WEBVTT - 2021 Dolphins Roster Evaluation, Tua Spin and Zip Talk and Possible Player Extensions 0:00:03.840 --> 0:00:16.240 Cut down, Miami art drawn, What is Up? Dolphins? And 0:00:16.400 --> 0:00:19.640 welcome to the Drive Time Podcast, part of the Miami 0:00:19.680 --> 0:00:24.880 Dolphins podcast network, covering your team, your Miami Dolphins. How's 0:00:24.880 --> 0:00:28.840 it going everybody? I am your host, Travis Wingfield. And 0:00:28.880 --> 0:00:30.600 on today's show, we've got a bit of a pot 0:00:30.680 --> 0:00:34.199 luck of Dolphins topics to cover, and boy am I 0:00:34.440 --> 0:00:37.840 excited for this one. We're gonna revisit the white board 0:00:37.840 --> 0:00:40.120 with a roster review. We're gonna talk about the guys 0:00:40.120 --> 0:00:43.440 who could be up for possible contract extensions next season, 0:00:43.640 --> 0:00:46.239 and we're gonna talk about arm strength and playbooks, and 0:00:46.320 --> 0:00:48.479 if we have time, we're gonna cover some of the 0:00:48.560 --> 0:00:52.080 veteran free agent signings who were brought in post the 0:00:52.159 --> 0:00:55.520 first few weeks of free agency for some film reviews, 0:00:55.720 --> 0:00:58.920 the John Jenkins, the DJ Fluker's, the Jason mccordie's of 0:00:58.960 --> 0:01:01.960 the world, all of that and more on this edition 0:01:02.080 --> 0:01:07.680 of the Drive Time Podcast. Well, it's been a minute 0:01:07.720 --> 0:01:10.800 since we talk Dolphins fans. We had the podcast yesterday 0:01:10.840 --> 0:01:14.520 with Colleen Wolf, but that was pre recorded before Memorial 0:01:14.600 --> 0:01:18.280 Day weekend, and before we really get started here, you 0:01:18.280 --> 0:01:22.280 know this Naomi Osaka story, the tennis player who was 0:01:22.360 --> 0:01:24.840 fine for missing her press conferences, and then went out 0:01:24.880 --> 0:01:26.520 and put a tweet out there saying that she has 0:01:26.560 --> 0:01:30.399 struggled with anxiety and these very high anxious moments with 0:01:30.480 --> 0:01:33.320 these press conferences, that she needs a moment away from 0:01:33.319 --> 0:01:35.920 tennis and kind of work on her mental health. It's 0:01:35.959 --> 0:01:39.080 getting so much run and I tweeted about it on Tuesday, 0:01:39.160 --> 0:01:41.200 but I want to use this space again to just 0:01:41.680 --> 0:01:45.320 say a couple of things. Number One, mental health above all. 0:01:45.360 --> 0:01:47.760 That's why we're kicking this podcast off with this topic. 0:01:48.040 --> 0:01:49.560 Those of you that have been with me on this 0:01:49.600 --> 0:01:53.480 podcast Slash, my previous podcast since the very beginning, have 0:01:53.640 --> 0:01:55.880 heard my story and I've gone back to that topic 0:01:56.000 --> 0:01:59.160 quite a lot because it strikes close to home for me, 0:01:59.440 --> 0:02:02.240 as mental health complications led to the loss of a 0:02:02.280 --> 0:02:04.880 loved one, my mother, who was the most compassionate, best 0:02:04.920 --> 0:02:08.120 person I've ever met in my entire life. So the 0:02:08.160 --> 0:02:10.520 reason I bring this up is to kind of tie 0:02:10.520 --> 0:02:13.880 it all together more real day weekend was the ultimate 0:02:13.960 --> 0:02:17.960 reconnect for me. The disconnect really the pursuit of balance 0:02:18.000 --> 0:02:21.160 and which I just I can't recommend enough how valuable 0:02:21.200 --> 0:02:23.200 that is. My wife and I took a night away 0:02:23.400 --> 0:02:25.800 from the little One from Caroline, our baby daughter, our 0:02:25.840 --> 0:02:27.560 one year old daughter. For the first time since she 0:02:27.680 --> 0:02:31.600 was born in May of last year, we spent the 0:02:31.680 --> 0:02:34.560 night up in Bellevue, Washington, which if you're not familiar 0:02:34.560 --> 0:02:37.160 with the Pacific Northwest, if I had to make a comparison, 0:02:37.240 --> 0:02:41.079 I would say Bellevue is too is to Seattle what 0:02:41.160 --> 0:02:44.560 Fort Lauderdale is to Miami. And if you're ever out 0:02:44.560 --> 0:02:46.760 in the Northwest, make it a point to visit the 0:02:46.800 --> 0:02:51.120 son Katie a Resort. It's about an hour southeast of Seattle. 