Drive Time: 2023 Free Agent Class Media Avails and Twitter Mailbag

padout of the tea. Drivetime with Travis Winfield begins. Now let me check your pulse. If not further of what is up? Dolphans and welcome to the Drivetime podcast, part of the Miami Dolphins podcast network, covering your team, your Miami Dolphins. How's it going everybody? I am your host, Travis Winfield, and on today's show, three podcast and three days plus. I think we did three at the end of last week as well. We are cooking right along here.

We have media availabilities. We met with seven of the newest members of the Miami Dolphins. You're gonna hear from Braxon Barrios, Eric Sobert, Dan Feeney, Mike White, Malik Read, David Long Junior, and Jake Bailey lots to get to their plus we'll answer your questions via the Twitter mailbag. All of that in a heck of a lot more from the Baptist Health Studios inside the Baptist Health Training Complex.

This is the Drivetime podt Magic Fish Caroline gets us to reset the chains and pick it up here on first down, let's go ahead and start with our media availabilities. And let's go ahead and do that with Dolphins linebacker David Long. He was great to talk to. We talked to him about the fit and Vic Fangio's system. Also talk to him a little bit about how anticipation leads to place for him in his past career so far

as a linebacker. But let's go ahead and start here first with what he liked about the opportunity of coming to Miami. Miami was just the best fit I felt, you know, for me, um, you know, in my future. And then as far as like the players, UM, I know a lot of them, you know, we all we a lot of us have the same agent. UM. So I know a lot of those guys for a few years now, UM. And then just the history, UM, of the you know the DC. Um. You know, he he's had one of the top defenses for a while. Um.

So UM, it just felt like a great fit. Um. And then when I got down there, you know, it felt like even better for it. UM. Well as far as bro you know, I really having this clause, I'm just ready to get to work, you know, and just fit in how every way I can. Um. But um, as far as the defenses, you know, I feel like he played that same style. UM that I like, you know that that fast and aggressive um. You know, as far as having a linebacker on the field, you know,

all three downs, um. You know, so it felt like a good fit. I like you as as the time go, we would learn more about his way and you know, the way he see fits. So we talked about David Long a lot on the podcast, introducing his game to to all you out there Dolphins fans, and I wanted to ask him, how do you put yourself in position to play the way you do? Fast, aggressive, with such

anticipation and kind of keying plays before they happen. Here's the new Miami linebacker on how he plays with anticipatory football and speed. Well, a lot a lot comes from I've been playing football for so long man, so it's really like this that natural field. Um. And then you know, also you know as far as pre stnot reads, you know, I spent a lot of time in the film room. I like to study my players a lot, so you know, any indication and know that I can find to help

me be way faster, you know than an opponent. Um. You know, I look forward, you know, um, whether it's no the hand in the dirt, lighting the dirt, or just the tidy and peeking or going back, just the little things that you know help you help you be just one step faster. You know. That's that's the thing I'm the ain't know just the mentality as well, know just that that dog mentality, just you know, just that

that that played major roles as well. And of course playing in Tennessee Jeffrey Simmons, Deco Autry, so many good defensive lineman he's played behind there over the years. How about coming to Miami and playing behind Seeler and Wilkins, Um, I mean any linebacker would be lying that they said, you know that that that front forward doesn't play a major role. And the success we have spire holding well

you know in Tennessee. Um, a lot of two gaps that will hold up up there, you know, the double teams you know, and our job as linebackers just to get down Who is fast to get those double teams out? You know? So they helped me. I helped them me. Um, you know, we all work as you know, the team. The better we work together, you know, the better defenses.

