WEBVTT - Miami Dolphins Free Agency 2022 Primer 0:00:00.160 --> 0:00:05.360 To us buyers touch style by waddle stuck into the 0:00:05.440 --> 0:00:09.440 end zone of Miami Boy, tight fro, tight window. They 0:00:09.440 --> 0:00:11.760 had to get that touchdown on that play. They get it. 0:00:14.920 --> 0:00:19.360 What is up? Dolphins? And welcome to the Drive Time Podcast, 0:00:19.640 --> 0:00:23.400 part of the Miami Dolphins podcast network, covering your team, 0:00:23.440 --> 0:00:27.560 your Miami Dolphins. How's it going? Everybody? I am your host, 0:00:27.640 --> 0:00:31.160 Travis Wingfield? And on today's show, a new week is here, 0:00:31.640 --> 0:00:35.440 and so too is free agency. At least almost the 0:00:35.520 --> 0:00:38.720 league is already rolling with reports of trades, moves, and 0:00:38.760 --> 0:00:42.360 goings on that began last week with that really crazy 0:00:42.400 --> 0:00:45.120 Wednesday kind of kicking things off, and things will only 0:00:45.159 --> 0:00:48.159 continue to get more bonkers in the coming days. Today 0:00:48.200 --> 0:00:50.720 here on the podcast, a primer, a look at some 0:00:50.760 --> 0:00:53.959 potential fits and landing spots, plus a look back at 0:00:54.000 --> 0:00:57.480 recent free agency periods, returning to an increase in the 0:00:57.600 --> 0:01:00.240 NFL cap figure, and a whole heck of a lot 0:01:00.280 --> 0:01:04.080 more busy podcast from somewhere in South Florida. This is 0:01:04.880 --> 0:01:11.400 the Drive Time Podcast. We kick off the podcast today 0:01:11.400 --> 0:01:14.759 with some news of a tender ring of cornerback Nick 0:01:14.880 --> 0:01:18.080 Needham with a second round designation. So after a season 0:01:18.080 --> 0:01:22.800 where Nick allows no touchdowns in coverage, has a pick six, 0:01:23.040 --> 0:01:27.080 some consistent impressive coverage on the inside, and a handful 0:01:27.120 --> 0:01:29.200 of plays coming down on the blitz, off the edge 0:01:29.200 --> 0:01:31.240 and the running game. I want to find this guy 0:01:31.319 --> 0:01:33.560 has been and the path This is a path for 0:01:33.600 --> 0:01:35.720 an undrafted free agent right He had to earn his 0:01:35.800 --> 0:01:39.800 job originally back in twent nineteen, had to fight off competition, 0:01:40.120 --> 0:01:43.360 high draft picks, proven veteran free agent editions, and he 0:01:43.480 --> 0:01:47.120 has done nothing but battle and earned playing time. And 0:01:47.160 --> 0:01:49.720 now he earned a nice little pay raise as a 0:01:49.760 --> 0:01:52.800 result in his fourth NFL season, And just to put 0:01:52.800 --> 0:01:56.640 a bow on his numbers from his most impressive year yet, 0:01:56.880 --> 0:02:01.400 fifty nine tackles, two interceptions, five passes offense, a fumble recovery, 0:02:01.440 --> 0:02:06.120 a sack, two QB hits, five QB pressures, fourteen run stops. 0:02:06.160 --> 0:02:09.440 Those are a Pro Football Focus metric for rundown tackles 0:02:09.480 --> 0:02:12.560 within two yards of the line of scrimmage, no touchdowns allowed, 0:02:12.760 --> 0:02:15.760 a career low eight point six percent miss tackle rate. 0:02:16.160 --> 0:02:18.360 And I think my favorite of all of them is 0:02:18.440 --> 0:02:22.560 right here. Three penalties for Nick Needom last year. That's 0:02:22.560 --> 0:02:25.440 down from ten his rookie season, down from seven, and 0:02:25.520 --> 0:02:28.480 year number two to just three a year ago in 0:02:28.520 --> 0:02:31.000 his third season. And that's a position where you face 0:02:31.480 --> 0:02:34.400 two way goes and really if you get beat instantly 0:02:34.400 --> 0:02:36.560 in that position, like the best way to defend that 0:02:36.600 --> 0:02:38.880 once you get beat is to grab on and hold. 0:02:38.919 --> 0:02:41.600 So good on Nick need Um for just three penalties 0:02:41.880 --> 0:02:44.359 last season in a very difficult position on the football field. 