Dolphins: Aloha

sodenj5

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Miami trades one of their 5th round picks for Matt Brieda. There’s the lightning to Jordan Howard’s thunder.

Then they follow that up with DE Jason Stowbridge out of UNC. Another big edge setting, runstuffing 3-4 DE.

Jesus H, talk about building the infrastructure. A draft like this was long, long overdue for Miami.
 

Clears Cleaver

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I like the 5th round better than the 4th round!

edit, I think Strowbridge can set the edge and rush the passer and may end up being better than Raekwon
 
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dwainw

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Man, aside from the Tua pick, the "experts" haven't exactly loved what the Dolphins have done up to this point. Mostly luke-warm to solid reviews. Along with the sentiment that they've reached on a few guys, one of the bigger points of criticism has been around how they somehow managed not to pick up a RB. The guys at cbssports.com have been particularly dubious.

So just as I start to let some of that pessimism wash over me as only a Dolphins fan can (despite the great and upbeat analyses several of you have offered here), BAM! Matt Brieda. 5th round. Wow. I am back to loving this draft.
 

pdaj

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I‘m a huge fan of Breida. As an athlete, he’s just sick; and he runs incredibly hard. The issue, of course, has always been staying on the field, so he’ll likely never be a “bell-cow”. But who cares? Breida/Howard will be a really fun duo. Maybe Breida is able to earn a 2-year extension with a strong performance this season.
 

sodenj5

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I‘m a huge fan of Breida. As an athlete, he’s just sick; and he runs incredibly hard. The issue, of course, has always been staying on the field, so he’ll likely never be a “bell-cow”. But who cares? Breida/Howard will be a really fun duo. Maybe Breida is able to earn a 2-year extension with a strong performance this season.
Honestly that’s how you do it. Missed out on the top 5 RBs? Go get one that’s a great compliment to your current RB in the 5th round. He’ll be a complimentary back, which is a good role for him. Probably hard to understate how big of an upgrade of Howard and Breida are over Ballage and Laird.
 

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Miami closes out the draft with Navy QB Malcom Perry. Perry lead the nation in 10+ yard runs with 65! He is an obvious project, but he can be a slot WR, receiving back/option QB in a sub package with Tua. Chan Gailey also worked with a dude named Kordell Stewart, so he might be able to carve out a small role for him somewhere.

Was it the draft that I expected? Not necessarily. I don’t think anyone expected that level of investment in the lines on both sides. I would say it was very necessary. Miami walked away with the franchise QB, building blocks on both the lines, another very good RB, and some high upside players.

Obviously 5 years from now, this will be forever known as the Tua draft and everything hinges on him, but they made excellent use of all of that draft capital building a team in the image Flores has been harping about for the last year plus.
 

pdaj

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Miami closes out the draft with Navy QB Malcom Perry. Perry lead the nation in 10+ yard runs with 65! He is an obvious project, but he can be a slot WR, receiving back/option QB in a sub package with Tua. Chan Gailey also worked with a dude named Kordell Stewart, so he might be able to carve out a small role for him somewhere.

Was it the draft that I expected? Not necessarily. I don’t think anyone expected that level of investment in the lines on both sides. I would say it was very necessary. Miami walked away with the franchise QB, building blocks on both the lines, another very good RB, and some high upside players.

Obviously 5 years from now, this will be forever known as the Tua draft and everything hinges on him, but they made excellent use of all of that draft capital building a team in the image Flores has been harping about for the last year plus.
This is clearly Flores’ team now. I think they’ll take a step forward this season, and headed into next, watch out. The Dolphins will be hyped as one of — if not the — team on the rise, with another hoard of early draft picks to build on this year’s foundation. Of course, Tua’s got to be/stay healthy, but if so, holy shit, this is going to be a lot of fun.

This has been a curious offseason for NE, but barring anything spectacular (i.e. Signing Cam), the Dolphins could sweep the former Beast of the AFC East. The Bills are good, and the Jets had a strong draft, IMO. If there’s a season played, it’s going to be unlike one we’ve seen in a while.
 

