Drive Time: 2023 NFL Draft Preview, Linebackers with Damien Parson

it going? Everybody? I am your host, Travis Winfield. And on today's show, the positional previews roll on. We are stopping by the Linebacker Room with Damian Parson of the Draft Network. Will also discuss the David Long acquisition and get a year two preview for linebacker Channing ten dol Plus, I have a takeaway from rewatching the entire season. All of that and a heck of a lot more from the Baptist Health Studios inside the Baptist Health Training Complex.

This is the Drivetime Podcast. May Gaffe fash please help me? Welcome in my guest today from the Draft Network, Damian Parson and jumping on the podcast now is yet another draft guru and expert in the field and a friend of mine, Damian Parson. Damien, we're just over a week out from the draft, now, how you feeling, Man, You get any rest these days? No, I am that I wish shortly though, soon soon, and very soon this draft class will be you know, Kansas City will be rocking

and rolling and the draft will be live. And it's like, man, the culmination of all this hard work on everybody's part has been a fun process, but it's been a tiring one.

We had a conversation before we started recording the podcast here, and I think it's worth talking about again, just because I thought your your perspective was really value about the idea of the Dolphins, you know, and the genesis of this was me saying, like, I rely on guys like you because we haven't had the draft picks or our energy has been focused, you know, on coaching changes or new veteran acquisitions, or breaking down someone's film like a

Tyree or like a Tyreek Hill last year Bradley Chub midseason a year ago, and I was curious to get your take on the process of spending you know, picks in the twenties, which Miami has done the last two years now on Tyreek and Bradley Chubb on veteran players, and how consistently that works. Going back to Stefon Diggs or Frank Clark. It's just like every time you see a trade like this happen, it typically benefits the team

that gets the veteran. In some cases you do wind up with Justin Jefferson on the other side, which is great too. But I was curious to hear your take on to the Dolphins approach and doing that because you go from you know, pick twenty nine is what that would have been this year and looking at like edge six or maybe seven with how much those guys go off the board versus Bradley Chubb, and to me, the

answer there is obvious. So how do you kind of feel about the Dolphins approach in their team cycle and team building? Right now? I love it. Right you have a quarterback on a rookie deal for you guys, having to who you saw last year when Healthy was one

of the better quarterbacks in the league. You got him weapons and now he's out here performing at a very high level, going throw for throwing score for score with the Lamar Jacksons with the Jaws Shallons of the world right and being able to really apply pressure to opposing defenses. So have I'd rather have a Tyreek Hill, and essentially

that's my draft pick. You know what I mean if you tell me I could draft the Tyreek Hill or draft a Bradley Chubb with a pick in the twenties, rather than getting a young person, a young player that is unproven, that has developed development that they have to get to go through and essentially learn the game at the next level, at the NFL level, no matter how physically gifted and talented you are, it's always a learning

curve no matter who you are. We see Peyton Manning through a twenty eight interceptions his third year in the league. It's a learning curve for everyone. Hall of Famers, guys who become Hall of famers, or guys who you know flame league. At the end of the day, everyone has

a learning curve. So especially when you look at this class for you guys, you guys did great trading the first round pick for a proven commodity that knows how to win against NFL tackles right now, who's proven he can win versus NFL tackles right now rather than, like you said, possibly getting a back end of the top five edge or potential like top eight edge in the twenties.

And then a lot of these guys in this edge class, while they're physically gifted and talented, they're very raw in terms of their technique because of colleges not teaching these kids the same way the NFL, you know, has these guys. It's a lot different when you are bigger, stronger, and faster because you're ninth, you're twenty twenty one, and the kids you're faces a true freshman. When you get to the league, you're facing twenty eight, twenty nine and thirty

year old grown men. This is their livelihood. So it's a different ball game. And these guys taking I love listening to old line offensive line and the old line coaches because it's so detail oriented and these guys practice and they stud to be able to stop these type

of guys. So when you got a student at high level student as an eight year pro versus a first year, day one rookie, yeah, it's a little different, man, you know what I mean, It's different for you like a Nick Bosa Vaughan middle of those guys like came in just more technically refined and didn't have other worldly skills. So yeah, one hundred percent, man, I'd rather have the proof of commodities. At the end of the day, you're not gonna draft an all Pro year one. It's very

rare that you see them. But if I can acquire in all pro, all pro caliber player, give that to me, you know what I mean with one of those middle

of the first round type of picks. Yeah, the right now comment you made is what really kind of triggers the genius behind it to me, because like understanding where you are in your team cycle and the expectations, like the Dolphins made the playoffs last year, I think probably the nine and eight record was maybe not representative of how good they played at times, especially in the middle portion of the season before you know that, the injury

at the quarterback position. Understanding where you are in your team cycle, and getting Bradley Chubb, who right now today you know can go beat most offensive tackles. I love that idea. I love that it's premier positions too, right because we talk about edge six, seven, eight, whatever it might have been. At the backck of the first round

if that's the route you go in. Same with wide receiver man in that class last year like you had, I think it was five or six receivers plucked off the board before that pick where we used it for Tyreek Hill. I love that idea. And then you kind of mentioned there a little bit as well. Don't forget Jalen Ramsey too. By the way, the third round pick for Jill Ramsey's not too bad on the back end. And and you know, I love this cornerback class. I think it's the best group in the entire draft. But

