Two young Dolphins who warrant longer look, and what to do with Tom Brady
A six-pack of Dolphins notes on a Wednesday:
▪ The Dolphins, in somehow winning five games during what was essentially a 16-game audition for young players, got a pretty good read on the 100-plus players who churned through the building since July.
But among December additions, there are two young men, in particular, who should make coaches want to see more.
One is Tae Hayes, the undrafted rookie cornerback from Appalachian State who had four interceptions each of his final two years in college and spent most of the past eight months with the Jaguars (appearing in only one game), before being released and catching on with Miami Dec. 13.
Here’s why I’m intrigued: Hayes had 16 passes thrown in his coverage area in his two games as a Dolphin. Only three were caught (for 55 yards), per Pro Football Focus. That type of production against two veteran quarterbacks — Tom Brady and Andy Dalton — bears a more extended look. We will get it during the offseason program and preseason.
The other who warrants a longer look: Second-year defensive lineman Zach Sieler, who played like a Pro Bowler against Cincinnati (seven tackles, a sack, two passes defensed) before logging only 12 snaps in the finale at New England.
Sieler — who had played in six games over parts of two seasons with Baltimore — is interesting not only because he can play multiple defensive line positions at 6-6, 301 pounds, but also because this was a player who didn’t receive a single scholarship offer at any level coming out of Pinckney High in Michigan.
He went to Division II Ferris State because he liked their mechanical engineering program, walked on with the football program and had 19 ½ sacks as a junior. So why was he so overlooked out of high school?
“I was underweight,” he said. “I came out at 220, at defensive tackle, defensive end. I wrestled a lot, so I’d lose weight for wrestling, and it made me stay underweight.”
He took eight predraft visits, went undrafted and then signed with Baltimore 20 months ago, sticking around for a year-and-a-half before the Ravens needed a roster spot and cut him in December.
In releasing him last month, Ravens coach John Harbaugh “was great,” Sieler said. “He said: ‘Hey, you’re a great player, we hate to lose you, but it is what it is.’”
If football doesn’t work out; his degree in mechanical engineering might come in handy. He previously interned at a Chrysler plant in Michigan, overseeing 15 employees on one of the company’s plant floors.
“I was thrilled when Miami claimed me,” he said. “I have family in Orlando.”
Being overlooked has given him the proverbial chip on his shoulder.
“It’s always been how I lived,” he said. “Just work and don’t listen to what everyone else says. Just do my thing to improve my game and show what I can do.”
Flores sees an interesting player: “He’s big. He’s got length. He’s got athleticism. He plays hard. I think when you get a player like that, you just move him around and see the different things he can do. He’s very versatile because of his size, his length, his athleticism. It’s different because he’s different.”
▪ Couple things I noted on Twitter (@flasportsbuzz): The Dolphins ended the season 5-4 in their last nine games. The Patriots ended the season 4-5 in their last nine. Anybody see that coming?...
In six Ryan Tannehill starts for Miami in New England, the Dolphins were outscored 201-68. In one Tannehill start for Tennessee in New England, his Titans ended the most impressive run in NFL history. (Though Derrick Henry and the Tennessee defense obviously deserve much of the credit for beating New England.)
▪ The notion of Brady signing with Miami seemed to diminish somewhat with the Dolphins’ firing of offensive coordinator Chad O’Shea. But here’s why, after further evaluation, the view here is that it wouldn’t make sense for Miami:
It would cost $20 million or more of your precious $100 million in cap space — which can go pretty quickly — to sign a quarterback who was only somewhat better than Ryan Fitzpatrick this season.
Fitzpatrick had 20 touchdowns, 13 picks and an 85.8 rating. Brady had 24, 8 and 88.0. The numbers were far more even after Fitzpatrick returned as the starter in Week 6. Plus, the Dolphins already have guaranteed Fitzpatrick $4 million of his $8 million for next season.
So stick with Fitzpatrick while developing a young quarterback.
▪ Willie Jefferson, the Canadian Football League’s best defensive player in 2019, told the Winnipeg Sun that he’s optimistic he will soon sign with the Dolphins.
Jefferson, a 28-year-old defensive end, is ready to take another shot at the NFL after appearing in just six games for Houston (in 2013) and failing to make the Bills (2014) or Redskins (2016).
Jefferson had 12 sacks, six forced fumbles, and 16 passes defensed for Winnipeg this past season.
“I understand from when I did the workout with Miami [last month], word got around how good the workout was,” Jefferson said. “I was scheduled to go to a couple other places, but my agent and I decided with the workout going so good in Miami, we were gonna try to not do so many other ones.”
The Dolphins had one smashing CFL success story in Cameron Wake (98 sacks in 10 years in Miami) and one modest one in Sam Eguavoen (42 tackles, 3.5 sacks this past season).
▪ Dolphins cornerback Nik Needham had a couple of interesting exchanges with players this season. During a Dolphins-Jets game, New York receiver Demaryius Thomas “was giving me tips,” Needham said. “He said, ‘I know when you are blitzing because you are like a robot.’ He said, ‘I’m just trying to help you out.’”
Then there was a less pleasant exchange with Colts receiver Zach Pascal. “He said that I’m trash, that I can’t guard him.”
To which Needham responded: “Apparently, I can because you don’t have any catches.”
Pascal, who started that day, ultimately finished with two catches for 26 yards.
▪ What will DeVante Parker get with his $8 million signing bonus from his new four-year, $40 million contract?
He said he plans to buy a Rolls-Royce truck.
This story was originally published January 8, 2020 at 4:39 PM.
