July 22, 2025 • 33 mins
Training camp eve has arrived and we are previewing the defensive side of the football. What to look for from the individuals, the rooms as a whole, and the entire defense
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is Drivetime with Travis Wingfield. What is up, Dolphins
and welcome to the Draft Time Podcast. I am your host,
Travis Wingfield. And on today's show, it's Christmas Eve. Dolphins
(00:21):
football is back on the grass tomorrow and I'm gonna
have you guys covered on every single platform, every single
medium you can imagine. Before that, though, let's go ahead
and conclude our two part series here and take a
look at this defense that has undergone quite an overhaul
this offseason under Anthony Weaver, who's back as the first
repeat DC on the team since Josh Boyer, and fresh
(00:44):
off of season where the defense finished fourth in total
defense in the NFL. The swarming pass rush, the big
bodies inside the deepest linebacker room possibly in the league,
and a connected secondary. All of that today from the
Baptist Health Studios inside the Baptist Health Training Complex. This
is the Draft Time Podcast. Hey, let's go ahead and
(01:05):
jump right into this today, because it is like when
it's eight pm on Christmas Eve and you tell your
kids the sooner you go to sleep, the sooner Santa
Claus arrives, we can go ahead and wake up and
open our presence. Our presence await tomorrow and yesterday we
did the offense. Today of the defense, Let's go ahead
and move inside to the interior defensive line and start
with mister Zach Steeler, who it was reported on I
(01:27):
don't know what day it was, Drew Rosenhaus said, the
Zach's either will in fact be here for camp. He's
a guy that has double digit sacks each of the
last two years. The only defensive tackle to do that power, polish,
just enough wiggle to win the length that dictates everything
we do upfront. When you have a long pocket collapser
inside like this guy, and a linebacker room full of
guys with instincts, quick first steps, and enough blitzing chops
(01:50):
to impact the picture for the opposing quarterback, well, it's
the perfect combination. That was the one thing I felt
this defense had cooking all year last year was Zach
winning from multiple alignments and Jordan Brooks and eventually Terrell
Dotson getting downhill from their off ball linebacker positions. The
edge position was decimated by injury. The corner room had
some very up and down performances, but this was part.
(02:13):
This part was consistent and set the table for the
rest of the defense. To produce the way it did.
Now we sprinkle in Willie Gay, we get the edges
back in the you know, in the mix. Another year
of connectivity on that back end and the secondary. We'll
see what happens with the with the personnel. But I
think with Zach, the ability to play more inside is
only going to benefit him. I think he's a good
(02:35):
end and kind of saved us when we got decimated
by injury. But inside he's one of the game's most
dominant forces. Speaking of dominant forces, Kenneth Grant, I think
has every chance in the world to be that. And
if I'm right about Zach as a table center, then
I think we've duplicated that here with KG. He's a
better athlete, not quite as long, but heavier and bigger
(02:56):
than Zach is. And if he can learn from Zach
Seeler and Coach Clark, and if KG can become even
seventy five percent of the technician that Zach is, that
I think we're gonna have something really really special there.
I think we're gonna look back at his Michigan tape
and I think about Charles Davis saying, like grade the Flashes.
I think we'll look back at that tape, akin to
that meme of Drake and Lil YACHTI looking at the
(03:18):
computer screen and being like, oh, I understand it now,
Like the tape was was rare and it would not
at all surprise me to look back and be like, oh, yeah,
this guy was an obvious game wrecord. Why didn't he
go higher in the draft? I can't wait to watch
him play. To me, like Dexter Lawrence's tape was that
way in college and he kind of got bypassed because
people thought he was only a nose go figure. Jeffrey
(03:38):
Simmons was kind of similar to and Andre Sweat a
little bit last year in that same vein. I think
that KG is going to be every bit as good
as Zach Steeler, and if that's if that's the case,
you're talking about like the next Williams wall here and
your younger folks, the Vikings used to have Pat and
Kevin Williams as the best defensive tackle rotation really maybe
ever for a lot a long time there in Minnesota.
(03:59):
Jordan Phillips the other rookie that I could not be
more bullish on on this roster. I guess really, I
mean KG Phillips and Jonah all kind of fall in
that category for me. But pure strength, the grip strength,
when you shake his hand, you know, as one hundred
and sixty pound podcaster, it feels like you're gonna get
your hand broken. His pad level, his first step, the
anchor for double teams. I think we stole Phillips where
(04:19):
we got him in the draft. I think you can
use him in that Wilkins role where he plays that
three tech and two and two I technique over the
guard and prevents those duo and inside zone runs from
getting their second level climb where they want to catch
and climb off that first level and go get a linebacker.
I also think we're going to look back at his
college sack production, just like we did with Chop, Like
(04:40):
if you're grading off of sacks, you're taking shortcuts to
the evaluation process. Because the tape is really good and
he was an impactful player at Maryland there in college.
It might take some time like it did with Chop.
I never think a rook is gonna come out and
be like, you know, a table setter or a big
producer right away. I think KG and Jonah could be that,
But I think for Jordan. It might take a few
a few months maybe, but I think we got ourselves
(05:02):
a player here in Jordan Phillips, and then the rest
of the rotation to me is kind of you know,
we'll see how it works out over the course of
the next month. Bnito Jones probably in line for a
pretty specific role on this defensive line. He's got the
best year of his career last year working with Coach Clark,
both as a space eater but also as a pass rusher.
There were some wins there and that wasn't really his
game with the Lions or here previously. But I think
(05:23):
the way we can play big off the edge, like
with Zach and Kalais last year or now with Chubb
and Phillips' ability to kick inside and play bigger end positions,
I think Benito can get more isolation snaps on just
the center where he, you know, gives that center forty
pounds of a mismatch and he can go to work
on that nose position. That's kind of where you guys
(05:44):
pass rush wins last year when the guards couldn't help
on him. Between his ability to play the nose like
twenties snaps a game, then how you can rotate you know,
Zach kg JP, hopefully Zeke Biggers in that mix as well.
I think there's a lot of options for how you
get different guys on the nose, different guys at those
two and three technique positions, and you've got a pretty
(06:04):
good buffet of options there if you're Coach Weaver and
Coach Clark. Speaking of that, I think Matthew Butler is
kind of my unsung guy in the group in general.
Limited playing time with the Rares over three years, a
massive scheme change that made him expendable there, And that's
as far as I would look in terms of like
why he was let go. When he was let go,
I would look at him akin to some of the
additions last year that we were hoping could be those
(06:26):
fifteen twenty snap per game rotational guys like a Tier
Tart who got out the door and went and had
a really good year with the Chargers, and Jonathan Harris
and Nevill Gallimore didn't have the same production, but those
were guys that you kind of thought might be in
that type of vein, and I think Matthew Butler can
be that. To me, he's more of a three tech
than a nose, but he too has position of flexibility.
I think he's got some good wiggles of pass rush.
(06:47):
I think the room got really deep, really fast. Quite frankly,
Zeke Biggers. It's funny because I think the positions these
guys played in college almost across the board, like it
isn't uniform to what they'll be as pros. And all
that means is there are options and again flexibility a
buffet of options. Right. But he played almost entirely over
the guard in college, which when I looked at the
(07:08):
numbers and that you know is corroborated by the film.
I was kind of surprised that he was basically a
two to two I and three technique. And if you're
new to the podcast, A two technique is head up
over the guard. You are a helmet to helmet, face
mask to face mask. A two I means you're off
the inside shoulder. A three means you're off the outside
shoulder of the offensive guard. But I think he's a
(07:30):
picture perfect nose build at this type. Like I look
at him as the if Benito Jones gets hurt. I
think Zeke Biggers is kind of the guy that you
slot in as that next nose tackle like he's like
Kenneth Grant and Jordan Phillips, and that he's young, and
I think the best football's ahead of him for all
three of those guys. Matthew Dickerson was a guy that
had a nice spring after playing some reps down the
stretch last year. It's an important camp for him to
(07:51):
kind of see if he can't carve his way into
this young group and holds some of these guys off,
because if he can, that's a good thing for the
Miami Dolphins. AJ Huntley is a massive man. I love
that he played against the Michigan offensive line every single
day in practice, and like the rest of the room,
he has some surprising wiggle for his size. And then
Ben Stilly sort of an outlier in terms of the
style and body composition to me of the rest of
(08:12):
the room. But I can't sit here and act like
I wasn't massively impressed by him in his first preseason
with the Miami Dolphins said I thought he could play
in the league back then, and that's what he's done
for a few years with the Arizona Cardinals. I think
this room has really built the vision of coach Weavers
defense not going to rehash the point I've made on
this podcast probably four or five times now for the
last several months that the Ravens, Titans, and Seahawks and
(08:32):
Dolphins defenses who have this similar scheme and type of
you know, philosophy defensively virtuatle groups that typically center around
one or two dominant types with Sealer and Grant hopefully,
and then you know Sweat and Simmons and tennessee Mattabek,
Michael Pearce in Baltimore, and then Seattle has a million guys.
