I loved Minkah coming out of college. I championed for the Dolphins to draft him. I defended him after they did.
BUT, I'm still fine with the trade regardless what position the pick falls in the draft. Because I know the Dolphins will select a player that will buy into their vision. That's what this is all about.
Folks have been slowly coming around to Brian Flores and his staff because they see the results. They see a staff that is getting a lot out of marginal (or worse) talent. They see a staff getting production out of players previous regimes couldn't.
Flores has brought the Belichick way with him. And that way is, if you're not with him, you're against him. Belichick would have traded Minkah Fitzpatrick too if he didn't buy in to his way of doing things.
Minkah didn't buy in. Was given every opportunity to buy in. But he couldn't or wouldn't see the vision.
Flores wasn't on staff when Minkah was drafted --- so he could vet him, talk to him before drafting him. If he was, Minkah most likely never would have been drafted by the Dolphins.
I see the potential of the new HC and his staff. Therefore I trust their decision making with regards to endorsing the trade. The Dolphins are better off with another 1st round pick that this staff helps hand select.
Moving on to the Steelers, it's continually frustrating me how fortunate they've been to eek out many of these wins. I know, I know, people are gonna keep telling me it's because they're a great franchise and have a great HC. Whatever. All I know is if they are so freaking great and their defense is so freaking lights out, they wouldn't continually struggle with mediocre and subpar teams.
Indy, LA Rams, Cincy, Cleveland, Zona.
They're having trouble with these teams because they aren't so great themselves. Several of those close games above easily could have gone the other way and nearly did. But as Dolphins luck would have it, they didn't.
Hopefully they find a way to lose 2 of their last three. BUF can beat them and BALT should, unless they've got the home field advantage locked up by then.