Let's go ahead and keep this moving here. You're gonna hear this question from me a lot with the three Jets players coming over from Mike Laflora's offense and in New York, how does that translate to help you pick up the scheme faster in Miami. We go to quarterback Mike White for his answer on that question. Yeah, that was one of the uses of coming to Miami was it's the same system. Now, I'm sure there's different burbage and things like that, but down to its courts, it's

from the same same system. So it'll be definitely easier than learning a brand new offense. When we had Antoine's Daley on from the New York Daily News talking about Mike White, he alluded to several times how good of a teammate Mike White was and how the players in that locker room responded to him, and I guess just galvanized around his entrance into the lineup over Zach Wilson, and so Joe Chadd asked him about the Mike F and White T shirts they made and about how great

of a teammate he is. And you're gonna hear Mike White talk about being the right type of player, right type of person for a locker room, and that's a theme you're going to hear a lot throughout these media availabilities. Let's go to the new Dolphins back of quarter. Yeah. I think I've said it in countless interviews before in New York, and it's just that's my favorite. My favorite part about playing football is the locker room team aspect,

the camaraderie, whatever you want to call it. It's it's we're very blessed to do what we do and the fact that we get to go in and play football for a living every day and we get to show up to work and if you want to get in

the sauna before work starts, you get the sauna. If you want to get in the hot tub, Like it's just we're really lucky, and I think if you go in with the right mindset of enjoying everybody there and getting to know different people from different walks of life, and just enjoying your teammates and enjoying the time you spend together, because we do spend a lot of time together, whether it's practice, training, camp, meetings, travel away, gaining all that all that good stuff. You get to know a

lot of guys and you enjoy it. So that's that's been my approach about it is whatever my role is, take take on that role and then help whoever you can, and whether it's in the quarterback room, whether it's off on the field or what if you're running with the threes, you help your guys, you're running with the twos, you help your guys, And whenever it's your time to run with the ones, you hope that you have built a bond and that you can kind of build on that

to develop trust with them. So that that's kind of how I approach it, and I think it's it's had success for him. Finishing up here with Mike White wanted to ask him about playing under coach Darryl Bevill, who obviously too mentioned the impact he had on his career. What does Mike White thinking about joining a quarterback room with someone like Darryl Bevill who's coached so many great players, so many good teams, and just seeing this league for

the last twenty twenty five years. Yeah, I got a chance to meet coach Bebble when I signed on a Thursday, and and and I can see why too would say that he's just off of just initial meeting him, and he seems like a very intelligent guy. So you're you know, you're going to learn a lot about the quarterback position.

And he's he's also been around a lot of talented players and good offenses, so he has a tons of ton of experience that that I'm sure he draws upon and when he's when he's coaching the guys and listened to it to it had an unbelievable season year, and I'm sure there's there's no coincidence that coach coach Bebble was involved and the entire the entire offensive staff in general.

So I'm really excited and just learning from someone new that has so many, so many different stops and so much experience, So I'm really excited to get to work with him. Let's go next here to new Dolphins wide receiver Braxton Barrios, who was asked about his role as a return man and how much pride you take in being a true return man in an era of football where maybe it's kind of gone by the boards a little bit. I guess it's take a lot of pride

in it. Um, you're you're right, it's it's absolutely not for everybody, and if you do do it, you have to be fully committed to doing it. And you know, I think that you know, I've been one of the best in the league at it, and you know, obviously want to get back to that, to that top spot across the board at it. Um, But you know, I think you might have to have uh, maybe a screw loose or two to do it and to really enjoy

it anything like it. And uh, like I said, I take a lot of pride in it because it truly is a third of the game and it they can swing a game just like any other you know, interception, touchdown, what have you. So, yeah, there's a there's a huge sense of pride in it, and I think, um, you know I have after talking to the coaching staff as well, especial team's coordinator. There's there's gonna be a lot of pride in it this year, and I'm really excited to

help that. Next, he was asked about how he compliments Tyreek Hill and Jillen Waddle thought thus the answer was too good to leave on the cutting room floor. Here's Braxton Barrios. Yeah. I mean, they they they're incredible across the board. Obviously, there's there's no uh, there's no pigeonhole for either one of those guys. I mean, they're truly, you know, one of the best wide receiver duo in

