WEBVTT - Offseason Preview Part 4 0:00:01.639 --> 0:00:15.480 Bodown Miami want a drun? What is up, Dolph Fans? 0:00:15.600 --> 0:00:18.880 And welcome to the Drive Time Podcast, part of the 0:00:18.920 --> 0:00:24.400 Miami Dolphins official podcast network, covering your team, your Miami Dolphins. 0:00:24.600 --> 0:00:28.040 How's it going? Everybody? It is Friday. I am your host, 0:00:28.200 --> 0:00:32.360 Travis Wingfield. And on today's show, the fourth installment of 0:00:32.440 --> 0:00:35.239 the off season Preview, We're gonna finish up with the 0:00:35.400 --> 0:00:37.680 unit that helped drive the scheme of one of the 0:00:37.760 --> 0:00:42.640 NFL's best defenses, the defensive backs. We'll talk the incumbents 0:00:42.680 --> 0:00:45.720 and explore the free agent market and draft class. Will 0:00:45.720 --> 0:00:48.920 stop by the Specialist room as well, and finally, we'll 0:00:48.920 --> 0:00:51.080 cover the latest news and what the Kyle van Nous 0:00:51.200 --> 0:00:54.360 release could mean for this football team. All of that 0:00:54.400 --> 0:00:57.600 and more on this Friday, March the fifth edition of 0:00:58.000 --> 0:01:04.319 the Drive Time Podcast. So the news was first reported 0:01:04.400 --> 0:01:07.840 on Tuesday by Cameron Wolf of ESPN. It was then 0:01:07.880 --> 0:01:10.360 picked up by Mike Gara Folo and then rap sheet 0:01:10.360 --> 0:01:13.880 Ian Rapp report of NFL Network that Kyle van Ney 0:01:14.000 --> 0:01:16.880 had been released from the Dolphins or the discussion about 0:01:16.920 --> 0:01:20.319 his potential release was coming and the move was imminent, 0:01:20.560 --> 0:01:24.520 and then kavan himself released released a statement through Gara Folo, 0:01:24.800 --> 0:01:28.360 which serves as a pretty good source of confirmation. So 0:01:28.720 --> 0:01:31.480 in light of this first the reported cap hit would 0:01:31.480 --> 0:01:34.199 be just over four million dollars. There was an out 0:01:34.240 --> 0:01:37.360 in his contract after next season for a cap hit 0:01:37.480 --> 0:01:40.600 just over two million dollars. But in total, it's a 0:01:40.680 --> 0:01:43.760 nine million dollar cash savings, which when you hear the 0:01:43.840 --> 0:01:46.640 term cash and cash is king in all in all 0:01:46.680 --> 0:01:48.800 walks of life, right, but especially when it comes to 0:01:48.800 --> 0:01:52.000 football salaries. That's money owed to the player. So the 0:01:52.000 --> 0:01:55.240 Dolphins pocket that nine million and obviously are no longer 0:01:55.320 --> 0:01:58.240 beholden to the future money left on the deal that 0:01:58.400 --> 0:02:01.560 maintained that eleven to third team million dollars per year 0:02:01.800 --> 0:02:05.760 range through the season. So that's the business side of things, 0:02:05.920 --> 0:02:08.560 free up some more flexibility, but also comes with the 0:02:08.639 --> 0:02:11.280 hit there of the four million dollars on the cap hit. 0:02:11.560 --> 0:02:14.520 As far as the non business, the on the field stuff, 0:02:14.720 --> 0:02:17.160 what Kyle Van Noyd did, he was a very strong 0:02:17.240 --> 0:02:19.880 force defender off the outside edge, really gave you some 0:02:19.919 --> 0:02:21.800 good work in the running game, final things back to 0:02:21.840 --> 0:02:24.480 the inside of the football field. But we saw some 0:02:24.520 --> 0:02:26.400 other players kind of come up in that role this 0:02:26.440 --> 0:02:28.600 season and do a good job of that as well, 0:02:28.680 --> 0:02:30.880 like and Andrew Van Ginkle for instance. We'll talk more 0:02:30.880 --> 0:02:33.480 about him here in just one second, but what Van 0:02:33.520 --> 0:02:36.359 Noy did was offer a lot of versatility in his position. 