Dawg Blogs: 5 Guys You should Expect to make Significant Leaps in 2017

[AL R]

Ahh yea, you know, I thought about Howard on that list, but the injuries and the fact that we are already so barren at CB, he's a shoe in to start. Hard to really get a good feel for what he has to improve on when he was thrusted into the top role regardless.

Sorry about that Albert.

He still has room for improvement - consistency etc but yes the jump for him would be less than the others you mentioned no question.

 

[Kdawg954]

Maybe but keep in mind there is crazy money out there still. Take a look..

Still alot to teams with way more money than us and cap flexibility.

http://overthecap.com/salary-cap-space/

Wow do the Titans look set up..

Man its crazy, and there are teams on that list who have pretty good defense already set up. I want the flexibility of being able to go BPA in this draft. I don't wanna feel hamstrung by having to go LB when a quality pass rusher falls. Use FA to address some needs, and those needs are mainly on defense.

---------- Post added at 09:51 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:50 AM ----------

Good read...Jordan Phillips is the one that I have spoken about the most, if the light as you say "comes on" he and Suh could wreck havoc over this league. But he seems to either be lazy, out of shape or not very good. However, I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and see what happens this year. Maybe working out with Suh is the answer, I don't know. By the way, has Suh been mentoring this guy?

Suh has invited JP to work out with him, not sure if we've gotten a definitive on if JP took advantage of that.

 

[AL R]

Man its crazy, and there are teams on that list who have pretty good defense already set up. I want the flexibility of being able to go BPA in this draft. I don't wanna feel hamstrung by having to go LB when a quality pass rusher falls. Use FA to address some needs, and those needs are mainly on defense.

---------- Post added at 09:51 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:50 AM ----------



Suh has invited JP to work out with him, not sure if we've gotten a definitive on if JP took advantage of that.

Add in how the Titans are set up in draft - could be in a really good position next year.

 

[Kdawg954]

It still seems to me that Carroo was insurance for Parker as Carroo would replace Parker's skills more easily than Stills'. This offense needs Stills' speed, Carroo doesn't have that.

I don't think you give up 3 draft picks to ensure you have insurance for a top 15 pick the year before.

Carroo absolutely has speed. I'm not a person that gets caught up in one guy being a 10th faster than the other. I look at production. Production tells me Leonte Carroo was an explosive playmaker all 3 years at Rutgers averaging over 20 yards per catch and scored 29 TDs in 30 games. You don't do that by accident or by being slow.

He wasn't necessarily anybody's replacement, but he's the top option to replace Stills if Miami can't resign, which I don't think they will due to free agency.

 

[Kdawg954]

I don't agree. All five have either flashed or are well spoken of by the coaches and are doing what is asked of them. Even Duarte has added the weight they wanted and been working hard on his blocking. We already know he has great hands and can run routes like the WR he was in college.

Jordan Phillips looked like he was starting let loose and have some fun towards the end of the season. Too me, that is a super good sign. Always have to keep in mind, players are just people, and most are still very young. They need to have some fun doing this job or they end up burning out and becoming drug addicts like Dion Jordan and so many others.

If our guys ace the draft and free agency this year, things are looking up,wwaaaayyyyy up!

It's all potential and it shows the investment of offensive skill players the last 2 seasons, especially last draft. It's the thought process that Miami has to factor in. There is none of this potential on defense, especially at LB. Kiko has limited upside and every other piece is just meh.

 

[Kingdom Come]

I would like to see Kenyon Drake used more in the passing game. He has the dimensions and speed of a WR. He showed good hands at Alabama and has had very limited opportunities with us. http://www.nfl.com/draft/2016/profiles/kenyan-drake?id=2555230

We have seen his breakaway speed on kick returns and breakaway runs across the field. I agree with NFLDraftscout.com...http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=122789&draftyear=2016&genpos=RB He is more of a 4.31 guy than 4.45 guy.

Yes, I would really like to see him running more routes this year in OTA's and camp.

