WEBVTT - Drive Time: Tight End Offseason Capsule 2025 0:00:08.320 --> 0:00:12.760 What is up, Dolphins, And welcome to the Draft Time Podcast. 0:00:13.119 --> 0:00:16.160 I am your host, Travis Winfield, and on today's show, 0:00:16.560 --> 0:00:20.479 and then there were four divisional weekend in the books, 0:00:20.600 --> 0:00:24.759 thirty rather twenty eight teams eliminated for to go, Let's 0:00:24.800 --> 0:00:27.760 go ahead and recap those games and take our second 0:00:27.840 --> 0:00:31.040 dive into the offseason capsules, taking a look at what 0:00:31.200 --> 0:00:33.559 has become one of my favorite positions to look at 0:00:33.560 --> 0:00:36.519 this entire offseason, the tight ends from the Baptist Hell 0:00:36.560 --> 0:00:41.280 Studios inside the Baptist Health Training Complex. This is the 0:00:41.360 --> 0:00:46.040 Draft Time Podcast Gaffe. Well, what a great weekend of 0:00:46.080 --> 0:00:50.120 football it was, even if you're rooting against the Buffalo Bills, 0:00:50.159 --> 0:00:53.400 like every single person listening to this podcast is. We'll 0:00:53.440 --> 0:00:57.000 get to that crazy three turnover Ravens performance here in 0:00:57.080 --> 0:00:58.840 just one second. But let's go ahead and kick it 0:00:58.880 --> 0:01:02.240 off chronologically here Chiefs and Texans. And what did we 0:01:02.240 --> 0:01:05.560 talk about last week in that Denver Buffalo game? Mistakes 0:01:05.640 --> 0:01:09.600 early on margins on special teams, the Texans allow a 0:01:09.680 --> 0:01:13.160 dynamic kickoff return for sixty seven yards, They force a fumble, 0:01:13.280 --> 0:01:16.520 cannot recover it, and the guy who forces the fumble 0:01:16.560 --> 0:01:18.440 takes his helmet off and throws it for a fifteen 0:01:18.520 --> 0:01:20.880 yard penalty, and they talked to him out for the game, 0:01:20.880 --> 0:01:23.720 and he seems to have no contrition or idea about 0:01:23.840 --> 0:01:26.640 him doing something wrong. And that's not even talking about 0:01:26.680 --> 0:01:29.720 him pushing his coach, which I think was done in 0:01:29.760 --> 0:01:32.480 a moment of celebration and excitement more so than frustration. 0:01:32.800 --> 0:01:34.520 But I think the coach was getting on him for 0:01:34.840 --> 0:01:37.120 being an idiot for throwing his helmet. But you're on 0:01:37.200 --> 0:01:40.080 the road against a fifteen win team, you're a double 0:01:40.120 --> 0:01:42.440 digit underdog or close to it, and you have a 0:01:42.440 --> 0:01:45.720 special team's gaff and a fifteen yard foul to put 0:01:45.720 --> 0:01:47.800 the ball at the plus thirteen yard when start the game. 0:01:48.640 --> 0:01:50.560 You're never gonna win those games like you are not 0:01:50.600 --> 0:01:52.960 gonna win games when you're that big of a dog 0:01:53.040 --> 0:01:55.640 to a team like that. The defense is sick though, 0:01:55.720 --> 0:01:57.920 right They allowed negative one yard and a field goal 0:01:57.960 --> 0:02:01.360 after that. And there's you know, the Texans against opposing 0:02:01.400 --> 0:02:03.880 quarterbacks this year. I mean the four picks on Herbert, 0:02:03.960 --> 0:02:07.360 the three picks on Tua. They held Josh Allen to 0:02:07.480 --> 0:02:10.959 nine for thirty, passing five picks on Jared Goff. That's 0:02:11.040 --> 0:02:14.200 kind of what they do to opposing quarterbacks. And you know, 0:02:14.280 --> 0:02:16.800 watching this game, I had perhaps a bit of an 0:02:16.840 --> 0:02:20.480 epiphany that even in those lopsided games, when it's not 0:02:20.560 --> 0:02:24.440 even a total washout, it comes down to like specific situations. 0:02:24.480 --> 0:02:24.639 Right. 