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Stills and Branch immeadiate focus

Discussion in 'Miami Dolphins Forum' started by Finatik, Jan 26, 2017.

  1. Finatik

    Finatik Season Ticket Holder Staff Member Club Member

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    After the Dolphins lost to the Steelers in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, wide receiver Kenny Stills said that he wants to re-sign with the team because he believes they are building something special.

    The feeling appears to be mutual. General Manager Chris Grier said at the Senior Bowl that it is “important for us” to retain Stills, who had 42 catches for 726 yards and nine touchdowns while starting all 16 games in 2016. Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reports that the Dolphins are expected to meet with Stills’ agents in Mobile to get the ball rolling on negotiations.

    Contract talks are also expected to start with defensive end Andre Branch, who Salguero reports is also a priority for the Dolphins. Dolphins executive vice president of football operations Mike Tannenbaum didn’t specifically talk about either player, but said the Dolphins are “going to prioritize” keeping their own guys.

    “We want to keep our own,” Tannenbaum said. “We’re never going to bat a thousand. The system just is not set up for it. We’ve been able to extend some players before I started — some like Mike Pouncey or Ryan Tannehill we were able to do — but candidly, you can’t keep them all. We understand that and acknowledge that.”

    The early conversations may lead to a realization that the players have a very different idea about their next contract. That could lead the Dolphins to let Stills, Branch and other free agents hit the open market in hopes that they’ll find their way back to Miami after seeing what the rest of the league is willing to pay.
     
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  2. Deus ex dolphin

    Deus ex dolphin Well-Known Member

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    As important a role as Stills plays in our offense, I don't see him as a $10mil per year WR. If that is his expectation, then let him take offers from other teams and then see if he wants to stay in Miami for a less, but a perfect system for his talents.

    Same with Branch, an incentive laden contract where he gets paid based on his production. He was good, but hardly great this past year. We simply don't have the cap space to overpay anyone.
     
  3. brandon27

    brandon27 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Hopefully they focus more on bringing back Stills, over Branch. We need that deep threat on offense. It's nothing against Branch, he played pretty good for us, but he's not worth the money he's likely to want
     
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  4. Conuficus

    Conuficus Premium Member Luxury Box

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    Well away from here
    And who exactly is going to rush the passer? You can't count on a rookie at that position to bring substantial sack production. The defense is weak as it is, continuing to take talent is a mistake IMO.
     
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  5. dirtylandry

    dirtylandry Well-Known Member

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    Are you serious about Stills? We don't have the depth to trade and let people walk like NE does. Carroo had a crappy year and Parker is not consistent.
     
  6. brandon27

    brandon27 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    I hear ya. It's not that I dont want Branch back, I get that we need him, but ultimately for me, for the impact they made on the team I'd focus on Stills coming back first. Then Branch. It depends what Branch is looking for in a deal. If he's looking for top end pass rusher money, I'd move on. He's not a guy I'm willing to overpay for, that's my point ultimately. I don't want to overpay for decent play, I'd check the free agency options first. You're right though, Wake isn't going to stay the Wake we know forever, and we don't have much in pass rush outside of him.
     
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  7. SICK

    SICK Lounge Moderator

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    Branch is so iffy for me.....this year for the money he made, 5.5 sacks was great value, and made OV leaving sting less. However, at 8 million 5 sacks is not good enough. So it's tough to see where he lands and how much the team values him.
     
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  8. VManis

    VManis Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Stills is going to be tricky. While I'd love to keep him, Landry's contract is coming up as well and he is going to be expecting big money, certainly more than Kenny. Can we afford to be paying both? We really had an enviable position this year, having a good WR corp on essentially budget dollars.
     
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  9. SICK

    SICK Lounge Moderator

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    If he doesn't mature and get more consistent, Parker unfortunately may be the odd man out from that group of three honestly
     
  10. danmarino

    danmarino Tua is H1M! Club Member

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    Yeah, Jakeem Grant made more money last year than Stills did. If Stills gets $10mil/year that will put him in the top 15 pay for WR's.
     
  11. VManis

    VManis Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Yep, but if he does mature than do you want to loose Parker because you paid Stills. Its going to be a real tight rope on how much you pay and how you structure Stills contract so that we don't get backed into a corner.
     
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  12. danmarino

    danmarino Tua is H1M! Club Member

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    It's going to be tricky for sure. However, we know that Stills really helps this offense. And for as how much I like Parker, and do really believe he will be really good soon, he may not be and it would really suck to lose Stills and have Parker bust.
     
  13. Finster

    Finster Finsterious Finologist

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    I'm with you on this, Landry is more important to the O, and Parker has shown in stretches that he can be the man, I would not be surprised at all if he had a breakout year next year.

    Stills on the other hand is more easily replaced imo, he was basically the beneficiary of Landry, Parker and Jayjay, he's fast, and if Caroo comes along next year, as I expect him to, then you'll see Parker going deep more, as he does have good speed, with the added benefit of length, and great hands.