You could put Travis Jones in that group in Baltimore
(08:53):
now that Pierce has gone, But then a bunch of
guys that kind of orbit around what you have in
those top two, guys that can play twenty snaps in
various roles and stay fresh and be adaptable to all
the schemes they'll see. If there's one question, I would
say that it's you're counting on a bunch of young
players to be good players right away. But as long
as Grant and Phillips are that, then I think you
(09:14):
have a very deep interior defensive line, one of the
deeper ones in the league. If you get all of
that off the edge. Just go ahead and do this,
We'll take a break Chop Robinson. If I had to
pick a breakout player on the roster, it would definitely
be him, And that almost seems disingenuous because he kind
of had that breakout in the second half of last season.
So a breakout means something like double digit sacks. I
don't think is a stretch at all for him, and
(09:36):
just a consistent problem on third downs, which again pro
rate in the second half of the season last year.
That's what he was. He was one of the best
in the league. He was sensational all spring long. He
is a guy that the coaches are going to boast
about throughout the course of training camp, possibly the best
player on the field throughout OTAs. I think you saw
his full skill set start to blossom late playing more
(09:56):
nosebacker like he did at Penn State, when that was
an absolute shoot for teams when they would sneak him
down over the center and say, deal with the one
to six ten split get off and a guy that
has like outside edge rushing prowess on top of Jordan
Brooks and Willie Gay, like, there's just so much to
contend with when he does that. We saw him kick
into that position late last like the last game of
(10:17):
the year, and I think there's more on the menu
for him in that regard. He's a case study and
how they've sort of pivoted the mode of roster building, right,
we went from this pretty veteran team to taking these
uber talented twenty one year olds dripping with upside. And
I think Chopp is already the best version of himself,
and there's a rocket attached to his upward trajectory. Watch
(10:39):
for him to move all over the formation, be a
matchup nightmare, and be a guy that's talked about around
the league as a true game wrecord. I think that's
in store here for Chop Robinson and listing Chubb first
and kind of doing I guess my projected depth chart
going into this, and you know, the coaches will say, like,
we don't do depth charts this time of year. That's
more for like you know, official league purposes. But if
(11:02):
I'm kind of projecting out here on a podcast for
the sake of entertainment and what you guys, you know,
like the power of evaluation and projection, I do think
Chop might be on top of that list. But I
say that with the utmost respect for the next two
guys that if they returned to their pre injury form,
are right in that mix as well. And we'll start
with Bradley Chubb because the combination of Phillips and Chubb's
(11:23):
return allows us to use Chop in that sort of
X factor role I just talked about. You saw it
in Dallas with Micah. Having DeMarcus Lawrence and Dorance Armstrong
as lockdown edge defenders against the run with plenty of
pass rushed juice on their own allowed them to get
Parsons on the field as a floating third edge type.
And last year they lose Dornce Armstrong and Micah had
(11:45):
a bit of a down year. He was hurt, but
he did. He wasn't as productive when he was out there,
and now they're not. They're gonna have no DeMarcus Lawrence either,
so they're gonna have to replace that player as well.
But Chubb's length and strength off the edge, what he
provides from a leadership standpoint, plenty of ability to rush
the passer out why but also kick inside and do
it in there. I'm not sure there's an individual on
the roster. I'm rooting for more than Bradley Chubb this year,
(12:09):
and I think he'll be back to his pre injury explosiveness.
This is not going to be a player that you
have to like ramp up, because he was ramping up
last December and now he's basically full go. We just
need him and our next guy to be healthy. And
I think this defense can work as currently constructed, even
with some of the questions you might have on the
back end. Because for Phillips, if it's not Chubb, JP's
the one I'm rootting for the hardest on this entire team.
(12:30):
Like he doesn't seem phased by an incredibly unlucky situation
that puts him in a spot where like I mean,
I don't know, I'd be curious to ask JP this candidly,
Like what enters your mind when you think about like
the physicality of football, Like what happens to your career
if you do go down for a third straight year,
Like that's got to be something that a player would
(12:51):
think about. But I think that he's wired the right
way to allow him to be the impactful guy and
to play without hesitation and be an impact player right away,
And don't forget before chop, this was the athletic freak
on the team if he had even ninety percent of
his explosiveness and get off and power that he plays
with with his experience and now his newly added block
(13:12):
deconstruction over the last three or four years, Like I
am pumped about these top three guys in this edge group.
Now from there there are some questions after that, right,
and it's kind of like role players trying to find
out where they fit in. I think Quentin Bell could be,
at his peak, the perfect type of fourth edge on
your depth chart. He can play on special teams, he
can set the edge in the run game, and he
(13:32):
can win the occasional one on one where he gets
a shot off the edge. You need players like Quentin
Bell in every single room. A grinder, a workout warrior
who came from undrafted cut, you know, a practice squad,
to a guy that makes your roster flashes production. Guys
love him. I think guys like him are very valuable
to your roster, and then you kind of get into
a mix of players that kind of have something to prove, right.
(13:53):
Mohammed Kamara was a player that was a highly decorated
college pass rusher, goes in the fifth round of the draft,
has a wicked first step. He talked about how his
rookie year was a lot of like kind of getting
things down from a mental standpoint, and that kind of
has slowed down for him, which is a trope. I'm
aware of that, but it's it's true for a lot
of these guys. With the depth here, I think he
has a chance to keep developing and just kind of
(14:14):
be an ace in the hole. Like, Hey, if your
biggest pass rush for us to start the year comes,
you know, October thirtieth against the Ravens because we lose
a player for a game and you've just been kind
of working in the shadows, that's great. I would love that.
So from Okamara, just like keep on the you know
the path, and keep working and the opportunity will come
when it comes. Grayson Murphy, I think the same is
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true for him, and I'm actually pretty high on this guy.
I think that Murphy has a really good chance to
be that fourth actually, and I think he's the biggest
sleeper on the entire team. Like dominant camp last year,
great opening drive of the preseason that I've talked about
way too much, gets hurt comes back and just keeps
on doing it. No tas just be ready for the
notes every day to have a Murphy play in the
camp because he's got a wicked dip, ghost rip trio
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of moves that will allows him to corner angle back
to the quarterback. He has a lot to deal with,
and he got after the quarterback all through spring ball.
And then Cam Good was a guy that also has
had a major injury that kind of restarted his career.
He was a core special team guy before that brutal
injury at the end of twenty twenty three, which if
his leg doesn't freaking break like we make that tackle
and maybe that game is different, maybe win the division,
(15:20):
like it all could have been different because that hole
that Deontay Hardy hit on that ninety yard punt return
happened because a guy freaking broke a leg and it
kind of wiped out his twenty twenty four season. For
the most part, I just love how this room is
a bunch of guys that all have a different type
of appreciation for the game. Given the recent injury. Luck like,
they're not gonna take it for granted. I think that'll
feel all of them collectively from good all the way
(15:43):
up to Bradley Chubb and then Derek McClendon. Not hard
to see the fit here. You plug in his collar
rido tape and you see a guy that stands up
and rushes the edge, mugs up in the a gaps.
I always like when you have depth pieces that somewhat
replicate the skills of the guys the top of the room,
and his game is like chops and that's something worth
inving and developing. In my opinion, this group will go
as far as health as the health takes them, and
(16:04):
we need it to. This front seven has to be
healthy and has to be dominant to kind of, you know,
help the secondary be productive in their own right. So
speaking of that secondary, let's go ahead and take a
quick break, come back and do the back seven. We'll
do off ball linebackers. Next Draft Time podcast brought to
you by AutoNation. We've done the edge and the defensive tackles.
(16:24):
Now let's go ahead and move to the off ball linebackers.