0:02:44.520 --> 0:02:46.760 And we talked about again that slot spot in some 0:02:46.800 --> 0:02:48.880 of the receivers that he had some really great coverage 0:02:48.919 --> 0:02:52.520 numbers against last year. I should say there was a 0:02:52.520 --> 0:02:56.079 stretch of games against Tyler Boy, Jamison Crowder and now 0:02:56.160 --> 0:02:58.280 Super Bowl m v P Cooper Cup where it was 0:02:58.600 --> 0:03:00.720 a catcher two per game for US a few yards 0:03:00.720 --> 0:03:03.600 in those games. And he also gave you ninety snaps 0:03:03.720 --> 0:03:07.160 last year in the post as a free safety, including 0:03:07.200 --> 0:03:09.360 forty four of those in a Week fifteen game against 0:03:09.400 --> 0:03:12.120 the Jets when Javon Holland was on the COVID list. 0:03:12.400 --> 0:03:16.320 Not to mention a hundred forty seven snaps on special teams. 0:03:16.600 --> 0:03:19.080 What to find? What a value, What an example to 0:03:19.120 --> 0:03:21.360 have on your roster. Just another one of these guys 0:03:21.360 --> 0:03:24.320 that Josh Boyer. We've heard stories about him kind of 0:03:24.520 --> 0:03:26.320 pounding the table for Nick need Um as a U 0:03:26.360 --> 0:03:29.480 d f A back in nineteen, just another defensive back 0:03:29.520 --> 0:03:33.280 who goes undrafted to playing in Josh Bowyer's DB's room. 0:03:33.360 --> 0:03:35.560 That's where he was in twenty nineteen, and also with 0:03:35.600 --> 0:03:38.360 the Patriots prior to that, to turning into a legitimate 0:03:38.440 --> 0:03:42.240 quality starter. Nick need Um, J C. Jackson, Malcolm Butler, 0:03:42.320 --> 0:03:44.400 just to name a few. There, so great value here 0:03:44.760 --> 0:03:47.920 for the Miami Dolphins. Before we get into and expand 0:03:48.000 --> 0:03:51.320 upon my free agency primer that's up on Miami Dolphins 0:03:51.360 --> 0:03:53.200 dot com this morning, I want to go ahead and 0:03:53.240 --> 0:03:55.960 look at a few things, and first among them is 0:03:55.960 --> 0:03:58.920 a look at the cap and the correlating rise in 0:03:59.040 --> 0:04:03.320 annual salary, these guarantees and just general money that will 0:04:03.360 --> 0:04:06.400 be spent in the coming weeks. Here at the onset 0:04:06.400 --> 0:04:09.520 of free agency this year, the cap is at two 0:04:09.560 --> 0:04:12.480 hundred eight point two million. Last year it was at 0:04:12.480 --> 0:04:16.719 one eighty two point five million, down from twenties number 0:04:16.720 --> 0:04:20.360 at one point to which was up from twenty nineteen 0:04:20.560 --> 0:04:23.680 at one eight point too, and the year prior at 0:04:23.720 --> 0:04:25.760 one seventy seven point two, So you kind of get 0:04:25.800 --> 0:04:29.280 the rhythm there, right. Eleven million dollar increases ten million 0:04:29.320 --> 0:04:33.480 dollar increases their year to year about a five percent 0:04:33.680 --> 0:04:36.479 increase with that trajectory each year until you get to 0:04:36.560 --> 0:04:39.760 that COVID season, which kind of knocked things out of 0:04:39.760 --> 0:04:43.640 whack there for one season. But now a twenty million 0:04:43.640 --> 0:04:46.240 dollar increase from where it left off last season. So 0:04:46.240 --> 0:04:48.240 we're right back on that track with you know, give 0:04:48.320 --> 0:04:50.920 or take five percent increase in the year to year. 0:04:51.040 --> 0:04:54.880 So the NFL man business be booming even inside of 0:04:54.920 --> 0:04:57.640 a pandemic, but especially outsider, I should say, you know, 0:04:57.680 --> 0:05:00.640 two years removed from the onset of COVID really becoming 0:05:00.640 --> 0:05:02.520 a part of our lives. So when we think about 0:05:02.720 --> 0:05:05.440 the contracts that we might see with that dip and 0:05:05.480 --> 0:05:08.360 cap and now back up, you have to remember that 0:05:08.400 --> 0:05:12.440 you must re calibrate each year what each contract means 0:05:12.440 --> 0:05:15.440 relative to the league cap figure. Right, So five percent 0:05:15.520 --> 0:05:18.240 give or take increase. Apply that to the players as well. 0:05:18.240 --> 0:05:21.320 So what was once a twenty million dollar contract now 0:05:21.400 --> 0:05:23.919 becomes a you know, getting I don't know math, but 0:05:23.920 --> 0:05:26.800 I'm pretty sure that becomes