OFFICIAL 2015 M!AM! DOLPH!NS SEASON THREAD (6-10) / NEXT:

[jpzx]

I was assigned to cover the Gophers football team for all seven of their home games plus I traveled to Camp Randall for the last game of the season when they played the Badgers:

- Not heavily recruited out of H.S. at all (Portland State and Minnesota were his finalists), played both sides of the ball (RB on offense). Had 1,808 yards on just 157 carries as a senior in H.S. (11.5 yards/carry).

- Thompson was the Gophers only consistent safety all of last season. They rotated the other safety spot between CB Derrick Wells, S Antonio Johnson and others.

- Minnesota's pass defense was fourth in the conference last year. Not a pass-happy conference of course, conveyed by Connor Cook being the No. 1 overall pick right now in early 2016 mock drafts :x (Trust me, he's not going to be at this time next year. He looks like Mallett in size but... we all saw what happened to Mallett). I'm off on a tangent , but main point is that I don't think that can be really looked at.

- He isn't the type of person who folds in big moments; a leader through and through.





- Led team in tackles (79) as a junior (a team that had LB Damien Wilson on it, who was drafted in the fourth round by Dallas this past weekend, and also Ra'Shede Hageman, who went in the second round to Atlanta in the 2014 draft), second on the team in tackles (83) as a senior (only trailed Wilson).

- Didn't force an enormous number of takeaways, but the Gophers didn't play a defense that catered to gambling. Tracy Claeys, Minnesota defensive coordinator, would essentially have the secondary stick to their assignments/zone coverages in the hopes that the LBs exotic blitzes would cause the secondary to produce turnovers rather than having to create them themselves. Didn't have much freedom to roam, I guess.

If there's anything else about him you were wondering I might be able to help, so just shoot if so.

 

[CP1708]

Omar Kelly ‏@OmarKelly 5m5 minutes ago
And for the record, if you think the Patriots would fall apart without Tom Brady you're sadly mistaken. Jimmy Garoppolo is a bad man.

Omar Kelly ‏@OmarKelly 2m2 minutes ago
RT @TexasPhinMan w/o no full game resume, you are giving him this credit? Geez > He's a Man Crush alum & I watched his preseason play

Omar Kelly ‏@OmarKelly 58s59 seconds ago
RT @BRANDED9_ is he tom brady? > YEAH....He's Brady back when he was backing up Drew Bledsoe. You've been warned.

Look at this ***** LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOK

 

[finnns2003]

:x

He is doing this on purpose, for reactions. Sounds familiar.

 

[CP1708]

With news of TE Charles Clay having now received a very large contract offer from the Buffalo Bills, the Dolphins are now faced with where they go from here if they choose to let Clay walk. When WR Mike Wallace was traded to the Minnesota Vikings along with a seventh-round pick for a fifth-round pick and substantial cap savings, it was assumed that the Dolphins planned to extend Clay long term and reshape the offense around QB Ryan Tannehill by using a lot of two tight end sets featuring Clay and the newly signed Jordan Cameron. With that now in limbo, and the likely resolution being that Clay becomes property of the Bills in four days, where will the Dolphins go from there?

Currently, Miami has six draft choices. Their first, second, and fourth round picks, two selections in the fifth round, and their sixth-round pick. Their needs are still greater than those six selections, and although they do have plenty of cap space, the remaining free agents on the market do not offer a whole lot of quality to complete their 53 man roster. One possible option would be to pursue WR Greg Jennings, who is familiar with coach Joe Philbin from their days together in Green Bay, and who was released by the Vikings after the Wallace deal was completed. Jennings would bring experience to the receiver core, as well as be the type of versatile receiver Philbin prefers with his ability to line up at all three wideout positions.

From there, Miami could hope to use their first round pick, number 14 overall, on talented wideout DeVante Parker out of Louisville, and a Miami high school native. A little under 6’3” and 210 pounds, Parker would become the bigger WR target that Tannehill has lacked his first three seasons and paired with Cameron and/or Sims, offer Tannehill a nice trio of red zone options. Minnesota seemed like a fit for Parker having drafted Parker’s former college quarterback Teddy Bridgewater last season, but with Wallace in hand, the Vikings may move on to other areas of need and Miami may be able to grab him at 14. A receiving core of Parker, Jarvis Landry, Kenny Stills, and Jennings with Rishard Matthews as depth could prove to be a solid unit for the Dolphins, and at a much cheaper cost than last year’s unit.

To complete the offense, if Miami were to invest in OG AJ Cann or Tre Jackson in the second-round, and perhaps a RB like Jeremy Langford or David Johnson in the fourth-round, the Dolphins may have enough talent on that side to run a fast, versatile offense that can attack the defense in a variety of ways. Last year’s draft could also offer some depth as it is expected that OG Billy Turner will be inserted into the right guard spot, and TE Arthur Lynch may step into the third tight end role behind Dion Sims. A potentially finished Oline, along with a young, versatile, fast receiving core, as well as Cameron/Sims/Lynch manning the TE position, and Lamar Miller with either Langford or Johnson handling the running back duties surrounding Tannehill in offensive coordinator Bill Lazor’s offense, should be enough to move the offense forward, bettering the 2014 progress that was made even without four key contributors from last season.

