Drive Time with Travis WingfieldDrive Time: Free Agency Frugality, Sustained Winning and DT Prospect Breakdowns
To on the move, going deep Speedways Peace Dodo Peas. From the Baptist Health Studios inside the Baptist Health Training Complex, this is Drivetime with Travis Wingfield. He's my ad hands in the playoffs.
What is up Dolphins?
And welcome to the Draft Time Podcast. I am your host, Travis Wingfield. And on today's show, we flip it over to the defense to talk about some of the draft prospects that I like for both picks twenty one and fifty five. In some respects, we'll go into the defensive line look at a couple of players that could be in the mix for that first round draft pick for your Miami Dolphins.
Plus the latest news.
We'll talk about some of the Dolphins re signings they had this off season and talk about how they fit into the fold. That and a whole heck of a lot more. From the Baptist Health Studios inside the Baptist Health Training Complex.
This is the Draft Time Podcast. Reggie Daffy first, so.
This podcast will come out while I am in the dentist chair today. Have you guys ever lost a crown on a tooth? And have you ever done that by eating a Starburst ad a starburst on Monday at five oh five, right after dentist's office closes, right, and it pulled the crown off my tooth. And now I have to go in and actually have a cavity field in that spot and have a new crown made for that position. So yay medical costs, right, But I'm doing that today. And speaking of dental work, did you guys see the news that came across right before I jumped on the podcast actually Inside Information here or Inside Baseball. I recorded the podcast and stopped it and started back over about a minute and a half in to talk about Steffan Diggs being traded away from Buffalo to the Houston Texans, per reports from Adam Schefter, Ian Rappaport and the entire crew of insiders. And now all of a sudden, Buffalo has lost in consecutive years, Isaiah McKenzie, Gabe Davis, and Stefan Diggs. And I wonder what that offense might look like in twenty twenty four, as are the team that you were told all summer or all winter, I should say about cap Opolpse right now, it's coming for the Miami Dolphins.
It was actually Buffalo that was in.
That cap hell, and they've taken a bath this offseason as a result and have not been able to make the additions the Miami Dolphins have made to their roster with two teams that were both you know, well over the cap going into the new league year. But Buffalo did not have the flexibility and structure ability that's not a word, to remake themselves and get themselves competitive with with you know, in the off season with more acquisitions and running out their roster with more new players that fit what they do. So no more Stefan Digs in the division. And as we know, and Stefan tweeted this on Tuesday, are you sure that Josh Allen was a good player before I got there? And I'm not going to sit here and disparage Josh Allen because I know he's a great quarterback, But I think without Digs, that offense really changes. I think now you're going to see a lot more twelve personnel with Dawson Knox there and Dalton King kaid as kind of the top two options. And then what are they gonna do? I guess probably two first round draft picks. Shimming Texans gave up a first round pick. We'll find out the compensation here. I'm sure shortly, but if it's not a first round pick, they're not going to be able to go up very high in the first round. And even if they can go up that high, I don't think they're going to be arranged to get neighbors marv or Odoonse. So what are we looking at here? Like Xavier lag Gett. I like Xavier Laguett, But we'll see, man. I just don't think that that offense has the weapons and that they've had their struggles throughout the course of throughout the course of the whole season last year, ups and downs offensively, except when they play in Miami, it seems like. But yeah, different different ball club up there in Buffalo, and I think they're going to be, you know, much worse for the wear this year than they were a season ago, just in terms of their overall roster and talent on on that roster. So that's the big news of the day, that and my dental appointment. But I also wanted to check in with a couple of more news points here that Tua Tonga Bai Lowa has in fact hired a quarterbacks coach, Tom House, who's worked with all the really a lot of the great legendary quarterbacks, including Drew Brees. I think this was overdue for Tua.
We know that he.
Works with Nick Hicks in the off season, the great trainer over there, Perform, who works with a bunch of NFL athletes and athletes alike, and that's all for Tua's body and conditioning and all the physical stuff, right, But now he has the quarterback coach to really help him kind of take that next step. And he was really the only quarterback in the NFL that did not have that, And so I'm glad that he's you know, bridged that gap and put himself in position to learn more about the craft of his game because we've seen what he can do. And I talked about on the podcast on Monday with the quarterbacks in this year's class, and I just watched some more Drake May and watched him try to fit these anticipation balls into three man windows, and it's like, oh, he can't do that, can he? Tua is very good at that. So taking those skills to a quarterback coach and refinding it even more, I really really like the idea of that, and I'm glad it's finally happened here for TUA.