Clears Cleaver

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ProFootballNetwork did a mock 2021 draft and has the Fish getting Ja'Marr Chase and Travis Etienne in the first round...lol. Best WR and best RB in college next year :)
 

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PFF draft grades...Dolphins get an A- but that is Tua heavy. For the most part the picks were panned hard. Austin Jackson and the Texas Safety in particular.
https://www.pff.com/news/draft-2020-nfl-draft-grades-for-all-32-teams?utm_source=PFF+Newsletter&utm_campaign=8565cc2b04-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_04_24_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_ae3f4210bf-8565cc2b04-216886525
Fair enough. I think PFF grades pretty heavily based on on-field production, which is why you see someone like Weaver ranked so high, but Jackson so low.

Jackson in a vacuum is far from a finished product. You definitely need to account for his upside and projection. Will he ever reach his full potential? Maybe not, but you need to account for that.

2020 is definitely a foundational year. Pick young guys with big upside that match the team’s character and identity. Miami went nuts on the offensive and defensive lines because that’s what they want their identity to be under Flores.

For a long time Miami tried to build the identity of the Packers with Philbin or the Broncos with Gase. They’ve gone the complete opposite direction. This team is built more like the Ravens than the Rams.
 

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I’ll say it now because it needs to be said:

1-0 to start the season.

That being said, I think Miami is looking at a 7-9 or 8-8 record this year. Obviously a lot will change between now and January, but I think that’s a reasonable jump in year 2 of the rebuild. If Miami had an easier schedule, I would say 8-9 wins is more likely, but it is what it is and the entire AFC East is getting a tough draw on the schedule this year.
 

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I’ll say it now because it needs to be said:

1-0 to start the season.

That being said, I think Miami is looking at a 7-9 or 8-8 record this year. Obviously a lot will change between now and January, but I think that’s a reasonable jump in year 2 of the rebuild. If Miami had an easier schedule, I would say 8-9 wins is more likely, but it is what it is and the entire AFC East is getting a tough draw on the schedule this year.
The AFC East has the potential to be fascinating. I could envision a scenario where all four teams are bunched in the 7 to 9 win range.
 

sodenj5

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The AFC East has the potential to be fascinating. I could envision a scenario where all four teams are bunched in the 7 to 9 win range.
That sounds pretty fair. I think the Bills probably separate from the pack a bit. I can see them being a 10 win team if Allen isn’t bad.

Miami, NE, and NYJ are going to be swirling around in the same muck I would imagine. Obviously the Pats season is heavily reliant on Stidham. It feels like Darnold hasn’t progressed since he was drafted.

My guess is we don’t see Tua before the bye week and it’s heavily dependent on whether or not Miami is in the hunt at all. I think Fitz is the guy unless he gets hurt or they’re eliminated.

Also a token Week 17 start in January at Buffalo isn’t where I’d want Tua to get his first start, so I’d rather ice him for the full year if those are the options.
 

5dice

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I’ll say it now because it needs to be said:

1-0 to start the season.
What do all the Vegas oddsmakers who range from -5.5 to -9.5 and consensus at -6.5 for the game have wrong that needs to be said? Not baiting you as I realize the sensitivities associated with Patriots fans and you. Just curious on what you think from a nuts and bolts standpoint.
 

sodenj5

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What do all the Vegas oddsmakers who range from -5.5 to -9.5 and consensus at -6.5 for the game have wrong that needs to be said? Not baiting you as I realize the sensitivities associated with Patriots fans and you. Just curious on what you think from a nuts and bolts standpoint.
Miami went into NE last year with a roster literally half as talented as the roster they currently have and beat the Patriots in a game they needed and wanted to win.

Add Xavien Howard, Byron Jones, Kyle Van Noy, Emmanuel Ogbah, Shaq Lawson, Jordan Howard, Matt Brieda, a completely overhauled offensive line, and substitute Tom Brady for a QB making his first start in the NFL.

I think the Vegas oddsmakers are assuming it’s business as usual in NE, especially at home, until proven otherwise.
 

5dice

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Miami went into NE last year with a roster literally half as talented as the roster they currently have and beat the Patriots in a game they needed and wanted to win.

Add Xavien Howard, Byron Jones, Kyle Van Noy, Emmanuel Ogbah, Shaq Lawson, Jordan Howard, Matt Brieda, a completely overhauled offensive line, and substitute Tom Brady for a QB making his first start in the NFL.

