Tag: Jeff Ireland

Latest news on Dolphins renewed talks with Winston, Chiefs for Albert

Apr. 29 News and Notes 1 comment

If you watched the NFL Draft this weekend, you probably noticed that the ‘experts’ killed the Miami Dolphins for most of the draft.  The ‘experts’ did so because the Dolphins did not draft or trade for a starting left tackle.  While I completely agree that the Dolphins must find a left tackle, I will not harp on the subject from now until September.  The truth is, they know they need another starting tackle before training camp starts.  And despite what many ‘experts’ think, the Dolphins front office’s jobs are the ones actually on the line…not the ‘experts”.  The Dolphins did not draft a right tackle or a left tackle.  They knew what would be available after the draft and did not think the players that could have been drafted were better than their options.

Photo Courtesy of Jeffrey Beall via Wikipedia.org

Photo Courtesy of Jeffrey Beall via Wikipedia.org

The Dolphins came out of the 2013 draft, selecting only 1 offensive linemen, Dallas Thomas from Tennessee.  While Thomas played left tackle for part of his college career, he moved to guard in his senior season (and didn’t allow a sack).  Most would agree that Thomas projects more as a guard in the NFL than a tackle.  That is where I see him fitting in.  I think Richie Incognito will move over to right guard replacing John Jerry, and Thomas will be the Dolphins starting left guard.

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The crystal ball: 1st Round Mock Draft

Apr. 25 AFC East Preview, Breaking News, Dolphins Gameplan, Miami Musings, News and Notes, Opinion, Uncategorized 10 comments

After about eight long months of intense draft preparations, we have all officially survived mock draft season and the real deal is finally here. As Mel Kiper has stated, “This has not been a comfortable year to do mock drafts.” Here we are less than 24 hours away from Roger Goodell announcing Kansas City is on the clock and there is still debate on who the pick should be. There are simply no ‘locks’ in this draft years draft, but with no ‘locks’ I can assure you there will be plenty of steals.

We here at PhinNation encourage comments, criticisms, and questions regarding our intelligence, or furthermore our sanity at this point in time. Enjoy!

Pick Position               Selection
1 Kansas City  OT     Luke Joeckel, Texas A&M
2 Jacksonville  OLB      Dion Jordan, Oregon
3 Oakland       QB      Geno Smith, W.Va
4 Philadelphia  OT        Eric Fisher, Central Michigan
5 Detroit        CB        Dee Milliner, ‘Bama
6 Cleveland     DE        Ziggy Ansah, BYU
7 Arizona       OT        Lane Johnson, Oklahoma
8 Buffalo         QB         Matt Barkely, USC
9 NYJ              FS         Kenny Vaccaro, Texas
10 Tennessee    OG         Chance Warmack, ‘Bama
11 San Diego    OT         DJ Fluker, ‘Bama
12 Miami           WR          Tavon Austin, W.Va
13 NYJ           DE/OLB     Keke Mingo, LSU
14 Carolina         DT         Shariff Floyd, Florida
15 New Orleans OLB       Jarvis Jones, Georgia
16 St. Louis         OG         Jon Cooper, UNC
17   Pittsburgh    DE          Bjoren Werner, FSU
18 Dallas            DT          Star Lotulelei, Utah
19 NYG              TE           Tyler Eifert, Notre Dame
20 Chicago          OT          Menelik Watson, FSU
21 Cincinnati     WR         Cordarrelle Patterson, Tenn.
22 St. Louis         WR         DeAndre Hopkins, Clemson
23 Minnesota     WR         Keenan Allen, California
24 Indianapolis    CB         Xavier Rhodes, FSU
25 Minnesota      DT        Sheldon Richardson, Missouri
26 Green Bay       RB         Eddie Lacy, ‘Bama
27 Houston          QB        Ryan Nassib, Syracuse
28 Denver            CB         Dez Trufant, Wash.
29 New England   WR        Justin Hunter, Tenn.
30 Atlanta             CB         DJ Hayden, Houston
31 San Francisco DE         Datone Jones, UCLA
32 Baltimore         LB          Arthur Brown, Kansas St

The Dolphins recent rumblings sending Bess to Cleveland lead to the selection of WR/RB/KR/PR Tavon Austin. Many will consider this a luxury pick, but the combination of Mike Wallace and Tavon Austin will bring an entire new dimension to the Dolphins offense.
Be sure to follow @Phinfanlyst on twitter for further analysis throughout the draft Saturday.