one million dollars. You have 0:05:26.839 --> 0:05:30.160 to apply that into the way this goes. But I'm 0:05:30.160 --> 0:05:32.800 gonna talk about Dolphins pass free agent periods here in 0:05:32.839 --> 0:05:34.920 just a moment and reflecting upon you know when free 0:05:34.920 --> 0:05:36.840 agency used to kick off in the middle of the 0:05:36.960 --> 0:05:38.800 night back in the day, and you know this was 0:05:38.839 --> 0:05:42.240 the case back with Albert Haynesworth. What was that two 0:05:42.279 --> 0:05:45.040 thousand and nine. I think it changed just a few 0:05:45.120 --> 0:05:47.640 years after that. I want to say the eleven lockout 0:05:48.080 --> 0:05:50.880 ushered in the change to make free agency a primetime 0:05:50.880 --> 0:05:53.360 event because it was pushed back to like July or 0:05:53.400 --> 0:05:56.240 August that year, if not, you know, soon thereafter. But 0:05:56.480 --> 0:05:59.240 that's besides the point. The point about Albert Haynesworth giving 0:05:59.279 --> 0:06:01.680 that blockbust or deal in an NFL record forty one 0:06:01.720 --> 0:06:04.359 million dollars and guarantees back in two thousand nine, a 0:06:04.400 --> 0:06:09.520 defensive tackle setting the guaranteed record for most guaranteed money 0:06:09.520 --> 0:06:11.800 in a contract. Think about how crazy that is. And 0:06:11.839 --> 0:06:14.240 at one point I intended to get to was the 0:06:14.320 --> 0:06:17.000 contract that Harold Landry was reportedly agreeing to with the 0:06:17.000 --> 0:06:21.240 Tennessee Titans this last week. A fantastic defensive end, edge rusher, 0:06:21.320 --> 0:06:24.440 edge defender for the Titans. He pulls on the reported 0:06:24.440 --> 0:06:28.520 fifty three million dollars in guarantees. And remember, haynesworth two 0:06:28.520 --> 0:06:30.400 thousand and eight season was one of the best we've 0:06:30.480 --> 0:06:34.400 ever seen basically until from a defensive tackle until Aaron 0:06:34.440 --> 0:06:37.320 Donald arrive and basically took that down seven eight years 0:06:37.320 --> 0:06:39.680 in a row now, but seven years for one hundred 0:06:39.680 --> 0:06:42.560 and fifteen million for Haynesworth. To keep it relative, how 0:06:42.600 --> 0:06:44.919 about in domin con Sue six years later it became 0:06:44.960 --> 0:06:48.799 the biggest contract to a defensive player ever at six years, 0:06:49.080 --> 0:06:51.600 a hundred and fourteen so it was sixteen point four 0:06:51.680 --> 0:06:54.720 a p y for Haynesworth, nineteen a p y for 0:06:54.880 --> 0:06:57.880 Sue and sixty million and guarantee, so an average and 0:06:58.400 --> 0:07:00.800 ten million dollars of guarantee money for the life of 0:07:00.839 --> 0:07:03.160 that contract. That's not exactly how it works, but just 0:07:03.240 --> 0:07:06.520 kind of pro rating things compared to Haynesworth carry the 0:07:06.520 --> 0:07:09.680 one six point one million and guarantee. So that's a 0:07:09.680 --> 0:07:14.960 good look there a snapshot at how the cap has 0:07:15.120 --> 0:07:17.640 increased and increased salaries, you know, over the course of 0:07:17.680 --> 0:07:20.040 the last decade plus. And just to put a bow 0:07:20.040 --> 0:07:22.280 on that point, Aaron Donald got six for one thirty 0:07:22.360 --> 0:07:25.760 five and lord knows what he would get today on 0:07:25.800 --> 0:07:28.480 the open market. But again twenty two point five per 0:07:28.680 --> 0:07:31.400 and another three point five million increased from the deal 0:07:31.440 --> 0:07:35.480 that Sue signed with eighty seven million guaranteed a substantial 0:07:35.520 --> 0:07:38.400 increase there. So that's my preamble for saying money is 0:07:38.440 --> 0:07:42.320 gonna be funny with a considerable leap in cap space 0:07:42.400 --> 0:07:45.640 this year. So Harold Landry's guaranteed money of fifty three 0:07:45.680 --> 0:07:48.320 million dollars, like, he's a tremendous player who finished in 0:07:48.320 --> 0:07:50.920 the top ten both in QB pressures and run stops 0:07:50.960 --> 0:07:54.400 among edge defenders last year on Pro Football Focus. You 0:07:54.440 --> 