the league. And I can't wait to get in that room and you know, just just watch them and learn from them, UM and hear how they see the game or how they see the route against this coverage and you know all the variations. So you know, obviously I'm down to do whatever whenever, and I've always been that way. And you know, maybe you know, if they take the top off, I'll work across the middle and um or I'll work outside. I'll really do whatever it takes to

uh to win. Anytime you get a new receiver, you have to ask him about his new quarterback. Here's Braxton Berry was talking about what he observed from Afar from Dolphins QB to a tongue of VLOA. Honestly, I've been very impressed. Um. You know, obviously he's he's dealt with a lot of adversity and he uh seems that he steps up to the plate every single time. Um, and you know, he seems like an absolute warrior. Um. You know, kind of just like we got my guy Mike White

here recently. So I'm I'm really excited to get with him and you know, start learning how he sees the game, you know, from his mouth and not just from from film, and just get on the same page as him. But I really I'm excited to play for him. Let's go ahead and finish up here with Dan Feeney. Before our first break, I asked Dan about playing in that same system,

or at least a similar scheme with Mike Laflour. Here's a new Dolphins interior offensive line guard center can play tackle to Dan Foenie on easy transition from one system to the next. Yeah, I think it's huge. Honestly, one of the first times Mike and I talked on the phone, it was pretty much exces and oh so just having a very similar language is definitely huge. It's easy to kind of just get into the system and kind of

fit in right away. So I think that'll be good for me just that will always be different languages about some sort of things, but kind of having that same offensive mindset and scheme, I think it'll be an easier transition for me. If you do go back and watch these, you'll recognize that Poenie is pretty quickly becoming a favorite among the media just for kind of his lightheartedness and easygoingness. Obviously you've seen the videos I'm sure on Twitter of

him chugging beers at hockey games. He's a really fun, love and type of guy. So he was asked, how does that translate to football. I love this answer, and it goes back to the theme of adding the right kind of people into your locker room. Here in Miami, here's Dan Foenie. Yeah. I think it's contagious just being around guys that love having a good time making work fun.

It just makes the locker room better. It makes the vibe around the whole entire team better in my eyes, because it's it's like if guys love hanging out with the guys outside of the facility. We're gonna bring that same natural energy and camaraderie into the locker room, and I think that will translate onto the field, because once you know your teammates, you want to hang out with them outside of the locker room. It's just becomes contagious, and it's more and more guys get on board with it,

and it just becomes a nice, nice atmosphere. Let's go ahead and pause for our first break right there. We'll come back on the other side and we'll do your questions. Almost forgot what to say. They're on the Twitter mail bag. That's next Drivetime podcast. Your host, Travis Wingfield, brought to you by Auto Nation, segment number two here on a Wednesday, potentially Thursday, depending on when you get to this podcast.

Wanted to go ahead and break up the media availabilities with some of your questions and just put my voice in the middle of my podcast. I suppose I do appreciate getting other voices on here. Let's go ahead and break this up though, and hear from you guys with a Twitter mailbag. We have more of these to come on the other side. But I just wanted to go ahead and break it up. Like I mentioned so first

here from at Mason Prince TV. I know they're not the same player, but do you see Braxton Barrios as Trent Sherfield's replacement for that wide receiver three spot? Or perhaps somebody who was previously on the roster steps up as Zukama Wilson Craycraft maybe? And then we had a pretty similar question here, so I'm gonna read this one as well. Then we'll answer the entire gamut together. At Russell Grace, I want to give you guys your shout out because I appreciate you all taking the time to

put these questions in there. But Russell Grace asks, I hated to see Trent Sherfield leave to the Bills, especially, but this is a sign we can expect or is this a sign rather that we can expect to see as Zukama getting a bigger role and the chance to be wide receiver three first. Isn't that just in itself a great question to have to ask, because I've been watching this team for long enough to know there was plenty of years over the last couple of decades and

as recently as twenty twenty one. No. Twenty twenty where the question was, hey, who is wide receiver one on this team? And when there was a couple of instances when you had Chris Chambers or Brandon Marshall or Jarvis Landry, I guess, to a lesser extent, who the heck is

