Recapping Week One of Free Agency

Miami Dolphins players. Today, we'll get back to a more typical outline and take a holistic look at the Dolphins roster and the roster additions. Will go ahead and detail the reported figures of the contracts, the team building strategy, and Miami staying true to the vision laid out from day one from the Flores and career pairing. Plus, we've got a lot of internal roster news over the last week or so to catch up on. We'll do that

and we'll go down the roster position by position. All of that and more on this Tuesday, March edition of the Drive Time Podcast. And let's go ahead and kick this thing off with some news that we haven't covered from the past week. It was a very busy one here on the podcast again ten podcast covering each of the Dolphins free agent signings from the last week. If you haven't checked those out, go ahead and go back

and do so. We have some imports to talk about, but also bid some farewells to some players on the Dolphins roster. We detailed Rashad Jones's departure a couple of weeks ago, and now a handful of former Dolphins players were released as well, starting with some players that were on futurist contracts, and we start with Evan Brown. He was a guard slash center. Joined the Dolphins last December, and he played in three games from Miami down the

stretch last year. A few more players on futures contracts were released, including Rashad Kazi, the cornerback. He joined the Dolphins practice squad last December and was released last week. Cheety O'kiki, the tackle, spent most of en on the Dolphins active squad after Miami added him last September. He has also been released, and so has receiver t J. Rawming. He joined the Dolphins in August last year and spent part of training camp with Washington before coming to Miami.

Spent the entire twenty nineteen season on Miami's practice squad. He too, has been released. A couple of players that failed physical slashed waved due to injuries or non football related injuries. Mike Hole one of those players. He played forty three games with five stars for the Dolphins, from missed the entire twenty nineteen season after being placed on the pup list. In his career, had forty eight tackles, one pick, one pass breakup, and a fumble recovery. Also

had thirty special team stops. But he now is out there on the open market, and the same is true of Kendrick Norton, spent the entire twenty nineteen season on the non football injury list. Last year, of course, had that tragic accident where he lost one of his limbs his arm, but he now goes the way of the WAVED, slash non football injury release here from the Miami Dolphins,

and that's it for the departures. We had some other news about players staying in the house or receiving original round tenders, like linebacker Vince Beagle and punner Matt Hawk. Beagle was a fourth round pick of the Packers back in seen and he was acquired last year in a trade for Kiko Alonso on September one from the Dolphins. Beagle last year led the Dolphins and quarterback hits and pressures.

He played in fifteen games and had ten starts and total fifty seven tackles, twenty six of those solo, two sacks, one pick, and a pass breakup. Those thirteen quarterback hits he had again led the team. He's played in thirty eight games in the NFL for three different teams, coming over from the Saints last year and again previously with the Green Bay Packers. If a team wants to match his compensation, they'll have to give Miami a fourth round draft pick, and of course the Dolphins will have a

chance to match that offer if it happens. Matt Hawk, an undrafted player, was given an original round tender, which means if a team wants to acquire him, they have to sign the offer sheet and then Miami will have a chance to match after that, but it won't come

with any draft compensation. Matt Hawk has played in forty eight games with the Dolphins over the last three years, has two hundred and thirty nine career punts for ten thousand six hundred eighty four yards a forty four point seven average, and is the franchise is all time career leader with a forty point oh net punting average, which is minimum one hundred and twenty six punts since nineteen

seventy six nineteen. Of course, he threw the touchdown pass to Jason Sanders on the Mountaineer shoot in that Week thirteen win over the Eagles that was also named the NFL's Bridge Stone Play of the Year at NFL Honors. He was originally an undrafted player back in two thousand seventeen, so Beagle and Hawk given original round tenders. And the Dolphins have a new contract extension for a player they

acquired last year in December, and Adrian Colbert. It's a one year deal for the nd season acquisition the former Hurricane, who was added ahead of the Week twelve game in Cleveland. He played three hundred and sixty one snaps down the stretch last year, according to Pro Football Focus, and three hundred and thirty five of those snaps came at free safety, the position that became open when Bobby McCain was placed

on injured reserve last year. Year he made twenty two Tackles and broke up two passes did Colbert and it's a one year contract worth one point seven seven five million, And that of course is according to reports. And I want to go ahead and make this point abundantly clear.

We do not have official numbers yet because we won't know the exact details of these contracts, and we're gonna wait until we get a better look, a more detailed, accurate look at these contracts before we report them as official. And even though we haven't seen the breakdown of the

figures exactly, we should get those suntime soon. But here are the report of numbers per NFL Network and Ian Rappaport and Mike Garret Folo Byron Jones a five year deal worth up to eighty two million dollars, Kyle van noise Is four years fifty one million dollars, Eric Flowers three for thirty and Shack Lawson also three for thirty. Again,

the details of these contracts not yet available. For US, Emmanuel og Bak two for fifteen, Ted Carris got a one year deal worth four million, Jordan Howard too for ten million total. Eland and Roberts and Commu gruge Hill both one years worth up to three million dollars according to the NFL Network and Clayton federalum the safety a three year deal worth up to eight point five five

