Early Mock

Almost "on cue", McDaniel being interviewed at the combine today and he said this

""“I think there’s multiple ways to use players that have skill sets that can help you do things offensively," McDaniel said. "We’ve had tight ends in our history that have been featured pass receivers and we’ve had featured blockers. On both ends of the system, they are expected and will do both things, majoring or minoring in one or the other, depending on their skill sets.

"I have no problem, no hesitation or no concern of Mike being able to contribute as a blocker and will use him the way it’s most appropriate for him, as well we’ll do in the pass game, really.”

Exactly what I was hoping to hear!

Here is the link:

https://www.si.com/nfl/dolphins/news/miami-dolphins-coach-mike-mcdaniel-talks-personnel-at-scouting-combine

white1 wrote:Almost "on cue", McDaniel being interviewed at the combine today and he said this

""“I think there’s multiple ways to use players that have skill sets that can help you do things offensively," McDaniel said. "We’ve had tight ends in our history that have been featured pass receivers and we’ve had featured blockers. On both ends of the system, they are expected and will do both things, majoring or minoring in one or the other, depending on their skill sets.

"I have no problem, no hesitation or no concern of Mike being able to contribute as a blocker and will use him the way it’s most appropriate for him, as well we’ll do in the pass game, really.”

Exactly what I was hoping to hear!

Here is the link:

https://www.si.com/nfl/dolphins/news/miami-dolphins-coach-mike-mcdaniel-talks-personnel-at-scouting-combine

McDaniel also said that they want Ogbah back.

I think they'll work out deals to keep both Gesicki and Ogbah in Miami.

I read somewhere the team is closer in negotiations with Ogbah than they are with Gesicki. Which is fine. If you get one of them done, worse case you can always tag the other.

white1 wrote:I read somewhere the team is closer in negotiations with Ogbah than they are with Gesicki.  Which is fine.  If you get one of them done, worse case you can always tag the other.

The cost to tag Ogbah is just over $20 million, so I doubt we'd tag him. Gesicki would be less than $11 million to tag, so that is much more likely IMO. But we'll see how it plays out - hope it doesn't get too messy!

I don't think the PFN draft ratings is "all that" accurate, but it is a good indicator of who is moving up, who is moving down... who is getting the buzz and whatnot...

It is getting... (best Artie Feldman impression - look it up you young whippersnappers!!) VERY INTERESTING at #29 for the Phins.

I am being presented with some "very interesting" choices at #29. Here are the six top rated players left on the board!

25. Drake London WR USC

26. Kenny Pickett QB Pittsburgh

28. Trevor Penning OT Northern Iowa

30. Treylon Burks WR Arkansas

31. Jaquan Brisker S Penn State

34. Lewis Cine S Georgia

Myself, I would pick Burks. A WR who has to buy custom size 5XL gloves to wear??? I am imagining a faster, younger WR with big hands who can catch like ol'Noodle Arms favorite WR Oronde Gadsden!!! Tua would be INSTANTLY BETTER!

London is big WR as well, and the Phins could definitely use him IMO.

If I had to wager a dollar though, I would bet Grier would have a mighty tingle in his pants and get the OT Penning pick in as fast as Hunter Biden snorting coke off a hooker's arse!

What is almost as "very interesting" is the trade offers that are popping up. Washington wanting a shot a Pickett. Bengals wanting Penning cause they are afraid of Grier's going Penning ahead of them and/or the Chiefs going Penning. But I keep seeing teams trading up to #29 to take one of the Safeties also.

As always, it looks like Grier is going to have to REALLY earn his money this draft. And with only one #1 pick, I think another Charles Harris or Iggy disastrous decision is gong to be the end of the Grier GM era in Miami.

finfanatic wrote:I don't think the PFN draft ratings is "all that" accurate, but it is a good indicator of who is moving up, who is moving down... who is getting the buzz and whatnot...

It is getting... (best Artie Feldman impression - look it up you young whippersnappers!!) VERY INTERESTING at #29 for the Phins.