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Latest news on Albert: Dolphins willing to pay him, waiting on Chiefs

Apr. 22 News and Notes 3 comments

This Branden Albert deal just keeps twisting and turning on all of us.  Yesterday, Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports reported that Branden Albert’s contract demands were too high for the Dolphins liking.  This afternoon, we heard that the Dolphins and Chiefs haven’t spoke about a trade in 5 days.  Now we hear from Ian Rapoport of NFL Network that the Dolphins ARE willing to meet Albert’s contract demands!  If this is how draft week is going to play out, I may need a vacation after the draft is done on Saturday….seriously!  Here is what Rapoport tweeted earlier tonight:

 

So here’s what I think happened.  I think the Dolphins offered the Chiefs the #54 pick sometime last week and were given permission to talk to Albert’s agent to negotiate a deal.  While in depth negotiations might not have happened yet, I think both sides know where the deal will ultimately end up.  As Rapoport mentioned, the deal will likely be in line with what Duane Brown received (6 years, $54 million, $22 guaranteed).  Depending on how the contract is structured, Albert will probably never see the end of that deal, so the devil will be in the details.

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Musings: Tavon Austin opinions, strength of schedule, plus trade down scenarios

Apr. 19 Miami Musings 1 comment

There is less than a week before the NFL Draft kicks off.  The Dolphins are finalizing their draft boards, while also continuing to keep discussions open with the Chiefs regarding a potential trade for Branden Albert.  We also learned last night about the Dolphins schedule for the 2013 season, so we know the road that must be traveled, if the team will make its long awaited return to the playoffs.  We’ve been doing some reading from around the Dolphins Blogosphere and wanted to share some of the interesting stories we’ve come across.

Miami Musings

Dolphins Strength of Schedule – ThePhinsider.com

ThePhinsider.com takes us through the Dolphins schedule and finds that the Dolphins have the 7th hardest schedule in the NFL next season.  Based on teams’ records from 2012, the Dolphins will face opponents with a winning percentage of .520, including the World Champion Baltimore Ravens.  As we told you earlier today, the schedule might not be easy, but it also might not be as ferocious as it may seem.

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5 bold predictions for the Dolphins 2013 Draft

Apr. 15 Opinion 8 comments

The NFL draft is about 1 week away and the Miami Dolphins are in the process of preparing their draft board.  Personally, the NFL Draft has always been one of my favorite events of the NFL season, comparable at times to an actual game (crazy, I know!).  I used to host Draft parties every season because the 1st-3rd rounds would take place on a Saturday afternoon.  The perfect time to assemble friends, talk sports, and possible engage in some beverage consumption (I’m being politically correct here).  Anyway, the NFL, in it’s infinite wisdom, decided to make the Draft into a Prime Time event.  That meant switching the first few rounds to Thursday and Friday nights.  Here’s the schedule for this year’s Draft:

Thursday, April 25th – 1st round

Friday, April 26th – 2nd & 3rd rounds

Saturday, April 27th – 4th-7th rounds

Photo Courtesy of Dolphins.com

Photo Courtesy of Dolphins.com

Although the Dolphins one pick on Thursday has gotten the most attention, fans calling for everyone from Lane Johnson to Tavon Austin, the core of this Dolphins draft will take place on Friday in the 2nd and 3rd rounds.  The Dolphins first pick, whomever he might be, should be a starter from day 1. A top 12 pick that isn’t a QB, should be an immediate starter.  However, with 4 picks combined between rounds 2-3, the Dolphins have a chance to hit a home run in this draft.  Those picks will be what make or break this draft.  

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Report: Dolphins are not as high on Lane Johnson as once suspected

Apr. 12 News and Notes 8 comments

Yesterday, Jeff Ireland spoke about the Dolphins offensive line and said that Nate Garner was one of their ‘core guys’.  The Dolphins aren’t admitting that they have a glaring need at offensive tackle…..but everyone knows it.  The Dolphins will address either the left tackle or the right tackle position, early in the draft…they have to.  That is, of course, unless they manage to pry Brandon Albert away from the Chiefs for a pick that’s lower than the 2nd rounder they’re said to be asking for him.  But most likely, the Dolphins will need to find a starting tackle in the draft.

Photo Courtesy of Dolphins.com

Photo Courtesy of Dolphins.com

Earlier this week, the word on the street (and according to the Palm Beach Post) was that the Dolphins were ‘high’ on Lane Johnson.  Johnson is one of the top 3 let tackle prospects in this draft.  It was believed that to get Johnson, the Dolphins would need to trade up, since he is expected to go within the top 10 picks (and the Dolphins currently sit at #12).