I think the Vegas oddsmakers are assuming it’s business as usual in NE, especially at home, until proven otherwise.
Right. Why would't Vegas take all those free agent signings and last year's win in Foxboro into account like you are?
 

pdaj

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Betting lines are more complicated than that, as they're designed to affect betting behavior. There was a study done a while back that over 66% of underdogs (between 3.5 - 6.5 points) won outright. And for those given 7 - 10 points? They won outright slightly over 50%.
 

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Apparently O’Shea was let go partially because the offense was too complex

View: https://twitter.com/nbcsboston/status/1263244547599011840?s=21
Yea I thought this was somewhat known.

The Pats scheme is notoriously difficult to digest mentally. Look at the number of proven veterans that have come to NE and failed. When you have one of the greatest QBs of all time pulling the trigger, you make the other pieces adapt and figure it out.

When you have Ryan Fitzpatrick and Josh Rosen and a bunch of dudes that have never run anything like that, you’re going to get mostly a dumpster fire. Also that article makes it sound as if O’Shea wasn’t a particularly good teacher of said offense.

It’s another reason why I still have a few shreds of optimism about Josh Rosen. He was put through the spin cycle last off season and asked to basically run a graduate level course on offense while throwing to dudes that also had no clue what they were doing.

Tua is obviously the future, but that doesn’t mean that Rosen is a lost cause and might actually look like a serviceable QB with a simplified offense to execute and next to zero expectations. Miami is apparently getting some calls about Rosen as well.

View: https://twitter.com/profootballtalk/status/1263287471556739073?s=21
 

tims4wins

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Yea I thought this was somewhat known.

The Pats scheme is notoriously difficult to digest mentally. Look at the number of proven veterans that have come to NE and failed. When you have one of the greatest QBs of all time pulling the trigger, you make the other pieces adapt and figure it out.

When you have Ryan Fitzpatrick and Josh Rosen and a bunch of dudes that have never run anything like that, you’re going to get mostly a dumpster fire. Also that article makes it sound as if O’Shea wasn’t a particularly good teacher of said offense.

It’s another reason why I still have a few shreds of optimism about Josh Rosen. He was put through the spin cycle last off season and asked to basically run a graduate level course on offense while throwing to dudes that also had no clue what they were doing.

Tua is obviously the future, but that doesn’t mean that Rosen is a lost cause and might actually look like a serviceable QB with a simplified offense to execute and next to zero expectations. Miami is apparently getting some calls about Rosen as well.

View: https://twitter.com/profootballtalk/status/1263287471556739073?s=21
Just goes to show you how much fit / team matters for a drafted player, especially QB. Would TB12 have ever even started an NFL game if he was drafted by say Arizona? Who knows. Or take Kyle Van Noy. Without a trade to the Pats is he even in the league right now?
 

pdaj

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Just goes to show you how much fit / team matters for a drafted player, especially QB. Would TB12 have ever even started an NFL game if he was drafted by say Arizona? Who knows. Or take Kyle Van Noy. Without a trade to the Pats is he even in the league right now?
So much this. Another reason why diversity within coaching (background, experience, style/system) is important. Kenyan Drake was never a featured player in Miami's offense, yet the Cardinals value him enough to franchise tag him. 10 years ago, Lamar Jackson's ceiling was probably ... Taysom Hill? No way he's drafted in the 1st round. A league full of prototypes is boring as fuck. Josh Rosen still may not be incredibly likable, but he's, without question, talented. He flashed enough, especially during the preseason; and top 10 picks rarely fail due to a lack of ability. He turned 23 three months ago.

With so much money at stake in football, (most) coaches are given far too little time to win. As a result, they have to make lightening quick decisions on whether a QB is worth investing in -- time, resources, etc. A QB largely impacts who you hire as an OC, and the type of skill players you draft and acquire via FA. The Cardinals moved off Rosen after he stated 13 games with the worst roster in the league. That's like being forced into taking a leadership position within an organization that's in the process of burning (metaphorically), and then being fired at the end of the year because, hey, we need to clean house! What if Rosen had dropped to the Chargers or New England?