receiver two. We know we're in good hands there at a position that has become one of the premium positions in the NFL, and it's my personal second most important position in the NFL because I think that the quarterback play is dependent upon how good your receivers are, and that's the most important things the passing game, so to me,

quarterback and pass catchers. So it's pretty nice to know that you've got somewhere in the ballpark of three hundred targets accounted for by two of the most electrifying playmakers in the NFL. And you heard Mike White talk about how the offense is often predetermined for the quarterback, like we know the ball is going to Tyreek or Jalen

on let's play. It's nice to know that of your five hundred or six hundred pass attempts, you've got three hundred accounted for with two top five receivers in the NFL now the way it sets up today, and this is March twenty fourth, it's not September. First, just remember that with all your questions about the current roster, it's March twenty fourth. I think you go into camp with a really good competition coming to the pike here at

the receiver position. Like I've talked about the value of coming back in the second year of the offense, right, we heard Mike White talk about it earlier, even to the point that I asked people much smarter than I at the combine and they all had different answers, but the same points, like it's a big deal. So now that you have Cedric Wilson and Eric Azukama and their second year of the offense, I think their ability to be seamlessly plugged in any position increases with that knowledge

and experience, especially knowing how those guys work. Remember last summer, Wes Welker praised the way that Eric Azukama worked through the flash cards with other with fellow rookie Brylan Standers, as they do together as rookies under Wes Welker. But Wes also mentioned the complexity of this system and the

ability to be you know receiver four or five. On game day, you need to be able to step in to any of the three positions at receiver because you only have depth for you know to do so, like you better know all the spots, otherwise you cannot be active on game day. And so it's better to have someone more steeped in the knowledge or its second nature for them in the offense in that role than it is to be like a great playmaker, because you're probably

only gonna get a couple opportunities. But just go out there and run the routes in the way that keeps the concept on track, keeps the offense on time and on rhythm. And I think with Eric Azukama in year two, that will get better. Just the way the kid is wired, the way he works. I just think that's a natural progression. And then I think you can see the talent shine through, because this is a guy who you know speaking of

of Azukama. The run after the catch, the way he tacklers bounce off this guy, way he high points the football. We saw this in college, we saw this in the preseason, we saw it in training camp down here. I was as surprised as anyone to see how limited his role was a year ago, but I would be very surprised if it's noted exponentially this season. Now you talk about Braxton Barrios and he was in that MICHAELA Flour offense the last two years, and we referenced that on the

was it the Tuesday Podcast? I don't know. So I think every single person coming back with knowledge in the offense, their own tape to study, and quite frankly, the talent that we have in that room. I think it all sorts itself out and it's really one of the top battles I'm curious to watch in training camp. I'm also curious to see who else they might add. Could it

be a free agent, a draft pick, a UDFA. We have coaches here that are well, they're all experts at the receiver position, but coach McDaniel, like, just go back and listen to Andrew Hawkins from the Browns talk about coach McDaniel, like he's one of the best receivers coaches of the last of this century, I think, and then Wes Welker isn't that same category pretty knowledgeable strength in this organization that receiver position. They were smart enough to

know how dangerous Tyreek and Jalen could be. I trust them to run out the rest of the receiving corps as they see fit. And I'm just again really curious to see Zukama so good last summer, and I think that his talent fits exactly not just the strengths of this offense, but a really good compliment to ten and seventeen.

Our next one here, we have two questions that were similar and actually, if a lot of you guys ask these questions like these are the obvious pressing questions around the Miami Dolphins right now, so I understand why there are so many regarding you know, this topic. At the Finn's realtor asks, I need to know the best tight end fit for the Dolphins in the draft. Do we go Laporta Craft Musgrave? Do we wait it out for a Shoonmaker I don't know, I'm not sure who that

is or Durham. Do we restructure and get Foster Moreau, Austin Hooper? And free agency? Is tight end a priority? And again we had a similar question here. Let's go ahead and read that to get Kyle his shout out. Here, Curran at Jeep Vader, Travis are what are the plans at tight end? We have Smith and Sober, but are they going to bring in a playmaker from the draft. Is there anyone you know they're targeting? Well, I don't.