Last thing I wanted to talk about.
Have you guys seen Jalen Phillips's like Instagram and his workout videos this offseason? I would be this is not breaking news or anything, but just letting you guys know, I would be very, very surprised if JP is not on the field week one this year. He is that type of recovery guy. He is that type of workout guy, and I think that he'll be in position to be back and help our pass rush along with Shaq Barrett from week number one.
So that's the big news the day. Wow, a lot of stuff they're on the podcast.
I wasn't even intending to get into that stuff and we're already what five minutes into the show here, and you know, I have a whole segment care I want to talk about with the Dolphins approach to free agency and the re signing of our own guys, because you know, we talked about Raheem Moster at length on the Monday podcast and the benefit of continuity of this Dolphins run game and he's not the only resigning and quite frankly, but haven't done a lot on those guys That's why I wanted to pull up Braxon, Barrios, River Craycraftsavon Akmed, Elijah Campbell, Robert Jones, Kendall Lamb, and Jake Bailey. And I think that this continues the theme of frugality the team has shown this offseason and really waited for the right opportunity to spring into action and stretch the idea of frugality just a little bit.
I e.
Kendall Fuller, it's not you know, going to the top of the market on Monday with that first signing and being like, look at what we did. We moved all around to sign one player who can impact the game in one way at one position, Like they didn't do that, and that's what good teams have not done for a long time. I think that for Kendall Fuller, you know, like a weekend of free agency, you bring him in, You tack on some void years to find a way to be creative with the cap. I don't think most people were expecting a cornerback, much less the top one that was available, maybe outside of Lugerius Snead, who wasn't exactly available. I mean he was, but you had to give up draft compensation to make that happen, and the Dolphins then go out and snag you know, Kendall Fuller, who's not just awesome. But I can't stress this enough, but when you have two players like we do now with Ramsey and Fuller, it changes everything the DC can do from a structure standpoint, from a disguise standpoint, and gosh, I can't wait to see what Coach Weaver has in store. The man has an aura, by the way that you can just pick up from the other side of the room, that smile of his Like, I think that he's going to really capture the imagination and the attention of his players, much in the way Mike McDaniel does, but in like a different way, if that makes sense, because he's more like physically imposing. He has the player background, but gosh, he just has an ore the commands your attention back on task here. I kept thinking about the quote unquote Ted Talk, and I use air quotes for an audio platform. That makes them much of sense, right, But I use those air quotes because it was just a Q and A or like a panel in a more relaxed setting, kind of like a live podcast. But it was Eric DaCosta the personnel man over there, the GM right of the Ravens, talking about Ravens principles and philosophies and examples of how they do their business and a pretty damn good team to take a cue from. And he was talking about how we want to resign our own guys, and it's like, yeah, but Eric, you guys also just saw four players from your twenty twenty rookie class exits, so like, it's not necessarily your core principle, is it.
But in this.
He was talking about how the Ravens aren't typically free agent spenders, and man, I challenge anybody out there to find me a team that went ham in free agency and had it like work out. Right. I'm not talking about like a lot of signings, but those top of the market moves, the and Dominican sues, the Mike Wallace's.
Of the world.
We know from first ten experience how that goes most of the time, right, But there really are two good options for teams that used free agency to propel a championship run or a run to the title game. I should say the twenty fifteen Broncos did this, and the twenty twenty one Cincinnati Bengals did this. The latter notoriously avoids spending money on anything much less free agency like the plague. But look at what Denver did that that year. They went to the Super Bowl and won it tight end. Owen Daniels guard Evan Mathis was at the end of his time, but they were the big prizes in free agency that year. And that was a year after they brought in TJ. Ward and he was a big hit for their defense. But what do all those guys have in common? They were top players at positions that just don't cost that much, not the prohibitive price tag of an edge or a corner or a wide receiver. But guess what they did at those spots. They kind of did what Miami just did, and they found bargains. Like DeMarcus Wuare was the end of his career, so he was three for thirty million. Can you imagine pastors are getting that much money today? They can produce like DeMarcus Ware did even in his Denver days. They also got a keeb to leave and Emmanuel Sanders, and just like Evan Mathis and Owen Daniels, they were cheaper. So DeMarcus Ware end of his career three for thirty. T Lee was entering his age twenty nine season, just like Kendall Fuller. That deal was six for fifty seven. You don't see six year contracts anymore, but that's less than ten million bucks a year. It's right in line with Kendall Fuller's money. Then Emmanuel Sanders when they already had de Marius and Wes kind of like we have Freak and Waddle Odell Beckham visit. I mean, the similarities are uncanny. Sanders contract was three for fifteen, so it wasn't the top of the market receiver they brought in.
