7 Miami Dolphins with extremely enormous upside

[MDFINFAN]

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If the Miami Dolphins were built with balance, they would have young, talented, highly-skilled players with gigantic potential at multiple positions.

In fact, in choosing seven players with “extremely enormous” (who cares if that’s redundant?!?) career potential, it was noted by the Daily Dolphin that all seven play a different position.

That’s good news for Miami’s future.

Now, do you agree with these 7 or do you think there's a different or combo of some these and others?

http://dailydolphin.blog.palmbeachp...iami-dolphins-with-extremely-enormous-upside/

 

[mwestberry]

Love the potential and youth...we are trending upwards ....can't wait...

On another note ....given our depth at the receiver position...I am hopeful Stringfellow steps up and makes this team...HUGE upside with this guy and his size and potential in the red zone is so intriguing to me...any thoughts?

 

[ckparrothead]

Schad's pretty on point with his stuff. Glad he's around.

What I'm taking from this is he's trying to predict breakout players.

I like that he limited himself to two rookies, though even that many is probably too many. It's kind of rare for a rookie to breakout at the level about which he's talking. That said, the two he picked make sense.

You could sense Raekwon was a little hand-picked, and he may even be placed in the middle to be "the man" of the defense. To me, Raekwon would have to be the next Deion Jones to qualify for what Schad is talking about, and I don't think that likely, but it is possible.

Charles Harris also makes sense because he may be put in position to collect sacks. He will have an advantageous role that way. And we are really one Cameron Wake injury (he's kind of old) away from Charles Harris being the primary pass rush presence on the Miami Dolphins defensive line. That's prime breeding for an (albeit) unlikely breakout rookie campaign.

The best candidates for this sort of thing are the second and third year players though. So I love the focus on Laremy Tunsil, Devante Parker, and Jordan Phillips. You could really see it happening with any of the three though I think Parker may be the weakest of the candidates as I'm not convinced on his focus level and he will have a lot of competition for throws.

Not so sure about Xavien Howard. Sounds nice and would be a great development. He hasn't convinced me it's coming, though.

Kenyan Drake is a smart choice for Schad. A year ago Jay Ajayi was nothing. Now he's the second coming of Marshawn Lynch. But Jay has some knee issues that came with the packaging out of college. Drake had some really interesting moments as a runner later in the year, a little bit like playing with Barry Sanders on Tecmo Bowl. Or maybe a bit more conservatively we will say it was a little like what teams have to deal with when they play against Le'Veon Bell. I think they're going to give Drake some opportunities to share a load with Jay Ajayi, and if the OL blocking is particularly poor, you could even see a situation where Ajayi is having trouble getting untracked from a 3.5-4.0 YPC whereas Kenyan Drake comes in and breaks off these big runs.

 

[SF Dolphin Fan]

That's a good list. Surprised Jay Ajayi wasn't included, but I guess he is seen more as someone who has arrived.

Jordan Phillips is kind of still boom or bust IMO. Obviously, I hope his flash plays become a more permanent staple of his game because those are exciting. He's really someone who could bring this defense to another level if he can get there.

I think DaVante Parker has superstar potential and I bet we start to see it this year. And I agree that Laremy Tunsil will be better at LT than LG. Things are definitely trending up for Miami.

 

[JakeemThe Dream]

That list is spot on!!

Tunsil looks like he's going to be a superstar for a long time. I don't question his greatness at all. He's literally got everything and more you can ask from your superstar LT. I really felt like he was the blessing we needed and finally got.

Parker will wake up and realize he's got $60 mil reasons why he needs to be as great as he can be which I think he is the the most talented receiver on the team.

Howard looked like a #1 corner last year. He did it as a rookie and being injured half the year. I see big things from that man. What's not to like about him? Big, physical, fast, agile, tough, can tackle, and seems to realize what it takes to be a successful NFL CB.

Harris should excel in our wide-9 scheme but he's a rookie that's going to be a backup. Upside wise, the man has the burst reminiscent of Freeney, Mathis, and Wake.