0:02:24.680 --> 0:02:26.359 There are so many plays in a game, it's gonna 0:02:26.400 --> 0:02:29.320 come down to the eight short yardage or critical red 0:02:29.400 --> 0:02:32.079 zone plays. And the Texans got backed up twice and 0:02:32.120 --> 0:02:34.639 they made stops. You know, getting six points they're compared 0:02:34.639 --> 0:02:36.680 to fourteen is going to keep you in every single 0:02:36.720 --> 0:02:39.120 football game that you can do that within. But they 0:02:39.120 --> 0:02:41.680 were also stopped in the red zone as well, and 0:02:41.720 --> 0:02:44.360 a great way to get those stops not just short 0:02:44.400 --> 0:02:47.480 yardage but also third down or rather not short yards jaw, 0:02:47.520 --> 0:02:50.240 but just third downs with pass rushers that can win 0:02:50.560 --> 0:02:53.600 against elite pass protection. Anderson with a third down sack 0:02:53.639 --> 0:02:56.120 and a tackle for loss on that first and goal 0:02:56.200 --> 0:02:58.560 play on the opening drive of the game. That's two 0:02:58.919 --> 0:03:02.760 drive altering play. You get off the edge, and what 0:03:02.800 --> 0:03:05.120 do I do but come back to Jalen Phillips, Bradley 0:03:05.200 --> 0:03:06.160 Chubb and Chop Robinson. 0:03:06.200 --> 0:03:08.280 I mean it has to be those guys. 0:03:08.320 --> 0:03:10.560 You're kind of locked into them, whether or not you 0:03:10.680 --> 0:03:13.160 believe in their ability to stay healthy or not, but 0:03:13.200 --> 0:03:15.800 it has to happen with those guys, and at the 0:03:15.960 --> 0:03:20.560 very least, at the very least, you have three guys 0:03:20.600 --> 0:03:23.760 that all can destroy one on one protection, they all 0:03:23.760 --> 0:03:26.760 can rush from interior positions. We'll see if they can 0:03:26.800 --> 0:03:29.000 stay healthy. We'll see if Chubb still has the fastball 0:03:29.040 --> 0:03:30.760 at this stage of his career. We'll see what two 0:03:30.880 --> 0:03:35.160 years of basically not playing football does for Jalen Phillips. 0:03:35.320 --> 0:03:37.200 And then chop I. You know, you have to have 0:03:37.240 --> 0:03:38.200 full confidence in him. 0:03:38.200 --> 0:03:40.320 But my point is you're not in a position if 0:03:40.320 --> 0:03:42.320 you're the Dolphins to make a splash at that spot. 0:03:42.360 --> 0:03:44.840 But luckily this is supposed to. 0:03:44.800 --> 0:03:47.920 Be the year, should be right where you finally have 0:03:48.000 --> 0:03:50.920 your full complement of rushers. And just look at the 0:03:50.920 --> 0:03:54.680 two sides, third and shorts to mediumish conversions like this 0:03:54.720 --> 0:03:56.880 is my biggest takeaway from the entire weekend. These were 0:03:57.320 --> 0:04:00.120 bang bang throws to Dalton Schultz, to Travis Kell. We'll 0:04:00.120 --> 0:04:02.600 see to Nico Collins and we'll get to this here 0:04:02.880 --> 0:04:05.920 later on as well. You gotta have size, man, You 0:04:06.000 --> 0:04:08.640 got to have size among your eligibles. Guys that can 0:04:08.920 --> 0:04:12.080 withstand cold weather or contacts from the defense and not 0:04:12.200 --> 0:04:14.600 drop the football right like it's tough to catch the 0:04:14.600 --> 0:04:15.960 ball on the cold weather. It's tough to catch the 0:04:15.960 --> 0:04:17.800 ball on the cold weather when you know you have 0:04:17.960 --> 0:04:20.640 a two hundred and twenty five pound safety bearing down 0:04:20.640 --> 0:04:22.960 on you or a two hundred and forty five pound linebacker, 0:04:23.400 --> 0:04:26.760 you also give yourself more opportunity to fit the ball 0:04:26.800 --> 0:04:30.400 into tight windows with height, with bigger catch radius, but 0:04:30.520 --> 0:04:32.920 just the toughness of contested catches, because all these big 0:04:32.960 --> 0:04:35.480 time plays in these games, for the most part, are 0:04:35.520 --> 0:04:38.200 like bang bang balls. There defense that arrives for the 0:04:38.279 --> 0:04:40.919 hit and I just picked your backer. Harken back to 0:04:40.960 --> 0:04:43.279 all the plays we had that were dropped or that 0:04:43.320 --> 0:04:45.640 we couldn't find those tight windows. That was a big 0:04:45.680 --> 0:04:48.000 takeaway from the weekend in general. Back to the game here, 0:04:48.040 --> 0:04:51.080 the Chiefs had a critical fourth down conversion with Mahomes 0:04:51.120 --> 0:04:54.479 in the pistol and they went downhill run to Isaiah Pacheco. 