I'll take Jylen Ramsey any day over a rookie. I mean, like, how could you not in this particular climates of the Dolphins roster. And then you know the way the way the Dolphins offense kind of flipped to the strength of the team last year, you know, finishing top ten compared to the defense where that had been the one carrying them year before. Finding a way to get that defense back to that level of twenty twenty one or twenty twenty will be a big, a big portion of what

the Dolphins season becomes this year. And that's what we have you on here to talk about. One of the groups on that defense here under new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, and I want to talk about linebackers again, that satellite or the analog of the running back position on the defensive side of the football and kind of sort of do it through the lens of how the Dolphins could attack the position with picks fifty one, eighty four and

then the six and seventh round. But before we do that, I want to go back to free agency because the Dolphins made a big splash and acquiring a player who's tape. I just can't get enough of David Long. He is so fun to watch. Man. Since we're talking linebackers, I want to get your take, Dame on Long's game and his fit in Vic Fangio's defense. Man, I watching the watching David along for the Tennessee Titans this past season and even going back to the summer, I'll came away

very impressed with him. Right like a guy that's athletic. He can move sideline the sideline. You see the ability to drop offensive zones and coverages and even covers some tight ends at times. But just be that plus player on all three downs, and that's what you want. You want the all three down player at the linebacker position. Yeah, because you see a lot of teams they want to supplant supplement linebacker for a third or fourth safety and bring more speed on the filble. And you got a

guy that is athletic as a David Long. He can essentially do the same things that you want that box safety to do. He can blitz, he can fit the fit the gaps in the run game. So I can repressed with him with that. He was a well coached guy. Mike Frabel is one of the tougher defensive defensive minded coaches, and he played the linebacker position right where he understands what it takes to succeed. So that knowledge that he was able to instill in David Long, I think showcase

as he developed during his time in Tennessee. So I think in this Vic Vangio's defense, I think he can really shine as one of those stars on the second level man be able to scrape sideline, the sideline flow with the ball for the perimeter runs tass sweeps, the wide angle zone type of runs, but also get downhill you know what I mean, and fill those run layers. I love the fit of what he could become in this defense, going from Mike Vrabel to a vig Vanjie.

I think that's a great opportunity for this young man because I like his game and the reason I do lead with David Long because much like the rest of the defense or roster in general, I think the Dolphins could line up and play a game tomorrow and be well positioned to do so. Like most of the you know, guys we're going to see the most snap counts from are already here. You know, Long and Jerome Baker have

been every down players for years. You got Duke Cryley's a quasi starter like sub package ace in addition to what he does on special teams. And then you know, I think Channing Tindal's a guy that has all the

upside in the world. And actually I want to get your take on him because when you talk about David Long and what he brings the table and how his instincts in the way he plays the game kind of faster with that processing speed, to me, that's a big benefit in a defense that will go lighter boxes at

times and what Vic Fangio operates with. But also a great player to kind of show Channing Tendal the ropes and a young player who just doesn't have that much football, you know, experience in his background, Like he was part of those Georgia teams, but didn't play a lot of snaps those those three years he was there, and then

last year not very many s on defense either. Um. But after that red shirt season, I'm curious to see how you think he might fit in Vic Fangio's defense and how all those traits and all that athletic ability you talked about David Long being the what was the word he used, the spill spill yep. So like kind of sounds like I'm a similar to Chang Kendall in a way, doesn't it. Yeah, No, Channell like that that

burst in range. So he has driving down hill. He's a player that I always felt coming out of Georgia, Um, that was much better going downhill than dropping backwards. Uh, he does, he's he's I think he's a good athlete, but that that that athleticism and just his play style

was always better forward charging at the last scrims, blitzing. Uh. He played with like this and I say it in a positive way of reckless, abandoned, like he did not really care, like he was a physical guy who was going to and you saw it with you know, it was him, the Kobe Dean and Quay Walker. And when they will put one of those guys off off the field, they would still do their double A gap bugs, you know, putting walk him up on the line of scrimmage in