Josh Rosen's making chump change right now, so I'd be fine with Miami keeping Rosen as the 3rd QB this year and then having him be Tua's primary backup in '21. As we've seen before, anything can happen, so who knows? There's an injury, suddenly he's starting, and boom -- it all clicks. The issue for Miami's FO is the 5th year option, which is never going to be considered by the Dolphins, unless something drastic were to take place. Thus, as far as maximizing a return on draft capital, dealing Rosen following a strong preseason is probably the way to go. Though, what's that likely to get you -- a 4th round pick? Personally, I'd rather have the cheap, young QB for 2 seasons.
 
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Super Nomario

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Yea I thought this was somewhat known.

The Pats scheme is notoriously difficult to digest mentally. Look at the number of proven veterans that have come to NE and failed. When you have one of the greatest QBs of all time pulling the trigger, you make the other pieces adapt and figure it out.
What proven veterans came to NE and failed, and how many of them did anything subsequently?
 

sodenj5

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So much this. Another reason why diversity within coaching (background, experience, style/system) is important. Kenyan Drake was never a featured player in Miami's offense, yet the Cardinals value him enough to franchise tag him. 10 years ago, Lamar Jackson's ceiling was probably ... Taysom Hill? No way he's drafted in the 1st round. A league full of prototypes is boring as fuck. Josh Rosen still may not be incredibly likable, but he's, without question, talented. He flashed enough, especially during the preseason; and top 10 picks rarely fail due to a lack of ability. He turned 23 three months ago.

With so much money at stake in football, (most) coaches are given far too little time to win. As a result, they have to make lightening quick decisions on whether a QB is worth investing in -- time, resources, etc. A QB largely impacts who you hire as an OC, and the type of skill players you draft and acquire via FA. The Cardinals moved off Rosen after he stated 13 games with the worst roster in the league. That's like being forced into taking a leadership position within an organization that's in the process of burning (metaphorically), and then being fired at the end of the year because, hey, we need to clean house! What if Rosen had dropped to the Chargers or New England?

Josh Rosen's making chump change right now, so I'd be fine with Miami keeping Rosen as the 3rd QB this year and then having him be Tua's primary backup in '21. As we've seen before, anything can happen, so who knows? There's an injury, suddenly he's starting, and boom -- it all clicks. The issue for Miami's FO is the 5th year option, which is never going to be considered by the Dolphins, unless something drastic were to take place. Thus, as far as maximizing a return on draft capital, dealing Rosen following a strong preseason is probably the way to go. Though, what's that likely to get you -- a 4th round pick? Personally, I'd rather have the cheap, young QB for 2 seasons.
This is basically my stance on Rosen. He’s making peanuts, still has potential, and is likely going to be in an offense that is much closer to what he ran in college. He might have a fighting chance to look competent in preseason.

My guess is this is Fitz’s last season. His contract is up at the end of this year and Miami has its heir and if they keep Rosen, a potentially very decent backup QB. Even if they only keep Rosen this season and next, they can still have the option to pickup his option and trade him if he looks good, or let him walk.

Let’s not kid ourselves, Tua isn’t the model of durability. There’s a greater than zero percent chance that whoever is the backup sees the field if Tua is QB1. I’d feel better if that was Rosen than if it was a UDFA from Toledo.
 

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What proven veterans came to NE and failed, and how many of them did anything subsequently?
Chad Johnson is the first name that immediately jumps to mind. Mo Sanu last year. Dante Stallworth. There’s a decently long list of draft picks that haven’t panned out either.

Maybe I’m off base, but the fact that a guy like Sanu struggled that badly suggests to me that New England’s system is far more complex than a spread based offense, which is essentially what MiamI swapped for in dropping O’Shea for Gailey.
 

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Chad Johnson is the first name that immediately jumps to mind. Mo Sanu last year. Dante Stallworth. There’s a decently long list of draft picks that haven’t panned out either.

Maybe I’m off base, but the fact that a guy like Sanu struggled that badly suggests to me that New England’s system is far more complex than a spread based offense, which is essentially what MiamI swapped for in dropping O’Shea for Gailey.
Sanu got hurt. He caught 10 balls on 14 targets in his second game, then wasn't the same.
 

Super Nomario

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Chad Johnson is the first name that immediately jumps to mind. Mo Sanu last year. Dante Stallworth. There’s a decently long list of draft picks that haven’t panned out either.