Right.
How about that Bengals team I referenced earlier, How was a team that historically has not spent a dime in free agency turn a free agent class into a super Bowl caliber defense. I know Joe Burrow gets a lot of the headlines for that run they had in twenty twenty one, but the truth is that defense kind of held the Raiders. It kind of held the boat together. They held the Raiders to nineteen points in the wildcard round. They turned over at Tannehill three times and sacked him eight times in a nineteen sixteen Divisional round win. I hate when people do this, but I'm gonna do it anyways. If t won a playoff game like that, he would get no credit for it. Just gonna tell you that right now.
Now.
He did have a great comeback in the AFC Championship Game over Patrick Mahomes in the Chiefs twenty seven, twenty four, so you got to give him as flowers for that. That's a legacy game and a legacy win. But I'm just saying defensively that team. They carried the team to the Super Bowl that year, and it was done largely through free agency. They signed Chadobi a Wooz Mike Hilton. That's a pre a perimeter and a slot cornerback. But a Woose was not like some nomin the Awesome Law or Byron Jones Tiers signing. He was three for twenty one, seven million dollars per year. It's kind of Kendall fours category, isn't it. Chidobi a Wooz was or sorry sorry, Hilton was four for twenty four, so six million per year. That's like what you pay a top safety in today's NFL. But he's a slot cornerback and that's kind of like that's what Kenny Moore got right, So pretty good for a slot, but is not exactly what we just discussed. Being able to buy the best players at some of the cheaper position groups, then you draft the premium spots like a Jalen Phillips, like a Jelen Waddle, like a Tua tongue of Ba Loa, like an Austin Jackson.
You get where we're going with all this.
So for that Bengals team, Larry ogen Jobi was a one year, one point four million dollars signing. Eli Apple was one year, one point two million dollars. They brought in Riley Reef, a mid market tackle for one year for seven and a half million, and then they had their big splash in Trey Hendrickson. But what's really interesting about Hendrickson's deal four for sixty is that Carl Lawson, who was kind of on the same track as Hendrickson at pas stage of their career, he left the Bengals to go to the Jets on three for forty five, which is the exact same ap wise Hendrickson, Right, So they fancied an imported player over the guy they developed, and gosh, that worked out big time. Trey has forty sacks in those three years, Lawson has just seven. He did miss one full season, but that's part part of a game. Why am I telling you all of this? Why does this have to do with the Miami Dolphins, Travis? Well, it's because I believe the best teams treat free agency this way, and the ones that have turned free agency into a major part of a championship contending team are the ones who scoured the fringes. You don't see them shopping at the top ten portion of the best free Agents Available list on NFL dot com, on Pro Footballfocus dot com, whatever the case may be.
I don't know.
I think there's a reason you see teams coming off three, four, five, six win seasons tend to occupy that space. They have cat space because they don't have anybody worth paying, and so they have to go out and overpay a guy for thirty cents on the dollar. Production in the free agent market. That's Gucci and Louie portions of free agency. And I can get you the bag that performs the exact same function at Target, and you can remove two zeros from the price tag. Does that connect with you, guys? That's where Miami went this offseason an approach of frugality, and we're going to come back on the next segment here on the podcast and talk about the players they sign and brought in and how it fits and matches this idea of being frugal and how it can be beneficial to bring in these back to the roster guys back to your team who you know can can perform in certain roles at a certain cost. That's all next Draft Time podcast, your host, Travis Wingfield, brought to you by Auto Nation. We left off last segment talking about the frugal nature of the Dolphins free agency approach and finding players within your own ecosystem that provide more value to you than they might on the open market. And look, we keep talking about the Buffalo Bills. That's the big news the day with Stefan Diggs going to the Houston Texans for a draft pick trade. I don't have compensation on that at the time of the taping for you guys, but look, I look at it this way that the Dolphins, I think, in this move, have closed the gap on Buffalo a little bit more. I thought last year the Dolphins were the better football team that just kind of had some bad breaks with injuries and how the schedule played out in a couple of plays here and there that went the wrong way against their favor down the stretch that cost them a division championship because otherwise, on balance all year, I thought Miami was a far superior team to what the Buffalo Bills were, and hopefully without the Stefon Diggs, you know, it kind of looks like that's going to be a gap that gets closed even more. In fact, now we do have trade compensation for this, so Buffalo receives a second round pick from the Minnesota Vikings and the Texans receives Tafon Diggs and a sixth round pick and a fifth round pick for twenty twenty five. So Buffalo gets a second round pick from the Vikings in this Stefon Diggs trade, which means they're not going to be able to go up very high in the first round and get his replacement. So you're probably looking at the top receiver in Buffalo this year being picked what is it twenty pick twenty or twenty two or something like that in that range from where they got from from their own draft pick. I should say that's in the early twenties. That probably going