the A gaps he would blitz. He will phil and be that splattered guy, that physical guy in the run game as well. But like you said, just coming into the NFL, as we talked about earlier, it's a it's a learning curve, not just for the speed of the game, but just learning NFL defenses because one thing about Kirby smart like and you look at what all of these

defensive players in the front seven for Georgia. They're not technically refined guys like you know, Vaunta y At, Jordan Davis, Trayvon Walker, this year's prospect, Nolan Smith, Robert Beale Junior, all these guys come in kind of raw because they're just hey, go be an athlete. Hey we scheme it up right, you know, cross dog and cross dog blitz is when you get the linebackers crossing it at the snap and getting going opposite direction of the line of

scrimmage and hitting opposite gaps. Then they're a line, right. They did a lot of scheming, especially when you had all those stars in the defensive line as well, where you know, George Davis is getting double team the Vaunta, why is getting a potential duo block? Now it leaves one guard or the center by himself or a tackle by himself to deal with all these moving parts on the second level. They are firing at allers cylinders downhill. So I think with him, it's just now, it's okay.

You got to play a designated role in the defense that structured and Georgia's defense, to me, was never truly a structured defense like an NFL defense where hey, it's all about reading your keys that you know. We use the term for a linebackers slow until you know. So you got to be very very disciplined in terms of where you're patient with reading, but you're not a slow processor where you allow guards and centers to climb up to the second level in the screen game and then

the run game to pick you off. So slow until you know, locate the ball, see where the ball is or where the direction is, and now you hit, you get on your horse, and you get there. So I think with Tendall, having a guy like David Long, who's a veteran in this league now, and having the veterans in the locker room at the linebacker position, I think

that could help his development this year. My favorite part about the scouting industry is the phrases in terms you guys all come up with, slow until you know that stuff is so good, Like Daniel Jeremiah always has the best ones at the NFL Network and that's one I haven't heard before. So good stuff their damon. You know, we talk about the idea of these veteran acquisitions and kind of, you know, let's get immediate impact right now.

You can almost look back at last year's clash for the Dolphins and say like that was a class that might be more geared towards producing in twenty twenty three, both with he and eric A Zukama, who might get more of a chance to get some more snaps this year with Trent Sherfield exiting stage left and going up to Buffalo in free agency this year. So great stuff there. I do want to talk about the draft with you.

That's why you're on here. Let's go ahead and take our first break right here real quick and come back on the other side and talk about the linebacker class. I know you're excited to talk about these guys. It's a good crop. That's next Draft Time Podcast. Your host Trys Wingfield. My guest today Damien Parson, brought to you by a donation, Segment number two on a linebacker preview

edition of the Draft Time Podcast. I've got Damien Parson from the Draft Network locked on NFL Draft Podcast as well. He and his co host Keith Sanchez do a great job. I think we're gonna have Keith on. Not quite sure if that's confirmed yet, but I'm looking forward to talking deep with him. He was He was great last year on the podcast doing that same thing with us, so looking forward to getting him on the podcast here hopefully.

I think next week is the idea here, But do you kind of want to go and do this the same way I've done it with my other guests so far and just go in order of the Dolphins draft picks and where they sit on the board. Obviously no first round pick, the first pick they have is at fifty one, and so the question I've been asking my guests, is how many linebackers do you think will be gone

off the board through those top fifty picks. So when the Dolphins get on the board at fifty one, who is going to be out of the equation that you know for sure? I know it's up to talking absolutes in the draft season, but who are guys that you think for sure are going to be gone at pick fifty one? Man by pick fifty one, I think we could potentially see two. I think that's Drew Sanders and

Trent Simpson. Drew Sanders linebacker sas edge usher from Arkansas, a guy that you know, you think about what Denver does with Baron Browning and then of course with the Dallas Cowboys have now made famous with Michael Parsons, a guy that's traditional edge rusher, but athletic and athletically gifted and physically enough to play off ball linebacker on early downs while you walk him up and rush him as

his natural position on third downs. With those two guys, I think Drew Sanders fits that mold and that's gonna be really hard for defenses at the top of the second round to pass on in my personal opinion, because he has the measurements. He has to height, the arm length, the physical and athletic ability to play both positions, so that that type of flexibility and versatility were big. And if you talk about versatility, Trent Simpson a guy that some teams have as a safety, other teams has been

a linebacker. Then there are the the you know, the third cropper like man. He could play either one for us, It doesn't really matter because he has that physical profile, but he has that also that safety dB athleticism in range. Right, So a young man that that can blitz, rush off the edge, drop off in coverage, play man to man. Uh, you know a guy that could potentially be that third safety you know, nickel dime backer on the field as well.