0:04:55.240 --> 0:04:58.039 Just seeing the ability to play downhill power football. I 0:04:58.040 --> 0:05:00.600 think that's one of Miami's adaptations I have to make 0:05:00.600 --> 0:05:02.839 this offseason, and you'll be able to tell if they're 0:05:02.880 --> 0:05:05.400 doing that based upon who they sign. Maybe a guy 0:05:05.440 --> 0:05:07.240 like Will Hernandez makes some sense if you want to 0:05:07.279 --> 0:05:09.680 get a little more physical inside the former Giants and 0:05:09.720 --> 0:05:12.640 Cardinals interior offensive linemen. And then on the Texans side, 0:05:12.640 --> 0:05:15.400 Stroud was running. Stroud's running was a big difference for 0:05:15.440 --> 0:05:17.359 them in this game. And that's not because they designed 0:05:17.400 --> 0:05:20.160 it that way. It's what the Chiefs wanted, right, And 0:05:20.200 --> 0:05:24.080 that's one area that you know, I don't want to 0:05:24.120 --> 0:05:26.600 see Tua add this weight back again, because you kind 0:05:26.600 --> 0:05:28.560 of have to have this stuff to win, Like if 0:05:28.600 --> 0:05:30.760 they're gonna blitz with man or man match on the 0:05:30.800 --> 0:05:33.880 back end and you get defenders backs to him. Once 0:05:33.920 --> 0:05:36.279 he could sense the pressure and get away from him, 0:05:36.320 --> 0:05:38.440 he could then burden them with his legs and it 0:05:38.520 --> 0:05:42.120 became a serious issue for the Chiefs defense at specific 0:05:42.160 --> 0:05:43.000 times in that game. 0:05:43.240 --> 0:05:44.640 I don't think Stroud played poorly. 0:05:44.760 --> 0:05:46.800 I saw, you know, the same people that want to 0:05:46.800 --> 0:05:48.919 make every game about Tua and the Dolphins and compare 0:05:48.920 --> 0:05:51.479 it all back like playoff games are unique, They're tough. 0:05:51.520 --> 0:05:53.960 They just are staying on their own merit. Like Stroud 0:05:54.040 --> 0:05:54.480 played well. 0:05:54.520 --> 0:05:56.120 I don't care if he you know, led them to 0:05:56.160 --> 0:05:58.640 twelve points, whatever the argument was, Like he played well 0:05:58.680 --> 0:06:00.640 in this game. I wrote on my know it's Chiefs 0:06:00.680 --> 0:06:03.880 regression in twenty twenty five. Haha, you fool, It's not 0:06:03.920 --> 0:06:07.240 gonna happen. But like, they can't keep doing this, right, 0:06:07.320 --> 0:06:10.120 this has to be the year the voodoo magic runs out. 0:06:10.160 --> 0:06:13.200 Hopefully it doesn't run out this Sunday because we have 0:06:13.000 --> 0:06:14.200 They just have to be Buffalo. 0:06:14.279 --> 0:06:16.159 Come on. I don't think they will, but they have to. 0:06:16.480 --> 0:06:19.200 Also, I'm tired of mahome man, the whole stick of 0:06:19.240 --> 0:06:22.360 like flopping. Dude, grow up, Come on, Peter Pan that 0:06:22.440 --> 0:06:26.240 knock that stuff off. Lions and commanders. Holy moly, Jayden Daniels, 0:06:27.320 --> 0:06:30.000 this guy for real, his development from Asu to now, 0:06:30.160 --> 0:06:32.800 and how the legs pair with the ability to play 0:06:32.800 --> 0:06:34.680 the position. Like I talk all the time about how 0:06:34.720 --> 0:06:37.160 Tua's ability to read the defense out and progress through 0:06:37.200 --> 0:06:40.120 it can force defenders to cover areas of the field 0:06:40.160 --> 0:06:42.599 that he really has no intention of attacking, and it 0:06:42.640 --> 0:06:46.720 creates more space for underneath outlets and space underneath. Daniels 0:06:46.720 --> 0:06:51.240 does that but also has like nearly Lamar Jackson running ability. 