I'm not privy to that kind of information. I know it might seem like I am, but I'm definitely not. But right now we're at three tight ends on the roster. We're down too and I've added one. So the math says there would be another one coming. And if you just look at the roster, to me, it's pretty obvious that one would be coming. I think you look at how this offense can get better, and to me, that would come through improved run game, because the passing game

was already really really good. How do you make that happen? I do think there's natural progression that can occur from that year or two growth. You guys know that because you've heard me talk about it every damn day here on the show. The same backfield's back, the offensive line's pretty similar, but I think the depth has improved by adding Feeny and bringing back Jeron Christian. And again it's

March twenty, fourth roster's not finalized. Please remember that. I think a really quality two way tight end would be the fastest way, the fastest track to seeing this offense take yet another step towards improving and becoming what we all want to be. And while it's a bit difficult to forecast how a rookie will impact the team, you just never know. But this class has a lot of guys that check that box. How many times have I

mentioned Darnell Washington from Georgia. Watching him in college, I knew that he was a perfect fit for this offense. He's essentially a sixth offensive lineman in the run game, but also has some of the best athletic measurables and proven tape as a pass catcher in college football. Luke Musgrave same category, super athletic, also a very willing competitive blocker, and a few others that make up this really good tight end class. But I think you could look that

way through the draft. One of the questions I saw in here was also asking about Irv Smith of the Vikings or formerly of the Vikings. I loved his game out of college, didn't really have the impact as a pro that I thought he would, but hit a similar offense the Dolphins play last year with the Vikings under Kevin O'Connell. I'm really curious about his prospects. Mercedes Lewis is probably a top five all time blocking tight end.

He was still awesome last year at thirty seven. Dan Arnold as another guy that I think of that can play in both phases, Like you don't have to tip your hand in terms of tendencies when you put him on the game. So if they're going to add another one, I think there's options both in free agency in the draft. My preference is Darnell Washington Gosh. I hope they can

find a way to get that guy. Next question at x Geist at work, do we feel Chris Greer thinks a strong blocking tight end minimizes the need for a starter on the offensive line, and he tells me it's pronounced x geist at work. I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate you spelling out the phonics for me, even though I think I probably still didn't

pronounce it right. But yeah, I kind of follow up on the previous Q and A. I do think that tight end can be that it can kind of conceal tendencies and add an effective gap to the running game, especially when you factor and alec Ingold and what he brings to the table and that kind of quasi tight end role, which is what a fullback almost is these days in some sense. But also remember that any eligible staying in for pass bro just takes away an option

in the passing game. And I've heard coaches say, why the hell would I take away one of my eligibles? Like, I got five routes I can run, I want to use them all. So there's no real replacement for a great offensive line, but yeah, you can make it up in the margins there. And that's why I think Darnell

Washington a guy like his skill set. Now he's not gonna it's not guarantee that he hits, but I look at his skill set and think, that's a guy that I can plug in an eleven personnel and I can put him in tight to the formation as my true in line. Why and that the defense doesn't know what he's gonna do from there, I can flex him out and they don't know he's gonna do from there. That's the kind of player I'm looking at at this position because I think that's the biggest key to unlocking the

next step for this Dolphins offense. I got a quote retweet question from the great Omar Kelly, formerly of The Sun Sentinel now the Iamathlete podcast, but quote retweeting for this, I don't know. He asked, do you think the Dolphins can survive the season with Austin Jackson protecting two a tongue of Bylow's blindside? I get what we're doing with this tweet, but yeah, I mean Austin Jackson's working is

bought off to get back right now. I know we've we've seen some depth out of the position, but also the tackle market kind of been wiped clean so far in free agency. We'll talk about some draft options at that position here in just a second, But you know, the whole blindside thing. This is kind of similar to when I would hear our friend here talk about four

three and three four, like it's the base defense. And we've we've gone all this conversation many many times for the last fifteen years, Like those are not base packages anymore. Nickel defense is the base package, but we still insist on talking about whether or not a guy's a fit

for a three four or a four to three. I wanted to tell a great story here because remember last remember the Week two game in twenty twenty one when when two of got hit and the rib injury occurred against the Buffalo Bills, and that was the famous put some respect on Jesse Davis's name tweet that got picked up by Freezing Cold Takes that day. I just wanted to let you guys know that was my doing. I was asking about in the pregame warmups who's at right tackle?