0:02:51.400 --> 0:02:53.360 That's where the photo that I shared on Twitter was 0:02:53.400 --> 0:02:57.040 just absolutely stunning views like three golf courses, wineries. It's 0:02:57.080 --> 0:03:00.960 an absolute maven for summer activity. But that balance Man 0:03:01.040 --> 0:03:05.040 and Naomi Osaka serious serious admiration for her for the 0:03:05.040 --> 0:03:08.240 recognition of her own mental health, needing some attention and 0:03:08.280 --> 0:03:10.640 stepping away. And that's what I was able to achieve 0:03:10.680 --> 0:03:13.560 this weekend because on Monday we went to a friend's 0:03:13.600 --> 0:03:15.840 house for a pool party and barbecue, and I got 0:03:15.919 --> 0:03:18.240 to swim around with Caroline and that was just about 0:03:18.240 --> 0:03:20.680 the best thing I've ever done. She was laughing and 0:03:20.720 --> 0:03:23.800 smiling and splashing around. You just can't beat that and 0:03:23.840 --> 0:03:27.200 here we are super super refreshed on this podcast because 0:03:27.240 --> 0:03:30.440 of that. So finding balance is the ultimate key. And 0:03:30.440 --> 0:03:32.840 I also just want to make this note, don't hold 0:03:32.880 --> 0:03:36.520 athletes two different standards than the general population. They're not 0:03:36.560 --> 0:03:40.360 impervious two emotions or struggle the standard pushback I see too, 0:03:40.400 --> 0:03:43.440 that is well, that's part of the job. Bullshit, man. 0:03:43.480 --> 0:03:46.720 Every person DIZ deserves to be treated with the same 0:03:46.800 --> 0:03:51.200 level of respect and common courtesy, regardless of profession, race, creed, 0:03:51.400 --> 0:03:55.200 whatever the category. People are people. All right, that's my 0:03:55.320 --> 0:03:58.040 diet tribe. Let's get to the football here and start 0:03:58.080 --> 0:04:00.440 with this. The white board, you guys, know, the white board, 0:04:00.440 --> 0:04:02.520 the one that I keep alongside my desk. Here, I've 0:04:02.520 --> 0:04:05.600 got the roster, the schedule, I've got some color coordination 0:04:05.640 --> 0:04:07.640 that goes along with it. And I've been doing that 0:04:07.680 --> 0:04:11.160 since I don't know, two thousand six, and obviously in 0:04:11.160 --> 0:04:12.960 twenty nineteen it was a bit of a challenge to 0:04:13.000 --> 0:04:15.600 find those blue players. Blue Chip players are guys that 0:04:15.640 --> 0:04:18.159 are elite players at their position, the best of the 0:04:18.200 --> 0:04:20.560 best of the best. And the only blue player I 0:04:20.640 --> 0:04:24.080 had on that nineteen team was Xavian Howard. Coming off 0:04:24.080 --> 0:04:27.680 that eighteen season, where he led the NFL in interceptions 0:04:27.680 --> 0:04:31.360 despite missing nearly a quarter of the season. I've also 0:04:31.400 --> 0:04:34.520 got a Green category that's the above average, good solid 0:04:34.520 --> 0:04:37.200 players that you want to have on your roster. Orange 0:04:37.279 --> 0:04:40.600 is average or slightly above average, a guy that contributes, 0:04:40.720 --> 0:04:44.320 and every roster needs these players. My purple category is 0:04:44.360 --> 0:04:48.400 my most multifaceted. There's just the veteran presence guy who's 0:04:48.440 --> 0:04:51.280 kind of been a journeyman in his career, special teams, 0:04:51.279 --> 0:04:54.479 aces and developing players who are late round draft picks 0:04:54.520 --> 0:04:56.760 trying to find their way. Those guys typically wind up 0:04:56.760 --> 0:04:59.520 in that purple category and then my red categories, where 0:04:59.520 --> 0:05:01.880 you don't want to be in danger of not making 0:05:01.880 --> 0:05:06.000 the roster. So in twenty nineteen, that last descriptor wasn't 0:05:06.040 --> 0:05:09.480 easy because you always have to have fifty three guys, 0:05:09.560 --> 0:05:11.239 right Like, you can't just say we're going with forty 0:05:11.279 --> 0:05:13.919 five this year. But starting off the season, that roster 0:05:14.080 --> 0:05:17.640 just didn't have fifty three guys who came without a 0:05:17.760 --> 0:05:21.840 red designation. Hence all the roster activity we saw in 0:05:21.880 --> 0:05:24.760 September that season. Remember how many waiver wire claims there 0:05:24.800 --> 0:05:27.120 were for this Dolphins team, whether it was bringing in 0:05:27.160 --> 0:05:30.120 you know, even like Johnson Batamosi from the trade for 0:05:30.400 --> 0:05:32.679 the Lawn Meetunsel trade. Like getting those kind of guys 0:05:32.680 --> 0:05:35.080 into round out your roster. That's what Miami had to 0:05:35.080 --> 0:05:37.520 do because they were just that bereft of guys that 0:05:37.560 --> 0:05:40.440 they thought could play, especially early on that season. So 0:05:40.800 --> 0:05:43.680 for this year, and keep in mind, this is not 0:05:43.760 --> 0:05:47.039 about a long term projection. It's simply how I think 0:05:47.080 --> 0:05:52.520 the player will perform this year. It's an evaluation and 0:05:52.600 --> 0:05:56.200 projection project. I've got four blue chip players that I 0:05:56.200 --> 0:05:59.120 expect to play at the top or at the very 0:05:59.160 --> 0:06:02.960 near the very top of their position in the season. 0:06:03.240 --> 0:06:05.719 But that green area, that's where I think you win 0:06:06.040 --> 0:06:08.640 a ton of games and make your runs in January 0:06:08.680 --> 0:06:11.840 and have your sustained success that Stephen Ross talked about 0:06:11.839 --> 0:06:14.160 back in twenty nineteen. And of course these guys can 0:06:14.200 --> 0:06:17.040 eventually develop into blue players in terms of some of them. 0:06:17.040 --> 0:06:18.599 One of the guys, for instance, I have a rookie 0:06:18.640 --> 0:06:21.240 who's a green player who I think becomes blue very soon. 0:06:21.279 --> 0:06:23.600 You might know who that is. I love Jillen Waddles game. 0:06:23.760 --> 0:06:25.280 I just can't make them a blue off the top. 0:06:25.560 --> 0:06:27.400 And this is an area where we have I think 0:06:27.480 --> 0:06:30.400 five or six guys in the green category in twenty 0:06:30.520 --> 0:06:33.839 nine team. Last year that number climbed up to tennis. 0:06:34.400 --> 0:06:37.640 But this year seventeen green players and eleven of those 0:06:37.880 --> 0:06:39.760 are on defense. One of them is a quarterback to 0:06:39.839 --> 0:06:41.880 because I know you guys want to know that that's 0:06:41.880 --> 0:06:45.360 just a little sidebar there. Then I've got eleven orange players, 0:06:45.360 --> 0:06:48.640 so I remember that orange is above average, and anything 0:06:48.640 --> 0:06:51.440 above orange, orange, blue, or green is where you want 0:06:51.440 --> 0:06:53.400 to be on my list. And that gives us thirty 0:06:53.400 --> 0:06:56.600 two players who are either orange, blue, or green. That 0:06:56.600 --> 0:06:59.480 means you've got thirty two guys are not just deserving 0:06:59.560 --> 0:07:03.200 of rep but guys that give reps with the expectation 0:07:03.240 --> 0:07:06.280 that they're going to win the majority of their individual matchups. 0:07:06.320 --> 0:07:09.479 You win of your individual matchups, you're gonna be an 0:07:09.480 --> 0:07:12.880 orange players. It's above average and again a nearly three 0:07:13.840 --> 0:07:18.240 increase with thirty two players in that category since three 0:07:18.360 --> 0:07:21.680 hundred percent. Wow, it's a big jump. And so to 0:07:21.760 --> 0:07:24.560 wrap it up with the purple category, which ideally is 0:07:24.600 --> 0:07:28.160 the bottom fifteen to eight team players on your roster. 0:07:28.280 --> 0:07:30.200 You can't have a roster full of blues. That's not 0:07:30.240 --> 0:07:32.480 how this world, this this league, or this world works. 0:07:32.760 --> 0:07:36.560 But more realistically, it's probably in the twenties for most teams. 