0:06:52.080 --> 0:06:53.600 He's a better player. I mean, that's what are you 0:06:53.640 --> 0:06:55.400 gonna What else can you say about it? That was 0:06:55.440 --> 0:06:58.160 my biggest takeaway from the game and the other thing 0:06:58.200 --> 0:07:00.560 was the fourth down variants and the anatomy of a 0:07:00.600 --> 0:07:02.880 massive upset that the Commander's of this all year long. 0:07:02.920 --> 0:07:05.320 But if you're gonna go into a visiting teams or 0:07:05.360 --> 0:07:08.280 a home team's building, a number one seeds building who 0:07:08.279 --> 0:07:11.360 won fifteen games, and your nine point dogs, whatever it was, 0:07:11.400 --> 0:07:13.240 and you're gonna win, you're gonna have to convert on 0:07:13.280 --> 0:07:15.200 fourth down. This is a team that converted eighty percent 0:07:15.200 --> 0:07:18.800 of their fourth downs this year, which is what absolutely wild. 0:07:19.000 --> 0:07:20.720 They went four for five in this game and just 0:07:20.760 --> 0:07:22.960 found answers. They found ways to get it done. I 0:07:23.000 --> 0:07:27.040 also wrote down that Jamar Gibbs is what we think 0:07:27.040 --> 0:07:29.240 de von Achen is in terms of the vision and 0:07:29.280 --> 0:07:31.480 the creativity as a runner and the ability to hit 0:07:31.480 --> 0:07:34.040 small creases. That's there's a big difference in those two 0:07:34.040 --> 0:07:37.240 players right there. Also the commanders in this game and 0:07:37.280 --> 0:07:38.960 the line you heard Tom Bray talking about how the 0:07:39.000 --> 0:07:40.920 Lions have to get out of this aggressive man coverage. 0:07:41.000 --> 0:07:43.480 The commander has just had so many nice answers, whether 0:07:43.520 --> 0:07:45.360 it was man or zone or blitz. You know, the 0:07:45.400 --> 0:07:48.200 man beaters, the two man combos to get that horizontal separation. 0:07:48.680 --> 0:07:51.920 They're muddle huddles and quick break snaps were fun to watch. 0:07:52.080 --> 0:07:54.200 I kind of came away from that game hoping Mike 0:07:54.320 --> 0:07:56.480 McDaniel watched that game and said, oh, I can do 0:07:56.600 --> 0:07:59.480 more than like you know these extravagant twenty word play 0:07:59.480 --> 0:08:02.000 calls that take me down to the five second mark 0:08:02.000 --> 0:08:04.240 of the play clock. Like, there was a lot of 0:08:04.480 --> 0:08:07.280 variants and mixing up things they did offensively for the 0:08:07.280 --> 0:08:09.880 commanders in this game. I also hope he was watching 0:08:09.880 --> 0:08:12.920 for either side screen game. They both were fantastic. That 0:08:13.040 --> 0:08:16.920 McLaurin touchdown. The Lions drive before the Laporte touchdown was 0:08:16.960 --> 0:08:19.840 all screen game and they executed it beautifully. Also, I 0:08:19.880 --> 0:08:23.080 love what Jeremy Chin looks like. The commander's safety could 0:08:23.080 --> 0:08:25.360 be an awesome fit for this Antheony Weaver defense, provided 0:08:25.360 --> 0:08:28.080 Anthony does not leave he has his second interview in 0:08:28.120 --> 0:08:31.200 New Orleans. Don't take that job, coach, It's no quarterback. 0:08:31.240 --> 0:08:32.880 Your cap situation is screwed. You don't have a great 0:08:32.920 --> 0:08:35.560 draft pick, Like, come on, one more ride, get a better 0:08:35.640 --> 0:08:36.240 job next year. 0:08:37.320 --> 0:08:38.839 Let's see. 0:08:39.559 --> 0:08:42.880 GoF reminds me a lot of Tua in some ways, 0:08:42.880 --> 0:08:44.920 like he'll play thirteen really good games of the course 0:08:44.920 --> 0:08:47.199 of a season. But he has four stinkers and maybe 0:08:47.240 --> 0:08:49.160 three two or three of those stinkers are in a 0:08:49.240 --> 0:08:51.480 huge spot, and that's gonna kill you, and it's gonna 0:08:51.520 --> 0:08:53.240 cause a bunch of conversations among fan bases. 0:08:53.440 --> 0:08:55.040 That's who those guys are at this stage of their career. 0:08:55.080 --> 0:08:57.040 It's kind of funny to see the Lions and really 0:08:57.080 --> 0:08:59.240 all the commentary on GoF over the You're like, oh, 0:08:59.280 --> 0:09:00.520 he's a rib, he's at quarterback. 0:09:00.559 --> 0:09:03.160 And now those same accounts are saying like, this. 0:09:03.080 --> 0:09:04.720 Is why the Rams got rid of golf, and man, 0:09:04.720 --> 0:09:06.760 maybe that's true, but I think it's funny the flip 0:09:06.760 --> 0:09:09.040 flopping we see on that And then Sunday, how about 0:09:09.040 --> 0:09:10.400 those football games on Sunday? 