MALE MATTERS A Nostradamus moment – Will the Dolphins BE BETTER? by Elliot Goldenberg With a new football season about to kick off, I’m having a Nostradamus moment while thinking about how the Miami Dolphins did in the NFL draft this past April in Dallas. After all, the ’Fins, who chose not to choose a quarterback as one of their eight picks, also had the opportunity to grab one of my favorites, University of Miami wide receiver Braxton Berrios, who has a nearly 4.0 grade average and soft as silk hands – in the draft’s sixth round. So, who swept him up with the very next pick? None other than New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick – just as I predicted he would. As I noted in the April issue of the Parklander, I wanted us to grab Berrios “before Belichick, a.k.a. ‘The Hoody,’ gets his hands around the sure-handed 5’8” miniature baller – and the ’Fins, once again, get fleeced by the Pats.” That’s right, folks. The same Belichick who wins the AFC East every year and makes annual pilgrimages to the Super Bowl. As for the ’Fins, the last time they made it to the “Big Game” their QB was a young Dan Marino. The last time they won, Gerald Ford, a one-time center for the Michigan Wolverines, was in the White House. So, instead of pouncing on Braxton Berrios, the ’Fins picked cornerback Cornell Armstrong, who, to be honest, I didn’t know from Neil Armstrong. But, truth be told, I wasn’t that upset. That’s because the ’Fins, in my opinion, had a fairly fruitful draft with an abundance of potential riches. In the first round, for instance, cornerback-safety Minkah Fitzpatrick literally fell into their laps after the Arizona Cardinals leapfrogged in front of the ’Fins to pick UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen. How good is Fitzpatrick? Well, Alabama coach Nick Saban called the All-American possibly the best player he’s ever had. That’s high praise from Saban. With their next pick, the ’Fins took tight end Mike Gesicki, nearly 6’6”, who fills a very real need. Some scouts have said that he looks like Tarzan, but blocks like Jane. However, he also runs and catches like Rob Gronkowski, the bionic specimen better known as “Gronk.” The ’Fins third-round pick was a linebacker – Jerome Baker – who is supposedly quick enough to keep up with the Gronks of the world. We’ll see. The rest of the picks included Durham Smythe, a blocking tight end whose name sounds like a character in a spy novel, and Kalen Ballage, a running back who was said to be a classic underachiever but with elite talent. Rounding off the picks was inside linebacker Quentin Poling – wasn’t he a Sherpa who climbed Mt. Everest with Sir Edmund Hillary? The aforementioned cornerback Armstrong and Jason Sanders, a kicker, who I think is in no way related to either Bernie or the colonel. So did the Dolphins get better? Not according to Las Vegas odds-makers who project the ’Fins to win no more than six games this year, which is exactly what they won last year. According to an ESPN poll taken just weeks before the draft, Miami was dead last in its NFL Power Rankings — even below Cleveland, which didn’t win a single game last year. That being said, the ’Fins, in free agency, have added some quality talent: receivers Danny Amendola and Albert Wilson, offensive lineman Josh Sitton, and future Hall of Fame running back Frank Gore, just to name a few. But they lost some talent as well. Receiver Jarvis Landry, defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, and center Mike Pouncey will leave the biggest voids. Miami Dolphins Spencer Paysinger (42), Cameron Wake (91), and Kiko Alonso (47) before a game against the New England Patriots at Hard Rock Stadium. Photo Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports It sounds like a wash. The greatest difference, however, will be the return of ascending quarterback Ryan Tannehill – provided he’s healthy enough to pick up where he left off. If not, we can always look forward to the 2019 draft. P 48 SEPTEMBER <strong>2018</strong>
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