So I think those are two guys that will be off the board before up by time that Miami picks Uh. And the guy that that I think that could be on the board that I truly think could really be a nice fit for them is uh is day and Henley from Washington States, Like, I absolutely love this kid own brand, right brand I just showed my coffee is Washington State. But everyone here knows I make sure everyone

knows that, No, listen, I really came away in press. Well, I didn't get a chance to watch him prior to the Senior Bowl, um because he wasn't in my bucket of players to watch prior to. But watching him at the Senior Bowl, you talk about guy who looked good on the huff. You know, he's got that that he's walking around with the Zeke crop top, you know, with the jersey tucked up showing the eight pack. Abs played but right like you know what I'm saying. It's just

he played and his energy was so infectious. You can feel him on the field kind of getting everybody else riled up. You know, you watched him in the past in the one to one pass protection drills with the line, with the running backs and linebackers going one on one, and it was very rarely that he was blocked one on one by any of the running backs down the mobile and the physicality he played with. This is the

young man who was I think he played quarterback. He played receiver growing up as well, and it's like, okay to make it. I think he played some safety also, So now putting him at linebackers, this is different. This is a different area for this young man. I think he's assimilateing himself and become accustomed to it well and really embraced it. And then you said, you see the

range from sideline the sideline. He's getting quicker as the time as time goes by, with processing and reading right being slown to you know, But I will I love the fact that, you know, watching him in the run game, a guy that will be planted. He sees the ball, He's able to evade and slip blocks and still be able to re square himself to make a powerful hit you know what I mean, and bring down the ball carrier.

So this is a guy I think that if they did want to attack linebacker, you know, especially if you have any qualm are concerns about the long term potential of a channing tendo. I think you know Dan Henley especially, he compares a little bit too um too David Long, I think physically. But I'll tell you that one of the comps I had, like not a full comp because I think they're they're two different type of athletes. And I remember this guy ran the four so four four.

His playstyle reminded me very much of Ryan Shazier over with the with the Pittsburgh Steelers when in his prime, Shazier was a guy that played with his hair on fire. He was physical, he was aggressive. He didn't meet the body masks thresholds of the old school linebackers, right. He didn't look like ray Lewis, Brian or Lacker. He didn't have all the masks on this body. He looked more like a safety. But a guy that shot gaps, got into the backfield and you felt his presence play after play.

He would blitz, he would drop off in coverage, he could catch the ball, he could take the ball away, and just that again the energy things you can't teach are guys that play with that infectious like even though he was ballheaded, he played with his head on fire, right like that That's what right sec here did and that's what Henley does as well. I mean, I feel like you just described our Hall of Fame linebacker Zach Thomas to a t in those instincts and the way

he played the game. Man. So we are all about the non prototype player down here when it comes to players like that, and you know, you kind of gosh, Henley, he's one of my favorit players. Man. That Wisconsin tape that he had last year was so dang good. He had so many TFLs in that game, and he did it from either sideline to either sideline all game long.

He was awesome in that one. But you bring up an interesting point there that I kind of want to take a detour on because you mentioned Trent Simpson a safety convert. You mentioned Henley, he was a guy that was a safety prior in his career as well. I feel like we get a lot more of that than we used to, and following the draft for you know, fifteen twenty years, it feels like you get a lot of that now compared to, you know, in the back in the day, what you played in college is what

you are in the next level. If you try to transition, you probably probably not going to work out for you.

But now it's more common, And I'm curious you think that's because of how the NFL has these sub packages, how the NFL has become the spread out passing game where you take a player who has those safety instincts and has that safety kind of knowledge and maybe a little bit more of a linebacker kind of tweener body worth the athletic ability because now on third and twelve I've got a linebacker who's in the game who can handle a screen but also can drop twenty yards on

the pike. Like, is that kind of why the game is going that way and why you have some of these converted players. I mean, the game has changed, right, especially defensively in the NFL. You think about the NBA, where it's like they talk about being positionless basketball, where you can have all the way up through the center spot.

At this point, as we see with Nicola Yo Kits and the MBIs, the Jannis Onto, the compos of the world, guys that can bring the ball up you know what I mean, at seven foot seven foot one, and it's like, like this is not what we're used to. We're used to shot being in the low post, right, being three hundred pounds and just banging and throwing this body around. Right. So it's like it's the game has changed, where in

the NFL it's the same thing position his defense. The NFL has it's it's a grown man's league, right, but it's now attracting. So if the days of the two hundred and seventy pounds just two down Brandon Spikes type of linebackers, that day is long gone because offenses are able to pick apart that one player as the weakness

of your defense at such a high rate. Now you think about the routes, the running backs are running out of the backfield, and teams are so easily to go from twelve personnel under center with one running back to completely spread and now your base defense is stretched across the field. So you need these type of guys who could be interchangeable where it's like, you know what, I find more value And a guy like that that can play safety, like a Trenton Simpson, Isaiah Simmons, right, those

type of guys. Then a guy that's gonna you know, you think about the Danta high Towers that from the New England Patriots. He was like two seventy. He was actually an ad dresser, you know what I mean. He was actually edge guy, but he was playing off ball backer that kept dropping them off in the coverage. In today's NFL, he would get picked on in coverage because of the lack of fluidity atlticystem and his body type.