0:02:36.400 --> 0:02:38.520 In his work, we talked about him not being a 0:02:38.560 --> 0:02:41.200 linebacker or an edge defender, just a guy that did 0:02:41.280 --> 0:02:44.079 multiple things. He played plenty of on ball work in 0:02:44.160 --> 0:02:46.440 his time in New England off ball work there as well. 0:02:46.680 --> 0:02:48.959 Was mostly an edge defender last year here in Miami, 0:02:49.040 --> 0:02:51.200 but he gives you a lot of flexibility on that 0:02:51.280 --> 0:02:54.840 defensive side of the football. And with Ryan Fitzpatrick pending 0:02:54.880 --> 0:02:56.680 free agent this year, he was set to be the 0:02:56.680 --> 0:02:59.920 oldest player on this Dolphins roster, so you kind of 0:03:00.040 --> 0:03:03.040 think about what might be able to happen with that 0:03:03.120 --> 0:03:06.400 extra nine million dollars of spending. Is their potential plan 0:03:06.480 --> 0:03:08.960 waiting in the wings, whether it's going back to an 0:03:09.040 --> 0:03:12.160 edge defender. There's there's a very deep edge defending class 0:03:12.160 --> 0:03:14.519 in this free agency market as it hits right now. 0:03:14.760 --> 0:03:17.280 We talked about that in the podcast on Tuesday. There's 0:03:17.280 --> 0:03:19.239 plenty of players in this draft that look like good 0:03:19.320 --> 0:03:23.200 edge defenders, Guys that have multiple, multiple scheme backgrounds and 0:03:23.320 --> 0:03:25.720 versatility to get on the field of multiple ways, the 0:03:25.760 --> 0:03:28.280 way that Kyle van Noyd did. Maybe it clears money 0:03:28.320 --> 0:03:30.079 for someone on the other side of the football, like 0:03:30.120 --> 0:03:32.519 a big time free agent along the offensive line or 0:03:32.520 --> 0:03:34.880 at the receiver position, whatever it might be. There is 0:03:34.920 --> 0:03:38.560 now more flexibility for spending that way. Maybe you use 0:03:38.640 --> 0:03:40.480 some of that money and extend some of the players 0:03:40.600 --> 0:03:43.560 from the teen draft class, a Jerome Baker, who's played 0:03:43.680 --> 0:03:45.840 very well here and is still in his early twenties. 0:03:45.880 --> 0:03:48.200 A player like Mike Gasicki who has been as sending 0:03:48.240 --> 0:03:50.000 for the last couple of seasons as one of the 0:03:50.080 --> 0:03:52.320 NFL's top tight ends. Maybe you go out and take 0:03:52.360 --> 0:03:54.560 care of Emmanuel Ogba, who has one year left in 0:03:54.640 --> 0:03:57.720 his contract after having a breakthrough campaign last year and 0:03:57.720 --> 0:04:00.600 showing any progress as a run stopper, and asked Rusher 0:04:00.800 --> 0:04:03.280 and his career so far, that's like Xavian Howard need 0:04:03.320 --> 0:04:05.880 to have his contract reworks to go towards that. Plenty 0:04:05.920 --> 0:04:08.600 of different avenues this could shift towards, and it just 0:04:08.640 --> 0:04:11.120 kind of gives you one overarching theme here that you know, 0:04:11.160 --> 0:04:14.000 we hear all these potential reports about players who could 0:04:14.000 --> 0:04:16.520 get cut, who could be moved on from who could 0:04:16.520 --> 0:04:19.200 be linked to certain teams in free agency. But I 0:04:19.240 --> 0:04:21.200 think the main thing that this tells us here is 0:04:21.200 --> 0:04:24.080 that no one really knows anything besides the people inside 0:04:24.080 --> 0:04:26.360 the building that make the calls and make the moves, 0:04:26.400 --> 0:04:29.159 because this was a pretty big surprise by all accounts, 0:04:29.400 --> 0:04:31.280 And you know, you put your trust here and Brian 0:04:31.320 --> 0:04:33.479 Flores and Chris Career and the way this team builds 0:04:33.480 --> 0:04:35.640 their roster because they've earned that trust with the way 0:04:35.680 --> 0:04:38.680 they've reshaped this thing and put this defense together in 0:04:38.720 --> 0:04:41.119 the vision of Brian Flores. I mean, if and Josh 0:04:41.120 --> 0:04:43.840 Bowyer as well, if you're gonna question somebody who had 0:04:43.880 --> 0:04:46.240 the number one takeaway defense, number third down number one 0:04:46.279 --> 0:04:49.320 third down defense, and had the number one scoring defense 0:04:49.320 --> 0:04:51.600 heading into weeks sevent team last year, well then I 0:04:51.600 --> 0:04:54.400 would question your take on that because these guys have 0:04:54.440 --> 0:04:56.680 proud and they know exactly what they're doing, so with 0:04:56.720 --> 0:04:58.720 this move, I