As by the time you hear this podcast, depending on
when you get to it, we might be on the
field already in twenty twenty five season might be underway
and I'm very excited about this group of players, the
off ball linebackers, starting with a player that when I
watched his tape last year after we signed him, I
just thought Jordan Brooks was going to be an absolute
(16:45):
stud for us, and he went above and beyond that.
I feel pretty confident in my expectation that we can
drop Brooks in from about the point that he found
himself right around Week six or seven last year, and
that could be give or take. He was playing good
football before that, you could tell he wasn't all the
way comfortable in the system yet, and once he got
to that level, it became great football, like all pro
(17:07):
type of football. Electric first step, outstanding twenty yards down
the field in coverage, who can flip his hips like
a defensive back. Running Backs hate seeing him come on
blitz because he can usually run through them or around them,
Exceptional range to the sideline, a real dog mentality. Like
you hear all the stuff about you know, finesse football
team and whatever you want to call it, Like Jordan
(17:28):
Brooks defies all of those narratives, and he's going to
be a big reason why this thing shifts and turns
around this year. In that rang in that capacity rather,
and I just think he's one of the very best
at his position, and getting more comfortable in the defense
signed me up for that. Speaking of more comfortable, Tyrel
Dodson got here last November and took off. I mean,
his leadership role has blossomed this spring and summer, getting
(17:50):
guys on the field, directing post practice walkthroughs, drilling on
the rules and fundamentals. He's got playmaking chops tie for
the team leading interceptions last year despite playing was a
ten games. If he can help you on special teams,
also if you endure injuries down the depth chart, and
that's where I feel like this room can really kind
of have like a multiplying impact on the entire roster.
(18:12):
Because I can get guys on special teams, I can
get guys off the edge playing a middle linebacker role
like in blitz them, I can play them in coverage.
It just gives you so much more again flexibility, like
this front does. I also think there's a very strong
chemistry built there with him and Jordan Brooks. That Green
Bay game last year turned me off initially, but I
thought he responded in a way that was more telling. Right,
It's about how you respond to adversity than when you
(18:34):
actually have adversity. I thought Dotson did a great job
of that. Willie Gay was my number one off ball
linebacker free agent fit for the Dolphins, and we got him.
He's ours, boys, we got him. I think pigeonholing him
into one position is disingenuous. I've seen, you know, his
tapes buying Josh Allen effectively playing the hook and covering
up the tight ends and coverage. But his best trait
(18:56):
to me is getting downhill as a blitzer and that
pair with the instincts and coverage where he can peel
back and make a pick. He did it on the
last day of OTA's back in June. And the way
he can, you know, we can open things up for him,
Like what a fit he's going to be in this defense.
I think he's gonna way out perform the contract that
he got. Quite personally, very excited about him, and I
cannot wait to see what his role becomes in this defense.
(19:18):
kJ Britt is a different type of player, but it's
pretty clear to see what the Dolphins want at this position,
smart dog hitting type of linebackers throwbacks. Watch his Buccaneers
tape there's no false steps. He's always where he's supposed
to be. He's out the most athletic player in the league.
But he's a big boost to your base defense, your
short yardage, and just makes you a tougher football team.
(19:39):
Chang Tyndall is a guy that you've kind of been
waiting on for a few years to show something and
it hasn't developed yet. I think the way the Dolphins
attacked this room this offseason kind of tells you what
their expectation is. But you never know, like you could
get an opportunity injuries happened, special teams work, that's been
his calling card the last couple of years. You're always
going to take a you know, a mid round draft
(19:59):
pick who can run and play on special teams to
keep him around because those are valuable pieces to your
roster on the back end of things. But this year
has to be his opportunity to take the next step
because if he doesn't, you know it's gonna he'll be
a free agent. So I think for Tyndall, any type
of impact you get from him and the depth that
he could provide would be a boost for this defense.
To Kwan Jackson, if you make it out to a
(20:20):
Dolphins Friday practice as in your in the media, which
is probably none of you, guys, but chances are you're
going to see Dawan Jackson in a Camo practice jersey,
which is for the Scout Team player of the week. Guys.
Laud his ability to see it and communicate it and
give the Dolphins offense good looks in practice throughout the week.
Eugene Assante a UDFA legit one of the best personalities
on the entire team. He was the man at the
(20:43):
special Olympics event, just you know, he had that infectious
type of personality and aura to him. And I'm using
the word aura before it became what you young kids
made it these days. But he talked at that event
about his and the rookie classes love for the game,
and I think that's kind of a foreshadowing of how
this team wants to be and how it wants to
be built going forward. I think Cassante is the quintessential
(21:06):
player for how this team wants to change its makeup
this offseason. Emery Hunt also picked him to make the
team on the UDFA podcast. This room is very smart.
I don't think it's far off from what the secondary
aspires to be as a team unit. They are hungry,
they live for football, and they have the skills to
make it all go. I'm very bullish on the Dolphins
front seven. Now pivot to the backside, and that's where
(21:28):
the questions are on the defense. Right an offense, it's
probably to his health, getting the receivers back on track,
your tight end room, your offensive line depth, that's probably
where your questions exist. I would say most of the
question on the defense here come in the back seven.
There's not really any mystery besides that we hear reporting
all the time about the Dolphins being in touch with
off you guys that aren't on the on the on
(21:49):
the current market, not on a football team. And I
bet you that changes here in the coming days and
weeks because I just don't imagine the Dolphins go at
it with what they currently have. But if they do,
here's what it looks like. Caterkohu. Big year for him
to seize his position as the leader in the room.
I thought he played his best ball as a perimeter
cornerback last year, like it was the best he ever
looked outside. I still think his best positions in the slot,
(22:10):
but he's a better player in man coverage, which is
an interesting dynamic for a defense that really kind of
had its calling card last year and with the current construction.
In my opinion, I don't know how much this defense
is built to play like consistent man coverage, but I
think that his ability to play man is an interesting
pairing with a really well grouped together and core concept
(22:33):
of zone coverage that they can the match out throughout
the course of the season. But his ability to blitz fit,
the run, play, the screen, it all just screams modern
day slot corner. They use him to invert their zone
coverage at times, so clearly the staff is comfortable with
loading him up with a wealthy wealthy a healthy plate
of responsibility. Storm Duck showed his chops down the stretch
(22:53):
last year. It was okay tape to me. I thought
he had a really good spring, plays a physical style
of coverage. I think the way that he and Cater
and Isaiah Johnson and BJ Adams and Already Burns really
all the guys they've brought in or been developing, describes
how this defense can give opposing offenses fits with a
dominant front seven and a good blend of disguise man
in his own coverage and in those man coverage reps,
(23:15):
long physical corners who can get hands on guys and
disrupt timing at the line of scrimmage. Storm is a
super super smart Polish player. In year two, I would
expect him to take a bigger jump because of the
kind of digestion of the playbook. Am I super super
comfortable going into the year going into Indianapolis with him
as your cornerback two? No, But that's that's a lot
(23:37):
of teams have situations like that, and I think we
can find out more over the course of the next
month that puts us in a position to have the
answers we don't currently have Isaiah Johnson. If it's not
Grayson Murphy as my hidden gem, then it's Isaiah Johnson.
His length is absurd and when you get into third
and seven and you want to blitz and play man
covers in the backside, he's a guy that is probably
the best option to go line up over the X
(24:00):
and just challenge him with press and take away short
routes and force a deep shot into you know, Minka
Fitzpatrick's center field coverage or Ashton Davis's you know, track
speeds out on the sideline. He was awesome in the spring.
He's got go go, gadget arms. He finds the football.
The long speed is the question, but I think you
can mask that with some of the stuff you ask
him to do in certain positions. Camp Smith, I kind
(24:20):
of view his production right now as a bonus. In
individual drills, he looks like an all pro. Then we
go to team drills and it kind of goes the
other way. At his best, he's a pliable, quick change
of direction cornerback with ball skills to match. He's had
his problem staying on the field, which is well documented,
but if he puts all together, he could be a
pivotal part. That kind of solves this question for you.
If not, you're going to have to look elsewhere and
(24:42):
we'll see what happens. I'm not going to count him
out yet, but it's been a rough couple of years
for camp Smith already. Burns. I thought the limited tape
with the Seahawks was really good, albeit just a you know,
one hundred and fifty snaps whatever it was, especially in
the slot reps. But he's also had issues staying on
the field. If he can play, he can play. But
he hasn't done much of it throughout the court of
his career. Ethan bond are the fastest guy on the
(25:02):
team right I'm excited to watch him in camp after
developmental year, coming off a nice rookie season, but I
think he's got a long way to climb up this room.