0:07:57.760 have guys like Nick Bosa, Trey Hendrickson, Von Miller, Miles, 0:07:57.760 --> 0:08:01.240 Garrett Shack, Barrett max Cross be checked in in that 0:08:01.640 --> 0:08:03.320 vein last year in terms of guys that had more 0:08:03.320 --> 0:08:05.920 pressures and more production. For what that could look like 0:08:06.440 --> 0:08:08.680 for a guy right around top ten and both of 0:08:08.680 --> 0:08:11.000 those categories, and what that could look like for the 0:08:11.040 --> 0:08:13.480 guys that you know have had more production than that 0:08:13.760 --> 0:08:15.160 at the top of the class. And just like the 0:08:15.240 --> 0:08:17.560 quarterback position, I mean you see it with Aaron Rodgers 0:08:17.840 --> 0:08:20.600 and that report of fifty million per So, I just 0:08:20.640 --> 0:08:22.680 want to do the groundwork to say these figures are 0:08:22.720 --> 0:08:25.520 probably gonna make you say wow, like all week long 0:08:25.960 --> 0:08:29.160 expect increases. It's simple mathematics. And that's done by the 0:08:29.160 --> 0:08:31.960 fact that I can do the maths involved in this one. 0:08:32.040 --> 0:08:34.440 So that leads to something else I wanted to explore 0:08:34.480 --> 0:08:36.720 here before we get into the free agency primer, the 0:08:36.760 --> 0:08:38.960 top of the market at each position and kind of 0:08:39.040 --> 0:08:42.240 lay the expectation there. Again, this is according to spot 0:08:42.320 --> 0:08:44.720 rack dot com and just a disclaimer, there is so 0:08:44.840 --> 0:08:47.280 much more to these deals than a p Y, but 0:08:47.400 --> 0:08:49.079 it does give us a little bit of baseline, just 0:08:49.160 --> 0:08:51.520 kind of to compare these things, you know, apples for 0:08:51.520 --> 0:08:54.440 apples across the board. So quarterback Rodgers the reporter fifty. 0:08:54.679 --> 0:08:57.640 Mahomes is forty five right behind that again, two guys 0:08:57.679 --> 0:09:00.800 that you know m v P races, deep playoff runs 0:09:00.800 --> 0:09:03.240 and in a Super Bowl championship there recently from Mahomes, 0:09:03.520 --> 0:09:05.720 guys that are just at the top of the game 0:09:05.800 --> 0:09:09.359 and getting you know, the top of these current quarterback 0:09:09.440 --> 0:09:12.520 landscape or quarterback contract landscape. I should say. With those 0:09:12.520 --> 0:09:15.400 two guys right there, running back Christian McCaffrey sixteen million 0:09:15.440 --> 0:09:17.560 a p Y leads the way there. He signed that 0:09:17.640 --> 0:09:19.680 deal recently a couple of years back with the Panthers 0:09:19.880 --> 0:09:22.480 at receiver. It's gonna be mostly recent deals because That's 0:09:22.480 --> 0:09:25.840 how this the cycle works, right. DeAndre Hopkins seven per 0:09:26.160 --> 0:09:28.240 and that was, you know, a significant gap to the 0:09:28.240 --> 0:09:31.400 next guy, Julio Jones at twenty two point five. You 0:09:31.480 --> 0:09:33.520 wonder what Adams would get, you know, outside of a 0:09:33.520 --> 0:09:35.880 franchise tag. They're probably closer to the new Coopkins number, 0:09:35.960 --> 0:09:39.320 if not more. Tight end position, George Kittle fifteen million 0:09:39.360 --> 0:09:43.200 per offensive tackle Trent Williams just edged out David back 0:09:43.200 --> 0:09:45.720 Tier by ten k Both those guys right around twenty 0:09:45.760 --> 0:09:49.160 three million per at the tackle position. Last year at guard, 0:09:49.520 --> 0:09:53.200 Joe Tuney of the Chiefs reset the market at sixteen 0:09:53.280 --> 0:09:55.600 million per, which is the same number Joel but Tonio 0:09:55.679 --> 0:09:58.920 got in season with an extension with the Cleveland Browns. 