0:09:10.400 --> 0:09:11.840 My god, man Eagles and Rams. 0:09:12.520 --> 0:09:14.560 The playmakers were popping off in this game, and not 0:09:14.600 --> 0:09:17.280 even just the big name guys like DeMarcus Robinson taking 0:09:17.280 --> 0:09:20.000 the football away from people. You talk about the need 0:09:20.040 --> 0:09:22.440 to play in tight quarters and be tough and physical 0:09:22.640 --> 0:09:25.320 and take the ball away from the opposing player defense 0:09:25.400 --> 0:09:30.680 or offense or otherwise, like DeMarcus Robinson, AJ Brown, Dallas Goddard, 0:09:30.679 --> 0:09:33.400 Puka Nakua, Cooper Cup, all these guys making these big 0:09:33.440 --> 0:09:36.439 time plays and maybe it's more of a contested catch thing, 0:09:36.480 --> 0:09:39.040 but everything is just tighter against these good teams man, 0:09:39.080 --> 0:09:41.880 Like you saw it all throughout the weekend, whether or otherwise, 0:09:42.080 --> 0:09:44.320 you just see these bang bang plays that we've seen 0:09:44.440 --> 0:09:47.360 result in drops or dislodges, whatever it is for an 0:09:47.400 --> 0:09:50.400 incomplete pass. Also look at the safety play throughout the 0:09:50.440 --> 0:09:53.080 course of the weekend, or rather just DB's that can rotate, 0:09:53.160 --> 0:09:56.600 play multiple roles and love to come down and hit people. 0:09:57.280 --> 0:10:01.360 Chauncey Gardner, Johnson, Cam Kitchens, Cameron curl Reblankenship as a 0:10:01.360 --> 0:10:04.520 monster watching the game on in the night time with 0:10:04.559 --> 0:10:09.480 the with Kyle Hamilton and our Darius Washington, Like all 0:10:09.520 --> 0:10:11.240 these guys can play from depth and come hit you 0:10:11.280 --> 0:10:13.000 in the run game. It's fun to watch, and as 0:10:13.040 --> 0:10:14.800 that first game went along, it was tough to really 0:10:14.840 --> 0:10:17.319 garner takeaways when you consider the football or whether the 0:10:17.360 --> 0:10:20.079 footing and the elements impacting the passing game, the ability 0:10:20.120 --> 0:10:22.719 to separate or drive off the route was all impacted. 0:10:23.000 --> 0:10:25.240 And that goes way back to the level of diversity 0:10:25.280 --> 0:10:27.160 you have to have in your attack. Because the biggest 0:10:27.160 --> 0:10:29.760 plays we saw in the second half were those contested 0:10:29.840 --> 0:10:32.880 plays that touch that cup, like fifty yard catch on 0:10:32.920 --> 0:10:35.240 their go ahead touchdown drive. And also I have a 0:10:35.280 --> 0:10:37.200 friend back home who suggests that we should be playing 0:10:37.240 --> 0:10:40.760 all these games indoors, away from the elements. You're crazy. 0:10:41.160 --> 0:10:42.720 This reminds me of the tweets like you guys just 0:10:42.720 --> 0:10:45.240 don't like football, do you? This is football, man, adjust, 0:10:45.320 --> 0:10:48.240 adapt and deal with what comes at you and have 0:10:48.240 --> 0:10:50.440 different ways to win games. It's not seven on seven. 0:10:50.480 --> 0:10:52.839 That's not flag football. If they do that, I will 0:10:53.120 --> 0:10:54.880 that's gonna be the day you hear me start to 0:10:54.920 --> 0:10:56.160 be like, ah, this isn't the game that I used 0:10:56.160 --> 0:10:58.800 to that I grew up loving. Now all of this said, 0:10:59.480 --> 0:11:01.719 the rams as rush just finds wins man, I think 0:11:01.720 --> 0:11:03.800 we have that in our back pocket. Think the Dolphins 0:11:03.800 --> 0:11:05.400 can win that way. It doesn't matter who they're going 0:11:05.480 --> 0:11:08.400 up against. A really good Eagles front. These teams are 0:11:08.440 --> 0:11:10.640 just so much better all the teams we saw this 0:11:10.679 --> 0:11:14.280 weekend going at their backup players and playing around the 0:11:14.320 --> 0:11:17.280 absences they have, like or a guy like Oran Burks 0:11:17.280 --> 0:11:19.200 who just comes in and plays at a different level. Like, 0:11:19.400 --> 0:11:22.320 you have to have guys in backup roles. They're not 0:11:22.400 --> 0:11:24.400 just content to be in those backup roles like saw 0:11:24.480 --> 0:11:26.240 Duke Riley come off the bench this year and just 0:11:26.360 --> 0:11:29.160 do nothing right like it was bad oron Burks is 0:11:29.160 --> 0:11:30.520 like I want to make a name for myself. 