Tag: Nik Needham

ESPN analyst ranks Dolphins CB unit as best in the NFL

With two former All-Pros they had to be pretty close to the top.

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With the NFL offseason underway, and teams holding their minicamps and organized team activities, this is a big time for evaluations, not just by the team but by the media as well.

ESPN NFL analyst Mike Clay recently put together a ranking of all 32 cornerback units across the NFL, and the Miami Dolphins found themselves atop the list. Rounding out the top five behind the Dolphins were the New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys.

Miami’s acquisition of Jalen Ramsey this offseason is the clear reason why they’re ranked so highly. He’s a former All-Pro that’s still considered one of the best in the game today, and he’s joining a group that already had a former All-Pro in Xavien Howard.

Beyond those two, the Dolphins selected South Carolina’s Cam Smith in the second round of the 2023 draft, and he’ll be fighting for opportunities with 2022 undrafted rookie Kader Kohou and Nik Needham, who is coming off of a torn Achilles.

Even their depth pieces like Keion Crossen and Justin Bethel got some invaluable snaps last year due to the vast number of injuries that plagued Miami’s defense.

If this secondary can stay healthy and play to their potential, Clay should be proven right, especially as part of a defense that’s now being coached by one of the most well-respected coordinators in Vic Fangio.

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Analyzing the terms of Dolphins CB Nik Needham’s new contract

Here’s what the returning cornerback is set to make.

Entering the offseason, the Miami Dolphins were set to have some questions at the cornerback position with Byron Jones not playing in 2022 and Nik Needham entering free agency after tearing his Achilles during the season.

Miami opted to release Jones with a post-June 1 designation, but perhaps the more surprising move was re-signing Needham despite the injury.

According to Over the Cap, Needham and the Dolphins agreed to a one-year deal worth roughly $1.83 million. He’ll make about $1.67 million in base salary ($597,500 of which is guaranteed). He’ll also get another $152,500 in the form of a signing bonus.

This contract doesn’t guarantee him a spot on this year’s roster, but his release would actually only save $482,500 while creating $750,000 in dead cap.

With the Achilles injury occurring in Week 6 against the Minnesota Vikings, it would be hard to imagine Needham being back to 100% before the start of the season. It wouldn’t be too surprising to see him start the year slow or even on PUP before making his way back to action when he and the team feel comfortable.

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Dolphins re-sign CB Nik Needham

The cornerback room gets back one of its rising competitors.

One day after the Miami Dolphins took care of a few running backs of their own in Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson, they re-signed unrestricted free agent cornerback Nik Needham.

Needham has agreed to a one-year deal to return to Miami in 2023 worth just under $2 million, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. Needham was playing great football as a fourth-year defensive back following a tough-road-traveled to the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2019.

The Dolphins fought off a number of teams, at least six, including one that employs his former head coach, as the Minnesota Vikings and new defensive coordinator Brian Flores were very much after Needham.

A top-tier slot corner in 2021, Needham, unfortunately, was hurt last season during a Week 6 game, ironically against the Vikings, when he tore his Achilles.

Ahead of schedule, running and aiming for normal participation in training camp, Needham will come back to the team that took a chance on him in 2019.

Needham is part of a deep cornerback room in Miami, with depth players like Kader Kohou and Trill Williams. He could be a valuable piece in Vic Fanigio’s defense, as he’s an originally-trained boundary cornerback and could also resume work in the slot. He could even be a candidate to help out with safety duties.

Of course, following a massive splash trade on Sunday, when the Dolphins sent a 2023 third-round pick and tight end Hunter Long to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for superstar cornerback, Jalen Ramsey, their secondary is as deep as ever.

Ramsey now pairs with Xavien Howard for arguably the league’s most fearsome duo, as the pending release of Byron Jones doesn’t seem to be an issue anymore.

In his four seasons, Needham has tailed 192 tackles, six interceptions including a “Nik-6” touchdown, as well as 25 passes defended. You can also add in three sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

A player who earned the respect of teammates, coaches and Dolphins fans, Needham will no doubt continue to work and rehab his way back to the field, and back to form.

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7 cornerbacks the Vikings can sign after waiving Cameron Dantzler

With the Vikings waiving Cameron Dantzler Sr., there are just two corners on the roster. @TheKevinFielder highlights 7 CBs to keep an eye on

Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has made a statement.

