How can we keep AJ Francis?

I have him on my 53...

http://www.thephins.com/forums/showthread.php?77549-53-man-roster&p=2119124&viewfull=1#post2119124

Stick him on the practice squad with a offer he can't refuse, and pray he doesn't get poached.

and you're right, the guy has been killing it.. not just in this game either. There's no way he makes it to the practice squad. And so if keeping him means cutting Jelani Jenkins (our 4th round pick) you have to do that. With Starks out, we're riding with an extra DT anyway.

"gilv13 wrote:

Stick him on the practice squad with a offer he can't refuse, and pray he doesn't get poached.

The problem is I can't see him not getting poached. If we want him, we will need to use a roster spot IMO.

"gilv13 wrote:

Stick him on the practice squad with a offer he can't refuse, and pray he doesn't get poached.

He has to clear waivers before he can be signed to the PS. That would never happen.

"FinNasty wrote:

I'm watching the replay again, starting in the 3rd quarter to watch some of our depth players (I may or may not have fallen asleep Saturday night somewhere near the end of the 3rd... :pity:). And I'll tell ya what... this guy AJ Francis is killing it. Literally almost every play he was changing the LOS and/or broke loose into the backfield. He is disrupting everything. I realize he's going against backups... but this guy is an UDFA rookie... so it's not like he's some vet dominating youngsters.

So, my question is... how do we find a way to keep him? Realistically, what's the max number of DTs we can keep with our current roster construction? He seems like he has a ton of potential... and with both Starks and Soliai expiring after this season... it will be nice to have some youth grooming in the wings.

We could carry 9 DL, 7 LBs and 9 DBs for 25 defensive players. That would mean 25 offensive players, such as
3 QBs
4 RB
4 TE/FB/H-Backs
5 WR
9 OL

Or carry 6 WRs and 6 LBs rather than 7. It is definitely doable and we better keep Francis.

My friend Frank Coyle, draftinsiders.com ranked him the 16th DT, and a definite top 200 player before the draft. He named Francis the "Hidden Gem" among DTs. Therefore I studied him more than any of our other UDFAs and I am not all that surprised by his success so far.

"Paul 13 wrote:

I have him on my 53...

http://www.thephins.com/forums/showthread.php?77549-53-man-roster&p=2119124&viewfull=1#post2119124

I cannot recall us ever carrying 10 OL coming out of camp into week 1.

I think you've got to dump Vaughn Martin in order to do it, which I'm completely comfortable with. You can clearly rely on Kheeston Randall to get rotational snaps, you can afford to sit on some eggs at this point rather than carry a 5th experienced DT.

If you do that and put Tracy Robertson on the PS I'd be pretty happy.

"Disgustipate wrote:

I think you've got to dump Vaughn Martin in order to do it, which I'm completely comfortable with. You can clearly rely on Kheeston Randall to get rotational snaps, you can afford to sit on some eggs at this point rather than carry a 5th experienced DT.

If you do that and put Tracy Robertson on the PS I'd be pretty happy.

I wouldn't mind that at all. Kheeston has looked good and Vaughn hasn't impressed me at all.

"Disgustipate wrote:

I think you've got to dump Vaughn Martin in order to do it, which I'm completely comfortable with. You can clearly rely on Kheeston Randall to get rotational snaps, you can afford to sit on some eggs at this point rather than carry a 5th experienced DT.

If you do that and put Tracy Robertson on the PS I'd be pretty happy.

I'd go the other way around. But that's totally valid.

"MrClean wrote:

I cannot recall us ever carrying 10 OL coming out of camp into week 1.

injuries necessitate that to be the case though... I mean Garner/Jerry... we don't know where they are right now. So I have them projected as well as their replacements. It is what it is.

Vaughn Martin.. signed that 2 year deal worth $4m in the offseason... :pity:... you cut him here now, and you do actually save $925k against the cap. That's because his bonus was only $250k. And his guaranteed money must only be $750k.