0:11:30.520 --> 0:11:31.600 I'm gonna go hit some people. 0:11:31.840 --> 0:11:33.280 That was a big takeaway I had in that game 0:11:33.320 --> 0:11:36.080 as well, and then Bills and Ravens. Everything about Lamar's 0:11:36.080 --> 0:11:38.120 game is heightened by his ability to run, and you 0:11:38.160 --> 0:11:40.520 see the way defenders are always thinking about it, Like, 0:11:40.600 --> 0:11:43.080 but the way the Bills played him. If he's like 0:11:43.480 --> 0:11:46.839 incredibly comfortable knowing his answers against man or zone, he's 0:11:46.880 --> 0:11:49.880 gonna bull you off the field. And I wrote this 0:11:49.960 --> 0:11:52.320 after the second turnover, like he was playing lights out 0:11:52.360 --> 0:11:55.120 outside of those two atrocious plays, But that turn never 0:11:55.200 --> 0:11:56.680 really came. I thought it would in this game, but 0:11:56.679 --> 0:12:00.360 Buffalo was blitzing every other play and had simp pressure 0:12:00.440 --> 0:12:02.600 on every snap, and Matt Mulona was such a force 0:12:02.679 --> 0:12:05.280 multiplier for the way they can use him. I just 0:12:05.280 --> 0:12:06.880 love the way he runs to the football, Like there 0:12:06.920 --> 0:12:08.400 was that catch down the field by I think it 0:12:08.440 --> 0:12:11.400 was Bateman when he hurt him. Excuse me where he 0:12:11.440 --> 0:12:13.760 came back and was spying Lamar and then hit Bateman 0:12:13.760 --> 0:12:16.160 and just really really good football player who plays with 0:12:16.200 --> 0:12:18.480 a certain desire, and watching this game reminds me that 0:12:18.480 --> 0:12:20.800 we just like were really really good last year, but 0:12:20.840 --> 0:12:22.920 we went eleven and two against everybody else and zero 0:12:22.920 --> 0:12:26.240 to five against Baltimore, Buffalo and KC. But each of 0:12:26.280 --> 0:12:28.360 those teams and what you can learn from this requires 0:12:28.360 --> 0:12:30.480 you to play basically a perfect game, and if you're 0:12:30.520 --> 0:12:32.480 going to play for a Super Bowl, you probably have 0:12:32.520 --> 0:12:34.840 to beat at least two of them, right, And never 0:12:34.880 --> 0:12:37.079 mind playing perfect, Miami just has to find a way 0:12:37.360 --> 0:12:39.840 to play on par in terms of the mistakes and 0:12:39.880 --> 0:12:42.719 self inflicted wounds in those games. Baltimore lost that game 0:12:42.760 --> 0:12:46.240 last night because of mistakes. Can Miami get to a 0:12:46.280 --> 0:12:49.520 game like this, yes, but can they like not shut 0:12:49.600 --> 0:12:52.760 down all operation and become a shell of themselves. That's 0:12:52.760 --> 0:12:55.319 what they have to figure out. Big game good opponent 0:12:55.360 --> 0:12:59.520 recipe is you have to be discipline, physical, and situationally 0:12:59.559 --> 0:13:01.640 sound because is going to come down to how many penalties, 0:13:01.880 --> 0:13:04.199 how you can run off the football and beat teams up, 0:13:04.400 --> 0:13:07.440 and how you can essentially win those critical third and 0:13:07.440 --> 0:13:10.480 shorts or fourth downs or red zone moments. And in 0:13:10.520 --> 0:13:12.360 this one, it was the team that just made the 0:13:12.360 --> 0:13:15.480 mistakes right, all those Ravens turnovers, even the critical penalty 0:13:15.640 --> 0:13:17.360 on the kick return on the final drive. 