For the first time in his tenure, this feels like it will be his roster. Whether it was the decision to release long-serving players like Erik Kendricks or Adam Thielen or the comments regarding Kirk Cousin’s future, Adofo-Mensah has taken the roster by his hands.

On Saturday, the Vikings announced that they waived cornerback Cameron Dantzler, Sr.

The move saves the Vikings about $2.7 million towards the cap. Although the Vikings remain over the ceiling, that number is down to $7 million, meaning the Vikings will have to make more moves.

Releasing Dantzler leaves the Vikings thin at cornerback. While they could re-sign someone like Duke Shelley, who performed well at the end of the season, it looks like they’ll be players in the free-agent market.

If that’s the case, there are seven free-agent cornerbacks to watch for the Vikings.

8 moves the Vikings need to make in free agency

Going into free agency, the Vikings would be best served to make these moves to improve their football team

We are just one week away from the beginning of the new NFL league year on March 15th. The more important date is Monday, March 13th where at 11 am, teams can start communicating with the agents of players and agree to terms on a contract.

Currently, the Minnesota Vikings are approximately $15 million over the salary cap and they will need to get under that mark by 3 pm central. Not only do they need to get under the salary cap, they also need to create room to bring in new players.

With free agency fast approaching, here are eight moves that the Vikings need to make to keep them competitive in 2023.

Dolphins have decisions to make on defense in free agency

Re-signing Nik Needham should be a priority.

The Miami Dolphins have had a fine week since the Super Bowl has come and gone. The announcement of Zach Thomas into the Pro Football Hall of Fame last week, followed this week by the finality to the Vic Fangio contract signing saga.

Ladies and gentlemen, they officially got him. Again. Officially.

Fangio will be ushered into Hard Rock Stadium on Monday, and his intro will be streamed on the Dolphins website to capture the moment. At this rate, it wouldn’t be shocking if Miami security snuck Fangio in the back entrance almost like that scene in “Goodfellas.”

Now that Fangio is the boss of the defense, as well as consigliere for Mike McDaniel, it’s expected he could attract free agents as well as entice important Dolphins to re-sign with the team.

On the defensive side of the ball, Miami has about a dozen players whose Dolphins’ contracts expired following the close of the 2022 season. A room’s worth of linebackers are all free agents in Andrew Van Ginkel, Duke Riley, Elandon Roberts, Melvin Ingram and Sam Eguavoen. This would be the unit to expect the shopping in the premium aisle of the free agency market.

Fangio is an expert in the linebacker role specifically, so whether it be through free agency or the draft, or even getting the most out of last year’s rookie Channing Tindall, the defensive guru could maximize talent in that area of the field.

As for the front line of interior defensive linemen and edge pass-rushers, Miami has great continuity returning with Christian Wilkins, Zach Sieler, Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips and the hopeful comeback of Emmanuel Ogbah. Re-signed last season, Ogbah was injured nine games into the 2022 season and looks to return in 2023.

Continuity in 2022 was tough for the Miami defensive backfield due to several key injuries which started with the Byron Jones situation, which is a separate story in itself. He didn’t play a snap following surgery on his Achilles last March, and his future in South Florida is up in the air.

Xavien Howard, who was named to the Pro Bowl, didn’t have his best season and was banged up throughout the year, missing two games and was not his vintage self over the course of the season. Though finishing the season strong and helping Miami secure a playoff berth with a Week 18 win against the Jets, Howard looks to build on that momentum heading into 2023.

Safety Brandon Jones was having a solid year prior to getting hurt in the nationally televised Sunday Night Football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 7. Jones is rehabbing his left ACL injury, and his return is important with his pairing to Jevon Holland. The two safeties are an excellent tandem and a pair of players Fangio could work wonders with.

Back to the Byron Jones injury – it opened a door for rookie Kader Kohou to not only step up but make an impact as one of the league’s top undrafted free agents. It’s Kohou’s emergence that helps in dealing with the potential fallout if the veteran and the team part ways, yet there’s a component to this that is extremely important: re-signing free agent cornerback Nik Needham.

Sharing an undrafted free agent story in his own right, Needham is similar to Kohou in that they were both diamonds-in-the-rough finds for Miami. Many know Needham’s story and path by now, and as many hurdles as the young defensive back has faced getting to being one of the NFL’s top slot corners, 2022 saw another obstacle to tackle.