Maybe I’m off base, but the fact that a guy like Sanu struggled that badly suggests to me that New England’s system is far more complex than a spread based offense, which is essentially what MiamI swapped for in dropping O’Shea for Gailey.
Chad Johnson was washed; he never played in the NFL again after that year. Sanu got hurt in his second game in NE. Stallworth did about what he did the rest of his career. There have been a lot of busted draft picks, but none of them did anything anywhere else, either.

There are also a number of success stories integrating veterans and to a lesser extent youngsters. They've never really invested in WR and have dealt with tons of turnover at the position through the years. People remember the failures and blame it on the complexity; I think that's overblown.
 
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tims4wins

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Stallworth caught 46 balls on 75 targets and 15.2 YPC in 2007. Moss and Welker combined for 210 catches. Faulk was 3rd at 47, then Watson and Gaffney had 36 each. I thought Stallworth was pretty darn good that year.
 

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Chad Johnson was washed; he never played in the NFL again after that year. Sanu got hurt in his second game in NE. Stallworth did about what he did the rest of his career. There have been a lot of busted draft picks, but none of them did anything anywhere else, either.

There are also a number of success stories integrating veterans and to a lesser extent youngsters. They've never really invested in WR and have dealt with tons of turnover at the position through the years. People remember the failures and blame it on the complexity; I think that's overblown.
Devante Parker had the best year of his career. It’s possible that the system complexity is overblown, I just seem to recall Brady taking a long time to get on the same page as new WRs due to the number of sight adjustments and the QB and WR needing to see the field with essentially the same eyes.
 

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Joey Galloway, Doug Gabriel, Eric Decker are some of the names you’re looking for. Decent players and WRs who wilted upon arrival in New England.

This is one of the things that hasn’t been thrashed out specifically re Brady’s departure in New England. The offense was designed specifically for him, and was too complex for the inexperienced/unfamiliar receivers. Brady whined about getting veterans (read: expensive) as weapons, but this would completely fly in the face of the roster management principles that have served the Patriots so well during the dynasty.

There‘s no way Tua could flourish in Yer 1 with a complex offense, so I applaud Flores for making the tough call to bring in an OC more likely to leverage Tua’s strengthis that O’Shea would’ve.
 

Super Nomario

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Joey Galloway, Doug Gabriel, Eric Decker are some of the names you’re looking for. Decent players and WRs who wilted upon arrival in New England.
Eric Decker?! Who signed late and then retired before the season starts? If this is one of your examples, you have no examples. (Galloway and Gabriel did zilch after NE, too; Galloway was 38 for goodness sakes).

This is one of the things that hasn’t been thrashed out specifically re Brady’s departure in New England. The offense was designed specifically for him, and was too complex for the inexperienced/unfamiliar receivers. Brady whined about getting veterans (read: expensive) as weapons, but this would completely fly in the face of the roster management principles that have served the Patriots so well during the dynasty.
I don't think I agree with any of the sentences in this paragraph.
 

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As training camp may or may not be around the corner, I wanted to pose this question:

What is a successful 2020 season in your eyes?

My definition of a successful 2020 is Miami playing competitive football, with 6+ wins, and Tua getting at least a start or two this season.

Anything beyond that is gravy, IMO. I want to see all of the young talent develop throughout the year. Tua, Austin Jackson, Noah I, Robert Hunt. Those guys should be key pieces moving forward. I want to see growth.

Last year, we saw growth from players who looked like they might have stalled out. I trust Flores to develop the young guys and play the best players week to week. I think he has shown that is his philosophy.
 

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I’ve thought a lot about the expectation thing as well, because I’ve wondered if I’m in an extreme minority with my thinking.
When I look at the schedule and consider the circumstances heading into this season, I think the most likely scenario is the team winning 5 or 6 games and having one of the worst records in the league...but within that scenario the team is also super competitive, their numbers have improved across the board, and I’m super excited for the future and expecting them to compete for a playoff spot in 2021.

So yeah, I’m not too concerned about record this year. If this year proves to be baby steps, I think that’s totally reasonable and may in fact prove optimal, considering the picks they’d have in this next draft. I’ll be looking for competence as an organization across the board, individual players to flash, and of course for Tua to prove healthy and to look close to be what we hope for in whatever time he may get...that to me is a success, even if they match or don’t even reach last years win total.
But I do worry (or at least wonder if) that a large portion of the fan base has worked themselves into thinking this is an 8 or 9 win team and being out of the playoff hunt will be some huge disappointment, even if things beyond the surface level all seem to be trending upwards.
 