And Omar's like, what do you mean at Jesse Davis. Now, I was like, oh, it is like he was like, why would that even be a question. I'm like, because I think you can probably get better production at that position. And that's when he was trying to yell about how great Jesse Davis was. Then he took to Twitter to say that and then it got picked up by Freezing Cold take. So you're welcome for that. But yeah, that

the question about Austin Jackson there. I continue to think that too as big a strength as making players around him better, and we've seen that he gets rid of the football as fast as anybody, and so I think that he mitigates a lot of potential issues you could have on the offensive line. We saw it last year with the attrition and guys, you know, backups coming into the game and how they performed with Tua compared to when a different quarterback was in there. So Tua is

the key there to elevating an offensive line. But ultimately, yeah, like, obviously you want to have the best performance from that position as you possibly can, and at spots last year it wasn't good enough. It has to be better this year, whether that's incumbent improvement, whether it's importing free agents or draft picks, whatever they have to do to get it better.

It has to get better. But still I think that it's a little bit overblown because this quarterback has been so good at making sure that he can mask pass protection breakdowns when they happen. It's all over his tape, go back and watch it. But um, yeah, the whole blindside thing, Like that's like a three four four three question. Bro at Miguel Bahamas, do you have a group of draft prospects you are enamored with who realistically may be there with our second round draft pick. I'm glad you asked.

I do want to start pivoting towards more draft coverage here soon. And this is kind of where I wanted to go since we know how a lot of larger amount the larger amount of the puzzle has been figured out. Remember before Ramsey I talked about it a lot, a lot of punnis we had in the podcast, talked about, you know, cornerback as a big need, and I do think all positions are always open, like draft good players

and you'll be fine. But now you know that if you have a game tomorrow, you don't, but if you did, you could line up and feel good about your cornerback position with good, good good Jalen Cater and X is very good to me, probably the best threesome at that position in the NFL. And then you get Nick Needham back who can literally play all those positions. What a great number four he is, like, honestly the perfect number four for this defense. On top of Trull Williams return,

who I think was tracking to. I think he would have played a lot last year if he was healthy, given all the injuries. And you have to feel a lot better there right now than you did last December when you're down what was it, five guys and you're trying to get work out of, you know, guys that were maybe signed to play more special teams. All of a sudden, they're playing more cornerback. So that's a big,

big change right there. So that's kind of a preamble to the cornerback position being less of a quote unquote need. Running back has certainly changed since we last did this. The whole band is back together there. Your off ball linebacker spot is pretty well taken care of with you know, long in house now Duke Riley resigned. Your edge depth is remarkable. I mean, there just aren't a lot of holes that you look at and say they must add a body there. So that said, I do think tight

end is one of those spots. I think offensive lines one of those spots, and I think it always is for every team, but it is for this team, especially right now. And then it's like depth, right Maybe another running back, someone that can plat tune with ray Kwon Davis so that demanding nose tackle job. Maybe some more secondary and wide receiver depth. As for the two positions I listed tight end again, Washington and Grave are the

two that I personally really really like. And if you look at the tight end market this year in free agency, it's been different than years past. Now you see a lot of one year deals happening, Like you know Giesicki and Schultzcott, what was it like one year five mill, but like incentives like that's a pretty low compared to what they both got in the franchise tag last year Robert Tonyan and Eric Sobert both got one year, And really the activity in the tight end market was a