    DE is more of a priority than Stills imo, we don't know when Wake will no longer be Wake, but what we do know is that it's coming sooner rather than later, and could be any year now, no way Branch is getting big money while Stills will most likely get over paid by someone.

    DE actually may be the way to go in the 1st, there's a pretty good crop of DEs this year, and keeping Branch should be a pretty high priority, we don't have much after him.
     
  14. Deus ex dolphin

    Deus ex dolphin Well-Known Member

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    We cannot give Stills $10mil per year. If we do, what is Landry worth? $12mil per year? We can draft a guy in the later rounds who is really fast, and hope he learns to catch consistently. Actually, we are currently hoping Stills learns to catch consistently (which he did better later in the season) but his strength is having that speed to go deep at any time.

    I'd be okay if they wanted to give Stills more guaranteed money, for less per year. A three year deal at $7mil per year and $15 of that guaranteed for example. Otherwise, tell his agent to go out and see what other teams are willing to give the guy and get back to us. If Stills wants to go play for a WR poor team like the Browns who can give him that 10mil per year? Then he is all about the money and not that concerned about winning. If Stills wants to win, he can take less and still be set for life.
     
  15. jdang307

    jdang307 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Were gonna miss his ability to score TDS.
     
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  16. invid

    invid Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Damn skippy. Half of his touchdowns I remember him being not just wide open, but wide-the-**** open. There's something to be said for that. I only wish he was a little bit more of a presence in the intermediate game.
     
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  17. jdang307

    jdang307 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    His first two seasons in New Orleans were off the charts. Catching something like 75% of passes thrown his way which is ridiculous considering his average depth of target was 14 yards. Landry his first year or so it was only 5.4 Now I think (prior to 2016) was 7.6.

    In NO, he caught 82% of all passes thrown 20 yards or less, highest since 2007. So something happened when he got to Miami. But in NO, he was ridiculous.
     
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  18. Finster

    Finster Finsterious Finologist

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    He did have a low TD total in NO though, and I'm still thinking this may just have been a serendipitous year for him, in 4 years he has 20 TDs, 9 this year.

    I'd like to keep him, but he will get over paid by someone.
     
  19. jdang307

    jdang307 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    He scored 5 TDs on 52 targets his rookie year. That is good.
     
  20. Finster

    Finster Finsterious Finologist

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    True, but the following year just 3 on 63 rec, which is very low considering his avg.

    He was a very effective deep threat for us this year, and perhaps his arrow is pointing up, but he is a one trick pony at this point, and I wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't as good next year.

    I would personally want a more versatile WR starting in his place, but I wouldn't have a problem with him starting, just not at 10mil per.
     
  21. jdang307

    jdang307 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    TDs are notoriously volatile unless your name is Jerry Rice.

    Stills scored almost 50% of Tanny's TDs this year. Like we saw with Mike Wallace that ability isn't easy to replace even if these aren't consistent scorers.

    Odell Beckham scored 10 on 169 targets. 3 on 63 isn't terribly worse.
     
  22. Alex13

    Alex13 Tua Time !!! Club Member

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    definately stills over branch...wouldn't even mind if branch signs somewhere else
     
  23. Finster

    Finster Finsterious Finologist

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    Who is playing DE?
     
  24. resnor

    resnor Derp Sherpa

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    This was initially my feeling on Wallace. His second year, when he was a different receiver, I was actually on board with keeping him.

    I really think we need a legit TE to stretch the middle of the field, then maybe we could utilize Landry and Stills on some 10-15 yard slant plays. Those are plays that turn into huge plays, but they're relatively safe.
     
  25. Fin-O

    Fin-O Initiated Club Member

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    Parker just needs some fine tuning, last year was basically his 1st yr getting playing time and he flashed signs of rare ability.

    He has 138 targets in his career (Jarvis had 131 last season)

    Landry 94 1136 4 Tds 12.1 YPC
    Parker 82 1238 7 Tds 15.1 YPC

    As long as he stays healthy and in the film room Parker will be our best WR effective 2017.
     
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  26. Finster

    Finster Finsterious Finologist

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    You can't really compare the 2 as OD is also an outlet/bail out WR, he gets the ball in any and all situations, iow, Stills could never generate 169 targets, also Stills had 83 targets, so half the targets and less than a 3rd of the TDs.

    OD has 35 TDs in 43 games over 3 years, double digits every year, Stills has 20 in 63 games over 4 years, no double digits, and half of them in one year.

    To be clear though, my only point is that I'm not willing to go all in on Stills because of one good year, especially with other WRs contracts looming.
     
  27. dolphin25

    dolphin25 Well-Known Member

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    Tiawan Taylor WKU :)
     
  28. GreysonWinfield

    GreysonWinfield Release The Hounds

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    A report on NFL Radio says that the Eagles will pursue Still if the Dolphins do not sign him. If torn between Stile and Sims I would rather see Stiles signed.
     
  29. TheOne

    TheOne Active Member

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    If Parker stays healthy he is easily the best receiver on this team, that is a big if though.
     
  30. danmarino

    danmarino Tua is H1M! Club Member

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    Hey may be one day. But he is currently not the best WR on the team.
     

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