million dollars. And the most important thing I want to look at with these acquisitions is how Miami stayed true to their process and their theme of acquiring players that are in these peak playing seasons, getting players of a certain age. Because here are the opening day ages and twenty of Miami's ten free agent signings twenty five year old. There are five twenty six year olds the Dolphins signed in this process to twenty seven year old, twenty eight

and twenty nine. Again, that's opening Day in September. Those players will be those ages come week one. And getting these players and paying them while they're in their good productive years was a great market opportunity for Miami to take advantage of spending some of this free agency cash and cap space on players that can give you quality production through the life of their contract. Yes, they are free agent prices, but you're paying them while they're at

their absolute pee, at their absolute best. And a step further aside from the youth injection, you get back a bunch of hungry players that bring a chip on their shoulder and that lunch pale mindset with them to work each and every day here on the Drivetime Podcast, an official Miami Dolphins podcast, And we heard from those players and those comments they made on the podcast last week with regards to what made them want to come to Miami. It's consistent with the message that aligns with the core

values of Brian Flores and of Chris career. It creates this opportunity for a holistic vision, the vision to play smart, tough, disciplined football, or as Kyle Van Noy put it, playing smart, fast and physical. The approach allows Miami to determine its own market values and put a priority on players that align with that vision, opposed to maybe filling out holes in the roster or having some bend in the budget

that way. And from the article on Miami Dolphins dot com putting together some quotes from free agent interviews on the Drivetime Podcast last week, you have to a man these quotes that about Flores and the program as a major selling point for them joining the Miami Dolphins this year.

And we had a quote from Emmanuel Ogball on the podcast last week about these players that embrace the grind and understand what it takes to be successful in the NFL and understand that taking shortcuts in this league only suspend your success and really you're only cheating yourself. And so Agba had this to say when I asked him why Miami, quote, I'm excited to work with coach Flores.

He wants what's best for the players. He wants us to come in here and work, keep our head down, focus on the field, and do what's best for the team. And that mentality, to me, creates a respect that travels both ways, not just from coach to player, but from player to coach. Kyle Van Noy had this to say after talking about how it starts with being smart, fast and physical. Quote, I respect the coach. Flow is a really really good coach. I respect what he's all about.

I respect his coaching and what he brings to the table and quote and it's not just what Miami second year head coach brings to the football field. It's the genuine love and respect that he feels for the guys

that resonates with his current and former players. You've heard me by now reference the piece about Flora's being awarded at the y M c a for the integration initiative from Matthew Slater and Rob Nikovic and these players that used to play for him in New England about the genuine love that he has for his players, and that's what you Land and Roberts had to say about Coach Flora's quote, he cares about you as a person and your family. Brian Flora's is a great leader end quote.

And we heard Stephen Ross talk about that when the Dolphins originally hired Brian Flora's about finding the best leader of men, the best guy who can orchestrate a program, build a program, and give out a same consistent message on a day to day basis. And that's what Flora's

is doing. They're sticking to that vision. They're building this team through that vision, and we're seeing it come to light here with these quotes from these players like Ted Carriss right here for instance, quote, I really believe in what Coach Flora's is building. I want to get in on the ground floor and help him build it. He has a tough attitude, loves the game, wants to win, and prepares to win. Those are qualities that we share.

I also asked Commu Gruge Hill about if he thought he saw something in Brian Flores that would make him a future head coach back when he was drafted in to work in the same linebacker room that Brian Flores worked in in New England, and Gruge Hill had this to say quote you could just tell by his demeanor, not just from the players, even the other coaches had big respect for him. He ran most of the individual drills,

the walkthroughs. He just had that swagger to him. And I want to talk about Roberts and Gruge Hills quotes about Brian Flores because I think they provide a really good segue into this kind of unique story that Miami acquired each of New England's sixth round draft picks from that year, in Roberts and Gruge Hill and in Ted Carriss, And I think it really tells you a couple of things that one Flora's obviously has intimate knowledge of these guys from his time back in New England and drafting

them and working with them in that linebacker room on the defense. And Ted Carriss from AFAR obviously, who didn't work in the same room as Flora's, but he was in the same building and obviously had that admiration for Flora's as a coach, and now being here in Miami, that has become quite clear, I mean, if not evident by the quotes that Carris gave us on the podcast last week. But I think it harkens back even further

to Preen when Flora's worked as a personnel guy. And this came from a podcast way back when Flora's was first hired by My by Miami on the Adam Schefter podcast, where he asked Flora's about some of those jobs early on in New England, and Flora's learned his meticulous attention to detail for understanding the transaction board and the waiver

wire board. And if you get one of those moves wrong, if you incorrectly place a player on that board, then the entire thing is wrong because a accuracy is the only acceptable measure. And I think last season, especially late, when the wear and tear of a football season, the war of attrition that is a football season wears on and you have to find guys to plug in and play because injuries happen in the sport, Guys go down.

You have to have a next man up mentality. Flores was able to plug guys in that he found, whether it was off the practice squad, street free agents, get them up, get them ready to play, and get them on the field on Sundays and then win a couple of ball games late in the year when you had a bunch of guys that were new to the team that month playing significant reps for you on the field.