Jason Marshall junior real man coverage chops. He kind of
fits that mold of like gets a third long challenge
guys in the in the at the line of scrimmage.
I'm curious to see how he takes some of the
more complex zone and man match concepts that makes this
defense go, because that's a lot to ask for a rookie,
(25:25):
and if you're gonna put a guy out there, he
has to be versed in that against you know, some
of these great passing attacks. Fortunately, we don't see a
great passing attack until week two or week three, and
even that's like Josh Allen and then a bunch of guys,
like the first time we see a really deep receiving
core is until like the Atlanta game. I guess Kendall
Sheffield had a nice spring after being added late in
(25:46):
the process. He's had some wins against some of the
top receivers on the roster, but his tape previously is
not the best. Ethan Robinson and bj Adams. I put
them together because I feel like they're games juxtapose one another.
Adams isn't in your face long pressner, where Robinson has
the speed, the quickness and the field. Two of the
guys I'm watching the most when we get in the
second half of the preseason games this year. And then
(26:07):
Ryan bump Cooper, he was here, released then brought back
after the Matrex injury. His best work comes inside. There
are so many ways this room can go with guys
that earn work options on the market if you don't
like the way the camp goes for some of them.
But also just diverse skills that allow you to be
flexible on a down to down basis, but also each
week with different types of wide receivers. So there is
(26:27):
some upside. I think there's more questions than the res upside.
The biggest question on the entire roster, and make no
mistake about that, but we're gonna get some answers over
the next four or five weeks. Last break right there,
come back and do safeties and special teams and get
the heck out of here Draft Time podcast brought to
you by Auto Nation. We talk about the front seven
and the impact they can have on the cornerback position.
(26:49):
I think what the Dolphins were able to get from
the Jayleen Ramsey trade, who again, let's be totally transparent
about that, he was gone. You were losing him, and
I felt it was going to be a draft pick
next year to get Minka Fitzpatrick back in that deal.
A guy that basically gives you another corner in a
certain sense because of his ability to do so much
(27:11):
as a safety, even including coming down and playing in
the slot. It kind of shifted the landscape of how
I view the secondary to where now, like, I think
one more addition does the trick here. And I just
loved watching his tape so much. He's a lot like
Tua in terms of how he sees the field. You know,
gets a read, goes and makes a perfect play that
leads to a big play, Insane ball production, incredibly smart.
(27:33):
He can play corner in a pinch, can be a
part of your big nickel with three safeties, and play
like a quasi linebacker role where he's kind of spamm
in the middle of the football field. He can play
in the post, although I think that's not his best
position because Pittsburgh kind of had him twenty five yards
off the football and misused him, and between Tara Austin
and Keith Butler before him, I always thought Minka didn't
(27:53):
get utilized in the best way, which is kind of crazy.
He produced the way he did. But I think that
his best work is as a robber, which is where
you kind of play a split safety look and then
you come down and try to pick off crossing routes
and hook and hook's own receivers. But a hook defender
who gets in the middle of the trash and just
makes life tough on the opposing offense. He can he
can cross off one route and climb down to the
(28:15):
check downs and cross off the short game as well.
I just think that he has a lot of good
football ahead of him, and I think it's a huge
win that we got him for a player who wasn't
going to be here anyways. I fat to melafon Wu
is one of the players I was most excited about.
Provided he can stay healthy, which is a question for
a lot on this roster. I understand that, but man,
when he is healthy, he is awesome. He's another one
(28:36):
of these guys I think could look back on as
a real steal a free agent. He kind of reminds
me of Brent Grimes a little bit. Not the same
position obviously, but Grimes was cheap because he came off
the Achilles injury and you got like an all pro
for like, I think, if he has that type of skill,
if he can just stay on the damn field, only
forty three games across four years, but he's a hitter,
he gets off blocks, he can blitz really effectively, fluid
(28:58):
hips a former cornerback, I think him and Minka has
potential to be a really special duo back there. And
then when you add that third safety into the mix,
a guy with the range of Ashton Davis who had
the famous eight picks on just over one thousand reps
in his career, exceptional ball skills. I thought the tape
at times was tough, especially as a tackler from depth
(29:19):
and in like man coverage. But I think that what
he can do in this defense as kind of a
third option, I think can suit his skill set and
get the most out of his game. Patrick McMorris, as
you get into your depth. You have your analogs to
the projected starters, right like McMorris to me, plays a
lot like Ifi Mela Fan who does a great run
defender from depth on tape, a big hitter, limited fall steps,
(29:40):
special teams, chops. I thought he was kind of tracking
towards being an impact player last year. Then he gets
hurt if he can pick up where he left off.
Excited about the prospects for Patrick McMorris. Elijah Campbell has
been an ace on special teams, long tenured player, been
on the field for some sub packages. I know he
expects to get some work at safety this year, and
Coach Weaver has kind of alluded to that throughout the
course the last twelve to fifteen months. Looking forward to
(30:02):
seeing what Elijah Campbell can bring to the defense this
year and on special teams. Dante Trader Junior speaking of
guys being where they're supposed to be when they're supposed
to be there, one of the best students of the
game as a rookie I've ever met in my life.
Made some plays in spring football, but if you heard
him on the on the podcast a couple months ago
or a couple of weeks ago, he was really dialed
in and just kind of brings that type of mentality.
(30:22):
Jordan Colbert had a nice camp last year, gets a
spot on the practice squad, now has a chance to
compete against a good deep room here and try to
make his move. And then John Saunders, the only UDF
in the group, he fits the mold smart player on tape.
I think the Minca tred just solidified this room. It
slots everybody into their role to me really perfectly, and
I'm excited about it. I mean, between Iffy and Minka,
(30:44):
those are big additions that I think are going to
be a way better safety tandem than we had last year,
and that can be a big impact for this defense.
Special teams. Jason Sanders, longest tenured Dolphin. Feels weird to
say that former first team All Pro countless game winners
and clutch kicks from beyond fifty yards, including the twenty
twenty three playoff clincher versus Dallas, twenty twenty four buzzer
beaters against the Jaguars overtime winner against the Jets last year.
(31:07):
He also booted Miami to victory with five field goals
in each of the wins over the Rams and Niners.
He's been money in the bank last two years and
really his entire career outside of like what these three
or four game slumps he goes on had a rough
twenty twenty two, but outside of that, he's just I mean,
it's every kicker, right, they go on these streaks. But
he's a position that you have expectation of one hundred
percent success rate to do it at a clip better
(31:29):
than eighty five percent. Pretty nice to have that in
your back pocket, especially with his range that he's displayed
the last couple of years. Joe Cardona replaces Blake Ferguson.
Happy about that one hundred and sixty career games all
with the Patriots. Jake Bailey had a nice bounce back
a year last year, but I thought could still stand to,
you know, punt the football better, and you get Ryan
Stonehouse in house to be that competition rocket of a leg.
(31:52):
The booming fifty three point one yard punting average is
first two years breaking NFL records, gets hurt, comes back
and winds up fifty point six yards per boot. So
he is right there in terms of his impact as
a big, big leg punter, and I think that he
probably has the first step out of the gate here
in the punting competition. All right, that's it. The next
time you hear me. Actually, I think I'm gonna put
(32:14):
another podcast out today. We'll see. I'm gonna talk to
my bos first to see how he feels about it,
but I think I'm gonna do a podcast with some
training camp storylines to look at, and then also covering
media availabilities of Minka and Darren Waller, who I believe
are going to talk to the media today, so keep
an eye out for that might be a double feature.
And then we are full go every single day that
the Dolphins are on the field Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday.
(32:36):
We'll have Sunday off Monday Tuesday Wednesday, So lots of
Dolphins podcasts coming your way breaking down all things Dolphins practice,
media availabilities. Keep it locked right here, But until then
you all please be sure subscribe, rate, review the show,
follow me on social at linkld NFL, follow the team
at Miami Dolphins, check out the YouTube channel for Dolphins HQ,
Draft time content, media availabilities, and a heck of a
(32:57):
lot more, and last button not least, Miami Dolphins dot com.