just can't wait to see what happens 0:04:58.760 --> 0:05:01.320 next and how this entire our offseason plays out. Think 0:05:01.320 --> 0:05:03.719 this off season is going to be one of the 0:05:03.720 --> 0:05:06.600 most exciting ones that we've have had in quite some time. 0:05:06.640 --> 0:05:09.240 I mean, you've already had big name acquisitions and a 0:05:09.279 --> 0:05:12.000 new league year hasn't even began yet, with the Matt 0:05:12.000 --> 0:05:15.400 Stafford trade, the Carson Wentz trade, j J. Watt going 0:05:15.440 --> 0:05:18.479 to the Cardinals, all kinds of activity across the NFL, 0:05:18.640 --> 0:05:20.120 and the Dolphins now seem to be a part of 0:05:20.160 --> 0:05:22.040 that with the news that Kyle van Nou will be 0:05:22.120 --> 0:05:25.000 released before the new league year begins. And one more 0:05:25.040 --> 0:05:27.800 part about this entire news bit and talking about the 0:05:27.800 --> 0:05:29.400 business side of it, to kind of put a cap 0:05:29.440 --> 0:05:33.159 on that is the freedom and structure of the contract 0:05:33.200 --> 0:05:35.279 or the structure of the contract that gave the Dolphins 0:05:35.279 --> 0:05:38.240 the freedom to move on after one year and to 0:05:38.360 --> 0:05:40.120 just kind of bite the bullet on the cap and 0:05:40.120 --> 0:05:42.640 and get themselves some relief that way, you know, the 0:05:42.640 --> 0:05:45.080 way of doing business, to to keep yourself flexible to 0:05:45.120 --> 0:05:47.480 make moves year in and year out. That's an impressive 0:05:47.480 --> 0:05:49.920 stroke of of work there from the Dolphins from the 0:05:50.040 --> 0:05:52.640 salary cap standpoint, so tip of the hat there as 0:05:52.640 --> 0:05:54.760 far as the ability to get out of a contract 0:05:54.760 --> 0:05:57.000 that the coaching staff thought they needed to. So the 0:05:57.080 --> 0:05:59.440 off season is just getting started, and we talked a 0:05:59.480 --> 0:06:02.160 little bit there about xaviing Howard in that last bit, 0:06:02.200 --> 0:06:04.480 which is a good chance for us to segue into 0:06:04.480 --> 0:06:06.960 the Defensive back preview here, the fourth and final part 0:06:07.000 --> 0:06:09.200 of our preview series. We're gonna come back later on 0:06:09.240 --> 0:06:12.560 the podcast next week and talk about some more comprehensive 0:06:12.600 --> 0:06:14.760 plans and and and what the office and could bring 0:06:14.800 --> 0:06:16.720 that way, but let's go ahead and finish up here 0:06:16.720 --> 0:06:18.680 in the Defensive back Room. And we'll also talk about 0:06:18.680 --> 0:06:22.240 the Specialist. And I was gonna cover Bruce Feldman's Freaks 0:06:22.279 --> 0:06:24.000 List because I want to get into that at some point, 0:06:24.040 --> 0:06:25.599 but we're gonna go ahead and bump that to a 0:06:25.680 --> 0:06:28.280 future podcast. And I was going to tie in the 0:06:28.320 --> 0:06:31.200 Freaks List and kick this thing off with Byron Jones, 0:06:31.279 --> 0:06:34.160 because I mean, nobody really worked out better than he 0:06:34.200 --> 0:06:36.800 did in Indianapolis that year at the combine back in 0:06:37.640 --> 0:06:40.040 He's still holds the world record for the broad jump 0:06:40.320 --> 0:06:43.400 in that category. And of course, Byron now entering his 0:06:43.520 --> 0:06:45.880 second year as a Miami Dolphin and by the way, 0:06:45.960 --> 0:06:48.680 still just twenty eight years old, despite what feels like 0:06:48.720 --> 0:06:51.520 a decade long career at this point of top line 0:06:51.560 --> 0:06:54.080 production for Byron Jones, and the first thing I want 0:06:54.080 --> 0:06:56.320 to mention with Byron is one of the coolest parts 0:06:56.320 --> 0:06:59.200 about this job and and being around the team every day. 0:06:59.360 --> 0:07:02.120 You see the details that just aren't available to the 0:07:02.160 --> 0:07:06.000 general public, so the eye of the casual onlooker, I mean, 0:07:06.120 --> 0:07:08.600 especially this year without camp open to the public. One 0:07:08.600 --> 0:07:10.720 of my favorite parts of training camp this past season 0:07:11.000 --> 0:07:13.040 and even into the season sees when we're out there 0:07:13.120 --> 0:07:15.760 during the warm ups for practice, you see Byron working 0:07:15.760 --> 0:07:17.320 on the ball skills. He's out there early on the 0:07:17.400 --> 0:07:20.000 jugs machine. He's working with Coach Burke's getting you know, 0:07:20.120 --> 0:07:22.720 his his ball tracking and his ball place or ball 0:07:23.040 --> 0:07:25.200 location when he tries to turn around and locate that 0:07:25.240 --> 0:07:27.240 thing in the air. He's working on all that stuff. 