Drake is one guy I think tears apart the league. I see some special qualities about that kid that cannot be taught. To get picked in the 3rd round as a backup shows how talented this guy is. I think the Bills 45 yd TD last year showed how fast and the burst big this kid has. At 6'1" 215lbs he's a speed demon. I still think he would be our starter if Jay didn't come out of nowhere.
Plenty of teams would give him a real chance to start IMO.

Mcmillan was the top rated lber coming out of high school and then went on to captain a top 3 team. He led them in tackles over the last years. Meyer, who has coached some of the leagues best players, said Mcmillan was one of his favorites to coach.
The scouts say the guy will make sure everyone is where they need to be and a sure tackler. 23 missed tackles in 3 years compared to Cunningham's 21 missed this year alone. Missed tackles were obviously a huge issue the past decade.

Phillips can be as good as he wants to be. It's totally up to him. I think it's fair to say this year is Jordan Phillips year to either breakout or just continue to be a wasted 2nd rder. If you can't be a solid player next to Suh, your career may be short. I wish Richardson wasn't going to command $80+ mil. Time will tell with Fat boy Phillips

 

[Despacio]

Tunsil is going to cost a pretty penny when his rookie contract is up. Devante just needs the right motivation and character, he has the talent and physical abilities. Xavien I think becomes our best CB by next year. Everyone else who knows.

 

[Sherif]

Howard and Tunsil belong on the list. Parker probably needs more looks and belongs on the list. I've seen enough of those 3 to make a good bet that their upside is huge. Drake, Harris, McMillan and Phillips are all pure speculation and unknown. It's that time of year when the slate is clean and every team has lots of optimism. No different for the Fins and this article.

On another note ....given our depth at the receiver position...I am hopeful Stringfellow steps up and makes this team...HUGE upside with this guy and his size and potential in the red zone is so intriguing to me...any thoughts?

I wish there was room to keep him, I like him in a WC style offense but I don't see him sticking with the depth we have at WR.

 

[phintim]

List is solid based on different positions and youth. James at right tackle would be a name on my list if we went to 8 players.

 

[PHINSfan]

Solid list indeed! That right there with our known veterans, is a nucleus of a pretty good team.

 

[Fin Thirteen]

Love the positivity.

There's another article though that could just as easily be written. 7 guys who have the possibility to hold the Dolphins back.

Bobby McCain
Mike Pouncey
Nate Allen
Andrew Franks
Jermon Bushrod
Ted Larsen
Jakeem Grant

I only put the list up to illustrate that on every team for a guy who's ascending there's probably one on the way down or just not great to start with. So you just hope that they're better than you fear they might be and they're not in positions where you could really get exposed.

The one I'd really worry about is McCain. Just because we don't have any great coverage LBS on the roster and Bobby routinely gives up separation. In a division where the leaders feast on that stuff, it's a weak spot I really think we should have dealt with better this offseason.

 

[Pandarilla]

Top eight gigantic backsides:

Tim Bowens
Richmond Webb
Keith Byars
Tom Olividotti
Bill Parcells
Omar Kelly
John "swamp ass" Jerry
J-lo

 

[Agua]

I think Jordan Phillips, with all the pressure that has been hyped up for him to be consistent, is going to have a big breakout year. Probably the same with Devante, though I worry about serious injury with him given his lanky proportions.

 

[royalshank]

Schad's pretty on point with his stuff. Glad he's around.

What I'm taking from this is he's trying to predict breakout players.

I like that he limited himself to two rookies, though even that many is probably too many. It's kind of rare for a rookie to breakout at the level about which he's talking. That said, the two he picked make sense.

You could sense Raekwon was a little hand-picked, and he may even be placed in the middle to be "the man" of the defense. To me, Raekwon would have to be the next Deion Jones to qualify for what Schad is talking about, and I don't think that likely, but it is possible.

Charles Harris also makes sense because he may be put in position to collect sacks. He will have an advantageous role that way. And we are really one Cameron Wake injury (he's kind of old) away from Charles Harris being the primary pass rush presence on the Miami Dolphins defensive line. That's prime breeding for an (albeit) unlikely breakout rookie campaign.