0:07:36.600 --> 0:07:38.760 That twenty nineteen Dolphins team, for instance, would have had 0:07:38.760 --> 0:07:41.520 probably thirty thirty five of them. So we've got thirty 0:07:41.520 --> 0:07:45.720 two of the fifty players, and this is specialists excluded, 0:07:45.760 --> 0:07:48.480 So no Jason Sanders in that category. And you need 0:07:49.040 --> 0:07:53.080 what eighteen purple players, I've got twenty three. So what 0:07:53.160 --> 0:07:56.560 does that mean? That's fifty five of the fifty players 0:07:56.640 --> 0:07:59.760 and purple or better. Remember how in twenty nineteen the 0:07:59.760 --> 0:08:02.240 Dolphin is made again all those signings and a bunch 0:08:02.240 --> 0:08:04.679 of guys that were cut from other teams. The shoe 0:08:04.720 --> 0:08:06.720 was on the other foot. Now players will get cut 0:08:06.760 --> 0:08:10.040 by the Dolphins in September and they're gonna make other rosters, 0:08:10.160 --> 0:08:13.040 and some of them will probably play good football elsewhere 0:08:13.200 --> 0:08:16.120 in one. That's where you want to be as a 0:08:16.200 --> 0:08:19.560 roster where you can't fit everyone in because you've littered 0:08:19.760 --> 0:08:22.280 the nine man roster and eventually your fifty three man 0:08:22.360 --> 0:08:25.720 roster with talent. And that's the portion of this process 0:08:25.720 --> 0:08:28.880 the Dolphins are in right now, and that specialist caveat 0:08:29.040 --> 0:08:30.760 None of those guys were included here. But we know 0:08:30.840 --> 0:08:33.839 the kicker is blue Jason Standards was All Pro last year. 0:08:33.840 --> 0:08:36.560 The definition of a blue player, and I'm pretty damn 0:08:36.559 --> 0:08:39.040 bullish on both the long snapper and the punter too. 0:08:39.280 --> 0:08:43.520 So after including the specialist, here's the final tally. Five 0:08:43.600 --> 0:08:48.920 blue players, eighteen green players, twelve orange players, and eighteen 0:08:49.000 --> 0:08:54.040 purple players. Not bad, not bad at all. Shifting gears. 0:08:54.080 --> 0:08:57.120 Now as we drop it down and engage the drs 0:08:57.160 --> 0:08:59.920 and go flying around the outside for the overtake and fit, 0:09:00.000 --> 0:09:02.840 it's this pod with our best lap. Another good problem 0:09:02.840 --> 0:09:05.760 to have, and the product of that last segment, you know, 0:09:05.960 --> 0:09:09.200 acquiring a bunch of really good football players, is that 0:09:09.280 --> 0:09:12.600 eventually those chickens they come home to roost from that 0:09:12.720 --> 0:09:15.640 rookie deal into a second contract. And looking at this 0:09:15.760 --> 0:09:19.640 roster man that ten draft, along with some guys brought 0:09:19.679 --> 0:09:22.240 in later on shorter deals who could be up for 0:09:22.280 --> 0:09:25.160 new contracts at the end of this season. But as 0:09:25.200 --> 0:09:27.959 we see across the NFL every summer, these deals can 0:09:28.000 --> 0:09:31.280 get done before they're expired. Right, So I've got four 0:09:31.320 --> 0:09:33.960 guys that I think fall into this category, guys that 0:09:34.080 --> 0:09:36.839 I think have earned themselves that next deal, whether it's 0:09:36.880 --> 0:09:38.959 in Miami or somewhere else, because we know, this is 0:09:38.960 --> 0:09:41.960 a tough business and you can't get them all paid 0:09:42.400 --> 0:09:44.840 and go out and spend on the open market. And 0:09:44.880 --> 0:09:47.240 granted Miami again, a tip of the cap here to 0:09:47.280 --> 0:09:50.439 Chris Career, Brandon Shore, and the entire Dolphins front office 0:09:50.880 --> 0:09:53.800 for building in the flexibility with the roster and cash 0:09:53.800 --> 0:09:56.760 commitments so they can put themselves in position to make 0:09:56.800 --> 0:09:59.400 moves in future years and this year and just continue 0:09:59.440 --> 0:10:02.480 to roll that sustained model down the road. And the 0:10:02.520 --> 0:10:05.000 Dolphins are right back in the saddle next year in 0:10:05.080 --> 0:10:07.640 terms of cash to spend in that offseason. Will they 0:10:07.679 --> 0:10:10.280 do it? Who the hell knows, man, I don't know, 0:10:10.600 --> 0:10:12.640 but it's a great position to be in. And so 0:10:12.720 --> 0:10:14.920 what I want to do is talk about these guys 0:10:15.200 --> 0:10:18.440 the upside of that potential new deal and one reason 0:10:18.480 --> 0:10:21.320 for pushback, not saying I agree with that reason, but 0:10:21.480 --> 0:10:24.120 just for the