0:07:27.360 --> 0:07:29.559 He's always out there working on flipping his hips, getting 0:07:29.560 --> 0:07:33.000 into phase, locating the football and making a play accordingly. 0:07:33.760 --> 0:07:35.679 And you wouldn't know it, but he set a career 0:07:35.760 --> 0:07:38.880 high and interceptions this year, his first year with multiple 0:07:38.920 --> 0:07:42.280 interceptions and a quick sidebar. Another thing I loved about 0:07:42.320 --> 0:07:45.120 interacting with Byron this year, you know, was his transparency 0:07:45.400 --> 0:07:48.840 and levity about the whole interception topic, because it came 0:07:48.920 --> 0:07:50.720 up time and time again, and you know, not to 0:07:50.760 --> 0:07:52.680 get too far off the point here, but just one 0:07:52.720 --> 0:07:56.240 of the more fascinating people in the league, not just 0:07:56.320 --> 0:07:59.920 for his enlightening press conferences, but his desire for nala 0:08:00.280 --> 0:08:04.000 commitment to serving his community. Again, I highly recommend going 0:08:04.040 --> 0:08:06.360 back to the feature pod we did back in December 0:08:06.480 --> 0:08:09.440 where we talked about Byron's nomination for the Walter Peyton 0:08:09.480 --> 0:08:11.520 Man of the Year, talked about some of his work 0:08:11.520 --> 0:08:14.160 in the community, and a whole bunch more. But back 0:08:14.200 --> 0:08:16.760 onto the football field. One of the one of the 0:08:16.760 --> 0:08:20.440 game's best press cover corners, and that's just a fact. Frankly, 0:08:20.760 --> 0:08:23.400 what exaviing Howard did this year is even more impressive 0:08:23.440 --> 0:08:26.120 when you consider the playing press man corner. Let's just 0:08:26.160 --> 0:08:28.280 go ahead and make this a point that the defense 0:08:28.400 --> 0:08:31.360 isn't solely pressed man. They do a fantastic job of 0:08:31.400 --> 0:08:34.080 mixing coverages and looks. But by the letter of the law, 0:08:34.280 --> 0:08:36.640 the job that Byron and X do on the outside 0:08:36.679 --> 0:08:39.640 on those press man reps is to limit separation and 0:08:39.679 --> 0:08:42.199 make the quarterback think twice and have that hitch in 0:08:42.280 --> 0:08:44.920 his trigger, which then in turn gives the pass rush 0:08:44.960 --> 0:08:47.520 that extra half second to make one of those game 0:08:47.600 --> 0:08:49.840 changing plays we saw throughout the course of the season, 0:08:50.040 --> 0:08:52.920 and that's the crux of the entire defense and Jones's 0:08:53.000 --> 0:08:55.600 presence flat out was one of the main reasons it 0:08:55.720 --> 0:08:58.320 all clicked for this defense this season, and the box 0:08:58.320 --> 0:09:01.000 score doesn't always tell you that, but the results should. 0:09:01.280 --> 0:09:05.400 So it pertains to his physical ability, strong press, exceptional 0:09:05.440 --> 0:09:07.920 recovery speed. If you're not gonna win every rep every 0:09:07.960 --> 0:09:11.080 matchup at the line against the releases of the world's 0:09:11.080 --> 0:09:13.760 best receivers in this league. But he's got smooth hips 0:09:13.760 --> 0:09:15.840 to change the direction in a short area and the 0:09:15.880 --> 0:09:19.200 intelligence to adhere to all the responsibility of playing in 0:09:19.200 --> 0:09:22.000 a defense. So multiple thought he was terrific in year 0:09:22.000 --> 0:09:24.680 one and we'll only get better in your number two. 0:09:24.960 --> 0:09:28.240 And my favorite quote of this season, this freaking guy again. 