Drew Rosenhaus: Tannehill encouraging Dolphins to sign Evan Mathis

I agree with all of that. I'm just not a fan of tying it to X number of times a game. I think there should be games where we roll him out or somehow move the pocket a dozen times. And there should be games where he doesn't roll out at all.

 

yah we disagree on that, I don't see the logic in not doing it when its your qbs biggest strength, its misdirection, theres always room for misdirection if called right and your qb excels at it.

the key is establishing your GOING to do it..this then plants the seed in the defenders mind in the form of thinking about containment..making defenders think instead of react is how you win in this league.

 

I'm with ya Deej, in principle, but I don't think there should be a set number of expected calls. Establish that sh*t early in the season, then keep 'em guessing. Sometimes it wouldn't be a bad idea to not do it in a whole game, if the defense thinks it's coming.

But ya, it has to be established.

 

You had me until there. They brought on a good deal of the musical chairs when they didn't have to.

As far as Dallas Thomas goes; I saw him play twice live at UT. I thought he was better at LG than he was at LT. I think in 2 or 3 separate threads after he was drafted the thing they needed to do was leave him at LG and let him learn it...which is precisely what the coaching staff hasn't done.

They also moved Ja'Wuan James over to left tackle instead of inserting Jason Fox...or if you were adamant about James learning LT or Fox was injured and it wasn't disclosed...they dropped the ball on signing Eric Winston to play RT (Cincinnati signed him later in the year and he started for them the rest of the season including their playoff game). They also didn't leave Shelley Smith at one guard spot. He was the best one they had in-season. If you had moved him at RG and left him there, you could have played Pouncey at C and rotated Colledge and Thomas at LG. That's multiple shots to your own foot.

I doubt they sign Evan Mathis. I also doubt they figure out what they're doing at guard until halfway through the season.

 

I predict Mathis will play at a high level for another 3 years at least. Even if he does lose a step or two he is such a fantastic athlete he will still be effective. It would be great to have him and Cam Wake on the same team competing to see who can play the longest and still get to pro bowls.

 

Does every one clearly understand that most salary cap experts are predicting 160 mil in 2016????

We aren't in nearly the cap hell some people are thinking. That doesn't mean we should pay him more than necessary. I'd give him 4 years 30mil with 15 mil guaranteed. I'd keep his cap number in 2016 as low as possible and pay him most of his money in 2017. Then, in 2018 cut him if he is fading fast.

 

you aint with me if you think we should go a game without doing it.

the point is you do it because he's that good at it from both sides, and there are options because of his athleticism that could pay off as well, if someone could teach him when to run when its not there, then when they have it covered, which isn't likely, he could run it and still establish the misdirection in their mindset.

needs to happen at least twice a game..to offset the interior line play, to take advantage of the skill set, and to show the defense their gonna have to defend every inch of the field, just has to be called at the right time..

 

I honestly wouldn't pretend to know what the coaching staff was thinking with some of these moves. As odd as they seem, there is always a reason (even if it doesn't make sense to us fans).

Again, I can only hope those reps at that odd position with these guys benefited not only the player, but ultimately, the team. I wonder if being an o-lineman for this team, you kind of have to be proficient at two positions? It could be the case.

 

The only way to get him would be to offer him a back loaded deal with a high guaranteed number so that even if you cut him in the 4th year he still gets like 4MM+ that year if you want to keep the first two years of the deal down in salary. Something like 4 years 16 MM guaranteed, with salaries being like 1MM, 1MM, 7MM,4MM. That's 4/29, which is a little more than he was getting from Philly. You can't really cut him after two years since you would be saving only 3 MM and paying a guy 8MM in dead money (he would have played 2 years for 18MM which is about right for what he wants). I don't know how to work the incentives into the deal that he wants so he gets more money later and it doesn't count toward the cap this year or next, but where he can meet those incentives with high level play in the first two years of play.

Unfortunately it means you're still paying him 5 MM the first two years which the Phins don't have. Perhaps some deal where you give him a 5 year deal with the 5th year being an obvious cut year and the 4th year being a probable cut year? 5 years 16MM guaranteed, with the same salaries as before, but some stupid salary in years 4 or 5 that you would obviously cut him, but still take a 6.2MM dead cap hit so you're moving the cap hit from this year to 2018. That brings the cap hit down to 4MM this year and next.