0:09:58.960 --> 0:10:01.640 But Brandon Sure playing on that double tag for the 0:10:01.679 --> 0:10:05.360 Commanders was an eighteen. He'll potentially hit the market here 0:10:05.400 --> 0:10:08.439 coming up this week, leaving Washington after two years of 0:10:08.480 --> 0:10:11.160 getting the tag there. At the center position, Frank rag 0:10:11.160 --> 0:10:14.040 Now with the Lines got his extension thirteen point five per, 0:10:14.280 --> 0:10:16.680 and Corey Lindsley of the Chargers got his deal last 0:10:16.720 --> 0:10:20.000 offseason at twelve point five. On the interior defensive line, 0:10:20.000 --> 0:10:22.800 we already mentioned this guy, Aaron Donald twenty two point 0:10:22.800 --> 0:10:25.960 five a p Y off the edge. There's so many 0:10:25.960 --> 0:10:27.680 guys I had to list them all, and basically to 0:10:27.720 --> 0:10:32.000 get down to that Harold Landry figure J J. Watt, 0:10:32.640 --> 0:10:36.240 per Nick Bosa or Joey Bosa, I should say twenty 0:10:36.240 --> 0:10:40.640 seven per Miles Garrett twenty five per Khalil Mack twenty 0:10:40.640 --> 0:10:43.880 three point five, Von Miller nineteen and then Landry seventeen 0:10:43.920 --> 0:10:46.840 point five. For off ball linebackers, Darius Leonard of the 0:10:46.880 --> 0:10:50.440 Colts nineteen point seven a p Y at cornerback, Jalen 0:10:50.520 --> 0:10:53.199 Ramsey at twenty a p y and then safety at 0:10:53.200 --> 0:10:57.200 seventeen point five, Jamal Adams and his ap y there. 0:10:57.240 --> 0:10:59.960 So again, those are the top of the market. Contrary, 0:11:00.000 --> 0:11:01.839 it's kind of how the market gets set and then 0:11:01.880 --> 0:11:03.920 you plug them in as you go along there. I 0:11:03.960 --> 0:11:05.920 always love this time of the year for not just 0:11:06.000 --> 0:11:08.480 the player acquisition, but kind of the playing with the 0:11:08.520 --> 0:11:10.000 cap and figuring out a way to make it all 0:11:10.040 --> 0:11:12.800 click together, to put together that piece and maximize the 0:11:13.160 --> 0:11:16.280 allotment of resources that you have. But while those big 0:11:16.320 --> 0:11:19.520 time signings, you know, slot in accordingly based upon production 0:11:19.559 --> 0:11:22.760 and precedent, there are always always gonna be bargains to 0:11:22.840 --> 0:11:25.480 be had. We see it every single year. Of course, 0:11:25.520 --> 0:11:29.360 the price tag reduction always means an increased sense of risk, right, 0:11:29.400 --> 0:11:31.200 That's kind of how this works. But I mean there's 0:11:31.240 --> 0:11:34.000 always risk in the sport and what is the ultimate 0:11:34.000 --> 0:11:36.560 game of chess. But you look back at like Brent Grimes, 0:11:36.559 --> 0:11:40.600 for instance, coming off an achilles tear in really dampened 0:11:40.679 --> 0:11:42.760 his market. Then he gets a one year, five point 0:11:42.800 --> 0:11:45.800 five million dollar deal with the Dolphins and has a 0:11:45.800 --> 0:11:49.160 Pro Bowl season, similar to Eric Rowe back in twenty nineteen, 0:11:49.160 --> 0:11:51.480 a one year deal here in Miami. Also, he had 0:11:51.480 --> 0:11:54.040 a hard time playing through an entire sixteen game schedule 0:11:54.120 --> 0:11:57.000 before that, which certainly had an impact on his market. 0:11:57.320 --> 0:12:00.040 Now after getting extension within his first season here, the 0:12:00.080 --> 0:12:03.760 Dolphins has played all forty nine possible games in those 0:12:03.800 --> 0:12:06.080 three years, So you can find those guys. Doesn't have 0:12:06.120 --> 0:12:07.880 to be top of the list. And just to kind 0:12:07.880 --> 0:12:10.040 of go back over the Dolphins recent free agency here, 0:12:10.040 --> 0:12:12.600 I was looking back and you know, I remember all 0:12:12.640 --> 0:12:15.360 these free agent classes, but just to really lock in 0:12:15.400 --> 0:12:17.559 and and look back on how the team has done 0:12:17.559 --> 0:12:19.560 in some of the bargain deals are just good deals 0:12:19.600 --> 0:12:22.559 they've had, you know, Byron Jones, a big part of 0:12:22.600 --> 0:12:24.640 this defense the last couple of years, and Emmanuel Ogba 0:12:24.880 --> 0:12:28.440 were certainly nice gets there. Nineteen mentioned Eric Rowe, how 0:12:28.440 --> 0:12:31.440 about Josh sitting back in and that was a fun 0:12:31.559 --> 0:12:34.640 signing for one game because he played so well in 0:12:34.640 --> 0:12:36.600 that season open and then he gets hurt and missed 0:12:36.600 --> 0:12:37.959 the rest of the season at a