Needham tore his Achilles in Week 6 against the Vikings, and heading into a free agent year, the injury couldn’t have come at a worse time for him and of course Miami.

Needham was a restricted free agent at this time last season, and the Dolphins inked him to a one-year deal. Although the Achilles injury is the only issue standing in the way of making this a no-brainer re-sign, Needham is known for his work ethic and for proving naysayers wrong.

Not only is he ahead of schedule, but he’s also now represented by a top-tier agency, Athlete’s First, and he’s been busy working at their facilities in California preparing for the 2023 season. The heavy-hitters will no doubt bring options to the table for Needham, as there was interest in him last season and continued interest heading into this free agency period.

The good news is that Miami has told him that he’s, in fact, in their plans heading into the future. While Needham has said he would love to be a Dolphin, of course, this is the main opportunity he’ll have to cash in on a contract that could be a life set up, financially.

If Needham returns to form, which is a solid bet based on his history and current efforts, Miami would be wise to mix him with Fangio, as the versatile defensive back can be used in a variety of ways. He’s a natural boundary corner, but when asked to assume slot duties, he adapted and excelled. He even was called on for some snaps at safety, and his ability to be used in these ways makes for a potential chess piece and even insurance policy for the new defensive coordinator.

With Needham hopefully back, which, at this point, there’s a very solid chance should Miami simply match any competing potential offer, the core group of him, Howard, Holland, Brandon Jones and Kohou, could be a top-tier unit within a unit. Add in young depth pieces like Trill Williams, also returning from injury, and Verone McKinley III, and Miami could have a deep group.

A handful of teams could make the market competitive for the Dolphins, namely the new home of a former coach in the NFC North, as well as a few teams out west. However, with mutual interest, and the fact that Miami can make good on their initial discovery of Needham and bring things full circle with a multi-year deal, it could be excellent motivation for players entering the team similar to his path.

Re-signing Needham should be a top priority heading into the official start of the 2023 season come March.

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Dolphins’ Nik Needham shares Achilles injury comeback video

He’s back in the gym, working to get back.

The Miami Dolphins entered the 2022 season without Byron Jones and Trill Williams at cornerback, so they were already short on depth at the position.

Then, in a Week 6 battle with the Minnesota Vikings, pending free agent Nik Needham suffered a torn Achilles, ending his season as well. With no time left on his contract beyond the end of the year, it’s possible Needham has played his last snap for the aqua and orange.

Prior to the start of free agency, Needham took to social media to share a video of his workouts that he’s doing this offseason to prepare for his return from the Achilles.

His injury is one of the toughest to come back from, as Dolphins fans know all too well, considering Jones just missed an entire season due to having surgery on his Achilles last offseason.

Hopefully, everything heals correctly for the former undrafted cornerback, and he’s able to return and perform at the level that he was prior because he was improving each year.

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6 cornerbacks Vikings should target after Brian Flores hire

The Vikings’ new defensive scheme will need cornerbacks that can play man coverage. @TheRealForno identified six that they should target

The Minnesota Vikings have themselves a new defensive coordinator in Brian Flores.

With the hire of Flores, the Vikings have committed to another scheme change, as he runs a significantly more aggressive defense than what Ed Donatell brought in with Vic Fangio’s system.

The defense right now is one that needs a lot of work and the biggest need is at cornerback. Flores requires his corners to play a lot of man coverage and that is something that the Vikings will need to prioritize bringing in players that will be better in man coverage.

Here are six cornerbacks that the Vikings should target with projected contract numbers from Over The Cap.

Grading the Miami Dolphins cornerbacks after their 2022 season

The room was decimated by injuries.

The Miami Dolphins have begun their offseason processes of evaluating their roster and coaching staff, as they look to achieve more in the 2023 season than they did in 2022.

While they’re doing their own assessments, it’s important for us to do the same.

We’ll continue to look through the Dolphins roster and break down the position groups, reviewing how they performed in their first season under head coach Mike McDaniel.

We’ve already hit on the:

Today, we’ll look at the cornerbacks.

What’s next for the Miami Dolphins after elimination?

Miami may look to make changes on the field and on the coaching staff.