 

Grimes, Jennings (100%), Fields (100% cut or restructured), and Reshad Jones are all probably being cut next year to save the team a lot of money. Misi will probably be cut or restructured as well.

 

Cut Reshad Jones???????????? Grimes is already fading IMO. One more good year maybe, and ya, a likely cut in 2016 especially if Lippett and Bobby McCain continue to shine and Jamar Taylor meets expectations.

Yes, Fields should have been cut already and may very well be cut any day to give Mathis more money this year.
Who do you want? The 25th ranked punter with over a 4 mil cap, or the best zone blocking guard in the league?

Misi and Mitchell can easily be jettisoned in 16. They are easily replaced.

We have another draft in 2016.

If Reshad Jones is getting cut then Cedric Thompson better be the second coming of Ronnie Lott.

There is much better chance that Branden Albert never returns to form and the Dolphins have to draft a LT in 2016 or 2017; unless Jason Fox and Mickey Baucus surprise the world.

I really hated the Branden Albert signing. The injury stigma was real.

 

Those moves would save the team a lot of money, yes. But then you are obligated to investing heavily in the secondary.

 

The Dolphins already have $157,910,317 committed against the 2016 cap. Are they in cap hell? No, because under the new CBA, it is very difficult to get into cap hell. Additionally, the Dolphins have off-set language in every contract, so that allows for more flexibility.

But they still have a ton of money on the books for next year, and signing someone like Mathis almost inherently entails jettisoning someone that necessitate investment in other positions.

 

Gotta draft a replacement for Wake, Albert or Grimes anyway, or we won't be competitive in the future. I've said this before, but I'd simply assume we'll draft a replacement for one of them in 2016, freeing up cap space.

 

That just makes players worth more.

 

Keep in mind that a first rounder has a 50% chance of becoming a good (not great) starter. Realistically, how many high draft picks do you think it would take to replace all three of those guys? The odds of the 2016 first-round pick being an adequate replacement for any of those three are extremely low.

 

Only need to replace one to free up necessary cap space in 2016. Given you'll have a 1st and a 2nd to work with, I think chances are high we can replace one. Replacing all three? I don't think you assume you can do that through the draft alone.

 

Rafael, I agree with about everything you said until it got to maybe letting Miller go...I don't know how many of you remember our struggles and frustrations at RB for so many years since our great running teams of the 70's.That was the last time that we had quality homegrown RB's....I know we had a few years of Ronnie Brown and we also brought in several nice short timers like Delvin,Ricky,Reggie, etc.but Lamar is much like Tannehill,he is getting better and better every year, and I for one want to watch Lamar explode in Miami.....not Dallas or worse yet Buffalo or New England..We always are complaining about developing and keeping our good players....Well then, we need to keep Lamar and OV. The offensive line I agree with as well...Dallas Thomas was a LG at Tn...He was rated and drafted a third rounder....how many snaps has he had at his natural position? Not many...He was playing a decent LG last year for the short time he got to play there..No sacks..2 hurries in 6 games..far from terrible....I want our coaches to for once actually play our guys where they have played most of their lives. Everyone cannot make the transition from one spot to another on the line..let's get our starting five and let them play beside each other,let them become cohesive,let them learn together and I bet they will start playing as one...enough of the musical chairs,playing guys out of position,and moving 4 guys because of one injury..Lastly, is this,the second year, gonna be the year that John Benton coaches like his reputation as one of the best in the league? I imagine Philbin had his hand in that too like he changed Lazor's calls at times..but I think maybe Philbin has grown too and he can just be the head coach and let our position coaches and coordinator's do their jobs...Yes my fellow Dolphins fans, this year I feel so very good about our team and the growth that we have achieved through the draft and the UDFA's in just two short years with Hickey and one with Tannenbaum..the best in a very long time...Hickey is quietly showing all of us that he knows talent..Our whole FO is really meshing well together..We finally get back to the playoffs this year in Grand fashion imho.

 

The odds are better if your a good evaluator of talent.

 

Exactly DJ, you are 100% correct my friend and going by his first two years here with us, Hickey has demonstrated time and again in his short time here that he has IT. How many of you(I know that I have) have been really thankful that Hickey fell into our laps. We as an organization really needed this to happen..Just think, after next year's draft, I think that Hickey will have our team depth along with more players drafted that will move into starters. I think we probably draft another OLineman or two just for starters.