 

[Kdawg954]

I would like to see Kenyon Drake used more in the passing game. He has the dimensions and speed of a WR. He showed good hands at Alabama and has had very limited opportunities with us. http://www.nfl.com/draft/2016/profiles/kenyan-drake?id=2555230

We have seen his breakaway speed on kick returns and breakaway runs across the field. I agree with NFLDraftscout.com...http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=122789&draftyear=2016&genpos=RB He is more of a 4.31 guy than 4.45 guy.

Yes, I would really like to see him running more routes this year in OTA's and camp.

Thing with Drake is, Williams impressed the coaches from the outset with his pass protection. He'd knock defenders out flat and he did the required things to be trusted. Kenyan flashed his speed but he just wasn't as consistent as Williams in other aspects, including pass catching.

I don't expect Williams back so it will be Drake's time to shine and he'll have to put in the work this offseason.

 

[finmann]

Carroo is not slow, but he seems to catch the ball on his waist and not at hits highest point. Not going to have much success in the NFL doing that. But he is young and could be good if coached up.

 

[fansinceGWilson]

Good post but a large amount of wishful thinking. We'll be lucky for 1 or 2 of those guys to take a major step up. All 5 would be like winning the lottery. I think Parker and Drake are the most likely.

I'd say Parker, Drake, and Phillips . . . in that order.

 

[fansinceGWilson]