If you use him in that way, now have you rushed him off the edge, He's gonna dominate, you know, Yeah, he's gonna dominate it. He's still gonna be able to trans transition to this league. But that's where where it is, though, Travis, like, it's so spread out now, it's attracted me. Speed is everywhere. That's why you know the offenses are constantly looking at these type of tight ends that can moves like receivers a stretch the field because you know what I can.

You can outrun these linebackers or outrun these safeties. But then they're they're taller and have a bigger frame than the linebackers. So it's like I just gotta put a helmet or higher. It's a quarterback because you're linebacker who's five ft eleven six foot one can't go up with the Luke Musgrave who's six six two fifty. I could put it over his head and let him go get it. And that feels like the whole tight end classes like that right now, to all these six foot six guys

that are running freaking four six six seven. Washington's not even I don't think he's even a human at this point. The way he works out, in the way his body is put together just unbelievable. And by the way, I love how you fit the Drivetime culture because the basketball reference with the big guys bringing the ball up the floor, that's like right in my wheelhouse. Man, I talk about baseball and basketball on the show all the time here, so good stuff there, man, Yeah, exactly, it's that's again

back to Dayan Jeremiah. He talks all the time about different sports and team building and how those different ideas kind of incorporate into the game of football. I think it's I think you have to have that perspective, that wide scope, and that big perspective to be able to do your job as best as you possibly can. So we talked about pick fifty one. I kind of thought you might put Hamley in this tier because I've just

seen him mocked there a lot. But hey, top fifty player for the Coogs, I'll take that all day long. But pick eighty four at the linebacker position, who do you think kind of falls into that range that might fancy the Dolphin's interest. Oh? Man, I think about another former safety kind of tweener, and that's de Marvi and Overshan from Texas. Right sixty three, he's about two. I think he can he I don't really take the combound way in seriously. His kids drop weight just to run

fast and jump high. But I think he played closer to two forty athletic guy. And what I loved about like he said, former safety. Started a career at Texas

as a safety. But you see him, you put you turn on the tape against Alabama and he said, I got this similar to to Henley, consistently developing in terms of processing, and uh, you know, I discipline right, and you don't want to get you know, a lot of eye candy pre snap and motions and shifts and stuff, and you don't want to get caught trying to flow with someone that doesn't have the football. So he's still developing in that round. That's why I think third round

could be a good spot for him. But he plays much more physical than I expected a tend on that Alabama table, I saw a guy that rushed off the edge that would fit the run run lanes, dropped off in coverage. He was physical, he was out there hitting, He was getting into sticking his face in the fire man like you know at the end of the day.

And to be a run defender and a tackler to to give yourself three down value, it takes a certain mentality even in today's NFL, where yeah, it's the most more passed happy, but still yet you still had to defend the run. And one thing I took I had appreciation for with Overstown was his willingness to get close to the line of scrimmage when the ball snapped and he knows his run and fight through blocks using that

I think he's thirty three inch arms. Using that arm link to the shock and shed offensive lineman and locate the ball and make a tackle. Matt came away and press with this young I mean, I think on day two, you know, mentally, day two of the draft, a team is going to get a linebacker that could really be

a high impact starter for him. I love that comment because, like as much as we talk about the game changing and going more towards the speed, spread out active, like all the action down the field, like, you still have to deconstruct blocks and play physical because at the end of the day, football is a violent, physical game and so you have to be able to bring that as well.

So those guys that have that, you know, kind of multifaceted skills that certainly pop and Overshow was actually reported to be one of our top thirty visits as well, so maybe there's some interest there in that third round. But then we don't come back until round six and seven games. So this is where the draft scouts really really really make their money. Man. You know, you're gone on the road and making all your stops and the smallest small colleges and small schools and finding the intel

on these guys. Maybe the rest of the draft community doesn't know about. Who are you kind of putting your stamp on here? A potential, you know, late day three pick, maybe a priority u DFA someone that you think can come in right away and give you some special teams reps, maybe a sub package player. Maybe even a guy that you think winds up going on Day three him as a starter right away. Who are you pounding the table

for late on Day three at linebacker man? Two guys that come to mind Cervassier Dennis from Pittsburgh six foot and a half, played around two thirty. A guy that's athletic enough. He's played to me, he looks like I'm remember telling keys in my western side. He looks like he could play safety, you know what I mean, because he's got that type of build. But you see the willingness to really be physical, athleticism triggered downhill drop off