0:09:28.480 --> 0:09:31.320 That's what Byron Jones told the media that his reaction 0:09:31.480 --> 0:09:33.959 after seeing Xaving Howard pulled down some of those picks 0:09:34.040 --> 0:09:36.839 late in the year. Yeah, that guy again. The first 0:09:36.840 --> 0:09:39.079 player with double digit i n t s in a 0:09:39.120 --> 0:09:41.800 season since two thousand seven. My favorite tape from the 0:09:41.960 --> 0:09:45.560 entire season for an individual's you know, one guy's tape 0:09:45.800 --> 0:09:48.559 game tape this season. In one game my favorite performance 0:09:48.600 --> 0:09:51.320 was Exaving Howard against the New York Jets. Literally had 0:09:51.320 --> 0:09:54.400 three or four, maybe even five chances at interceptions in 0:09:54.440 --> 0:09:56.480 that one one of them he had his hands on 0:09:56.679 --> 0:09:59.160 and the receiver poked the way. Last second one he 0:09:59.200 --> 0:10:01.320 was gonna catch, but the receiver jump on his back 0:10:01.480 --> 0:10:03.760 and got the op I call. And then another one 0:10:04.000 --> 0:10:06.240 X just couldn't quite squeeze it. And then there was 0:10:06.280 --> 0:10:07.920 the last one that he did pull down to kind 0:10:07.920 --> 0:10:10.160 of put that game on ice at the end. But 0:10:10.240 --> 0:10:12.600 the patients he has at all levels of the route 0:10:12.800 --> 0:10:15.439 is indicative of his confidence and that's something I think 0:10:15.640 --> 0:10:17.800 that has really grown throughout the course of his career. 0:10:17.800 --> 0:10:20.760 You take a look at the over routes on his 0:10:20.840 --> 0:10:23.600 highlight reel, on his all twenty two reel, and anybody's 0:10:23.640 --> 0:10:26.800 real it's such a tough route to cover. Typically you 0:10:26.880 --> 0:10:29.880 have outside leverage, which means that you are giving inside 0:10:29.880 --> 0:10:32.280 access to the receiver and you're protecting us the sideline 0:10:32.480 --> 0:10:34.680 on the perimeter, and you give them that inside access 0:10:34.679 --> 0:10:36.679 to kind of run across the field and then from 0:10:36.720 --> 0:10:39.680 there it's a foot race and the corner's responsibility to 0:10:39.760 --> 0:10:44.040 win despite starting at that disadvantage. That's why time speeds 0:10:44.040 --> 0:10:47.120 are so I think valued for you know, for a 0:10:47.120 --> 0:10:49.360 lot of people at the cornerback position, because if you 0:10:49.360 --> 0:10:51.760 can't run with these receivers you can't play with them, 0:10:51.760 --> 0:10:54.840 and obviously game based speeds more important than time speed. 0:10:55.000 --> 0:10:57.079 But you do look at that fort yar dash these guys, 0:10:57.280 --> 0:11:00.160 and if the past rush doesn't get home, then ay, 0:11:00.240 --> 0:11:03.360 these routes become damn near and possible to cover. But 0:11:03.559 --> 0:11:07.000 Xavian just has this way of baiting quarterbacks by showing 0:11:07.000 --> 0:11:09.320 them a window and then taking it away where he 0:11:09.360 --> 0:11:12.600 goes from that outside hip to quickly undercutting the route 0:11:12.840 --> 0:11:15.640 and and studying this. It's really a bit of brilliance 0:11:15.679 --> 0:11:18.120 because the quarterback thinks he has the benefit of the 0:11:18.160 --> 0:11:20.760 open sideline to work with all that room out in front. 0:11:20.960 --> 0:11:23.520 But really what X is doing is creating a small 0:11:23.520 --> 0:11:26.080 window where if the throw is perfect, it's probably gonna 0:11:26.080 --> 0:11:28.079 be a big play. You will, we'll give you that, 0:11:28.240 --> 0:11:30.559 But if it's under thrown at all, we're gonna intercept 0:11:30.600 --> 0:11:32.400 it and take it away. If it's high, it could 0:11:32.400 --> 0:11:35.000 be tipped and wind up in some traffic behind the play, 0:11:35.200 --> 0:11:37.720 possibly picked off that way too. And if it's under 0:11:37.720 --> 0:11:40.120 thrown like behind the receiver, then it also has a 0:11:40.200 --> 0:11:42.560 chance to get picked there as well. And both these guys, 0:11:42.640 --> 0:11:45.400 Jones and X tackled so well on the perimeter this