to be a rookie receiver there to replace Dafon Diggs. So that's gonna be their top guy. But it's not gonna be Stefon Diggs, I can tell you that much. So back to the Dolphins and their approach to free agency and why, you know, their approach to frugality and to keeping players, you know, keeping their their books flexible to sustain the success we've seen from both Buffalo Miami the last few years and the regular season hasn't translated to playoff success for us or championship success for them. But Buffalo's in this situation now where they're gonna have to kind of retool and refigure things to work out how those books kind of got tangled up because Miami isn't in that position right. And you can listen to Capopulps guy all you want, who told you that this Dolphins team was not gonna be able to be aggresive and make moves in freegency, doesn't understand ways talking about, but you can look at Buffalo and that's kind of what he was going for when he had that idea there. So Miami their ability to make moves and ad players and be you know, take advantage of market disadvantages for other teams and attack freegency that way and bring back their own guys on you know, cheap price tags in the back end of the roster. That's what I like about this Dolphins approach this offseason. It allows them to be good in twenty twenty four and continue to have success down the road, hopefully for years to come. So I wanted to take a look at some of these signings might be made to bring back their own guys. We haven't talked about them much besides like Raheem Moster, but Braxon Barrios is where I'll start right here because I am curious how the new return game kickoff return rules plays into Braxton's role for the Miami Dolphins. I know he's about as reliable of a punt returner as you can ask for. I thought he was fantastic with his decision making in terms of fair catches or when to not call a fair catch, because if you call a fair catch, you can't go block somebody. If you don't call the fair catch, you can't go make a block. And he makes that decision really well every time to where he gets that extra two seconds on that block to allow the football to trickle its way into the end zone. And now you start to drive the twenty yard line of post to the five or the two or the one, whatever the case may be. But he's a set and forget return man. But he's not going to give you an explosive plays that way. The same thing on offense. Not going to give you an explosive element on offense. To me, I think the receiver gambit is kind of up there. Like I said last year, I don't think that's really his game. He's a punt returner, and your salary and your contracts reflect that, right, So I think that I like this returning acquisition or returning player incumbent if it's just for returning punts. But even then it's like, you know, someone can beat him out for that role. I'm not opposed to that either. River Craik speaking of a trustworthy If I need a receiver at a twelve yard curl landmark and one point nine seconds, not one point eight, not two point zero, that's where I know I can find River. He's gonna catch everything you throw to him. He's a veteran voice. It's beloved in the locker room. And he gets after on special teams as well, go Koog's but like Braxton, some similar limited explosiveness in terms of how he can help you receiving core catch footballs and moveing on the field. But he can't play on the perimeter, which is something that Braxton doesn't really do. So there is that for River Creakkraft. So I've always called Savon Akmeb a perfect like third or fourth back, probably the fourth back on the roster, because he's gonna be awesome for you on special teams when the rest of the room is healthy, and then if you need him to step up when there's some injuries for offensive usage, you can throw him swings and screens and rails and wheels and you can hand it off to him and he can make a man miss like the scoring running had against Buffalo in twenty twenty two. Also, would you believe me if I told you that Savon is tied for the fifth longest tenured player here. He came in the same year as Tua, Austin and Blake, and only Durham, Sealer and Sanders have been here longer. So that's fourth actually right, But kind of like the other two guys limited explosive is in terms of the big playability, it is aukments I think downfall, But for the most part, you know what you're getting there with Sawwn Aachman, He's a very valuable piece of the roster. I think Rob Jones is similar in terms of what he offers. I think we learned a lot about Rob Jones last year because this system traditionally hasn't catered to Mahler's Like Rob, that's kind of his game. But damn it if he didn't show you that he could get his work done in space enough while also providing some much needed muscle inside when we did go power. I go back to the Cowboys game and he was a critical piece of some critical runs there from Jeff Wilson to win that game. I still think his tackle tape from twenty twenty one is good enough that if you need him in a pinch, he can play in that position, and that means he can play multiple spots a lot like the guy we just signed in Jack Driscoll. I still don't think he's athletic enough to be a thousand snap guard in this offense and really give you what this offense needs. But I think He's a very good, you know, six or seventh offensive lineman and swing positions at multiple spots across the offensive line. Elijah Campbell might be the best special teams player on the on the damn team from a coverage standpoint. I love his tackling on the ball and sub packages and smart players who really take good care of their body and have the same level of professionalism and how they prepare. I like guys like that in the back end of the roster because I know they're gonna kind of, you know, rise all ships, rise all boats, what you call it.