And I actually asked Brian Flores about that in the bank after the Bengals game, rather when I was there for the media working for Lockdown Dolphins at the time, about the challenges of getting players to elevate their game to that level when they arrive just maybe even five six seven days prior to the game. And Flora's did a great job of kind of deflecting the praise, because that's what great leaders do, right They deflect praise and

they accept criticism. And Flores was more than happy to give out the praise to both the players that put that work in to get themselves ready, but also his coaching staff to get those guys prepared and to bring this all back together, going back to the level of connection they had with coach Floras and the level of knowledge he has about these players and what they can

do for his team. I think that just really bodes well for the Dolphins future because you have a guy that has these respects of all these players, and word gets around, Like the NFL is a reputation league, it's a rumor league. Guys are gonna talk, whether it's players, agents, coaches, what have you. Word gets around, and word has gotten around. The playing for Brian Flores, although tough and demanding, is

ultimately rewarding because quote, there's joy and hard work end quote. Okay, this podcast is gonna be a little bit of a short one today, but I do want to real quick here go over Miami's roster because we've been talking about these new additions and what they can do with those particular positions, the cost of those players, what it does for the draft going forward. And don't get me wrong, we're gonna cover all that stuff. We have a month up until the draft is officially here, and we're gonna

talk about that stuff on Future podcast. But I don't think we've had a chance to really compartmentalize the Dolphins roster at this at this point and update you on what it currently looks like. So at the quarterback position, of course, Ryan Fitzpatrick is still here the starting quarterback to end last see season, and also in the quarterback room Josh Rosen and Jake Rudoch. Running backs, we added

Jordan Howard to the roster. He joins Calin Balage, Miles Gaskin, Patrick Laird and de Lance Turner, and of course the fullback Chandler Cox. Wide receivers, you've got Davonte Parker coming back. He signed that four year, forty million dollar extension in season last year. Preston Williams the glitch to the Unicorn. He returns last season as well. Albert Wilson, Alan Hearns, Jachim Grant, mac Hollands, Gary Jennings, Ricardo Lewis is back. Isaiah Ford is back as well with the tender offer.

Terry Wright and Andy Jones are on futures contracts with Miami. At the tight end position, Mike Gasicki, Durham Smith and Michael Roberts who was signed right before the combine to join Miami previously of the Lions. And Chris Myrick the futures contract tight end here with the Dolphins as well. On the offensive line, we've added some reinforcements and Eric

Flowers and Ted Carriss. You've got Jesse Davis, Michael Dieter, Adam Panky, Keaton Sutherland, Shot Calhoun, Danny Isadora, Julian Avenport and JaMarcus Webber all on the roster, along with futurist contract der Val Netto along the defensive line. Added some big parts here as well. Christian Wilkins and Devon Gotcha are joined by Shack Lawson, Emmanuel Ogba, Trent Harris is back, Zack Seeler, Jonathan Ledbetter who returns from injury, Taco Charlton,

Avery Moss, and Gerald Willis at linebacker. Some more reinforcements here as well. Vince Bagel, obviously with the original round tender, is back in that room. Ray Kawa, McMillan, Jerome Baker, Andrew van Ginkl, Sam eg Von, Kyle van noy A Land and Roberts Commu grug Hill, Charles Harris, James Crawford, and futurest contracts for Terrell Hanks and Jake Carlock at defensive back. The big money free agent Byron Jones joins a group of xaviing Howard Bobby McCain, Eric Rowe, Nick

Needham Clayton Federlum new to the room as well. And then you have a bunch of players who've got plenty of playing time last year. Jamal Wilts, Tay Hayes, Ryan Lewis, Ken Webster, Stephen Parker, Quadrea tankers Ley, and of course Adrian Cole is back. The specialist Matt Hawk Jason Sanders round out the players on the roster with contracts in hand. And of course there are some players out there with exclusive rights, free agents, restricted free agency, and our own

unrestricted free agents out there and available as well. So that's your Dolphins roster as it stands right now. Free agency about to hit the second ish waves, so to speak. The draft coming up the Dolphins obviously with fourteen draft picks, and on tomorrow's podcast, we're gonna talk to ESPN's Field Yates about the Dolphins offseason so far, some of the personnel moves, how they fit in, and how he views the scope of this team going forward. Very excited for

that interview. We're gonna have film breakdowns on the podcast this week and beyond and coming up very soon. We're gonna transition to pretty much exclusive draft talk here in the near future. Not quite yet because we still have a month ago. We're gonna have some great guests from the Draft Network NFL Network. All the prominent draft features you want to know about, We're gonna get to those with some great guests that know the draft very well.

But as for today's time on the Drivetime podcast, that is going to be my time you will. Please be sure to subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcast from. Leave us a rating, leave us a review. Follow me on Twitter at Wingfield NFL. Follow the Dolphins at Miami Dolphins, the fish Tank Podcast with Seth and Juice, and the Audible Podcast with Kim and John. Don't forget to check those out, and of course Miami Dolphins dot com. Until next time, finds up fins Up