As the eight remaining playoff teams get set for their weekend matchups, the Miami Dolphins front office and brain trust start their preparation for the 2023 season.

Following last Sunday’s playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills, head coach Mike McDaniel enters his first offseason process in ending a season and assessing players along with the people he hired or inherited on his staff.

This will be the first time in his career and, of course, with Miami, that McDaniel will work with the powers that be following a head-coaching performance and renovate the roster and staff while building at the same time.

On the player end of things, 31 Dolphins from this season will enter free agency. Of the big names in this group, tight end Mike Gesicki will likely have a number of suitors who’ll utilize him to the maximum of his ability and skill set. After posting a heartfelt message on social media, Gesicki, in a vague way, that while he loves Miami and is appreciative of the Dolphins, it appears the honeymoon is over.

Backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is also a free agent, and it’s not expected that he’ll be back in Miami Gardens next season following a year of injuries and underperformance. Staying on the offensive side of the ball, every single running back who recorded a carry for Miami in 2022, is now a free agent.

Raheem Mostert, Salvon Ahmed, Myles Gaskin and in-season addition Jeff Wilson, Jr. could all be on different teams next season, but it’s too early to speculate. With a loaded free agent running back class, the Dolphins could focus there, however, paying top dollar for a runner isn’t something that Chris Grier has proven to be in the market for in his tenure.

McDaniel brought a pair of San Fransisco wide receivers with him to Miami, River Cracraft and Trent Sherfield, and now they’re both free agents.

Defensively, the Dolphins have decisions to make regarding the homegrown talents of linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel and cornerback Nik Needham. Van Ginkel, a 2019 fifth-round draft pick out of Wisconsin is a valuable two-unit player for Miami, excelling on special teams and, more importantly, in the outside linebacker rotation for the Dolphins in a loaded room.

Needham was undrafted in that same year of 2019, and although initially cut, the Dolphins rewarded him a practice squad spot followed by an in-season promotion. Through trials by fire and social media, Needham worked to become a fixture in the Dolphins lineup as a second-year player in 2020, and, in 2021, he was one of the NFL’s top slot cornerbacks.

Needham suffered an Achilles injury in Week 6 against the Minnesota Vikings, and although a free agent now, and rehabbing ahead of schedule. He even told reporters that Miami has communicated that they have plans for him and are interested in bringing him back.

Both will have suitors beyond the Dolphins, as Needham was recently signed by Athletes First, a top-tier agency representing a long list of NFL talent. Van Ginkel is also being courted by heavy-hitting representation, so these are situations to track this offseason.

Veteran defenders such as captain Elandon Roberts, Melvin Ingram, Eric Rowe and Duke Riley enter free agency, so that makes four free-agent linebackers who saw significant snaps in 2022. You can add in a fifth in Sam Eguavoen as well.

The Dolphins inked punter Thomas Morstead to a one-year deal last offseason. He had a fine year on the field and became a fan favorite off of it. Miami would be wise to throw another one-year deal his way with his work ethic and leadership.

There are a number of other veteran free agents Miami has decisions to make on, as well as coaching. McDaniel brought in his offensive coaching staff upon being hired in Miami, but essentially inherited the defensive crew, led by coordinator Josh Boyer.

Boyer was originally hired by former head coach Brian Flores. While last season had a bit of controversy as to who exactly was running the show on defense regarding play-calling, Boyer was retained last offseason despite the firing of Flores.

UPDATE: Boyer was fired on Thursday, along with three members of his staff.

This season, a talented Dolphins defense was underwhelming through the course of the season but did sustain a slew of significant injuries to key players. Emmanuel Ogbah, Brandon Jones, Needham and not to mention the Byron Jones saga, all led to Boyer playing with a limited deck.

Miami finished 2022 18th in total defense and 24th in scoring defense. The main issue was on third downs, as they were tied for the NFL’s 24th-ranked unit here, and, many times throughout the season, it was key conversions that plagued the Dolphins.

At the moment, it’s not confirmed one way or another if Boyer will be retained, and another coach where the speculation is flying is special teams coordinator Danny Crossman. The Dolphins ranked near the bottom of the league in special teams categories.

Now that 24 teams are looking to 2023, the coaching carousel is underway, but the timetables will be anybody’s guess on what, when, who and how this will play out from a staffing side.

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