He just is the kind of professional you want in your building.
Probably don't want to be in a position where he starts several games for you at safety, but he can play there in a pinch. And like I said, very valuable special teamer here for Elijah Campbell. And then we got Kendall Lamb signing back with the Miami Dolphins. I mean, talk about the ultimate find. I referenced the thirty two STAPs he played from twenty twenty two like all the time, and he really carried that over into a very very effective replacement for Tarron Armstead when he was down last year and you've needed that these last two years. Right, So Miami with Kendall Lamb, with Keon Smith, who I think has a chance to become a player, and even like Ryan Hayes, a seventh round draft pick last year, there's some tackle depth here, which you have to have if you're going to have to Ron Armstead as you're starting left tackle. So hopefully there's some you know, some ability here with Kendall Lamb and the proven veteran and then some developmental guy and Keon Smith and Ryan Hayes behind him. But Kendall just gives you level of comfort in terms of your depth. You know that if you have to plug him in a pinch, you're going to be just fine there with Kendall Lamb. Jake Bailey, you know, the stats aren't great. The best out of half for him is that thirty seven point seven percent of his punts wound up inside the twenty yard line and he also allowed some of the fewest punt return yardage last year, but that's because the kicks didn't go very far, right, but he was he was not top twenty in gross or net and all of that stuff. So Jake Bailey back here as a punter for the twenty twenty three twenty twenty four I should say Miami Dolphins with the value of players like this. I mean, none of these guys were starters a year ago, right. They played most of the reps on special teams or in sub packages when we were banged up at certain spots. Savon brax riv All had some reps otherwise, and Robert Jones started a lot of games. But when the roster was healthy, we're talking about fourth and fifth wide receivers, third and fourth running backs, swing backups on the offensive line, dime safeties, right, And when you pack your roster full of cheap production in those roles, that's how you can balance the need to pay for your star corps, your game changing wide receivers, your blossoming edge rusher who was an achilles injury away from truly breaking through the double digit SAX season last year and earning his place, in my opinion him on the top ten edge rushers. So that money for those guys has to be saved up and budgeted for, and you get there by your frugal nature in the off season and by bringing back players you know, forty through fifty three on contracts like this who are reliable, dependable and give you a sense of continuity there before we continue here into the final segment talking about some kindage players. I have some more just details I wanted to talk about with you guys, And I went back and watched some Odell Beckham tape who was here for a visit a couple weeks back, and the Dolphins remained interested in his services. And if that's you know, I think signing Beckham gives you a ton of flexibility. I would still be very much in favor of a receiver like a picked fifty five.
I think Pick fifty five is going.
To have really good receivers available that can come in and be a productive players in year one. But Odell Beckham is that too. And I put some notes down here of his tape. Great balance rate control, great footwork at the top of the route still today at this point of his career, with a very very springy step out of the breaks.
He is a willing blocker.
In fact, he hit a key block on a long Z Flowers touchdown catch and run on a screen pass that got called back, but he was the focal point of that block. He has the long speed, has decreased a little bit since his prime, but he still does have that gear to accelerate past the flat footed cornerback and the way that Tua, you know, anticipates even he's leaving type of deep shots, like I think it really fits, especially on the perimeter. And what I like most about that, hang on, let's come back to that. Actually, let's let's come right back to that. There's a couple of things that his release package I thought is very very good release package. You're not going to press this guy very effectively, especially on the perimeter against press, and then the ability to stack from that position, he can get on top of guys and make them have to wait until he makes his decision and declare their route before the heat they can jump that route and make that play. A couple of things I didn't love is and this is what you're gonna have to contend with with this player if you bring him in is the body language. He would throw out mailboxes when he thought he was open, which should cost him a half a step on these deep balls, and that can play a big difference. I thought his frustration was displayed when he didn't get the ball on a couple of deep throws that Lamar Jackson did not target him with the But that's part of like the DEVA receiver, right, you know the whole experience there, and you're gonna get that with some of these guys. But the route running he has reminds me kind of of Tyreek, or of Waddle or.