Until next time finds up Caroline, Cameron and Willow Daddy
come and hope
This is Drivetime with Travis Wingfield. What is up, Dolphins
and welcome to the Draft Time Podcast. I am your host,
Travis Wingfield. And on today's show, it's Christmas Eve. Dolphins
(00:21):
football is back on the grass tomorrow and I'm gonna
have you guys covered on every single platform, every single
medium you can imagine. Before that, though, let's go ahead
and conclude our two part series here and take a
look at this defense that has undergone quite an overhaul
this offseason under Anthony Weaver, who's back as the first
repeat DC on the team since Josh Boyer, and fresh
(00:44):
off of season where the defense finished fourth in total
defense in the NFL. The swarming pass rush, the big
bodies inside the deepest linebacker room possibly in the league,
and a connected secondary. All of that today from the
Baptist Health Studios inside the Baptist Health Training Complex. This
is the Draft Time Podcast. Hey, let's go ahead and
(01:05):
jump right into this today, because it is like when
it's eight pm on Christmas Eve and you tell your
kids the sooner you go to sleep, the sooner Santa
Claus arrives, we can go ahead and wake up and
open our presence. Our presence await tomorrow and yesterday we
did the offense. Today of the defense, Let's go ahead
and move inside to the interior defensive line and start
with mister Zach Steeler, who it was reported on I
(01:27):
don't know what day it was, Drew Rosenhaus said, the
Zach's either will in fact be here for camp. He's
a guy that has double digit sacks each of the
last two years. The only defensive tackle to do that power, polish,
just enough wiggle to win the length that dictates everything
we do upfront. When you have a long pocket collapser
inside like this guy, and a linebacker room full of
guys with instincts, quick first steps, and enough blitzing chops
(01:50):
to impact the picture for the opposing quarterback, well, it's
the perfect combination. That was the one thing I felt
this defense had cooking all year last year was Zach
winning from multiple alignments and Jordan Brooks and eventually Terrell
Dotson getting downhill from their off ball linebacker positions. The
edge position was decimated by injury. The corner room had
some very up and down performances, but this was part.
(02:13):
This part was consistent and set the table for the
rest of the defense. To produce the way it did.
Now we sprinkle in Willie Gay, we get the edges
back in the you know, in the mix. Another year
of connectivity on that back end and the secondary. We'll
see what happens with the with the personnel. But I
think with Zach, the ability to play more inside is
only going to benefit him. I think he's a good
(02:35):
end and kind of saved us when we got decimated
by injury. But inside he's one of the game's most
dominant forces. Speaking of dominant forces, Kenneth Grant, I think
has every chance in the world to be that. And
if I'm right about Zach as a table center, then
I think we've duplicated that here with KG. He's a
better athlete, not quite as long, but heavier and bigger
(02:56):
than Zach is. And if he can learn from Zach
Seeler and Coach Clark, and if KG can become even
seventy five percent of the technician that Zach is, that
I think we're gonna have something really really special there.
I think we're gonna look back at his Michigan tape
and I think about Charles Davis saying, like grade the Flashes.
I think we'll look back at that tape, akin to
that meme of Drake and Lil YACHTI looking at the
(03:18):
computer screen and being like, oh, I understand it now,
Like the tape was was rare and it would not
at all surprise me to look back and be like, oh, yeah,
this guy was an obvious game wrecord. Why didn't he
go higher in the draft? I can't wait to watch
him play. To me, like Dexter Lawrence's tape was that
way in college and he kind of got bypassed because
people thought he was only a nose go figure. Jeffrey
(03:38):
Simmons was kind of similar to and Andre Sweat a
little bit last year in that same vein. I think
that KG is going to be every bit as good
as Zach Steeler, and if that's if that's the case,
you're talking about like the next Williams wall here and
your younger folks, the Vikings used to have Pat and
Kevin Williams as the best defensive tackle rotation really maybe
ever for a lot a long time there in Minnesota.
(03:59):
Jordan Phillips the other rookie that I could not be
more bullish on on this roster. I guess really, I
mean KG Phillips and Jonah all kind of fall in
that category for me. But pure strength, the grip strength,
when you shake his hand, you know, as one hundred
and sixty pound podcaster, it feels like you're gonna get
your hand broken. His pad level, his first step, the
anchor for double teams. I think we stole Phillips where
(04:19):
we got him in the draft. I think you can
use him in that Wilkins role where he plays that
three tech and two and two I technique over the
guard and prevents those duo and inside zone runs from
getting their second level climb where they want to catch
and climb off that first level and go get a linebacker.
I also think we're going to look back at his
college sack production, just like we did with Chop, Like
(04:40):
if you're grading off of sacks, you're taking shortcuts to
the evaluation process. Because the tape is really good and
he was an impactful player at Maryland there in college.
It might take some time like it did with Chop.
I never think a rook is gonna come out and
be like, you know, a table setter or a big
producer right away. I think KG and Jonah could be that,
But I think for Jordan. It might take a few
a few months maybe, but I think we got ourselves
(05:02):
a player here in Jordan Phillips, and then the rest
of the rotation to me is kind of you know,
we'll see how it works out over the course of
the next month. Bnito Jones probably in line for a
pretty specific role on this defensive line. He's got the
best year of his career last year working with Coach Clark,
both as a space eater but also as a pass rusher.
There were some wins there and that wasn't really his
game with the Lions or here previously. But I think
(05:23):
the way we can play big off the edge, like
with Zach and Kalais last year or now with Chubb
and Phillips' ability to kick inside and play bigger end positions,
I think Benito can get more isolation snaps on just
the center where he, you know, gives that center forty
pounds of a mismatch and he can go to work
on that nose position. That's kind of where you guys
(05:44):
pass rush wins last year when the guards couldn't help
on him. Between his ability to play the nose like
twenties snaps a game, then how you can rotate you know,
Zach kg JP, hopefully Zeke Biggers in that mix as well.
I think there's a lot of options for how you
get different guys on the nose, different guys at those
two and three technique positions, and you've got a pretty
(06:04):
good buffet of options there if you're Coach Weaver and
Coach Clark. Speaking of that, I think Matthew Butler is
kind of my unsung guy in the group in general.
Limited playing time with the Rares over three years, a
massive scheme change that made him expendable there, And that's
as far as I would look in terms of like
why he was let go. When he was let go,
I would look at him akin to some of the
additions last year that we were hoping could be those
(06:26):
fifteen twenty snap per game rotational guys like a Tier
Tart who got out the door and went and had
a really good year with the Chargers, and Jonathan Harris
and Nevill Gallimore didn't have the same production, but those
were guys that you kind of thought might be in
that type of vein, and I think Matthew Butler can
be that. To me, he's more of a three tech
than a nose, but he too has position of flexibility.
I think he's got some good wiggles of pass rush.
(06:47):
I think the room got really deep, really fast. Quite frankly,
Zeke Biggers. It's funny because I think the positions these
guys played in college almost across the board, like it
isn't uniform to what they'll be as pros. And all
that means is there are options and again flexibility a
buffet of options. Right. But he played almost entirely over
the guard in college, which when I looked at the
(07:08):
numbers and that you know is corroborated by the film.
I was kind of surprised that he was basically a
two to two I and three technique. And if you're
new to the podcast, A two technique is head up
over the guard. You are a helmet to helmet, face
mask to face mask. A two I means you're off
the inside shoulder. A three means you're off the outside
shoulder of the offensive guard. But I think he's a
(07:30):
picture perfect nose build at this type. Like I look
at him as the if Benito Jones gets hurt. I
think Zeke Biggers is kind of the guy that you
slot in as that next nose tackle like he's like
Kenneth Grant and Jordan Phillips, and that he's young, and
I think the best football's ahead of him for all
three of those guys. Matthew Dickerson was a guy that
had a nice spring after playing some reps down the
stretch last year. It's an important camp for him to
(07:51):
kind of see if he can't carve his way into
this young group and holds some of these guys off,
because if he can, that's a good thing for the
Miami Dolphins. AJ Huntley is a massive man. I love
that he played against the Michigan offensive line every single
day in practice, and like the rest of the room,
he has some surprising wiggle for his size. And then
Ben Stilly sort of an outlier in terms of the
style and body composition to me of the rest of
(08:12):
the room. But I can't sit here and act like
I wasn't massively impressed by him in his first preseason
with the Miami Dolphins said I thought he could play
in the league back then, and that's what he's done
for a few years with the Arizona Cardinals. I think
this room has really built the vision of coach Weavers
defense not going to rehash the point I've made on
this podcast probably four or five times now for the
last several months that the Ravens, Titans, and Seahawks and
(08:32):
Dolphins defenses who have this similar scheme and type of
you know, philosophy defensively virtuatle groups that typically center around
one or two dominant types with Sealer and Grant hopefully,
and then you know Sweat and Simmons and tennessee Mattabek,
Michael Pearce in Baltimore, and then Seattle has a million guys.