year, 0:11:45.520 --> 0:11:47.400 So I look at these two as the drivers of 0:11:47.440 --> 0:11:50.720 the scheme that flow and Boyer deploy and boy it 0:11:50.760 --> 0:11:52.360 was fun to watch it all kind of come together 0:11:52.400 --> 0:11:55.040 in year one, especially when Byron got back from that 0:11:55.080 --> 0:11:57.000 growing injury that took him out of two and a 0:11:57.040 --> 0:12:00.400 half basically three games for this Dolphins defense. But the 0:12:00.520 --> 0:12:04.040 hits on the secondary just keep coming. At the safety position, 0:12:04.080 --> 0:12:06.559 Bobby McCain had a tremendous year last year. You ever 0:12:06.559 --> 0:12:09.200 wonder why the Dolphins defense was one of the stingiest 0:12:09.200 --> 0:12:12.240 in terms of allowing big plays, like a stingy in 0:12:12.320 --> 0:12:14.680 most areas, But for the sake of this argument, you 0:12:14.720 --> 0:12:18.120 know what we really saw this year breakdowns, communication issues, 0:12:18.160 --> 0:12:21.560 and the consequential explosive play from the opposing offense. Coach 0:12:21.640 --> 0:12:24.360 Gerald Alexan talks all the time about how big plays 0:12:24.400 --> 0:12:27.640 happened through the second dary and watching the way Bobby 0:12:27.760 --> 0:12:30.560 moved in accordance on the all twenty two with the 0:12:30.679 --> 0:12:34.240 most threatening vertical options for the offense was just a 0:12:34.280 --> 0:12:36.680 stroke of brilliance. All year. I thought he was capping 0:12:36.720 --> 0:12:39.680 over routes as a robber. He was flipping and turning 0:12:39.720 --> 0:12:42.160 backside to get to those backside posts, so he would 0:12:42.240 --> 0:12:43.839 kind of roll to one side of the field to 0:12:43.840 --> 0:12:46.600 take away that option and diagnose the route and then 0:12:46.600 --> 0:12:49.080 recognize a backside post and get back to that part 0:12:49.080 --> 0:12:51.560 of the field and really play both sides of the field. 0:12:51.600 --> 0:12:53.920 From that middle of the field safety position, he was 0:12:54.000 --> 0:12:57.080 running off the top of go routes, taking those options away. 0:12:57.320 --> 0:12:59.400 Just did so much in coverage that doesn't get into 0:12:59.400 --> 0:13:01.079 a box score, that doesn't even show up on the 0:13:01.080 --> 0:13:03.760 broadcast because he's playing twenty yards off the football and 0:13:03.760 --> 0:13:05.840 you don't see him until you watch the All twenty two. 0:13:06.120 --> 0:13:08.240 And it's not just that as a middle of the 0:13:08.280 --> 0:13:11.120 field center field defender playing twenty yards off the ball, 0:13:11.240 --> 0:13:13.480 he was nothing short of fantastic in that area. And 0:13:13.480 --> 0:13:16.000 when you think about all those different coverages and all 0:13:16.040 --> 0:13:18.559 the checks that occur, I mean, you get pre snap motion. 0:13:18.640 --> 0:13:21.920 Then you have to communicate the new responsibilities in a flash. 0:13:22.200 --> 0:13:24.720 I just never saw that palms up like looking at 0:13:24.720 --> 0:13:27.800 each other while the opposition cruises in for a touchdown, 0:13:27.960 --> 0:13:29.960 looking at each other wondering what the hell happened? Who 0:13:30.040 --> 0:13:32.160 had him? Remember just four or five years ago how 0:13:32.200 --> 0:13:35.319 often that happened. It pretty much never happened this year. 0:13:35.360 --> 0:13:37.760 I think McCain's job back there was a big reason 0:13:37.840 --> 0:13:40.440 for that. You talked to Flora's boy or g A, 0:13:40.440 --> 0:13:42.880 anyone that's involved in that dB room, and they'll tell 0:13:42.880 --> 0:13:46.160 you how integral Bobby is as the captain and as 0:13:46.160 --> 0:13:50.240 the communicator speaking of underappreciated Dolphins. His running mate had 0:13:50.320 --> 0:13:52.560 himself one hell of a year in his own right, 0:13:52.720 --> 0:13:54.480 Eric Rowe. Let's just look at some of the box 0:13:54.480 --> 0:13:57.199 scores to tell the story. Eight games allowing two catches 0:13:57.320 --> 0:13:59.960 or less, only two games all year allowing