Of John who spit.
These guys they keep bringing in in the sense that they don't shortcut the details in their route running, and that helps expand the defense and the way the concepts are designed to do it. He has the nuance in his game to get his route when it's explicitly taken away, like you're playing outside leverage and I want to run an out route. He can still do that, but also when to throttle his tempo in order for the rest of the concept to work, i e. Don't blow by a two man bracket and let their attention go elsewhere. He's shifty with the football in his hands. He can make guys miss. He catches a speed out against off cover three and then makes the cornerback miss and gets fifteen more yards. We have anybody else on the roster outside of Tenant seventeen that could do that. Last year, No and speaking of those guys. When you put Odell on the perimeter and he can get vertical and be a threat to throw those early vertical shots on the perimeter, now all of a sudden, you open up space for Reek or Waddle to play from a nasty split or a slot condensed split, or a backfield split, whatever the case may be. You now have more flexibility because you have that perimeter threat who can win vertically. Cedrick Wilson wasn't doing that. Braxton Barrios wasn't doing that. River Craycraft wasn't doing that, Chase cfl Claypool wasn't doing that. You need another guy to really help Tyreek and Waddle get the most of their game. And that's why I think that he can do. He's quick enough to win double moves and releases to get on top of guys. I really liked Odell Beckham's tape at this stage of his career. Provided the money is right, so I would be all in on that acquisition. I hope, I hope that it does happen. I wanted to give you guys a couple of fan feedback notes here because I saw questions about it on Twitter and I want to do more to incorporate your guys voice on the show. Here. First, Eric Volkert asked me, why do you why did you mention you didn't like Keon Coleman's game the Florida State receiver. Dude, I'm all about speed and explosiveness and get out of your breaks as a receiver, because I think it's the only way you can consistently win at this level. He kind of reminds me of Calvin Benjamin doesn't really turn all that well. The route running is not very crisp. He can learn that stuff, but I just don't think it's it's gonna work. Number one and number two, it's a terrible fit for this offense is because you need to be precise and quick and out of your breaks, and that's just not his game. That's why like Chase Claypool that route against the Buffalo Bills. Look, there's discourse about that route for months and probably the next year.
Horrible route. Not a great decision to throw the football.
I think there was there wasn't anything else open, and you should be able to throw the ball to your primary when he's in a spot where he's going to require a crisp route.
But that route was atrocious.
And that's why I see from some of these receivers like a ke On Coleman, I don't think the route running is that good. Last thing I want to do address here was I saw some notes and feedback on my running game rant the other day, the discourse about when too and when not to run the football, and I just want to mention, like, I get where you guys are coming from from the short yarded situations, because I think there was times last year where coach McDaniel could have just gone to the running game, but I will never like I don't know, I give him the benefit of the doubt in the sense that, like, this offense is really good, right, It's effective, it's explosive, it scores, it gains yards, it keeps the defense off the field. But yeah, you could do more to extend drives. But like if I get Tyreek one on one in a short yard situation, like I want to throw him in the football. And I also am a big subscriber to the idea that third and one or fourth and one are some of your best opportunities for explosive splash plays because the roof of the defense comes off and that's where you can get the big splash plays, and if you don't hit them, you turn the ball over. Sure, But I'm never one to just say run the ball every time because sometimes looks Dick take that And I get you want to be a team that can be physical and bruise your way to a first down when they know what's coming anyway, And McDaniel would agree with that. I think he says much in his press conferences. But I just wanted to acknowledge the fact that this whole idea of run the ball thirty five forty times a game, that's just that's not.
Why why would you do that?
Why would you take the ball out of Jelen Waddle and Tyreek Hill's hands and tow a tongue by Lowe's hands? Like I get the short yard stuff, I understand, I get when teams dictate the terms against you run the football more. Should have ran the ball more than the second half of the Buffalo game. But on balance, McDaniel's offensive passing and running game balance has been really good. Situationally, I will concede that it could be better in those spots. Just so we're all on the same page there, all right, let's go ahead and take our last break right there, come back and finish up some college sky notes. That's next Draft Time podcast, your host Travis Wingfield, brought to you by Auto Nation.
College Football.