You could put Travis Jones in that group in Baltimore
(08:53):
now that Pierce has gone, But then a bunch of
guys that kind of orbit around what you have in
those top two, guys that can play twenty snaps in
various roles and stay fresh and be adaptable to all
the schemes they'll see. If there's one question, I would
say that it's you're counting on a bunch of young
players to be good players right away. But as long
as Grant and Phillips are that, then I think you
(09:14):
have a very deep interior defensive line, one of the
deeper ones in the league. If you get all of
that off the edge. Just go ahead and do this,
We'll take a break Chop Robinson. If I had to
pick a breakout player on the roster, it would definitely
be him, And that almost seems disingenuous because he kind
of had that breakout in the second half of last season.
So a breakout means something like double digit sacks. I
don't think is a stretch at all for him, and
(09:36):
just a consistent problem on third downs, which again pro
rate in the second half of the season last year.
That's what he was. He was one of the best
in the league. He was sensational all spring long. He
is a guy that the coaches are going to boast
about throughout the course of training camp, possibly the best
player on the field throughout OTAs. I think you saw
his full skill set start to blossom late playing more
(09:56):
nosebacker like he did at Penn State, when that was
an absolute shoot for teams when they would sneak him
down over the center and say, deal with the one
to six ten split get off and a guy that
has like outside edge rushing prowess on top of Jordan
Brooks and Willie Gay, like, there's just so much to
contend with when he does that. We saw him kick
into that position late last like the last game of
(10:17):
the year, and I think there's more on the menu
for him in that regard. He's a case study and
how they've sort of pivoted the mode of roster building, right,
we went from this pretty veteran team to taking these
uber talented twenty one year olds dripping with upside. And
I think Chopp is already the best version of himself,
and there's a rocket attached to his upward trajectory. Watch
(10:39):
for him to move all over the formation, be a
matchup nightmare, and be a guy that's talked about around
the league as a true game wrecord. I think that's
in store here for Chop Robinson and listing Chubb first
and kind of doing I guess my projected depth chart
going into this, and you know, the coaches will say, like,
we don't do depth charts this time of year. That's
more for like you know, official league purposes. But if
(11:02):
I'm kind of projecting out here on a podcast for
the sake of entertainment and what you guys, you know,
like the power of evaluation and projection, I do think
Chop might be on top of that list. But I
say that with the utmost respect for the next two
guys that if they returned to their pre injury form,
are right in that mix as well. And we'll start
with Bradley Chubb because the combination of Phillips and Chubb's
(11:23):
return allows us to use Chop in that sort of
X factor role I just talked about. You saw it
in Dallas with Micah. Having DeMarcus Lawrence and Dorance Armstrong
as lockdown edge defenders against the run with plenty of
pass rushed juice on their own allowed them to get
Parsons on the field as a floating third edge type.
And last year they lose Dornce Armstrong and Micah had
(11:45):
a bit of a down year. He was hurt, but
he did. He wasn't as productive when he was out there,
and now they're not. They're gonna have no DeMarcus Lawrence either,
so they're gonna have to replace that player as well.
But Chubb's length and strength off the edge, what he
provides from a leadership standpoint, plenty of ability to rush
the passer out why but also kick inside and do
it in there. I'm not sure there's an individual on
the roster. I'm rooting for more than Bradley Chubb this year,
(12:09):
and I think he'll be back to his pre injury explosiveness.
This is not going to be a player that you
have to like ramp up, because he was ramping up
last December and now he's basically full go. We just
need him and our next guy to be healthy. And
I think this defense can work as currently constructed, even
with some of the questions you might have on the
back end. Because for Phillips, if it's not Chubb, JP's
the one I'm rootting for the hardest on this entire team.
(12:30):
Like he doesn't seem phased by an incredibly unlucky situation
that puts him in a spot where like I mean,
I don't know, I'd be curious to ask JP this candidly,
Like what enters your mind when you think about like
the physicality of football, Like what happens to your career
if you do go down for a third straight year,
Like that's got to be something that a player would
(12:51):
think about. But I think that he's wired the right
way to allow him to be the impactful guy and
to play without hesitation and be an impact player right away,
And don't forget before chop, this was the athletic freak
on the team if he had even ninety percent of
his explosiveness and get off and power that he plays
with with his experience and now his newly added block
(13:12):
deconstruction over the last three or four years, Like I
am pumped about these top three guys in this edge group.
Now from there there are some questions after that, right,
and it's kind of like role players trying to find
out where they fit in. I think Quentin Bell could be,
at his peak, the perfect type of fourth edge on
your depth chart. He can play on special teams, he
can set the edge in the run game, and he
(13:32):
can win the occasional one on one where he gets
a shot off the edge. You need players like Quentin
Bell in every single room. A grinder, a workout warrior
who came from undrafted cut, you know, a practice squad,
to a guy that makes your roster flashes production. Guys
love him. I think guys like him are very valuable
to your roster, and then you kind of get into
a mix of players that kind of have something to prove, right.
(13:53):
Mohammed Kamara was a player that was a highly decorated
college pass rusher, goes in the fifth round of the draft,
has a wicked first step. He talked about how his
rookie year was a lot of like kind of getting
things down from a mental standpoint, and that kind of
has slowed down for him, which is a trope. I'm
aware of that, but it's it's true for a lot
of these guys. With the depth here, I think he
has a chance to keep developing and just kind of
(14:14):
be an ace in the hole. Like, Hey, if your
biggest pass rush for us to start the year comes,
you know, October thirtieth against the Ravens because we lose
a player for a game and you've just been kind
of working in the shadows, that's great. I would love that.
So from Okamara, just like keep on the you know
the path, and keep working and the opportunity will come
when it comes. Grayson Murphy, I think the same is
(14:36):
true for him, and I'm actually pretty high on this guy.
I think that Murphy has a really good chance to
be that fourth actually, and I think he's the biggest
sleeper on the entire team. Like dominant camp last year,
great opening drive of the preseason that I've talked about
way too much, gets hurt comes back and just keeps
on doing it. No tas just be ready for the
notes every day to have a Murphy play in the
camp because he's got a wicked dip, ghost rip trio
(14:59):
of moves that will allows him to corner angle back
to the quarterback. He has a lot to deal with,
and he got after the quarterback all through spring ball.
And then Cam Good was a guy that also has
had a major injury that kind of restarted his career.
He was a core special team guy before that brutal
injury at the end of twenty twenty three, which if
his leg doesn't freaking break like we make that tackle
and maybe that game is different, maybe win the division,
(15:20):
like it all could have been different because that hole
that Deontay Hardy hit on that ninety yard punt return
happened because a guy freaking broke a leg and it
kind of wiped out his twenty twenty four season. For
the most part, I just love how this room is
a bunch of guys that all have a different type
of appreciation for the game. Given the recent injury. Luck like,
they're not gonna take it for granted. I think that'll
feel all of them collectively from good all the way
(15:43):
up to Bradley Chubb and then Derek McClendon. Not hard
to see the fit here. You plug in his collar
rido tape and you see a guy that stands up
and rushes the edge, mugs up in the a gaps.
I always like when you have depth pieces that somewhat
replicate the skills of the guys the top of the room,
and his game is like chops and that's something worth
inving and developing. In my opinion, this group will go
as far as health as the health takes them, and
(16:04):
we need it to. This front seven has to be
healthy and has to be dominant to kind of, you know,
help the secondary be productive in their own right. So
speaking of that secondary, let's go ahead and take a
quick break, come back and do the back seven. We'll
do off ball linebackers. Next Draft Time podcast brought to
you by AutoNation. We've done the edge and the defensive tackles.
(16:24):
Now let's go ahead and move to the off ball linebackers.
