Hopefully Grier and Flores can provide that answer. One of the issues we seemed to have previously was drafting players without a clear vision or fit.

 

Free safety...Shouldn't be that hard of a decision. Jones is our SS, we need to find a corner opposite X. Simple...I don't know why Gase and Burke had such a hard time with it. That's just my opinion. Some of the better football minds on this forum should weigh in on this though, because I too would like to know where we are playing him next season. It's important.

 

Honestly in the NFL today, I'd much rather have two shutdown corners, especially if one plays the slot, than a FS.

There really is no going wrong though.

 

I imagine that Devin McCourty is going to be the model. He's a free safety type player about half of the time, but also plays slot corner, dime defender, and box safety. It's possible that he would play a little bit more slot than McCourty does because Patrick Chung handles a lot of it and Fitzpatrick might be the best slot defender in the league much less on the Dolphins roster.

IMO the model is a SS and a FS who do a lot of other stuff, and a second part-time FS who facilitates all the Big Nickel and Dime(Duron Harmon with the Patriots). The Dolphins are really in need of the last thing.

 

If the Dolphins stay true to form they will likely trade Minkah to a contender for a 3rd round pick.

 

Hahaha OMG!!!

 

The fact Burke could not figure out that you can have two studs at safety, is reason enough to fire his ***. Why are they waiting for Flores, just do it..

 

Kind of hard to give him an answer on where hes playing when they dont even know who their DC will be or what kind of scheme they will be running.
Im sure he'll know when they know.

 

I hope it's Miami.

 

Taking a que from Brett Kollerman's nice draft video on Minkah, and some of the articles designed to teach from PFF, I believe Minkah would best be suited for FS. I know he has been very good as our slot corner, but IMO, he could equally excel as our FS. The guy is a film junky and works his *** off. Since the patriots play man about 45%, I sort of expect our defense to do the same. We could put Minkah as our single-high safety, and move McCain back to slot corner. When it is time for zone, we can play cover 3 and let Minkah do his thing. I realize there is no perfect system. Good QB's are going to identify what we are in and then pick us apart if they can. However, that should not preclude us from putting Minkah in the best position to help us defend and make plays. Also, keeping Minkah high, can let us keep Jones in the box, to help stop the run and blitz, where he is most comfortable and productive. So, in summary and just for starters:

Minkah - single high safety: take advantage of his smarts, range, and ball awareness
McCain - slot corner: he was underrated, but seemed to a very good job in that role
Jones - SS in the box: big hitter who has instincts, but limited range for a safety where I think he can be taken advantage of. He also likes to be where the action is, so keeping him involved, helps his focus, and attitude.

thoughts?

Disclaimer: Just trying to piece some things together in an effort to learn. I may be totally off base here.

https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/pro-man-v-zone-which-nfl-team-ran-each-the-most-in-2017

https://www.profootballfocus.com/ne...l-defensive-backs-for-each-secondary-position

 

This is what happens when teams follow the “draft the best player available” and not what you need. Teams end up with players they didn’t necessarily “need” and don’t know WHAT to do with them.

Initially I thought Fitzpatrick was whining but then it did occur to me, he does need to know HOW to train his body for the upcoming season. Makes perfect sense as he wasn’t truly designated a particular position player.

This kid truly is something special.

 

This makes “perfect” sense. Trade one of the most gifted players you have on defense to roll the dice on an unproven player yet to be drafted. :pity:

It’s this nonsense that’s seen the loss of once Dolphins players who are pro bowlers on other teams...teams with winning seasons while we remain a soup sandwich

 

I think it's going to be hard for any defensive coach to keep Fitzpatrick solely at safety- he's already one of the best slot defenders in the league, and he might have a unique ability to defend against a variety of screens that I think is going to be just as important as being single-high.

 

Nice points. Are you saying that he would serve us better playing just the slot? I can see that. However, I can see him helping us at single high, too because he has decent range. This is a tough one. He can help us in a lot of ways. Of the three locations he can play, I think it's outside CB that I prefer the least. I know he will improve, but he does tend to be a little too grabby and I think he had the most penalties called against him this year.

 

I think pretty much anyone would have him at least split some time, but I think he's going to change his job duties on a week-to-week basis in this defense. You're presumably running a defense with a lot of flexibility, and Minkah Fitzpatrick would almost certainly be one of the lynchpins that the flexibility depends on.

You might have Fitzpatrick and another more coverage-oriented safety play deep halves all days with limited run responsibility one week, or Fitzpatrick roll down into the box to play as a dime defender shadowing Christian McCaffrey or some other pass catching RB the next week.

 

Ok. That makes sense. However, isn't Minkah asking to be in just one position? He can switch all around, but going forward will he be happy doing it?

 

I dunno, I think he's just a big football guy and he's itching to know what to prepare for. If I remember a big part of what he wanted to do was get to the right weight and all that.

 

on the football field....

but this is not a good sign. he wants to know bc he's lining up his 2nd contract already and wants to know if he can get giga money by being a CB.

 

You could be right. We have him listed as a safety, right now, but we could list him as a DB where he could possibly get a few more million. Of course that would depend on how he plays.

I am still trying to figure out who would help us more, an All Pro FS, or an All Pro Slot CB?

 

He can mentally and physically prepare for whatever position. But, he's going to play wherever the coach tells him.

 

First of all, how the heck do you know what D we are going to run? And second, Minkah is asking to concentrate on one position. Would you rather Minkah be great at one position? Or just pretty good at several different positions? I prefer he be great at just one. Free Safety I believe would be the best position for him.

 

Your head coach is the Patriots defensive coordinator, and your defensive coordinator is a former Patriots staffer who went to the Packers and did some fundamentally similar stuff. It's a safe guess you're going to run Bear fronts, a lot of dime packages, etc.

You can reasonably expect to have a player end up at multiple sub-positions. It's modern professional football, and a lot of guys do it and do it well. I think the important thing is for him to avoid things like where he goes from seemingly not getting any reps at boundary corner for two years and then switching in the middle of the season there as a starter for a couple games.

 

Careful, some people don't take kindly to common sense. lol

 

He needs a strength and training coach to cross train him..train with versatility on your mind and in your offseason program..

Work on footwork and mirroring..work on recognition to reactionary quickness..work on technique when the ball is in the air, work on getting your head around while in stride..work on speed and agility, develop your body a bit, fill out that frame..study habits of the best..watch how Earl Thomas recognizes and gets to point b faster than anyone..work on some pass rush skills..over all agility and core strength..

Just work on being a complete football player and stop worrying about where your gonna play...

Now that being said, I understand what he’s saying IF he feels we might put him across from X and leave him there, then it’s different..

 

A lot of this is probably driven by his agent.

 

Well the staff more or less just got here I dont blame them.