This is what excites some Miami Dolphins players about Mike McDaniel. And more Fins mocks
Dolphins brass believes new coach Mike McDaniel will be good for Tua Tagovailoa and Miami’s offense.
Players also hope that will be the case.
Two Dolphins players, both impending free agents, spoke in recent days about McDaniel’s potential to boost an offense that ranked 22nd in points per game (20.1) and 25th in yards per game (307).
“Now Mike McDaniel coming in, he’s more of an offensive guy,” linebacker Brennan Scarlett told former NFL receivers Terrell Owens and Matthew Hatchette on fubo Sports Network.
“Which I think will actually be good, probably, for Tua and his development as a quarterback. I’ve seen both, had defensive head coaches, offensive head coaches. There’s a lot more focus placed on both sides. So, it’ll be interesting to see how it goes.”
Receiver Mack Hollins, appearing on Jason La Canfora’s Baltimore radio show, said of McDaniel’s hiring and the offense that he helped coach in San Francisco: “I’m super excited. Seeing high powered stuff they’ve been doing, that’s cool. I say that could be us. That opportunity is there.”
Asked about Bryan Flores’ firing, Hollins said: “Being in the NFL nothing really surprises me anymore. As players, there is not really any method behind it that has to do with my pay grade.”
Scarlett confirmed that Flores had a chance to tell at least some players, in person, that he had been dismissed.
“It was the Monday after our last game and I was driving in a little bit late,” Scarlett said. “So, I was actually late to my meeting with Flo, my exit meeting. I pulled in and walked in the locker room and he had everybody huddled up and was just like, ‘Yeah man, I’m out.’ And I walked in and just saw that and I was like, ‘Whoa.’ Threw me totally off. It was a shock.”
Scarlett said: “My experience with Flo was a great one, my first season in Miami. Seeing the way that he goes about his business and he treats the staff, you feel like he runs a tight ship. And the players not only respected him as a coach, he also could relate to us in a way and had a personal relationship with him.
“We had a rough start. I think it was like 1-7. So, we kind of knew that it could go bad at that point. You start off with that many losses and it was rough. [We] understood some people’s jobs might be on the line. But finishing pretty strong, we won [eight out of nine]. We were balling. Everybody, I think in the locker room, we’re like, ‘Flo’s going to stay. We’re going to keep it consistent.’ So when he got fired, it was a shock to me. It was a shock to everybody, I think. It shakes up the whole building.”
MOCK DRAFTS
ESPN’s Todd McShay has the Dolphins selecting Northern Iowa offensive tackle Trevor Penning at No. 29 in his newest mock draft released Wednesday.
McShay’s assessment: “The Dolphins’ offensive line is a mess, but it’s not for a lack of trying. They’ve used four picks on Day 1 or Day 2 of the draft on the position group over the past three years. Not much has panned out, though, as Miami’s 46.6% pass block win rate was last in the NFL in 2021. And only the Texans average fewer yards per carry on the ground than the Dolphins’ 3.6. Penning is a mauler with a lot of upside. He pushes defenders off the ball and moves pretty well for a 6-foot-7, 321-pounder.
With tight end Mike Gesicki off to free agency, this is another team that could use Colorado State’s Trey McBride. But I just can’t imagine Miami focusing anywhere but offensive line. Things could change once free agency sorts itself out, but GM Chris Grier has to find a way to keep oft-injured quarterback Tua Tagovailoa upright.”
Among others, McShay has the Dolphins bypassing Penn State receiver Jahan Dotson, who he has slotted 30th to Kansas City.
New ESPN draft expert Jordan Reid - who has joined Mel Kiper and McShay among the network’s stable of draft analysts - projects Houston edge rusher Logan Hall to the Dolphins with pick No. 29 and Central Michigan offensive tackle Bernhard Raimann at No. 50.
Reid has Miami taking Hall at No. 29 instead of receivers Jameson Williams (Alabama) and Dotson (Penn State) – two players who likely will be in the mix at that spot if they’re on the board.
Reid said of Hall: “At 6-foot-5, 278 pounds, Hall quickly stuck out as one of the most physically imposing prospects at Senior Bowl practices. He created easy wins at the line of scrimmage with his hands, length and wide array of moves.
“He also has the versatility to fit multiple schemes and spots up front. Hall is still scratching the surface of what he can become, and his foundation of natural traits could make him an early contributor in a defensive line rotation.”
Reid said of Raimann: “With Austin Jackson moving inside to guard and Liam Eichenberg’s rookie season marred by inconsistency, the Dolphins will continue their efforts to fortify the offensive line.
“Raimann is a hard-nosed blocker who has a physical presence as a run blocker and is more than reliable as a pass protector. With Miami’s lack of depth at tackle, Raimann gives it another option to help keep Tua Tagovailoa. Raimann entered college as a 230-pound tight end, but he has transformed into a raw, ascending tackle.”
Here’s Reid’s two-round mock draft.
BRADY TALK
Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and Tom Brady have a good relationship and a University of Michigan connection. Brady has home in South Florida. That has led some fans to ask on social media whether there could be an off-field unison, perhaps with Brady joining team ownership in a minority role.
At this point, this is purely speculative and there’s no evidence to suggest that any deal between the two is happening.
Brady, in fact, recently kept alive the possibility that he could change his mind and return to play for Tampa Bay or another team in 2022.
But if Brady does pursue minority ownership of a team, the Dolphins would make a lot of sense, and Ross would be smart to explore it.
This story was originally published February 16, 2022 at 12:35 PM.