As by the time you hear this podcast, depending on
when you get to it, we might be on the
field already in twenty twenty five season might be underway
and I'm very excited about this group of players, the
off ball linebackers, starting with a player that when I
watched his tape last year after we signed him, I
just thought Jordan Brooks was going to be an absolute
(16:45):
stud for us, and he went above and beyond that.
I feel pretty confident in my expectation that we can
drop Brooks in from about the point that he found
himself right around Week six or seven last year, and
that could be give or take. He was playing good
football before that, you could tell he wasn't all the
way comfortable in the system yet, and once he got
to that level, it became great football, like all pro
(17:07):
type of football. Electric first step, outstanding twenty yards down
the field in coverage, who can flip his hips like
a defensive back. Running Backs hate seeing him come on
blitz because he can usually run through them or around them,
Exceptional range to the sideline, a real dog mentality. Like
you hear all the stuff about you know, finesse football
team and whatever you want to call it, Like Jordan
(17:28):
Brooks defies all of those narratives, and he's going to
be a big reason why this thing shifts and turns
around this year. In that rang in that capacity rather,
and I just think he's one of the very best
at his position, and getting more comfortable in the defense
signed me up for that. Speaking of more comfortable, Tyrel
Dodson got here last November and took off. I mean,
his leadership role has blossomed this spring and summer, getting
(17:50):
guys on the field, directing post practice walkthroughs, drilling on
the rules and fundamentals. He's got playmaking chops tie for
the team leading interceptions last year despite playing was a
ten games. If he can help you on special teams,
also if you endure injuries down the depth chart, and
that's where I feel like this room can really kind
of have like a multiplying impact on the entire roster.
(18:12):
Because I can get guys on special teams, I can
get guys off the edge playing a middle linebacker role
like in blitz them, I can play them in coverage.
It just gives you so much more again flexibility, like
this front does. I also think there's a very strong
chemistry built there with him and Jordan Brooks. That Green
Bay game last year turned me off initially, but I
thought he responded in a way that was more telling. Right,
It's about how you respond to adversity than when you
(18:34):
actually have adversity. I thought Dotson did a great job
of that. Willie Gay was my number one off ball
linebacker free agent fit for the Dolphins, and we got him.
He's ours, boys, we got him. I think pigeonholing him
into one position is disingenuous. I've seen, you know, his
tapes buying Josh Allen effectively playing the hook and covering
up the tight ends and coverage. But his best trait
(18:56):
to me is getting downhill as a blitzer and that
pair with the instincts and coverage where he can peel
back and make a pick. He did it on the
last day of OTA's back in June. And the way
he can, you know, we can open things up for him,
Like what a fit he's going to be in this defense.
I think he's gonna way out perform the contract that
he got. Quite personally, very excited about him, and I
cannot wait to see what his role becomes in this defense.
(19:18):
kJ Britt is a different type of player, but it's
pretty clear to see what the Dolphins want at this position,
smart dog hitting type of linebackers throwbacks. Watch his Buccaneers
tape there's no false steps. He's always where he's supposed
to be. He's out the most athletic player in the league.
But he's a big boost to your base defense, your
short yardage, and just makes you a tougher football team.
(19:39):
Chang Tyndall is a guy that you've kind of been
waiting on for a few years to show something and
it hasn't developed yet. I think the way the Dolphins
attacked this room this offseason kind of tells you what
their expectation is. But you never know, like you could
get an opportunity injuries happened, special teams work, that's been
his calling card the last couple of years. You're always
going to take a you know, a mid round draft
(19:59):
pick who can run and play on special teams to
keep him around because those are valuable pieces to your
roster on the back end of things. But this year
has to be his opportunity to take the next step
because if he doesn't, you know it's gonna he'll be
a free agent. So I think for Tyndall, any type
of impact you get from him and the depth that
he could provide would be a boost for this defense.
To Kwan Jackson, if you make it out to a
(20:20):
Dolphins Friday practice as in your in the media, which
is probably none of you, guys, but chances are you're
going to see Dawan Jackson in a Camo practice jersey,
which is for the Scout Team player of the week. Guys.
Laud his ability to see it and communicate it and
give the Dolphins offense good looks in practice throughout the week.
Eugene Assante a UDFA legit one of the best personalities
on the entire team. He was the man at the
(20:43):
special Olympics event, just you know, he had that infectious
type of personality and aura to him. And I'm using
the word aura before it became what you young kids
made it these days. But he talked at that event
about his and the rookie classes love for the game,
and I think that's kind of a foreshadowing of how
this team wants to be and how it wants to
be built going forward. I think Cassante is the quintessential
(21:06):
player for how this team wants to change its makeup
this offseason. Emery Hunt also picked him to make the
team on the UDFA podcast. This room is very smart.
I don't think it's far off from what the secondary
aspires to be as a team unit. They are hungry,
they live for football, and they have the skills to
make it all go. I'm very bullish on the Dolphins
front seven. Now pivot to the backside, and that's where
(21:28):
the questions are on the defense. Right an offense, it's
probably to his health, getting the receivers back on track,
your tight end room, your offensive line depth, that's probably
where your questions exist. I would say most of the
question on the defense here come in the back seven.
There's not really any mystery besides that we hear reporting
all the time about the Dolphins being in touch with
off you guys that aren't on the on the on
(21:49):
the current market, not on a football team. And I
bet you that changes here in the coming days and
weeks because I just don't imagine the Dolphins go at
it with what they currently have. But if they do,
here's what it looks like. Caterkohu. Big year for him
to seize his position as the leader in the room.
I thought he played his best ball as a perimeter
cornerback last year, like it was the best he ever
looked outside. I still think his best positions in the slot,
(22:10):
but he's a better player in man coverage, which is
an interesting dynamic for a defense that really kind of
had its calling card last year and with the current construction.
In my opinion, I don't know how much this defense
is built to play like consistent man coverage, but I
think that his ability to play man is an interesting
pairing with a really well grouped together and core concept
(22:33):
of zone coverage that they can the match out throughout
the course of the season. But his ability to blitz fit,
the run, play, the screen, it all just screams modern
day slot corner. They use him to invert their zone
coverage at times, so clearly the staff is comfortable with
loading him up with a wealthy wealthy a healthy plate
of responsibility. Storm Duck showed his chops down the stretch
(22:53):
last year. It was okay tape to me. I thought
he had a really good spring, plays a physical style
of coverage. I think the way that he and Cater
and Isaiah Johnson and BJ Adams and Already Burns really
all the guys they've brought in or been developing, describes
how this defense can give opposing offenses fits with a
dominant front seven and a good blend of disguise man
in his own coverage and in those man coverage reps,
(23:15):
long physical corners who can get hands on guys and
disrupt timing at the line of scrimmage. Storm is a
super super smart Polish player. In year two, I would
expect him to take a bigger jump because of the
kind of digestion of the playbook. Am I super super
comfortable going into the year going into Indianapolis with him
as your cornerback two? No, But that's that's a lot
(23:37):
of teams have situations like that, and I think we
can find out more over the course of the next
month that puts us in a position to have the
answers we don't currently have Isaiah Johnson. If it's not
Grayson Murphy as my hidden gem, then it's Isaiah Johnson.
His length is absurd and when you get into third
and seven and you want to blitz and play man
covers in the backside, he's a guy that is probably
the best option to go line up over the X
(24:00):
and just challenge him with press and take away short
routes and force a deep shot into you know, Minka
Fitzpatrick's center field coverage or Ashton Davis's you know, track
speeds out on the sideline. He was awesome in the spring.
He's got go go, gadget arms. He finds the football.
The long speed is the question, but I think you
can mask that with some of the stuff you ask
him to do in certain positions. Camp Smith, I kind
(24:20):
of view his production right now as a bonus. In
individual drills, he looks like an all pro. Then we
go to team drills and it kind of goes the
other way. At his best, he's a pliable, quick change
of direction cornerback with ball skills to match. He's had
his problem staying on the field, which is well documented,
but if he puts all together, he could be a
pivotal part. That kind of solves this question for you.
If not, you're going to have to look elsewhere and
(24:42):
we'll see what happens. I'm not going to count him
out yet, but it's been a rough couple of years
for camp Smith already. Burns. I thought the limited tape
with the Seahawks was really good, albeit just a you know,
one hundred and fifty snaps whatever it was, especially in
the slot reps. But he's also had issues staying on
the field. If he can play, he can play. But
he hasn't done much of it throughout the court of
his career. Ethan bond are the fastest guy on the
(25:02):
team right I'm excited to watch him in camp after
developmental year, coming off a nice rookie season, but I
think he's got a long way to climb up this room.