"Paul 13 wrote:

Vaughn Martin.. signed that 2 year deal worth $4m in the offseason... :pity:... you cut him here now, and you do actually save $925k against the cap. That's because his bonus was only $250k. And his guaranteed money must only be $750k.

According to http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/miami-dolphins/vaughn-martin/

You are right

Gillislee making the 53 is odd to me because he really hasn't shown anything, imo. I'm of course just talking about the games - I realize practice may be a different story. He looks overmatched, doesn't appear he can be a factor at this level. Would we worry about someone scooping him up off waivers or the PS? Do we have to keep him because of the across-the-board injury histories of Miller, DT, and Gray? Better RBs get cut every year; I think we'd find an upgrade on waivers if we really want to, honestly. Hard to make a case for him over Francis, imo, if the decision did potentially come to that.

"Limbo wrote:

Gillislee making the 53 is odd to me because he really hasn't shown anything, imo. I'm of course just talking about the games - I realize practice may be a different story. He looks overmatched, doesn't appear he can be a factor at this level. Would we worry about someone scooping him up off waivers or the PS? Do we have to keep him because of the across-the-board injury histories of Miller, DT, and Gray? Better RBs get cut every year; I think we'd find an upgrade on waivers if we really want to, honestly. Hard to make a case for him over Francis, imo, if the decision did potentially come to that.

Egnew did nothing his rookie year yet he is still around.Gillislee will be on the final 53 IMO .He is versatile and this team places a premium on versatility.Plus he will be insurance for the other injury prone RBs.

"Limbo wrote:

Gillislee making the 53 is odd to me because he really hasn't shown anything, imo. I'm of course just talking about the games - I realize practice may be a different story. He looks overmatched, doesn't appear he can be a factor at this level. Would we worry about someone scooping him up off waivers or the PS? Do we have to keep him because of the across-the-board injury histories of Miller, DT, and Gray? Better RBs get cut every year; I think we'd find an upgrade on waivers if we really want to, honestly. Hard to make a case for him over Francis, imo, if the decision did potentially come to that.

He's got good vision and the ability to make people miss. I don't know how you could possibly look at him and Gray side by side and think the latter is remarkably better.

"CrunchTime wrote:

Egnew did nothing his rookie year yet he is still around.Gillislee will be on the final 53 IMO .He is versatile and this team places a premium on versatility.Plus he will be insurance for the other injury prone RBs.

Egnew was a 3rd. Gillislee is a 5th. Big difference. We cut a 6th last year. It is not unusual to see 5ths get cut.

I think with contract issues looming for Starks & Soliai next year, you keep promising rookie DTs, like AJ Francis.

He better not get cut.

"gilv13 wrote:

Stick him on the practice squad with a offer he can't refuse, and pray he doesn't get poached.

Puts that thread about AJ Francis' entirely comedic remarks about having a less well defined physique into proportion. You find a way to keep good football players, you don't keep an inferior player just to fulfil a quota, as they tend to end up inactive anyway.

"MrClean wrote:

Egnew was a 3rd. Gillislee is a 5th. Big difference. We cut a 6th last year. It is not unusual to see 5ths get cut.

Have to admit, it's unnerving to think that Jenkins (4th round pick) and Gillislee (5th round pick) could both be cut.

Vaughn Martin hasn't been good since the scrimmage, cut his ass and his two mill dollar contract, and keep big sexy.

"Daben wrote:

Puts that thread about AJ Francis' entirely comedic remarks about having a less well defined physique into proportion. You find a way to keep good football players, you don't keep an inferior player just to fulfil a quota, as they tend to end up inactive anyway.

There's no perspective, noone said he couldn't do what he's doing, it really wasn't even about his play, the debate came down to regardless of how good you are as a player, if you take your tool, your body, very very seriously, it will perform at a higher level, lets hope big sexy understands this simple concept in sports and changes his current mindset to a more professional one, a more scientific one..