sake of objective viewpoints and giving you 0:10:24.240 --> 0:10:27.080 a good fleshed out conversation here, I want to go 0:10:27.120 --> 0:10:29.440 ahead and have that pushback, and then I'm doing them 0:10:29.440 --> 0:10:32.040 in order that I would get the deals done and 0:10:32.080 --> 0:10:35.240 explain that as I go along. Sound good? Oh yeah, 0:10:35.240 --> 0:10:38.040 There's also a secondary group that is also four names long, 0:10:38.280 --> 0:10:41.520 will do them in their own grouping after this first group, 0:10:41.559 --> 0:10:44.040 So guys that are a couple of years away, but 0:10:44.200 --> 0:10:46.360 something to think about for the future. So this first 0:10:46.400 --> 0:12:41.959 group batting leadoff m up. Next is linebacker Jerome Baker. 0:12:42.040 --> 0:12:44.600 The case for Jerome talk about the straw that stirs 0:12:44.640 --> 0:12:47.280 a drink man. You guys, remember the Channing Crowder podcast 0:12:47.320 --> 0:12:50.480 I did back in again more callbacks back in March 0:12:50.559 --> 0:12:53.960 of right before the pandemic hit. I had Channing on 0:12:54.000 --> 0:12:58.280 the podcast and he raved about all the stuff Jerome 0:12:58.360 --> 0:13:00.880 does in this defense and one thousand and snap player 0:13:01.200 --> 0:13:05.000 coverage run defense, and oh buddy, all the blitzing he does. 0:13:05.920 --> 0:13:08.880 I recently rewatched the Kansas City game from last season, 0:13:09.120 --> 0:13:12.160 and that sack where he dumps Mahomes for thirty yard 0:13:12.240 --> 0:13:15.920 loss is vintage modern day linebacker stuff. The change of 0:13:15.960 --> 0:13:18.680 direction he can match up with backs and tight ends, 0:13:18.840 --> 0:13:22.240 and all the chaos his first step quickness and flat 0:13:22.240 --> 0:13:25.960 out speed and great angles to the quarterbacks, all the 0:13:26.040 --> 0:13:29.240 chaos that causes on this Dolphins defense. He was a 0:13:29.280 --> 0:13:32.040 big part of a lot of those takeaways. He's worn 0:13:32.120 --> 0:13:35.240 the green dot, he's been a captain. He's a great dude. Seriously, 0:13:35.280 --> 0:13:37.680 find a nicer guy than Jerome Baker. I dare you 0:13:37.720 --> 0:13:40.400 to do it. He's still unbelievably young. He hasn't even 0:13:40.440 --> 0:13:42.520 hit his twenty fifth birthday yet. I think his best 0:13:42.520 --> 0:13:45.960 football is ahead of him, and he's a tremendous, tremendous 0:13:46.040 --> 0:13:49.520 culture and scheme fit. Now is there a case against him. 0:13:49.640 --> 0:13:52.560 It's tough to find one. But if Bernardrick McKinney kind 0:13:52.559 --> 0:13:56.079 of occupies that role that, I suppose you can justify 0:13:56.280 --> 0:13:59.160 not making the big contract offer. But you also want 0:13:59.160 --> 0:14:01.600 to have irons and the fire behind these types of 0:14:01.640 --> 0:14:05.000 players to give yourself the freedom to not put yourself 0:14:05.040 --> 0:14:07.160 out over your skis financially to go out and make 0:14:07.160 --> 0:14:08.920 those extensions, because if you can find a guy for 0:14:09.000 --> 0:14:11.160 cheaper than you do it. But the likelihood that you 0:14:11.160 --> 0:14:13.839 can place that production I don't know. I mean, right now, 0:14:13.880 --> 0:14:16.680 it's I think Duke Riley is the closest comparison to 0:14:16.920 --> 0:14:19.560 Jerome's skill set on the roster, and then sam Ego 0:14:19.640 --> 0:14:22.800 Van ran a similar role back in so he's probably 0:14:22.840 --> 0:14:25.360 in that mix as well. But it's not really a 0:14:25.400 --> 0:14:28.960 good case against because Jerome is just different and I 0:14:29.000 --> 0:14:32.200 think he's just scratching the surface on what his game 0:14:32.360 --> 0:14:35.240 is and can become. Now, this next one here I'm 0:14:35.240 --> 0:14:37.600 gonna give you, guys, is gonna make you give me 0:14:37.640 --> 0:14:41.680 the old Tim Allen Travis. We just signed this guy. 0:14:41.880 --> 0:14:44.600 It's William full of the fifth the case for I've 0:14:44.640 --> 0:14:47.160 made no secrets about how I feel about Fuller's game. 0:14:47.200 --> 0:14:50.480 I