With the first four rounds worth of picks made covering the offense, the defense still needs spots filled behind the new crown jewel Ndamukong Suh. There is some youth that Miami has been developing from last year that could be elevated to important pieces this year, namely LB’s Jordie Tripp & Chris McCain, CB/S Walt Aikens and DE Terrence Fede, along with DT Anthony Johnson. If Miami spends early round picks on offense, that leaves them with just the back half of the draft, they might look to add cornerback depth with the likes of Ladarius Gunter, Jacoby Glenn, or Charles Gaines. They could also opt to re-sign Safety Louis Delmas as he recovers from a torn ACL and hope that he can help out towards the middle of the season at the latest. The linebacker core may be more problematic, but it’s possible that the addition of Suh could help hide some of the weaknesses, and Miami may be able to throw enough bodies at the position that they can navigate the season well enough without any real additions. Koa Misi and Jelani Jenkins appear firmly entrenched at outside backer with either one of them having the ability to shift inside if needed. They can use Tripp, McCain, or even Dion Jordan at times on the outside as well as Kelvin Sheppard as added depth.

Best case scenario with this type of close to the offseason would be a stronger Oline helps keep Tannehill upright, the run game effective, and enough weaponry as well as more red zone options to give the defense a lead, and let their dominant Dline pressure opposing quarterbacks enough that the secondary can make some plays and the linebackers either step up like Jenkins did last season, or are at least masked until the unit can be addressed the following year. A defense featuring playmakers like Suh, Cameron Wake, Brent Grimes, Reshad Jones, and Olivier Vernon along with potential in youngsters like Jenkins, Jamar Taylor, and Jordan should be enough to break the 8-8 trend the Dolphins have been on during Philbin’s tenure, especially if they upgrade the offense enough as Tannehill enters his fourth season.

So, I posted this on 3/18.

I got Jennings.
I got Parker
I got bigger RB, but didn't list Ajayi
I said OG, but we waited til round 4.
I got CB, but didn't list yet another McCain. (our 3rd on defense alone )
I got Delmas
I thought they would ignore LB, and they did, but they scooped 4 up in UDFA signings.




Gimme a job Ross, come on.

 

[CP1708]

La'el Collins flyin to Miami to meet with the Dolphins.
Please get this deal done. Please.

 

[Deleted member 37754]

View media item 1523476​

 

[finnns2003]

La'el Collins flyin to Miami to meet with the Dolphins.
Please get this deal done. Please.

Whoa really? Holy...

 

[h3at23]

Adam Schefter ‏@AdamSchefter 1m1 minute ago
Cowboys have signed former LSU OL La'el Collins, as @NFLCharean reported. A potential first-rounder as an undrafted free agent. To Dallas.

 

[CP1708]

Welp.

Reports flyin everywhere, "somehow" Jerry convinced him.

 

[Deleted member 37754]

[COLOR=#red]Well f-ck.[/COLOR]

 

[toast1985]

[emoji]128530[/emoji]

 

[h3at23]

I'M DISAPPOINTED BUT I'M ROOTING FOR THE KID TO SUCCEED!

 

[toast1985]

Your boy Rishard Matthews wants the trade or the boot.

*AYE CHIP, let us get Evan Matthis.

 

[finnns2003]

Should've known the Phins would miss. They always miss.

Quick, someone name our starting guards for 2015? Dog and $^&*

 

[CP1708]

Should've known the Phins would miss. They always miss.

2013 Wallace
2014 Albert
2015 Suh


The lifelong Dallas Cowboy fan, signed with the Dallas Cowboys, his first visit. I mean.... *shrugs*

 

[h3at23]

We always miss?

Looks like the whole 2015 class will be signed today!

 

[h3at23]

View media item 1524119

 

[finnns2003]

2013 Wallace
2014 Albert
2015 Suh


The lifelong Dallas Cowboy fan, signed with the Dallas Cowboys, his first visit. I mean.... *shrugs*

Between him and Martin, damn the Cowboys. What are our solutions at LG/RG? Please don't say Billy Turnstile

We always miss?

Looks like the whole 2015 class will be signed today!

Well, was alluding more to Harbaugh twice, Jeff Fisher, Peyton Manning, etc.

 

[toast1985]

Between him and Martin, damn the Cowboys. What are our solutions at LG/RG? Please don't say Billy Turnstile
Well, was alluding more to Harbaugh twice, Jeff Fisher, Peyton Manning, etc.

Jamil Douglas will compete, and probably win out at the LG position. Billy Turner will challenge for the RG position, along with a few others who we've brought on to compete.

I think a healthy Brandon Albert would allow Pouncey to assist with Jamil or whoever is at RG. RG still remains a cause for concern for me, however, if you look at what Kyle Williams has done to us over the past two years So I'm much more optimistic just off the strength of Brandon Albert, alone.

