Who will have a better year?

Justyn Ross or Erik Ezekanma?

The guy I wanted went undrafted but signed with KC.

The correct answer is...Zach Tom.

The thing about Ezekanma for this season is... I don't see a lot of targets going his way. Between Hill, Waddle, Gesicki, and the running backs... he's no higher than about 5th or 6th in the pecking order, and possibly far lower.

He could develop into a legitimate playmaker and take someone's job. But I don't see that happening this season with the depth and talent we have on offense.

I'm not sure Ross will ever play a down in the NFL, so the easy answer for me is Ezukanma.

If Ezukanma can learn the offense quickly, he has a chance to carve out a nice role as a do-everything receiver. He could be a Deebo-type player that lines up everywhere, even at RB or wildcat QB, and should be a nice red zone target. And he's also great on STs. I see him firmly locked in as the #4 receiver, again, assuming he gets up to speed quickly, but I think he'll be used in a lot of situational roles. He's a big, strong receiver with excellent YAC ability - a perfect fit for this offense.

I would have to relinquish my title as the Potentate Of Pessimism if I didn't point out that we can't have nice things and therefore Ross is going to at least make the All-Rookie Team and stay perfectly healthy while Ekuzanma either gets relegated to the practice squad or pulls an Iggy and is a healthy scratch every game. All because Ross was signed by KC and Ekuzanma was drafted by this team.

white1 wrote:The thing about Ezekanma for this season is... I don't see a lot of targets going his way.  Between Hill, Waddle, Gesicki, and the running backs... he's no higher than about 5th or 6th in the pecking order, and possibly far lower.

He could develop into a legitimate playmaker and take someone's job.  But I don't see that happening this season with the depth and talent we have on offense.

But seriously, I'm still wondering why a 4th receiving option at best who might get 40-45 targets this season (Albert Wilson had 39 last season and Isaiah Ford had 45 the season before with both having the 3rd most receptions by a WR on the team) was considered far more important than a starting center who'd at the very least be an upgrade over Dieter.

At the absolute bare MINIMUM, Ezukanma needs to beat out Williams for a spot on the roster or else this pick is an epic fail AKA a Grier Special.

And yes, before anybody says anything I am well aware that I said we needed more size at WR. And after I said that this team responded by...trading Parker to a division rival, which I was told happened because there was "no place for him anymore" (paraphrasing). But now suddenly there's a place for someone who's pretty much the exact same size?

HOWEVER...on the bright side (I can't believe I'm actually typing those words) Cedric Wilson (remember him? I do believe he still exists) last season had 45 catches for 602 yards and 6 TDs. The dearly departed Parker had...40 catches for 515 yards and 2 TDs.

Depends on who plays more IMO.

If they both take the same number of snaps, and you only look at receptions, probably Ross as KC is going to pass more than the Phins who will look to run and run and then run some more.

And right now, we KNOW Reid and Mahomes can win a SB with their offense and a complimentary defense. We do not know that about McDaniel and Tua.

And to DF316 and his prognosticating abilities: Tom may very well turn out to be great, but let's not pretend you are 100% in this department, lest I mention Paxton Lynch!!! And I wish I could remember the name of that little DB you thought was gonna be great and kept saying so right up until the Phins cut him??? What was his name?

I don't recall saying Paxton Lynch would be "great". I do remember hoping he might develop into something, but it's not as if I was on here yammering about how he never got a chance. Even if a player is from Memphis, he's subject to the same scrutiny (some would say overly harsh scrutiny) as everybody else.

As for Will Poole, I don't recall him at all. Nope. Who's he? Did he even exist? Why did that random name even appear in my mind?

Now that bum Leonte Carroo on the other hand, THAT guy was trash. Probably because of that garbage school he came out of who never produces any NFL player worth a darn. Yeah, that's it.

DolFan 316 wrote:I'm still wondering why a 4th receiving option at best who might get 40-45 targets this season (Albert Wilson had 39 last season and Isaiah Ford had 45 the season before with both having the 3rd most receptions by a WR on the team) was considered far more important than a starting center who'd at the very least be an upgrade over Dieter.

At the absolute bare MINIMUM, Ezukanma needs to beat out Williams for a spot on the roster or else this pick is an epic fail AKA a Grier Special.

And yes, before anybody says anything I am well aware that I said we needed more size at WR. And after I said that this team responded by...trading Parker to a division rival, which I was told happened because there was "no place for him anymore" (paraphrasing). But now suddenly there's a place for someone who's pretty much the exact same size?

A 4th receiving option figures to play a lot more than a backup center. You may think Tom is an immediate All Pro center, but no NFL team agrees with you!

With all the WR additions we've made, I don't think Preston Williams makes the final roster, but we'll see.

Parker was traded because ~$10 million is too much money for a #4 receiver. It's not that the Dolphins didn't need a #4 receiver, it's that they didn't need one at that salary.

Justyn Ross is going to make KC and the NFL forget about Tyreek Hill.
I'm calling it right now, he will be KC #1 by next year. KC had its rookie mini camp this weekend and Ross was the talk of camp.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2022/story/_/id/33690309/nfl-draft-2022-following-congenital-fusion-spine-justyn-ross-looks-make-nfl-history

Ross seems like an injury waiting to happen to me. I think he'll have a very short career, if he even ends up playing at all. Definitely a risk worth taking for KC, but I wouldn't expect much.

I do think Skyy Moore was a great pick for KC. I have the same injury concerns about Ross.

Aw man! Is that why he dropped? I know he was ranked around the low 2nd round and then into he 3rd and then the 4th...

What a shame? I do hope he makes it and has a long, healthy career. Like Ezukanma!



Props to DF316 for remembering that "struggling but still better than Iggy" DB Will Poole. As for the underselling about wanting the Phins to waste a 1st rounder on Paxton Lynch, that can be forgiven since apparently John Elway was taken in by that charlatan pretending to be an NFL Caliber QB too!



Am I right that all the Phins draft picks either visited Miami or were personally scouted by a coaching staff member?

HalCHorn wrote:I do think Skyy Moore was a great pick for KC.  I have the same injury concerns about Ross.  

Yes! Skyy Moore was an excellent pick for KC - I think he fits perfectly there. I don't think any one player will replace Tyreek's production, but Moore can play a huge role making up for what they lost.

finfanatic wrote:Aw man! Is that why he dropped?  I know he was ranked around the low 2nd round and then into he 3rd and then the 4th...

....

Am I right that all the Phins draft picks either visited Miami or were personally scouted by a coaching staff member?

From what I have heard online, in 2020 it was discovered that Ross was born with congenital spinal fusion (Klippel-Feil Syndrome). That condition can make a person prone to neck injuries, and it is usually recommended that people with the syndrome avoid extensive physical activities. Ross also had a stress fracture in his foot last season that prevented him from working out and testing this offseason.

The KC medical staff is apparently fine with Ross's health...although, apparently, not fine enough to give the team the OK to actually draft Ross! I hope the guy has a long and productive career - but I wouldn't bet on it.

As for the Dolphins, I heard the same thing about the team having first-hand knowledge of all the players they drafted. It seems like this was much more of a collaborative draft than maybe what we've seen in the past, in terms of multiple people having a say in who was selected.