think he's a complete receiver with speed, run after 0:14:50.520 --> 0:14:53.240 the catch, intelligence to know how to make adjustments in 0:14:53.400 --> 0:14:55.960 game on the fly. On his routes, I think he 0:14:56.000 --> 0:14:58.640 wins the full route tree. Hell. Matt Harmon, who's on 0:14:58.680 --> 0:15:02.440 the podcast back in March, The Reception Perception Project, which 0:15:02.480 --> 0:15:05.160 is one of the best receiver charting websites out there, 0:15:05.160 --> 0:15:07.200 Actually it is the best. For my money, had him 0:15:07.200 --> 0:15:10.320 with a plus winning percentage on every single route in 0:15:10.320 --> 0:15:12.240 the tree except for the deep out, which was still 0:15:12.320 --> 0:15:15.520 league average, but he he dominated every single other route. 0:15:15.680 --> 0:15:18.360 I think his skill set jives with what TA does well. 0:15:18.640 --> 0:15:21.800 He's an immediate separator with strong hands that can attack 0:15:21.880 --> 0:15:25.600 both inside and outside leverage. He puts defenses in a bind. 0:15:25.800 --> 0:15:28.320 He forces a safety over the top, which creates space. 0:15:28.600 --> 0:15:30.640 He also puts a ton of pressure or takes ton 0:15:30.640 --> 0:15:33.000 of pressure. I should say off a player who I 0:15:33.000 --> 0:15:36.440 think is going to be the next explosive, dangerous, defensive 0:15:36.480 --> 0:15:40.640 structure destroyer in Jalen Waddle. I'm actually not sure any 0:15:40.680 --> 0:15:43.720 pair in the NFL complements each other better than than 0:15:43.800 --> 0:15:46.480 Waddle and Fuller, and I don't take that lightly. So 0:15:46.880 --> 0:15:50.239 Will is here on a one year prove it contract 0:15:50.320 --> 0:15:53.440 after he showed the entire NFL last season that man, 0:15:53.560 --> 0:15:56.280 he can assume that number one role. He can command 0:15:56.320 --> 0:15:59.160 double teams attention in the red zone and on third 0:15:59.200 --> 0:16:02.840 down and still average nearly one hundred yards per game 0:16:02.920 --> 0:16:05.520 and nearly a touchdown per game. I mean pro rate 0:16:05.560 --> 0:16:08.560 that over seventeen games. We're talking about a sixteen hundred 0:16:08.600 --> 0:16:11.160 yard receiver and like a fifteen touchdown guy. That's that's 0:16:11.160 --> 0:16:13.920 pretty good production right there. I think, if he stays healthy, 0:16:14.120 --> 0:16:16.480 this is one of the best receivers in the game. 0:16:16.520 --> 0:16:18.720 And you watch his development. I cover this back on 0:16:18.800 --> 0:16:21.800 his free agency podcast, how he grew from a kind 0:16:21.840 --> 0:16:24.360 of screens and swings and curl routes back in his 0:16:24.440 --> 0:16:27.080 rookie season and now he runs the whole damn route tree. 0:16:27.120 --> 0:16:29.920 He's refined, he's polished. He talked about how he worked 0:16:29.920 --> 0:16:31.760 on that when I had him on the podcast back 0:16:31.760 --> 0:16:33.800 in March, and this is kind of a giveaway as 0:16:33.800 --> 0:16:36.920 to who I had as the other blue player on 0:16:36.960 --> 0:16:41.000 the on the segment earlier talking about which players are blue, green, 0:16:41.040 --> 0:16:43.320 and orange, call back again, and I think if he 0:16:43.360 --> 0:16:46.320 can prove those things are consistent, you feel pretty good 0:16:46.360 --> 0:16:49.320 about making him and Waddle a long term fixture together 0:16:49.720 --> 0:16:52.760 here in Miami. The case against it, I mean, we 0:16:52.840 --> 0:16:55.520 just covered it really health. He played fourteen games as 0:16:55.520 --> 0:16:59.640 a rookie ten seventeen, seven and eighteen. He got hurt 0:16:59.640 --> 0:17:01.560 against us that year. If you remember the Thursday night 0:17:01.560 --> 0:17:03.840 football game where he was going off before the a 0:17:03.920 --> 0:17:06.560 c L. He played eleven games in twenty nineteen and 0:17:06.600 --> 0:17:10.040 then played all eleven games last season before the suspension hit, 0:17:10.240 --> 0:17:12.399 a suspension that will hold him out of the season 0:17:12.440 --> 0:17:16.080 opener in Foxboro. Can he stay healthy? That's the one 0:17:16.119 --> 0:17:18.880 case against will Fuller in my opinion. And the last 0:17:18.920 --> 0:17:21.520 player of our first crop here is tight end Mike Gisicky. 