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I’ve thought a lot about the expectation thing as well, because I’ve wondered if I’m in an extreme minority with my thinking.
When I look at the schedule and consider the circumstances heading into this season, I think the most likely scenario is the team winning 5 or 6 games and having one of the worst records in the league...but within that scenario the team is also super competitive, their numbers have improved across the board, and I’m super excited for the future and expecting them to compete for a playoff spot in 2021.

So yeah, I’m not too concerned about record this year. If this year proves to be baby steps, I think that’s totally reasonable and may in fact prove optimal, considering the picks they’d have in this next draft. I’ll be looking for competence as an organization across the board, individual players to flash, and of course for Tua to prove healthy and to look close to be what we hope for in whatever time he may get...that to me is a success, even if they match or don’t even reach last years win total.
But I do worry (or at least wonder if) that a large portion of the fan base has worked themselves into thinking this is an 8 or 9 win team and being out of the playoff hunt will be some huge disappointment, even if things beyond the surface level all seem to be trending upwards.
I think my expectations would be higher if Miami didn’t have a tough schedule and had a full, normal offseason. I think most rookies will have a difficult time this season acclimating.

The fact that this season is happening during a “transitional” year for Miami is fine by me. Another year of laying foundational bricks.To me, next season is the year to look towards with higher expectations and Miami making the jump to “playoff contender” consistently.
 

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View: https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1288477292780560385?s=20


Tua has passed his physical and will not start the season on the PUP or NFI list. Flores says then when there are practices, he will be a full participant.

Obviously good news and another significant step forwards for Tua’s long term recovery.
I am glad Tua is coming into camp healthy and ready to play. It would be a shame for him to be injured or get injured with so much excitement from the Miami fandom.
 

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First padded practice of the season for Miami today and the play of the day belonged to their former first round draft pick at QB...Josh Rosen?

View: https://twitter.com/WingfieldNFL/status/1295386831421415424?s=20


Good on Rosen for continuing to push. To say he’s faced an uphill battle thus far in his career would be accurate.

Tua got some action, but was largely asked to hand off and completed two checkdowns.

Spicy battle of training camp might be Devante Parker vs Byron Jones.
 

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Story of the day today is that presumptive starting QB Ryan Fitzpatrick is missing today’s practice for personal reasons. The team has to disclose if it’s COVID related, so that seems unlikely, however it is notable he won’t be there today and possibly longer than that. Flores wouldn’t comment on when Fitz would be back and Miami worked out QB Jake Ruddock, so it’s possible it may be longer than a one day absence.

Josh Rosen has reportedly looked like the best QB in training camp so far. He’ll get his crack running the first team offense today. It’s not an impossible scenario where Josh Rosen starts at QB for Miami.

I think if it’s a coin flip decision, they’ll likely defer to Fitz as he earned the right with his play last year, but if Rosen looks like he’s clearly the best option at QB for Week 1 vs NE and Fitz misses any significant time, it could be the Rosen 2.0 Show.

I hypothesized back when they hired Gailey that Josh Rosen might benefit significantly from a more QB friendly, more college like spread offense. The battle to start at QB might be legitimate if Rosen can rise up.
 

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View: https://twitter.com/cameronwolfe/status/1301561521873485824?s=21


Not shocking, all things considered. Miami took a shot on finding a franchise QB for pennies on the dollar. That didn’t pan out, so they drafted Tua.

Everything I’ve heard regarding Tua is that the hip and his physical condition appear to be 100%. Which is probably a best case scenario that we could have hoped for heading into the season.

If Miami is fielding calls on Rosen, it means they feel comfortable enough to go into the season with Tua as QB2. A team acquiring Rosen would get a year with him before having to decide if they want to pick up his 5th year option. Holding him beyond the start of the season likely only diminishes whatever trade value he has.
 

sodenj5

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And just like that, the Josh Rosen era has come to an end in Miami.

I don’t regret the thought process Miami had. Taking a shot at a former first round QB when you are at ground zero of your rebuild is fine. I’m happy they didnot make the mistake we’ve seen so many times and hung with Rosen for too long.

