towering peers,” Middlehurst-Schwartz wrote. “Several teams – including Miami, which could face trouble on the interior without proper reinforcements – surely will be captivated by his polished play.”

The Dolphins are one of Barton’s most popular landing spots in most mock drafts.