little bit slow to get going. I think a big part of that is because the quality of the depth in this draft class. And the reason I mentioned that is that it could be a reason that we see the position go a little bit later than conventional wisdom would would suggest. It's no guarantee, but it's possible. I think that Washington belongs in the first round, but you genuinely never know. But my two favorites there are Washington

and Musgrave. On the offensive line, Matthew burge Around from Syracuse is a guy that comes to mind, really smooth moving tackle who operates well in space with power at the point in pass pro as well. Dewan Jones from Ohio's State a three hundred and seventy pound wall that can really boost your pass protection off the edge and I think develop into a better run blocker. Than what

he was in college. Darnell Right from Tennessee excuse me, has some excellent tape against some of the top college programs. Will Anderson, he'd like, shut down Will Anderson. I think you'll see one of those guys make it to your pick, and if they do, I'd be hard pressed not turn that card in right away for that top level tackle if you want to go interior. Cody Match from North Dakota State one I really like. I think he'll be there.

Steve a Vila from TCU was a guy that damn near every draft expert in Indie that I interviewed talked about as a good Day two offensive line option as well. So Bergeron, Darnell Wright, Dwan Jones, Cody Match, and Steve a Villa are some guys there. At running back. I am a sucker for speed, and this year's class has that in spades. I really liked Taija Spears from Tulane. He's fast as hell and runs with tons of power.

Really good pass catcher as well. Devon A. Chain was thought to have a chance to break the Combine forty record. He did not, but he is a track star and a home run waiting to happ him. Deuce Vaughn, You're gonna see him compare to Darren Sprowls, a lot smaller but explosive back. Who is the best pass receiving back I think in college football last year besides Jamir Gibbs if you want to power back. Roshan Johnson from Texas is a guy that I like, is a big chain mover.

I love Tank Biggsby's game from out from Auburn. I think that he might have a potential to be a better running back because a pro than he was in college. The only two guys I think we're going to be gone for sure when Miami picks are b John Robbins from Texas and the aforementioned Jamir Gibbs from Alabama. Then at nose tackle, probably a good spot to look beyond round two, and i'd probably even beyond round three. It's tough because we don't have a pick until like late

and day three. But if you can get four hundred snaps from this position, your backup nose tackle, like that's perfect. KeAndre Coburn from Texas is the guy that stands out to me. A three hundred and thirty pound nose tackle with good movement skills for his size. It's a tough one to find. Just not a lot of pure nose tackles left in college football these days. But what is that? Twelve names I feel good about, Probably gonna wiffin all those coming draft day. But why not take a shot

right here in late March. Let's go ahead and take our second break and come back with the rest of the media availabilities. That's next to Draft Time podcast, your host Travis Wingfield, brought to you by Auto Nation. Let's go back to the media availabilities from Wednesday. We had eight of them to get to, so busy day here. Let's pick it back up with the Sean Elliott who talked about playing in a defense coached by Vic Fangio.

Great stuff here from the new Dolphins safety to Sean Elliott, I talked big, and I talked to a couple of guys and I talked I was talking to V. It was more of like this, this is a safety. This is a safety, safety driven defense. UM safeties and defense to make a lot of players. And I think this is all so very so much. It's just just left from and um I think I was signed. Getting my feet back up part of me, back upon of me

while I was in destroyed. So I think I just bet on that and knowing that this system, with this thing is the same, I can even be better. Um. I have a lot of talent that I haven't got the show yet because of my injuries that I've had over the years. But I think I'm only getting better. And how about the converse where the Dolphins getting into Shaun Elliott so first and foremost a great man, I I to be able to say I do a great

job in the locker room. Um, I love on the guys because like once I once, if I'm part of a family, I love hard. So I think that I'm a leader in some way in my opinion. I've been told actually guys can actually follow me. And then when it comes on the field, Shoot, I'm gonna be that dog they know every day you're gonna hear me. I'm gonna do my best. I can to be a physical, physical presidence a ball player and make and make hello plays in the defense. And I think down the line, boy,

well it's something to get serious. Let's stay on the defensive side and pick it up here with Malik Reid, who was asked first about reuniting with Vic Fangio and Bradley Chubb on the defense. Here's Malik Reed. I mean, it's gonna be awesome to be to come into league, you know, in being in coach Fanjel system. I feel like it was huge for me personally as a player.