more than 0:14:00.080 --> 0:14:03.600 forty receiving yards, pass breakups, I n T s, pressures 0:14:03.600 --> 0:14:05.960 on the quarterback. Mary called that twenty eight yards sacked 0:14:05.960 --> 0:14:08.120 that Emmanuel Ogba had. You know who was first on 0:14:08.160 --> 0:14:11.120 the scene, Eric Rowe. He talked about doing better against 0:14:11.160 --> 0:14:13.640 Kelsey and Waller, the premier tight ends in the National 0:14:13.640 --> 0:14:15.720 Football League. But that's what you love about him. A 0:14:15.760 --> 0:14:19.000 fantastic season, and he's immediately thinking about the two games 0:14:19.000 --> 0:14:21.520 out of sixteen where he thinks he can improve. And 0:14:21.520 --> 0:14:23.280 I thought he was improved across the board in his 0:14:23.280 --> 0:14:26.360 first full season at the new position. Run fitting, blitzing 0:14:26.400 --> 0:14:28.840 man coverage, playing in his own and those four guys 0:14:28.840 --> 0:14:31.560 that played the most reps in the secondary. It's such 0:14:31.560 --> 0:14:34.479 a benefit to have their skill set, their experienced, their communication, 0:14:34.520 --> 0:14:38.240 their veteran presence on that defense, and I love the 0:14:38.280 --> 0:14:41.000 depth of this position. To remember, this is a defense 0:14:41.080 --> 0:14:43.920 that utilizes a fair share of dime, quarter and dollar 0:14:44.040 --> 0:14:48.360 defenses that six seven, sometimes eight defensive backs on the field. 0:14:48.560 --> 0:14:51.760 Two point five of the Dolphin snaps this year came 0:14:51.800 --> 0:14:54.160 from dime personnel. That was the eight highest in the 0:14:54.200 --> 0:14:56.560 National Football League. They are one of four teams with 0:14:56.640 --> 0:15:00.320 double digit snaps in quarter at seven defensive backs, and 0:15:00.360 --> 0:15:03.480 they had the most snaps in dollar that's eight defensive backs. 0:15:03.720 --> 0:15:06.280 It was only five snaps in that dollar package, but 0:15:06.600 --> 0:15:09.640 only four teams actually called eight dbs on the field 0:15:09.880 --> 0:15:12.640 a single time this year. Dolphin's five of them, Titans 0:15:12.680 --> 0:15:15.800 with four, Patriots three, and Giants with three. That's Flora's 0:15:15.840 --> 0:15:19.720 m Boyer, Mike Frabel, Bill Belichick, and Patrick Graham. The architects, 0:15:19.800 --> 0:15:22.520 the architects of those defenses. So I mean, go figure 0:15:22.680 --> 0:15:24.560 who those guys are on where they come from. So 0:15:24.600 --> 0:15:26.280 that means you want to go into a game with 0:15:26.680 --> 0:15:29.480 at least eight able bodies in the defensive backfield. Probably 0:15:29.520 --> 0:15:32.600 more like ten. And Nick need Um was a bit 0:15:32.640 --> 0:15:35.240 of revelation in that slot last year, a position that 0:15:35.240 --> 0:15:37.760 he didn't really play in twenty nineteen. And that's what 0:15:37.800 --> 0:15:40.560 you've gotta love here, the ability to find jobs for 0:15:40.600 --> 0:15:44.360 guys despite what their historical resumes might suggest. Now you 0:15:44.440 --> 0:15:46.720 might recall my takes on need Um from his locked 0:15:46.720 --> 0:15:49.120 on My Locked on Dolphins days, when I called him 0:15:49.160 --> 0:15:51.480 sweet feet because of how active he was and his 0:15:51.560 --> 0:15:54.640 ability to seamlessly transition in and out of breaks. From 0:15:54.680 --> 0:15:57.600 that you tap tape, you tap all twenty two, baby, 0:15:57.960 --> 0:16:00.360 that's a hallmark of playing inside that quick feet, that 0:16:00.560 --> 0:16:02.840 the c o d change in direction, and he had 0:16:02.920 --> 0:16:05.840 a run of some really impressive numbers against guys like 0:16:05.880 --> 0:16:09.000 Cooper Cup, Tyler Boyd, Keenan Allen. But I also think 0:16:09.000 --> 0:16:10.920 it's fair to point out how the Dolphins chose to 0:16:10.920 --> 0:16:14.400 defend these teams with the slot as their primary pass option. 