While I sit back and watch vets like Hoops and Hayden Fox give their week to week and season ending analysis, I figure I continue these Dawg Blog opportunities in the offseason in regards to current personnel, salary cap and free agency and attempt to give some insight into what can fit realistically into the future of the Miami Dolphins. I first wanna take a look at what I believe to be 5 guys that I personally expect to make significant leaps in 2017. 1. Kenyan Drake - Too much talent to leave off the field. A nightmare matchup on third downs. The coaching staff clearly showed more trust in Damian Williams in 2016 as DW impressed in camp with his pass blocking and his "do it all" yeoman like work ethic but at some point it becomes difficult to overlook the offense's potential with Drake on the field. He'll have to work hard this offseason in pass protection but the combo of him and Ajayi in 2017 could be lethal for our offense. You get him and Jarvis in the slot on 3rd downs, it really fits into the wheelhouse of what Ryan Tannehill wants to do underneath and will open up what he can do on the outside. Also I would like to see him take over the KR duties full time. He is better than Grant on them. *Damian Williams is a RFA this offseason. With the low tender offer creeping towards that 2 million mark, there is no guarantee he is resigned by Miami as it would make him the highest paid RB on the roster. Expect one the PS guys (Storm Johnson or Senorise Perry), or a late round/UDFA to have a shot at the #3 RB spot in 2017. 2. Leonte Carroo - I have Kenny Stills gone from the roster. It's not that I wouldn't want him back, I'm just looking at the roster and not finding room for a #3 WR on this team that will likely command #1/#2 money in FA. Everybody wants to fix the defense, but many also want to bring in 2 guards, extend Jarvis, resign Sims, draft Howard or Njoku, etc. You've gotta pick your poison at some point and this is mines. Step in Leonte Carroo. He was drafted to be the Stills replacement and the front office/coaching staff thought enough of him to give up 3 draft picks (2017 3rd, 2017 4th and a 2016 6th) to get the deal done. What idiots, am I right? Kid is a playmaker. We worry about losing the big play ability of Stills, Leonte Carroo averaged 20.1 yards per reception his final 2 years at Rutgers. The man has "vise grips" for hands, dropping just 2 of 96 catchable balls over the time span. TDs? He had 29 in 30 career collegiate games. He's tough to bring down, has tremendous ball skills ala Devante Parker in many ways. He doesn't have the top end 4.38 combine speed Stills had, but ran an impressive 4.50 flat and was thoroughly disappointed with it. He's got enough speed. I fully expect the Parker/Carroo duo to continue what Miami has going at WR, with Jarvis in the slot. Good times ahead. *Kenny Stills is a UFA this offseason. Will be one of the more sought after WRs on the market in 2017. Miami can maybe stretch 7 million per season, I think Kenny will end up in that 9 to 10 range when it is all said and done. Only 24 3. Thomas Duarte - The late 7th rounder in 2016 is ready to make an impact in 2017. He was always drafted as a guy that would need a year to bulk up, work on his blocking and refine the aspects of being a NFL TE. Since being drafted he's put on 16 pounds and when called up this year for the Sims injury, Adam Gase had this to say: “We’re seeing improvement in the run game and we obviously feel really good about him in the passing game,” Gase said. “His pass protection is getting better. He’s shown signs of improvement for us and we want to do the best job we can to stay in-house and be able to move guys up and give them the opportunity they deserve.” Now you should not envision Duarte as a #1 TE in 2016. He'll be a piece in the Gase offense, he's got some Jordan Reed in him and I personally think he'll fill void left by Charles Clay in this offense. I think he'll pair nicely with a resigned Dion Sims and a newly extended Marqueis Gray. He'll be active on special teams as well. He has a big offseason ahead of him. Continued strength training and work in both pass pro and specifically run blocking. *Dion Sims is a UFA. I expect him back and as our #1 TE as he really has the tools to be a solid Anthony Fasano type for us. Fasano was at his best when he had a seam threat ala David Martin on the team. Expect the Sims deal to slide in around 4 years, 18 to 22 million. Jordan Cameron is done. Gray is resigned through 2018. Dominique Jones is in a similar situation as Damian Williams. Low Round tender closing towards 2 million, I do not expect him back. 4. Jordan Phillips - He's flashed the talent, but like many DT's in this league, the great ones flash it much more often. The Suh's and the Aaron Donalds come to mind. Ace players as rookies with remarkable motors. Jordan has to remain consistent. He is too damn good to be so ineffective on so many plays. His first 2 years are very similar to what Paul Soliai gave us for 2 years and the light started to come on in year 3 and flourished in year 4. I see a similar track for Phillips. He's not the run stuffer that Paul was but gives you much more from a penetrating the pocket standpoint. We passed on some pretty damn good LBs in the 2nd round of that draft, guys that I'm sure would be much more effective for us right now . . . so Phillips has to prove his doubters wrong and show up more consistently. Workout with Suh this offseason, such a huge benefit to him. I do expect in year 3 we'll see the talent that the front office envisioned when we drafted him. *Suh under contract through 2020 and is going nowhere. Mitchell on the last year of his deal and its very cuttable at 3.5 million saved and only 500K towards dead cap . . . however there is a lack of depth at DT on this team right now so it is quite possible Miami sticks with Mitchell in 2017. Tony McDaniels was kept back in the day in a rotational role at 3 million. Warmsely is a DE/DT and could be ready to take an active role on the DLine in 2017. Dolphins ran with Nick Williams for the latter part of the year and they seem pretty high on him. He's an EFRA so expect him back to compete. 5. Devante Parker - Easily the biggest X-Factor on this team. At times I feel like we have a top 10 playmaker on the outside but more often than not he is just an afterthought. First, he needs a completely healthy offseason. He needs to show a little maturity in regards to his conditioning. His ball skills are top notch and he's got a rapport with Ryan Tannehill. The pieces are there, it is time we saw it all come to fruition. He's a legit #1, with Gase on the headset and all the other options around him, Devante should have a stellar year in 2017. *Juice on year 4 of a 4 year rookie deal, expect an extension this offseason. Kenny a UFA. Leonte on year 2 of 4 on a rookie deal. Rashawn Scott will be the favorite in that #4 role in 2017, will be on year 2 of his 3 year rookie deal. Jakeem Grant will still be limited to a returner/gadget #5 WR. With 4 of these 5 guys offensive skill guys, the focus really needs to be at LB, OL and DE, with obvious depth added all over the defense. Just not much development available at those spots, unless you have your money on a hail mary from Dion Jordan. I don't.