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Dolphins looking to trade up in the draft?

Apr. 04 News and Notes 4 comments

The Miami Dolphins have been aggressive so far this offseason.  They hope that their aggressive approach to add to the talent on the roster will result in a more aggressive offense and defense on the field this fall.  So, it should come as no surprise that the Dolphins are rumored to be interested in moving up in the draft.  The Dolphins certainly have the assets to move up into the top 10 of the draft, but the question is whether or not it is necessary….or wise to do so.

Photo Courtesy of Dolphins.com

Photo Courtesy of Dolphins.com

The Dolphins have 5 draft picks within the top 82 picks in this draft.  That’s a good thing for a number of reasons (if you ignore the starters given up to acquire the extra 2nd and 3rd rounder).  First, this is expected to be a draft that has good depth, but not necessarily a lot of blue chip, All-Pro type players.  In fact, many draft experts suggest that there is very little difference in talent for players 11-50.  The Dolphins have 3 picks in the top 54 selections.  All of those fall within the ‘depth’ category that the experts are referring to.

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Dolphins finally address secondary, sign Grimes to 1 year deal

Mar. 30 News and Notes 5 comments

The Miami Dolphins had a plan all along….it just took a little longer than many fans would like.  The Dolphins let Sean Smith walk away in free agency, which left a gaping hole in their secondary.  On Saturday, after what seemed to be weeks of negotiations, the Dolphins reached an agreement with former Pro Bowl cornerback, Brent Grimes.  As Jason LaCanfora reports, the deal is for 1 year and is worth $5.5 million with $3 million guaranteed.

Photo Courtesy of Dolphins.com

Photo Courtesy of Dolphins.com

Grimes also received interested from the Browns, but they weren’t willing to spend quite as much as the Dolphins.  The negotiations for Grimes were tricky, as he injured his Achilles tendon in last season’s opener.  He’s now 7 months removed from the injury and is said to be making good progress in rehab.

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Eric Winston wants to play for Dolphins, why haven’t they signed him?

Mar. 25 Opinion 3 comments

The Miami Dolphins need to upgrade their offensive line.  If the season started today, Jonathan Martin would be their left tackle and Nate Garner would be their right tackle.  If that thought doesn’t scare you like a horror movie, then you might have drank too much this weekend.  The Dolphins obviously need to upgrade their offensive line.  There simply isn’t enough talent there to protect Ryan Tannehill right now.  The Dolphins obviously went out and got Tannehill a lot of shiny weapons this offseason.  Why then would they not address the big guys up front, who’s job is to protect Tannehill?  I think they will and I think there is a plan.

Photo Courtesy of Rick Kimpel (via Wikipedia)

Photo Courtesy of Rick Kimpel (via Wikipedia)

The biggest question out there right now is why the Dolphins have not signed Eric Winston.  Winston will be 30 years old in November, however he was ranked as the #9 right tackle in the NFL last season.  He’s also not going to be overly expensive.  Oh yeah, did I mentioned that he….ya know…..WANTS TO PLAY FOR THE DOLPHINS???  It’s a mystery why a team that needs a right tackle would not sign the best available right tackle on the market, who wants to play for them….. and for a reasonable price.  The Dolphins had money set aside for Jake Long and since he bolted for the Rams, they have that money available, although Winston would only take a portion of that.

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Dolphins could improve offensive line with Moore, Winston in free agency

Mar. 21 News and Notes no comments

Most would agree that the Miami Dolphins have upgraded their roster since the end of the 2012 season.  However, they still have a few noticeable holes left to fill.  The most glaring holes are on the offensive line and in the defensive secondary.  If the season started today (hint: it doesn’t), the Dolphins would have Jonathan Martin at left tackle, John Jerry at right guard, and Nate Garner at right tackle.  THAT has to give Ryan Tannehill nightmares.  The Dolphins would also have Richard Marshall and Dmitri Patterson starting at cornerback.  THAT has to give Kevin Coyle nightmares!

Photos courtesy of Wikipedia (Jeffrey Beall and Rick Kimpel)

Photos courtesy of Wikipedia (Jeffrey Beall and Rick Kimpel)

While the Dolphins have 11 picks in the upcoming draft, after being awarded 5th and 7th round compensatory picks, they are still looking to fill holes in free agency.  According to Barry Jackson, the Dolphins have roughly $14 million left to spend against the cap, a figure that will increase by $7 million on June 1st because of the cuts of Karlos Dansby and Kevin Burnett.

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