spot that the the 0:12:38.120 --> 0:12:40.559 Dolphins really thought, you know, the fan base thought we'd 0:12:40.600 --> 0:12:42.720 kind of solved that left guard issue. They're heading into 0:12:42.760 --> 0:12:47.040 that year. Plays just one game that the best acquisition 0:12:47.120 --> 0:12:49.640 and kind of make this, you know, comprehensive because the 0:12:49.679 --> 0:12:51.720 trades are a big part of the game nowadays. But 0:12:51.760 --> 0:12:53.440 I thought the best ad there was the trade for 0:12:53.480 --> 0:12:56.479 William Hayes the defensive end. But a very nice teen 0:12:56.520 --> 0:12:58.400 season there were the Dolphins in twenty seventeen season. I 0:12:58.440 --> 0:13:01.920 should say Issa Abdulla could do remember him. He was 0:13:01.960 --> 0:13:04.440 playing so well before that injury in the Christmas Eve 0:13:04.480 --> 0:13:07.240 Buffalo game, the one that essentially sent Miami to the 0:13:07.280 --> 0:13:11.079 a f C playoffs that year, and Dominican Sue also 0:13:11.120 --> 0:13:13.079 traded for Kenny Stills. That was one of my favorite 0:13:13.080 --> 0:13:17.240 moves of the last decade or so. No Sean Marino 0:13:17.960 --> 0:13:21.079 mentioned Brent Grimes and how about Brandon and gibbson gokuks there, 0:13:21.160 --> 0:13:23.240 So it's a good place to cut it off. But again, 0:13:23.520 --> 0:13:26.800 remember when they used to kick off free agency at 0:13:26.800 --> 0:13:28.880 midnight Eastern on Friday night? You remember that? Or was 0:13:28.880 --> 0:13:31.560 it Thursday night? I'll never forget. This is before I 0:13:31.600 --> 0:13:34.600 had my first iPhone, sitting in a movie theater, and 0:13:35.000 --> 0:13:37.439 because I was so geeked about football, I don't remember 0:13:37.480 --> 0:13:40.040 what movie this was. And after a quick search on Google, 0:13:40.320 --> 0:13:43.800 there are two possibilities, semi pro and strange wilderness that 0:13:43.840 --> 0:13:46.800 I went and saw in theaters. Maybe it was witless protection. 0:13:46.880 --> 0:13:48.400 I doubt I got her done. That's a bit of 0:13:48.400 --> 0:13:51.600 a sarcastic mark there, But I was checking the Finns 0:13:51.679 --> 0:13:54.520 dot com because this is before Twitter and the signing 0:13:54.760 --> 0:13:57.600 the update of Justin Smiley, Like that was one of 0:13:57.640 --> 0:14:01.600 my first memories of really being just nuts about the 0:14:01.640 --> 0:14:03.400 sport and about this team and about this league with 0:14:03.480 --> 0:14:06.680 Justin Smiley as a midnight free agency signing back in 0:14:06.679 --> 0:14:08.800 two thousand and eight. So there you have it. One 0:14:08.880 --> 0:14:10.440 last note on this. A guy that does not get 0:14:10.520 --> 0:14:12.840 enough credit for the work he does because something we 0:14:12.880 --> 0:14:14.880 talked about all the time on this podcast is the 0:14:14.920 --> 0:14:17.640 flexibility and Brandon Shore a big, big part of that 0:14:18.200 --> 0:14:21.240 positional flexibility. We always love to talk about here the 0:14:21.280 --> 0:14:25.080 minimal dead money and available cap for this offseason. Always 0:14:25.120 --> 0:14:27.240 feel great about having that in your back pocket around 0:14:27.240 --> 0:14:28.920 this time of year, and a big shot out there 0:14:28.960 --> 0:14:31.320 to Brandon Shore for making that happen for this Miami 0:14:31.360 --> 0:14:33.360 Dolphins club. All right, let's go ahead and take our 0:14:33.400 --> 0:14:35.720 first break. We're gonna come back and recap and get 0:14:35.760 --> 0:14:38.360 to an in depth look at the free agency primer 0:14:38.440 --> 0:14:40.920 up on Miami Dolphins dot com this morning. Written by 0:14:40.960 --> 0:14:44.560 yours truly Drivetime Podcast Travis Winkflord, brought to you by 0:14:44.600 --> 0:14:50.680 Auto Nation. Alright, we are presented by Auto Nation here 0:14:50.720 --> 0:14:53.680 on the Drivetime Podcast with Travis Winfield, and we have 0:14:53.720 --> 0:14:56.160 a piece up on Miami Dolphins dot com this morning. 