 

You can throw Dion Jordan in there too.

 

I have no real gripe with Hickey, but I'm not sure how he's demonstrated anything time and again here. He has one draft for which we have any results. James was a decent "swing for a single" pick. I like Landry a lot, but it was a stacked WR draft. It would have been fairly hard to pick a bad WR in the first 3 rounds of that draft. Nobody else from that 2014 draft has done enough to constitute proof of anything.

 

And we don't know how much of the draft was Hickey or Tannenbaum.

 

What's the fail rate for 1st rounders? It's greater than 50% no?

 

I still am under the belief that it takes 3 yrs to truly evaluate a draft...I know that is 'old school' for many and in today's NFL success is now a one year thing, but we can't really evaluate Hickey as of yet...then there will always be the "Tbaum or Hickey" argument, particularly from this past year on...

Besides, I still need to see some guys develop yet...

 

who cares what the rate is, superior evaluators will have a higher percentage of their picks panning out..

 

I Think it's still quite fair, players develop at different speeds, lives change.

 

I think Reshad Jones ought to be pretty safe. He's the best player in Miami's secondary. Earl Mitchell and Koa Misi would seem to be in much more danger; Mitchell especially if Jordan Phillips develops quickly.

 

We know Phillips was Tannenbaum (http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/...hins-jordan-phillips-0511-20150510-story.html). Looks like they both wanted Parker. Rest of the draft smacks more like Hickey to me.

 

It takes 3 years unless a guy already shows he's more than capable in less time. For James and Landry it seems like the max you need to evaluate is 2 years, with maybe last year being enough to say they are at the worst average starters (certainly not busts). You're right about the other picks though.. who knows with them.

 

Tannenbaum wasn't with the FO for the 2014 draft.

 

I think you could make a case of wondering how much of the 2014 Draft's legwork had already been done by the staff at the behest of Jeff Ireland versus how much of it was done at the behest of Dennis Hickey. Hickey obviously pulled the trigger on those picks and UDFAs, and that could turn into a heck of a class when all is said and done.

By the looks of it going into camp, Hickey found 4 starters - James, Landry, Turner, and Chris McCain. Walt Aikens could very well be starting next year as well. We've also already had contributions from Damien Williams and Anthony Johnson as well. I think the development of this class is crucial as there just aren't many players from the classes leading up to it. And, when you start to factor in guys like Rishard Matthews, Dion Jordan, Will Davis, Mike Gillislee, Don Jones, etc. - guys who for one reason or another probably aren't long for the roster, 2014 and 2015 are crucial.

 

Yes, eventually the cap money trickles down into players pockets, but in the short term it does create significant flexibility, especially for teams like the Dolphins who have already made their free agent splashes and in 2016 will just be looking to keep and give raises to a few veterans. It also makes a little cap trimming of a few overpaid guys result in ample room to pay Mathis. And 2017 is a picnic.

 

I do not agree about ample room for Mathis.

The question is Mathis today worth Vernon tomorrow.

Myself I say go for it, however I am not the one who makes the decision.

 

Vernon may not have that great of a year in 2015. Never know, injuries. Terrence Fede could take snaps away from him. With all the talent on the DL they may go with some 3-4 sets where McCain is the 7 or 9 tech and Vernon on the bench.

If he has another double digit sack year it may be fiscally effecient to let someone else give him a 60 mil contract. Again, when you make a mediocre offensive lineman the highest paid center in football.....there is where you have wasted money; especially considering they had control of him for two more years anyway, and this year his cap number would have been 7.5 mil.

I would much rather cut or trade Misi and Earl Mitchell and sign Mathis and keep Miller. Miller can be given a contract where his cap number is nil in 2016 and goes up in subsequent years.

It will depend on how guys play. Guys who play well should be reward, and the guys who don't earn their money should be let go or traded.

 

Sorry, we don't have a mediocre offensive linemen as the highest paid center in football.

 

WADR DJ, I think now that his biggest strength is by far his arm. No?

 

Unfortunately (or fortunately) his salary vs guaranteed money is huge starting next year. Phins save 6.3 MM next year if they cut him and paying a safety more than 8MM is probably too much.