0:17:21.640 --> 0:17:25.440 The case for Gasecki really plays a slot receiver position. 0:17:25.640 --> 0:17:27.879 He's been in line less than ten percent of his 0:17:27.920 --> 0:17:31.480 reps post rookie season. Remember, he was, in my opinion 0:17:31.560 --> 0:17:35.720 and excusably used inside a lot in that rookie year. 0:17:36.080 --> 0:17:38.960 He's better than six inside the slot in terms of 0:17:39.000 --> 0:17:41.480 his workload. So when you go to the negotiating table, 0:17:41.720 --> 0:17:44.440 it could be interesting in terms of what position does 0:17:44.480 --> 0:17:46.960 this guy actually play? But we've seen what Mike does best. 0:17:47.040 --> 0:17:50.600 He scores touchdowns, He draws favorable matchups and exploits them. 0:17:50.760 --> 0:17:52.960 He's a big play tight end who was at the 0:17:53.000 --> 0:17:55.800 top spot or in the top three pretty much all 0:17:55.840 --> 0:18:00.360 season long among tight ends in yards per reception. He's 0:18:00.359 --> 0:18:03.359 a nice compliment to the smaller players we just talked about, 0:18:03.359 --> 0:18:05.840 and someone that can take advantage of all that space 0:18:05.920 --> 0:18:08.639 that we talked about that Waddle and Fuller can create. 0:18:08.720 --> 0:18:11.440 Him and DeVante Parker I think are your best beneficiaries 0:18:11.720 --> 0:18:15.480 of that space created. Now the case against him, I mean, well, 0:18:16.040 --> 0:18:19.280 you know, as we go towards Fuller and Waddle prototypes, 0:18:19.680 --> 0:18:21.840 is that what you want the entire receiver cord to 0:18:21.880 --> 0:18:25.000 look like? Or do you require that balance and versatility 0:18:25.240 --> 0:18:27.520 your basketball lay up with your power forwards and your 0:18:27.560 --> 0:18:29.919 centers to go along with your one and two guards. 0:18:30.119 --> 0:18:32.399 If that's the case the former, then Mike e. G 0:18:32.600 --> 0:18:34.280 isn't your guy. But I mean we saw him do 0:18:34.359 --> 0:18:37.359 really well in the contested catch game, and that happened 0:18:37.359 --> 0:18:39.080 with two of just as much as it did fit. 0:18:39.160 --> 0:18:42.400 So it's not a quarterback problem. See the touchdown against 0:18:42.400 --> 0:18:45.360 the Chiefs or the one handed stab against the Bengals 0:18:45.359 --> 0:18:47.320 for proof like two can fit those type windows that 0:18:47.359 --> 0:18:50.080 he can make those catches. But maybe his full potential, 0:18:50.320 --> 0:18:53.800 and that's probably in the ten million dollars per year range, 0:18:54.080 --> 0:18:56.639 maybe it's maximized with an offense that does put a 0:18:56.720 --> 0:19:00.560 higher emphasis on the yolo balls the shots, an offense 0:19:00.600 --> 0:19:04.720 that's not so keen on the timing precision and immediate separation. 0:19:05.000 --> 0:19:07.960 To me, it's a fascinating topic and a tough decision 0:19:08.280 --> 0:19:11.000 for really the entire roster in the front office, and 0:19:11.040 --> 0:19:12.879 that's why these guys get paid like they do to 0:19:12.960 --> 0:19:16.080 make these tough decisions. So that's my four, all four 0:19:16.160 --> 0:19:19.280 deserving of big contracts at some point and in that order. 0:19:20.080 --> 0:19:22.399 Then we've got some guys that I listed in the 0:19:22.960 --> 0:19:25.520 too early to make that decision category, but I think 0:19:25.520 --> 0:19:28.440 it's worth mentioning here. Miles Gaskin comes in first. He's 0:19:28.440 --> 0:19:30.600 in year three out of four. I think the upside 0:19:30.600 --> 0:19:33.480 there is you're probably gonna have cost control because I mean, 0:19:33.600 --> 0:19:35.760 running backs just aren't getting paid right now. But also 0:19:35.840 --> 0:19:39.320 Myles Gaskin, he broke out last year in a big way, 0:19:39.359 --> 0:19:41.560 but they're still miss some games and maybe you get 0:19:41.600 --> 0:19:43.800 the upside of his potential coming up. As far as 0:19:43.840 --> 0:19:46.840 cost control, I think it's a high, high floor player, 0:19:46.920 --> 0:19:48.679 Like you know what you're gonna get with Myles Gaskin 0:19:48.760 --> 0:19:51.679 because of the way he prepares and because he's just 0:19:51.760 --> 0:19:55.159 always produced going back to his freshman season at Washington. 