 

[finnns2003]

Let's hope it's Jamil and Billy then, anyone but Dallas Thomas

 

[Deleted member 37754]

[COLOR=#red]Dolphins have an offensive lineman trying out... 6'7" 343 lbs. (Nykiren Wellington from Memphis)...
That is a massive human being.[/COLOR]

 

[h3at23]

If you don't want to be mad about how close we came to signing Collins, DON'T click the spoiler tab


BEHIND THE SCENES ON LA'EL COLLINS

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

So how close were the Dolphins to landing coveted offensive lineman La’el Collins?

Tantalizingly so.

Agent Deryk Gilmore told me that Collins said at one point last week that he thought he would like to be a Dolphin, and that Collins had narrowed his choices to Miami and Dallas.

“I thought I would be coming to Miami for games this season,” Gilmore said.

Gilmore said even though no flight was booked, he and Collins intended to fly to Miami to meet with the Dolphins, with "the intent to sign," at around 3 p.m. on Thursday afternoon before Collins told him at 10:45 a.m. Thursday that Dallas “is where I need to be.”

Among the deciding factors: Collins was immensely impressed with the Cowboys during his visit to Jerry Jones’ home on Wednesday night, and Collins has family in Dallas and Houston.

Before visiting Jones' home for dinner, Collins felt he knew the Cowboys from a football standpoint but needed to get to know them more as people.

So Collins, accompanied by his mother, broke bread with Jones, Jason Garrett, Tony Romo, Jason Witten, three Pro Bowl offensive linemen and Dallas' offensive line coach. Jones had set the stage for the visit by calling Collins directly the previous day.

The call and the visit had a profound effect on Collins.

“Those are guys who have been faced with challenges throughout life,” Collins said of the Cowboys. “I fit right in with those guys. So, when I take the field with those guys and this team, I fit right in."

Gilmore said: "He felt, 'I can win a Super Bowl here, and it could be one of the greatest offensive lines in history.'"

In retrospect, Gilmore said there’s nothing the Dolphins could have done differently.

The Dallas/Miami contracts were identical, and the fact Miami could offer him only a guard spot, not a job at tackle, wasn’t a deciding factor, even though Gilmore said Collins' preference longterm is to play tackle.

Dallas also might play him at guard initially, Gilmore said.

“He felt great about playing between Mike Pouncey and Branden Albert,” Gilmore said. “The Dolphins should be commended for how hard they fought. Miami was pulling out all the stops.”

That included e-mailing a video with Dan Marino and other Dolphins officials making a personal appeal for Collins to sign; a call from Stephen Ross to Collins’ agent; and a visit by four Dolphins players (Jarvis Landry, Kelvin Sheppard, Mike Pouncey and Anthony Johnson) to meet with him on Tuesday in Baton Rouge.

“The players coming was huge,” Gilmore said. “The players chartered the flight on their own.”

Gilmore did an outstanding job making the best of a difficult and unprecedented situation, one in which a projected first-round pick went undrafted because he was loosely linked to a murder investigation, though police always said he wasn't a suspect.

By telling teams Collins wouldn't sign if drafted after the third round, Gilmore and co-agent Darren Jones made it possible for Collins to pick his own team.

Gilmore said 29 teams expressed interest in Collins and that he and three other agents at Priority Sports were involved in the process of determining which were the best fits to present to Collins.

Numerous factors were considered, including cost of living, which teams had strong offensive lines, which teams had quarterbacks who could get the ball out quickly, among other considerations.

Initially, Gilmore and his colleagues split the most appealing teams into two lists of eight.

Collins was asked to rank them from a lifestyle standpoint, and the agents ranked them in the other areas that were important criteria.

One of the Priority Sports agents informed each team the exact financial terms that Collins would accept, which was the most an undrafted free agent could be paid (three years, $1.6 million).

The list of contenders was whittled to six; Gilmore declined to disclose the four besides Miami and Dallas, though those two were ultimately the finalists.

Gilmore asked Collins which of those six he would like to speak with via Skype. But Collins prefered visits and wanted to take only two: Miami and Dallas.

Though he visited the Dolphins before the draft, he ultimately never made it back to South Florida a second time. In the end, Jones and the Cowboys made a lasting impression.

"It was two great organizations, two great owners," said Gilmore, who credited Dolphins president/football operations Mike Tannenbaum, his former colleague at Priority Sports, for helping push Miami to the upper tier of contenders.

"Mike was extremely influential getting them to the forefront," said Gilmore, who predicted the Dolphins will be very successful luring high-end free agents under Tannenbaum's guidance. (They already have with Ndamukong Suh.)

"Mike worked so hard at this. I felt I let him down," Gilmore said. "The Dolphins are a class act. Stephen Ross is a class act."

But this was ultimately Collins' decision, one he made after sleeping on it Wednesday night.

"He was thinking maybe Miami and then he woke up Thursday and felt like '[Dallas] is where I need to be,'" Gilmore said.

Barry Jackson @flasportsbuzz

 

[Deleted member 37754]

Son of a b-tch. Lol.

 

[h3at23]

Told ya

 

[toast1985]

I told my boy this would be the case. I knew it was between the two teams, and if there is one team in the NFL that would be a better destination for players, it would be Dallas (if state tax is a concern).