0:14:56.360 --> 0:14:59.600 Taking a look at what I did was I went 0:14:59.600 --> 0:15:03.200 and looked some websites that had suggestions about positions of need, 0:15:03.360 --> 0:15:06.520 and off of those, took the NFL dot com Top 0:15:06.560 --> 0:15:10.120 one one free agents list and just kind of spelled 0:15:10.120 --> 0:15:13.680 out what is unique about those position groups and maybe 0:15:13.720 --> 0:15:16.440 some connections to those guys from previous coaching staffs. And 0:15:16.480 --> 0:15:18.440 some Pro Bowls and all all the fun stuff we'd 0:15:18.440 --> 0:15:20.680 love to do here the Drivetime podcast taking a look 0:15:20.720 --> 0:15:23.800 at everything comprehensively at those position groups, and then also 0:15:23.840 --> 0:15:26.560 some interesting facts about the other position groups that were 0:15:26.600 --> 0:15:28.920 not on that list. But first I go back to 0:15:28.960 --> 0:15:31.120 a couple of quotes here from the sit down interview 0:15:31.400 --> 0:15:34.520 on YouTube as well as the Drivetime podcast with general 0:15:34.520 --> 0:15:37.960 manager Chris Greer and head coach Mike McDaniel who recently 0:15:38.000 --> 0:15:40.680 on Drivetime had this to say. First with Greer knowing 0:15:40.720 --> 0:15:43.000 we have flexibility to do stuff is good, but at 0:15:43.040 --> 0:15:44.480 the end of the day, we're gonna build a team. 0:15:44.480 --> 0:15:47.560 It's best for us and quote and then McDaniels kind 0:15:47.560 --> 0:15:49.440 of follow up to that, which was, you know great 0:15:49.440 --> 0:15:52.040 as always talking about how it's not like the alliance 0:15:52.080 --> 0:15:54.680 you get when you're younger, where hey, you have the money, 0:15:54.720 --> 0:15:57.760 you should go spend it. You know, flexibility, sure, that's important, 0:15:57.760 --> 0:15:59.560 but don't just go spend it because you've got it. 0:15:59.800 --> 0:16:02.200 And liked how he talked about and this is something 0:16:02.240 --> 0:16:04.520 I heard, you know from the Move the Sticks podcast 0:16:04.560 --> 0:16:06.880 that I always love the reference here on Drive Time 0:16:06.880 --> 0:16:09.840 and just other stories around people that are executives or 0:16:09.880 --> 0:16:12.320 gms or scouts or coaches, whatever the case may be 0:16:12.560 --> 0:16:16.800 about how coaches. You know, I have a practice on Wednesday, 0:16:16.840 --> 0:16:19.240 I need a linebacker to run my practice, or whatever 0:16:19.280 --> 0:16:20.720 the case may be. That was just an example, right, 0:16:20.760 --> 0:16:22.680 I need a I need a free safety for this 0:16:22.800 --> 0:16:25.440 particular practice to get done when I have to get done. 0:16:25.720 --> 0:16:27.720 And so that's kind of the short setted mindset in 0:16:27.840 --> 0:16:29.520 terms of we have to go get this done. And 0:16:29.560 --> 0:16:32.040 I liked how he talked about Chris Greer kind of 0:16:32.040 --> 0:16:34.880 being the balancer of that in terms of helping him 0:16:35.040 --> 0:16:38.400 maintain that balance when talking through everything, especially when you're 0:16:38.400 --> 0:16:41.360 talking about salary cap and spending limits, is how McDaniel 0:16:41.440 --> 0:16:44.800 ended that quote. So the collaboration of those two guys 0:16:44.840 --> 0:16:47.920 working together, just the wisdom that Greer has that he can, 0:16:48.120 --> 0:16:51.080 you know, institute for Mike McDaniel and vice versa two 0:16:51.120 --> 0:16:53.760 in terms of just, you know, here's here's the picture 0:16:53.800 --> 0:16:56.040 of things. I prefer how the best way I can 0:16:56.120 --> 0:16:58.640 run my system and get guys from my staff and 0:16:58.680 --> 0:17:00.200 career is gonna do what he can to make that 0:17:00.240 --> 0:17:02.360 happened as well. So those guys working kind of in unison. 0:17:02.520 --> 0:17:05.560 I thought that was evident in those answers and again 0:17:05.560 --> 0:17:08.879 talking about flexibility. Miami enters the free agency period with 0:17:08.960 --> 0:17:12.040 the fourth most projected available cap space and the eighth 0:17:12.160 --> 0:17:15.600 least amount of dead money in the National Football League. 