0:19:55.520 --> 0:19:57.520 I also think talking about the hard work and the 0:19:57.520 --> 0:19:59.520 way he commits himself to the game, he is a 0:19:59.600 --> 0:20:02.080 purveyor year of the Dolphins culture that you want to 0:20:02.119 --> 0:20:03.600 have here. That's gonna be a theme for these next 0:20:03.640 --> 0:20:06.720 three guys as well. Christian Wilkins year three of four 0:20:06.800 --> 0:20:09.760 with that fifth year option creates chances for others on 0:20:09.760 --> 0:20:12.560 the defense, which is a very unsung job that he 0:20:12.600 --> 0:20:16.600 executes beautifully. He's positioned diverse, he's been very durable, he 0:20:16.760 --> 0:20:19.480 almost never missed his time, and he's a culture purveyor, 0:20:19.800 --> 0:20:22.600 just like Myles Gaskin, so was Andrew Van Ginkle. And 0:20:22.600 --> 0:20:25.320 it's way too early here because he's played what five 0:20:25.359 --> 0:20:27.679 games his rookie season, then last year as well. But 0:20:27.760 --> 0:20:30.840 man if he takes another step and improves his game 0:20:30.920 --> 0:20:34.000 upon the things we improved last season. I mean, I 0:20:34.080 --> 0:20:35.960 was a huge fan of Gink from his college tape 0:20:35.960 --> 0:20:39.080 at Wisconsin and the spot drops in the route concept 0:20:39.080 --> 0:20:42.280 recognition where he would find bodies intead of grass when 0:20:42.280 --> 0:20:45.639 he covered guys. But then he goes out and develops 0:20:45.760 --> 0:20:49.480 multiple pass rush moves. He starts clabbering blockers and route 0:20:49.480 --> 0:20:51.880 to tackles for loss and run stops and just made 0:20:51.960 --> 0:20:55.560 himself into a complete player in relatively short order. He's 0:20:55.560 --> 0:20:58.600 an undersized fifth round draft pick with one year of 0:20:58.640 --> 0:21:01.720 college production at Wisconsin, a JUCO transfer who had injury 0:21:01.720 --> 0:21:04.720 problems in college. But you look at all that combined. 0:21:04.800 --> 0:21:07.120 The trajectory on this guy with so much more football 0:21:07.119 --> 0:21:10.760 ahead of him is just insane. Not to mention the 0:21:10.840 --> 0:21:13.120 special team's value. I mean, he blocked a punt last 0:21:13.200 --> 0:21:15.040 year that put Miami on the one yard line to 0:21:15.080 --> 0:21:16.840 score a touchdown in the first three minutes of that 0:21:16.960 --> 0:21:21.040 Charger game. And all of these guys from that nineteen class, 0:21:21.560 --> 0:21:23.840 or they're all from that twenty nineteen class, You've got 0:21:23.840 --> 0:21:26.480 some time, but I think it's definitely worth monitoring and 0:21:26.600 --> 0:21:28.800 My final guy here is kind of Will Fuller esque 0:21:28.800 --> 0:21:31.040 in terms of we just signed him, but it's Matt Skura. 0:21:31.160 --> 0:21:33.200 He's on a prove it deal for sure. But I've 0:21:33.240 --> 0:21:36.040 talked about his tape on the podcast. You go back 0:21:36.040 --> 0:21:38.520 to twenty nineteen. This guy was playing at an all 0:21:38.560 --> 0:21:40.360 pro level that year and really last year. I thought 0:21:40.359 --> 0:21:42.560 his tape was good too before the snap Isshho came up. 0:21:42.760 --> 0:21:45.320 But he's reached blocking Cameron Heyward, who was in that 0:21:45.600 --> 0:21:49.679 Top Pressures article by Doug Ferrar. He's absorbing bull rushes 0:21:49.720 --> 0:21:51.879 from stefon to it again. Another call back to that 0:21:51.960 --> 0:21:55.160 article at the top pass rusher at that position. He's 0:21:55.200 --> 0:21:58.200 a nasty finisher two man. He plays with a temperament. 0:21:58.200 --> 0:22:00.320 You wouldn't know it from my interview with him talking 0:22:00.359 --> 0:22:03.080 about you know, the air Max, the dad shoes and 0:22:03.119 --> 0:22:05.520