in the coverage blitz from different alignments and variations. And I think this is a young man that that we fast forward two years in the right right environment, you could get yourself a sub packaged player or potential starter, depends on what your what your front seven looks like. Just to keep him clean and a guy that doesn't mean that, you know, you're talking about potential undrafted free priority free agent that can I think will be a

special team's ace. But you know, if you get past the limitations size wise, you can you you appreciate this game. Ivan Paced junior from Cincinnati manum. You know, he's about five ten, five eleven, like this show man. That's another. I think he had a club on his hand and mobile at the Senior Bowl, and I remember watching him, like you know, just like Henley in those one on one reps in pass pro against the running backs. I think one rep he lost the rep, he was not happy.

You could tell he wasn't happy with himself. And the very next chance he got that running back again that he used the most vicious club I've ever seen a linebacker used and it was just like it was so violent, so physical, so aggressive, just so he can get back to the quarterback. He plays with such a level of

physicality and just motor that's unteachable. These are like he may not have the ideal measurements, he's gonna be in the less than twenty percent tile and most of the height, weight and arm measurements and everything, but sometimes you gotta throw the thresholds out the window and just look at the football player. And I've to pace Junior is a football player. I think a guy that he's coachable, very

well spoken young man. I saw him down in India at the Combine and I think one thing I took away from that, Travis is like that I appreciate it is you see a young man that I truly believe if you ask him to play, hey man, we just want you right now on special teams, you know, as on punk team, on kickoff team and things like that, and even as a blocker on kick or punk return. He I really foresee this young man saying whatever you need, coach, whatever you need from me, you know you know what

I mean? He plays like that. This young man had now he played middle linebacker. He had twelve sacks this year, and it's like when you think about a middle linebacker or having twelve sections, like how is this possible? And you just turn on the tape and you see him just athletically just get downhill. He like I said, that motor, even when guys like get their hands on him, he's always fighting. He's always he's got this physical yet slippery type of game where he could slip off of blocks

and get in the backfield. And there's times, especially when the coverage is good. You got Xavier Howard, you have Jalen Ramsey, Noah Igmnogny, you know all these different corners on your team where you could play that man the man coverage and really hold up the quarterback in terms of getting the ball out of his hands, having the guy that's gonna keep fighting and keep fighting as a blitzer to get back there and make that quarterback uncomfortable

because there he got one sack. I think it was against Tulsa where he literally crawled into and like he got he got washed down and they pushed him to the ground, but he caught himself with his hands and then climbed himself right back into the sack to get his hands around, his arms, around the leg to the quarterback.

So that type of leadership and play style. I think an NFL team they're gonna look at him that he may not be for everybody, but this is a guy that you might look on it on the field on Sundays and someone has him on the field in certain

spots and he's making some plays for them. He sounds like a culture builder, a guy that comes in right away and has that mentality that just kind of raises the level everybody around him, because like, hey, I'll do whatever you need, coach, and that's gonna be infectious in the way you practice, in the way you prepare and all that stuff too. So man, great stuff. He gave us a bunch of names. I am circling that name, Ivan Pace. I know exactly right you're talking about in

the senior ball. That's why I live up on the on the zoom here when you talked about it, because it was it was so impressive to watch, and so is he as a player. I just I love those kind of guys that overcome, you know, like you mentioned some of the physical and athletic shortcomings in terms of the measurements, like just be a football player, and he is that Damian Parson, Draft Network, the host of Locktin NFL podcast. You can find him on Twitter at dp

Underscore NFL. Dame, How can I help you promote the podcast or anything else? What are you working on? Man? Man? Listen, we're five days a week, Monday through Friday. You can find us all go subscribe for free on YouTube, but also be more of an audio person working out, driving whatever in the gym. You can find us on Apple, podcast, Stitcher, Spotify. It's on all your favorite audio podcasting apps as well.

If you do go to YouTube, hit subscribe, hit the bell notification like comment, talk to us, We talk back, same thing on the audio portion, subscribe, download, share it with some friends, and didn't leave a five star review. Man, we have so much coming down the pipeline. Dame's dudes every Tuesday, this or that, coach k's key thoughts on Wednesdays.