I learned someone about the game a lot about you know, the outside linebacker position, whether that's uh, you know, sitting there on being on the edge, sitting the edge, or encourage as well. So I'm excited to get back to work with him. And you know, my my brother child, man, we had a lot of a lot of great times he was in Denver and uh, yeah, that's a guy that is really close to me, and I'm excited to

be able to play with him again. And what is it about coach Fangil's defense that allows a player like Malik Reid to thrive from him? Oh? And man, uh, I just feel like he you know, that's been around a game so long. I've been around you know, so many great players. Uh. Like you said, he's a great defensive coordinator. Uh So, I think he helps get us in the right positions to be successful and he allows us to go out there and UH do what we do. I feel like in you know, make plays uh and

UH be playmakers essentially, you know what I'm saying. You know, we out there or reason into you know, I have an impact on the game. And I feel like he I say, he does a great job with his scheme and you know how he coaches that position just you know, doing a good job of putting this in a right spot at the right times and so where we can go,

you know, do what we do. Bas Let's go back to the offense and talk to tight end Eric Saubert, who talked about his previous relationship with Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith. Yeah, for sure, I mean, great question. Um, Frank is awesome. I love working with him and in Oakland. I think he's a he's a big proponent or I guess component of my development um as a tight end as a person. Um. So, so getting to reunite with him, you know, we've kind of stayed in touch throughout the years.

I'll get getting to reunite with him as exciting for me. I love working with him and I'm looking forward to that. Next how about watching all the tight ends in this system previously that I've had big years in terms of blocking and pass catching. Saubert said that in college he was known as a receiver. Now he's known as a blocking tight end. Just kind of depends on what you ask of him. Here he is talking about playing in this system and what he wants to do with his

new role here in Miami. Yeah, for sure, I've been in this this system before. There's a lot of familiarity there. Um. Obviously, you see guys um, you know, like George Kittle on the Niners that can do it all, could do both right, um, and and how that works, how that mirrors with you, you know, like the play action, playing off the run, rpo UM. There's a there's a lot of opportunity in this offense for for the tight end. And like I said,

you know, the roles we discuss, Um. My role, whatever they ask me to do is what I'm going to do. So whether they need me to, you know, go break off a guy on third down, I'll do that. Whether they need me to you know, you know, push the pile on I'm third and short, you know, I'm gonna do it. So that's what I'm here for. One more here finishing up with Dolphins punter Jake Bailey. Why did you choose the Dolphins, Jake, Well, the same thing kind

of fits too. Danny Craftsman is a guy I've always admired from across the sideline, played against him many times, and just really nice dude. I also know Jason and Blayke really well, and they're really nice guys and excited to kind of just start up with them and see how it goes. All right, So I believe you can find these in their entirety up on our YouTube Channel'll get over there and check those out. Really fun day

talking to eight new Miami Dolphins. And the meantime, it's going to be my time going on leave for the next couple of weeks, but I will have podcasts for you three times in each of the next two weeks. On Monday, we're going to do a roster review, kind of a reset after the free agency frenzy has calmed down, and get a look at where this team is headed, where they need in the draft, stuff like that, So

do not miss that podcast. I have a podcast coming out with Seth and Oja talking about future or I should say current Dolphins Hall of Fame linebacker Zach Thomas will do that. A whole bunch more coming your way here on drivetime and the meantime, It's gonna be my time you all. Please be sure to subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts. Leave us a rating, leave us a review. You can follow me on Twitter at winkld NFL,

follow the team at Miami Dolphins. Check out the fish Tank podcast with my guy Seth and Juice, the team YouTube channel for Dolphins Today, those mediavailabilities, and much much more, and last but not least, Miami Dolphins dot Com until next time, fends up Caroline Cameron Daddy's Coming Hold