I am being presented with some "very interesting" choices at #29. Here are the six top rated players left on the board!

25. Drake London WR USC

26. Kenny Pickett QB Pittsburgh

28. Trevor Penning OT Northern Iowa

30. Treylon Burks WR Arkansas

31. Jaquan Brisker S Penn State

34. Lewis Cine S Georgia

Myself, I would pick Burks. A WR who has to buy custom size 5XL gloves to wear???  I am imagining a faster, younger WR with big hands who can catch like ol'Noodle Arms favorite WR Oronde Gadsden!!! Tua would be INSTANTLY BETTER!

London is big WR as well, and the Phins could definitely use him IMO.

If I had to wager a dollar though, I would bet Grier would have a mighty tingle in his pants and get the OT Penning pick in as fast as Hunter Biden snorting coke off a hooker's arse!

What is almost as "very interesting" is the trade offers that are popping up. Washington wanting a shot a Pickett. Bengals wanting Penning cause they are afraid of Grier's going Penning ahead of them and/or the Chiefs going Penning. But I keep seeing teams trading up to #29 to take one of the Safeties also.

As always, it looks like Grier is going to have to REALLY earn his money this draft. And with only one #1 pick, I think another Charles Harris or Iggy disastrous decision is gong to be the end of the Grier GM era in Miami.

Hard for me to imagine London or Burks being available at 29, but strange things always happen on draft day.

Penning is too inconsistent for me to get too excited by him, but I love his nastiness - he is a mauler for sure.

Really curious to see where the QBs go. I wouldn't touch any of them before round 3 myself...I think this class sucks. But of course teams need QBs, and guys like Pickett will be overdrafted.

What a great scenario.  Trading down a few spots with a QB needy team and getting (say) a 2023 third would be my preference there.  I'm with you in that I like Burks over London, but either would help our team a great deal.   Myself, much as I hate it, I don't think Burks gets past New England if he even makes it that far.

I'm really thinking Grier ends up trading out of the first in the most likely scenarios.  If we had # 15 overall instead of #29 we'd be assured of getting one of the big WR's.

On the QB's, I think Ridder and Willis are the two that have the best chance to surprise.  Maybe Zappe.  Pickett doesn't look like an NFL starter IMO.

Oh...and Arte Johnson was the Laugh-In guy. He's also very funny in Love at First Bite, a big hit in its day that has been forgotten by time.

HalCHorn wrote:Oh...and Arte Johnson was the Laugh-In guy.  He's also very funny in Love at First Bite, a big hit in its day that has been forgotten by time.

I remember seeing that when I was little! I don't remember much except the main song and that it was a Dracula movie that was supposed to be funny but yeah, my parents actually took me to the theater at age 6 to see this

DolFan 316 wrote:

HalCHorn wrote:Oh...and Arte Johnson was the Laugh-In guy.  He's also very funny in Love at First Bite, a big hit in its day that has been forgotten by time.

I remember seeing that when I was little! I don't remember much except the main song and that it was a Dracula movie that was supposed to be funny but yeah, my parents actually took me to the theater at age 6 to see this

Yep, same here! I don't remember anything about it but my parents took me to a (long-gone) local theater to see it!

My first stab at a mock. As usual, no trades. I listed two choices for each pick.

Round 1 - Jermaine Johnson, DE, Florida State OR Damone Clark, LB, LSU
Round 2 - David Bell, WR, Purdue OR Alec Pierce, WR, Cincinnati
Round 3 - James Cook, RB, Georgia OR Myjai Sanders, DE, Cincinnati
Round 4 - Trey McBride, TE, Colorado State OR Zach Tom, OL, Wake Forest
Round 4 – Chad Muma, LB, Wyoming OR Abraham Lucas, OT, Washington State
Round 5 – D’Vonte Price, RB, FIU OR Cordell Volson, OL North Dakota State
Round 6 – Charleston Rambo, WR, Miami OR Josh Johnson, WR, Tulsa
Round 7 - Zach VanValkenburg, DE, Iowa OR John Chenal, FB, Wisconsin

I think the run on OL and WR in round 1 is going to allow some good defensive players to be on the board at 29...that seems to be best value IMO.