They saw everything they needed to see last year and clearly Rosen’s long term future wasn’t with Miami.

Interesting tweet from Daniel Jeremiah that I think translates.

View: https://twitter.com/movethesticks/status/1302052856254533632?s=21


This seems to ring true. What’s funny is that one of the things Tua has been praised for is his quickness in the pocket and the ability for him to get through his reads. He’s athletic but he’s also sudden in the pocket.

Rosen is a bit of a Jugs machine. If his read is open and he has a clean pocket, he can throw a pretty ball with great mechanics. Outside of that he seems to struggle.

Wish him well on his next stop (hopefully not NE)
 

Clears Cleaver

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Dolphins traded 4th to Vegas for their 3rd round pick Lynn Bowden Jr, the Kentucky QB/RB/WR/PR. Raiders wanted him as a RB but he couldn't pass block. Miamis is going to use him as a slot. if they put him on the field with the Navy QB they'd have three QBs in at same time
 

sodenj5

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Dolphins traded 4th to Vegas for their 3rd round pick Lynn Bowden Jr, the Kentucky QB/RB/WR/PR. Raiders wanted him as a RB but he couldn't pass block. Miamis is going to use him as a slot. if they put him on the field with the Navy QB they'd have three QBs in at same time
Seems like LV was trying to convert him into a RB and he played mostly WR and some QB in college. I see him being a similar player to Albert Wilson at WR. Also probably immediately jumps into the rotation at returner.

He and Perry seem to have a lot of overlap in their skill set and I would say Bowden has more experience at WR than Perry. Bowden might take some time to develop, but he has the higher ceiling of the two, IMO.

Edit: watching that highlight video, he’s also probably a better QB throwing the ball than Perry. Perry is probably faster and maybe better in a RB role.
 
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Clears Cleaver

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the Athletic has a report that the Raiders were very concerned with off-field stuff, buying cars, being more focused on Vegas nightlife than the playbook. Plus, he struggled mightily on the field as a RB.

I'm guessing if he has that kind of issue, Miami was not the place to be traded to...
 

sodenj5

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the Athletic has a report that the Raiders were very concerned with off-field stuff, buying cars, being more focused on Vegas nightlife than the playbook. Plus, he struggled mightily on the field as a RB.

I'm guessing if he has that kind of issue, Miami was not the place to be traded to...
Just read Mayock’s presser notes after they traded Bowden, and he insisted that the reason they traded Bowden was strictly related to on field fit. They envisioned him as a RB and he wasn’t doing as well as they would have liked, and decided to move on. Could be him just trying not to trash Bowden in the media, but he says they knew of the off field stuff and we’re totally comfortable with him.

Miami’s 2020 captain include 3 former Patriots. Karras, Kyle Van Noy, and Elandon Roberts. Roberts might be one of the biggest surprises in camp so far. He basically usurped Raekwon McMillan and was voted a team captain in no time flat.
 

pdaj

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I'm very excited for Sunday. My prediction? A defensive, running game battle.

How confident am I on this? Very.

Just kidding. I have NO fucking clue!

I'm just glad they're playing games.
 

sodenj5

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I'm very excited for Sunday. My prediction? A defensive, running game battle.

How confident am I on this? Very.

Just kidding. I have NO fucking clue!

I'm just glad they're playing games.
Agreed. I’m more anxious about not having any clue about how this game is going to go than anything else.

I don’t think you’re far off in your line of thinking. I think the Pats strength is their secondary and they’re a bit softer against the run on paper, so Miami is going to try and run the ball with Howard and Breida and work off the playaction.

I don’t see the Pats coming out in 3WR sets and throwing the ball 40+ times with Cam either. We’ll probably see a lot of 2 TE sets and 2 RB sets with White, Cam, and another RB in the backfield and working a lot of read option stuff to generate open look

Miami is going to want to play press man, but the biggest challenge with that is keep Cam in the pocket. Controlling the line and containing Cam are the keys to the game. If Cam starts rolling with his legs, Miami might be forced to spy or switch to more zone looks to keep eyes on him.

Sounds odd to say, but I feel somewhat confident Miami has the talent to matchup with NE in Foxboro. The biggest wildcard is having zero film on what the new look Pats are going to be.

I’ll predict a low scoring W for Miami. 17-16.