I want to talk about We're gonna do a mock draft roundup on the Friday podcast, taking a look at some of the experts mock drafts out there. But I'm getting deeper and deeper into my college study right now. And without Christian Wilkins, and with the acquisitions of Benito Jones, who I think is a fifteen snapper, game nose tackle, run defender only, or Jonathan Harris, who to me is depth in that position, or Neville Gallimore, who's also depth in that position, you could still stand to add an interior player on the defensive line. And the good news is, I think you're gonna have two guys on the board at pick twenty one that are really good. And here's the thing. Here's the thing about that both players that could be on the board right there might might have been last year, not just this year, last year the best interior pass rusher on the football team. I know you're gonna say that's crazy, because we had guys that had basically twenty combined sacks in ninety two and ninety four and salt and pepper. But dude, I'm telling you, Johnny Newton and Byron Murphy can freaking play. Let's go ahead and continue this thought here. If it's interior pass rush chops you desire in this year's class, you have come to the right place because the options to fill that void are significant. Yes, Christian did leave to Las Vegas and took nine sacks with him, but I also think that a lot of that pass rush production came from the scheme and the many, many, many bodies caught by Zack Steeler on pick stunts. Please do not take this as me taking away from Christian Wilkins. I mean, look what he got paid. We know how good he is. He's a great football player, one of the best in the National Football League. But I think there's an opportunity for somebody alongside Zach Seeler, who's been every bit as good over the years, to have those same opportunities. I mean, look no further than his sack production last year. Zach has been so consistent for us, and when I think back to Christian's rookie year and his draft profile. Pass rush polish was not one of the things that scouts wrote about in terms of areas or it was one of the things people wrote about that he could grow with. It wasn't his bread and butter just yet, right, and he did that. That's what development's all about. But man, when I watched two of these guys that could be on the board at pick twenty one, there is some accomplished looking pass rush arsenals and I think could be better developed than what you typically get from a rookie defensive tackle, even in the first round. And I start with Illinois Johnny Newton, Jerseon Newton. There are wins from every damn position for this guy. He has a sack versus the Gophers, the Golden Gophers at the technique that's head up over the tackle where the right guard squeezes the B gap which is the second gap from the center between the guard and the tackle, and forces Newton into an edge rush around the tackle. Who knows he has inside post help, So the only vulnerability you have as your outside post. So Johnny Johnny, who thinks Johnny takes a crossover step that's in sync with his double handed swipe and just renders the right tackle's hands completely useless. I don't know if you've every played offensive line, but try doing without your hands. If you tie Richmond Webb's hands behind his back, I could get a sack on him.
Probably not, but you get it.
My point is, when a rusher can marry his footwork with his hands and his rush moves, that's when you get the momentum of push pull element of the game. That's the entire definition of playing on the line. You have to get the offensive line going one way and then crossover before he can redirect and beat him to the spot. Then from that spot, Newton just runs the ark and then flattens the quarterback like an edge rusher who leaves the pocket, and Newton still tracks him down for the sack. That single rep told me this guy's a first round draft pick. I saw him run a rep from the four. I that's the same position, but you're a little bit more inside on the inside shoulder of the tackle opposed to being head up against him where he runs a jab step and then stab swims, then suddenly gets the right guard extended with one arm and grabs on for the hold. Just immediate dispatching like in a phone booth. When you can win that quickly in that small area of space, that's special. Now this is where it gets really wild. Condense him down to the zero technique. Let's head up over the center your nose tackle like have mercy man who can play those that many roles. Wilkins didn't really even do that often, so I'm not sure what this move is called, but it's a deak of sorts. When a defensive tackle wants to hold his ground, he'll usually shoot the hands and try to gain control of the offensive line's chest place so he can take him where he wants to go, then disengage when the play comes his way. And on this one, Johnny shoots his hands wide and it gets the offensive line to really throw his hands and get out over his skis. Then Newton immediately hits him with the arm over aided by a rip. And I mean this is a bee line to the quarterback from the a gap in less than a second. You cannot win offensively when you have that type of disruption on the defensive side of the football. I gotta be honest with you, guys, I'm not so sure Newton isn't the best interior rusher on the team, if he's here this year or last year. I've said it already, I'll say it again. But Travis, what about the run game? Well, they work together, you see, because he generates all the power he has in his lower half because of really really good technique. Like you watch the sideline angle and he's just dog walking guys with knockback. Go back and watch the Iowa game, a team that plays with seventeen players within two yards of the football and runs it ninety eight times per game. Or watch him go blow up Lufashanu, the top ten pick of Penn State on a fourth and down to get a TfL like he's a fun tape man seven hundred and twenty five snaps each of the last two years.