Round 2, I'm targeting the best available WR. That could very well be David Bell, who many think is this year's Cooper Kupp.

Rounds 3 and 4 I'm hoping for my two favorite players in this draft, in Cook and McBride. Cook is a dynamic back with low mileage, who could be a big-time weapon for McDaniel. McBride could be George Kittle...excellent blocker and above average receiver. We may lose Durham Smythe, and Hunter Long has shown absolutely nothing. McBride and Gesicki complement each other well and give the Phins all sorts of options.

In round 5, I really like what I've seen from D’Vonte Price. He's a home run hitter with great speed.

Charleston Rambo is flying under the radar, but I think he has a great skillset and will be a much better pro than college player.

I'd finish up with Zach VanValkenburg, who seems like the perfect combo of hard work and skill that the Phins love. And we do need a FB in this offense, so I'm looking at a classic bruiser like Chenal. McDaniel may want a more versatile FB, but this guy is a road grader.

Nice draft, JMP.

I agree, that if one of the high-ranked EDGE guys drops, that may be the pick. Johnson was unblockable at the SR bowl practices and did so well in practice that his agent sat him out of the game to avoid injury!

Jermain Johnson

Florida State’s Jermaine Johnson was the best player at the Senior Bowl this week, turning in a show of such violence and destruction that he bowed out of the event entirely after just two practices. You want to see the kid compete through the week, but with nothing left to prove and millions of dollars at stake, it’s easy to understand the decision as well.

Because that guy already looks like he might be the year’s best edge rusher not named Aidan or Kayvon.

Johnson transferred from GA. Just imagine if he had been there in the rotation for Ga this year!!!

I am still hoping Burks or London drop to #29. Depending upon how many OTs and QBs go in the 1st round above #29, that COULD HAPPEN IMO.

I doubt it, but it could.

And I do not think Grier will go WR at #29 anyway, no matter if Burks or London is there. There seem to be some good candidates available in every round it looks like, so maybe the Phins go for the IMPACT player early on... Like EDGE with Johnson. Or Center if Linderbaum drops.

Anyway... the only thing I know for sure is Grier and the Phins NEVER draft the way I think they should, although last year went almost exactly like I had it pegged. Waddle and then DE... I would have went with Rousseau instead of Phillips, but Phillips was the next best on my list.

The 2nd round last year was where I was way off.

John Chenal is Leo Chenal's older bro I think?? I would not mind seeing the Phins get Leo. They need a bigger thumper LB in the middle IMO.

This is my latest on the Pro Football Network Simulator. I made some trades though:

MIA
30.

Kenyon Green
OG Texas A&M
trade
MIA
50.

Bernhard Raimann
OT Central Michigan
MIA
94.

Alec Lindstrom
OC Boston College
trade
MIA
101.

Wan'Dale Robinson
WR Kentucky
MIA
120.

Leo Chenal
LB Wisconsin
MIA
154.

Tyquan Thornton
WR Baylor
trade
MIA
162.

Alex Wright
EDGE UAB
trade
MIA
166.

Smoke Monday
S Auburn
trade icon
MIA
199.

Tyreke Smith

That would be a sick draft, Umix! The OL rebuilt in one fell swoop! And speedy playmakers at WR and a LB!

And you can't go wrong with a player named Smoke Monday!

No Mock From Me Yet, My Two Favorite RB's Hall from Iowa State and Cook from Georgia. Both can Go the Distance , Pick up Blitz and Great in the Passing Game.

finskev wrote:No Mock From Me Yet, My Two Favorite RB's Hall from Iowa State and Cook from Georgia. Both can Go the Distance , Pick up Blitz and Great in the Passing Game.

I am all over Cook...really want him on the Phins. Hall would be excellent too.