0:13:17.559 --> 0:13:18.040 So there you go. 0:13:18.200 --> 0:13:19.880 Take a break right there, come back into the tight 0:13:19.960 --> 0:13:22.360 end capsule here on the Draft Time Podcast. That's next 0:13:22.960 --> 0:13:25.400 Draft Time Podcast, your host Travis Wingfield, brought to you 0:13:25.400 --> 0:13:26.120 by Auto Nation. 0:13:28.920 --> 0:13:30.280 We will get back into. 0:13:30.080 --> 0:13:32.920 The rest of the league on Friday and pick the 0:13:32.960 --> 0:13:36.040 conference championship games and get you all ready for what 0:13:36.080 --> 0:13:38.079 we can learn from the final four in the National 0:13:38.120 --> 0:13:41.240 Football League. But for now, back on the topic at hand, 0:13:41.600 --> 0:13:44.040 as we take a look at the tight end position 0:13:44.080 --> 0:13:46.440 here for your twenty twenty four Miami Dolphins and what 0:13:46.600 --> 0:13:49.720 could be ahead for that room, for that group in 0:13:49.800 --> 0:13:52.760 this offense in twenty twenty five. Let's go ahead and 0:13:52.840 --> 0:13:56.040 kick it off with a Dolphins internal capsule, and in general, 0:13:56.200 --> 0:13:59.720 we just witnessed what I would call the best Dolphins 0:13:59.760 --> 0:14:04.440 tie end room. Since I don't know before my time, 0:14:04.559 --> 0:14:07.640 I guess the first year that came to mind was 0:14:07.679 --> 0:14:10.360 two thousand and eight with Fossano and David Martin, but 0:14:10.480 --> 0:14:13.760 combined they didn't even have John hu Smith numbers together. Now, 0:14:14.040 --> 0:14:17.559 their run game impact was substantial in that wildcat season. 0:14:17.920 --> 0:14:20.920 Then You've got Randy McMichael's great seasons, but really his 0:14:20.960 --> 0:14:23.360 best year was two thousand and four and that didn't 0:14:23.360 --> 0:14:25.800 really scratch what John new Smith did this year and 0:14:25.840 --> 0:14:29.720 there was basically no depth behind him. Still, there is 0:14:30.040 --> 0:14:33.440 so much room despite that big jump for the Dolphins 0:14:33.480 --> 0:14:36.560 group this year, for growth in twenty twenty five, and 0:14:36.600 --> 0:14:39.840 I think tight End two was replacement level and tight 0:14:39.920 --> 0:14:42.240 End three was below that. So I think there's plenty 0:14:42.280 --> 0:14:44.440 of space to grow here in this tight end room, 0:14:44.440 --> 0:14:47.560 but it has to get better beyond John new Smith. 0:14:47.680 --> 0:14:50.160 Julian has to be more consistent, and I think you 0:14:50.280 --> 0:14:52.240 have to move on from number eighty one, and the 0:14:52.280 --> 0:14:56.720 person you add needs at minimum to challenge Julian's role 0:14:56.800 --> 0:14:59.280 as the number two or really what it is is 0:14:59.320 --> 0:15:02.800 the top why tight end because John U versus Julian 0:15:02.840 --> 0:15:06.520 and Durham play basically different positions, So I don't think 0:15:06.680 --> 0:15:09.840 Durham did enough to challenge Julian in that role this year, 0:15:09.880 --> 0:15:11.320 and I think we can do better than that in 0:15:11.360 --> 0:15:14.080 twenty twenty five. And oh, by the way, I'm including 0:15:14.080 --> 0:15:16.640 alec Ingold in this group since he and John Whu 0:15:16.680 --> 0:15:18.800 were listed at the same position on the depth chart. 0:15:18.840 --> 0:15:22.800 And really the fullback is more in tune technically speaking 0:15:22.840 --> 0:15:24.640 with a tight ends than he is with the running backs. 0:15:24.640 --> 0:15:27.400 Sound good, all right? So players off the top? Number nine, 0:15:27.480 --> 0:15:29.320 John new Smith, what more can you say? One of 0:15:29.360 --> 0:15:31.680 the most obvious free agent hits that I can remember 0:15:31.680 --> 0:15:34.520 for this team, watching his Falcons tape and seeing what 0:15:34.600 --> 0:15:37.080 he did there, getting to know him around the building, 0:15:37.120 --> 0:15:40.080 his approach, his leadership, the weight that his voice carries, 0:15:40.560 --> 0:15:42.480 not just in what he says, but the bass that 0:15:42.560 --> 0:15:43.920 kind of makes you listen to what he's saying at 0:15:43.960 --> 0:15:46.400 all times. I think you saw that all come to 0:15:46.480 --> 0:15:49.520 a head on three catches on a game winning drive 0:15:49.560 --> 0:15:52.400 that kept our season alive in that thrilling ot winner 0:15:52.440 --> 0:15:55.360 against the Jets back in December. He's got strong hands. 