0:16:14.440 --> 0:16:16.200 I mean, Keenan Allen is the go to guy there 0:16:16.400 --> 0:16:18.480 in Los Angeles, and it kind of speaks to the 0:16:18.520 --> 0:16:21.720 structure and the performance of the safeties to help bracket 0:16:21.800 --> 0:16:24.280 and cap a lot of those routes inside, and Needham 0:16:24.320 --> 0:16:25.840 did a great job with what he was asked to 0:16:25.840 --> 0:16:28.200 do as well in that trail position funnel to help 0:16:28.400 --> 0:16:30.840 they got the job done in that position. Needham is 0:16:30.880 --> 0:16:33.120 scheduled to be an exclusive rights free agent, along with 0:16:33.160 --> 0:16:36.160 fellow cornerback Jamal Perry. And for what it's worth and 0:16:36.200 --> 0:16:39.520 a quick refresher exclusive rights free agency for those guys, 0:16:39.640 --> 0:16:42.360 what it means. They're players on expiring contracts who have 0:16:42.560 --> 0:16:45.560 three or fewer accrued seasons in the National Football League. 0:16:45.680 --> 0:16:48.560 They can only negotiate with their original team ahead of 0:16:48.600 --> 0:16:50.880 the new league year, and if they are not tendered 0:16:51.000 --> 0:16:54.640 a contract, they become unrestricted free agents. So the most 0:16:54.720 --> 0:16:57.640 next steps in the defensive backfield went to a rookie 0:16:57.640 --> 0:16:59.840 and Brandon Jones, and he's one of my picks for 0:16:59.880 --> 0:17:02.360 a big jump in year number two. The studious nature 0:17:02.800 --> 0:17:05.399 of his game and the instincts he plays with just 0:17:05.560 --> 0:17:07.920 really pop. He had that sack in the Jets game. 0:17:08.119 --> 0:17:10.680 He nearly jumped a couple of hook up routes, one 0:17:10.720 --> 0:17:12.679 in the Jacksonville game, and I want to say the 0:17:12.720 --> 0:17:15.040 other was the home Jets game where he just hovers 0:17:15.160 --> 0:17:17.640 keys and jumps. He's quick to the football, has really 0:17:17.640 --> 0:17:21.240 good time or game speed, plays so quickly and so instinctively. 0:17:21.520 --> 0:17:23.840 And one thing I couldn't harp on enough for years 0:17:24.280 --> 0:17:27.280 was the necessity of three safeties in this defense, and 0:17:27.320 --> 0:17:29.359 we saw that this year. You know, the big nickel 0:17:29.400 --> 0:17:31.960 package that's gonna be five defensive backs, but instead of 0:17:32.000 --> 0:17:34.760 three corners and two safeties, you go three safeties and 0:17:34.920 --> 0:17:37.479 two cornerbacks and all the dime looks. I mean two 0:17:38.280 --> 0:17:41.160 five snaps last year with six defensive backs on the field. 0:17:41.400 --> 0:17:43.920 You need a lot of defensive backs, and all three 0:17:43.920 --> 0:17:46.960 of those safeties are former cornerbacks. Brandon Jones played a 0:17:46.960 --> 0:17:50.560 lot of slot at the University of Texas, actually was 0:17:50.560 --> 0:17:52.960 probably his best position there in college. So I look 0:17:53.000 --> 0:17:55.960 at these top seven snaptakers and man, I am excited 0:17:56.000 --> 0:17:58.960 about getting all of them back. Number seven on that 0:17:59.000 --> 0:18:02.520 list is the a rookie, Noah ig Bonogamy, and I've 0:18:02.520 --> 0:18:05.880 been excited to get into his game here on the podcast. First, 0:18:06.160 --> 0:18:09.000 as I rewatched the games, both on the All twenty 0:18:09.040 --> 0:18:11.440 two and the broadcast copy, I want to go back 0:18:11.480 --> 0:18:14.199 to something Tony Romo said during the season opener the 0:18:14.200 --> 0:18:17.080 Week one game against the New England Patriots. People not 0:18:17.160 --> 0:18:19.560 realize he's gonna be a great player. He's got size, 0:18:19.960 --> 0:18:23.119 it's physical. He use well one of the steals of 0:18:23.160 --> 0:18:26.600 the draft right the first round around, and you hear 0:18:26.680 --> 0:18:29.560 him talk about those traits. I thought those traits were 0:18:29.600 --> 0:18:32.360 really on display when he got some playing time against 0:18:32.359 --> 0:18:35.159 the Bengals when Xavian was ejected from the game, and 0:18:35.200 --> 0:18:38.120 first off, he played eight teen coverage reps against a J. Green. 0:18:38.160 --> 0:18:40.520 And while a J has had a bunch of bad, 0:18:40.600 --> 0:18:42.280