0:17:15.640 --> 0:17:18.480 That's courtesy of spot rack dot com and just taking 0:17:18.480 --> 0:17:21.159 a look here at the CBS Sports dot Com. They 0:17:21.240 --> 0:17:23.520 kind of went through a mock draft and had teams 0:17:23.800 --> 0:17:27.600 needs uh listed on that lock drafting for the Miami Dolphins. 0:17:27.640 --> 0:17:30.639 It was four positions and they were three on offense, 0:17:30.680 --> 0:17:33.560 one on defense across the offensive line, and they mentioned 0:17:33.560 --> 0:17:37.120 both tackle and guard spots, specifically the running back position, 0:17:37.440 --> 0:17:41.040 the receiver position, and then linebacker on defense. So we 0:17:41.080 --> 0:17:43.879 start here with the NFL dot Com Top one oh 0:17:43.960 --> 0:17:46.639 one written by Greg Rosenthal who had a chance to 0:17:46.680 --> 0:17:49.000 meet in Indianapolis of the Around the NFL podcast and 0:17:49.000 --> 0:17:52.000 the entire crew. That was a pretty cool, uh little 0:17:52.000 --> 0:17:53.760 sitt and chat and meet and greet there with my 0:17:53.800 --> 0:17:56.280 guy Mark Sessler, who's one of the best people in 0:17:56.280 --> 0:17:58.880 this entire industry. So thanks for saying what's up, Mark 0:17:58.920 --> 0:18:00.840 and talking to me off to the side of the 0:18:00.880 --> 0:18:04.040 a t n riser there. So Greg Rosenthal wrow at 0:18:04.040 --> 0:18:06.399 the NFL dot Com Top one on one and across 0:18:06.440 --> 0:18:08.840 the offensive line. I went ahead and put everybody that's 0:18:09.520 --> 0:18:12.000 uh guard, tackle or center. They all made it in 0:18:12.040 --> 0:18:14.399 this list. The number one player on the overall boards 0:18:14.400 --> 0:18:17.040 to Ron Armshead of the Saints. Just one of the 0:18:17.080 --> 0:18:20.439 best left tackles of the last eight nine years in 0:18:20.440 --> 0:18:23.560 the National Football League. Really good player. Brandon Schurf from 0:18:23.600 --> 0:18:26.440 the Washington Commanders. We talked about him earlier double tags. 0:18:26.440 --> 0:18:28.840 The last two years, he's been a very good productive 0:18:28.840 --> 0:18:31.120 player at that right guard position for them after being 0:18:31.119 --> 0:18:35.720 the number five pick in the draft back in twenty fifteen. 0:18:37.480 --> 0:18:40.800 Ryan Jensen, the Super Bowl champion of the center for 0:18:40.800 --> 0:18:43.359 the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He's the top center on this list. 0:18:43.520 --> 0:18:46.320 Dwayne Brown from the Seahawks is up here at number fourteen. 0:18:46.600 --> 0:18:49.120 James Daniels of the Chicago Bears, just twenty four years 0:18:49.119 --> 0:18:51.919 old on this list, Joe note Boom of the Rams. 0:18:52.080 --> 0:18:55.240 Number thirty three is Bradley Bozeman. Number thirty five Ben Jones, 0:18:55.480 --> 0:18:58.200 thirty seven is Trent Brown, the former tackle of the 0:18:58.240 --> 0:19:01.320 Patriots and forty nine. He's a massive, massive player and 0:19:01.320 --> 0:19:04.200 people mover Lake and Tomlinson, the guard formerly of the 0:19:04.240 --> 0:19:08.520 forty Number forty three on this list. Number forty Eric Fisher, 0:19:08.600 --> 0:19:11.200 formerly of the Colts and Chiefs. Before that, forty six 0:19:11.320 --> 0:19:14.959 is Connor Williams and the Cowboys. Fifty Alex Kappa from 0:19:14.960 --> 0:19:18.040 the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Number seventy nine is Morgan Moses, 0:19:18.040 --> 0:19:19.720 So a bit of a drop there from the top fifty. 0:19:20.080 --> 0:19:22.600 Lots of names on the offensive line in this top fifty, 0:19:22.840 --> 0:19:25.280 and then you go twenty nine spots to Morgan Moses, 0:19:25.280 --> 0:19:27.239 who had a great year last year for the New 0:19:27.320 --> 0:19:30.680 York Jets. Number eighty two Austin Corbett and number ninety 0:19:30.720 --> 0:19:33.600 four Riley Reef number Andrew Norwell. So just kind of 0:19:33.640 --> 0:19:35.879 looking at that list and one name that would probably 0:19:35.880 --> 0:19:37.600 be added to that if they updated it would be 0:19:37.720 --> 0:19:40.879