A little OT, but here is my logic. If just two of those guys make "significant leaps," and Miami "hits" on 2 FA and 1 rookie (or 2 rookies and one FA), that's a considerable upgrade to team talent. And I don't think those 'if's" are unreasonable. This is the year Gase shows he's good at judging and developing talent.

 

[Danny]

I can't see Carroo doing for us what Stills does. Yes he made plays in college but here they're bigger and faster. Stills helps the whole offense just by being out there. You take that speed away and we're back to Tannehill having to go short most of the time. I'm not saying Carroo can't be a good player but replacing what Stills brings, I just don't see it.

I agree that Drake, if given the chance should be much better in 2017. Phillips will get the chance and just needs to find the consistency.
Parker has already made lots of plays for us. I believe he could become a 1000 yard guy but he needs Stills on the other side. You go into NE with Parker, Landry and Carroo and BB will take Parker out of the game and they will sit on the short stuff. Keep on mind we're supposed to be building a team that can overtake the pats.

Just my two cents

Ozzy rules!!

 

[FSU Truth]

I'd say Parker, Drake, and Phillips . . . in that order.

For some, the significant leap would just be regular contributors. If Drake can get 5-10 offensive touches, and Carroo gets 3-5, that would be a significant leap. Durate being on the game day roster would be a significant leap for those players. Now Parker and Phillips would be a major impact if they did take a major leap, but both have flashed dominance, just need them to do it consistantly.

 

[Montana-phan]

I like Stills a lot but I agree with you Kdawg, there are just too many other needs on this team.

I look at it a different way than others have posted here. I don't see it as a simple loss of Stills on the outside, though it is true that we will miss his speed and chemistry with Tanne. We will also gain many other qualities with Caroo that Stills does not provide. Caroo is superior to Stills in physicality, catching the ball in traffic, and run blocking. Plus he has adequate speed, by no means is he slow.

So to me it is not simply loosing what Stills brings, but we are also gaining many other qualities that Caroo will bring. It will require some different play calls and alignments, but for the first time in a long time I feel we have a coach whom will adequately do that. I also think we will see an uptick in our run game with Caroo on the field.

 

[ChrisTRD]

We will have PLENTY of cap space. We need to resign Stills.

 

[Kdawg954]

A little OT, but here is my logic. If just two of those guys make "significant leaps," and Miami "hits" on 2 FA and 1 rookie (or 2 rookies and one FA), that's a considerable upgrade to team talent. And I don't think those 'if's" are unreasonable. This is the year Gase shows he's good at judging and developing talent.

Absolutely . . . we invested in offense with Parker and most of the 2016 draft. It's time to see that through.

You invest in your head coach, and trust your drafts, which he was a big part of. We need defense . . . there is just a complete lack of upside from the entire unit.

---------- Post added at 11:29 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:28 AM ----------

I like Stills a lot but I agree with you Kdawg, there are just too many other needs on this team.

I look at it a different way than others have posted here. I don't see it as a simple loss of Stills on the outside, though it is true that we will miss his speed and chemistry with Tanne. We will also gain many other qualities with Caroo that Stills does not provide. Caroo is superior to Stills in physicality, catching the ball in traffic, and run blocking. Plus he has adequate speed, by no means is he slow.

So to me it is not simply loosing what Stills brings, but we are also gaining many other qualities that Caroo will bring. It will require some different play calls and alignments, but for the first time in a long time I feel we have a coach whom will adequately do that. I also think we will see an uptick in our run game with Caroo on the field.

Gase is your biggest investment. He pounded the table for Carroo as did the WRs coach. You need to get the production you expected out of him with these final 3 cheap years. You can't insure everything because we've had so many failed draft picks in the past. Carroo has the capabilities to be an extremely solid #3 in 2017.

---------- Post added at 11:31 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:29 AM ----------

We will have PLENTY of cap space. We need to resign Stills.

There will be plenty of time to analyze just how much cap space we have in direct coorelation to who we should keep, who we should add and who we should cut. You'll be surprised just how little we have in comparison to others and what the demands are going to be with a rising cap.