What Should Phins Fans Be Thankful For This Season?
Miami’s ugly 2019 Season hasn’t been a total disaster… so what’s going right?
The Miami Dolphins 2019 Season is a bittersweet one. Saying goodbye to so many talented players, having one of the worst records in the league, and being the butt-end of the media’s jokes hasn’t been easy to stomach. Not easy at all. The silver lining through all this pain is the fingers-crossed-hope that the Phins will pull out of its two-decade nosedive this offseason.
Phins fans know all about the ton of draft picks and the vast amount of Cap space, but is this all the good news that there is this season?
No.
While draft picks and Cap space is certainly a large component of the ‘good’ stemming from this season, there is more good news than just the potential to acquire future talent.
Right Decisions
- Vincent Taylor was cut and has one start with 3 tackles. So far, this looks like the right move.
- Not resigning Cameron Wake: As distasteful as the thought was and is, from a production standpoint it was the right move. Wake is on Injured Reserve and has only registered 2.5 sacks this season.
- Extending DeVante Parker: As trade bait or a player for the long-term, this created an opportunity either way in 2020 by adding a year to his contract in 2019.
- Flores moved on from Pat Flaherty very early due to his hesitancy to play younger talent. This season was about developing young players. Getting rid of players or staff that didn’t jive with the philosophy was essential.
- Having Dave DeGuglielmo in place to assume Offensive Line duties allowed Flores to fire Flaherty. It was either excellent luck or forethought.
You can make 100% bet with the pay per head software websites (AcePerHead.com) that this regime’s true evaluation won’t come until we see what they do with their draft capital gained from moving on from Tannehill, Tunsil, Fitzpatrick, Stills, and Quinn.
Scrap Heap Finds
- Preston Williams: Impact UDFA player vying for Offensive Rookie of the Year until his season-ending injury.
- Vince Biegel 65.4 PFF grade came in a trade for Kiko Alonso 69.2. Given the similar production at a fraction of the cost, this was a win.
- Taco Charlton: Jury is still out on whether he becomes an impact player, but the cost to the roll of the dice on the former 1st Rounder was worth it.
- Shaq Calhoun has started with solid production. Not bad for a UDFA.
- Patrick Laird is another UDFA who has flashed. Whether he’s a flash in the pan or something more has yet to be determined.
- John Jenkins has a PFF grade of 77.3 is ranked the 31st in the NFL.
- Nik Needham was a UDFA who is starting with a PFF grade of 69.4 and is ranked 38th in the NFL at cornerback.
- Steven Parker was claimed off the waiver wire from the Los Angeles Rams. He has a PFF grade of 67.0 and is ranked as 42nd best safety in the NFL
Finding quality players after the draft is a key trait to good Front Offices. So far, Miami has nailed this part of the equation.
Reclamation Projects
- Mike Gesicki is producing more and more every week and already has surpassed his 2018 stat line.
- Charles Harris isn’t producing to the level of his draft status, but his PFF grade of 63.0 is respectable and his tape is looking better each week. This is a far better outcome than what the last staff was able to generate.
- Raekwon McMillan has tailed off in his play a bit, but he is battling through a bad knee. This type of injury is sure to have a negative impact on his game. Still, he has had more than a few impact plays between the tackles and his PFF grade of 64.6 is solid.
- DeVante Parker is creating a good redemption story. I personally have had a hard view of Parker’s professionalism over the years, but he has played every snap and played well. His PFF grade of 72.3 is a good sight to see. I’m going to ride with it and say Parker has turned the corner. Parker’s stat line of 46 receptions, 695 yards, 15.1 YPC, and 4 Touchdowns could build to a 1000 yards season when all is said and done.
These players add up to two 1st and two 2nd Round picks playing far better than they have previously. Even if two of these players can contribute long term, it will be a big boost to this talent starved team.
Happy Thanksgiving Phins fans
Brian Flores has fielded a tough and disciplined team that doesn’t quit. Given the lack of talent, adversity of injuries, and pressure from fans and the media this is no small feat. Flores is showing enough spark in the darkness to give fans hope that if Chris Grier can bring in some talent, next year’s Thanksgiving should look better than this year’s. Still, I’d wait till 2021-22 for real headway. Go Phins!!!