0:15:55.560 --> 0:15:58.560 He makes tough catches look routine, something we just don't 0:15:58.600 --> 0:16:01.240 really have otherwise on the roster, Like most of the 0:16:01.240 --> 0:16:03.560 guys that make their plays are pretty open when they 0:16:03.560 --> 0:16:06.160 make those catches and don't do a lot to fend off, 0:16:06.200 --> 0:16:08.680 you know, contested aspects. I think Waddle does a good 0:16:08.720 --> 0:16:10.520 job of that, but for the most part, it's kind 0:16:10.560 --> 0:16:13.160 of Johnny and then everybody else. He has a veteran 0:16:13.280 --> 0:16:17.080 understanding of space and how to pace his routes accordingly, big, 0:16:17.120 --> 0:16:19.760 big run after the catch threat as always. I just 0:16:19.800 --> 0:16:21.760 cannot say enough about John new Smith, and when I 0:16:21.760 --> 0:16:25.080 think he provides this team, I am stoked to get 0:16:25.160 --> 0:16:27.880 him back for a second year in this offense and 0:16:28.000 --> 0:16:29.040 just hit the ground running. 0:16:29.080 --> 0:16:29.240 Now. 0:16:29.600 --> 0:16:31.760 I think you can look at some of our short 0:16:31.800 --> 0:16:35.840 yardage failures and see nine getting his face crossed by 0:16:35.840 --> 0:16:38.240 an edge that blows up the play, probably too frequently. 0:16:38.680 --> 0:16:39.920 I think you can look at a lot of the 0:16:39.920 --> 0:16:43.000 blocking work and say that's not good enough, but that's 0:16:43.040 --> 0:16:45.760 never really been his game. He's good enough in that 0:16:45.920 --> 0:16:50.240 area that allows you to maintain flexibility and diversify your 0:16:50.240 --> 0:16:53.000 groupings with his baseline level of work in the run 0:16:53.040 --> 0:16:55.760 game and the screen game as a blocker. So it's 0:16:55.840 --> 0:16:58.160 like good enough, but we can do better. But we're 0:16:58.200 --> 0:17:00.480 certainly happy to have him on the field because of 0:17:00.480 --> 0:17:03.320 the versatility he features as a pass catcher and being 0:17:03.760 --> 0:17:06.600 just good enough in that area of his game. Now 0:17:06.640 --> 0:17:09.679 elsewhere number eighty nine Julian Hill on the roster. You 0:17:09.760 --> 0:17:12.200 have to be an expert at that role because he 0:17:12.240 --> 0:17:15.080 got five hundred and fifteen snaps this year and just 0:17:15.200 --> 0:17:18.000 nineteen targets. He's a six offensive lineman, right, that's what 0:17:18.080 --> 0:17:19.960 he is. That the Rams had this with Ben Skronic 0:17:20.040 --> 0:17:22.120 for a long time. The Chiefs do some of this 0:17:22.160 --> 0:17:24.040 with their offense. I know it's a different system, but 0:17:24.040 --> 0:17:26.360 they do some of that with their offense. The Niners 0:17:26.640 --> 0:17:28.919 have players in their offense that do similar roles as well, 0:17:28.920 --> 0:17:30.879 like Jawan Jennings before he kind of had a breakout 0:17:30.880 --> 0:17:34.280 two years ago, was essentially a plus blocker in their system. 0:17:34.640 --> 0:17:37.560 I think Julian is one of, if not the most 0:17:37.760 --> 0:17:41.840 undervalued players on the roster. And please don't misconstrue what 0:17:41.840 --> 0:17:44.199 I'm saying there. I'm not trying to tell you that 0:17:44.240 --> 0:17:47.160 he's one of these great players that's a massive needle mover. 0:17:47.640 --> 0:17:49.960 But we get a lot of casual comments like why 0:17:50.080 --> 0:17:52.800 is Julian Hill on my team? And usually it's because 0:17:52.840 --> 0:17:55.600 of like a penalty he commits or a landmark that 0:17:55.720 --> 0:17:57.480 was not well defined that he didn't get to a 0:17:57.480 --> 0:17:59.520 block in time. And he gets the brunt of the 0:18:00.000 --> 0:18:02.720