I like him.
He's my DT one, and then I turned down Byron Murphy from Texas. Now I have a debate in my head. Newton didn't work out in Indie, but Murphy did. And his relative athletic scorecard is all green except for hype, weight, and bench. That means he's eightieth percent TILET or better in every metric, including ninety third percent tile with a thirty three inch vertical at three hundred pounds and ninety fifth percent tile and forty yard dash at four point one at two hundred and ninety seven pounds.
It's crazy.
Now, I will give the edge in the run game between Murphy and Newton to Murphy. I get I think Newton gets the pass rush gold there, but some of the reps I love zero technique aginst Alabama where the play flows front side to get knock back on the guard and he sees the center coming from his peripheral and wants to attach on that double team. So he drops to the knee, which is called a make a pile like get on a knee, pile up that double team and lets your linebackers go make a play. But he winds up splitting the double team. I've never seen a three hundred pound man get off the ground like that, And so the relative athletic scorecard kind of tracks because he can go to a knee and get back up and still make the play. He tackled the ball carrier. Here's what I'm having a hard time understanding. He's three hundred pounds doing this against three hundred and twenty pound guards, three hundred and ten pound centers. Those jobs are usually reserved for guys that are closer to three thirty and up. That athletic ability and change of direction shows up as a pass rusher to two because he can whip your guard and center from the two technique hel I saw him beat both against Washington in the Sugar Bowl on the same rep beat your guard and your center.
I don't know who I prefer. I don't think I really have one yet.
I probably lean a little bit towards Newton, but it kind of depends on what you want. But like the explosiveness and pop of Newton, But damn it if Murphy doesn't open up so much more because you can put Zach freaking Seiler next to him and those two guys, they would be just physically imposing with how much power they play with. Either those two guys, Newton or Murphy at twenty one is a great pick if I if I had to stack him. The next one's probably a Braden Fisk, but he's got short arms, He's got he is shot out of a can when he gets off a lilane scrimmage. And that's where his workout metrics were all across the board. Fantastic twentieth best combine for a defensive tackle. Ever, out of over seventeen hundred prospects, a ninety fifth percent, Tilar just about everything or better. But when he has to redirect and make a secondary move, he just doesn't really have a whole lot of juice.
Their's short arms will do that.
So I think that difference with Fisk and then Murphy and Newton's that Fisk has that first step get off gold medal, but I think that Murphy and Newton have a lot more secondary juice and just overall ability to win with football technique. So goodyear to meet a defensive tackle and Miami does. And this is a group of guys that could choose from I did want to get into DBS here, but we're gonna go ahead and bump it to the Friday podcast because we're already past times. I want to go ahead and just close with the player who I absolutely love. We've seen every game. I've seen every game he's played, but now I've seen him on tape two and like him even more. Washington State's safety Jaden Hicks, who is easily safety one for me, and it's not that close. Think Brandon Jones a skill set, but like way better, like more explosive, more ball skills, the ability to squat and re route and trail technique and pass coverage which Jones can never really do, and run with some of those dangerous passing game weapons, but also come downhill and set the temperature in your locker room. The other guy I watched was Michigan's Mike sandra Still, who's a nickel cornerback, but that blends itself with some safety play as well. Just such a damn good football player. There's a theme for safeties and DB's with me. I like guys that play the position like a quarterback and can anticipate what's gonna happen. Like that's these guys in terms of Hicks and sandra Still, but they're also again temperature changers. They just bring a level intensity to every practice that turns things up a little bit and bring a presence to your locker room as well. So there you go a little bit of everything on this podcast where continue doing these draft podcasts. Some of my thoughts and rands you guys right into the show and let me know what you want to hear about. I'll talk about it here on the podcast. Here as we get closer and closer to drafting at the end of the month. In the meantime, that is going to be my time. You all, please be sure to subscribe, rate review, follow me on social at winkfold NFL. Follow the team at Miami Dolphins. You've got the fish Tank podcast with Seth and Juice. Check out the YouTube channel for Meat Availabilities, Dolphins Today, my Freezing interviews with all the new Freegent acquisitions, and so much more, And last but not least, to Miami Dolphins dot com.
Until next time, Finns Up, Carolyn and Cameron. Daddy, He's coming home.