The best candidates for this sort of thing are the second and third year players though. So I love the focus on Laremy Tunsil, Devante Parker, and Jordan Phillips. You could really see it happening with any of the three though I think Parker may be the weakest of the candidates as I'm not convinced on his focus level and he will have a lot of competition for throws.

Not so sure about Xavien Howard. Sounds nice and would be a great development. He hasn't convinced me it's coming, though.

Kenyan Drake is a smart choice for Schad. A year ago Jay Ajayi was nothing. Now he's the second coming of Marshawn Lynch. But Jay has some knee issues that came with the packaging out of college. Drake had some really interesting moments as a runner later in the year, a little bit like playing with Barry Sanders on Tecmo Bowl. Or maybe a bit more conservatively we will say it was a little like what teams have to deal with when they play against Le'Veon Bell. I think they're going to give Drake some opportunities to share a load with Jay Ajayi, and if the OL blocking is particularly poor, you could even see a situation where Ajayi is having trouble getting untracked from a 3.5-4.0 YPC whereas Kenyan Drake comes in and breaks off these big runs.

I agree w this and in particular I like that you chose "focus" as the thing that could keep Parker from getting to the next level. He's so talented but twice in one game he has a score and big catch negated upon further review because he let his wrist or testacle hit the white paint after making amazing grabs. That's focus. He was more physical than both of those d-backs and he let them muscle him into a position of weakness where other receivers w his gifts come down in bounds. It's mental w him IMO. When people were talking about not paying Stills, I thought it was Parker that you have another year to see if he warrants long term investment so paying Stills was a no-brainer to me as is extending Landry. Parker is the guy who must develop further.

 

[Digital]

Schad seems to provide us with some good coverage. I agree with much of what he said. I'm higher on DeVante Parker and Xavien Howard than some on this board, but I'm not yet convinced on Phillips. Phillips showed some flashes last year, but didn't play nearly enough snaps and wasn't very good against the run. Neither of those are acceptable negatives. Together they are reasons why he should be looking at every DT in camp as true competition.

For the offensive players, I think it starts and ends with the OL. If they can stay healthy (and that includes Pouncey), and Isaac Asiata can come in and earn a starting guard spot, we should be a decent running team. That allows Tannehill to play-action, which is a strength of his. It also slows those pass rushers, providing more time in the pocket for deeper throws and slower developing route combos. Guys like Parker will have a lot more time to shine if we have a running game to slow the pass rush and extend drives.

Defensively, Schad is using the shotgun approach. We have a lot of guys who could make a big leap forward, but my money is on Howard and McMillan. Howard showed well in his limited playing time last year. The biggest adjustment issues he needed to make were made, such as limiting his grabbiness, shadowing receivers, understanding his role in the scheme. For a young kid, he made tremendous strides in those areas. Also, his adjustment was particularly strong considering the low amount of snaps he played. He supports the run better than any other CB we have, by far. He maintains good positioning. He contests balls well. To me, he looks like a guy ready to really play well as a sophomore. Remember, press corners all come into the NFL needing a lot of work. In Xavien Howard's case, he made very substantial progress in those areas.

McMillan was underrated IMHO. He is an instinctive LB with top notch athleticism, a workaholic attitude, natural leader, smart player, and an extension of the coaching staff on the field. IMHO, it's just a matter of time with this kid. He may not show as a great coverage LB right now, but rest assured he will work at it until he gets competent at it. Still, it's a lot to learn for a 20 year old entering the NFL. While I expect him to be the QB of the defense ... I'm not expecting it to happen by game 1. If I had to guess, I'd guess that McMillan starts out playing Sam (or Left LB if you believe Burke's explanation of our LB corps), and then moves into Mike in season 2 or in the event that Timmons gets injured.

I'd keep an eye out for Jakeem Grant having a breakout season as well. If he gets his hands under control, he offers a lot in the open field. His stop-start ability and change of direction are beyond elite. If he's reliable, the kid is going to make a lot of highlight reels.

 

[Eesti]

I think Jordan Phillips, with all the pressure that has been hyped up for him to be consistent, is going to have a big breakout year. Probably the same with Devante, though I worry about serious injury with him given his lanky proportions.

If both these guys play to potential, our team looks a lot different. We would make a huge jump on both sides of the ball.