We just did an episode going over big boards tight end big board from our guy Ryan follow over at the Draft Network and talking about just a tight end class in general where we see some guys being ranked. Man. So it's it's draft prep. Another like a week and a half left until it's game day, so just tapping with his guys. Yeah, you will learn something for sure on that podcast. Check it out the lock An NFL podcast with both Dame and Keith Sanchez. Don't miss it. Dan,

thank you so much for your time today. Man. We learned a lot here on this podcast as well, for sure. Man, appreciate the time, and away he goes, let's go ahead and take our last break right there and come back on the other side and finish up with my notes from my season. Rewatch here in the month of April. That's next Drivetime podcast, your host Travis Wingfield, brought to

you by Auto Nation. So I teased it on the other side of the show here, but I want to jump into this topic here watching the games back and kind of getting a recollection of things that you knew but kind of I guess went by the wayside over the last several months, having not seen a Dolphins game now in three months, it's been that long, and I refer back to this often, how I have been watching those games and it's been a bit of a slower burn this time around, because it's crazy how much less

time you have with two kids compared to none. Oh, we miss sleep in the Wingfield household. But the point I've noticed through rewatching the games, and it's kind of like a yeah type of realization, because all it is is jogging your memory from when what you knew back when you watched those games live and poured over the tape several times over. At least my experience, but I think we do this with every team every year, even the one that we study the closest, the Miami Dolphins.

Is that the further removed we get from the season, the more we start to remove contexts and just go results based. And anybody who follows this sport, or really any sport but football above all, given the seventeen game sample size, you know that what the numbers say is not necessarily always the case. Well I suppose it is, but it's not instructive, right, It's not predictive. And you don't listen to a podcast to hear somebody tell you the Dolphins were nine and eight. That was a good throw,

that was a good tackle. No, you want nuance. You want to know why those things were good. You want context that can inform how you might feel heading into a game, a season of play, whatever the case may be, I'll do a quick departure here for you and explain in a way that I think can connect with someone whose main sport is any of the top three sports in America. Obviously most of you are probably football is that sport. But I know we have some Heat fans in here as well. I know we have some less

but some Baseball fans in the audience. Raise your hands, just kidding. Imagine turning a podcast like it was live. It'd be funny. I thought last year's Heat team was very, very good, that they put exceptional team defense. I thought they were good in transition, controlled the boards, and had scores and enough shooters. It's funny how losing PJ. Tucker seems to really have unraveled at all. It doesn't it.

But I went to a game in November with some of the video staff here at the Dolphins, and I ditinctly remember saying this to them, I don't think this Heat team is very good this year, and I'm watching Duncan Robinson give up three consecutive baskets on defense while Max Struss seems to have lost that touch that really made him a kind of a big figure in that twenty twenty one team. And Kyle Lowry's age became apparent overnight. I thought he was frustrating last year too, but this

year way more so. But sure enough, here we are, and this is prerecorded, so who knows if they beat the Rafters or Wizards. I didn't even this is before that game even happens. I think you can take the context of the twenty twenty one team and say they probably maximized their ability with Strews hitting a high percentage of the shots and threes, where PJ. Tucker really serving as the conduit of the team hero in that sixth man role, found that spark that hasn't been the same

as a starter this year. But then they just didn't do anything in the off season to shore up some of the deficiencies and banked on career type of performances repeating themselves. I compare it to elite defense in the NFL that is tough to sustain for more than a year and just about impossible to do it beyond two years. Take my Seattle manors for baseball. I was just looking at a chart of their offseason moves and it began

with a splash. A power hitting high ops, quick mover, quick on the base as effective glove in the outfield with Tayoscar Hernandez. But then what Mitch Haniger gone, Kyle Lewis gone, Jesse Winker gone, replacements, AJ Pollock, Colton Wong hoof. Now they go into games with some combination of Jared Kellennick who's been hitting well, Tommy Lostella, Colton Wong, Pollock, and JP Crawford. That's four bats in the lineup who are more than one hundred points below league average and ops.

That is not a winning formula. And they led the league last year in one run wins. So breaking the drought was fun, but the context tells you they probably were lucky to get in and probably can't transport that success over this year when the off season wasn't only that good. So with the Dolphins it was the opposite. Watching these games again and literally every single loss, you can look at a crucial moment late in the game

in the second half. They were in position to win the game or had a favorable win probability at that point, and little things would just bite them. Now, like we talk about transporting success over, it doesn't just occur. You can't replicate that success and fix the things that you didn't do well. But the difference here to me is that a we know McDaniel is a genius, but also ego free enough to make certain corrections and changes, and that be all of the off season moves were geared

towards improving those trapdoor situations. Last year aka the defense right. Offense was awesome, and you might get some spots that need improvements, and that's a given. But consider the fact that even with those holes are perceived holes. You're talking about trying to improve an offense that was six in the NFL last year, despite the fact that for four plus games they went from top five quarterback play to bottom one or two quarterback play based upon all stats, analytics,