Jason Marshall junior real man coverage chops. He kind of
fits that mold of like gets a third long challenge
guys in the in the at the line of scrimmage.
I'm curious to see how he takes some of the
more complex zone and man match concepts that makes this
defense go, because that's a lot to ask for a rookie,
(25:25):
and if you're gonna put a guy out there, he
has to be versed in that against you know, some
of these great passing attacks. Fortunately, we don't see a
great passing attack until week two or week three, and
even that's like Josh Allen and then a bunch of guys,
like the first time we see a really deep receiving
core is until like the Atlanta game. I guess Kendall
Sheffield had a nice spring after being added late in
(25:46):
the process. He's had some wins against some of the
top receivers on the roster, but his tape previously is
not the best. Ethan Robinson and bj Adams. I put
them together because I feel like they're games juxtapose one another.
Adams isn't in your face long pressner, where Robinson has
the speed, the quickness and the field. Two of the
guys I'm watching the most when we get in the
second half of the preseason games this year. And then
(26:07):
Ryan bump Cooper, he was here, released then brought back
after the Matrex injury. His best work comes inside. There
are so many ways this room can go with guys
that earn work options on the market if you don't
like the way the camp goes for some of them.
But also just diverse skills that allow you to be
flexible on a down to down basis, but also each
week with different types of wide receivers. So there is
(26:27):
some upside. I think there's more questions than the res upside.
The biggest question on the entire roster, and make no
mistake about that, but we're gonna get some answers over
the next four or five weeks. Last break right there,
come back and do safeties and special teams and get
the heck out of here Draft Time podcast brought to
you by Auto Nation. We talk about the front seven
and the impact they can have on the cornerback position.
(26:49):
I think what the Dolphins were able to get from
the Jayleen Ramsey trade, who again, let's be totally transparent
about that, he was gone. You were losing him, and
I felt it was going to be a draft pick
next year to get Minka Fitzpatrick back in that deal.
A guy that basically gives you another corner in a
certain sense because of his ability to do so much
(27:11):
as a safety, even including coming down and playing in
the slot. It kind of shifted the landscape of how
I view the secondary to where now, like, I think
one more addition does the trick here. And I just
loved watching his tape so much. He's a lot like
Tua in terms of how he sees the field. You know,
gets a read, goes and makes a perfect play that
leads to a big play, Insane ball production, incredibly smart.
(27:33):
He can play corner in a pinch, can be a
part of your big nickel with three safeties, and play
like a quasi linebacker role where he's kind of spamm
in the middle of the football field. He can play
in the post, although I think that's not his best
position because Pittsburgh kind of had him twenty five yards
off the football and misused him, and between Tara Austin
and Keith Butler before him, I always thought Minka didn't
(27:53):
get utilized in the best way, which is kind of crazy.
He produced the way he did. But I think that
his best work is as a robber, which is where
you kind of play a split safety look and then
you come down and try to pick off crossing routes
and hook and hook's own receivers. But a hook defender
who gets in the middle of the trash and just
makes life tough on the opposing offense. He can he
can cross off one route and climb down to the
(28:15):
check downs and cross off the short game as well.
I just think that he has a lot of good
football ahead of him, and I think it's a huge
win that we got him for a player who wasn't
going to be here anyways. I fat to melafon Wu
is one of the players I was most excited about.
Provided he can stay healthy, which is a question for
a lot on this roster. I understand that, but man,
when he is healthy, he is awesome. He's another one
(28:36):
of these guys I think could look back on as
a real steal a free agent. He kind of reminds
me of Brent Grimes a little bit. Not the same
position obviously, but Grimes was cheap because he came off
the Achilles injury and you got like an all pro
for like, I think, if he has that type of skill,
if he can just stay on the damn field, only
forty three games across four years, but he's a hitter,
he gets off blocks, he can blitz really effectively, fluid
(28:58):
hips a former cornerback, I think him and Minka has
potential to be a really special duo back there. And
then when you add that third safety into the mix,
a guy with the range of Ashton Davis who had
the famous eight picks on just over one thousand reps
in his career, exceptional ball skills. I thought the tape
at times was tough, especially as a tackler from depth
(29:19):
and in like man coverage. But I think that what
he can do in this defense as kind of a
third option, I think can suit his skill set and
get the most out of his game. Patrick McMorris, as
you get into your depth. You have your analogs to
the projected starters, right like McMorris to me, plays a
lot like Ifi Mela Fan who does a great run
defender from depth on tape, a big hitter, limited fall steps,
(29:40):
special teams, chops. I thought he was kind of tracking
towards being an impact player last year. Then he gets
hurt if he can pick up where he left off.
Excited about the prospects for Patrick McMorris. Elijah Campbell has
been an ace on special teams, long tenured player, been
on the field for some sub packages. I know he
expects to get some work at safety this year, and
Coach Weaver has kind of alluded to that throughout the
course the last twelve to fifteen months. Looking forward to
(30:02):
seeing what Elijah Campbell can bring to the defense this
year and on special teams. Dante Trader Junior speaking of
guys being where they're supposed to be when they're supposed
to be there, one of the best students of the
game as a rookie I've ever met in my life.
Made some plays in spring football, but if you heard
him on the on the podcast a couple months ago
or a couple of weeks ago, he was really dialed
in and just kind of brings that type of mentality.
(30:22):
Jordan Colbert had a nice camp last year, gets a
spot on the practice squad, now has a chance to
compete against a good deep room here and try to
make his move. And then John Saunders, the only UDF
in the group, he fits the mold smart player on tape.
I think the Minca tred just solidified this room. It
slots everybody into their role to me really perfectly, and
I'm excited about it. I mean, between Iffy and Minka,
(30:44):
those are big additions that I think are going to
be a way better safety tandem than we had last year,
and that can be a big impact for this defense.
Special teams. Jason Sanders, longest tenured Dolphin. Feels weird to
say that former first team All Pro countless game winners
and clutch kicks from beyond fifty yards, including the twenty
twenty three playoff clincher versus Dallas, twenty twenty four buzzer
beaters against the Jaguars overtime winner against the Jets last year.
(31:07):
He also booted Miami to victory with five field goals
in each of the wins over the Rams and Niners.
He's been money in the bank last two years and
really his entire career outside of like what these three
or four game slumps he goes on had a rough
twenty twenty two, but outside of that, he's just I mean,
it's every kicker, right, they go on these streaks. But
he's a position that you have expectation of one hundred
percent success rate to do it at a clip better
(31:29):
than eighty five percent. Pretty nice to have that in
your back pocket, especially with his range that he's displayed
the last couple of years. Joe Cardona replaces Blake Ferguson.
Happy about that one hundred and sixty career games all
with the Patriots. Jake Bailey had a nice bounce back
a year last year, but I thought could still stand to,
you know, punt the football better, and you get Ryan
Stonehouse in house to be that competition rocket of a leg.
(31:52):
The booming fifty three point one yard punting average is
first two years breaking NFL records, gets hurt, comes back
and winds up fifty point six yards per boot. So
he is right there in terms of his impact as
a big, big leg punter, and I think that he
probably has the first step out of the gate here
in the punting competition. All right, that's it. The next
time you hear me. Actually, I think I'm gonna put
(32:14):
another podcast out today. We'll see. I'm gonna talk to
my bos first to see how he feels about it,
but I think I'm gonna do a podcast with some
training camp storylines to look at, and then also covering
media availabilities of Minka and Darren Waller, who I believe
are going to talk to the media today, so keep
an eye out for that might be a double feature.
And then we are full go every single day that
the Dolphins are on the field Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday.
(32:36):
We'll have Sunday off Monday Tuesday Wednesday, So lots of
Dolphins podcasts coming your way breaking down all things Dolphins practice,
media availabilities. Keep it locked right here, But until then
you all please be sure subscribe, rate, review the show,
follow me on social at linkld NFL, follow the team
at Miami Dolphins, check out the YouTube channel for Dolphins HQ,
Draft time content, media availabilities, and a heck of a
(32:57):
lot more, and last button not least, Miami Dolphins dot com.
Until next time finds up Caroline, Cameron and Willow Daddy
come and hope
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