P.S.
Jimmy and I want to say, Happy Thanksgiving to all our regular readers and Phins fans in general.
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Hello Amin and Dol-Fans
I was listening to the PFF show and the discussion was about the top ten NFL Rookies entering week 12 and surprisinly there was a Miami Dolpins player on the list. Pertaining to Football I was very please to hear that news.
The Player was Rookie Corner/Back Nick Needham undrafted free agent 2019. https://youtu.be/ddqUEQJF8Co;https://youtu.be/QPI8pl7-Mog
UTEP Miners for five seasons, redshirting his freshman season. He finished his collegiate career with 213 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and three interceptions and a school record 33 passes broken up in 41 games played.
He was waived on August 31, 2019 as part of final roster cuts but was resigned to the team’s practice squad the following day.[3] Needham was promoted to the active roster on October 12, 2019 and made his NFL debut the next day against the Washington Redskins, starting at cornerback and finishing the game with one tackle and a pass defended.[4][5] In week 9 against the New York Jets, Needham recorded a team high 9 tackles and sacked Sam Darnold once in the 26–18 win. [6] Needham recorded his first career interception on November 10, 2019 against the Indianapolis Colts, picking off a pass from Brian Hoyer in the fourth quarter of the Dolphins’ 16-12 win.
That being said PFF has him ranked entering week 12: https://www.miamidolphins.com/video/nik-needham-snags-brian-hoyer-s-third-interception
Listed number 5 on there list
Allowed passed completions rate of 51.4% (In the NFL that’s 11 of 102 corner backs) Almost top ten Corner Backs best performance since on the field. That’s Great news for the Dolphins playing opposite of Howard being targeted but held his ground.
I thought Needham was close in preseason, but not close enough and needed more development. He is proving to be better than I expected and on a faster track. Nice find. Still, I don’t know how high his ceiling is and I hope we pick another CB in the draft fairly earlier. Though, if he keeps playing like he has it won’t be as much an imperative that we get one early… this year. I do hope we find another good CB this year or the next, Steve.
Happy Thanksgiving MJ and Jimmy. I absolutely love reading your columns. I don’t have time to post as often as I would like but I check on a daily basis for your new editions.
You guys have done a fantastic job with this forum. Whether we agree or not, one thing is certain, we LOVE our DOLPHINS. This has been a great site for us Phins fans to check in.
Keep up the good work and GO DOLPHINS!
Thanks, Fritz! You too! Appreciate to fine compliments… very happy to hear we are doing alright over here. All you guys who comment in FB and on the Phins forum make it great! Thanks so much! Have a happy Thanksgiving and eat till you pass out!!!!
The Dolphins did acquire a small basket of high draft picks, but it was achieved by trading away a couple of good player like Tunsil and Fitzpatrick. A quarterback isn’t going to help this talent starved team. Grier is going to have to trade his first round picks for a high number of lower picks and hope he hits on them. This gaggle of UDFA and scrap heap journeymen won’t be ready for a QB until one or even two drafts into the future.
So far, the only ray of hope and true success has been Coach Flores.He took Chicken Do-do and made Chicken salad out of it. This is the first pick that Mr. Ross got right. Flores has proved his worth on the field, through his players. I hope that Grier can do as good of a job picking talent this next year.
Whatever our final record is this year Isay, “GO FINS and Happy Thanksgiving.”
Hey, Van Happy Thanksgiving! I’ve been on the trade-back wagon for a bit. At least one of these top picks needs to be delt for more picks down the road. If they don’t get Burrow or Chase… trade back with the top one and then grab LT and QB with the later picks… or maybe a CB if there isn’t a top QB. They are in a spot where no one expects much next year… trade back this year and next with the additional picks and keep trading year after year. If they keep stacking that momentum can keep going for years. This is their one opportunity to get this type of draft pick ball rolling. So, I agree 100%.
Coach Flores! Hmmm that’s a big statement from you! I agree here too. Not sure if he is a great HC, but he is better than anyone since Sparano and I think he is much smarter. Sparano had top flight character but was average in football IQ.
Eat well. sir!!!