and charts. Let's go through these real quick. The Bengals game, the interception in the high red zone with a chance to take a lead in the fourth quarters obviously brutal, and that was a game that we played down our quarterback, most of it down our top two corners, and Byron and X and Tyreek and Jalen both in and out

of the lineup that game with injuries. That's even without mentioning having a fifteen fourteen lead with two forty three to play in the game, coming off of a four day rest where a defense played eighty four snaps against Buffalo in the hot, hot heat down here and on the heels of a second and goal from the two that went run for no gain incomplete pass, Tyrek was open,

missed the throw. Then the next drive we failed to convert a third and one from the minus thirty three yard bind and pump the ball away that would have given us a fresh set of downs under ten minutes to play by two. And then Evan McPherson hits a fifty seven yard field goal with six seventeen to play. He misses that, and that's a fifty percent kick by

the numbers. Well, then you have the ball just shy of midfield, only eating two first downs to kick a potential game winning field goal could have won that game.

Several times, Jets game just the dumbest game, removing our quarterback too for no reason, not to mention the grounding call on Teddy occurred to the opposite or the exact same way that we didn't get called for us multiple times later in the year, having a field goal attempt to go ahead with thirteen minutes left, not to mention the sequence prior to the fifty four yard field goal, a false start that he raced a first down inside the Jet thirty, then it dropped past on an ensuing

second and ten that would have put Miami inside the twenty five yard line with a new set of downs. Then the wheels fell off, but putting Zach Wilson behind in the fourth quarter a post to a quick change for our defense and a Jet lead. Major difference there Minnesota.

The Wattle fumble, obviously, but also that never ending drive in the first quarter to go first and ten from the plus twenty four false start gain of twenty eligible man down field first and twenty offensive holding, then waddle for eighteen back in it, but then second and twelve, a gain to Tyreek and Opi second and twenty two another holding call on a screen pass, and then you punt from almost sure touchdown to punting Surefield's inside the five yard line on that catch and run, and then

back to a punt. The San Francisco game, it really comes down to that fourth down, miss Kausik. He has it, doesn't secure the catch. I mean, if I told you this offense had first and ten at the plus thirty three with six minutes to play, down by six, you would tell me the Dolphins are going to win that game. Not to mention the tackle by Dre Greenlaw on Tyreek on the first down play was a brilliant one. If Tyreek slips that, it's out the gate. Plus, we just

played horrible and still had a chance to win. Speaking of playing horrible on a chance to win the Chargers game the following week, they took possession with a ball with eleven nineteen to play in the game, up six at their own eleven, and we forced a third and five, which would have given us a short field. Have you gotten that stop? But Justin Herbert made a great throw

and it was really good in that game. But how about the fact that we had a loose ball on an onside kick with seventy seconds to play, only down six, Like again, I'm taking the Miami offense in that spot. Or Tyreek losing a walk in eighty yard touchdown throw in the lights, I guess, or Jayalen Phillips getting hit with a worst roughing the pastor call of the season

on third and nine at their own eighteen. They did still punt, but it costs us about sixty yards or potential field position, Buffalo getting the ball back with a five point lead implus territory in the fourth quarter. That was the one that hurt the most. But the back to back drop touchdowns in the first quarter leads to a field goal, Josh Allen extending that play that almost cost them a field goal chance winds up a touchdown, and then just a couple of sequences, they're light in

the game that didn't go our way. That one was close, that one hurt. Green Bay was just the most annoying game, so close, so many times, getting the football back late multiple times. I don't want to overanalyze this one because who knows what the truth was for why those three picks happened the way they did, just very uncharacteristic Patriots game pick six, the Skyler scramble for a first download was called back that led to a punt instead of a first down with a just need to field goal,

take a lead just outside the red zone. And then the Buffalo playoff game. Actually think this is the one where we had to say that we got very lucky to be in the game, but to have a third and two with two chances to get a first down righte at midfield, down by less than a touchdown with two twenty to play in the game. Now, given the personnel, I don't have the same confidence the offense would have scored as I did in San Francisco and Los Angeles. But the chance was there. So that's kind of just

what I noticed from rewatching the season nine and eight. Yes, but context tells me that was a twelve win team potentially that just had bad luck and got in its own way. Can they avoid those things? I hope so, and if so, going to be a very fun year. All Right, we've got more draft previews coming your way. EJ. Snyder from Bootleg Football is next. He'll do defensive line, but in the meantime, it's going to be my time.

You all, please be sure to subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcast to leave us are writing and leave us a review. You can follow me on Twitter at Wingfold NFL, follow the team at Miami Dolphins, check out the fish Tank Podcast with Seth and Jews, the YouTube channel for Dolphins Today and media Availabilities, and last but not east, Miami Dolphins dot Com. Until next time, finds up Carolina and Camera and Daddy. He's coming hold,